Ever been invited to a family reunion you had no desire to attend? You may be tired of seeing your relatives and listening to their familiar routines, which can be downright annoying at times. But then you force yourself to go and you find that you have a good time after all, at least for a little while.
That’s roughly the experience of seeing My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, the latest chapter in the saga of the eccentric Portokalas family previously seen in the wildly popular 2002 original and its much less successful 2016 sequel (the less said about the short-lived 2003 sitcom spin-off My Big Fat Greek Life, the better). If you enjoyed spending time with Nia Vardalos’ Toula and the rest of her extended clan, you’ll probably have a good time again, even if the characters and jokes are wearing thin with repetition.
And as a special treat,...
That’s roughly the experience of seeing My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, the latest chapter in the saga of the eccentric Portokalas family previously seen in the wildly popular 2002 original and its much less successful 2016 sequel (the less said about the short-lived 2003 sitcom spin-off My Big Fat Greek Life, the better). If you enjoyed spending time with Nia Vardalos’ Toula and the rest of her extended clan, you’ll probably have a good time again, even if the characters and jokes are wearing thin with repetition.
And as a special treat,...
- 9/7/2023
- by Frank Scheck
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Give me a word, any word,” Michael Constantine’s Gus Portokalos implored to anyone who would listen in 2002’s My Big Fat Greek Wedding, “and I’ll show you how the root of that word is Greek.” The old man’s words recur early on in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, spoken not by the Portokalos patriarch (Constantine himself died in 2021), but by his grieving daughter, Toula (Nia Vardalos), reminding her own daughter, Paris (Elena Kampouris), of Gus’s grinning legacy and the gaping hole he’s left behind.
Toula is doing her father’s voice and smiling when she delivers that tribute, but there are tears in her eyes too. The laughs here, for both characters and audiences, tend to echo through the gauze of nostalgia, making the film an unexpectedly moving entry in the franchise, if not an uproariously funny one. It’s certainly the most successful sequel,...
Toula is doing her father’s voice and smiling when she delivers that tribute, but there are tears in her eyes too. The laughs here, for both characters and audiences, tend to echo through the gauze of nostalgia, making the film an unexpectedly moving entry in the franchise, if not an uproariously funny one. It’s certainly the most successful sequel,...
- 9/7/2023
- by Dan Rubins
- Slant Magazine
Break out the Windex!
Audiences at CinemaCon were treated to the first-ever trailer for “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3,” the latest chapter in the romantic comedy series about culture clashes, true love, bundt cakes and the many, many uses for Windex. The third entry picks up years after the original and follows the Portokalos family as they reunite a hop, skip and a jump away from their hometown of Chicago.
“A lot has happened since my big fat Greek wedding,” Nia Vardalos’ character says in a voice over. “My father passed away, and his last wish was for us to visit his childhood village in Greece and reconnect with our roots. So, we’re having a reunion.”
The trailer, which isn’t yet available to the public, begins as the Portokalos family packs their bags and travels overseas to find the friends and cousins (blood or otherwise) of Toula’s late father.
Audiences at CinemaCon were treated to the first-ever trailer for “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3,” the latest chapter in the romantic comedy series about culture clashes, true love, bundt cakes and the many, many uses for Windex. The third entry picks up years after the original and follows the Portokalos family as they reunite a hop, skip and a jump away from their hometown of Chicago.
“A lot has happened since my big fat Greek wedding,” Nia Vardalos’ character says in a voice over. “My father passed away, and his last wish was for us to visit his childhood village in Greece and reconnect with our roots. So, we’re having a reunion.”
The trailer, which isn’t yet available to the public, begins as the Portokalos family packs their bags and travels overseas to find the friends and cousins (blood or otherwise) of Toula’s late father.
- 4/27/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
It’ll be a fall family reunion for the “My Big Fat Greek Weeding” clan, with Focus Features dating the third film in the franchise for a worldwide theatrical release on Sept. 8, 2023.
Nia Vardalos wrote and directed the new film, starring alongside returning cast members John Corbett, Louis Mandylor, Elena Kampouris, Maria Vacratsis, Andrea Martin, Elias Kacavas, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone and Lainie Kazan. Elias Kacavas and Melina Kotselou join the family this time around.
Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson and Gary Goetzman — who’ve produced all three movies — also return, with Paul Brooks, Scott Niemeyer and Steven Shareshian serving as executive producers.
“The sweet friendship which bloomed from the producers’ first taking a chance on me then grew into a beautiful relationship as they entrusted me to direct this installment of our franchise,” Vardalos stated. “We filmed our family reunion entirely in Greece which was thrilling for us all. Plus,...
Nia Vardalos wrote and directed the new film, starring alongside returning cast members John Corbett, Louis Mandylor, Elena Kampouris, Maria Vacratsis, Andrea Martin, Elias Kacavas, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone and Lainie Kazan. Elias Kacavas and Melina Kotselou join the family this time around.
Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson and Gary Goetzman — who’ve produced all three movies — also return, with Paul Brooks, Scott Niemeyer and Steven Shareshian serving as executive producers.
“The sweet friendship which bloomed from the producers’ first taking a chance on me then grew into a beautiful relationship as they entrusted me to direct this installment of our franchise,” Vardalos stated. “We filmed our family reunion entirely in Greece which was thrilling for us all. Plus,...
- 2/17/2023
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Michael Constantine, who played Gus, the father of Nia Vardalos’ Toula Portokalos in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” by far the highest-grossing romantic comedy of all time, died on Aug. 31. He was 94.
Constantine’s agent confirmed the news of his death to Variety. He died of natural causes.
“My Big Fat Greek Wedding” scored a domestic gross of $241 million in 2002; No. 2 on the list is “What Women Want” with $183 million. The film drew a SAG Awards nomination for outstanding performance by the cast of a theatrical motion picture.
As Roger Ebert recounted, Constantine’s Gus “specializes in finding the Greek root for any word (even ‘kimono’), and delivers a toast in which he explains that ‘Miller’ goes back to the Greek word for apple, and ‘Portokalos’ is based on the Greek word for oranges, and so, he concludes triumphantly, ‘In the end, we’re all fruits.’ ”
Variety said: “Constantine fares...
Constantine’s agent confirmed the news of his death to Variety. He died of natural causes.
“My Big Fat Greek Wedding” scored a domestic gross of $241 million in 2002; No. 2 on the list is “What Women Want” with $183 million. The film drew a SAG Awards nomination for outstanding performance by the cast of a theatrical motion picture.
