NEWSMAKERS

NEWSMAKERS

‘Sharknado’ cuts up week’s Nielsen ratings

NEW YORK

With “Sharknado” and a tight battle between NBC and CBS, the week’s Nielsen ratings illustrated how that traditional measurement is becoming less of a clear picture of how people are consuming television.

Last week’s debut of the campy “Sharknado 2: The Second One” sequel averaged 3.87 million viewers on the SyFy network, the Nielsen company said. That was good, although not great: Seven other programs on cable television alone had larger audiences last week.

But SyFy didn’t air the movie just once. “Sharknado 2: The Second One” was on four times last week, seen by a total of 9.5 million people. The movie also inspired some 581,000 tweets last week, more than any other program on television, Nielsen said.

For the week of July 28-Aug. 3, the top 10 shows, their networks and viewerships: “America’s Got Talent” (Wednesday, 9 p.m.), NBC, 10.79 million; “America’s Got Talent” (Tuesday), NBC, 10.64 million; NFL Exhibition Game: N.Y. Giants vs. Buffalo, NBC, 8.53 million; “NCIS,” CBS, 8.44 million; “The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose,” ABC, 8.16 million; “60 Minutes,” CBS, 8.05 million; “The Bachelorette,” ABC, 8 million; “NFL Pre-Game Show,” NBC, 7.56 million; “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS, 7.2 million; “Big Brother” (Sunday), CBS, 6.58 million.

Cast of ‘Big Bang Theory’ sign new deals

LOS ANGELES

The studio that produces “The Big Bang Theory” said it has reached contract deals with the sitcom’s cast.

With negotiations concluded, the comedy will begin production today for the 2014-15 season, Warner Bros. Television said Tuesday.

Work on the eighth season reportedly had been delayed as the cast of TV’s top-rated sitcom held out for raises. Agreements have been reached with stars Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco for lucrative three-year contracts that trade reports put at about $1 million per episode for each actor.

Warner Bros. declined to comment on specifics.

Deals are in place with the entire cast, which includes Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar, the studio said.

The CBS series about geeky scientist pals and the women who love them returns Sept. 22.

Man arrested at Woody Allen movie set

PROVIDENCE, R.I.

A man accused of throwing furniture on the set of a Woody Allen movie in Rhode Island’s capital has been arrested and charged with assault.

Providence police say the man tossed a chair and assaulted security guards Tuesday on the set, which is near Brown University.

Security guards tell WPRI-TV the man went to the set and began asking “weird questions” about the movie’s stars, who include Emma Stone, Joaquin Phoenix and Parker Posey.

Allen has been filming in Rhode Island since last month.

Police identify the man as Mark Spiridakos. They say he ran from the set and was tackled and then was taken to a hospital with a head injury.

Associated Press