New Year’s Eve: He's Back!
Clark to Host ABC's New Year's Eve

By John Consoli MediaWeek.com NOVEMBER 28, 2005 -

Dick Clark will return to host Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve special on Saturday night, Dec. 31, on ABC, after missing last year's show as he recovered from a stroke.

He will be joined by Ryan Seacrest co-hosting the New York City segment, while singer/actress Hilary Duff will preside over the Hollywood party segments. Duff will also perform three songs.

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve is in its 34th year. The show will air in three segments beginning at 10 p.m. and running until 2:05 p.m.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/networktv/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001571424

Critic’s Notebook
Brave Spirit Under the Unsheltering Sky

By Alessandra Stanley The New York Times November 28, 2005

Trailers for the HBO film "Yesterday" (Tuesday night 9 PM ET/PT, HBO HD ) are both true and totally misleading. Blurbs describing "the transcendent power" of one woman's "courage and compassion" conjure "Oprah Winfrey Presents" or worse, the movie "Beaches." And while "Yesterday" is, in fact, a tribute to the transcendent power of one rural South African woman who confronts H.I.V. with courage and compassion, it is more than that.

"Yesterday" is proof that even the saddest stories can be told simply, with intelligence and grace and without falling into mawkish bathos. It also happens to be beautifully made. The story rolls out like the endless dirt road that awaits its heroine on her circular trek between village and clinic. The vast African sky fills the screen, ending in the sculptured mountainscape of a remote horizon across the veld. The numinous beauty of that timeless, empty Eden is marred by only one thing: a string of rusty, sharp-toothed barbed wire that constricts the people within.

Leleti Khumalo, a South African actress who was the star of the play and movie "Sarafina!," portrays Yesterday. The heroine's name is also the film's mournful leitmotif. When a doctor expresses surprise, saying she has known people named Today and Tomorrow, but not Yesterday, her patient shyly explains that her father named her that because he felt that "things were better yesterday than they are today." Yesterday chose to call her own daughter Beauty (Lihle Mvelase), but she herself is all too well named: a woman who, under a death sentence of H.I.V., is vanishing into memory.

"Yesterday" delivers a powerful message about AIDS in Africa, but it also serves as a signpost in the ascendance of television over movies. Hollywood keeps hedging its big-budget bets on movies aimed at the young and incurious, so serious films are increasingly rare and ever more simplistic. It takes a George Clooney to make a political movie like "Good Night, and Good Luck" or "Syriana," and even those films are smugly patronizing, tugging at easy sentiment rather than at complicated thought. There is so little box-office appeal for most foreign films that it takes a subject as immediate and terrifying as suicide bombers, the Palestinian protaganists of Hany Abu-Assad's Arabic-language thriller "Paradise Now," to find an audience.

Meanwhile, cable networks like the Sundance Channel, Showtime and HBO are much less beholden to ratings or box-office returns, and have a growing appetite for the small, unusual movie that otherwise might never be seen by American audiences.

"Yesterday" provides a small, unusual look at the global tragedy of H.I.V. and other diseases ravaging Africa and other parts of the third world. The seemingly inexorable spread of malaria, tuberculosis and H.I.V. ebbs and flows as a remote, unimaginable calamity in newspaper headlines, benefit concerts and United Nations conferences. More than a million South Africans have died of AIDS, while experts say that as many as five million of them are infected with H.I.V., and women are now about three times more likely than men to become infected. Only a tiny fraction of those receive antiretroviral medication.

The film, which was partly sponsored by Nelson Mandela and the Nelson Mandela Foundation, focuses not on the statistics of millions but on the tragedy of one death.

Race and postcolonialism are not in the picture. There is only one white character in the film, a kind and empathetic female doctor (Camilla Walker) who speaks to her patients in fluent Zulu. Yesterday's story is played out on a continent that is darkened by the cloud of AIDS, not apartheid.

Yesterday and Beauty live in a small farming village populated almost entirely by women. Her husband, John Khumalo (Kenneth Kambule), like the other men, works far away in a mine near Johannesburg, and visits his family less than once a month. Yesterday and the other women eke out a stone-age subsistence while upholding a high civility of ritual greetings and hospitality. "Would you like tea?" Yesterday asks the teacher (Harriet Lehabe), a newcomer whom she befriended on one of her long walks to the clinic. "If it is no trouble," the teacher says gravely. "No trouble at all," Yesterday replies as she ushers her into her hut, which has no running water or electricity.

Courtesy dies in the brushfire of fear and rage that engulfs the village when Yesterday's infected husband returns home too sick to work. Yesterday is shunned, and the villagers force her to take her wasting husband away. Already ill herself and unable to find a bed for him in the local hospital, she builds a makeshift, one-man hospice by hand out of metal scraps and corrugated tin in a far-off field. She gives John a dignified death, while clinging to life long enough to see her daughter begin her first day of school.

"Yesterday" is not easy to watch, but it is almost impossible to turn off.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/28/arts/television/28stan.html?pagewanted=print

Three cancellations

In its Tuesday editions, Variety is reporting what you have read here in past days: “…In a busy day of small-screen comings and goings, industry insiders confirmed that "Reunion," "Threshold" and "Hot Properties" will all cease production after 13 episodes.”

Only late owls could catch debut of new “Nightline”

By Gail Shister Philadelphia Inquirer Columnist Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2005

Anybody see the debut of the new ”Nightline” last night?

Correction. This morning.

In what some say is an unusual move for late night, ABC scheduled the launch of the all-live, revamped weeknight broadcast - with the anchor troika of Cynthia McFadden, Terry Moran and Martin Bashir - on a Monday. During football season.

ABC deserves a penalty flag for unsportsmanlike conduct, some observers say.

Tuesdays through Fridays, Nightline airs at 11:35 p.m. On the remaining weekday, it follows 9 p.m. Monday Night Football and local newscasts.

Thus far this season, that means Nightline could start as late as 1 a.m. on the East Coast. The longest MNF game this season, Pittsburgh vs. San Diego on Oct. 10, ground on until 12:29 a.m., according to a MNF spokesman. Games have been averaging 171 minutes.

Regardless, Nightline was to have been live last night.

ABC rep Emily Lenzner labels the Monday debut "a nonissue. Nightline airs five nights a week, Monday through Friday. It only makes sense to keep it that way." (Technically, it would be Tuesday if Nightline begins after midnight.)

Over 12 broadcasts - not including last night's Pittsburgh-Indianapolis showdown - MNF has averaged 11.9 million viewers. Nightline averages 3.5 million viewers. Do the math.

Still, football hasn't given Nightline much help. From the start of the NFL season on Sept. 12 to Nov. 20, Nightline had 3.32 million viewers on Mondays, compared with 3.37 million Tuesday through Friday, ABC says.

Unlike prime time, when TV viewership increases as the night goes on, the late-night audience declines steadily.

So why did ABC really introduce in the wee hours the first Nightline without Ted Koppel since 1980? There are several schools of thought.

One says that giving Nightline a "soft launch" lets the new team get a show under its belt on a night when fewer people - and fewer Nightline regulars - are watching.

Also, it makes for a kind of symmetry. Koppel's finale, last week, was on a Tuesday.

Conversely, ABC owner Disney would love to give Nightline's time slot to a more lucrative entertainment show. A weak debut from the news division would strengthen its argument.

"It's better to premiere a show in its regular time slot, particularly in late night," Mediaweek analyst Marc Berman says. "You want to create an immediate pattern with viewers. They may not find it the next night."

And even if Nightline gets a decent post-football audience, it mostly comprises testosterone-driven men. Women are an important demographic for the show.

Raiding the store. Speaking of Nightline, Ted Koppel will hire seven Nightline staffers if his HBO deal happens, according to an ABC source speaking on condition of anonymity.

Koppel and his former executive producer, Tom Bettag, who left the network with him last week, are expected to produce documentaries for the cable network. The announcement could come as early as next week.

None of the seven is an on-air type. All are based in Washington. Nightline has a staff of about 50 - 35 in Washington and 15 in New York, an ABC rep says.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/television//13279548.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

Critic’s Notebook
“Chief”' welcomes new face tonight

By Gary Levin USA TODAY

There's a new commander in chief at ABC's drama about the first female president, and he's making his presence felt.

In a highly unusual move, ABC handed Steven Bochco (NYPD Blue) the reins as executive producer of Commander in Chief and removed creator Rod Lurie last month after repeated production delays, network executives say.

His first change is evident tonight (9 ET/PT): the addition of regular Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Richard "Dickie" McDonald, a cunning media strategist for President Mackenzie Allen (Geena Davis).

Gosselaar, who starred in the last four seasons of NYPD Blue, says it didn't take much convincing to sign on with Bochco again. "I have immense trust in him; when the opportunity came up, I didn't need a lot of information, knowing his record and experience."

McDonald quickly makes his mark as a hired gun and foil for the president's mostly fawning handlers. "I don't adhere to the same rules as people in her staff do," Gosselaar says. "Right off the bat I stir things up on her staff, trying to prepare them for things to come," including a re-election campaign Allen herself won't commit to. "He's very calculated, very precise."

The only bad guy in the show is House Speaker Nathan Templeton (Donald Sutherland), Allen's arch-nemesis, "and he's not that bad," Gosselaar says. "On her side there's other people you can show who are shifty or a little shady."

Bochco declined an interview request, but executive producer Dee Johnson, one of three writer/producers who remain from Lurie's regime, says change will be gradual. For the first time in the 25 years since he created the groundbreaking Hill Street Blues, Bochco is inheriting someone else's characters.

