ESPN announces Tues nites for original programming

[Scribe]

http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=story&articleid=VR1117872898&categoryid=10&cs=1

This from today's DAILY VARIETY. Summary: With the rating success of the critically lambasted SEASON ON THE BRINK, ESPN is moving into original programming, reserving Tues nites for up to eight months a year for original series, game shows, reality shows, movies, etc. Mark Shapiro named head of the net's newly formed programming division.

[bert patenaude]

I guess that I'll read poetry on Tuesday nights.

[SoFla Metro]

I give this guy about 12 months before he's looking for a new job.

[FabFiveFigo]

Thank God I get to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer in peace.

[capt. america]

i read an article about ESPN's new marketing strategy about a year ago and its basically that they want to be like MTV. they are going to do all these crappy shows that have some loose ties to sports but in reality, it will be your average entertainment network, if everything goes according to plan. wish i could remember what magazine carried the article

[Dr. Wankler]

Maybe they'll come up with the equivalent of MTV 2 and MTV Classic where they can still show new sports and old sports. Oh, wait a minute.

Personally, this is good for me. If they isolate all those shows on the same night, that will be one less channel to check before I decide there's nothing on

[genpabloescobar]

Didn't they try this before with Mohr Sports, etc. and it was a disaster?

[BT in DC]

Originally posted by capt. america
i read an article about ESPN's new marketing strategy about a year ago and its basically that they want to be like MTV. they are going to do all these crappy shows that have some loose ties to sports but in reality, it will be your average entertainment network, if everything goes according to plan.

I quit watching MTV when they stopped showing videos. I imagine I will quit watching ESPN when they quit showing sports.

[Preston McMurry]

Originally posted by Dr. Wankler
Maybe they'll come up with the equivalent of MTV 2 and MTV Classic where they can still show new sports and old sports. Oh, wait a minute.

Personally, this is good for me. If they isolate all those shows on the same night, that will be one less channel to check before I decide there's nothing on

When VH1 came out it was to play videos in place of MTV which just beginning its push into non-music programming. Now VH1 is going the way of MTV. (Though at least VH1's series at least have *something* to do with music.) MTV has always sucked, but at least in the 80's it sucked while playing videos. Now it just plain sucks. 'Reality' shows my ass: They are no more real than soap operas. If Survivor was really real, then the Seal would have won simply because he was actually trained to survive in a jungle with minimal resources, while the rest of those yahoos starved to death ...

[Preston McMurry]

Originally posted by BT in DC


I quit watching MTV when they stopped showing videos. I imagine I will quit watching ESPN when they quit showing sports.

Do dog shows and spelling bees count?

[bmurphyfl]

Originally posted by Scribe
http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=story&articleid=VR1117872898&categoryid=10&cs=1

This from today's DAILY VARIETY. Summary: With the rating success of the critically lambasted SEASON ON THE BRINK, ESPN is moving into original programming, reserving Tues nites for up to eight months a year for original series, game shows, reality shows, movies, etc. Mark Shapiro named head of the net's newly formed programming division.

The article continued:

In a retalitory move, NBC has decided to start showing the National Cheerleading Championships and World Series of Poker on Tuesday nights.

Murf

[BT in DC]

What impact will this have on The World's Strongest Man Competition? Not to mention the new World's Strongest Woman Competition. Without the lucrative ESPN contract, these competitions may be doomed.

[Metros Striker10]

Or the same rerun of Billiards from 1999. :)

[sachinag]

Originally posted by bmurphyfl


The article continued:

In a retalitory move, NBC has decided to start showing the National Cheerleading Championships and World Series of Poker on Tuesday nights.

Murf

There's a World Poker Tour that's being launched now, and all the major poker tournaments except the World Series are in it. Basically, they're filming tournaments as they go along and are looking for someone to buy the tapes to broadcast later.

So this isn't as far fetched as it sounds. NBC doesn't actually have a sports department left (OK, that's the teeniest exaggeration), so cheerleading and poker seem perfect.

[CrewStadium227]

The whole reason to watch sports is because they're real. You're not looking at some writer's idealized view of the world, your looking at real people, doing real things. Sometimes the bad guys win. Sometimes doing the right thing hurts you.

I can understand a movie based on some real sports event, but I just can't understand making up shows for a sports network. I understand they're trying to get Spike Lee to direct an HBO style drama about pro athletes. Dumb, dumb, dumb. If I wanted to see an HBO style drama, I'd watch HBO! Why is that so hard to figure out?

And,yes, "reality shows" suck. All of them, all the time.

[The Lieutenant]

Originally posted by Preston McMurry


When VH1 came out it was to play videos in place of MTV which just beginning its push into non-music programming. Now VH1 is going the way of MTV. (Though at least VH1's series at least have *something* to do with music.) MTV has always sucked, but at least in the 80's it sucked while playing videos. Now it just plain sucks. 'Reality' shows my ass: They are no more real than soap operas. If Survivor was really real, then the Seal would have won simply because he was actually trained to survive in a jungle with minimal resources, while the rest of those yahoos starved to death ...

VH1 Classic, all that is needed for music.

[bigredfutbol]

Just more proof that, the more channels, the less variety. ESPN and ESPN2 will soon have absolutely no time for any niche sports. Personally, I still miss the days when you could occasionally catch Australian Rules Football late nights.

[Preston North End]

Originally posted by bigredfutbol
Just more proof that, the more channels, the less variety.

I don't know, the BBC are getting blasted - as is all free (five channels) Brititsh T.V. - for horrible productions. I read this in the London Times.

Yes, 300 channels is overkill, but five leaves a lot to be desired.

---------

On a side note, ESPN stands for Entertainment, (see "Must See T.V." Tuesdays on ESPN or the World's Strongest Man) Sports (MLB & Sportscenter around the clock), Programing Network.

Oh, they will have my viewership for most Tuesdays, but it aint going to be in the evening and I won't be watching ESPN. Every Tuesday that espn2 has the Champion's League at 11:30 a.m., I watching.