The Mentalist Off-Site News / Articles Roundup #10

In this corner: The Mentalist vs. Lie to Me
By Bob Sassone
TV Squad

"More TCA news: an actor from Lie to Me calls The Mentalist "a scam."

Reporters asked the panel from the new FOX drama about the possible similarities between the two shows (which a lot of people have been talking about), and Brendan Hines said "the difference between the two shows is that our show is based on actual science, while Mentalist is, I think, more of a scam." I'm not sure what the hell that is supposed to mean."

Full Article:
http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/01/14/in-this-corner-the-mentalist-vs-lie-to-me/


CBS says ratings success proves network TV viable
By Jill Serjeant
Reuters

"CBS ranks as the most-watched network at a time when commercial television is grappling with competition from the Internet and video games, changing viewer habits ushered in by digital video recorders and advertising declines precipitated by the recession.

CBS had nine of the top 20 top prime-time shows last week, including detective series "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," the sitcom "Two and a Half Men" and the most popular new drama, "The Mentalist," according to Nielsen Media Research.

Tassler acknowledged that the next few months would be tougher for CBS, given the return of the ratings juggernaut "American Idol" to News Corp's Fox. But she noted that CBS retained 95 percent of its audience on Tuesday when "Idol" returned for its eighth season."

Full Article:
http://www.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUSTRE50D6DK20090114


Quiet Leader: CBS' ratings success isn't getting much press
By Lisa de Moraes
The Washington Post

"CBS is having a good TV season. And yet no one is writing about it.
The network is once again the country's most-watched television network -- with nearly 2 million more viewers than its closest competitor, ABC.
It is ranked No. 1 among the younger viewers so sought after by advertisers. Five of its returning prime-time series are up from a year ago among those 18- to 49-year-olds. That's more than twice as many improved series as its closest competitor.
CBS' The Mentalist is the season's only new series that can be called a bona-fide hit. And it is the only newbie on any network performing better in its time slot than the show it replaced. The drama series, which stars Simon Baker, attracted more than 19 million viewers to its most recent original episode -- CBS' largest audience for a regularly scheduled program on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. in nearly 14 years.
Sadly, you're not reading or hearing much about CBS' Really Good Season. That's because, although CBS is now averaging the most young viewers of any broadcaster, it pulls in even more older viewers. That's called "broadcasting."
CBS' competitors are focusing on increasingly narrow, young audiences for which advertisers will pay a premium.
"Niche-cast" is the new broadcast. "Broadcast" is the new dirty word."

Full Article:
http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2009/jan/14/quiet-leader-cbs-ratings-success-isnt-getting-much/

Tags: Articles, The Mentalist