Business

Simon Cowell Pitching Another Game Show to U.S. Networks

Simon Cowell’s Syco production company and ITV Studios are pitching a game show to U.S. networks — a version of the U.K. game show "Red or Black," which is more or less a roulette game with elaborate challenges built in,…

Plunge Continues for Netflix Share Prices — Total Drop Since Price Hike Is Alarming, and Analysts Are Skeptical About the Qwikster Move

The once-high flying Netflix saw its shares lose another 9.4% of their value Tuesday, on the heels of Chief Executive Reed Hastings’ blog post apologizing for an earlier fee hike and announcing another unpopular decision to split the company’s streaming…

What Are the Three Most-Watched Comedy Central Roasts in History? (Hint: There’s a New No. 1)

With Charlie Sheen taking jabs and jokes on his behalf, Comedy Central had its highest-rated roast in the franchise’s history, reports the Los Angeles Times’ Show Tracker blog. The special drew 6.4 million total viewers on Monday night, surpassing the…

For All the Hassles Between Sheen and Lorre Over ‘Two and a Half Men’ CBS Winds Up With a Big Ratings Night; the Numbers Are Less Encouraging for NBC

The season premiere of CBS’s “Two and a Half Men,” with Ashton Kutcher taking over for Charlie Sheen, was a big ratings winner Monday night, helping CBS win the night in the 18-49 demo, TVbytheNumbers.com reports. NBC, meanwhile, had little…

Coming Soon to a Theme Park Near You: A New Themed ‘Land’ Based on a James Cameron Mega-Hit

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide announced a deal that will bring themed “lands” based on a James Cameron blockbuster to Disney parks, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The Disney deal with Cameron, producer Jon Landau, Fox and Cameron’s Lightstorm…

Apple Share Prices Surging in Post-Steve Jobs Era

Despite the recent resignation of CEO Steve Jobs, the economic outlook for Apple has remained robust, Deadline.com reports. The stock closed trading Monday at $411.63 a share — up 2.78% for the day to an all-time high, the story reports….

Ding! Ding! Ding! We Have a Winner! Who Is the Company or Individual Exhibiting the Most Insane, Self-Destructive Behavior in the Past 12 Months? No, It’s Not Charlie Sheen or Lindsay Lohan or Anthony Weiner. It’s Reed Hastings and His Netflix!

If you find the headline above enticing, wait until you read the fun and perceptive entry about Netflix’s latest foibles by TVWeek Open Mic blogger Chuck Ross. Please click here to read it.