"There will definitely be a perceivable change as time goes on, but it has to be relatively incremental," Johnson says. Viewers won't notice for a while: Production was stopped for nearly three weeks to regroup, and the show's next new episode will air Jan. 10.

But change might be welcomed. Commander - which began the season with more than 16 million viewers and remains the most-watched new series — has steadily declined in recent weeks, averaging a series-low 12.6 million viewers for Bochco's first episode Nov. 15.

It airs in network TV's most competitive time slot, against House, My Name Is Earl and The Amazing Race.

Meanwhile, Lurie is busy with another potential electoral series. ABC last week ordered a pilot of Triumph, about an 18-year-old who is elected mayor of a town.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-11-28-commander-in-chief_x.htm

FCC expected to back "a la carte" cable pricing-WSJ
Tue Nov 29, 2005 1:42 AM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is expected to suggest that cable companies could best serve their customers by allowing them to subscribe to individual channels instead of packages of several stations, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

The newspaper said that FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is expected to announce on Tuesday that the commission will soon revise the conclusion it reached in the report it issued last year on "a la carte" pricing in the cable industry.

Citing an FCC official familiar with the revised report, the Journal said the report will conclude that buying individual channels could be cheaper for consumers than bundles and that themed tiers of channels could be economically feasible.

Last year's FCC report on the subject found that most U.S. households would face higher television bills if they only paid for the channels they wanted to watch.

The commission said then that increased costs for marketing and equipment would force up monthly bills by 14 percent to 30 percent for most cable or satellite TV customers even if they only paid for a handful of stations.

Customer advocates have said a pay-per-channel approach would keep cost increases in check by making programmers and providers more accountable to viewers.

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=televisionNews&storyID=2005-11-29T064217Z_01_FOR924104_RTRIDST_0_TELEVISION-MEDIA-FCC-CABLE-DC.XML

'Idol' signs for six more seasons
Tue Nov 29, 2005 9:06 AM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The producers of "American Idol" said on Tuesday they reached a deal with the Fox television network for up to six more seasons of the broadcaster's ratings mainstay.

CKX Inc. owns 19 Entertainment, the British creator of the wannabe-celebrity series "Idol." The company said it reached a joint agreement with producer FremantleMedia, Fox, "Idol" celebrity judge Simon Cowell and record label Sony BMG to continue the series for four more seasons with an option to renew for an additional two seasons.

Cowell has agreed to stay on for at least five more seasons beginning with the next installment of the series in January.

CKX said its subsidiary as well as FremantleMedia will receive a "significantly increased" license fee from Fox in line with the higher advertising rates set for the coming season.

News Corp-owned Fox will build a dedicated Web site for the show, fed by content from 19 Entertainment and FremantleMedia. The production companies have also granted Fox wireless rights to "Idol" material including show-related ringtones and video footage, CKX said.

Fox will also pick up at least two original shows created jointly by 19 Entertainment and FremantleMedia in the next five years. Sony BMG remains the official record label for American Idol winners.

19 Entertainment said it also settled a lawsuit with Cowell over the acerbic judge's other program "The X Factor." 19 Entertainment CEO and British pop mogul Simon Fuller has said Cowell's show was a rip-off of his "Idol" concept.

Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=televisionNews&storyID=2005-11-29T140610Z_01_SIB950681_RTRIDST_0_TELEVISION-MEDIA-FOX-IDOL-DC.XML&archived=False

Steve Capus Named President, NBC News
28 November 2005


Steve Capus has been named president of NBC News, effective immediately, making him responsible for all aspects of America's highest-rated and most-watched network News division, as well as MSNBC and NBC News Channel. The announcement was made today by Jeff Zucker, President, NBC Universal Television Group, to whom Capus will report.

Under his leadership the News division continues to excel. Some highlights are:

Nightly News is first network evening newscast to be offered online, in its entirety at www.nightly.msnbc.com.
Today has won every day in November and expanded its lead over GMA.
Nightly News has been No. 1 in total viewers for 71 of last 72 weeks.
Nightly News will celebrate Brian Williams’ first anniversary as anchor and managing editor of the program later this week
Meet the Press has been No. 1 in total viewers for 240 straight weeks.
MSNBC is up 12 percent in total viewers this month versus October 2005.
MSNBC.com continues to dominate on the Internet, consistently drawing more than 23 million monthly unique visitors, more than the combined unique visitors of CBSNews.com, ABCNews.com and FOXNews.com.
"It gives me great pleasure to formally give Steve the full reins of this critically important division at this crucial time," Zucker said. "In his long and distinguished career at NBC, Steve has touched virtually every aspect of this News division. And over the course of the past two months, he has already taken NBC News to new heights. Steve has great journalistic judgment, the confidence of his colleagues, and a keen understanding of the importance of extending the NBC News brand across new platforms in this ever-evolving digital era. This is a well-deserved promotion, and one that will serve us exceptionally well into the future."

Bob Wright said: "I'm very pleased Steve has been officially appointed the News division's top executive. Our news operations always have been and will continue to be of immense importance to this company, and I am confident Steve will distinguish himself in this role as he has in every assignment we've given him since he joined us more than a decade ago."

"It's an honor to be asked to lead one of the world's great news organizations," said Capus. "The women and men of NBC News are remarkably talented journalists who help us to understand our world through experienced reporting over the airwaves, online, and in new digital arenas. NBC News is built on a proud past, a successful present and an even stronger and more innovative future, and I'm thrilled to be able to be a part of all of it."
http://nbcumv.com/release_detail.nbc/news-20051129000000-nbcnewsannouncemen.html

Shorter Wait for “Prison Break”

By Ben Grossman Broadcasting & Cable

Fox will bring freshman breakout hit Prison Break back earlier than originally planned. The original schedule called for airing the show’s back nine episodes beginning in May, after the first 13 ended with last night’s airing.

However, the network will now bring the show back in March, according to promos during Monday’s fall finale. Executive producer Paul Scheuring told B&C last week he was prepared for the schedule change, as they're well into the next slate of episodes: No. 16 will wrap by Christmas.

He says the writing is nearly completed for the entire season, with the season finale scheduled to shoot the first week of March. Last week, the show ranked third among adults 18-49 in its 9-10 p.m. ET time slot but first in adults 18-34.

"We'd obviously prefer not to have the break because this is a sequential narrative,” Scheuring said. “What happens between the end of episode 13 and the beginning of 14 is essentially real time, so coming back from a five-month break like one minute later in story time would be a little strange.”

Critic’s Notebook
Aiding and abetting

By Hal Boedeker Orlando Sentinel Television Critic November 28, 2005

Before the television season began, critics and industry analysts bemoaned a crime-saturated schedule. Ten weeks later, viewers are sending a far different message: We like it.

NCIS, a Tuesday drama with Mark Harmon, is pulling in 18 percent more viewers this season than last. Criminal Minds, an intense Wednesday drama about FBI profilers, has emerged as a surprise hit. The Nov. 10 episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation drew more than 29.5 million viewers, the most for any telecast this season.

Eleven of the nation's Top 25 series traffic in mystery, forensics or law. The trend's chief beneficiary is CBS, the most-watched network, which airs NCIS, Criminal Minds and CSI. Each week, CBS devotes half of its 22 prime-time hours to such series -- and draws a few brickbats for that reliance.

"It's unfair to lump everything into one pile," says Nina Tassler, president of CBS Entertainment. "The big bone I have to pick: There are crime elements in a lot of shows, but each show has a distinctive style. That emanates from producers and writers."

Sometimes the series do share titles. CSI is affixed to three CBS series. NBC tried to expand Law & Order brand to four series last season, then retreated to three this fall. That was one indication that TV's crime wave could have peaked. Is there too much?

"From a ratings point, perhaps not," says John Rash, who analyzes television as a senior vice president at Campbell Mithun advertising agency in Minneapolis. "From an artistic perspective, absolutely. Viewers vexed by all of these police procedurals have fewer entry points into a network."

Nevertheless, these procedurals continue to flourish for several reasons. They play better in network repeats than serialized stories such as Desperate Housewives and Lost. The crime programs sell well in syndication. The procedurals fit comfortably with late local newscasts, which are often heavy on crime.

Several producers have excelled in the genre. Dick Wolf bolsters NBC with Law & Order and its spinoffs. Jerry Bruckheimer supplies six crime series to CBS, including CSI, Without a Trace and Cold Case. The storytelling comforts viewers.

"They have the right tonality for the times: certitude in an uncertain world," Rash says.

The changing television business also accommodates crime drama.

"With the audience so fragmented, there will be plenty of audience to go around, and it doesn't take that much to make a hit anymore," says Horace Newcomb, director of the University of Georgia's Peabody Awards, one of the highest honors for electronic media.

"I describe television as different when I started 30 years ago,'' Newcomb says. "It's no longer a site where people go to share experiences. It's like a newsstand or a bookstore. Dick Wolf and the CSI people have tapped into it. It's like having a new book come out every week."

Viewers keep putting these televised novels on the Nielsens, TV's best-seller list. CBS crime dominates the national rankings: No. 1 CSI, No. 3 Without a Trace, No. 6 CSI: Miami, No. 8 NCIS, No. 11 Cold Case and No. 13 CSI: NY.

NBC, which is struggling this season, places its most-watched series at No. 14: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

A few CBS series are showing weakness against stronger competition: CSI: Miami is off 13 percent and CSI: NY is down 7 percent in viewers from a year ago. But both still place first in their time periods.

