There's Something In The Air

Every few months, a certain something hits the airwaves. TV movies unfold over many nights. Sitcom characters begin performing in 3-D. Characters in dramatic series spontanously break into song. And everything just seems BIG, BIG, BIG.

Ahh. Must be another Sweeps Month in America.

Why this periodic push for TV viewers? What's at stake for the broadcast networks? What's at stake for the viewers? We've set out to clear up the confusion about sweeps.

The Big Questions
In this never-before-seen, special segment of our blockbuster Sweeps Guide, we answer tough questions: What are Nielsens? Do cable networks have sweeps?

The Lineup for '98
There's something for everyone: Sporting events, broadcast premieres of hit movies, Garth Brooks in concert. Welcome to February Sweeps 1998. Here's what's on the schedule.

The Good, The Bad, The 3-D
Sweeps periods offer the best of television and some of the silliest, most annoying, and most over-killed. Here's a look at the offenders and contenders.

The Best of the Worst
Some TV pilots become the TV shows that become the big engines that drive the network sweeps. Some TV pilots become, well, swept under the carpet. Here's a look at the best of the worst.

Written by Rob Medich with graphic design by Emily Fader