NBC Tweaks Schedule, Relegates Struggling Show to the Wasteland of Saturday Night

NBC is moving a ratings-challenged show from its prime real estate on the schedule to a low-rent neighborhood. Deadline.com reports that the legal drama “The Firm” is shifting, effective immediately, from its Thursday night 10 p.m. slot to Saturdays at 9 p.m.

The network has a 22-episode order for the adaptation of John Grisham's novel, but the ratings -- including a series low 0.8 last night in the 18-49 demographic -- have been weak.

Taking over the Thursday 10 p.m. time slot as of March 1 will be the midseason drama "Awake," starring Jason Isaacs. In the meantime, reruns of "Grimm" will run in the slot.

CBS Sitcom Continues Its Winning Streak Against Fox's 'American Idol'

Fox’s once untouchable ratings powerhouse “American Idol” continues to show signs of vulnerability. The singing competition was beaten in the Thursday night ratings by CBS’s hit sitcom “The Big Bang Theory” for the third week in a row, TVbytheNumbers.com reports.

From 8-8:30 p.m., "Big Bang" had a 5.4 average rating in the 18-49 demographic while "Idol" settled for a 5.0 in the time slot. For the bottom of the hour, CBS's "Rob" scored a 3.4 while "Idol" rose to a 5.8.

“American Idol’s” 5.4 average for the overall hour was a season low, down a tenth of a point from last week, in Nielsen overnights. Some adjustments are still forthcoming.

Fox did win the night overall in the 18-49 demo, averaging a 3.9 rating to CBS’s 3.5, ABC’s 2.5 and NBC’2 1.5. CBS came out on top in total viewers, averaging 14.1 million to 12.0 million for Fox, 7.4 million for ABC and 3.6 million for NBC.

Veteran Rocker Defends His Version of National Anthem

After receiving a flood of harsh criticism of his rendition of the National Anthem, a veteran rocker is saying he meant to do it that way, the AP reports.

"American Idol" judge and Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler sang a screechy version of "The Star Spangled Banner" before the AFC Championship football game broadcast, which he says is just what he intended. The singer says he was surprised that so many people criticized his performance.

Said Tyler: "I put emphasis on, 'In the land of the free' and I went up. Oddly enough I hit the note, so I don't know what they are talking about. I emphasized 'free,' which was for freedom. It was well thought-out prior to. I wasn't messing with American tradition."

Oscar-Nominated Actress Steps Up to Series Regular on 'The Big C'

An Oscar-nominated actress has received a promotion to series regular on Showtime’s "The Big C," reports TVLine.com.

Gabourey Sidibe, who plays Andrea Jackson on the program, will be on the show full time when it returns for its third season. The premiere is set for April 8.

Sidibe received an Academy Award nomination for best actress for the 2009 film “Precious.”

Three-time Emmy winner Laura Linney stars on the Showtime dramedy as Cathy, a woman dealing with cancer. Linney was nominated for an Emmy for “The Big C” in 2011, after winning the award three times for her earlier work -- for “Wild Iris” in 2002, “Frasier” in 2004 and “John Adams” in 2008. She has also been nominated for three Oscars.

Apple Working on a Touchscreen iMac

The next generation of Apple iMac computers could include a touchscreen, reports Digital Spy. Citing a story from the blog Patently Apple, the site explains that Apple filed a patent with the U.S Patent and Trademark Office for a desktop computer that employs a touchscreen-activated graphic user interface.

The target audience would be business users in the advertising and design fields, where changes to drawings and sketches could be done by touching the screen instead of reaching for a mouse or stylus.

The patent reads as follows: "The visual augmentation could include displaying an outline and/or fill region (e.g. a color or pattern fill) around the knob element, displaying text labels for minimum and maximum range limit values and displaying a slider element with the knob element."

The unit, writes Patently Apple, may be called the iMac Touch.

'Live! with Kelly' Slates Oscars Special, Contest

ABC’s morning show “Live! with Kelly” announced plans for a special post-Oscars edition to air live from Hollywood on Monday, Feb. 27, at 9 a.m. ET.

“Live! with Kelly’s After Oscar Show” will air on location from Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre, with host Kelly Ripa recapping the award winners, the ceremony and the fashions.

