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American Morning
Sweeps Preview
Aired October 30, 2002 - 07:43 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: "Bachelor" picks up a bride, lingerie models strut their stuff on the runway, and the cameras go back to the Osbourne house. It can only mean one thing: November sweeps, and they begin tomorrow.
To get things started, the clock started ticking again last night with the long-awaited return of Fox's "24."
Joining me now with a preview of what's in store for this sweeps extravaganza is "TV Guides" senior television critic, Matt Roush.
Good to see you again.
MATT ROUSH, "TV GUIDE": Good morning, Paula.
ZAHN: So, let's start off with the sitcoms, some new stuff on "Friends," as well as "Will & Grace."
ROUSH: Yes, well, that's still the big night of comedy is Thursday night for NBC, and "Friends" hits its 200th episode landmark in the next week, a week from Thursday. We have the film star, Freddie Prinze, Jr., popular with the teens, guesting as Jennifer Aniston's male nanny. So, we'll see how that goes. Apparently, he's over-sensitive.
And you also have Phoebe choosing between two beaus, which are Paul Rod (ph) and Hank Azaria. All girls should have such problems, I suppose.
ZAHN: Yes, it sounds like fun to me.
ROUSH: Yes, and "Will & Grace," it's a landmark as well. Later in the month, they turn 100 episodes, and they do an hour-long episode followed by a clip show. Grace accepts a wedding proposal from Harry Connick, Jr. Will she walk down the aisle? Well, is the show called Will & Grace & Leo? I don't think so.
ZAHN: No, I don't think so either.
ROUSH: Exactly.
ZAHN: Now, "Frasier" has something in store for Niles, the Niles character?
ROUSH: Yes, you'll see some very special episodes coming up, because Niles has a health scare. We don't want to give too much away, but it does create some angst and some real emotional trauma on the show, and the show kind of needs a bit of a bump. It's getting a bit stale, so we want to see whether those episodes remind us of how much we actually care about these characters.
ZAHN: But that show has had a good, long run, too.
ROUSH: It has had a wonderful long run, and won many, many Emmys along the way.
ZAHN: Let's move onto the dramas now. Now, I understand "West Wing" is going to have kind of an election night look as we're all...
ROUSH: Yes, well...
ZAHN: ... (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in Atlanta, staying up all night trying to figure who has control of the House and Senate.
ROUSH: Exactly. Twenty-four hours after the actual Election Day next Wednesday, you will see President Bartlett go for election. And do we have any doubt of who wins the presidency here? It's kind of a wish fulfillment, because James Berlin is playing sort of a George Bush -- George W. Bush kind of character. So, having President Bartlett regain the White House I think is somewhat like a Hollywood wishful fulfillment fantasy.
ZAHN: On to reality TV.
ROUSH: The...
ZAHN: "Victoria's Models" vs.?
ROUSH: Vs. the "Bachelor." The "Bachelor" is going to choose his possible bride on February -- (UNINTELLIGIBLE) November, right? November 20th.
ZAHN: Yes. In fact, February, we should say is the other sweeps period.
ROUSH: That is...
ZAHN: So, you live in those two months.
ROUSH: I live all over the world. But yes, we're going to have the "Bachelor" vs. "Victoria's Secret Models" going down the runway. So, you're going to get one seamy (ph) night of television, because I think the "Bachelor" is one of the creepiest things I've ever seen. This guy -- it's like a beauty pageant, where he gets to fondle the contestants, you know. That's the whole point, you know, honestly.
ZAHN: It is odd, isn't it?
ROUSH: And then "The Osbournes" is coming back the very last week. Right before Thanksgiving, you'll see a new season of "The Osbournes" on MTV. And it's going to be a different show this time, because the wife, Sharon, has been undergoing cancer treatments, and Kelly has become some sort of a famous figure in her own right, going out and doing the cover of "Papa Don't Preach." And we'll see how the whole world has changed for the Osbournes since their first season of that TV show that really popped so unexpectedly big.
ZAHN: Are the folks who are packaging this stuff afraid it's going to be a bit of a bummer? I mean, watching someone go through chemotherapy, it's torture.
ROUSH: Well, it is absolutely true. But you know, there is no family quite like the Osbournes. I have a feeling they will approach it with the same kind of wacky weirdness that they do everything else in their life, including the pets in the house. I mean, it's just the weirdest household.
ZAHN: Well, this season, are there any great, new, big made-for- TV movies?
ROUSH: Well, just next week on NBC, they're doing a three-hour remake of Stephen King's first book and first movie, which was "Carrie," which means another bloody prom night. But a girl called Angela Bettis, an unknown who was on Broadway last season, is Liam Neeson's chief accuser in "The Crucible," she plays the title role now, and she's really quite good, very intense. And it's a tricky thing, but we'll see whether it works for television as a remake. I expect NBC to do pretty well next Monday night.
ZAHN: Well, you certainly are in command of what's coming down. I wonder what a smart guy like you, what happens to your brain after you see all of this television.
ROUSH: I won't be getting up this early through most of November, I've got to tell you.
ZAHN: It's a test (ph), though, to your constitution, isn't it...
ROUSH: Well...
ZAHN: ... to watch that much television?
ROUSH: Some of it's going to be good, you know. In November, the good thing about November, there are no repeats until December now, you know.
ZAHN: That's good.
ROUSH: That's the good point, yes.
ZAHN: And when there are repeats, you know, you just keep on coming back here and watch our show.
ROUSH: That's right.
ZAHN: It's fresh every day. "TV Guide's" senior critic, Matt Roush, always good to see you.
ROUSH: Thanks a lot.
