Ed Martin's Annual Upfront Reviews

Each network has been assigned a Jack rating that represents an overall assessment of its presentation including clarity of its sales strategy and program positioning degree of engagement star power and entertainment valueThe ratings are as follows5 Jacks amp8211 Excellent4 Jacks amp8211 Very Good3 Jacks amp8211 Good2 Jacks amp8211 Fair1 Jack amp8211 Poor0 Jacks amp8211 Worse than badCBS amp8211 5 JacksFrom the Department of Redundancy Department CBS once again was the broadcast network to beat during Upfront Week thanks to its timetested threepronged approach to introducing and promoting its new season schedule on its day WednesdayFirst there was the networkamp8217s pressonly breakfast hosted by CBS Corporation President and CEO Leslie Moonves at which journalists were the first to see all of the details of its fall and midseason scheduleSecond CBSamp8217 continued its enviable tradition of presenting to advertisers its upcoming schedule at Carnegie Hall and once again it set the gold standard for what an Upfront event should be That said I thought the presentation itself was a little less exciting than in recent years Keep in mind that I am grading CBS against itself here rather than the other networks The opening bit with Network Sales President Jo Ann Ross and amp8220The Big Bang Theoryamp8221 costar Mayim Bialik was cute and it was exciting to see eight Super Bowl MVP legends on stage at the same time to promote CBSamp8217 telecast next year of the 50th Super Bowl But there was no amp8220wowamp8221 moment like amp8220Good Wifeamp8221 and Broadway star Alan Cumming bringing the house down last May Also while CBS continued to do the best job of introducing talent in its audience amp8211 actors actually stood up waved and turned completely around stars from returning shows were in mysteriously short supply But the event overall was first class and its messaging first rateFinally as is also tradition CBS tossed a wonderful party in the Tent at Lincoln Center following its big show This I have heard from others I was unable to attend It continues to amaze me that CBS and Fox are the only broadcasters that provide an opportunity for advertisers and the press to meet and mingle for a couple of hours at this allimportant time of year What donamp8217t Disney and Comcast understand about thisFox amp8211 4 amp189 JacksLike CBS Fox continues to fully embrace the idea that an Upfront presentation is a onceayear allpurpose promotional event that when handled properly is a win for networks talent advertisers and the press alike Let me say right at the top that I would have awarded Fox a coveted 5 Jacks had its presentation not once again been in The Beacon Theater where problems continue to abound Among them Itamp8217s impossible to see and hear clearly in the top balcony where press and studio executives are confined It takes forever to leave the building once the presentation ends The venue is so dated it detracts from Foxamp8217s very fresh and contemporary messaging And so onFox always excels at extending the excitement of its Upfront event activity beyond the confines of the venue itself and this year was no exception Dozens of cheerful female and male cheerleaders filled the sidewalk in front of the Beacon to promote the networkamp8217s upcoming Ryan Murphy horrorcomedy mashup amp8220Scream Queensamp8221 Each one of them had sweet treats to offer passersby and giant knives sticking out of their bloodied backs Inside Jennifer Hudson and the cast of amp8220Empireamp8221 pictured above rocked the house with the best musical performance of the week Rob Lowe star of the upcoming comedy amp8220The Grinderamp8221 appeared in one of the funniest videos of the week one that entertainingly deconstructed Online Viewability Standards upcoming Emmy host Andy Samberg charmed with his usual affable humor and there were plenty of celebrity appearances All in all a spectacular show that quickly and clearly put out all the right messages And it wrapped with the usual extravaganza at Wollman Rink in Central Park once again the party highlight of the weekABC amp8211 4 JacksABC gets my vote this year for Most Improved Upfront Presentation What a shame the network still refuses to host a party afterwards Had it done so it also would have received 5 Jacks Once again this was the only broadcast presentation that I chose to watch at home via live stream so crisp and clear it allowed all of the excitement on stage at Avery Fisher Hall to come through The opening video in which characters from a variety of ABC series plus newsman David Muir were seated in Annalise Keatingamp8217s classroom from amp8220How to Get Away with