“CHICAGO CODE” creator and executive producer Shawn Ryan, who was honored at the Hugo Awards last week, told guests that the show’s ratings for the next three weeks will be critical in determining the Fox show’s renewal for another season.
A good sign is improved ratings. Chicago Code Fan site reported Fox’ overnight ratings for the April 11 episode, a repeat, pulled in 5.98 million viewers with a 1.8 in the coveted 18-49 demos. This a sharp uptick from the March 28-April 3 report of 3.9 million total viewers.
When (we say optimistically, not if) “Chicago Code” is renewed, there are plans to fete Ryan and everyone connected to the show — vendors, locations, talent — at a giant “thank you” celebration.
“Politicians will be invited so they can see how important a show like this is to the trickle down effect of money into the community,” says Fletcher Camera’s Zoe Borys, who will be one of the appreciation event’s lead organizers.
HOOTENANNAY’S SPRING PARTY Thursday, April 21 promises to greet the new season with tasty morsels, abundant cocktails and DJ Only Children throughout the evening. And AICP’s recent party with more than 300 guests at Rockit Bar & Grill was so successful that the AICP will reprise it next year.
DIRECTOR ROBERT TOWNSEND returns home to a red carpet celebration for the 15th anniversary of ICE theatres at “An Evening With…” at the ICE Lawndale Theatre, 3330 W. Roosevelt. Ch. 5 news anchor Marion Brooks hosts the evening and BET’s president of sales and advertising Louis Carr will interview the Chicago native.
Tickets are $15 and will benefit the Robert Townsend Foundation. The Awards presentation to Townsend will be followed by a cocktail reception and an encore screening of Townsend’s “The Five Heartbeats” in celebration of its 20th anniversary.
DAVE & BUSTER’S restaurant chain looks like it’s coming to Chicago as a new Y&R client, and the first new business for Bob Winter since h took over as Y&R’s CCO. The account was previously with Omnicom’s Merkley & Partners since 2008.
ANYONE WHO KNOWS DEL HALL knows the ace cameraman always has a still camera at the ready to capture the people, scenery and events taking place around him, a tangible memory of the way things were. His remarkable photographs from the ‘60s to the present will be exhibited Monday, April 25 the 3rd Coast Café & Wine Bar, 6-9 p.m.
Bill Kurtis, also a noted photographer, will interview his good friend Hall at 7 p.m. A hefty 25% of opening night sales of Hall’s photos will be donated in the buyer’s name to Japanese Aid.
A SILVER AND BRONZE TELLY award went to GERTRUDE agency for spots they produced that promote the L.A. Gear-sponsored “A Bird in Hand Project,” which raises money and support for Gulf Coast oil spill restoration and benefits organizations like the World Wildlife Foundation and the Gulf Restoration Network.
Credits for the Silver winner, “Summer has Come” include director David Deahl of Big Deahl Productions, Filmworkers producer Todd Freese, Cutters editor Chris Claeys and Chicago Recording Company. Credits for Bronze spot, “Step into the Lights,” include Dictionary Films, Sol Design, Cutters and sound design company Easyfeel.
JOB SEEKERS CAN LEARN from executive recruiter and jobs expert Scott Sargis how to use his SEO group’s cutting-edge research to job hunting, at a two hour seminar, 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, April 23 at Borders at 150 N. State.
JEFF GORDON, WRITERS BOOT CAMP founder and Chicago native, will be the special guest of the monthly Chicago Screenwriters Network meeting Sunday, May 1 at the Lincoln Restaurant. He will talk about what he calls “the non-linear approach” to screenwriting and the tools that will help screenwriters do it all.
ILLUMEDIA IS THE NAME of a new advertising organization which is the new incarnation of the Chicago Print Production Club that ended 20 years of monthly meetings in January.
Debuting in May, at a time and place to be determined, illumedia’s aim is “to educate and inspire professionals with emerging media and creative content industries,” says executive board chair Colleen Capola, Leo Burnett’s associate director/product quality.
Membership is open to professionals from advertising, media, brand marketing, design and production, who are “seeking association with experts within the various facets of content creation, production and distribution across all media touch points,” according to its mission statement.
WHAT’S YOUR TAKE? I think Rosie O’Donnell will be a great asset to the city, when she moves here in late summer to take over Oprah’s talk show slot on ABC. Rosie will be prove to be receptive to industry events and will be more visible around town, in contrast to Oprah, who was rarely seen locally anywhere in recent years, although she was out and about in her earlier days.
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