MTV redesigns logo, drops 'Music Television' (pic)

After 29 years, MTV has redesigned its logo and finally dropped "Music Television."

Basically it looks just like the old logo, only with some cropping. The design is getting flak from bloggers, but this is long overdue. Having "Music Television" on there was just a constant reminder that MTV was branding itself one way, programming itself another. Here's the logo...

Fox's second Ellen Degeneres 'Idol' promo

A bit more this time...

Super Bowl dethrones 'M*A*S*H,' sets all-time record!

UPDATED: Super Bowl XLIV is the most-watched TV program in U.S. history.

Sunday's big game set a new all-time ratings high, overthrowing the 27-year-old record held by the final episode of "M*A*S*H."

The New Orleans Saints vs. Indianapolis Colts showdown drew 106.5 million viewers, smashing Super Bowl records and edging out 1983's "M*A*S*H" finale, which garnered 105.97 million viewers.

Viewership was up 8% from 2009's Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals nail-biter, which was seen by a then-record 98.7 million viewers. 

“With all the memorable story lines going into Super Bowl XLIV combined with the awesome power of the NFL, we are thrilled with this rating, and I am extremely proud of the way the entire CBS Television Network produced, sold and promoted the most-watched television show in history,” said Sean McManus, president, CBS News and Sports.

Super Bowl XLIV is the first sports program to ever domestically crack 100 million viewers. Granted, the population has grown from when the "M*A*S*H" finale aired, with the TV audience having climbed from 218 million viewers to 292 million. Yet that audience is also much more specialized and segmented in terms of viewing habits. Most broadcast shows struggle to pull ratings that were commonplace just a few years ago.

Rob Yarin, senior vp of programming at Magid Associates, said football in general and the Super Bowl in particular are uniquely suited to resist the corrosive forces that plague other types of programming.

"Who wants to watch the Super Bowl on their laptop?" Yarin said. "It's a big screen live event. The primary purpose is the Super Bowl is to watch it on television and that's why you're seeing these huge ratings."

The game also capped a hugely successful season for the NFL, which has managed to rise in recent years even as most programs have become fractionalized and declined.

"It is not surprising that the Super Bowl broke viewing records," said Bill Carroll, vp director of programming at Katz TV Group. "When you have a once-a-year event, particularly suited to HD, with little to no competition on broadcast or cable, while in this economy it's mostly watched from home, with a blizzard on the East Coast, it would be more surprising if the game did not set a record."

The premiere of CBS' latest reality show "Undecover Boss" (THR review here) likewise scored for the network, drawing 38.6 million viewers -- the biggest post-Bowl entertainment audience since CBS aired the second season premiere of "Survivor" after the Bowl in 2001.

"The NFL is the perfect television property," McManus said. "The rest keeps getting fractionalized and the NFL keeps getting more appealing to viewers. It's hard to explain the phenomena. But based on the kind of numbers all the broadcast partners have achieved with football this year, nothing would surprise me next year."

VIDEO: The most talked-about Super Bowl commercials: "Simpsons" shill for Coca-Cola ... Tim Tebow's Focus on the Family ad ... Bud Light's "Lost" parody ... Jay Leno ruins David Letterman's Super Bowl party ... Google's first Super Bowl ad

Google's tear-jerker Super Bowl ad (video)

Google actually posted this ad, "Parisian Love," online back in November. For most of us we're seeing it for the first time during the Super Bowl. Think it goes one beat too far at the end (should have ended on the romantic high note), but see what you think...

Bud Light's 'Lost' parody ad (video)

After all, do you want to leave a tropical beach and get back to work?

Tebow ad makes no mention of abortion (video)

"That's it?" said pundits on Twitter. The controversial Focus on the Family ad didn't directly mention abortion. Pam Tebow merely says her son Tim "almost didn't make it into this world" and urges viewers to "celebrate life." Here's the ad...

Gorgeous 'Simpsons' Coca-Cola ad (video)

Shilling for Coca-Cola, yeah, but man ... this is beautiful ad... title is "Hard Times" ...but didn't "The Simpsons" used to be funny?

Surprise: Leno appears in Letterman's Super Bowl ad

The surprising "Late Show" Super Bowl ad from CBS is a "one-time-only spot" which ran during the second quarter of the big game. It features David Letterman (of course), Oprah Winfrey (huh!) and Jay Leno (!).

CBS says the spot was taped earlier last week at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City (and, yes, they were all on the same couch). 

Guess Letterman's "scene of the crime" jokes about Leno taking back "The Tonight Show" from Conan O'Brien couldn't have stung too badly.

The ad below:

Surprising 'buckle up' PSA (video)

On this mega Super Ad Bowl Sunday, here's a low-budget public service announcement from the UK created by the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership, of all things, that was launched last week and is generating Web buzz. Some viewers calling it the most beautiful PSA they've ever seen ... see what you think ...

'Smallville' hits season high; 'Nightmares' gains

The CW's two-hour "Smallville" movie "Absolute Justice" matched the show's season high Friday night in the adult demo while hitting a fresh peak among total viewers. "Smallville" was seen by 2.6 million viewers and earned a 1.2 preliminary rating among adults 18-49.

Meanwhile, the second week of Fox's "Kitchen Nightmares" grew. The Gordon Ramsay series went from a series low last Friday to a series high after "American Idol" on Tuesday. Now, with a "House" repeat lead-in improving on "Dollhouse" at 8 p.m., "Nightmares" was seen by 4.1 million viewers and landed a 1.8 rating, up 29% and in second place for the hour.

Henry Winkler joining USA's 'Royal Pains'

Hank and Evan's father on "Royal Pains" is not a mystery anymore.

Henry Winkler is joining the breakout USA Network hit in a major recurring role next season, playing Eddie R. Lawson, the absentee father to Hank (Mark Feuerstein) and Evan (Paulo Costanzo) Lawson.

In "Royal Pains' " first-season cliffhanger, Hank learned that their father had taken the majority of the funds of his and Evan's company HankMed. More info here...
 

'FlashForward' getting new showrunner

"FlashForward" is getting another new showrunner.

Co-creator David Goyer is stepping down from his role running the series, sources confirmed.

The "Dark Knight" scribe will still be "involved" with the show, but will focus on feature films and directing.

'Parks and Recreation' hits season high

It was a muddled Thursday night in the ratings as broadcast shows largely stayed close to their last original airings and kept surprises to a minimum.

ABC, CBS and Fox were all within a tenth of first place. ABC edged out its rivals, though no thanks to "The Deep End" (5.1 million viewers, 1.3 preliminary adults 18-49 rating), which made the most dramatic move of the evening, down 28% from last week to place fifth in the hour. "Grey's Anatomy" (12.5 million, 4.5) and "Private Practice" (9.3 million, 3.4) were both down slightly.

Kimmel's Tim Tebow Super Bowl response ad (video)

With Focus on the Family's anti-abortion Super Bowl ad drawing controversy, Jimmy Kimmel crafted this pro-choice response...