Murderamp8221 and learned amp8220How to Get a Win with ABCamp8221 from the formidable Ms Keating herself was priceless and did more to define an entertainment network as an overall environment than anything else I saw last week Dancers from amp8220Dancing with the Starsamp8221 brought life to the stage Having Viola Davis introduce Disney Media Networks Cochair and DisneyABC Television Group President Ben Sherwood was a similarly smart move Having the kids from amp8220blackishamp8221 appear in videos explaining the intricacies of sales research with some help from ABC Sales President Geri Wang on stage was even smarter Also ABC didnamp8217t hold back on the talent as it has in recent yearsI think the only disappointment in ABCamp8217s presentation was the annual appearance by Jimmy Kimmel Iamp8217m a fan but in this capacity heamp8217s played out Maybe next year Miss Piggy can take his placeThe CW amp8211 4 JacksOnce again The CW offered the briefest presentation of the week and it once again was a canamp8217tmiss high energy show It was a real treat to see the cast of amp8220Jane the Virginamp8221 take the stage and thank everyone in the room for supporting the first season of their show Stephen Amell of amp8220Arrowamp8221 and Grant Gustin of amp8220The Flashamp8221 pictured below made quite an impression talking about their shows and introducing the midseason entry amp8220DCamp8217s Legends of Tomorrowamp8221 which is in effect a spinoff of both series The networkamp8217s only new fall show amp8220Crazy ExGirlfriendamp8221 came across very well thanks to skillful editing of clips from its pilot episode CW President Mark Pedowitz was as always an engaging host The still images and videos on flashing multiple screens at the front never stopped coming and kept the room visually engagedThe CW continued its unique tradition of having lesser known musical performers play on stage while the audience files in and looks for seats followed by a breakout act opening the actual show This year however something interesting happened The preshow act amp8211 innovative RampampB group Naturally 7 amp8211 instantly commanded the theater at the New York City Center and brought the energy level up where Neon Trees left it off last year But the official opening act amp8211 indie folkpop band Of Monsters and Men amp8211 sucked all that energy right out of the room They seemed unhappy Maybe they made poor song choices Maybe they realized they couldnamp8217t top Naturally 7 If so they were rightNBC amp8211 3 JacksHappily NBCamp8217s Upfront presentation was back at Radio City Music Hall after a sorry sidetrack last year over to the inconvenient and uncomfortable Javits Center There was nothing particularly wrong about this event but it wasnamp8217t all that memorable either The unarguable highlight was a miniconcert by the legendary Dolly Parton who was on hand to promote a series of madefortelevision movies based on her songs that will begin on NBC next season During the second song amp8220I Will Always Love Youamp8221 Parton was accompanied on the piano by NBC Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt pictured at top It was a great moment amp8211 one that folks in attendance will refer back to for years to comeAs for the rest of the show something was missing amp8220Americaamp8217s Got Talentamp8221 host Nick Cannon didnamp8217t make much of an impression as a preshow DJ Live music would have helped Where were The Roots Or the 8G Band Jimmy Fallon appeared briefly on stage and for the first time ever failed to ignite an audience Nobody from amp8220Saturday Night Liveamp8221 was called upon to do anything Casts from new and returning NBC shows were clustered in the audience but didnamp8217t even stand up and wave when acknowledged See CBS aboveAt the very least couldnamp8217t there have been a musical performance by Neil Patrick Harris star of his own live weekly variety show on NBC this fall You know a song with amusing lyrics about NBC shows that also took shots at CBS ABC and Fox The kind of thing again at which CBS excelsamp160He was featured in a very funny video involving a prank on MediaVest head buyer Melissa Shapiro pictured with Harris above in which several NBC executives including NBCUniversal Chairman Advertising Sales and Client Partnerships Linda Yaccarino and NBC Broadcasting Chairman Ted Harbert also appeared but that wasnamp8217t enoughTalk about a missed opportunity Had NBCamp8217s big show opened with NPH this might have been a very different reviewThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Media Village management or associated bloggersamp160amp160amp160

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