MGM executives have declared Sex Wars is on. The syndicated half-hour series has been cleared in more than 75% of the country for the fall and is a firm go for the 2000-01 season. MGM executives last week also renewed freshman newsmagazine National Enquirer for a second year; currently, it shows up in 70% of the country.
Sex Wars, dubbed a combo game show and relationship series, has been cleared in 22 of the top 25 markets, including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. It will debut on WCBS-TV New York, KCAL-TV Los Angeles and WCIU-TV Chicago. Other stations signed on include Fox-owned stations in Dallas, Boston, Washington, Detroit, Atlanta and Houston. It's sold on a 3.5/3.5 barter arrangement.
"We have a lot of confidence in this show, and we are extremely pleased that we are getting a lot of afternoon and late-fringe time slots," says Jim Griffiths, president of MGM Worldwide Television Distribution. "We think this show has a great opportunity to find an audience in late afternoon and become a longtime fixture to the daytime audience." The show is hosted by JD Roth and Jennifer Cole.
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National Enquirer was renewed in major markets, including New York and Los Angeles. The series ripped from the headlines of the famed tabloid publication will be back on WNYW-TV New York and KCAL-TV Los Angeles for the 2000-01 season. Griffiths says he is close to a deal in Chicago.
In other syndication news, Twentieth Television has sold off-network weekend clearances of The Practice in 80% of the U.S. for a fall 2001 launch. Clearances for The Practice include ABC-owned stations in Los Angeles (kabc-tv), Philadelphia (wpvi-tv), Houston (ktrk-tv) and Raleigh, N.C., (wtvd-tv). Among other stations signed on are WCVB-TV Boston, WPAE-TV Pittsburgh and WFAA-TV Dallas.
