TCA Press Tour: ‘S#*! My Dad Says’? CBS advertisers are OK with the old man and the ‘Bleep’
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CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler said ‘$#*! My Dad Says,’ the network’s new sitcom starring William Shatner with the title no one can say on broadcast television, is not having problems getting advertising.
Speaking at the semiannual Television Critics Assn. press tour being held at the Beverly Hilton, Tassler said the network had not gotten ‘push back’ from advertisers. Some media watchdogs, including the Parents Television Council, have criticized the show for its title. The program, about a somewhat bitter old man and his son, is based on the Twitter feed of the same name. CBS will market the show as ‘Bleep My Dad Says.’
Tassler also was peppered with questions from reporters about the content of the network’s remake of ‘Hawaii Five-O’ and the decision to put newscaster Julie Chen, the wife of CBS Chief Executive Leslie Moonves, on a new afternoon talk show hosted by actress Sara Gilbert.
Some reporters questioned the level of violence on ‘Hawaii Five-0’ and whether it was appropriate for younger viewers. Tassler noted that the show aired at 10 p.m. and that the network was not concerned about the action sequences.
As for Chen, also a co-host on the CBS morning news program ‘The Early Show’ and a host of the reality program ‘Big Brother,’ Tassler said the idea of including the newscaster on the afternoon show, now dubbed ‘The Talk,’ was suggested by Gilbert herself. The show features mothers of all ages, including Gilbert, Chen, Sharon Osbourne and Holly Robinson-Peete.
‘Why should she be penalized for being married to him?’ Tassler said to reporters. Chen will remain associated with ‘The Early Show’ and ‘Big Brother.’ Chen married Moonves several years ago when she was already at the network. The couple recently had their first child.
Tassler acknowledged to reporters that she felt CBS did need to do a better job with gay and lesbian characters on its shows. The network’s efforts on that front was recently given a poor grade by GLAAD, a gay and lesbian advocacy group.
‘We’re not happy with ourselves,’ she said, adding that there were plans to add a gay character to the drama ‘The Good Wife’ and the Shatner comedy. A lesbian character is being added to ‘Rules of Engagement.’
CBS also announced some of the new participants for its reality show ‘Undercover Boss,’ in which corporate chiefs go to work in the trenches of their companies. Among those taking the plunge are DirecTV Chief Executive Mike White. No word if the satellite broadcaster will pay more to carry CBS as a result of White getting a chance to be a TV star for the network.
-- Joe Flint
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