The Bridge School Benefit returns

Friday night fight is going to cable, but does it have to?

Since it's Friday, we thought we'd take a look at Friday night television.

For years, Friday has been a tough night for the broadcast networks. If a show starts to do well on Friday, the first instinct is to move it to another night where the potential audience is bigger. CBS' "CSI" and "Everybody Loves Raymond" both started on Friday.

Conversely, when a show starts to fade it often ends up on Friday (ABC's "Ugly Betty") before disappearing entirely.

Over the past five years, the combined audience for ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox on Friday nights has fallen about 15% to 22.2 million, and in the 18-49 demographic the drop is over 20% to about 8.2 million people. 

"We have consistently allowed our audience to leave us on Friday nightjust like we did on Saturday night," said Jeff Gaspin, chairman of NBC Universal Entertainment. "This is where cable took advantage of our weakness of not having as many hit shows."

Fortunately, for Gaspin, one of the cable networks that has managed to take the most advantage of Friday night is NBC Universal's USA Network, first with "Monk" and then with "Psych." Tonight USA will go for the threepeat with the premiere of its well-reviewed offbeat crime drama "White Collar."

"Friday is one great opportunity; broadcast networks don't put much effort into it," said Ted Linhart, USA's vice president of program research. It's his job to crunch numbers and figure out where the best chances for success lie. While it's true that the households using television (HUTs in industry lingo) is lower on Friday night, Linhart said, "There are still 100 million people watching TV."

And while USA tends to attract an adult crowd, there is youth to he had on the night too, as Disney Channel has proven with "High School Musical 2," "Hannah Montana" and "Wizards of Waverly Place."

Besides cable, video game play is on the rise on Fridays, and more people use the night to catch up on what they have recorded throughout the week.

Interestingly, this season Friday has not been a total disaster for the broadcast networks. CBS is flat in viewers while NBC and ABC are each up. But all three are down in adults 18-49, and Fox is completely tanking.

Not to get all field of dreams on the broadcast networks, but if you build it, they just might come.

-- Joe Flint

Photos: Top: USA's "White Collar." Credit: USA Network. Bottom: "Ugly Betty." Credit: David Giesbrecht / ABC

'In Treatment' to return to HBO

HBO announced Friday that it has ordered a third season of the drama "In Treatment," which stars Gabriel Byrne as therapist Paul Weston.

A third season had been in some doubt, as Byrne has said in interviews that he finds the role (which he plays very well) quite challenging. That's understandable; his character is in almost every scene and much of his work involves reacting to and working through thorny issues with the sometimes challenging patients in his care.

The show is changing head writers again, as it has done every season so far. Anya Epstein of HBO’s “Tell Me You Love Me” and Danny Futterman (“Capote”) will take over from Season 2 showrunner Warren Leight.

The show goes into production early next year in New York.

HBO's press release on the renewal is below.

HBO RENEWS CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED DRAMA SERIES

IN TREATMENT FOR THIRD SEASON, WITH PRODUCTION
TO START IN NEW YORK NEXT YEAR; GABRIEL BYRNE STARS

    LOS ANGELES, Oct. 23, 2009 â€" HBO has renewed the Emmy®-winning half-hour drama series IN TREATMENT, which will begin production on its third season in New York in early 2010, with debut scheduled for later in the year, it was announced today by Michael Lombardo, president, Programming Group and West Coast Operations, HBO.

    “IN TREATMENT is synonymous with inspired writing and brilliant acting,” noted Lombardo.  “This is the kind of show that could only flourish on HBO, and we’re proud to bring it back.”

    Gabriel Byrne (Emmy® nominee and Golden Globe winner for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series â€" Drama) stars in the series as Dr. Paul Weston, with additional cast members to be announced as they are confirmed.

    The second season of IN TREATMENT inspired resounding critical praise, with the New York Times hailing the show for “powerful acting and well-wrought dialogue,” while the Los Angeles Times said the “well-drawn and compelling performances are uniformly terrific.”  The Chicago Sun-Times called the series “fascinating” and Newsday termed it a “fine and absorbing show.”

    Joining the show as executive producers are Anya Epstein (HBO’s “Tell Me You Love Me”) and Danny Futterman (“Capote”).  Returning executive producers on the show include Stephen Levinson, Mark Wahlberg and Hagai Levi.  It is expected that Paris Barclay will return as an executive producer/director.
 

  IN TREATMENT is produced by HBO Entertainment; executive producers, Stephen Levinson, Mark Wahlberg, Hagai Levi, Anya Epstein and Danny Futterman; co-executive producers, Noa Tishby and Gabriel Byrne; producer, Sarah Lum.  IN TREATMENT is produced by HBO Entertainment in association with Leverage, Closest to the Hole Productions and Sheleg.

The Bridge School Benefit returns
For the 23rd year, top musical acts come together to raise money for the Bridge School.
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