CC gets Syndication Deal

[TVFan]

Looks like Cold Case has been picked up by TNT for syndication in 2007. Here's the related story from Yahoo! News:

CC to TNT

[Ryebeach]

Thanks for the link TVFan. I didn't think it would be long till we heard about CC's syndication since CSI:NY was announced last week.

Here's another article from Zap2it which goes into a bit more detail:

Source: tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271|91957|1|,00.html


LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) TNT has snapped up syndication rights to CBS' second-year drama "Cold Case," paying a cool seven-figure sum for the reruns.

The cable network, already home to "Law & Order," "NYPD Blue" and "Without a Trace" repeats, will begin airing daily episodes of "Cold Case" in fall 2007, the Hollywood trade papers report. The show will also likely get once-a-week repeats starting next year.

The Warner Bros. and Jerry Bruckheimer TV-produced show follows Philadelphia cop Lilly Rush (Kathryn Morris), who works murder cases that have sat dormant for years. The show is a strong performer for CBS on Sunday nights, bringing in more than 16 million viewers per week.

TNT ponied up about $1.4 million per episode for "Cold Case," on par with what it paid for "Without a Trace" last year. The network and Warner Bros. are both units of Time Warner. But because Bruckheimer TV also has a sizable stake in the show's profits, the show was shopped around to ensure a decent deal, sources tell the trades.

The deal means that all five of Bruckheimer's scripted series -- "Without a Trace" and the three "CSI" shows are the others -- have been sold for syndication, which can generate huge profits for producers. "CSI" airs on Spike TV and will be joined by "CSI: NY" next fall, while "CSI: Miami" reruns air on A&E.

* * * * * * * *

I think TNT is an appropriate choice since they show Law and Order so much, although I would have liked it on A&E to complement the true life series, Cold Case Files.

[Ryebeach]

Here is yet another article about the syndication deal.

Source: www.thefutoncritic.com

COLD CASE (CBS) - TNT has emerged as the winner of the off-network rights to the sophomore CBS drama in a pact with Warner Bros. Domestic Cable valued at $1.4 million per episode. The deal tops TNT's previous off-network record of $1.35 million for fellow Eye drama "Without a Trace." Like its deal for "Trace," "Case's" run on TNT will begin with a once-a-week run during the show's third season (fall 2005) before expanding to a five-night-a-week run at the start of its fifth season (fall 2007). The hefty price tag is said to be the result of a bidding war for the series with Lifetime and A&E. Interestingly enough, A&E is said to have had an exclusive window to bid on the series as part of a copyright dispute settlement concerning the network's similarly titled "Cold Case Files." Nevertheless, A&E let the window expire, leaving Warner Bros. open to talk with other cable networks. The pact also isn't completely exclusive to TNT as Warner Bros. can sell the series to local stations for weekend syndication beginning in fall 2007.

[Tracylynn]

That's great news, BUT why do we have to wait 3 years for it? They should start showing it in the fall of 2005 because I don't think I can wait that long. I have a hard time waiting for Sunday as it is.

Tracylynn

[Ryebeach]

Tracylynn said:

That's great news, BUT why do we have to wait 3 years for it?

I believe a show has to have over 100 episodes before it can start running in syndication 5 nights a week. If Cold Case continues at 23 eps a year, it will be November/December 2007 before 100 eps will have aired.

[Trublu]

Ryebeach said:

I believe a show has to have over 100 episodes before it can start running in syndication 5 nights a week. If Cold Case continues at 23 eps a year, it will be November/December 2007 before 100 eps will have aired.

Oh, i didnt know that. Darn... i have a hard time waiting for sundays too ;D

[Tracylynn]

100 episodes? That makes sense to me but how come Spike is gonna start airing "CSI-NY" in the fall of 2005?

I would've liked to see "Cold Case" on A&E since the original "Cold Case" is on it. If not that network then it should be on Lifetime because that network needs to be revamped big time. It needs more to add more shows to it programing because it's overrun by movies.

[Ryebeach]

Tracylynn said:

100 episodes? That makes sense to me but how come Spike is gonna start airing "CSI-NY" in the fall of 2005?

Spike TV will only be airing CSI:NY once a week in Fall 2005. 5 night a week airings will not happen until Fall 2008, when there will be 100 episodes completed.

This is the exception rather than the rule for syndication. Usually cable channels wait for the full 100 episodes to be completed before airing a show at all.