As Roger Ebert recounted, Constantine’s Gus “specializes in finding the Greek root for any word (even ‘kimono’), and delivers a toast in which he explains that ‘Miller’ goes back to the Greek word for apple, and ‘Portokalos’ is based on the Greek word for oranges, and so, he concludes triumphantly, ‘In the end, we’re all fruits.’ ”
Variety said: “Constantine fares...
- 9/9/2021
- by Carmel Dagan
- Variety Film + TV
Andrea Martin (Great News), Robert Ri’chard (Empire), Juani Feliz (Blue Bloods), Kate Rockwell (Mean Girls: The Musical) and Sullivan Jones (The Surrogate) are set for recurring roles on Amazon’s Harlem, the comedy series from Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip), Amy Poehler’s Paper Kite Productions and Universal TV. They’ll join previously announced Whoopi Goldberg and Jasmine Guy, who also recur.
Created, written and executive produced by Oliver, Harlem, formerly the Untitled Tracy Oliver Project, is a single-camera comedy following the lives of four black women, friends from their college days at NYU, as they navigate sex, relationships and chasing their dreams.
Martin will play Robin, Camille’s passionate feminist mentor at Columbia University. Ri’chard portrays Shawn, Quinn’s sexy, stripper one-night stand who sticks around much longer than she planned. Feliz is Isabela, a local politician on track to beating AOCs record as the youngest member of Congress...
Created, written and executive produced by Oliver, Harlem, formerly the Untitled Tracy Oliver Project, is a single-camera comedy following the lives of four black women, friends from their college days at NYU, as they navigate sex, relationships and chasing their dreams.
Martin will play Robin, Camille’s passionate feminist mentor at Columbia University. Ri’chard portrays Shawn, Quinn’s sexy, stripper one-night stand who sticks around much longer than she planned. Feliz is Isabela, a local politician on track to beating AOCs record as the youngest member of Congress...
- 3/4/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
David Richardson, the veteran writer and showrunner of such television comedies as “The Simpsons,” “Two and a Half Men” and “Malcolm in the Middle,” died Monday from heart failure. He was 65.
Richardson, who was a cancer survivor for almost 30 years, began his three-decade career as a comedy writer on Michael Leeson/Carsey-Werner’s NBC series “Grand” starring Bonnie Hunt, as well as the family-friendly “Zoobilee Zoo” with Ben Vereen and “The Pat Sajak Show”.
He went on to be one of the most successful writer-producers in television, wearing both hats on shows like “Empty Nest,” “The Simpsons,” “The John Larroquette Show,” “Malcolm in the Middle,” “Two and a Half Men” and, most recently, the adult animated series “F Is for Family,” which just wrapped its fifth and final season on Netflix.
He also served as co-executive producer on “Phenom” (starring Judith Light), “Soul Man” (starring Dan Aykroyd), “What About Joan...
Richardson, who was a cancer survivor for almost 30 years, began his three-decade career as a comedy writer on Michael Leeson/Carsey-Werner’s NBC series “Grand” starring Bonnie Hunt, as well as the family-friendly “Zoobilee Zoo” with Ben Vereen and “The Pat Sajak Show”.
He went on to be one of the most successful writer-producers in television, wearing both hats on shows like “Empty Nest,” “The Simpsons,” “The John Larroquette Show,” “Malcolm in the Middle,” “Two and a Half Men” and, most recently, the adult animated series “F Is for Family,” which just wrapped its fifth and final season on Netflix.
He also served as co-executive producer on “Phenom” (starring Judith Light), “Soul Man” (starring Dan Aykroyd), “What About Joan...
- 1/19/2021
- by Rosemary Rossi
- The Wrap
"My Big Fat Greek Wedding" star Nia Vardalos has filed for divorce from her husband, Ian Gomez.
Vardalos filed divorce docs in an L.A. County court Tuesday ... the couple has one daughter together and got married back in 1993. She lists the date of separation as June 29, 2017 and requests both joint legal and physical custody.
Vardalos wrote and starred in 'MBFGW,' playing Toula Portokalos in the 2002 film along with John Corbett who played the groom.
Vardalos filed divorce docs in an L.A. County court Tuesday ... the couple has one daughter together and got married back in 1993. She lists the date of separation as June 29, 2017 and requests both joint legal and physical custody.
Vardalos wrote and starred in 'MBFGW,' playing Toula Portokalos in the 2002 film along with John Corbett who played the groom.
- 7/3/2018
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
The Catch has caught itself a movie star. My Big Fat Greek Wedding creator/star Nia Vardalos is joining the ABC Shondaland drama in a recurring capacity, TVLine has confirmed.
Our sister site Deadline first reported that Vardalos will play a counterfeiter named Leah Wells who is neurotic but also not to be messed with.
RelatedThe Catch Review: Total Lack of Surprise in New Shondaland Drama Is the Biggest Surprise of All
Vardalos, who is currently promoting the recently released sequel to her 2002 romantic comedy, played a liver-transplant recipient in a 2012 episode of Grey’s Anatomy. Her other notable TV work includes Marry Me,...
Our sister site Deadline first reported that Vardalos will play a counterfeiter named Leah Wells who is neurotic but also not to be messed with.
RelatedThe Catch Review: Total Lack of Surprise in New Shondaland Drama Is the Biggest Surprise of All
Vardalos, who is currently promoting the recently released sequel to her 2002 romantic comedy, played a liver-transplant recipient in a 2012 episode of Grey’s Anatomy. Her other notable TV work includes Marry Me,...
- 3/31/2016
- TVLine.com
We've come to the final weekend in March and 2016 has already seen a superhero film top $300 million at the domestic box office, and, with the summer movie season still over a month away, another looks to bring in more than half that figure in its first three days. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has set its sight on the March opening weekend record and then some as Warner Bros. delivers the superhero showdown into 4,242 theaters this weekend. Also, as a bit of counter-programming, Universal is releasing My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 into 3,130 theaters and while it won't come close to Batman v Superman, it's looking to make its own impression on the weekend box office. Upon its release in 2012, The Hunger Games previously held the record for the widest March opening of all time (4,137 theaters) as it brought in $152.5 million, which is currently the largest March opening weekend of all-time.
