Another New Show Appears to Be in Peril After Ratings Plunge

Two networks in particular got good news and bad news in the ratings Wednesday night, based on overnight Nielsens. The newest installment in NBC’s “Law & Order” franchise premiered to solid numbers, but the second episode of the network’s new spy show “Undercovers” dove into dangerously low ratings territory.

It was good news/bad news at ABC as well, with the Emmy-winning comedy "Modern Family" delivering the highest ratings of the night while the rest of the lineup struggled, according to TVbytheNumbers.com.

At 8 p.m. CBS's "Survivor" averaged a 3.45 rating in the 18-49 demographic for the hour, ahead of Fox's "Hell's Kitchen" with a mean score of 2.8 in the same demo. ABC's "The Middle" and "Better With You" had a 2.4 rating and a 2.1, respectively, in the top and bottom halves of the hour in the 18-49 demo, but NBC's new J.J. Abrams spy saga "Undercovers" managed only a 1.6 average rating in 18-49, just a tad better than CW's "America's Next Top Model," which logged a 1.3 average.

At 9 p.m. "Modern Family" led the night with a 4.5 rating in the 18-49 demo, while ABC’s "Cougar Town" in the bottom half of the hour collected only a 2.9 rating in the 18-49 demo. CBS's "Criminal Minds" averaged a 3.55 in 18-49, and the second episode of "Hell's Kitchen" netted a 3.05 rating for the hour. NBC's "Law & Order: SVU" had a 2.65 average for the hour in the 18-49 demographic, and CW's "Hellcats" was last at 0.95 in the 18-49 demo for the hour.

The 10 p.m. hour was won by the "Law & Order: LA," which premiered with a rating of 3.1 for the hour in the 18-49 demo. CBS's "The Defenders" had a 2.5 in the 18-49 demo, ahead of ABC's "The Whole Truth" with a 1.3 average rating in 18-49 for the hour.

CBS was the top-ranked network overall Wednesday, with Fox second, NBC third and ABC settling for fourth despite “Modern Family’s” success.

Will Unaired Episodes of 'Lone Star' See the Light of Day?

It would be going to far to describe this possibility as a new life for the canceled drama "Lone Star," but Fox may at least let the program’s niche fans see the unaired episodes in the near future on the network, reports TheWrap.

Fox has already slated reruns of "Lone Star" to air Saturdays at 11 p.m. It is possible that the net might burn off the remaining episodes that are in the can in that same time slot, according to the report.

According to the article, Kyle Killen, the creator of "Lone Star," said he was unaware of a late-night, online, or on-another-network option for his show. Told about the late-night possibility, Killen reportedly commented, "Sounds like you might know more than I do at this point."

U.S. Senate Passes Bill To Limit Volume on TV Ads; Bill Previously Passed U.S. House

Late Wednesday night (Sept. 29, 2010, "[B]efore adjourning until November 15 – the Senate passed by unanimous consent a bill that would require the FCC to regulate the volume of TV commercials that can be many times louder than the TV program itself," ABC News reports.

Officially, the bill is called the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act. To view a copy of the bill, click here.

Furthermore, the article says, the bill "will now move on to the House, which passed similar legislation last December. If minor differences between the two measures can be ironed out, a final bill could be sent to President Obama during Congress’ lame-duck session in November."

Character Actor Who Delivered 'Chinatown's' Most Famous Line Is Dead at 94

A character actor who delivered some of the movies’ most memorable lines died in his Southern California home Wednesday at the age of 94, the AP reported.

Joe Mantell was a familiar face on film and television, as well as an Oscar-nominated actor for his role in the 1955 feature "Marty."

Mantell, who appleared in dozens of films and on more than 70 television shows, such as "The Twilight Zone," had a penchant for snagging great movie lines. In "Marty," his line, "Well, what do you feel like doin' tonight?" captured the theme of the movie. And in 1974's "Chinatown," Mantell summed up Jack Nicholson's frustration with the case by declaring, "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown."

TCM Puts Together Movie Marathon in Tribute to Tony Curtis; Here's the Full Schedule

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) has announced that it will televise a 24-hour Tony Curtis marathon Sunday, Oct. 10, as a tribute to the star, who died Wednesday at 85.

Additionally, the network will post an audio podcast on its Web site beginning Friday that will feature a 1999 interview Curtis did for TCM with network host Robert Osborne.

Calling Curtis “a longtime friend of TCM,” the network noted in a press release that the legendary actor appeared on TCM many times and made an appearance earlier this year in the first-ever TCM Classic Film Festival.