[TVFan]

Well, the good news is that it will start airing once a week next season. From the futon critic article that Ryebeach posted:

Like its deal for "Trace," "Case's" run on TNT will begin with a once-a-week run during the show's third season (fall 2005) before expanding to a five-night-a-week run at the start of its fifth season (fall 2007)

[TVFan]

I did a quick search on TNT's Web site for the key words "Cold Case," and this is what I got:



/
Sep 27 11:00 PM

It doesn't say anything other than that, but it seems that it's saying Tues, September 27th at 11:00pm eastern for a premiere date, but I'm not sure how accurate that date/time is. I would assume if the date is correct, then CC will run every Tuesday night at 11pm. I can't wait to see season one eps again! Yay! I'll finally get to see the pilot again!! :smile2:

[sonny]

That's great news for you guys in the US. Ummm I'm wondering if we get TNT here in the UK? I'll have to find out.

[byrdman9802]

Dear TVFan,

Hey, girl! So good to hear from you again, and with such good news as well! Yes, I am holding out hopes that TNT will not chop these episodes up for commercial time or anything.

I was discussing this with my Daddy the other day, and he said that the major networks have not made any decision to increase commercial time that he has heard of since September of 2003 (when the pilot aired). So, he thought that TNT would not cut it up for commercial time. I can only hope, I have toadmit I will be at a disadavantage when the pilot airs, since I have never seen it. But I am looking forward to seeing the season ones eps!

Yes, I emailed TNT twice myself asking them if they were going to show the Cold Case eps in their entirety. Unfortunately, I have yet to receive a response from them, and do not anticipate that I will. Oh well, we will just have to wait and see and keep those high hopes!

Thanks for the update, TVFan. You are an investigative girl, very resourceful. Thanks, and take care, girl!

To Sonny: Hey, girl! How are you today? Hopefully very good. Please let us know if you guys in England get TNT. Here in the States, it is owned by Ted Turner (Turner Network Television), and I'm just wondering if he is sending any programming overseas to you all. Indeed, I hope so.

Good luck, girl, I hope that you can get it. Take care, and have a great night, Sonny. See ya, girl!

[Disasterfreak]

sonny said:

That's great news for you guys in the US. Ummm I'm wondering if we get TNT here in the UK? I'll have to find out.

I'm wondering about that, too, down here in South America. My cable provider has TNT, but it doesn't seem to be the same as the one in the US, because I've never seen any series on it. It's mostly just movies. Really old ones, dubbed ones .

[Ryebeach]

TNT has finally made their official announcement and as TVFan said, the premiere is September 27th. Here's the piece:

COLD CASE (CBS) - TNT's off-network run of the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced drama is set to begin on Tuesday, September 27 at 11:00/10:00c. Episodes will run just once a week on the network (a la "Without a Trace") before switching to a five-night-a-week run in the fall of 2007.

source: www.thefutoncritic.com/cgi/newswire.cgi?id=6946

Interesting time slot, to say the least. I hope when they switch to the 5 nite a week run, they will secure a better timeslot.

[TVFan]

It is a strange timeslot, indeed, but they do the same thing with Without A Trace. It airs Monday nights at 11pm. It's kind of nice, though, because it won't interfere with my prime time viewing schedule. I'll have to record the eps because midnight is a little too late for me to be heading to bed.

Thanks for verifying the premiere date/time Ryebeach!!

[r2k]

All I can say is I'm getting DVR so I can tape the episodes. And I'll finally have a chance to see the pilot.

[Ryebeach]

I'll be getting my good ole VCR ready to catch the pilot, which is the only one I need. I have all the other episodes on tape.

[Disasterfreak]

I'm mad at my VCR. :smile12: Decided to start taping all of season 2, and I was already grrrummphed because they were rerunning them incomplete and out of order. But now the last episode looks like it's underwater!!! Anyone have any advice for me? Like maybe I should change tapes--or is it the VCR that's bad? Please :smile51:!!

Sorry this is off-topic. I'll be sure to watch CC if my TNT shows it. It seems so long since I saw season 1...

[irishkale]

DVRs are pretty cool, R2K. Get the biggest one you can in terms of hours, because after you finish watching the show you can tell the DVR to save it permanently (I have the entire season 2 "at my fingertips" on my DirecTiVo--great for quick-checking a quote or reviewing a scene.)

[TVFan]

Disasterfreak - I would try recording something random with a different tape and see if it still comes out like that. If it doesn't, then it's probably just the tape. If it does come out the same, I'd try it again with a different tape. If you get three tapes like that, then it might be the VCR.