Will this week's Survivor get pre-empted?
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TV ClubHouse: Archive: Will this week's Survivor get pre-empted?

Sanfranjoshfan

Tuesday, March 18, 2003 - 12:14 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Just wondering.... I see a "countdown to the deadline" clock on MSNBC. It is counting backwards from 28 hours and 43 minutes....which just happens to the be very moment that Survivor is scheduled to air this week. I have a feeling that the networks will feel obligated to put up all their talking heads at the moment the deadline is reached, so I wonder whether or not Survivor will air as scheduled.....

Kaili

Tuesday, March 18, 2003 - 12:22 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Maybe delayed like 2 weeks ago? I will have to remember to set my tape to recored for an extra 2 hours as a "just-in-case"

I know it's sad to care more about a reality show, but I remember waiting and waiting for Big Brother to come back after the terrorist attacks...

Djgirl5235

Tuesday, March 18, 2003 - 12:22 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Sanfran - I'm sure that CBS will just wait for any conference that happens to occur to end, then show Survivor in it's entirety - much like they did two weeks ago... I hope that happens, anyway!

Djgirl5235

Tuesday, March 18, 2003 - 12:23 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Kaili - I feel the same way... these shows are our release from reality! We all need them right now to get away from the depression all around.

Car54

Tuesday, March 18, 2003 - 12:27 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
They aired it complete after the speech in my area. I think it depends on how big a media event this is. I have heard differing info...if the media is fully involved then they may start live coverage at once...show bombs dropping.

All the networks are sending their major correspondants to the middle east...even the morning shows have representation. There is going to be full out coverage I expect.

I would watch CBS.COM...last time they posted something about the regularly scheduled programs.

Faerygdds

Tuesday, March 18, 2003 - 01:53 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Just an FYI - From Gist.com

Nets Ready for War
President Bush's Monday-night address to the nation put the heads of the major broadcast and cable networks on alert, Variety reports. At press time, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CNN, MSNBC and Fox News Channel had agreed to pool their resources for the first 24 hours of any war coverage. The plan is similar to what occurred in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 tragedy. As of Monday night, CBS and CNN were the only U.S. outlets with correspondents still stationed in Baghdad. ABC and NBC pulled their journalists out of the Iraqi capital on Monday morning, while Fox News Channel was ousted at the behest of the Iraqi government about a month ago. The network heads are prepared to pre-empt all programming with wall-to-wall news coverage once the war begins. ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox all plan to cede programming decisions to their respective news divisions during the early stages of the war -- with WB likely simulcasting CNN's coverage. At press time, UPN is the only net planning to go ahead with its regular programming. Meanwhile, the NCAA said it may postpone the first rounds of the men's and women's basketball tournaments this weekend.

Sanfranjoshfan

Tuesday, March 18, 2003 - 02:10 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Djgirl5235 - I don't remember anything like that happening here in SF....of course, when speeches happen on the east coast during primetime, it's 3 hours earlier here. Example: Bushes Monday speech aired here LIVE at 5pm and did not interfere with the primtime lineup at all.

Of course, with a war deadline, it would appear that the three hour lag time is *more* likely to generate news here. (The deadline ends at 5pm west coast time, but by 8pm west coast time, lots of stuff could be starting to happen.)

At least here in the San Francisco Bay Area, our local CBS affiliate has a phone number that regularly announces up to the minute schedule changes. They have already announced that in case of war, the basketball slated to air on CBS on Thursday will be moved to the local UPN affiliate.

http://beta.kpix.com/shows/fullschedule.html

Thanks for the info Faerygdds!

Gina8642

Tuesday, March 18, 2003 - 02:49 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
This is shades of BB2 durning sept 2001.

I just hope they air it at some point. Last week Survivor was #1 or #2 in the ratings, so I'll assume they really, really want to air it. I guess I do have to agree that a war takes precedence over my viewing habits.

Bummer....

Wilsonatmd

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 05:59 am EditMoveDeleteIP
it'll most likely air.....They won't start it at 8:00:01 PM, they'll wait a few hours until the conditions are right. Whrn you hear that the President is going to speak to the nation, that'll mark the beginning of it.

Lizadee

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 06:08 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Survivor is on tonight 3/19/03 for those of you that don't know this

Make sure to let everyone know

Gina8642

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 06:26 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Even if they don't start fighting at 8:01pm, I'm concerned they will start news coverage in anticipation of fighting.

Lizadee, did you hear something about them NOT pre-emting?

Catfat

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 09:15 am EditMoveDeleteIP
How can they be so thoughtless as to start a war on Survivor night? Snort.

Plumeriamyst

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 09:17 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Anyone else find it a little pathetic that we are more worried about our favorite tv show than about possible casualties?

Car54

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 09:42 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Yes..Plum...we know we are pathetic. That's why we are here.

Djgirl5235

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 09:44 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I too am one of the pathetic, but I also feel that we need a place to escape from this dismal reality that we are all experiencing right now!

Catfat

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 09:57 am EditMoveDeleteIP
In order to be less pathetic (if possible) I will go outside and pick a batch of daffodils while I DON'T think about the war.

Catfat

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 10:06 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Why was Survivor changed to Wednesday this week anyway?

Plumeriamyst

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 10:07 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I increase my patheticness (can that be a word?) by visiting this page many times a day to see what is being said (even though I don't actually post much).

*sigh*

I am also joining the ranks of those wishing they would keep the news on the news stations and leave the rest of us a place to escape from the harsh reality

Djgirl5235

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 10:13 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Catfat - due to the NCAA basketball tournament...