And CBS' overall audience has grown slightly, reflecting the network's strength in comedy, reality and newsmagazines. Despite the naysayers, CBS continues to find success in crime.

Criminal Minds earned terrible reviews and few predictions of success opposite ABC's Lost. Yet this drama starring Mandy Patinkin is the No. 2 new series, behind only ABC's Commander in Chief.

"It's distinguishing itself in a number of ways: It's a suspense thriller," CBS executive Tassler says. "It's more character-driven than the others. Patinkin is one of the finest actors out there."

Close to Home, about a prosecutor (Jennifer Finnigan) balancing motherhood and work, struggled on Tuesdays after its October premiere. Yet ratings for this Bruckheimer-produced drama improved when CBS shifted it to Fridays for a two-week tryout. Last week, the network announced it had picked up Close to Home for the full season and will keep it on Fridays.

Before the season, TV critics lambasted Criminal Minds, Close to Home and Fox's Killer Instinct for premieres featuring graphic mistreatment of women. Viewers have mostly ignored Killer Instinct on Fridays, yet complaints against the other two series have subsided as they have told a wider range of stories.

Tassler plays down concerns of a crime overload, saying her programs reach different viewers.

"It would be nice if our audience watched every show," she says. "They pick and choose their favorites."

The competition evidently has studied the CBS model. Fox's new Bones and Prison Break will have full seasons. Bones seems like a younger-skewing CSI that plays up the chemistry of actors Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz. Prison Break will offer its fall finale at 9 tonight and return later in the season with nine new episodes.

Prison Break tells an epic story over a season, an approach skillfully used by 24, which starts its fifth season in January. Although Fox doesn't repeat 24, the adventures of Agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) have won new fans on DVD. The fourth-season DVD arrives Dec. 6.

For midseason, ABC is shooting for its own hit procedural. The Disney-owned network will offer The Evidence about two San Francisco detectives and In Justice about a nonprofit group that helps free those wrongly convicted.

Also for midseason, NBC has ordered Wolf's Conviction about young assistant district attorneys in New York. NBC will try 24-style storytelling with Heist, about jewel thieves, and Kidnapped, about a family's reaction to its 15-year-old son's abduction.

CBS has no new crime series planned for midseason, but the network remains committed to the genre. Tassler says viewers will let CBS know when they've had enough crime.

"The audience is saying they're continuing to respond to the programming we're putting on," Tassler says. "They're telling us they enjoy this form of storytelling."

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/tv/orl-crime05nov28,0,3740566,print.story?coll=orl-caltvtop

Monday’s prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s analysis of what they mean -- have been posted at the top of Ratings News the second post in this thread.

The November Sweeps
(From Marc Berman’s Tuesday, November 29, 2005 Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com )

November 2005: Three-Week Sweep Rating Results

Three weeks into the Nov. 2005 sweep, solid CBS ranks first in households, total viewers, adults 18-49 and adults 25-54, while growing ABC is No. 1 among adults 18-34. Although CBS' lead in adults 18-49 is only 2 percent in the demo, an advantage over ABC of 26 percent in households, 2.94 million viewers and 12 percent among adults 25-54 is a guarantee of final sweeps leadership. Year-to-year, CBS is close to Nov. 2004 levels, while ABC is up by margins of 10 to 13 percent. Both networks are, no doubt, worthy of accolades.

Although Fox is also on the minor plus side, building by 2 to 7 percent, the news is bleak at NBC, with losses of 13 to 26 percent. NBC ranks fourth among adults 18-34 (down 26 percent in the demo), and a distant third elsewhere. In the battle for the No. 5 spot, UPN is fifth in households, total viewers and adults 18-34; the WB is fifth among adults 25-54; and both are tied among adults 18-49. The two networks are close to year-ago levels.

What follows are the ratings for the first three weeks of Nov. 2005 (Nov. 3 - Nov. 23, 2005), with percent change in parentheses over the year-ago period:

Households:
CBS: 9.3/15 (+ 1)
ABC: 7.4/12 (+10)
NBC: 6.3/10 (-13)
Fox: 4.5/ 7 (+ 2)
UPN: 2.5/ 4 (- 4)
WB: 2.4/ 4 (- 8)

Total Viewers:
CBS: 14.44 million (+ 1)
ABC: 11.50 (+11)
NBC: 9.52 (-13)
Fox: 7.24 (+ 5)
UPN: 3.75 (- 2)
WB: 3.69 (- 7)

Adults 18-49:
CBS: 4.4/12 (- 2)
ABC: 4.3/12 (+10)
NBC: 3.3/ 9 (-20)
Fox: 3.1/ 8 (+ 7)
UPN and WB: 1.5/ 4 (- 6 each)

Adults 18-34:
ABC: 3.6/11 (+13)
Fox: 3.2/10 (+ 3)
CBS: 3.1/ 9 (- 3)
NBC: 2.6/ 8 (-26)
UPN: 1.7/ 5 (+ 6)
WB: 1.6/ 5 (- 6)

Adults 25-54:
CBS: 5.6/13 (no change)
ABC: 5.0/12 (+11)
NBC: 4.0/10 (-15)
Fox: 3.1/ 7 (+ 7)
WB: 1.5/ 3 (- 6)
UPN: 1.4/ 3 (-13)

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

The small suburban New York community of Nyack has just approved a contract with Verizon to offer is FiOS digital TV system. It becomes the second New York municipality to sign on with Verizon. The local cable company, Cablevision, isn’t accepting the competition quietly. Here’s a story:

A Digital Dodge City

The high-stakes battle between Verizon and Cablevision over a town on Long Island
By Spencer E. Ante BusinessWeek.com

James Altadonna Jr. won a heated election in 2001 to unseat the incumbent mayor in Massapequa Park, a comfy middle-class suburb on the south shore of New York's Long Island, and he has since been reelected twice. But he has never had his reputation attacked as fiercely as this year, when he got caught in the middle of a fight between two of the country's most powerful communications companies.

The clash Altadonna has become embroiled in pits Cablevision Systems Corp. (), the sole provider of cable TV in Massapequa Park, against Verizon Communications Inc. (), which wants a license to offer a competing television service. Altadonna, who serves as mayor part-time and donates his $7,000 salary to the village, thinks Verizon should get its license so residents have more choice. Yet after he pushed through that approval, Cablevision on Oct. 17 slapped the village, its trustees, and Verizon with a lawsuit. Then a Cablevision-funded group distributed fliers and advertised in local papers, accusing the mayor of betraying his town.

Altadonna isn't backing down. The 45-year-old, who runs a local printing company and has lived with his wife and three children in Massapequa Park for 12 years, is sending residents a letter criticizing the fliers as "misleading and deceptive." He says Cablevision is simply trying to delay competition. "The scare tactics they use are ridiculous," he says. "You wouldn't think a billion-dollar company would pick on a mayor." Cablevision says it is not trying to prevent competition. Its goal is to stop Verizon from getting a special deal.

This is just one skirmish in perhaps the most contentious battle in the communications industry. A Digital Age equivalent of the Hatfields and the McCoys, Verizon and Cablevision are shooting it out in town after town across the New York region. Their battle reflects the changes sweeping the tech landscape, with cable companies trying to grab phone customers and phone companies jumping into the cable-TV business.

Yet the clash also shows the benefits of bare-knuckled competition. As they slug it out, Verizon and Cablevision are steadily coming out with better services and lower prices on everything from traditional telephone calling to speedy Net access. In August, Verizon introduced a low-end broadband service for $15 a month, half the price of its previous entry-level offering. In November, Cablevision unveiled broadband with speeds of as much as 50 megabits per second, trumping Verizon's 30 megabits. "Consumers end up getting more products with better prices and greater value," says analyst Anthony Noto of Goldman, Sachs & Co. ().

Their fight offers a study in contrasts. Cablevision is a combative, entrepreneurial outfit run by the eccentric father-and-son team Charles and James L. Dolan. James now runs the Bethpage (N.Y.) company, which also owns Madison Square Garden and the New York Knicks. Verizon is the quintessential corporate icon, a descendant of Ma Bell. Based in Manhattan, Verizon is headed by Ivan G. Seidenberg, a diplomatic exec who shuns the spotlight.

The wrangling dates back to late 2003, when Dolan's Cablevision became the first cable company to offer phone service over its fiber lines. With its stronghold in the New York region, Cablevision added phone customers quickly and now has more than 600,000. About 13% of the people who can get its phone service have signed up, giving Cablevision the highest success rate of any major cable company. Cablevision has also aggressively offered broadband service, and now claims 1.6 million subscribers. "They are going to fight Verizon every step of the way," says analyst Craig E. Moffett of Sanford C. Bernstein & Co.

THE SANDWICH INCIDENT

Seidenberg's response to such challenges has been a counterattack of head-spinning risk. Alone among the phone companies, he's spending billions to string fiber-optic lines into peoples' homes, so Verizon can offer them cable TV and blazing Net service that could one day reach 100 megabits. Verizon offers the Net service, dubbed FiOS, in hundreds of towns nationwide, but its TV service is being rolled out more slowly. Verizon needs to win government approval to offer TV, in most cases from each town or village.