Here is the full schedule for Sunday’s marathon (all times ET):

6 a.m.: Beachhead (1954), with Frank Lovejoy and Mary Murphy
7:45 a.m.: Kings Go Forth (1958), with Frank Sinatra and Natalie Wood
9:45 a.m.: The Vikings (1958), with Kirk Douglas, Ernest Borgnine and Janet Leigh
11:45 a.m.: Operation Petticoat (1959), with Cary Grant and Dina Merrill
2 p.m.: Who Was That Lady? (1960), with Janet Leigh and Dean Martin
4:15 p.m.: Sex and the Single Girl (1964), with Natalie Wood, Lauren Bacall and Henry Fonda
6:15 p.m.: You Can’t Win ‘Em All (1970), with Charles Bronson and Michèle Mercier
8 p.m.: Sweet Smell of Success (1957), with Burt Lancaster and Martin Milner
9:45 p.m.: The Defiant Ones (1958), with Sidney Poitier and Theodore Bikel
11:30 p.m.: Trapeze (1956), with Burt Lancaster and Gina Lollobrigida
1:30 a.m.: The Great Race (1965), with Jack Lemmon and Natalie Wood
4:15 a.m.: Don’t Make Waves (1967), with Claudia Cardinale and Sharon Tate

JetBlue Adds NFL Package to Its In-Flight TV Lineup

National Football League fans who fly on JetBlue will be able to access the exclusive NFL Sunday Ticket roster of games every Sunday starting this weekend, Oct. 3, Multichannel News reports.

The airline currently offers 36 DirecTV channels on its flights. The NFL Sunday Ticket offerings will take the place of some channels.

Along with the game broadcasts, pregame and post-game action will also be shown.

Three-Time Emmy Winner Returns to TV for Kids' Show

A three-time Emmy winner is returning to television to host a TLC show about children that's called a modern version of the old Art Linkletter show "Kids Say the Darndest Things," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Brad Garrett, best known for his role as Raymond’s brother Robert on “Everybody Loves Raymond”--for which Garrett won three Emmys and received two additional nominations--will emcee a show that will incorporate studio and location segments as well as content from viewers.

The show is being produced by "American Idol's" Ryan Seacrest.

Nancy Daniels, senior VP of production and development for TLC, said of the project, "This show is the next evolution of family entertainment on TLC. We are thrilled to have Brad Garrett on board. His comedic instincts and enthusiasm for the project are going to put this series over the top. And, at the heart of this show are the candid and unfiltered reactions from kids, which makes this a perfect fit for the network."

Report: Katie Couric May Return to 'Today,' as Meredith Vieira Expected to Leave the Show

Katie Couric may return to her old stomping ground on the "Today" show when her "CBS Evening News" contract expires in May, reports the New York Post's Page Six.

The article adds the spot is expected to open up because "Today" co-host Meredith Vieira is expected to leave the program to spend more time with her family.

While Couric had been talking with Jeff Zucker, who had been her producer at the show before he became CEO of NBC Universal, his departure from the company doesn't rule out the move for Couric, the story says.

Another Show May Be Headed for Cancellation--or Will It Be Rescued By Time-Shifted Viewing?

The Los Angeles Times' Joe Flint takes a look at whether another show is in trouble or whether its ratings are an example of how viewers are changing the way they watch programs.

The program is NBC’s “Parenthood,” whose audience has plunged by 25% to 5.3 million viewers an episode, with this week's show pulling an average of 4.8 million viewers, the story says. That's relatively close to the numbers pulled by Fox's "Lone Star," which was the fall season's first casualty.

Viewers in the 18-to-49 demographic dropped by 22%, the story adds.

"But it may be a little too soon to throw in the towel on the Braverman family," Flint writes, pointing out that NBC noted last season that ratings in the 18-to-49 demo rose by 31% when counting viewers who watched the family drama on digital video recorders within seven days of its airing.

For this season, the debut of "Parenthood" jumped almost 30% after adding in three days of recorded viewing, the story points out.

Veteran News Anchor Launching Daytime Talk Show

 A familiar face to prime-time cable news viewers is launching a daytime syndicated talk show, reports James Hibberd at The Hollywood Reporter's TheLiveFeed blog.

Anderson Cooper, the host of CNN’s "Anderson Cooper 360," reportedly has closed a deal with Telepictures Productions and Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution for a program that would debut in the fall of 2011, the story says.

The show wouldn't have a hard-news focus, but would have a topical format that would cover stories from pop culture to news items. Cooper would also act as an executive producer of the program, the article adds.

Because the deal was coordinated among Warner Bros., Cooper and CNN, it is said to be complex; it allows for Cooper to continue hosting "360," the article says.

The goal is to debut the show as daytime queen Oprah Winfrey leaves for her own cable network, according to the piece.