Behold the power of William Shatner, at least in the Twitterverse. It pays to have friends in high places.
The Emmy-winning “Boston Legal” star, who’s a big fan of The CW’s “Star-Crossed” and “The Tomorrow People,” was tweeting to his 1.8 million followers during those shows’ episodes Monday night. Some samples: “So he can stop time OR teleport but not at the same time?” he tweeted during “Tomorrow People.”
“Did they kiss or is he giving her air?” he tweeted during “Star-Crossed.” “They did tell us that they breathe through their skin.”
Coincidentally or not, both of those shows posted gains over the previous week and combined to give The CW its best Monday night (1.1 million viewers) in over a year.
“Star-Crossed,” which aired at 8 p.m., was up 25 percent over the previous week in total viewers and matched its series high in adults 18-34 and 18-49. “The Tomorrow People” (9 p.m.) was up a whopping 67 percent in adults 18-49 over the previous week and logged a 42 percent increase in total viewers week-to-week (to 1.1 million).
Shatner is tweeting purely from a fan’s perspective; he’s never appeared on a CW series and has no investment in the network other than liking its programming. He’s also tweeted before about “Supernatural.”
One network that doesn’t need Shatner’s help is Disney Junior, which — since it began reporting ratings last April — has made big strides. The network, which targets kids 2-7, has finished first in total viewers, kids 2-5 and boys 2-5, led by “Sofia the First,” “Doc McStuffins,” “Jake and the Never Land Pirates” and “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” — all of which have segued into merchandising venues (books, theme parks, albums, DVDs).
Bracco books another one
Actress Lorraine Bracco’s second book, “To the Fullest,” will be published by Rodale Books next winter. Bracco — who famously played Dr. Melfi on “The Sopranos” and currently co-stars on TNT’s “Rizzoli & Isles” — plans to “offer women over 40 a program for achieving optimal health, countering age-related weight gain and boosting energy,” according to the announcement. Bracco’s first book, “On the Couch,” was published in 2006.
Last, but not least…
Add former “Parks & Rec” star Rashida Jones to the long list of “Bachelor” Juan Pablo bashers. “He seems really phony,” Jones tells People magazine in its April 14 issue. “And I felt badly for those girls because when you’re on a beautiful island and you’re being sweet-talked and the ocean’s right there, you’re going to believe anything” . . . Ratings for “Jerry Springer” were up 18 percent for the week ending March 23 . . . “Trisha,” hosted by Trisha Goddard, will not return for a third season, according to a report in Broadcasting & Cable. It airs here on Ch. 55.