Tag Archives: HBO

Mourning The Sopranos Kingpin, James Gandolfini of The Sopranos

He was a Tony Award nominee, had numerous roles, mostly supporting, in films, but James Gandolfini will forever be Tony Soprano. He died yesterday of a massive heart attack in Italy. Gandolfini was just 51.

As the Don in HBO’s groundbreaking mafia drama The Sopranos, Gandolfini won three Emmy Awards as Tony Soprano. Gandolfini’s portrayal didn’t only earn him trophies, it won him praise from viewers and colleagues worldwide.

His legacy is cemented with the tortured role, where he battled with his family and the family business.

And yet, Gandolfini’s Soprano is recognized as one of the most endearing characters in television history.

He touched millions of people each Sunday night, but there are many others who were fortunate enough to have a personal connection with the TV giant. One of those is WCBS-FM’s Joe Causi (above with Gandolfini).

“I met him at various fundraisers. [He was] always doing good for so many charities,” Causi tells Tuned In.

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TNT and HBO Grab the Biggest Chunk of the Ratings Pie

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By JERRY BARMASH
(@jerrybarmash)

The prime time ratings for New York show a good week for cable networks. Specifically, Time Warner’s TNT and HBO, which tied for first place, according to Nielsen.

HBO had its Sunday night must see viewing Game of Thrones with an estimated 786,000 viewers and a 4.0 rating. Game 5 of the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals had 778,000 fans with a 4.0. Marv Albert and company also scored with Tuesday’s Game 4 in a third-place tie (751,000/3.8) and Game 6 on Sunday in a tie for seventh (593,000/3.0).

60 Minutes squeezed into a number three tie (754,000/3.8).

NBC’s The Voice brought up the middle with a fifth and sixth-place showings. The episodes combined for 657,000 WNBC viewers and a 3.3 rating.

CBS’s Big Bang Theory tied for seventh (586,000/3.0).

Robin Roberts, CBS News, Lorne Michaels Among 2013 Peabody Award Winners

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By JERRY BARMASH
(@jerrybarmash)

Excellence in electronic media was on display at the Peabody Awards ceremony. The 72nd annual awards brought out some of the biggest names from television.

Good Morning America‘s Robin Roberts was honored for an ABC News program documenting her rare disease.

Roberts tells Tuned In that her decision to go public wasn’t taken lightly.

“I can’t have any regrets when I know how many more people are now registered to be bone marrow donors,” Roberts admits.

Less dramatic, but equally as worthy, HBO’s Game Change was recognized. The pay-cable movie was the story of 2008 Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Director Jay Roach says picking the right person to play the starring role was pivotal to the success.

“There was a lot of expectations about who would play her because Tina Fey had done such an incredible job in a certain version of interpreting her,” Roach tells Tuned In. “That wasn’t the version we were looking for.”

So Roach, who has directed several big screen comedies including Meet the Parents, began a search for the perfect Palin.

“We wanted to find someone who could be compelling, strong, as charismatic as Sarah Palin. But also could play it with the kind of depth you would need to make her a real person,” Roach says.

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Gumbel: Matt Lauer is Going Through a “Difficult Time”

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The parallels are striking for Bryant Gumbel, who spent 15 years as co-anchor on NBC’s Today show with the current host, the embattled Matt Lauer.

Lauer has been under fire since Ann Curry was replaced on the program last summer by Savannah Guthrie.

Gumbel was stuck in the middle of his own on-air triangle 24 years ago when Jane Pauley got pushed off the show for Deborah Norville.

Tuned In caught up with Gumbel Monday at the Peabody Awards, where his Real Sports was honored with the trophy for broadcasting excellence.

Gumbel said he and Lauer are best friends, who talk regularly and play golf.

“He’s going through a difficult time,” Gumbel admitted. “But I think part of that comes with the territory. It wasn’t that long ago when I was going through the same thing, at the same place.”

Gumbel also weathered a scandal at the morning broadcast, when a scathing memo about personnel was leaked in 1989.

“It happens, it’s part of life,” Gumbel said. “Nobody’s going to pass the plate and feel sorry for you.”

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Weekly Ratings Win for 60 Minutes ; Dancing is 2nd

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By JERRY BARMASH (@jerrybarmash)

Dancing With The Stars won the weekly battle with American Idol. But the original “reality TV,” 60 Minutes, won the week. The Nielsen ratings for the week ending May 5 show the CBS news magazine garnered an estimated 1.1 million ratings and a 5.6.

Dancing took second best with 1 million WABC viewers and a 5.5 rating. The results show landed in a tie for number six (891,000/4.5) with NBC’s The Voice (880,000/4.5). The Voice ranked tenth (804,000/4.1).

The struggles of Idol are highlighted again with eighth- and ninth-place results. The Fox singing showcase averaged 850,000 WNYW viewers and a 4.3 rating.

CBS’ drama NCIS was third for the week with 974,000 viewers and a 5.0.

The Big Bang Theory was fourth (951,000/4.8), while Modern Family notched 900,000 WABC viewers in fifth place.