CBS to air episodes of Veronica Mars before its Second season premiere
07-21-05 | 03:34 PM
#1
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Legend
CBS to air episodes of Veronica Mars before its Second season premiere
Hopefully this move helps the show ratings.
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) UPN is turning to its Viacom big brother to give "Veronica Mars" some extra exposure before its second season.
CBS will air four episodes of the critically hailed but under-watched series, starting with back-to-back episodes on Friday, July 29. Additional episodes will air Aug. 5 and 12. It's the first time a UPN show has aired on its larger corporate sibling.
"'Veronica Mars' is a smart, intelligent show with a fabulous star in Kristen Bell, and like many other great series, it simply needs more exposure to gain real traction," says Dawn Ostroff, president of UPN Entertainment. "By airing these episodes ... on America's number one network, CBS, our hope is that even more people will discover how wonderful this drama is and become loyal viewers in the fall."
CBS has been averaging about 4.8 million viewers with "60 Minutes II" in the 8 p.m. ET Friday spot in recent weeks. Those aren't world-beating numbers, but they're still about double the season average for "Veronica Mars."
Ostroff says the "Mars" crossover represents a "positive way for the divisions to work together and support each other," but she insists that this won't become a regular affair. "We are our own vibrant network," she says.
The four "Veronica Mars" episodes airing on CBS (kicking off with the pilot episode at 8 p.m. on the 29th) will tilt more toward close-ended storylines, rather than dealing with last season's overarching mystery of Lily Kane's murder. That was a conscious choice, Ostroff says, to "bring [new viewers] into the world" of the show without leaving them scratching their heads over the big mystery.
Ostroff also says that once the season starts, UPN will do a few things to make sure that the audience for "Mars'" new lead-in, "America's Next Top Model," stays around. They include a guest appearance by last spring's "Top Model" winner, Naima Mora, in the season premiere and dinner with "Veronica's" male cast members for a "Top Model" challenge winner later in the season.
CBS will air four episodes of the critically hailed but under-watched series, starting with back-to-back episodes on Friday, July 29. Additional episodes will air Aug. 5 and 12. It's the first time a UPN show has aired on its larger corporate sibling.
"'Veronica Mars' is a smart, intelligent show with a fabulous star in Kristen Bell, and like many other great series, it simply needs more exposure to gain real traction," says Dawn Ostroff, president of UPN Entertainment. "By airing these episodes ... on America's number one network, CBS, our hope is that even more people will discover how wonderful this drama is and become loyal viewers in the fall."
CBS has been averaging about 4.8 million viewers with "60 Minutes II" in the 8 p.m. ET Friday spot in recent weeks. Those aren't world-beating numbers, but they're still about double the season average for "Veronica Mars."
Ostroff says the "Mars" crossover represents a "positive way for the divisions to work together and support each other," but she insists that this won't become a regular affair. "We are our own vibrant network," she says.
The four "Veronica Mars" episodes airing on CBS (kicking off with the pilot episode at 8 p.m. on the 29th) will tilt more toward close-ended storylines, rather than dealing with last season's overarching mystery of Lily Kane's murder. That was a conscious choice, Ostroff says, to "bring [new viewers] into the world" of the show without leaving them scratching their heads over the big mystery.
Ostroff also says that once the season starts, UPN will do a few things to make sure that the audience for "Mars'" new lead-in, "America's Next Top Model," stays around. They include a guest appearance by last spring's "Top Model" winner, Naima Mora, in the season premiere and dinner with "Veronica's" male cast members for a "Top Model" challenge winner later in the season.
07-21-05 | 03:54 PM
#3
DVD Talk Hero
unless, cbs advertises this heavily (like during highly rated programing), it'll probably get crappy ratings, and the people who normally watch 60 minutes will wonder why this is on instead. (hey, at least i can watch a few episodes in hd, since upn isn't hd on comcast, and there is a rumor that the dvd's might be full frame)
07-21-05 | 06:34 PM
#5
DVD Talk Hero
It would have been smarter to air the entire first season over the whole summer. Now that is a way to pick up viewers.
Well maybe...
Well maybe...
