Home » Film & TV » American Television » Networks Bring Out the Big Guns For Sweeps Month

Networks Bring Out the Big Guns For Sweeps Month

© F. Colin Kingston

Editors Note: This week we continue our look at some of the "sweeps" programming scheduled for May. Sweeps, as you may know, is the time of year that the ratings are used to set advertising rates for the networks and local stations. As a result, viewers are treated to lots of stunt programming, specials and mini-series. This week, we are taking a look at sweeps programming on FOX and NBC.

FOX

April 26 Fox continues its tradition of tacky "reality" shows with THE WORLDS WORST DRIVERS CAUGHT ON TAPE.

April 30 Paul Reubens (Pee Wee Herman) and the Dancing Baby guest star on the season finale of ALLY MCBEAL.

May 13 Ron Howard (THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW) guests as himself on the season finale of THE SIMPSONS.

May 17 AMERICAS MOST WANTED PRESENTS JUDGMENT NIGHT: DNA, THE ULTIMATE TEST. John Walsh, hosts this special which uses DNA testing to solve crimes.

May 18 The theatrical film THERES SOMETHING ABOUT MARY makes its debut on broadcast television.

NBC

May 6 and May 7 THE JUDGE, a two-part mini-series from Steve Martin, stars CHRIS NORTH (LAW & ORDER).

May 22 The gang on 3RD ROCK FROM THE SUN goes back to their home planet on the series finale in this special one-hour episode.

May 17 At long last, Monica and Chandler are scheduled to tie-the-knot on FRIENDS.

UPN

May 23 STAR TREK: VOYAGE ends its seven-year run with a special two-hour episode in which the crew is rumored to find their way home.

News and notes from the world of television:

Come next season, BUFFY: THE VAMPIRE SLAYER will be battling demons in a new neighborhood. After many acrimonious negotiations, UPN outbid the WB for the rights to the hugely popular BUFFY: THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. As a result, BUFFY will be moving to UPN for at least two more seasons beginning in the fall. The season ending episode of BUFFY, which airs in May, will be the final new episode broadcast on The WB. No word yet on the fate on ANGEL, the BUFFY spin-off.

Ratings update: Here are the top five most popular syndicated magazine series as determined by Neilsen Media Research. 1) ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT 2) EXTRA 3) ACCESS HOLLYWOOD 4) INSIDE EDITION 5) NATIONAL ENQUIRER

This week in television history: Before he made rounds on ER, George Clooney starred in a police drama entitled POLICE BEAT. The series ran only two episodes and aired in April 21 and 28 on ABC in 1990. Clooney played a young undercover cop named Chic Chesbro.

The copyright of the article Networks Bring Out the Big Guns For Sweeps Month in American Television is owned by . Permission to republish Networks Bring Out the Big Guns For Sweeps Month in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.