- 3/24/2016
- by Brad Brevet <mail@boxofficemojo.com>
- Box Office Mojo
“My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” isn’t going to be enjoying any honeymoon with the critics. Reviews for the long-gestating sequel are overwhelmingly negative. The film currently holds a “Rotten” rating of 21 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The follow-up to Nia Vardalos‘ surprise 2002 comedy blockbuster is being ripped for coming so late to the game, as well as rehashing old gags. Several reviewers also drew parallels to the failed “My Big Fat Greek Life” sitcom from 2003. Also Read: 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2' Review: Nia Vardalos Serves Up Second Helping of Sweetness Moira MacDonald of the Seattle Times: “None of this has.
- 3/24/2016
- by Joe Otterson
- The Wrap
Released in 2002, My Big Fat Greek Wedding to this day still holds the record for being the highest grossing romantic comedy of all time, and while the story of Toula (Nia Vardolas) and Ian (John Corbett) continued on in the short lived t.v. show My Big Fat Greek Life (with the story slightly retooled, and minus Corbett), the big screen sequel everyone wanted never came. Until now. With much of the original cast returning, the film picks up with the Toula and Ian struggling to find time for themselves while trying to raise a teenage daughter. Toula’s family is still very much in the picture, and when a long lost secret is revealed, they all come together for another massive wedding. The first trailer is business as usual, with the humour very much in keeping withe original. But the first movie had quite a bit of charm to it,...
- 11/11/2015
- by noreply@blogger.com (Tom White)
- www.themoviebit.com
Paramount
Despite the fact that right now is considered to be “the golden age of television,” in which original shows such as The Sopranos, The Wire, Breaking Bad and Mad Men have thrived and cemented themselves as some of the best works of fiction ever, networks are still looking to Hollywood for inspiration. Surely it should be the other way around?
Either out of fear of green-lighting an original show or because they believe that an established movie adapted to TV is more likely to bring in the ratings, networks are still knocking on Hollywood’s door and saying: “Hey, do you mind if we use that?”
Sometimes it works, of course, and you end up with something as brilliantly original as Fargo – a show that takes its cues from a well-established film but isn’t afraid to do its own thing in the process. Or it can go the...
Despite the fact that right now is considered to be “the golden age of television,” in which original shows such as The Sopranos, The Wire, Breaking Bad and Mad Men have thrived and cemented themselves as some of the best works of fiction ever, networks are still looking to Hollywood for inspiration. Surely it should be the other way around?
Either out of fear of green-lighting an original show or because they believe that an established movie adapted to TV is more likely to bring in the ratings, networks are still knocking on Hollywood’s door and saying: “Hey, do you mind if we use that?”
Sometimes it works, of course, and you end up with something as brilliantly original as Fargo – a show that takes its cues from a well-established film but isn’t afraid to do its own thing in the process. Or it can go the...
- 7/20/2015
- by Sam Hill
- Obsessed with Film
Buena Vista Pictures
One noticeable consequence of this current golden age of television is that you’re no longer seeing the success of a show measured by how likely it is to get an awkwardly cobbled together payday at the cinema. Instead the best shows are staying on your screens at home, and it’s movies that are looking to make the leap across the artistic divide.
While the very mention of the film-to-tv spin off invokes horrible flashbacks to My Big Fat Greek Life and The Young Indiana Jones, the adaptation of the Coen Brothers dark comedy Fargo proved two important things. Firstly that any movie can make the transition into the world of television so long as there’s a strong enough idea at its heart and the writing’s good enough, and, secondly, that you should never run across an icy lake in heavy boots.
But what next?...
One noticeable consequence of this current golden age of television is that you’re no longer seeing the success of a show measured by how likely it is to get an awkwardly cobbled together payday at the cinema. Instead the best shows are staying on your screens at home, and it’s movies that are looking to make the leap across the artistic divide.
While the very mention of the film-to-tv spin off invokes horrible flashbacks to My Big Fat Greek Life and The Young Indiana Jones, the adaptation of the Coen Brothers dark comedy Fargo proved two important things. Firstly that any movie can make the transition into the world of television so long as there’s a strong enough idea at its heart and the writing’s good enough, and, secondly, that you should never run across an icy lake in heavy boots.
But what next?...
- 1/14/2015
- by Adam Clery
- Obsessed with Film
It was the sleeper hit of 2002, and now “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” is getting the sequel treatment more than a dozen years later.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Universal Studios has signed on as distributor of the project and Nia Vardalos will reprise her role as Toula Portokalos.
Additionally, John Corbett will also be returning to the movie as Toula’s husband Ian, despite the fact that he declined to participate in the CBS sitcom “My Big Fat Greek Life.”
The forthcoming sequel is said to follow Toula as she gathers with her family for the revelation of a family secret and a “bigger, fatter wedding.”...
According to Entertainment Weekly, Universal Studios has signed on as distributor of the project and Nia Vardalos will reprise her role as Toula Portokalos.
Additionally, John Corbett will also be returning to the movie as Toula’s husband Ian, despite the fact that he declined to participate in the CBS sitcom “My Big Fat Greek Life.”
The forthcoming sequel is said to follow Toula as she gathers with her family for the revelation of a family secret and a “bigger, fatter wedding.”...
- 11/12/2014
- GossipCenter
Break out the bundt cake! My Big Fat Greek Wedding is getting a sequel. Twelve years ago, Nia Vardalos won the hearts (and wallets) of America as Toula Portokalos - and now she's set to do it all over again in a follow-up to her hit 2002 romantic comedy. Vardalos announced that she was working on the sequel in May, and now Entertainment Weekly reports that Universal has officially signed on to distribute the film. The sequel will reportedly follow Toula as the revelation of a family secret and a "bigger, fatter wedding" gathers the Portokalos family together again. While John Corbett...
- 11/12/2014
- by Patrick Gomez, @PatrickGomezLA
- PEOPLE.com
In 2002, the indie hit of the year, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, blew up at the box office. Considered one of the biggest independent successes of all time, it pulled in a gargantuan $368 million worldwide off a tiny $5 million budget. To capitalize on its established fanbase, a spinoff TV series, My Big Fat Greek Life, was rolled out, but flailed in its small screen incantation. Now, some twelve years later the comedy about an inevitably hilarious culture clash is finally getting a big screen sequel in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2.
Initial reports earlier this year hinted that a follow-up was on the cards, and The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that development has begun. Universal has nabbed the distribution rights to the pic, and Nanny McPhee director Kirk Jones is signed on to helm the comedy. Thus far, the English filmmaker’s resume consists of romcoms, including Waking Ned,...