07-22-05 | 07:29 AM
#6
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Legend
The 4 episodes to air are:
Friday, July 29 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) "Pilot" --
Friday, July 29 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) "Echolls Family Christmas" --
Friday, August 5 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) "Clash of the Tritons" --
Friday, August 12 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) "Ruskie Business" --
Friday, July 29 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) "Pilot" --
Spoiler:
Friday, July 29 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) "Echolls Family Christmas" --
Spoiler:
Friday, August 5 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) "Clash of the Tritons" --
Spoiler:
Friday, August 12 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) "Ruskie Business" --
Spoiler:
07-22-05 | 07:56 AM
#7
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Originally Posted by B.A.
It would have been smarter to air the entire first season over the whole summer. Now that is a way to pick up viewers.
Maybe I'll just TiVo the 2nd season until I can rent and watch the first on 10/11.
07-22-05 | 08:11 AM
#8
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Originally Posted by B.A.
It would have been smarter to air the entire first season over the whole summer. Now that is a way to pick up viewers.
Well maybe...
Well maybe...
Sadly the cynic in me doesn't think this will do a whole lot of good since this show is so heavily serialized. But you never really know right?
07-22-05 | 12:33 PM
#9
DVD Talk Hero
Originally Posted by LorenzoL
The 4 episodes to air are:
Friday, July 29 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) "Pilot" --
Friday, July 29 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) "Echolls Family Christmas" --
Friday, August 5 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) "Clash of the Tritons" --
Friday, August 12 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) "Ruskie Business" --
Friday, July 29 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) "Pilot" --
Spoiler:
Friday, July 29 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) "Echolls Family Christmas" --
Spoiler:
Friday, August 5 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) "Clash of the Tritons" --
Spoiler:
Friday, August 12 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) "Ruskie Business" --
Spoiler:
07-22-05 | 02:47 PM
#10
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Legend
Originally Posted by Rypro 525
from the looks of it, these are more stand alone episodes, then the big mystery episodes.
The four "Veronica Mars" episodes airing on CBS (kicking off with the pilot episode at 8 p.m. on the 29th) will tilt more toward close-ended storylines, rather than dealing with last season's overarching mystery of Lily Kane's murder. That was a conscious choice, Ostroff says, to "bring [new viewers] into the world" of the show without leaving them scratching their heads over the big mystery.
07-29-05 | 03:16 PM
#11
Remember to watch Veronica Mars tonight!
Make sure that your friends, neighbors, relatives, and anyone else who has a tv watches too.
Big, big ratings...let's shock CBS and UPN tonight and make the show number 1.
Make sure that your friends, neighbors, relatives, and anyone else who has a tv watches too.
Big, big ratings...let's shock CBS and UPN tonight and make the show number 1.
07-29-05 | 03:30 PM
#12
DVD Talk Special Edition
Originally Posted by dolphinboy
Remember to watch Veronica Mars tonight!
Make sure that your friends, neighbors, relatives, and anyone else who has a tv watches too.
Big, big ratings...let's shock CBS and UPN tonight and make the show number 1.
Make sure that your friends, neighbors, relatives, and anyone else who has a tv watches too.
Big, big ratings...let's shock CBS and UPN tonight and make the show number 1.
And I get to watch her in HD.
07-29-05 | 07:00 PM
#14
DVD Talk Hero
It's on right now - and it's not in HD. 
07-30-05 | 08:10 AM
#16
DVD Talk Hero
I figured as much. Asswipes.
07-30-05 | 06:55 PM
#17
DVD Talk Hero
NBC Takes Friday; 'Mars' OK for CBS
(Saturday, July 30 08:38 AM)
NBC won the ratings race Friday, but the more interesting battle was between cult favorites "Veronica Mars" and "Arrested Development," with the former's run on CBS winning out.
"Dateline," 4.5/10, won the 8 p.m. hour for NBC. Reruns of "8 Simple Rules," 2.7/6, and "Hope & Faith," 2.8/6, put ABC in second. A showing of "Veronica Mars" on CBS (a Viacom sibling of the show's usual home, UPN) averaged 2.5/5, good enough for third. UPN came in fourth with the movie "Gang of Roses." Two episodes of "Arrested Development" averaged 1.5/3 for FOX. The WB trailed with "What I Like About You" and "Blue Collar TV."