The show is also putting on a special contest for fans. The show described it in a press release, saying: “’Live’ is offering a special opportunity for viewers to have their own VIP Hollywood experience. The show has partnered with Slim-Fast for ‘Live’s Hollywood Red Carpet Getaway,’ awarding three lucky winners the chance to join ‘Live’ in Hollywood for Oscar weekend. The prize includes round-trip airfare for two to Hollywood; hotel accommodations; tickets to ‘Live! with Kelly’s After Oscar Show’ and to an exciting, star-studded Hollywood bash; a one-month supply of Slim-Fast product; a make-over by Slim-Fast stylist Jacqui Stafford, and much more.”

Details are available on the show’s website, livewithkelly.tv.

Pop Superstar Reportedly Offered $100 Million a Year to Become 'X Factor' Judge (Hint: It's Not Mariah Carey, Who Has Been Rumored to Be in Line for the Job)

Rumors have been circulating that one pop singer is being wooed to become a judge on Fox’s “The X Factor,” but now reports have surfaced that a different pop star has been given a huge offer to take the job.

Beyonce has reportedly been offered $100 million a year to become a full-time judge on "The X Factor," according to the New York Post.

Beyonce might be tempted as a way to keep in the public's eye while not traveling too much, now that she's a first-time mom, the story notes. At $100 million a year she would be the highest-paid TV personality.

As previously reported, singer Mariah Carey is also thought to be a contender to join the show as a judge.

“X Factor” recently cleaned house, dumping a number of cast members, as reported earlier.

James Farentino's Cause of Death: Official Certificate Contains a Surprise

Actor James Farentino’s death late last month, which we reported previously, was initially thought to be due to heart failure. But his death certificate contains a surprise, attributing the Hollywood veteran’s death to a broken hip, TMZ.com reports.

Farentino, an Emmy nominee and Golden Globe winner known for roles on “Dynasty,” “Blue Thunder” and “E.R.,” officially died from "sequelae of right hip fracture," the story reports. The piece adds: “For those who don't know ... sequela is doctor-speak for a pathological condition that stems from a previous injury -- in this case, a broken hip.”

Farentino reportedly broke his hip when he fell out of his bed in December, before dying at the age of 73 in January. The nature of the complication from the injury was unknown.

Brian Williams and Matt Lauer Get Into a Tussle; Guess What They're Fighting Over

NBC's Brian Williams and Matt Lauer reportedly got into a tussle over who would get the pre-Super Bowl interview with President Barack Obama, reports the New York Post's Page Six.

Both camps -- Williams’ “Rock Center” and Lauer’s “Today” show -- called the White House to push their own talents and reasons for doing the interview, the story says. Williams reportedly wanted to secure the spot because of the anemic ratings for his new prime-time show, according to the piece.

A representative for NBC calls Lauer's interview with Obama "a bit of a tradition for us" when the network hosts the Super Bowl. Williams' request was "for a completely different opportunity," the rep said, according to the story.

NBC Betting Heavily on One New Series: The Price Tag Is Steep, but the Network Needs a Hit

As NBC tries to reverse its ratings -- which have been in the doldrums (to put it mildly) for years now and seem to be getting worse rather than better -- it is betting heavily on a charismatic cultural figure from the past: Marilyn Monroe, reports Joe Flint in the Los Angeles Times.

On Monday the network will debut "Smash," a series about turning Monroe's life into a Broadway musical. Called a passion project for NBC Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt, "Smash" hasn't come cheaply: The pilot cost more than $7 million, with subsequent episodes in the $4 million range, according to the story.

"Smash" has received good reports from critics, but critical acclaim doesn't guarantee ratings, "particularly for a show that was conceived with a cable sensibility," Flint points out. NBC's new shows this season have largely flopped, including high-profile projects "The Playboy Club" and "Prime Suspect."

NBC's low ratings -- only one scripted show is in the list of the 50 most-watched TV shows this year -- pose another problem for "Smash." It’s harder for the network to lure viewers to a show if the network as a whole has low viewership, the story points out.

Maureen Bosetti, an executive VP of Optimedia, notes: "If you are promoting yourself on your own network and few are watching, it is challenging."

The report adds: “Take NBC's Sunday football out of the equation and its prime-time audience is about 5.7 million viewers, down 11% from last season, according to Nielsen.”