Initial reports earlier this year hinted that a follow-up was on the cards, and The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that development has begun. Universal has nabbed the distribution rights to the pic, and Nanny McPhee director Kirk Jones is signed on to helm the comedy. Thus far, the English filmmaker’s resume consists of romcoms, including Waking Ned,...
- 11/11/2014
- by Gem Seddon
- We Got This Covered
When Nia Vardalos' romantic comedy "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" hit theaters in 2002 it became a word-of-mouth, sleeper hit (to the tune of over $350 worldwide). Much of the film's success came from the fact that the Portokalos family was so relatable, with the demanding parents, and their quirky, ethnic traditions. Recently, Vardalos announced on Twitter that a sequel was in the works. (1 of 2) I'm working on the MBFGWedding sequel; now that I'm experiencing motherhood I feel ready to write this next chapter.— Nia Vardalos (@NiaVardalos) May 27, 2014 (2 of 2) A few jaded press corps will claim I ran out of money or just want to kiss John Corbett again. One of these things is true.— Nia Vardalos (@NiaVardalos) May 27, 2014 We at Indiewire couldn't be more ecstatic, but we're also a little nervous. Vardalos' follow-ups like "My Life in Ruins" and the TV spinoff "My Big Fat Greek Life" had their hearts in the right place,...
- 5/30/2014
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
When Nia Vardalos' romantic comedy "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" hit theaters in 2002 it became a word-of-mouth, sleeper hit (to the tune of over $350 worldwide). Much of the film's success came from the fact that the Portokalos family was so relatable, with the demanding parents, and their quirky, ethnic traditions. Recently, Vardalos announced on Twitter that a sequel was in the works. (1 of 2) I'm working on the MBFGWedding sequel; now that I'm experiencing motherhood I feel ready to write this next chapter.— Nia Vardalos (@NiaVardalos) May 27, 2014 (2 of 2) A few jaded press corps will claim I ran out of money or just want to kiss John Corbett again. One of these things is true.— Nia Vardalos (@NiaVardalos) May 27, 2014 We at Indiewire couldn't be more ecstatic, but we're also a little nervous. Vardalos' follow-ups like "My Life in Ruins" and the TV spinoff "My Big Fat Greek Life" had their hearts in the right place,...
- 5/30/2014
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
Get ready for more Windex jokes. Nia Vardalos is making a sequel to "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" more than 12 years removed from the first film's blockbuster run in 2002, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Vardalos has already written the script and will reprise her role as Toula Portokalos, a Greek-American woman who in the first film met and married a non-Greek man (John Corbett) while trying to get her large overbearing family to accept him into the fold. Corbett is also set to return in the follow-up, which "involves the reveal of a family secret and a new wedding, described as bigger and fatter, that brings the Greek clan together again." “Now that I'm experiencing motherhood, I'm ready to write the next chapter of my family story,” said Vardalos in a statement. “Of course a few jaded folks in the press corps will claim I ran out of money or...
- 5/28/2014
- by Chris Eggertsen
- Hitfix
There's a sequel to My Big Fat Greek Wedding in the works, star and writer Nia Vardalos announced on Twitter. John Corbett and the rest of the cast are onboard to return, though there's no word yet on who will direct. "The plot of the new script involves the reveal of a family secret and a new wedding, described as bigger and fatter, that brings the Greek clan together again," according to THR. Those of us with long memories for suffering might recall the 2003 TV show My Big Fat Greek Life, which aired seven episodes on CBS, but why dwell in the past? Another My Big Fat Greek Wedding, you guys! Opa.
- 5/28/2014
- by Margaret Lyons
- Vulture
It has been more than a decade since the release of Nia Vardalos’s comedy My Big Fat Greek Wedding, a film that earned her an Oscar nomination for best screenplay, and resulted in an ill-fated television show and some equally ill-fated copycat films. It seems that the actress is now planning a comeback, of sorts, in the form of a sequel to her successful film.
Vardalos will reprise her role as first-generation Greek woman Toula, who fell in love with decidedly non-Greek Ian (John Corbett, also returning). The sequel will feature the reveal of a family secret and yet another big fat wedding to bring the Greek clan together again. Presumably, this will take place ten years after the event of the original film. Vardalos penned the script for the sequel, and also plans to executive produce alongside original producers Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, and Gary Goetzman. Given the...
Vardalos will reprise her role as first-generation Greek woman Toula, who fell in love with decidedly non-Greek Ian (John Corbett, also returning). The sequel will feature the reveal of a family secret and yet another big fat wedding to bring the Greek clan together again. Presumably, this will take place ten years after the event of the original film. Vardalos penned the script for the sequel, and also plans to executive produce alongside original producers Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, and Gary Goetzman. Given the...
- 5/28/2014
- by Lauren Humphries-Brooks
- We Got This Covered
Movies based on comic books, books based on movies, albums based on TV shows, TV shows based on movies based on TV shows… the possibilities only get more confusing from there. The world thrives on media that takes them out of their head for a few hours or a couple seasons, but with TV quickly overtaking film as the core entertainment market, a symbiosis between the two is increasingly necessary.
Trying to transfer a two-hour film into a multi-season moneymaking machine definitely has its list of perks, most importantly, an already fully-realized brand. The key to success here is to choose a film with a very strong story or character that can be taken in almost any direction.
We’ve seen a lot of great examples of this over the years: Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Friday Night Lights, Teen Wolf, Nikita, and Clueless. But we’ve also come across some...
Trying to transfer a two-hour film into a multi-season moneymaking machine definitely has its list of perks, most importantly, an already fully-realized brand. The key to success here is to choose a film with a very strong story or character that can be taken in almost any direction.
We’ve seen a lot of great examples of this over the years: Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Friday Night Lights, Teen Wolf, Nikita, and Clueless. But we’ve also come across some...
- 5/20/2013
- by Jake Morris
- Obsessed with Film
By Rachel Bennett
Television Editor & Columnist
***
We here at ScottFeinberg.com recently discussed the phenomena of TV shows becoming movies as well as TV series spinning off into other series, but we have yet to approach TV shows that spawned from movies — until now.
MTV’s new series Catfish: The TV Show, based on the 2010 documentary Catfish, follows people who form romantic relationships solely through online communication as they meet their significant others for the first time.