Things stayed pretty much the same at 9 p.m., with "Dateline" improving slightly to 4.7/9 to hold its lead. ABC averaged 2.8/5 with a second "Hope & Faith" and "Less Than Perfect." Another hour of "Veronica Mars" on CBS came in at 2.3/5, tying for third with UPN's movie. A second hour of "Arrested Development" on FOX tied for fifth with The WB's "Reba" and "Living with Fran."
while those aren't terrific numbers by any means, thats about 4.5 million viewers, when vm's average last season was just under 2 million a season on upn.
(Saturday, July 30 08:38 AM)
NBC won the ratings race Friday, but the more interesting battle was between cult favorites "Veronica Mars" and "Arrested Development," with the former's run on CBS winning out.
"Dateline," 4.5/10, won the 8 p.m. hour for NBC. Reruns of "8 Simple Rules," 2.7/6, and "Hope & Faith," 2.8/6, put ABC in second. A showing of "Veronica Mars" on CBS (a Viacom sibling of the show's usual home, UPN) averaged 2.5/5, good enough for third. UPN came in fourth with the movie "Gang of Roses." Two episodes of "Arrested Development" averaged 1.5/3 for FOX. The WB trailed with "What I Like About You" and "Blue Collar TV."
Things stayed pretty much the same at 9 p.m., with "Dateline" improving slightly to 4.7/9 to hold its lead. ABC averaged 2.8/5 with a second "Hope & Faith" and "Less Than Perfect." Another hour of "Veronica Mars" on CBS came in at 2.3/5, tying for third with UPN's movie. A second hour of "Arrested Development" on FOX tied for fifth with The WB's "Reba" and "Living with Fran."
while those aren't terrific numbers by any means, thats about 4.5 million viewers, when vm's average last season was just under 2 million a season on upn.
07-30-05 | 08:33 PM
#18
Originally Posted by Rypro 525
NBC Takes Friday; 'Mars' OK for CBS
(Saturday, July 30 08:38 AM)
NBC won the ratings race Friday, but the more interesting battle was between cult favorites "Veronica Mars" and "Arrested Development," with the former's run on CBS winning out.
"Dateline," 4.5/10, won the 8 p.m. hour for NBC. Reruns of "8 Simple Rules," 2.7/6, and "Hope & Faith," 2.8/6, put ABC in second. A showing of "Veronica Mars" on CBS (a Viacom sibling of the show's usual home, UPN) averaged 2.5/5, good enough for third. UPN came in fourth with the movie "Gang of Roses." Two episodes of "Arrested Development" averaged 1.5/3 for FOX. The WB trailed with "What I Like About You" and "Blue Collar TV."
Things stayed pretty much the same at 9 p.m., with "Dateline" improving slightly to 4.7/9 to hold its lead. ABC averaged 2.8/5 with a second "Hope & Faith" and "Less Than Perfect." Another hour of "Veronica Mars" on CBS came in at 2.3/5, tying for third with UPN's movie. A second hour of "Arrested Development" on FOX tied for fifth with The WB's "Reba" and "Living with Fran."
while those aren't terrific numbers by any means, thats about 4.5 million viewers, when vm's average last season was just under 2 million a season on upn.
(Saturday, July 30 08:38 AM)
NBC won the ratings race Friday, but the more interesting battle was between cult favorites "Veronica Mars" and "Arrested Development," with the former's run on CBS winning out.
"Dateline," 4.5/10, won the 8 p.m. hour for NBC. Reruns of "8 Simple Rules," 2.7/6, and "Hope & Faith," 2.8/6, put ABC in second. A showing of "Veronica Mars" on CBS (a Viacom sibling of the show's usual home, UPN) averaged 2.5/5, good enough for third. UPN came in fourth with the movie "Gang of Roses." Two episodes of "Arrested Development" averaged 1.5/3 for FOX. The WB trailed with "What I Like About You" and "Blue Collar TV."
Things stayed pretty much the same at 9 p.m., with "Dateline" improving slightly to 4.7/9 to hold its lead. ABC averaged 2.8/5 with a second "Hope & Faith" and "Less Than Perfect." Another hour of "Veronica Mars" on CBS came in at 2.3/5, tying for third with UPN's movie. A second hour of "Arrested Development" on FOX tied for fifth with The WB's "Reba" and "Living with Fran."
while those aren't terrific numbers by any means, thats about 4.5 million viewers, when vm's average last season was just under 2 million a season on upn.
What a world we live in, when crap like Dateline doubles the audience of a great scripted show like VM.
