Articles by Charlie Piane

'Why Not?' Sees Biggest OWN Premiere Since Net Launch
May 10, 2011

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network's new original series 'Why Not? With Shania Twain,' which premiered Sunday, May 8 at 11 p.m. ET/PT, debuted as the highest rated premiere to date outside of launch weekend for the network and posted triple digit growth across all key demos versus year ago Discovery Health numbers (.80 W25-54, 839,000 total viewers; +321% W25-54, +230% P2+ vs. YAGO). The series ranked third in its timeslot in the key female demo among 88 ad-supported cable networks. 'Why Not? with Shania Twain' moves to its regular time period Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT this week (May 15).

ABC's 'Dancing' is Most-Watched Show for 2nd Straight Week
May 10, 2011

Continuing to build its numbers during the week of May 2, 2011, ABC delivered a strong second-place finish in both Total Viewers (9.1 million) and Adults 18-49 (2.5/7). In fact ABC paced No. 2 to Fox in Adults 18-49 for the 4th consecutive week, beating CBS by 14% (2.2/6) and NBC by 25% (2.0/6).

Fox Renews 'House' For An Eighth Season
May 10, 2011

FOX has renewed the hit series HOUSE for an eighth season, it was announced today by Kevin Reilly, President of Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company.

Disney Channel Sees Big Ratings In Week 2 of May
May 10, 2011

During the week of May 2, Disney Channel ranked as TV's No. 1 network in Total Day among Tweens 9-14 (441,000/1.8 rating) for the 2nd straight week, and for the 21st time in the previous 23 weeks, and was also TV's No. 1 network among Kids 6-11 (544,000/2.2 rating). Led by the series finale of 'The Suite Life on Deck' and a special preview of upcoming original series 'A.N.T. Farm,' Disney Channel delivered TV's Top 3 telecasts in Kids 6-11 and the Top 4 TV telecasts in Tweens 9-14.

Sundance Channel's 'Love Lust' Kicks Off 6/7
May 10, 2011

From the foods we love to eat to the mythical creatures that love to eat us, Sundance Channel's 'Love Lust' will take on our guiltiest pleasures this summer, including the undead (vampires, zombies, etc.), social networks, sex symbols and secret societies. Airing Tuesdays nights, beginning June 7th at 10 pm ET/PT, each hour-long episode of 'Love Lust' provides a definitive and entertaining account of how life's cultural innovations progress from novelty to ubiquity.

Colin Hanks Joins 'Dexter' for Sixth Season
May 10, 2011

Actor Colin Hanks has joined the cast of SHOWTIME's Emmy(R) nominated drama series DEXTER(TM) for Season 6. Hanks, who will appear in all twelve episodes, will play Travis, a highly intelligent young expert on ancient artifacts who gets linked to a series of grisly murders in Miami. Production on begins in June in Los Angeles and will premiere on SHOWTIME this fall.

CBS Announces Premiere Dates For 'Big Brother' and 'Same Name'
May 10, 2011

CBS has announced premiere dates for two summer reality series - the returning BIG BROTHER and new series SAME NAME - and announced airdates and hosts for three of its summer event specials.

ABC Wins Second Straight Monday of May
May 10, 2011

With DWTS and Castle, ABC dominated its 2nd straight Monday of the May Sweep, more than doubling runner-up CBS in Total Viewers and beating Fox by 65% in Adults 18-49. In fact the Net beat its rivals in all 6 half-hours of the night in viewers and young adults. ABC qualified as Monday's most-watched TV network for the 9th week running and took first place on the evening in Adults 18-49 for the 8th time in 9 weeks.

VH1's 'Wedding Wars' Airs Finale 5/16
May 10, 2011

Tears have been shed and relationships have been tested as the couples of 'Wedding Wars' have endured the long, hard, mosquito-bitten battle for the wedding of their dreams. For the past nine weeks, viewers have watched 12 engaged couples face extreme challenges and harsh living conditions while competing for incredible prizes and a destination wedding. But as the competition draws to an end, there are only three couples left to duke it out and no one wants to lose the war now.

Manny Pacquiao Visits 'Tosh.0' 5/17
May 10, 2011

Daniel Tosh steps into the ring with Manny Pacquiao and challenges the World champion boxer to clock him in the face. Tune-in to COMEDY CENTRAL's 'Tosh.0' on Tuesday, May 17 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT to see how the host handles the punch when new episodes return.

Discovery Channel To Present 'Killing Bin Laden' Special 5/15
May 10, 2011

On Sunday, May 15th at 10PM ET/PT, Discovery Channel will premiere KILLING BIN LADEN, a one-hour special that provides a comprehensive overview of the bin Laden operation - from the time the crucial intelligence was gathered in 2010, through the burial at sea. The special will also air on Discovery Channel across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America beginning May 18.

Current TV's 'Vanguard' Returns For Fifth Season 6/20
May 10, 2011

Current TV's signature series, 'Vanguard,' one of television's most celebrated news programs, will return for a highly anticipated fifth season of thought-provoking investigations beginning Monday, June 20th at 9:00 PM ET, immediately following the debut of Keith Olbermann's live week nightly show 'Countdown' at 8:00 PM ET.

WE tv Renews 'Braxton Family Values', Announces 2011-12 Programming
May 10, 2011

WE tv, the network devoted to showcasing and celebrating women and the relationships that define them, unveiled a robust slate of brand-defining programming today.

New Season of 'RuPaul's Drag U' Premieres 6/20
May 12, 2011

Summer school has never been this glamorous with the return of Logo's hit series 'RuPaul's Drag U.' RuPaul and his drag queen faculty help a new batch of biological women unleash their inner diva through the power of drag. This season delivers new drag faculty, new guest choreographers, more iconic celebrity guest judges and gallons of glitter! The new one-hour, 10-episode season of 'RuPaul's Drag U' premieres Monday, June 20 at 9/8c on Logo.