ZAHN: Thanks for dropping by. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired October 30, 2002 - 07:43 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: "Bachelor" picks up a bride, lingerie models strut their stuff on the runway, and the cameras go back to the Osbourne house. It can only mean one thing: November sweeps, and they begin tomorrow.
To get things started, the clock started ticking again last night with the long-awaited return of Fox's "24."
Joining me now with a preview of what's in store for this sweeps extravaganza is "TV Guides" senior television critic, Matt Roush.
Good to see you again.
MATT ROUSH, "TV GUIDE": Good morning, Paula.
ZAHN: So, let's start off with the sitcoms, some new stuff on "Friends," as well as "Will & Grace."
ROUSH: Yes, well, that's still the big night of comedy is Thursday night for NBC, and "Friends" hits its 200th episode landmark in the next week, a week from Thursday. We have the film star, Freddie Prinze, Jr., popular with the teens, guesting as Jennifer Aniston's male nanny. So, we'll see how that goes. Apparently, he's over-sensitive.
And you also have Phoebe choosing between two beaus, which are Paul Rod (ph) and Hank Azaria. All girls should have such problems, I suppose.
ZAHN: Yes, it sounds like fun to me.
ROUSH: Yes, and "Will & Grace," it's a landmark as well. Later in the month, they turn 100 episodes, and they do an hour-long episode followed by a clip show. Grace accepts a wedding proposal from Harry Connick, Jr. Will she walk down the aisle? Well, is the show called Will & Grace & Leo? I don't think so.
ZAHN: No, I don't think so either.
ROUSH: Exactly.
ZAHN: Now, "Frasier" has something in store for Niles, the Niles character?
ROUSH: Yes, you'll see some very special episodes coming up, because Niles has a health scare. We don't want to give too much away, but it does create some angst and some real emotional trauma on the show, and the show kind of needs a bit of a bump. It's getting a bit stale, so we want to see whether those episodes remind us of how much we actually care about these characters.
ZAHN: But that show has had a good, long run, too.
ROUSH: It has had a wonderful long run, and won many, many Emmys along the way.
ZAHN: Let's move onto the dramas now. Now, I understand "West Wing" is going to have kind of an election night look as we're all...
ROUSH: Yes, well...
ZAHN: ... (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in Atlanta, staying up all night trying to figure who has control of the House and Senate.
ROUSH: Exactly. Twenty-four hours after the actual Election Day next Wednesday, you will see President Bartlett go for election. And do we have any doubt of who wins the presidency here? It's kind of a wish fulfillment, because James Berlin is playing sort of a George Bush -- George W. Bush kind of character. So, having President Bartlett regain the White House I think is somewhat like a Hollywood wishful fulfillment fantasy.
ZAHN: On to reality TV.
ROUSH: The...
ZAHN: "Victoria's Models" vs.?
ROUSH: Vs. the "Bachelor." The "Bachelor" is going to choose his possible bride on February -- (UNINTELLIGIBLE) November, right? November 20th.
ZAHN: Yes. In fact, February, we should say is the other sweeps period.
ROUSH: That is...
ZAHN: So, you live in those two months.
ROUSH: I live all over the world. But yes, we're going to have the "Bachelor" vs. "Victoria's Secret Models" going down the runway. So, you're going to get one seamy (ph) night of television, because I think the "Bachelor" is one of the creepiest things I've ever seen. This guy -- it's like a beauty pageant, where he gets to fondle the contestants, you know. That's the whole point, you know, honestly.
ZAHN: It is odd, isn't it?
ROUSH: And then "The Osbournes" is coming back the very last week. Right before Thanksgiving, you'll see a new season of "The Osbournes" on MTV. And it's going to be a different show this time, because the wife, Sharon, has been undergoing cancer treatments, and Kelly has become some sort of a famous figure in her own right, going out and doing the cover of "Papa Don't Preach." And we'll see how the whole world has changed for the Osbournes since their first season of that TV show that really popped so unexpectedly big.
ZAHN: Are the folks who are packaging this stuff afraid it's going to be a bit of a bummer? I mean, watching someone go through chemotherapy, it's torture.
ROUSH: Well, it is absolutely true. But you know, there is no family quite like the Osbournes. I have a feeling they will approach it with the same kind of wacky weirdness that they do everything else in their life, including the pets in the house. I mean, it's just the weirdest household.
ZAHN: Well, this season, are there any great, new, big made-for- TV movies?
ROUSH: Well, just next week on NBC, they're doing a three-hour remake of Stephen King's first book and first movie, which was "Carrie," which means another bloody prom night. But a girl called Angela Bettis, an unknown who was on Broadway last season, is Liam Neeson's chief accuser in "The Crucible," she plays the title role now, and she's really quite good, very intense. And it's a tricky thing, but we'll see whether it works for television as a remake. I expect NBC to do pretty well next Monday night.
ZAHN: Well, you certainly are in command of what's coming down. I wonder what a smart guy like you, what happens to your brain after you see all of this television.
ROUSH: I won't be getting up this early through most of November, I've got to tell you.
ZAHN: It's a test (ph), though, to your constitution, isn't it...
ROUSH: Well...
ZAHN: ... to watch that much television?
ROUSH: Some of it's going to be good, you know. In November, the good thing about November, there are no repeats until December now, you know.
ZAHN: That's good.
ROUSH: That's the good point, yes.
ZAHN: And when there are repeats, you know, you just keep on coming back here and watch our show.
ROUSH: That's right.
ZAHN: It's fresh every day. "TV Guide's" senior critic, Matt Roush, always good to see you.
ROUSH: Thanks a lot.
ZAHN: Thanks for dropping by. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