As Massapequa Park demonstrates, the battles for those approvals can be bruising. Verizon began serious negotiations with the village over the summer and participated in a Sept. 12 public hearing on the issue. About the same time, Cablevision's director of franchise management, Jeffrey M. Clark, called the mayor and said the company was planning to run ads condemning the Verizon franchise in local papers. According to an affidavit from Altadonna, Clark offered to pull the ads if trustees postponed a vote on the agreement scheduled for later that month. Altadonna refused. Through a Cablevision spokesman, Clark denies the allegation.

The day trustees planned to vote on the new franchise, Sept. 26, they held another public meeting that hundreds of locals attended. During the hearing, Altadonna and the others took a 15-minute break to eat in a private room before they returned and approved Verizon's application. That 15-minute break is at the heart of Cablevision's lawsuit. The company alleges trustees violated the state's open meeting law by discussing the franchise behind closed doors. Altadonna says they simply ate sandwiches. "There's no question the village followed the law," he says.

Even after the vote, Cablevision has tried to persuade Massapequa Park residents to oppose Verizon. A few weeks later, a trade group, financed by Cablevision, sent flyers out accusing Altadonna of reneging on a promise to keep Verizon's cable equipment above street level. Still, most town residents seem to be on the mayor's side. "I wouldn't mind having some more competition," says Maria Walsh, a 42-year-old local.

Besides the lawsuit and the public relations campaign, Cablevision is appealing to New York regulators. (In New York, the state must confirm the franchises approved by local governments.) The cable company alleges Verizon got a sweetheart deal, with terms that are better than Cablevision's own. Among other things, Cablevision contends that Verizon isn't obligated to offer television service to every resident. "[The agreement] has loopholes that allow it to pick and choose neighborhoods," says a Cablevision spokesman. Altadonna and Verizon say that's not true.

The cable company is pushing hard to win over state regulators. It's sending letters to local mayors, urging them to lobby regulators to reject Verizon's Massapequa Park franchise, according to documents reviewed by BusinessWeek. Cablevision's argument is that Massapequa Park could serve as a template for new cable franchises in other towns -- and that it's one that will poorly serve local communities.

Massapequa Park's fate should be decided soon. State regulators are expected to rule on Verizon's franchise in the coming weeks. And the state Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision in the Cablevision lawsuit next month. If state regulators approve the deal, Verizon plans to start offering cable TV, even if the suit is still in litigation.

Meanwhile, Altadonna is busy addressing one of the issues Cablevision has raised. On a recent sunny morning, he pulls up to the street where two Verizon cable boxes are located. The company's technicians are installing similar boxes 15 feet in the air and removing those near the ground. Rolling down his car window, Altadonna says, "I'm the mayor."

"This box is going to be taken away," says Brad Helford, a technician. "That's what you wanted, right?" Altadonna smiles. "Yup. I always live by what I say."

After he drives back to his office in Town Hall, Altadonna puts the finishing touches on his letter to village residents. "My integrity is not negotiable," it reads. "No malicious fliers, mailed by cowardly, spiteful individuals, will deter me from doing the right thing."

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_49/b3962098.htm

TV Blog Notebook:
“Break”-ing news and a “House” shocker

By Maureen Ryan Chicago Tribune November 28, 2005

According to Fox promos at the end of Monday’s “Prison Break,” the show will return in March. That’s better than May, eh?

• Speaking of "American Idol," Fox has reached an agreement with Simon Cowell that will ensure his continued on-air participation through at least five more seasons of the show. He'd been making noises about leaving, but now, not so much, since I imagine they handed him several kajillion dollars.

• And after the ratings the Nov. 22 episode of “Threshold” [/B] got in its new Tuesday time slot, the show won’t return. It’s been canceled (more’s the pity). An episode of “Criminal Minds” will air in “Threshold’s” spot instead. Bummer.

• So how about ABC sending out the press release at 5 p.m. the day before Thanksgiving announcing that “Alias” will end next spring? That’s when you release news that you don’t want anyone to notice. Well, to be honest, good riddance, “Alias.” It hurts to say that, since the show’s first three years were great, but it’s long overdue for an exit. Honestly, ABC should just put us out of our “Alias” misery now.

• Two “Project Runway” tidbits: I’ll be posting an interview with Tim Gunn, the show’s fab host/coach, in the next day or two. And to get yourself revved up for the second season of the show, which debuts Dec. 7, Bravo is airing the last few episodes of the first season starting at 10 a.m. Saturday. Relive all that divine Wendy Pepper drama!

• “Rome” won’t return until March 2007. Let us all wail piteously together: “Waaaaaaah!”

• Reminder: Oprah Winfrey visits David Letterman’s show on Thursday.

• Whaaaat??! “Reunion” has been canceled. Okay, I must admit, I’ve been watching the show since it began. I’m not tremendously proud of this fact, since it launched itself into total cheeseball territory regularly, but I have to know who killed that girl with the long curly hair! Arrrrgh! Fox had better tell us who did it. Geez, it’s bad enough that they cut short Season 3 of “Arrested Development,” now Fox has to deny me the guiltiest of my guilty pleasures. Arrrrrgh again!

• When “Stargate SG-1” returns for its 10th season in the middle of next year, “Farscape’s” Claudia Black, who had a memorable guest run on “SG-1” as the “ethically challenged” Vala at the start of Season 9, will be a series regular. By the way, the second half of "SG-1's” Season 9 will kick off on Jan. 6, along with “Stargate Atlantis” and “Battlestar Galactica.”

• An alternate ending of Wednesday’s “Veronica Mars” will be available on AOL.com immediately after the episode airs. Both endings will be available for viewing on AOL.com for one week. And you’ll be able to find a review of the episode here on Wednesday morning.

• Finally, spoiler alert! Don’t read the following sentence if you don’t want to know anything about Tuesday’s typically terrific episode of “House” (which last week, by the way, beat its biggest direct competitor, the much-hyped “Commander in Chief,” in the ratings -- go “House”!). Anyway, by the end of Tuesday’s episode, in which Dr. House and Dr. McBlondie (uh, I mean, Dr. Chase) are grilled about a botched case, House has a new boss. And you’ll never believe who it is.

• Just one more thing: How much do I love Jason Segel as the slightly dim but very funny Marshall on “How I Met Your Mother”? Even more than I love Ethan Suplee as Earl’s slightly dim but very funny brother on “My Name Is Earl.”

http://tempo.typepad.com/entertainment_tv/

as Marcus Carr posted earlier, the a la carte proposal seems to be back on the table.
Maybe we could get an HD only tier?

FCC Reverses Course on Cable, Backing à la Carte Pricing

A WALL STREET JOURNAL ONLINE NEWS ROUNDUP November 29, 2005 1:19 p.m.

Federal regulators concluded that cable firms could better serve consumers by allowing them to subscribe to individual channels instead of offering only prepackaged bundles.

A la carte programming "could be economically feasible and in consumers' best interests," Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin said at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, a reversal of the agency's view under previous chairman Michael Powell.

The decision opens a new front in the government's efforts to impose indecency standards on cable and satellite providers. Until now, the cable industry has resisted suggestions from Mr. Martin and some lawmakers to voluntarily offer à la carte choices or set up tiers of channels such as a "family-friendly" group of channels suitable for children or a selection of sports channels.

News Briefs
From today’s Hollywood Reporter

E! TV acquires Season 4 of 'Simple Life'
E! Entertainment Television is giving "The Simple Life" a new lease on life, ordering another season of the former Fox hit reality series. Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie will both return for the fourth season of "Simple Life," with 10 new half-hour episodes set to kick off in the spring.

CBS News drops Murphy
CBS News president Sean McManus has tapped "60 Minutes" veteran Rome Hartman to become executive producer of the "CBS Evening News," taking over from longtime executive producer Jim Murphy.

NBC News taps Capus
NBC News veteran Steve Capus has been appointed president of the news division. He will report to Jeff Zucker.

Fox renews 'Idol'
News Corp.'s Fox network agreed to air at least four more seasons of the "American Idol" television show, sending shares of the show's owner, CKX Inc., surging before the markets opened.

'Break' hits high
Fox's "Prison Break" wrapped up its initial 13-episode run with conviction Monday, posting its highest ratings yet in all key demos, according to preliminary estimates from Nielsen Media Research.

TiVo ad search
TiVo will soon offer subscribers a way to customize some of the ads they receive -- and offering advertisers a way to make sure they're targeting consumers who want what they're pitching.

Rookie cancellations
It's the end of the road for three freshman series: ABC's "Hot Properties," CBS' "Threshold" and Fox's "Reunion."

Syndie 'House'
NBC Universal Television Distribution is finalizing a deal to steer "House" to fellow NBC Uni subsidiary USA Network; Bravo also is said to be getting a small piece of the hit drama.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/index.jsp

'Idol' Star and Producer Settle, Clearing Way for Future Shows
Fox to announce results show switch to Thursday?

By Bill Carter The New York Times November 29, 2005

Simon Cowell, the star of the Fox network's biggest hit, "American Idol," cleared the way for his continued participation in the show yesterday when he settled a lawsuit brought by Simon Fuller, the producer of the series.

Representatives for each man said the settlement, which was reached yesterday, ended a £100 million ($171 million) copyright infringement lawsuit Mr. Fuller had filed against Mr. Cowell in a British court. Mr. Fuller had accused Mr. Cowell of stealing the creative elements of the "Idol" franchise for his own television talent contest, "X-Factor."

Neither side was willing to discuss the terms of the settlement yesterday because it will not be official until the lawsuit is ended today in court in Britain.

But The Daily Mirror in Britain quoted Mr. Cowell as saying: "We're delighted with the outcome. People think we hate each other but we don't. We're good friends."

