Daily Marauder

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Buoyed by the Presidential election and its aftermath, the Sunday morning news shows all posted increases during the November Sweep and according to Nielsen, NBC’s Meet the Press led overall and had its best November performance in four years with veteran Tom Brokaw at the helm. (Cynopsis 12/2)

Steve Buscemi may headline Boardwalk Empire, the Martin Scorsese directed drama pilot for HBO chronicling Atlantic City in the 1920s, reports THR. Buscemi’s character Nucky Johnson, is a smart businessman and a bootlegger on the side. Scottish actress, Kelly Macdonald is also discussing taking on a co-starring role in the project playing Margaret, an Irish immigrant who married the wrong man to escape her family home. Executive producers on the project include Scorsese, Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson and Terrence Winter who also wrote the script based on a book by Nelson Johnson. (Cynopsis 12/2)

Showtime’s penchant for off-beat, sometimes aberrant, main characters in shows such as “Dexter,” “Weeds” and “Californication” is adding up to big business for the pay-cable channel. According to this article, the network, a unit of CBS Corp., will report that its operating income has risen 20% this year, to $400 million. “It’s clearly the original programming,” said Leslie Moonves, chief executive officer of CBS. Los Angeles Times (12/2)

Sci Fi Channel has approved the production of “Caprica,” the prequel to the network’s highly successful “Battlestar Galactica.” “Caprica,” set for an early 2010 launch sequence, is set 50 years before the alien attack that doomed the world, but gave birth to a great TV show. Variety (12/1)

Time Warner is asking its shareholders to approve a reverse-stock split that could double or triple the share price. The company believes the move will improve liquidity following the spinoff next year of Time Warner Cable, which could cause Time Warner’s shares to fall. (Iwantmedia 12/2, http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/081201/time_warner_split.html 12/1)

Cablevision this week will begin offering NBC Universal-owned Bravo, CNBC, Sci Fi Channel and USA in high definition. The cable provider also will launch two other NBCU channels — Chiller and Sleuth — in standard definition. Multichannel News (12/1)