The most recent ratings for Catfish: The TV Show prove it’s clicking with audiences beyond the big screen: Among Monday night cable programs, the series came in third place, following Espn’s Monday Night Football and SportsCenter. Specifically, 2.743 million viewers tuned in to last week’s episode, resulting in a 1.7 rating in the coveted adults 18-49 demographic.
Catfish: The TV Show is only a part of a recent string of shows adapted...
Television Editor & Columnist
***
We here at ScottFeinberg.com recently discussed the phenomena of TV shows becoming movies as well as TV series spinning off into other series, but we have yet to approach TV shows that spawned from movies — until now.
MTV’s new series Catfish: The TV Show, based on the 2010 documentary Catfish, follows people who form romantic relationships solely through online communication as they meet their significant others for the first time.
The most recent ratings for Catfish: The TV Show prove it’s clicking with audiences beyond the big screen: Among Monday night cable programs, the series came in third place, following Espn’s Monday Night Football and SportsCenter. Specifically, 2.743 million viewers tuned in to last week’s episode, resulting in a 1.7 rating in the coveted adults 18-49 demographic.
Catfish: The TV Show is only a part of a recent string of shows adapted...
- 11/26/2012
- by Rachel Bennett
- Scott Feinberg
Chicago – It is with mixed emotions that one regards the tenth anniversary edition of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” On one hand, it evokes memories of the crowded theaters that guffawed in delight during the film’s year-long theatrical run. On the other hand, it serves as a bitter reminder of the failed career it had promised to launch.
It was through serendipitous circumstances that Nia Vardalos’s affectionate stage show about her quirky Greek family was transformed into one of the most financially successful indies of all time. On the film’s 2002 audio commentary (included on this disc), Vardalos said that it was the most difficult for her to play the sad scenes because she was so blissfully happy offscreen. Her giddy excitement proved to be infectious in the film, but in all of her subsequent screen efforts, the actress seemed to mistake a chipper demeanor for a performance.
It was through serendipitous circumstances that Nia Vardalos’s affectionate stage show about her quirky Greek family was transformed into one of the most financially successful indies of all time. On the film’s 2002 audio commentary (included on this disc), Vardalos said that it was the most difficult for her to play the sad scenes because she was so blissfully happy offscreen. Her giddy excitement proved to be infectious in the film, but in all of her subsequent screen efforts, the actress seemed to mistake a chipper demeanor for a performance.
- 11/15/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Blu-ray/DVD Release Date: Nov. 13, 2012
Price: Blu-ray/DVD Combo $19.98
Studio: HBO/Warner
For its 10th birthday, 2002 romantic comedy My Big Fat Greek Wedding has its high-definition debut in a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, even with some new special features.
The PG film, which surprised Hollywood by stealing the hearts of viewers, was written by and stars Nia Vardalos (My Life in Ruins), shooting the relatively unknown, at the time, actress into stardom. Made on a reported $5 million production budget in 27 days, My Big Fat Greek Wedding grossed a whopping $241.4 million in the U.S. alone.
Vardalos plays Toula Portokalos, a Greek woman who disappears around her larger than life family. When she starts to break out with her own independence, she meets and falls in love with non-Greek Ian Miller (John Corbett, TV’s Parenthood). As their inevitable wedding day approaches (no spoiler — it is in the title), their families...
Price: Blu-ray/DVD Combo $19.98
Studio: HBO/Warner
For its 10th birthday, 2002 romantic comedy My Big Fat Greek Wedding has its high-definition debut in a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, even with some new special features.
The PG film, which surprised Hollywood by stealing the hearts of viewers, was written by and stars Nia Vardalos (My Life in Ruins), shooting the relatively unknown, at the time, actress into stardom. Made on a reported $5 million production budget in 27 days, My Big Fat Greek Wedding grossed a whopping $241.4 million in the U.S. alone.
Vardalos plays Toula Portokalos, a Greek woman who disappears around her larger than life family. When she starts to break out with her own independence, she meets and falls in love with non-Greek Ian Miller (John Corbett, TV’s Parenthood). As their inevitable wedding day approaches (no spoiler — it is in the title), their families...
- 8/9/2012
- by Sam
- Disc Dish
Source Code To Be Turned Into TV Show
This year seems to be loaded with movies looking to jump from the big screen to the small screen. The Lincoln Lawyer, Anger Management and The Transporter have all been signed to be turned into television series. This method can sometimes be successful (M*A*S*H) or a failure (Ferris Bueller, My Big Fat Greek Life). Now another film is looking to get a small screen take.
Thanks for reading We Got This Covered...
This year seems to be loaded with movies looking to jump from the big screen to the small screen. The Lincoln Lawyer, Anger Management and The Transporter have all been signed to be turned into television series. This method can sometimes be successful (M*A*S*H) or a failure (Ferris Bueller, My Big Fat Greek Life). Now another film is looking to get a small screen take.
Thanks for reading We Got This Covered...
- 9/16/2011
- by David Wangberg
- We Got This Covered
The 2010-11 season is still pretty young, but it's safe to say that it's not going down in TV history as the start of a new golden age.
So far no new series has established itself as a breakout hit or etched itself on the pop-culture landscape. Yes, there have been some popular successes ("Hawaii Five-0," "Mike & Molly") and a few critical darlings ("Boardwalk Empire," "Terriers"), but nothing so far has broken into the Holy-cow-did-you-see-that-last-night club.
The relative lack of buzz around this fall's crop of new shows got us thinking: Which season in the past decade or so has produced the best new TV? There have been two pretty amazing brilliant years, a handful of so-so seasons and a couple of real stinkers. Zap2it ranks the best seasons for new shows since 2000-01 in ascending order:
The strike year: 2007-08
The 2007-08 season started promisingly with a crop...
So far no new series has established itself as a breakout hit or etched itself on the pop-culture landscape. Yes, there have been some popular successes ("Hawaii Five-0," "Mike & Molly") and a few critical darlings ("Boardwalk Empire," "Terriers"), but nothing so far has broken into the Holy-cow-did-you-see-that-last-night club.
The relative lack of buzz around this fall's crop of new shows got us thinking: Which season in the past decade or so has produced the best new TV? There have been two pretty amazing brilliant years, a handful of so-so seasons and a couple of real stinkers. Zap2it ranks the best seasons for new shows since 2000-01 in ascending order:
The strike year: 2007-08
The 2007-08 season started promisingly with a crop...