Details of a new contract that will tie Mr. Cowell to Fox and "American Idol" for future seasons are also expected to be revealed today. The lawsuit had held up the deal because Mr. Cowell had made it clear that the coming season of "American Idol" would be his last unless the dispute was resolved. Mr. Cowell's contract with Fox and "American Idol" is to end in May.

One element in dispute was the right Mr. Cowell had in previous "Idol" shows to sign the winner of the singing contest to the record label he operates for Sony BMG music. He did not have that right for the "Idol" edition that is to start in January.

News of the settlement came as the Fox Television Network was putting the finishing touches on its scheduling plans for "American Idol" this season.

While the two-night-a-week show has played on Tuesday and Wednesday, Fox has been considering shifting it to Wednesday and Thursday.

Thursday is the night in American television when advertisers pay the most for commercial time on the networks. Fox has long sought a dependable program to schedule on that night.

In order to establish a stronger presence on Thursday, Fox has been considering expanding what it calls the "results show" of "Idol," which reveals the contestant who has been eliminated, from a half-hour to an hour.

Fox executives said last night that the network would announce its plans for the scheduling of "American Idol" today and that the Thursday option was thought to be more likely than it was as recently as last week.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/29/business/media/29idol.html?pagewanted=print

This should make the folks at “Showtime” really nervous! (Just kidding, but didn't HBO used to provide many quality shows? Now it has sunk to Heidi and "Cathouse"?)
HBO Orders Fleiss Documentary

By James Hibberd TVWeek.com November 29, 2005

HBO is partnering with Heidi Fleiss for a documentary chronicling her efforts to open Heidi's Stud Farm-Nevada's first male brothel catering to women, the network announced Tuesday.

The as-yet-untitled documentary will begin filming in December. The project will be the network's second new program set in a Nevada brothel. The first is the reality series "Cathouse."

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=8970

This should make the folks at “Showtime” really nervous! (Just kidding, but didn't HBO used to provide many quality shows? Now it has sunk to Heidi and "Cathouse"?)
HBO Orders Fleiss Documentary


Pathetic, this is the sort of fare that I might expect from FOX, in fact, I not sure they would even do it. HBO needs to dump Albrecht or whoever is in charge of these programming decisions. Really, who but a few people in Hollywood even give a crap about Heidi Fleiss?

I agree, Jim.
I found the news shocking.
But more than that, very depressing.

as Marcus Carr posted earlier, the a la carte proposal seems to be back on the table.
Maybe we could get an HD only tier?

FCC Reverses Course on Cable, Backing à la Carte Pricing

A WALL STREET JOURNAL ONLINE NEWS ROUNDUP

Could this actually happen? We can talk about the cable/dbs companies, but isn't this also forced by the media companies bundling of channels. I can't see they would stop this unless the FCC activally banned the practice.

While I really don't watch all the channels (and could certainly find other places to spend the money), I like knowing that if it's on, I get it (not a sports fan so don't get pulled into that high $$$ area).

Gotta think that the price of the "Everything Pack" would go up if ala-cart pulled away many of its subscribers.

Even were the FCC to ban such practices, the media corporations which own the channels would go to court. Keeping the public in the dark about how much the channels charge is in their best interest -- as is the practice of forcing providers to take a whole lot of channels in order to get several of high interest -- and then forcing those channels to be carried on "basic", so that all customers have to pay for them.

Thus the cable nets have spent tens of millions of dollars lobbying against a la carte over the past decade.

The price of the "everything pack" surely would go up.

So would some specialty packages, like sports, where the ESPON channels alone now charge providers more than $6 a month per subsciber (and generally insist that all subscribers be provided with them--and thus have to pay).

But basic packs, say local channels and a handful of channels which kept their prices down, might drop an average family's monthly bill dramatically. That seems to be the case in Canada, where some basic service cost as little as $C20.

Last week’s network prime-time ratings, highlighted by yet another strong week by CBS, are now at the top of[FONT=Arial Black] Latest Prime Time Ratings (the second post in this thread).

The individual program rankings for last week will be posted later in the day.

Last week’s prime-time program ratings are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS -- the second post in this thread.

TV Notes

by Matt Webb Mitovich TVGuide.com Wednesday, November 30, 2005

SIMON SAYS...: Now that his legal battle with American Idol producer Simon Fuller (over the forthcoming series The X Factor) has been settled, Simon Cowell has inked a deal to continue on as an Idol judge for at least five — yes, I said five — more seasons. Says Cowell in a statement, "It's a personal thrill for me to play a role in giving the best young singers in America a shot at realizing their dreams," and/or crushing them.

STONES DEEMED SUPER: The Rolling Stones have been booked as the halftime entertainment at Super Bowl XL, to be held Feb. 5. ABC will air the rockers' live performance on a five- to 10-second delay, presumably to safeguard against any slipped dentures nipples. What's more, Mick & Co. have announced a European tour that will kick off May 27 in Barcelona and offer concertgoers the chance to occupy seats onstage — chairs usually kept handy in case Keith Richards gets winded.

REUNION OVER, HOT IS NOT: On the heels of reports that CBS' Threshold, pulled for the remainder of November sweeps, has halted production, comes word that Fox's Reunion and ABC's Hot Properties each have had the plug pulled after 13 episodes. Thus far, there is no word on whether Reunion will wrap up its central murder mystery before vanishing; Hot Properties will air through December.

http://www.tvguide.com/news/entertainment/

I agree, Jim.
I found the news shocking.
But more than that, very depressing.

Shocking? This is nothing new for HBO. Have you never seen Real Sex, Pornucopia or Taxi Cab Confessions?

Fox has officially announced its HD schedule for Sunday, so I have added the missing two games to the HD Football Schedule at the top of the first post of this thread.

Just wanted to add my $.02 about Reunion getting the axe -- This is pretty disappointing considering the format of the show..The show opens saying "This is the story of 6 friends told over 20 years(20 episodes).."

If Fox cannot make the committment to at least show the conclusion, why bother at all?

Please, for our sake and yours, do not greenlight anymore high concept projects.

Now they did shoot 13 episodes, but if the show concluded up in 13, the premise doesn't make any sense(20 years, 20 episodes). I guess we'll have to wait about 7-8 months..The DVD release is inevitable...Then again, the show did have a lot of older music, so who knows whether the DVD set is even feasible.

Of course since the final 7 episodes were never shot, the DVD will leave fans hanging, too.

About the A-la-carte pricing:

I would use this option, since I only watch about 20 channels on DirecTV that I can't get with my OTA antenna. That may be able to lower my $80 bill considerably and even allow me to get some of the channels I am not getting now, since I don't feel like paying more.



The problem with this is that when new channels come out, how do you find out about them and if you like them or not? The networks would have to have a preview area of channels where you can get the newest channels for a month and see if you like the programming enough to pay for it.

Scott, there are plenty of ways for viewers to sample new channels.

Fox News Channel pioneered the idea of actually paying for carriage: It paid $10 a sub to a number of systems back in 1996. Other channels have since followed that model -- though perhaps none with the incredible success Roger Ailes has had in the lpast nine years. FNC is now reported to be asking for $1 a sub a month in upcoming contract renewals -- up from about 22 cents a month it now gets. (CNN, by comparison, reportedly charges about 45 cents a month currently.)

There is no reason a start-up couldn't do something like that, perhaps starting just with Dish or DirecTV or Comcast, etc, to gauge the interest, and go on from there.

The congolmerates have gotten used to having people pay for channels they don't want. And they seem to have no idea how to live in a world where that coercion doesn't exist.

Perhaps they all went to management school and studied the airline business before deregrulation. Or perhaps they realize that most of the channels we pay for (even if we don't lknow it) we really don't want, don't watch, and would love not to pay for.

Trump heads west
L.A. is next stop for new “Apprentice”

By Nellie Andreeva The Hollywood Reporter

"The Apprentice" is coming back and heading West.

NBC has picked up the reality series from Mark Burnett Prods. for a sixth cycle to air next season. Donald Trump will be back in the boardroom, which will relocate to Southern California for the show's first season set outside of Manhattan.


" 'The Apprentice' continues to be a top performer for NBC, so we're pleased that the show and Donald Trump will continue to play a key role in this network's future through a fifth and now sixth cycle," NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly said. "We think viewers will agree that a California backdrop, with Donald's West Coast business interests and relationships, will provide an exciting new flavor for the series next season."

While ratings for "The Apprentice" have cooled off considerably following the show's red-hot first installment last year, the show still keeps NBC competitive against CBS' juggernaut "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and ranks as the top unscripted series among upscale viewers.

"I could never have imagined that firing 67 people on national television would actually make me more popular, especially with the younger generation," Trump said. "While I love shooting in New York City, I look forward to filming Season 6 in Los Angeles."

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001572588

The November Sweeps
ABC finds its 'sweeps' success

Once a ratings doormat, ABC is in the running to win its first "sweeps" period in nearly six years

By Scott Collins Los Angeles Times Staff Writer November 30, 2005

Once a ratings doormat, ABC is in the running to win its first "sweeps" period in nearly six years.

Which just goes to show the good a pregnant man can do.

ABC and CBS are battling to the wire for crucial young-adult viewers, and TV executives say the race is too close to call for the monthlong sweeps, which end tonight. But there's no doubt that, in addition to "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost," ABC has been helped by "Grey's Anatomy," a quirky medical drama that has turned into one of network TV's biggest hits.

