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CABLE WORLD STAFF
Cartoon Network snared first place in primetime for the second consecutive week, earning a 2.0 household rating (Aug. 21-27). "Big Pick Weekend," the network's trial period for new shows, averaged 1.5 - a 15% ratings jump compared to the same time last year.
Out of "Big Pick's" 53 hours, kids chose The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, among other contenders, as a series that will make its debut on the network come fall 2001.
Cartoon Network has boldly jettisoned Spielberg babies Pinky & the Brain, Animaniacs and Tiny Toon Adventures, leaving parent company Warner Bros. to sell the unwanted lot to Nickelodeon for a cool $20 million. Toon execs say the Spielberg offerings fit the Nick mold better and that they're committed to investing in more original series such as The Powerpuff Girls and Dexter's Laboratory. Still, some network insiders are convinced Ted Turner would be red over this decision if he were still lord of Time Warner's cable nets.
Meanwhile, Nickelodeon is securing more than just reruns. Viacom's king of the kidpile is sporting a new look that includes a color scheme right out of a pint of Ben & Jerry's: black, white, butter yellow and mint green, which will complement the network's signature "orange splat."
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