Car54

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 10:14 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Catfat...some network idiot thought BASKETBALL was more important than Survivor Thursdays. Then War on Wednesday.

Seamonkey

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 11:03 am EditMoveDeleteIP
This is what my paper had, in the Show section:

TV lineups will change if war comes

Expect wholesale changes in prime time for news coverage

Bob Betcher, Scripps Howard News Service

Don't expect the television schedules to actually reflect what's on TV in the days to come - at least where NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox are listed.

With war looming, television will be all about making room for extensive battle coverage and keeping tabs on the content of programs that occasionally slip onto the lineups.

With the bombs expected to drop over Iraq any minute now, ABC, for instance, won't be inclined to air the likes of "Are You Hot? The Search for America's Sexiest People."

And an already gun-shy NBC made changes earlier this week. It pulled the plug - again - on part 2 of a repeat of "The West Wing." A "Law and Order" repeat filled in.

Some network affiliates expect up to three days of wall-to-wall network war coverage.

CNN, MSNBC and Fox News Channel, of course, are totally in the news business and need not drop any regularly scheduled programs outside of fluffy guests on "Larry King Live" or the oft-repeated "Headliners and Legends" on MSNBC.

ABC got things rolling this week by pre-empting its entire low-rated Monday-night lineup ("Veritas: The Quest," "The Practice," and "Miracles") for a 2.5 hour, Peter Jennings-hosted war primer after the president's speech. Hardly anybody complained.

In times like these, the network news divisions decide the lineups.

Entertainment programs, and thankfully those annoying network promos, take a back seat or disappear altogether.

CBS may change its schedule this week since a slew of NCAA college basketball games are slated to tip off Thursday. The network is close to making a deal to shift the college hoops to either ESPN or ESPN2 to make way for Dan Rather-anchored war coverage on the more widely available CBS network.

Pressing concerns for CBS tonight if war is declared: What to do with its mega-hit "Survivor: (slated to air at 8, moved up a night to accommodate Thursday's basketball) and the season finale of "Star Search" (slated for 9).

NBC could lose the most money, at least this week, if it is forced to drop its entire slate of Thursday-night sit-coms, including "Friends," "Scrubs" and "Will & Grace," plus the drama "ER." NBC commands the top dollar for commercials throughout that evening.

Apart from the upcoming Academy Awards telecast, ABC has perhaps the least to lose by switching to war coverage. Much of its schedule consists of throwaway programs such as "All American girl," "Are You Hot?" and, on Friday, two hours of "America's funniest Home Videos." Jennings is looking better and better.

For Saturday night, ABC has schedules a three-hour movie, "Good Will Hunting." The film has aired numerous times and could easily be pulled for ABC News coverage.

Squaredsc

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 11:38 am EditMoveDeleteIP
its a shame survivor can't air on a cable channel during times like these.

Lyn

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 11:57 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I don't mind shows being pre-empted or time delayed for something important (like tonight), its when the news stays on for hours and hours and they have nothing new to report. They just say/show the same thing over and over

Djgirl5235

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 12:11 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Lyn - reports have been coming in over the past few days that all the major networks are planning on doing just that - total war coverage 24 hours a day... I personally can't take it, and will either be renting movies, or hopefully watching things on A&E and HGTV...

Catfat

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 12:24 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Out of the mouths of babes:
My five-year-old grandson lives in a house without TV. He was at my house Monday night when Bush was on TV making his speech. After watching for a while, he said, "That man is tellng lies. But he has on a nice shirt." :-)
No one had taught him to dislike the president, indeed he had never even seen him.
Now, don't start flaming me, I am just trying to bring a little levity to a very grim day.

Hippyt

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 12:25 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I hate that too. They just go on and on,saying the same things over and over!!!!!! Ackkkkkk,it's ridiculous!

Lizadee

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 12:26 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Djgirl5235, the very reason I went to Best Buy today and bought 5 new DVD movies
8 Mile, Inspector Gadget, Bango Sisters, Roger Rodger & Empire

Oh yea and lots of popcorn

Moondance

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 12:29 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
LOL Catfat... smart kid!:)

Curlyq

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 12:31 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I have a feeling it will be constant news coverage, at least for the first few days of the war. No network is going to want to be the first to go back to "frivolous" programming while the war is going on.

I agree that you do need to have a place on TV where you can go to escape reality once in a while, which is why I'm so thankful for cable. I can always count on TVLand if nothing else.

Still, these last few days I've had a hard time staying away from the news networks even to watch my favorite primetime shows. I don't think even Survivor will be able to keep my attention now. The sight of dirty, hungry young people stripping for camera-attention and whining about bugs somehow won't be as riveting as watching live coverage of the war. If it airs, I'll probably spend the hour flicking back and forth or just tape it for later.

Catfat

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 12:38 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Does everyone know that you can get a little solar-powered/hand crank radio from Radio Shack for around $50 (I think). It uses no batteries.

Tabbyking

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 12:49 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
i saw them on the price is right. they are cool!

Llkoolaid

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 01:16 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
You know they always say a child can tell who to trust.

I hope the sandstorm keeps up for at least an hour. Isn't that sad. I need a slap for thinking that way but I do. Some talking head will probably interupt anyway to tell us the time is up. As if they haven't been telling us minute by minute how much time is left. I am surprised there isn't a giant billboard somewhere with a big clock counting down the time and a news team devoted just to it.