For ‘G.I. Joe,’ it’s ‘Retaliation’ Nation! Disney Jr. smacks Nick Jr.

After the coffee. Before thinking of a good April Fools’ joke.

The Skinny: I finally got through the Netflix series “House of Cards,” and it only took a couple of months. You’ve heard of binge viewing? Well, this was nibble viewing, and it worked out just fine for me. Monday’s headlines include a recap of the weekend box office and a look at the battle between Disney Jr. and Nick Jr.

Daily Dose: After losing some big-name talent, including Jake Tapper and Chris Cuomo, to CNN, ABC News has made a splashy hire of its own. Reporter Byron Pitts, a regular presence on CBS News and “60 Minutes,” has been wooed away to serve as a national correspondent and an anchor for the rival network.

“Retaliation” Nation. “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” took in over $40 million this past weekend, which was more than enough to claim the top spot at the box office. Finishing second was “The Croods” with $26.5 million, a decline of only 39% from the movie’s opening weekend. Also performing well was Tyler Perry’s romantic drama “Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor,” which made just over $22 million. Box-office recaps from the Los Angeles Times and Movie City News.

PHOTOS: Celebrities by The Times

Juicing the stats. Be sure to read the fine print the next time you see a movie studio boast about its numbers. More often than not these days, the opening weekend goes beyond Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Wall Street Journal looks at how some studios are getting a head start on the weekend with lots of sneak screenings and midnight showings.

Battle of the juniors. Disney Jr. is expected to surpass Nick Jr. as the most-watched pay-TV channel among preschoolers. For Disney, the win is impressive given that Disney Jr. was launched only recently and is in far fewer homes than Nick Jr. The New York Times looks at the competition and at how Disney Jr. got so strong so fast.

Maybe they want bathroom flood contingency plans. Hawk Koch and Dawn Hudson, the president and chief executive, respectively, of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, have called for a membership meeting to talk about the future of the academy. Certainly, the Oscars will be a big topic of discussion. There have also been concerns about a lack of diversity in the membership. Deadline Hollywood offers its thoughts on the meeting scheduled for May.

It’s bubble time. The broadcast networks are busy developing new shows for the fall season. That means it will soon be decision time concerning which current shows survive to next season. These shows, in industry terms, are “on the bubble.” Every spring, USA Today looks at the shows on the bubble and gives its readers a chance to vote on which are worth saving. I don’t need to vote because “The Good Wife” has already been renewed and I’m pretty sure ABC will bring back “Nashville.”

Inside the Los Angeles Times: Mary McNamara on “Game of Thrones.” Randall Roberts with an appreciation of music producer Phil Ramone, who died on Saturday.

Follow me on Twitter. I’m no fool and that’s no joke. @JBFlint.

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