The day after NBC Universal pulled the plug on "The Megan Mullally Show," it was Twentieth Television's turn to deep-six " Geraldo at Large," which ceases production this month. The half-hour show, which rolled out on Fox owned-and-operated stations in October 2005, launched nationally in September but delivered truly pitiful numbers: Season to-date, "Geraldo" ranked dead last in its genre, with a 1.6 household rating and a 0.8 rating among adults 25-54-- trailing No. 5 "Extra" by 27%. But on the heels of the cancellation comes a new game show from Twentieth Television and a …

While ABC managed to get out of the ratings basement with dramas like "Desperate Housewives," "Lost" and "Grey's Anatomy," the Alphabet Network has fallen flat on the comedy front. Casualties so far this year include "Help Me Help You" with Ted Danson, while offbeat sitcoms "Crumbs" and "Hot Properties" failed last year. But ABC hopes to change that with the premiere of "The Knights of Prosperity" that ran as part of the network's revamped Wednesday lineup. The show follows a group of misfit criminals who want to rob Mick Jagger and it's received high marks for being "easily …

Campbell Soup has reprised its "Wow, I could've had a V8!" tagline in a new ad effort aimed at occasional buyers of the brand. The first of four 15-second TV spots from Y&R New York broke on network Monday; it shows a couple winding up their dinner at a restaurant when the waiter returns to pick up the plates. As the man guiltily returns his plate because he hasn't eaten his vegetables, the waiter taps the man on the head, prompting him to exclaim, "I could've had a V8!" Radio and print follow nest month to promote V8's …

USA Network has picked up the pilot "Mary Sunshine" and will bring it to series with an order for 11 more episodes of the light drama. Previously known as "In Plain Sight," the show centers on "Mary Shannon," a U.S. Marshal who tries to balance a job with the witness-protection program with her dysfunctional personal life. The project comes from writer David Maples and NBC Universal Network TV. "When you've got something so good, you don't let it go," say USA executive vice president for original programming Jeff Wachtel, even though the series won't be ready for about a …

Discount retailer Dollar General has rolled a series of TV and radio ads in an effort to boost sales by clearing out seasonal merchandise. JWT, Detroit, is behind the campaign for the company, which has more than 8,200 stores in 35 states. It is a big change for Dollar General, which did almost no advertising before last year. The ads are part of a move to improve the bottom line by phasing a "packaway" inventory management system model. Under its new strategy, Dollar General plans to sell off some $300 million in older merchandise to make way for …

Coca-Cola Zero is about to be the subject of a huge marketing push by its parent in an attempt to lift the sagging cola business. According to an internal company document obtained by the trade magazine, Coca-Cola Co. has big plans for the brand this year--spending $13 million advertising on NCAA games alone--to retain cola drinkers. The product, which has no calories but claims to taste similar to flagship Coke, "is critical to the health of the [Coca-Cola trademark] portfolio to transition males before they leave" the carbonated soft-drink category, the document says. And to pull that off, …

Bridgestone Golf is about to roll a $6 million-plus TV, print and online ad campaign to support its clubs and balls. The effort features pros Fred "Boom Boom" Couples and Stuart Appleby, and builds on the "Boom It" theme used when it launched its own brand name in the U.S. in 2005. Bridgestone, a unit of the Japanese tire and rubber manufacturer, also markets golf products under the Precept label. "Boom it" has great equity," says Dan Murphy, Bridgestone Golf's senior marketing director. "It's an emotional theme, one that every golfer can relate to." Two 30-second …

Public health experts have apparently learned what the food industry has long known: Kids pay attention to advertising. And a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that it can succeed in getting kids to be more active. The study evaluated results of the first two years of a CDC youth media campaign. "VERB: It's what you do" is a national program that promoted physical activity among children ages 9 to 13. It ran from 2002 to 2006 and reached 17 million youngsters in the U.S., via a mix of television, radio and print …

WABC, the Alphabet Network's owned-and-operated station in New York, has begun broadcasting its news program in high definition--but hasn't made much of a big deal out of it yet. The station, which has delivered HD from its news helicopter since last year, is now airing in 720-line-progressive scan from its news studio with the late newscast and is providing high-def pictures from its studio, newsroom, news desk and weather center. Remotes from the field remain in standard-definition, but WABC has installed an HD camera atop the Millennium Building to provide a panoramic view of the city's …

Luxury Media LLC, a company that works exclusively with the luxury-goods segment will premiere its signature show "Within" this month to offer high-end brands an opportunity to hit their target audience via an hour-long "Entertainment Tonight"-type program shown in-room at swanky resorts and hotels. The company expects to be in more than 600 properties, reaching 40 million viewers by 2010. Advertisers can pick from sponsorships, product placements, advertorials and/or 30-second spots. "With the advent of TiVo and other DVRs, advertisers are seeing diminishing returns on their media spend," says David Winter, CEO of Luxury Media. "This …