- 10/19/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Continuing its love affair with milking projects for every penny it can, Hollywood isn't done with The Time Traveler's Wife. The Wrap has reported that Audrey Niffenegger's novel will now head for the small screen, with ABC grabbing Friends creator Marta Kauffman and Warner Bros. to develop it into a weekly series. The idea is that a weekly show will allow the relationship between Henry and Clare to be fleshed out, while also throwing in some "self-contained storylines."
Now this isn't exactly a spur of the moment decision. Industry Insiders claim that a television adaptation has been talked about for a while, and surely those talks became a reality once Time Traveler's numbers started pouring in. But is it a good one?
If this was a cable series dedicated to the intricacies of the book, both youth and adulthood, setting out the complicated path and digging into both the...
Now this isn't exactly a spur of the moment decision. Industry Insiders claim that a television adaptation has been talked about for a while, and surely those talks became a reality once Time Traveler's numbers started pouring in. But is it a good one?
If this was a cable series dedicated to the intricacies of the book, both youth and adulthood, setting out the complicated path and digging into both the...
- 8/20/2009
- by Monika Bartyzel
- Cinematical
This week marks the premiere of the first of three film-to-television adaptations that will hit our TV's this year. ABC Family will kick things off on Tuesday with their spin of 10 Things I Hate About You, and in the fall, two will follow -- NBC's Parenthood and ABC's Eastwick (based, of course, on The Witches of Eastwick). In honor of this trio of shows, the La Times has outlined not only the details of the new programs, but also the hits and misses that already litter television history.
The piece notes a few from recent memory, like The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Buffy, and The Dead Zone, but also notes some doozies that you might not remember. Did you ever catch Ferris Bueller co-starring Jennifer Aniston? Dangerous Minds? Baby Talk (an abysmal remake of Look Who's Talking)? One glaring omission -- especially in the wake of Nia Vardalos' return to...
The piece notes a few from recent memory, like The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Buffy, and The Dead Zone, but also notes some doozies that you might not remember. Did you ever catch Ferris Bueller co-starring Jennifer Aniston? Dangerous Minds? Baby Talk (an abysmal remake of Look Who's Talking)? One glaring omission -- especially in the wake of Nia Vardalos' return to...
- 7/6/2009
- by Monika Bartyzel
- Cinematical
What we have here is a big fat crying shame. I like Nia Vardalos. I like how her My Big Fat Greek Wedding became a surprise hit a few years back by refusing to give in to certain stereotypes that Hollywood bandies about, such as that women who are larger than a size two don’t exist, and certainly wouldn’t be worthy of or interested in love and romance and sex and having a fun and exciting life even if they did exist. So it pains me to say that this, My Life in Ruins -- which is all, “Ohmigiod, that girl from My Big Fat Greek Wedding gets to go to Greece at last *sigh*!” -- is a steaming pile of stereotypes and sitcomery, a pathetic excuse for a comedy, a romance, and a movie. If you chanced to be acurst enough to have caught even a single...
- 6/5/2009
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
The resounding failure of My Big Fat Greek Life, the short-lived spin-off of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and Connie And Carla proved that the public’s unlikely love affair with funnywoman Nia Vardalos was more of a drunken, embarrassing, instantly regrettable one-night stand. But for a glorious moment, My Big Fat Greek Wedding made Vardalos a pop-culture Cinderella, a left-field box-office sensation, and the recipient of vast mountains of press, not to mention an Oscar nomination. Nonetheless, before long, Vardalos’ gown turned back into a heap of rags. So she, director Donald Petrie, and screenwriter Mike Reiss (who co-created ...
- 6/4/2009
- avclub.com
It's been a while since we've seen Nia Vardalos, though for a period back around 2002, her face was unavoidable. After the writer and actress broke out big with My Big Fat Greek Wedding, she parlayed the success into a TV show-- My Big Fat Greek Life-- and a second movie, Connie and Carla, neither of which went anywhere. So after spending five years living a "quiet life" after a writer, Vardalos decided to return to the screen with My Life in Ruins, a movie that she didn't write herself, but seems tailor made for her personality. Vardalos stars as an American woman living in her homeland of Greece, having abandoned a career as an academic for a frustrating life as a tour guide to endless groups of obnoxious and apathetic visitors. Her life starts to turn around, though, with one special tour group, and a bus driver who, under...
- 6/3/2009
- cinemablend.com
Here’s a little trip down memory lane for your Wednesday morning. Remember Parenthood, the Ron Howard family comedy from 1989? Sure you do. There’s Rick Moranis singing The Carpenters’ “Close to You” to his estranged wife/ school teacher in front of her class of children. Steve Martin making balloon animals as party entertainment Cowboy Gil and the unforgettable classic song “Diarrhoea” (“When you’re sliding into home and your pants are full of foam, Diarrhoea”). Ahh – good times. Well, it seems like the good times could be back again as American TV network, NBC has announced that a Parenthood spin-off TV movie will feature as part of their autumn line-up of shows.
This new version will last an hour and will reprise the antics of the Boardmans as they try to cope with the pressures of family life. Billed to star are familiar small screen faces such as Peter Krause (Six Feet Under,...
This new version will last an hour and will reprise the antics of the Boardmans as they try to cope with the pressures of family life. Billed to star are familiar small screen faces such as Peter Krause (Six Feet Under,...
- 5/6/2009
- Boxwish.com
Nia Vardalos is back into the Greek theme again. The actress had a success with "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" produced by Tom Hanks' Playtone company back in 2002. This lead to the failing "My BIg Fat Greek Life" series which spawned out seven episodes. She followed that with the unnoticable "Connie and Carla" opposite the talented Toni Collette as well as David Duchovny. Now, she returns to what churned out success for her in the first place...culture comedy concerning Greeks. She stars with....Richard Dreyfus? I haven't seen his name so up in the limelight for a while. Also forming the main cast are Harland Williams, Rachel Dratch, María Botto, Alexis Georgoulis, Caroline Goodall, Sophie Stuckey and Brian Palermo. The plot: From Nia Vardalos, writer and star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, comes the hilarious comedy My Life In Ruins. Georgia (Nia Vardalos) has lost her kefi...
