The Contender Television Program

NBC, facing a tough season in the ratings, is tinkering with its prime-time schedule. "The Contender," the long-awaited boxing reality show from Sylvester Stallone and producer Mark Burnett, will air at 8 p.m. Sundays starting March 13, the network announced Monday. It will square off against the ABC hit "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." To make way for "Contender," the low-rated '60s drama "American Dreams" will move to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, opposite another popular ABC show, "Lost."

Once knocked to the canvas, every honest boxer struggles to get back up and continue the fight. "The Contender" is no different. The boxing reality series from Mark Burnett Productions ("Survivor," "The Apprentice," "Rock Star: INXS," "Rock Star: Supernova") garnered critical acclaim during its run on NBC in early 2005 but struggled to get network-sized ratings. When NBC opted not to renew, executive producer Burnett bounced back and found the series a new home on sports cable network ESPN.

Once knocked to the canvas, every honest boxer struggles to get back up and continue the fight. "The Contender" is no different. The boxing reality series from Mark Burnett Productions ("Survivor," "The Apprentice," "Rock Star: INXS," "Rock Star: Supernova") garnered critical acclaim during its run on NBC in early 2005 but struggled to get network-sized ratings. When NBC opted not to renew, executive producer Burnett bounced back and found the series a new home on sports cable network ESPN.

NBC's long-awaited boxing reality series, "The Contender," was no ratings champ Monday. The series, from "Survivor" producer Mark Burnett and featuring Sylvester Stallone and Sugar Ray Leonard overseeing a contest among young fighters, roped in 8.1 million viewers during a 90-minute preview, according to Nielsen Media Research. That's far below NBC's average performance since Jan. 3 with the 10 p.m. crime drama "Medium" (15.1 million). CBS ranked No. 1 in the 9:30-to-11 p.m.

And you thought boxing couldn't get weirder after Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfield's ear. Fox and NBC are brawling over rival unscripted series designed to find America's next boxing champions. And even though viewers won't see either show for months, the high stakes are already making the typical Las Vegas bout look like a schoolyard scuffle.

The bidding for unscripted television shows hit new heights Friday when NBC agreed to pay a record $2 million-plus for each episode of a new boxing-themed show created by "reality" TV maestro Mark Burnett. The deal for "The Contender" is the most ever paid for a first-year unscripted series, raising questions about how the show can be profitable for the General Electric Co.-owned network.

NBC's long-awaited boxing reality series, "The Contender," was no ratings champ Monday. The series, from "Survivor" producer Mark Burnett and featuring Sylvester Stallone and Sugar Ray Leonard overseeing a contest among young fighters, roped in 8.1 million viewers during a 90-minute preview, according to Nielsen Media Research. That's far below NBC's average performance since Jan. 3 with the 10 p.m. crime drama "Medium" (15.1 million). CBS ranked No. 1 in the 9:30-to-11 p.m.

Najai Turpin, a 23-year-old middleweight boxer from Philadelphia and a contestant on NBC's upcoming reality series "The Contender," has committed suicide, Philadelphia police said Tuesday. Turpin died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at 4 a.m. Monday morning while sitting in his Chevy Lumina, parked around the corner from his house in West Philadelphia, said police Sgt. Ron McClane.

Najai Turpin, a 23-year-old middleweight boxer from Philadelphia and a contestant on NBC's upcoming reality series "The Contender," has committed suicide, Philadelphia police said Tuesday. Turpin died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at 4 a.m. Monday morning while sitting in his Chevy Lumina, parked around the corner from his house in West Philadelphia, said police Sgt. Ron McClane.

NBC, facing a tough season in the ratings, is tinkering with its prime-time schedule. "The Contender," the long-awaited boxing reality show from Sylvester Stallone and producer Mark Burnett, will air at 8 p.m. Sundays starting March 13, the network announced Monday. It will square off against the ABC hit "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." To make way for "Contender," the low-rated '60s drama "American Dreams" will move to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, opposite another popular ABC show, "Lost."

And you thought boxing couldn't get weirder after Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfield's ear. Fox and NBC are brawling over rival unscripted series designed to find America's next boxing champions. And even though viewers won't see either show for months, the high stakes are already making the typical Las Vegas bout look like a schoolyard scuffle.

The bidding for unscripted television shows hit new heights Friday when NBC agreed to pay a record $2 million-plus for each episode of a new boxing-themed show created by "reality" TV maestro Mark Burnett. The deal for "The Contender" is the most ever paid for a first-year unscripted series, raising questions about how the show can be profitable for the General Electric Co.-owned network.