RATINGS The Olympics closed with a whimper for NBC, leaving the net with the lowest rated 17 day average for summer games coverage since Mexico City 1968. Still, the Peacock managed to rake in the dough. The net, which had expected to sell some $780 million in ad time, actually sold a record $900 million. Of course, they had promised their clients at least a 16.1 rating during prime time evening coverage, and they averaged only a 14.8. Even the glitzy closing ceremony only scored a 10.9/17 share. If only they handed out the gold medals for marketing ploys.
REALITY TV Playboy is getting real. The company has been hawking three bunny filled reality programs at the Mipcom TV trade shows, according to Variety. ''Playboy's Road Rally'' is pitched as a ''Road Rules'' meets ''Survivor'' (meets Playmate of the month) tour de force. ''Funhouse'' puts ''Big Brother'' like cameras on two men and three women as they frolic in a Malibu residence. And finally, ''Sexy Urban Legends'' focuses on erotic encounters in public places. ''We have always been at the forefront of voyeur television, but given the success of reality concepts like 'Millionaire' and 'Survivor,' we're now taking it to the next level,'' Andrea McBurnett, Playboy's VP of programming told Daily Variety. All hail the kings of cutting edge soft porn.
UNION We know what Bridgette Wilson did last weekend. The 26 year old actress wed tennis star Pete Sampras in Beverly Hills. It was reportedly a traditional Greek ceremony -- plate smashing compris. Wilson, who appeared in ''I Know What You Did Last Summer'' and ''House on Haunted Hill'' has a regular role on Darren Star's new TV show ''The Street.''
CASTING Harrison Ford may get his next $20 million paycheck for playing a captain in the sub flick ''K-19,'' reports Variety. The film is a contemporary drama about a crew's attempts to keep the booty on their vessel from nuclear meltdown. And they say there's no market for international news in America!
MUSIC TV Gene Simmons may exec produce a VH1 sitcom. The Kiss bassist has been tapped to helm the pilot episode of ''Smash,'' a show that centers around the adventures of a has been hip hop artist named Phat Boy, according to Variety.... Beck will be making an appearance on an upcoming episode of ''Futurama.'' He has already taped the voice over, but there is no word as yet on when the animated show will air. The once indie singer - songwriter was at first very reluctant to do the show, according to MTV.com. Producers managed to persuade him after he turned them down once. This presumably means there will be no Beckorama T-shirts or coffee mugs.
LEGALESE ''Cheers'' actors George Wendt and John Ratzenberger will be allowed to sue Paramount Pictures after all. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to derail the actors' attempt to sue the studio over the use of their likenesses. Paramount had granted a company the right to use the ''Cheers'' characters for robots in airport bars around the world and had tried to stop the lawsuit by appealing to the Supreme Court in the hopes that federal copyright law would trump California publicity law. This is good news for all those who dreaded a bleary eyed encounter with Norm and Cliff robots en route to Los Angeles.