- 3/9/2009
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Nia Vardalos is back into the Greek theme again. The actress had a success with "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" produced by Tom Hanks' Playtone company back in 2002. This lead to the failing "My BIg Fat Greek Life" series which spawned out seven episodes. She followed that with the unnoticable "Connie and Carla" opposite the talented Toni Collette as well as David Duchovny. Now, she returns to what churned out success for her in the first place...culture comedy concerning Greeks. She stars with....Richard Dreyfus? I haven't seen his name so up in the limelight for a while. Also forming the main cast are Harland Williams, Rachel Dratch, María Botto, Alexis Georgoulis, Caroline Goodall, Sophie Stuckey and Brian Palermo... Georgia (Nia Vardalos) has lost her kefi (Greek for “mojo”). Discouraged by her lack of direction in life, she works as a travel guide, leading a rag-tag group of tourists.
- 3/9/2009
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Nia Vardalos is back into the Greek theme again. The actress had a success with "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" produced by Tom Hanks' Playtone company back in 2002. This lead to the failing "My BIg Fat Greek Life" series which spawned out seven episodes. She followed that with the unnoticable "Connie and Carla" opposite the talented Toni Collette as well as David Duchovny. Now, she returns to what churned out success for her in the first place...culture comedy concerning Greeks. She stars with....Richard Dreyfus? I haven't seen his name so up in the limelight for a while. Also forming the main cast are Harland Williams, Rachel Dratch, María Botto, Alexis Georgoulis, Caroline Goodall, Sophie Stuckey and Brian Palermo... Georgia (Nia Vardalos) has lost her kefi (Greek for “mojo”). Discouraged by her lack of direction in life, she works as a travel guide, leading a rag-tag group of tourists.
- 3/9/2009
- Upcoming-Movies.com
My Life in Ruins
Nia Vardalos, writer and star of the My Big Fat Greek Wedding and its mercifully short-lived TV version My Big Fat Greek Life stars as an American working as a tour guide in Greece. Apparently she finds romance with a creepy bus driver who likes to be called "Poopy," which is one of the reasons something stinks so badly about this one. The ruination begins on May 8.
Watchmen (Japanese trailer)
I'm almost at the point where I think I should stop watching the new Watchmen trailers (yes, I know, "Who watches the Watchmen?"), but I've read the graphic novel many times so the possiblity of spoilers is slim. There's some footage here we haven't seen before including shots of a cranky old Richard Nixon and a look at how the Kennedy assasination plays out in the Watchmen universe.
The Hurt Locker
Based on reporter Mark Boal's experiences in Iraq,...
Nia Vardalos, writer and star of the My Big Fat Greek Wedding and its mercifully short-lived TV version My Big Fat Greek Life stars as an American working as a tour guide in Greece. Apparently she finds romance with a creepy bus driver who likes to be called "Poopy," which is one of the reasons something stinks so badly about this one. The ruination begins on May 8.
Watchmen (Japanese trailer)
I'm almost at the point where I think I should stop watching the new Watchmen trailers (yes, I know, "Who watches the Watchmen?"), but I've read the graphic novel many times so the possiblity of spoilers is slim. There's some footage here we haven't seen before including shots of a cranky old Richard Nixon and a look at how the Kennedy assasination plays out in the Watchmen universe.
The Hurt Locker
Based on reporter Mark Boal's experiences in Iraq,...
- 1/10/2009
- by Matt Bradshaw
- Cinematical
- What would happen if How Stella Got Her Groove Back and My Big Fat Greek Wedding had a celluloid child together? We're about to find out. Fox Searchlight is looking to replicate Greek-mania with My Life in Ruins, which they will distribute in North America, Australia, and New Zealand.This romantic comedy, starring Nia Vardalos, Richard Dreyfuss, Harland Williams, and Rachel Dratch, follows a travel guide in Greece attempting to regain her sexual attraction. The flick will be directed by romantic comedy veteran helmer Donald Petrie, who is responsible for films like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Just My Luck. Appropriately, Vardalos has appeared in both the big-screen 'Greek Wedding' and the television version, 'My Big Fat Greek Life'. One thing may help the film: Tom Hanks and wife Rita Wilson are executive producers, along with Gary Goetzman and Peter Safran. Michelle Chydzik Sowa
- 7/22/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
Marsh McCall has been tapped to serve as executive producer/showrunner on ABC's upcoming comedy series Carpoolers, from ABC TV Studio.
McCall's assignment on Carpoolers stems from his overall deal with ABC TV Studio, which produces the show with DreamWorks TV and 3 Arts Entertainment.
Carpoolers follows the lives of four men (Fred Goss, Jerry Minor, Jerry O'Connell, Tim Peper) who carpool to work together each day.
On the series, McCall will serve as an executive producer alongside creator Bruce McCulloch, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank and David Miner.
McCall most recently created and executive produced the short-lived NBC comedy series Twenty Good Years, from Warner Bros. TV and Werner-Gold-Miller.
His series credits also include Just Shoot Me, My Big Fat Greek Life and Modern Men.
He is repped by CAA.
McCall's assignment on Carpoolers stems from his overall deal with ABC TV Studio, which produces the show with DreamWorks TV and 3 Arts Entertainment.
Carpoolers follows the lives of four men (Fred Goss, Jerry Minor, Jerry O'Connell, Tim Peper) who carpool to work together each day.
On the series, McCall will serve as an executive producer alongside creator Bruce McCulloch, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank and David Miner.
McCall most recently created and executive produced the short-lived NBC comedy series Twenty Good Years, from Warner Bros. TV and Werner-Gold-Miller.
His series credits also include Just Shoot Me, My Big Fat Greek Life and Modern Men.
He is repped by CAA.
- 5/22/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Chris Klein and Brendan Fehr are teaming to star in the indie The Long Weekend for director Pat Holden. Shooting is scheduled to start in January in Vancouver. Gold Circle Films is financing the comedy, with company topper Paul Brooks producing alongside Brillstein-Grey's Peter Safran and Vin Di Bona Prods.' Vin Di Bona. Penned by Tad Safran -- brother of the film's producer Peter Safran -- the project centers on two brothers, Ed (Fehr) and Cooper (Klein). Uptight Ed has one weekend to save his career, but his babe-magnet brother has other plans for the weekend -- to get his stressed-out brother laid. Klein is repped by WMA, Brillstein-Grey and attorney Jason Sloane. Fehr is repped by WMA and management-production outfit Roar. Gold Circle, the company behind the highest-grossing indie film of all time, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, most recently produced the upcoming films Jiminy Glick in LaLaWood, starring Martin Short, and Something Borrowed starring Debra Messing and Dermot Mulroney. Tad Safran also penned With This Ring, set up at Senator International with Frank Coraci attached to direct.