Viewers have clearly grown partial to the interns at Seattle Grace Hospital and their frequently wacky patients, including the man who turned up in an episode this month claiming to be expecting (his abdominal growth turned out to be a rare tumor).

"Creatively, it's getting stronger and stronger," ABC prime-time entertainment chief Steve McPherson said in an interview this week.

The same could be said of ABC's overall schedule, which over the last year has risen from the ashes to threaten CBS, which is still riding high from the success of such hits as "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and the "Survivor" franchise, along with promising newcomers such as the profiler drama "Criminal Minds."

Through Monday night, CBS was leading ABC among the coveted 18- to 49-year-old viewer demographic by a sliver-thin one-tenth of a rating point, with many analysts and executives expecting ABC to eke out a tie by the time the dust settles Thursday morning.

Even if the Walt Disney Co.-owned network has to settle for a close second, that would count as an astonishing turnaround. ABC, which is up 8% among young adults compared with a year ago, while CBS is flat, has not won a sweep period since February 2000, when it tied CBS thanks to the game-show sensation "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."

Since then, ABC has been in what a losing football coach would inevitably dub "a rebuilding phase."

NBC, meanwhile, the onetime king of the young adult "demo," has seen its ratings tumble 18% compared with last year and will likely tie with Fox for third place. Among total viewers in the prime-time sweeps, CBS has a commanding lead (14.6 million nightly primetime average), trailed by ABC (11.4 million), NBC (9.2 million) and Fox (7.6 million), according to figures from Nielsen Media Research.

The reversal of fortunes at ABC and NBC has taken even some analysts by surprise. Although NBC has mostly kept its focus on affluent young-adult viewers, its audience is aging (and getting smaller) as new series such as "E-Ring" and "Surface" have fizzled and older series like "ER" steadily lose momentum. The new comedy "My Name Is Earl" is a bright spot, although it's considered a modest success rather than a standout hit.

"Who could have said that NBC would be a noncontender for [ages] 18-49 in the November sweep?" said Shari Anne Brill, an analyst for the ad firm Carat USA in New York.

The results are particularly illuminating because, for the most part, networks relied on their regularly scheduled series rather than loading up on the stunts and specials that often dominate sweep periods — and that can obscure networks' real strengths and weaknesses. "It doesn't feel like everybody's bringing out their heavy artillery," Fox scheduling chief Preston Beckman said.

The relative quiet prevails partly because some major TV markets, including Los Angeles, are now using local "people meters" from Nielsen, which can offer more detailed audience data and which many experts believe will eventually spell the extinction of sweeps, which local stations use to set ad rates. Also, as CBS scheduling chief Kelly Kahl noted, there have been relatively fewer new series than normal that failed right away this fall, leaving fewer open slots for specials.

For example, the drama "Prison Break" delivered better-than-expected numbers for Fox, and NBC ordered more episodes of "E-Ring" and "Surface," even though the series have not performed well. ABC's heavily publicized "Commander in Chief" has failed to catch on among younger viewers, although it's still hanging in on Tuesday nights. Fox's "Reunion," NBC's "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart" and CBS' "Threshold," meanwhile, all count as major disappointments.

But another factor may be at play as well: The calm before the winter storm that is "American Idol."

Fox will bring back its gargantuan hit in January, although it has not announced exactly when or where it will reside on the schedule. Speculation about its ultimate whereabouts is dominating talk at the TV networks. In years past, "Idol" has dominated Tuesdays and much of Wednesdays, with some high-rated specials thrown in on Mondays as well. But there is speculation that Fox will shake things up by plopping the "Idol" "results show" on Thursdays, TV's most lucrative night, when Fox has never had much success building an audience.

The decision carries high stakes not just for Fox but for all its rivals as well.

If "Idol" moves to Thursdays, for example, NBC might well scotch a contemplated plan to move "Earl" to that night and try to begin rebuilding its "must-see" comedy block. And CBS would likely feel the heat on "Survivor" or "CSI," depending on exactly where "Idol" lands. But for now, Fox's rivals will have to squirm a bit longer, like the pregnant man in "Grey's Anatomy."

"We'll hopefully, sometime before 'Idol' comes on, announce our plans," Fox's Beckman said with a laugh.

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-sweeps30nov30,0,1610779,print.story?coll=cl-tv-top-right

The November Sweeps
ABC Wins Week in Demo, CBS Wins Total Viewers

By Christopher Lisotta TVWeek.com November 29, 2005

CBS won the third full week of November sweeps in total viewers while ABC took the title in the adults 18 to 49 demographic. ABC's Sunday hour "Desperate Housewives" took the top spot in both categories.

"Housewives" was the No. 1 program in adults 18 to 49 for the week ended Nov. 27, scoring an 11.1 rating, according to Nielsen Media Research. Its lead-out, "Grey's Anatomy," was second with an 8.9, followed by the Thanksgiving episode of "CSI" (8.4).

"Housewives" averaged 25.9 million total viewers, compared with "CSI's" 25.7 million and "Grey's Anatomy's" 19.6 million.

ABC was tops for the week in the demo with a 4.3, followed by CBS (4.1), Fox (3.6), NBC (3.1) and The WB and UPN (both 1.3).

CBS was No.1 in total viewers with 13.5 million, followed by ABC (11.0 million), NBC (9.3 million), Fox (8.6 million) and The WB and UPN (both 3.6 million).

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=8972

Last week’s complete ratings numbers are now at the top of Latest Prime Time Ratings (the second post in this thread).

TV Notes:
"American Idol,'' "Threshold," "Prison Break'' and "Reunion''

By Charlie McCollum San Jose Mercury News

There's an awful lot going on in TV world the week after Thanksgiving -- some good and some bad:

First off, there's the news that Fox has brokered an agreement for Simon Cowell to stick with "American Idol'' for another five years of brutalizing incompetent contestants. Cowell's return to the show for this coming season had been up in the air because of a nasty legal dispute involving the acerbic judge and "Idol'' producer Simon Fuller. Fuller agreed to drop the legal action (it had something to do with stealing an idea for a new reality show) in return for Cowell re-upping.

Now, all Fox has to do is figure out when "Idol'' is going to air come January. It's beginning to look more and more like the network may take the plunge and move the series' "results show'' into its Thursday night schedule, probably going up against "CSI.''

If you go looking for a new episode of "Threshold'' tonight at 10, you're out of luck. CBS has pulled the new episode that had been scheduled (a repeat of "Criminal Minds'' replaces it) and, according to several published reports, it has stopped production on the sci fi thriller. Too bad because -- while the show wasn't great -- it was a good, entertaining piece of TV with a first-rate cast.

Also getting the ax: Fox's "Reunion'' and ABC's wildly unfunny "Hot Properties.'' The latter won't be missed and its cancellation will free up some very funny actresses to find better work. But the former had some devotees who will probably be left hanging as to the outcome of the serialized murder mystery unless the producers hustle to tack on an ending before Fox pulls the plug.

And, finally, you may have notice that at the end of last night's "fall finale'' of "Prison Break,'' Fox promoted the fact the addictive series would return in March. That's actually good news because, originally, the show wasn't going to return until May with its final nine episodes of the season. Three months is a long time but at least, it's better than five.

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/charlie_mccollum/index.html

Bill O'Reilly, sex on TV…
…and why I'll probably regret this post

By Mike Antonucci at the San Jose Mercury News TV-Radio blog

I've thought for a long time that Bill O'Reilly has the best show on television.

His Monday-Friday program on Fox News Channel is a combination of public service and thoughtful entertainment, highlighted by three main attributes: exceptional common sense, free thinking and a keen understanding of how important pop culture is to American life.

Why am I -- one of the guys with the video-game blog -- writing about O'Reilly? Because I write about more than games, and some days after I wrote a front-page story about a study of sex on TV, O'Reilly did a segment prompted by the same research.

The O'Reilly segment was generally quite good and pushed into a discussion with his guests of sex-laden TV shows that could be considered especially provocative. That's something the study from the Kaiser Family Foundation didn't address, and the segment deserves applause merely for airing some criticism (not by O'Reilly) of the FX network's "Nip/Tuck." There's no more cynical, manipulative and sensationalistic show on the tube than that travesty.

But my admiration for that segment won't stand up as the focus of this post. The fact that I've declared my respect for O'Reilly's daily TV work is sure to become the flash point.

Express any appreciation for O'Reilly in the overwhelmingly liberal Bay Area and people tend to respond with horror or contempt. Doing it in this format means the likely result will be an avalanche of attacks. Most will be personal rather than issue oriented. That's the sad nature of public debate these days -- it degenerates far too often into smear sessions. I can only speculate that social tensions have made diverse opinions seem threatening, instead of just disagreeable. Hence the venom in people's reactions.

Still, I'm holding out hope that my comments will generate a thread of discussion about O'Reilly's work, rather than diatribes about me. For the record, I think of myself as a political centrist, and I like and watch a wide range of news programming. I'm also being very specific about the substance of O'Reilly's program:

(1) He emphasizes a "no-spin" approach. To me, that means keeping his guests from citing only convenient or half facts and calling them to account when they're playing word games to avoid being pinned down. That's admirable journalistically, but there's something he excels at that's even better: common-sense interviewing. For instance, he often asks guests
whether they're proud or conflicted about some position they hold, instead of arguing about their legal or philosophical reasoning. He drives the discussion to its core -- the impact of what people believe -- instead of filling air about theories.

2) He's not predictable. He's not an ideologue. I think he's a conservative more than anything else, but if you watch him regularly, he'll surprise you fairly often. That makes him a much more interesting commentator and influence than his detractors want to admit.

