9. Wrestlin’ With The Hammer

Bonnie Hammer
Title: President, USA Network and Sci Fi Channel
Age: “Next question”
Last year: #9

Why her? We’d never dare call Bonnie Hammer ‘old reliable.’ First, she’s not old. Second, she has earned her place on this year’s list of 100 for the youth appeal of USA (see “WWE Raw,” the most-watched weekly series on cable among 18-49s). But talk about reliable, and you must credit Hammer for retaining her place, even her exact rank, in our Top 10. Yet the success of “Monk”, “The 4400” and “Battlestar Galactica” was anything but routine. In fact, Hammer & co. tweaked the formula. We “made a conscious decision not to go too dark, not too edgy [at USA]…” she said last summer. That resulted in the quirky detective hit “Monk” and “Psych,” which were the #3 and #2 scripted series of the summer among 25-54s. At Sci Fi, the gamble continues, despite posting the net’s best 3Q in HH and total viewers and Galactica’s critical acclaim. The move is to Earthbound shows “that are more relatable,” Hammer says, like this month’s “The Lost Room,” starring Peter Krause of “Six Feet Under.” - SA

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What is your favorite word? Yes!
What is your least favorite word? Maybe.
What turns you on? “Winning against the odds.”
What turns you off? “Losing, whatever the odds.”
What sound do you love? “Swoosh! The sound of my thirteen-year-old making a clean three-pointer.”
What sound do you hate? “Crashing ratings.”
What profession other than yours would like to attempt? “Own a B&B in Tuscany.”
What profession would you not like to participate in? “IT support. Those guys are my heroes, I couldn't do my job without them, but damned if I know what they do or how they do it.”
If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? “I have no idea, but I just hope what I've always heard isn't true: that you go to heaven for the climate, hell for the company.”

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