• by Ken Liebeskind , March 12, 2002

Television's next upfront season is just beginning with networks starting to make their presentations. Yesterday, the Bravo network held a media luncheon in New York to introduce its new programs.

A variety of new original series and off network programs were introduced, the highlight being The Larry Sanders Show, the HBO original starring Garry Shandling that is coming to cable for the first time on Bravo, scheduled to begin in Q4 this year. Approximately 90 episodes will be shown during the 10 p.m. time slot. The late start was chosen because of the controversial language used on the show. On HBO, it's permissible to air obscenities, but not on basic cable, so Bravo will cut the worst words while trying to preserve the nature of the show, according to senior vice president of programming Frances Berwick.

Other new shows include Second City Presents, six one-hour episodes of the Second City comedy group, starring Martin Short and Tracey Ullman. It starts in Q3 of this year. Gay Weddings, half-hour episodes about gay and lesbian couples who tie the knot, begins in August. Based on the Book, a show about the transformation of novels to films, starts in Q4 this year. And Art Crimes and Mysteries, a show about art thefts, launches next spring.

Mini series, specials and a movie series were also announced.

Bravo is also bringing back current series, including Inside the Actors Studio, Musicians and The It Factor.

Bravo, owned by Rainbow Media, is a basic cable station seen in 70 million households. The network averages 265,000 prime time viewers this year through March 7, an increase over 2001 when it averaged 244,000 and 2000 when it averaged 184,000, according to Nielsen.

Hanna Gryncwajg, senior vice president of advertising sales, is confident in the season because the network is "targeted to an audience advertisers want, an upscale niche group," she says. It generated $52,029,290 in ad revenue last year, according to CMR.

Gryncwajg wouldn't mention specific advertisers, but says major ad categories for the network are auto, financial and film. "We'll gain additional advertising from other categories this season, including wireless services, travel and pharmaceutical," she says.

She said the network would sell off network and original programs similarly, since they reach the same audience.

She downplayed online advertising, saying, "It hasn't been our primary focus." She says it's sometimes sold in package deals with TV advertising, but never separately.