3) He spends a fair amount of time on topics ranging from TV programming to rap music and celebrity behavior. He realizes there are important connections between cultural activities, personal values and social trends. It's complex stuff; he and I probably would disagree much of the time about what's healthy or harmful, creative or exploitive. But he has tremendous
instincts for exploring the way a media and entertainment driven culture affects our daily lives, and that gives his show a special distinction.

To wrap up: I don't think O'Reilly is anywhere near infallible nor even always "fair and balanced.'' But I believe his sense of what's important and relevant is superb. The clarity of his thinking makes for great TV, and anyone who has pigeonholed him as a knee-jerk right-winger isn't really paying attention. Did I mention that it adds up to the best show on TV?

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2005/11/bill_oreilly_se.html#more

Express any appreciation for O'Reilly in the overwhelmingly liberal Bay Area and people tend to respond with horror or contempt. Doing it in this format means the likely result will be an avalanche of attacks. Most will be personal rather than issue oriented. That's the sad nature of public debate these days -- it degenerates far too often into smear sessions.

Isn't that the whole premise of O'Reilly's show? As soon as the other side makes a VALID point he yells at the guest and turns the mic off. That's mature debate if I ever saw it.

Stop watching Fox (or CNN/MSNBC) if you desire intelligent news and/or debate and look for less partial outlets like the BBC. No flash or stunts for ratings, just news.

Sorry for not getting personal, just getting out facts that the Faux News Channel doesn't bother with ;)

The problem with sex and violence on TV...

There's too much violence and not enough sex! :D

Tuesday’s prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s analysis of what they mean -- have been posted at the top of Ratings News the second post in this thread.

The TV Column
The Week’s Winners and Losers

CBS Has a November to Be Thankful For
By Lisa de Moraes The Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, November 30, 2005; C07

CBS will win the November ratings sweep, which wraps tonight, by about 3 million viewers because the other broadcast networks barely put up a fight, though they did cancel a lot of shows last week.

Here's a look at last week's gravy and turkeys:

WINNERS

"Silver Bells." Treacly CBS holiday flick starring former Ellen DeGeneres partner Anne Heche as widow who takes in runaway teenager and then gets tangled with his Christmas-tree-dealer father -- ho, ick, ho -- copped more than 16 million viewers, which, although underwhelming, still makes it the most watched movie this season.

"A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving." Yet another reason to cancel "Alias": One week after the chick actioner logged 6.6 million for ABC on Thursday at 8 p.m., this aged animated classic, competing against the strongest "Survivor" episode of the season, snared nearly 9 million viewers in the same slot -- about 1 million more than it bagged last year.

"Medium." Exhuming Rod Serling to introduce an episode that featured 3-D bits -- which looked really lousy if you didn't have the glasses -- helped the show to its biggest audience this season -- 13.4 million viewers, compared with the previous week's 12.5 million.

"Survivor: Guatemala." Thanks to "exciting" Dallas-Denver football game overrun, "Survivor" enjoyed its most watched episode of the season on Thanksgiving night. Bet CBS now wishes it had not "specialed out" the episode.

"Close to Home." In its second week on Friday following Jennifer Love Hewitt chatting with dead folks, Jerry Bruckheimer's crime-in-the-burbs drama posted its biggest audience so far -- just under 12 million viewers.

"Law & Order: SVU." Largest audience since May '04, with Annie Potts and Judith Light guest starring.

"Desperate Housewives." The most watched show of the week for the first time this season -- not because skanky pharmacist George met his maker, though that was fun -- but because Thanksgiving falls on "CSI's" Thursday instead of "DH's" Sunday.

LOSERS

"Three Wishes." NBC boosted its episode order, then reversed itself and cut back on this heartwarming reality series.

"Hot Properties." Stone cold and canceled by ABC.

"Killer Instinct." Killed by Fox after struggling Fridays at 9; in its last broadcast, it attracted only 3 million.

"Threshold." Yanked by CBS after being moved to Tuesday, where last week it suffered its smallest audience yet.

"Reunion." "St. Elmo's Fire" murder series scrubbed by WB.

"American Music Awards." Yes, it gave ABC its best non-sports Tuesday in two years among teens and young adults, but 11.7 million viewers is the trophy show's smallest audience ever. ABC bumped it off of Sunday night because there's no way ABC is going to take "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy" off its Sunday lineup for a trophy show. Except the Oscars.

Country Music Stars . On Wednesday, "Kenny Chesney: Somewhere in the Sun" clocked the same number of viewers as ABC does anyway in that hour with "George Lopez" and "Freddie." Immediately after that on NBC, Faith Hill logged fewer than 7 million viewers -- a far cry from the more than 11 million she amassed for NBC in November '03 when she was still a blonde.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/29/AR2005112901592_pf.html

New 'Nightline': More is less

By David Bianculli New York Daily News TV Editor Wednesday, November 30th, 2005

The first installment of the drastically revamped, post-Ted Koppel edition of ABC's "Nightline" was a wobbly affair.

Like a toddler, it's destined to find its stride and stand on its own two feet - but its first steps were both hesitant and jerky.

The major complaint with Monday's inaugural telecast, with its new set, new team of players and new theme song, regards the initially awkward use of its multistory magazine format.

The opener comprised three major stories - one each from the new "Nightline" troika of Cynthia McFadden, Terry Moran and Martin Bashir.

Each left as many questions unanswered as answered, and suggested strongly that devoting a half-hour show to each would have been far more satisfying and impressive.

McFadden opened the show, commendably, by saluting her predecessor (something Jay Leno didn't do when he inherited NBC's "Tonight Show").

"Ted's four-decade career at ABC News, more than 25 of those years at 'Nightline,' is an inspiration," she said. "And we pledge to do our best to build on the proud journalistic tradition of this program."

So far, so good.

But as McFadden uttered those words in ABC's flashy Times Square studio, the camera never settled down. After slowly framing her in a proper closeup, it kept swaying from side to side, providing a wobbly picture that suggested the show's maiden voyage was being shot on an unsteady surface, as if at sea.

The trio of stories, while commendable in subject, were less so in scope. McFadden's piece, the one most typical of a classic "Nightline" report, had her questioning priests on opposite sides of the debate about gay clergy. The interview, handled live, could have gone somewhere, but never got the chance. After five minutes, with the gay priest from Albany champing to respond to his colleague's charge that homosexuality was "a disorder," McFadden shut down the discussion.

"I'm sorry," she said, "that's going to have to be the last word for tonight."

I'm sorry, too. I would have loved to hear his response.

Similarly, in Bashir's intriguing feature story on an all-deaf high school football team with an undefeated record, five minutes was far too little time to do justice to the topic. Even Moran's live lead story, on the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, seemed incomplete. Five minutes was all Moran got, too, with an additional minute for a postreport debriefing with McFadden.

Dividing the "Nightline" turf by half, rather than thirds, would be a better compromise, if the new regime is insistent on picking up the pace. The correspondents shouldn't mind waiting their turn, if the resulting rotation provides time for deeper, better reports.

Lock down the camera, and slow down the segments, and the new version of "Nightline" (at 11:35 p.m.) will deserve to retain its time slot - and stand a better chance of building on that proud journalistic tradition.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/ent_radio/story/370193p-314908c.html

The 2005-2006 TV Season
Fox's big gamble: 'Idol' on Thursday
It will say today if it will shift the hit show

By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Nov 30, 2005

Today is decision day at Fox.

After weeks of mulling over the idea, the network is expected to confirm today that it is moving mega-hit “American Idol” from Tuesdays and Wednesdays to Wednesdays and Thursdays, constituting one of the most significant primetime changes in recent years.

The competition show would air Wednesdays at 8 or 9 and the results show likely Thursday at 9 p.m., opposite CBS’s “CSI” and NBC’s increasingly vulnerable “The Apprentice.”

Yesterday several sources told Media Life they expected the announcement sometime today, just weeks after a Fox spokesperson dismissed the rumor as highly unlikely. Fox has been feeling out buyers for weeks about the change.

Fox is known for its bold programming moves, and this would be among the boldest. It would entirely restructure a night that has belonged to CBS the past two years after decades of NBC dominance. It would also effectively finish off NBC, whose Thursday ratings have slipped dramatically since “Friends” exited 18 months ago.

The other major development would be freeing up Tuesday nights, where other networks have been reluctant to program against 8 p.m.’s “Idol” steamroller.

That would be a huge boon for ABC, which faced the possibility of losing some of new show “Commander in Chief’s” audience at 9 p.m. to whatever led out of “Idol.” It also protects NBC’s new 9 p.m. hit “My Name is Earl,” though that could end up moving to Thursday in an attempt to blunt the “Idol” effect.

“It’s going to be interesting, to say the least. Fox is calling the shots right now,” says one media researcher.

“It’s not like they can’t go back and move it if it doesn’t work out,” says another. “This has been talked about for a while, so it’s not as surprising as it could have been, but it’s still a gutsy move. It has been so successful on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. And it was integral part of them winning 18-49 last year.”

Certainly no one would expect the same ratings from “Idol” on Thursdays. The results show averaged an 11.1 rating last season on Wednesdays, but some falloff was expected for the show’s fifth season, as happens with any aging program. Still, it will be potent enough to really hurt the other networks.

NBC stands to lose the most. The network is already shaky at 9, with “Apprentice” down nearly 40 percent from last season to a 4.8 average adults 18-49 rating.