If they had aired the entire season this summer on CBS, I think the numbers would have gone up and up. Probably, sadly, not catching Dateline but still getting to a solid second place.
That might have really brought a lot of those viewers from CBS to UPN. If the shows doesn't get better ratings on UPN, at least we now have evidence that it's the network and not the show. We knew it before, but they would never have admitted it. For the most part, the 2nd and 3rd place numbers were almost even and the viewers of those other shows are used to seeing it at that time. That's not a show you would cancel.
07-31-05 | 07:36 AM
#19
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Legend
I'm glad that UPN is at least making some effort to promote this show. Although the CBS numbers are not great, I believe that they were bigger numbers than what the show reruns have gotten during the summer on UPN.
I just get the feeling that this show will never make it beyond being a critically praised show. It's sad to think that the TV audience nowadays prefer dumb reality shows over a well written scripted show.
I just get the feeling that this show will never make it beyond being a critically praised show. It's sad to think that the TV audience nowadays prefer dumb reality shows over a well written scripted show.
07-31-05 | 07:55 PM
#20
Does UPN show the same shows everywhere all the time?
My local UPN station shows VM every Sunday at 5pm.
So they have the regular re-runs on Wed, some shows on CBS, and one episode every Sunday. That's pretty damn good!
This weekend they showed the episode where Veronica dressed up like Madonna.
I really wish they would have found a permanent role for Alyson Hannigan on this show. Maybe it's my Buffy bias talking, but I don't think so.
She has just the right personality and ability for this kind of smart show and, instead, she's going to be wasted on what appears to be a totally craptacular sitcom.
My local UPN station shows VM every Sunday at 5pm.
So they have the regular re-runs on Wed, some shows on CBS, and one episode every Sunday. That's pretty damn good!
This weekend they showed the episode where Veronica dressed up like Madonna.
I really wish they would have found a permanent role for Alyson Hannigan on this show. Maybe it's my Buffy bias talking, but I don't think so.
She has just the right personality and ability for this kind of smart show and, instead, she's going to be wasted on what appears to be a totally craptacular sitcom.
08-01-05 | 09:56 PM
#21
DVD Talk Hero
Originally Posted by dolphinboy
I really wish they would have found a permanent role for Alyson Hannigan on this show. Maybe it's my Buffy bias talking, but I don't think so.
She has just the right personality and ability for this kind of smart show and, instead, she's going to be wasted on what appears to be a totally craptacular sitcom.
08-04-05 | 10:51 AM
#22
DVD Talk Legend
Any word on Friday's ratings?
08-04-05 | 12:14 PM
#23
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From: Greenville, South Cackalack
Originally Posted by Daytripper
Any word on Friday's ratings?
08-04-05 | 10:11 PM
#24
DVD Talk Legend
Originally Posted by Adam Tyner
Yes. Several words, in fact. Press the "PAGE UP" button on your keyboard a couple of times.
I had been keeping an eye on this thread and quickly paged down hoping I'd see someone talk about the ratings before asking. Don't know how I missed it.
08-06-05 | 06:44 PM
#25
DVD Talk Hero
for those interested
NBC's newsmagazine "Dateline" won the 8 p.m. hour with a 4.6/9. ABC took second with reruns of "8 Simple Rules," 2.6/6, and "Hope & Faith," 2.7/6. "Veronica Mars" continued its tryout on CBS and came in third with a 2.5/5. UPN finished fourth with the movie "American Outlaws." FOX got a 1.9/4 from two episodes of "Arrested Development," which beat The WB's "What I Like About You" and "Blue Collar TV."
its still has all of the viewers from the previous week. (and our fucking cbs station didn't play it in hd, but in full frame at 1:35 in the morning )
NBC's newsmagazine "Dateline" won the 8 p.m. hour with a 4.6/9. ABC took second with reruns of "8 Simple Rules," 2.6/6, and "Hope & Faith," 2.7/6. "Veronica Mars" continued its tryout on CBS and came in third with a 2.5/5. UPN finished fourth with the movie "American Outlaws." FOX got a 1.9/4 from two episodes of "Arrested Development," which beat The WB's "What I Like About You" and "Blue Collar TV."
its still has all of the viewers from the previous week. (and our fucking cbs station didn't play it in hd, but in full frame at 1:35 in the morning )