MUMBAI: The value of imported drama series for European broadcasters was $5.9 billion in 2011, with the top 200 titles supplying 81 per cent ($4.8 billion) of that total.

The imported drama series in Europe report estimated that the top 10 titles accounted for 23 per cent ($1.4 billion) of the 2011 total value, with the top 50 taking 55 per cent ($3.2 billion).

NCIS led the pack with $210 million. Only one of the top 10 titles originated from outside the US.

Essential Television Statistics, Madigan Cluff, Digital TV Research have done the report. The report?s co-author and Madigan Cluff director Michael Cluff said, ?CBS distributed the top three titles in 2011, with NCIS leading the pack by generating $210 million. The three CSI franchises appear in the top 10. Only one of the top 10 titles (Sturm der Liebe) originated from outside the US."

The report?s co-author Jonathan Bailey who is also Essential Television Statistics MD explained, ?Only 22 per cent of the hours screened for the top 200 titles appeared in primetime (20,507 hours from 94,638 in total). However, 69 per cent ($3,337 million) of the value created for these titles was in primetime."

The top six US distributors dominate the top 200, creating nearly three-quarters of the value and 56 per cent of the titles. CBS is the clear leader, with second-placed Warner Bros some way behind.

Cluff added: ?However, these six companies are probably not as dominant as many people would have guessed. Indeed, seventh-placed ZDF ($183 million, 12 titles) was pretty close to Sony in 2011. ITV was next with $116 million (nine titles). Ninth place (and the only other distributor to record more than $100 million from Europe?s top 200 titles) went to Bavaria Media ($113 million), but this was solely for Sturm der Liebe."

MUMBAI: US broadcaster CBS has sued ABC over its new reality TV show, "The Glass House?.

CBS has said that ABC?s show is a "carbon copy" of ?Big Brother? and employs 19 former producers and staff from that show. The federal lawsuit seeks an injunction barring ABC from continuing its work or airing ?The Glass House?, a show that will film and allow viewers to vote off contestants living together in a house.

Reports though indicate that CBS will have to prove that ABC is infringing on a unique idea.

CBS? lawsuit states "In copying ?Big Brother,? defendants have had an unprecedented and troubling degree of access to CBS?s copyrightable expression, as well as CBS?s protected trade secrets and other confidential and proprietary information related to the behind-the-scenes development, filming and production of ?Big Brother".

ABC, though, said that there are obvious differences between the two shows.

MUMBAI: Gearing up for their upfront presentations, leading television networks NBC and Fox have added seven new series to the 2012-13 primetime schedule.

NBC, while renewing Dick Wolf?s Law & Order: SVU, has offered the producer a new drama Chicago Fire. It has also ordered Jimmy Fallon?s comedy pickup Guys With Kids. Also picked up were the comedies Guys with Kids, Go On, Save Me, The New Normal, 1600 Penn and Animal Practice.

Fox has tied-in three comedies including It?s Messy from Universal Television, 20th Century Fox?s Ben & Kate and The Goodwin Games. It has also picked up two dramas, The Mob Doctor and The Following from Sony Pictures TV and Warner Bros.

Fox is also sticking to 20th Century Fox Television?s Touch despite low viewership while axing Alcatraz and The Finder to make room for the dramas.

NBC and Fox are scheduled to showcase their lineups at upfront presentations in New York on Monday.

Meanwhile, AETN Group-owned A&E, History, Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network, H2 and BIO has decided not to reveal its lineup during upfront presentation. CBS, ABC and Warner Bros. Entertainment-CBS Corporation JV CW Network are yet to form their own development slates.

Early indications from industry experts suggest that the big four broadcasters will see an increase in upfront revenue of between 2 per cent to 4 per cent for the 2012-13 TV season.

The big four plus the CW network should collect between $9.0 billion and $9.2 billion during the upfront season, according to Steve Lanzano, chief executive of TVB, a trade body for TV broadcasters.

MUMBAI: US broadcaster CBS has renewed 18 series for the 2012-2013 broadcast season.

The renewals include four comedies, nine dramas, three reality series and two newsmagazines. The returning shows encompass every night of the week and every hour.

The renewed comedies include the multi-year pickups of ?How I Met Your Mother? and ?The Big Bang Theory?; ?2 Broke Girls? and ?Mike And Molly?.

Also in comedy, CBS and Warner Bros. Television are in preliminary discussions regarding future seasons for ?Two and a Half Men?.

Renewed dramas are ?NCIS?, ?NCIS: Los Angeles?, ?Hawaii Five-0?, ?Criminal Minds?, ?CSI: Crime Scene Investigation?, ?Person Of Interest?, The Mentalist?, ?Blue Bloods? and ?The Good Wife?.

Among the Network?s returning reality series are ?The Amazing Race?, ?Undercover Boss? and ?Survivor?.

News magazines ?60 Minutes? and ?48 Hours Mystery? will also return in the fall. CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler said, ?This large-scale renewal is testimony to the strength, stability and success of a deep and diverse roster of top-rated programming. It positions us for continued success next season and certainly creates an environment that will give our new shows the best possible chance to succeed.?