September 12, 2011 In Tinsley Blog

The 2011 Fall Television New Show Preview

By Scott Sussman

As the summer comes to a close that can only mean that school is back in session and the fall television season is upon us. A few themes seem to be taking hold as in most years. Retro is definitely in (for now) and reality television has found its place in the American viewing landscape.

NBC
NBC has a new owner and a lot of ground to make-up. They will be coming to market with at least a dozen new shows for the fall. Having taken a look at a preview of some of these shows, NBC will need to head back to the drawing board. Most of the dozen or so new shows do not look promising. Whitney appears to be the only winner in the Peacocks stable. Working off the strength of Mad Men, NBC brings us one of the new retro shows, The Playboy Club. It does not have the depth of Mad Men. Steve Carell leaves The Office for greener pastures (we’ve seen this before) and James Spader is now the boss at Dunder-Mifflin. The show is depending on a line-up of special guest stars to keep this franchise moving forward.

CBS
CBS has only five new shows this fall and a couple of them look like winners. 2 Broke Girls, a comedy that looks promising and will air on Monday nights at 8:30PM , a great spot for a comedy. How to be a Gentleman starring Kevin Dillon of Entourage has an outside chance. The rest of CBS’s offerings are dramas. Person of Interest from J.J Abrams is a cross between The Mentalist and CSI. A Gifted Man and Unforgettable are dramas that have a paranormal skew to them. On everyone’s mind at CBS is how Ashton Kutcher is going to do as Charlie Sheen’s replacement on Two and Half Men.

ABC
ABC has a few potential hits. Apt. 23 is an off-beat, comedy that deals with a psycho New York roommate. Another unusual twist in this show is James Van Der Beek (Dawson’s Creek) plays himself. Man Up is another comedy focusing on three men and how their lives are interrelated. Charlie’s Angels is back and this time set in Miami. I wouldn’t bet the farm on this being a winner. Pan Am another retro 60’s offering will have a tough time keeping the story line fresh. Watch the first few episodes, because it might not be around long.

January 28, 2010 In Tinsley Blog

The Supreme Court And Media Cost

by Scott Sussman

In a 5-4 Supreme Court ruling last week, corporations will now be allowed to contribute unlimited funds to political campaigns. Corporations can also run their own political ads for the candidate they support. No matter what your personal belief is on this issue, it will have a direct impact on the cost to purchase television time. Admittedly, this may not be the first thing you think of when reading about this decision, unless you are a media buyer. During every election, candidates gobble up huge blocks of ad time. If possible and marketing conditions permitting, Tinsley Advertising tries to avoid these time periods. While it was not the intent of the high court to drive up the cost of television time, it will have that direct effect. This will especially affect Florida, Ohio and New York; states that usually have competitive elections. October and November will be interesting periods to watch from a media cost perspective.

January 25, 2010 In Tinsley Blog

Keys Commuter Train Campaign

by Eric Gitlin

The Florida Keys and Key West is making a huge impact on commuters in the Metro New York area. Besides television, newspaper and online, a two-month commuter train campaign is stopping riders in their tracks. Car Cards displayed in nearly every train in New Jersey, Westchester and Long Island remind weary riders of the beauty and serenity of The Florida Keys. With over 2,800 cards displayed, this campaign is reaching affluent suburban commuters as they travel to and from NYC. This campaign, which began at the end of December, was perfectly timed to coincide with a snow storm and unusually frigid temperatures.