- 10/23/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Talk about your ho-hum Sundays. Fox and NBC split the nightly primetime win as each of the Big Four networks served up underwhelming numbers even though all of them had fresh episodes of regular series. Fox's new 9:30 p.m. sitcom The Pitts had only a so-so premiere, drawing an average of 9 million viewers and a 3.8 rating/8 share in the adults 18-49 demographic, according to preliminary estimates from Nielsen Media Research. Pitts dipped from its 9 p.m. Malcolm in the Middle lead-in (11 million, 4.7/11) to third place behind the night's most-watched program, NBC's Law & Order: Criminal Intent (14.4 million, 4.9/11), and ABC's Alias (9.7 million, 4.6/10). The WB Network also came up short with its 9 p.m. drama series premiere, Black Sash, which posted a 3.3/5 in Nielsen's 55 overnight metered markets. Even The Simpsons (12.4 million, 5.3/13) had an off night, falling below its usual Nielsen heights. But it still drove Fox to the nightly win in the adults 18-49 demo (3.9/10), while NBC prevailed in total viewers (10.8 million) and placed second to Fox in the demo (3.5/9). CBS had a slow night all around with its regular lineup of 60 Minutes, My Big Fat Greek Life, Becker and the 9-11 p.m. telecast of the 2000 Jackie Chan-Owen Wilson theatrical Shanghai Noon averaging 10.3 million viewers and a 3.1/8 in adults 18-49 for the night.
Talk about your ho-hum Sundays. Fox and NBC split the nightly primetime win as each of the Big Four networks served up underwhelming numbers even as all of them had fresh episodes of regular series. Fox's new 9:30 p.m. sitcom The Pitts had only a so-so premiere, drawing an average of 9 million viewers and 3.8 rating/8 share in the adults 18-49 demographic, according to preliminary estimates from Nielsen Media Research. Pitts dipped from its 9 p.m. Malcolm in the Middle lead-in (11 million, 4.7/11) to third place behind the night's most-watched programs, NBC's Law & Order: Criminal Intent (14.4 million, 4.9/11), and ABC's Alias (9.7 million, 4.6/10). Even The Simpsons (12.4 million, 5.3/13) had an off night, falling below its usual Nielsen heights. But it still drove Fox to the nightly win in the adults 18-49 demo (3.9/10), while NBC prevailed in total viewers (10.8 million) and placed second to Fox in the demo (3.5/9). CBS had a slow night all around with its regular lineup of 60 Minutes, My Big Fat Greek Life and Becker, with the 9-11 p.m. telecast of the Jackie Chan theatrical Shanghai Noon averaging 10.3 million viewers and 3.1/8 in adults 18-49.
- 3/31/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It was a good night for Fox's Oliver Beene and NBC's Boomtown on Sunday. Fox and the peacock split the nightly win thanks in part to strong showings from the aforementioned series. Fox's new sitcom Beene (11 million, 5.1 rating/13 share in adults 18-49) held up well in its second 8:30 p.m. outing, retaining a good chunk of its Simpsons lead-in (13 million, 5.9/15), according to preliminary estimates from Nielsen Media Research. NBC, meanwhile, saw 10 p.m. drama Boomtown (10.7 million, 4.3/12) easily win the 10 p.m. hour and match its highest demo rating of the season, despite the fact that its 9 p.m. lead-in, Law & Order: Criminal Intent (12.7 million, 4.6/11) was in rerun. ABC had a slow night all around with a repeat telecast of the animated feature The Emperor's New Groove (8.9 million, 2.8/8), followed by Alias (9.6 million, 4.3/10) and Dragnet (8.7 million, 3.0/8). CBS saw another respectable performance at 8 p.m. by new sitcom My Big Fat Greek Life (12.4 million, 3.1/8) but it went downhill from 9-11 p.m. with the telefilm Mafia Doctor (6.4 million, 1.7/5). For the night, NBC led in total viewers (10.4 million) while Fox prevailed in 18-49 (4.5/12).
- 3/17/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Viewers embraced Greeks and gold diggers as networks bid adieu to a freaky February sweep. The wrap up of the reality smash Joe Millionaire pushed Fox to its record fifth straight week atop the key 18-49 demographic, while My Big Fat Greek Life gave CBS its most-watched sitcom debut in nearly seven years. Greek Life, a spinoff of last year's movie hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding, hosted 22.9 million viewers, with a 7.4 rating/16 share in 18-49, in its post-Everybody Loves Raymond Monday bow, according to figures from Nielsen Media Research for the week ending March 2. The sweep ended Feb. 26. Fox took the demo for the week (5.0/13), followed by NBC (4.3/12), CBS (4.1/11) and ABC (3.4/9). CBS -- whose Thursday repeat of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation was the week's most-watched show (22.9 million viewers) -- carried the week in total viewers (13.6 million), trailed by NBC (11.5 million), Fox (11 million) and ABC (8.7 million).
My Big Fat Greek Life, the small-screen spinoff of Nia Vardalos' big fat indie feature hit, got off to a terrific start Monday, but it was Fox's Joe Millionaire: The Aftermath special that drew the largest crowd of the night. Greek Life, which had a special showcase premiere in the post-Everybody Loves Raymond slot Monday before settling into its regular Sunday 8 p.m. slot this weekend, averaged 22.9 million viewers and a 7.4 rating/16 share in the adults 18-49 demographic, according to Nielsen Media Research. That marked the highest-rated debut of a comedy on any network since NBC's Jesse in 1998 and CBS' best comedy bow since 1995's Cosby and Pearl. Even against the hot Joe Millionaire, Greek Life, from Brad Grey TV/Sony Pictures TV, built on its lead-in from Raymond (22 million, 7.2/16), which posted its best numbers since its season premiere in September. CBS capped the night with a decisive win at 10 p.m. with CSI: Miami (19.1 million, 6.9/17), which helped CBS win the night in viewers (18.9 million) and place a strong second to Fox in adults 18-49 (6.4/15). The swan song of Joe Millionaire dominated the 9 p.m. hour with an average of 19.5 million viewers and 10.2/23 in adults 18-49, which sealed Fox's nightly win in adults 18-49 (7.2/17). NBC won the first hour of primetime with Fear Factor (15.6 million, 6.5/17) but fell off from 9-11 p.m. ABC was DOA for the night with "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!" and a rerun of last week's two-hour Bachelorette finale yielding an average of just 6.4 million viewers and 2.6/6 in 18-49 for the night.
- 2/26/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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