Though CBS’s “CSI” has been steady, a ratings slide against “Idol” seems inevitable. Perhaps most hurt by the move, though, will be the WB and UPN, whose 9 p.m. lineups fall off after strong 8 p.m. shows.

“We were anticipating the moves as they announced them, but suddenly this makes the other networks nervous, especially NBC and the WB,” says one of the buyers. “If you move the results show, it kills ‘Everwood’ on Thursday.”

Fox will shore up a night where it has struggled to find a suitable companion to 8 p.m.’s “The O.C.,” which performs well among adults 18-34. Production of the 9 p.m. “Reunion” has stopped.

It also frees up a slot on Tuesday night, where “Bones” was scheduled to move from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Now hit drama “House” will likely stay at 9 instead of switching to Mondays at 8 p.m.

That then clears the way for Fox’s fall hit “Prison Break,” which hit a series high with Monday’s first-half finale, to return to the schedule paired with “24.”

Fox executives had been concerned that if they delayed “Prison’s” return until late spring, as originally planned, the series would lose its momentum. And indeed, reports surfaced yesterday that the show will be returning in March, all but confirming that Fox will switch “Idol” to Thursday.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_1525.asp

The November Sweep
For NBC, welcome winner in its “Loser”
Two-hour season finale earns series-best (18-49 demo) 6.7

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Nov 30, 2005

NBC finally made some November sweeps noise of its own.

After weeks of domination by sweeps co-leaders CBS and ABC, NBC quieted both networks last night with a surprisingly strong 6.7 average overnight rating among viewers 18-49 for the two-hour finale of “The Biggest Loser.”

The show had been trending up over recent weeks, but few expected such an impressive showing for its finale. Last night’s 6.7 average was an 86 percent increase over the 3.6 overnight rating the show had averaged through its first 11 episodes this season.

Even compared to the 4.1 overnight rating “Loser” had averaged over its last three episodes, last night’s rating was up 63 percent.

The show bettered last January’s first-season finale by 12 percent and helped NBC to its highest Tuesday 18-49 rating from 8 to 10 p.m. in four years, not counting the Olympics.

NBC averaged a 6.6 rating and a 16 share among 18-49s last night, likely pushing it ahead of Fox for good for third place during November sweeps. Going into last night, both networks had averaged a 3.2 rating during the period. Fox was second last night at 4.3/11.

CBS and ABC entered last night tied for the sweeps lead, each averaging a 4.4 rating among 18-49s. Neither network was helped, however, as CBS came in third for the night at 3.5/9 and ABC right behind in fourth at 3.4/9, both of them off their season Tuesday night averages . UPN was fifth last night at 1.3/3 and the WB sixth at 1.2/3.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_1548.asp

Critic’s Notebook
”Veronica Mars”: Better than “Buffy”?

By Maureen Ryan Chicago Tribune

There’s no doubt that one obsessively dissected Wednesday night drama knows exactly where it’s going.

Though “Lost” has been enjoyable, if occasionally vexing and slow-moving this season, it’s “Veronica Mars” (9 PM ET/PT The WB) that has its fans and critics alike declaring -- with good reason -- that the show’s second season is better than its first. The ongoing mystery on “Mars” is even more enthralling, star Kristin Bell continues to effortlessly impress and even the guest stars are a treat. What’s not to love?

Wednesday’s outing of “Veronica Mars” is typically engrossing: Organizing a roomful of old files as a high -school detention assignment, part-time detective Veronica Mars comes across her mother’s own permanent record. The clues there point to some dark drama: Did her mother spread malicious gossip back in the day? And who has a vested interest in keeping those old rumors under wraps -- or in getting them out into the open?

Alyson Hannigan, Willow on the cult drama “Buffy” and a lead on CBS’ “How I Met Your Mother,” guests as the hilariously self-absorbed Trina Echolls, a D-list celebrity and the sister of Mars’ ex. Also appearing is another “Buffy” alum, Charisma Carpenter, who plays Kendall Casablancas, a formerly wealthy trophy wife looking to sustain her manicures-and-margaritas lifestyle.

Former “Buffy” fans will be looking forward to the scene that Hannigan and Carpenter share: Their throw-down does not disappoint. Think “All About Eve,” but with sharper claws. It’s delish.

Despite the ongoing “Buffy” love fest -- that show’s creator, Joss Whedon, has sung the praises of “Veronica Mars” and had a brief cameo on the show a few weeks back -- “Mars” inspires heretical thoughts from this devoted “Buffy” fan.

Let’s face it, despite the incredible richness of the stories Whedon told on “Buffy” and “Angel,” some folks were just never going to be down with TV shows involving demons, vampires and other assorted mutants. “Veronica Mars,” on the other hand, has all of the trademarks of Whedon’s shows: witty writing, great acting, strong plotting, a love of the unexpected and a ferocious devotion to emotional truth. And there are no monsters or demons to put off those who might find such fiends off-putting.

Still, it’s easy to see why “Mars” inspires such fervent, “Buffy”-esque devotion: It’s one of the best-written shows on TV. The show’s ongoing mystery this year -- about a bus crash that killed several of Mars’ classmates -- has been expertly handled, and the weekly mysteries are more whip-smart than ever. Plus, Jason Dohring has been on fire as Mars’ quippy, bitter ex-boyfriend Logan, and Enrico Colantoni just keeps getting better as Mars’ worried, watchful dad.

http://tempo.typepad.com/entertainment_tv/

The TV Column
The Week’s Winners and Losers


"Killer Instinct." Killed by Fox after struggling Fridays at 9; in its last broadcast, it attracted only 3 million.


Is this the first news of this cancellation? I must have missed it earlier I suppose. Anyway, I'm actually going to miss this one a little, I thought it was getting better as it went along and will miss Kristin Lehman as she was very good on this show.

Critic’s Notebook
”Veronica Mars”: Better than “Buffy”?

It’s one of the best-written shows on TV. The show’s ongoing mystery this year -- about a bus crash that killed several of Mars’ classmates -- has been expertly handled, and the weekly mysteries are more whip-smart than ever. Plus, Jason Dohring has been on fire as Mars’ quippy, bitter ex-boyfriend Logan, and Enrico Colantoni just keeps getting better as Mars’ worried, watchful dad.


Absolutely, there are many top 20 shows that can only dream about being as well written and acted as Veronica Mars. It's incredible how smoothly and well done all the little mini-mysteries of this show meld with the overall seasonal plotline. IMO, no other drama on TV does this as well as Veronica Mars. I hope it's around for awhile to come. If at age 50, I'm any measure of how wide an audience this show can attract it should be.

Is this the first news of this cancellation? I must have missed it earlier I suppose. Anyway, I'm actually going to miss this one a little, I thought it was getting better as it went along and will miss Kristin Lehman as she was very good on this show.

It was the first I had heard of it, too. It must have been buried in the Thanksgiving weekend.

It was the first I had heard of it, too. It must have been buried in the Thanksgiving weekend.
Well, IMO, CBS literally owns Friday night now, all other nets may as well turn the time over to their local stations. A "Saturday" style Friday night. :D

One more note on Killer Instinct, Johnny Messner is simply not a very good actor and definitely not ready for prime time TV, IMO.

I agree. I had watched a couple of early episodes, but because of the rotten ratings had relegated the past 5-6 to my TiVo. (I hate to get engrossed in a show and then have it disappear -- though I nevert seem to learn ["Karen Sisco" and "Eyes" are two examples]). So, if things get really slow over the holidays, perhaps I will watch them. But I doubt it.

By the way, Jim, a sleeper I have found (after some really dreary early episodes) is "Related" on the WB.

Its started out like a cheap, bad (and PG-rated) ripoff of Sex In The City.

But recently the characters have been fleshed out, the writing is crisp, and the series is really getting much, much better. I am not sure if it will survive, but if you get a chance to watch the episode a few weeks back where Dana Delany appeared as the girls' mother, it is superb episodic TV -- one of the best episodes of any show I have seen in a couple of years.

Critic’s Notebook
How “Veronica Mars” found her groove

Move to post-Tyra timeslot boosts ratings

By Abigail Azote MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer

From the beginning, UPN’s “Veronica Mars” has been a critics’ favorite. It premiered last season to high praise, lauded as intelligent and well-written. But despite all that the show failed to take off.

Now "Mars''" ratings are finally catching up. What it took was a move to a new night and the resulting boost of a much stronger and more compatible lead-in.

So far this season, “Mars” has averaged 956,000 viewers 18-34 in its new Wednesday 9 p.m. timeslot. That’s up 29 percent from its 739,000 season average last year. And that’s despite facing one of the top-rated shows on broadcast, ABC’s “Lost.”

Among 18-49s, the show is up 24 percent from last season, to 1.6 million viewers in that demo.

The simple explanation for “Mars’” significant rise this year is Tyra Banks' “America’s Next Top Model,” its new lead-in. The show went from having virtually no lead-in last year, when it aired after “Eve” at 9 p.m. Tuesdays, to following the network’s highest-rated program.

“Now it’s in UPN’s best time period,” notes Jordan Breslow, director of broadcast research at MediaCom. He says buyers like the show, which follows a teenage girl detective, because it’s different from most of UPN’s standard one-note fare.

Also at work is the synergy between the two shows, which both skew young and female, suggests Bill Carroll, director of programming at Katz Television Group.

“This move made Wednesday on UPN a destination for young women,” he says. The network is up 3 percent for the night among female teens versus last year, with a 3.1 average rating. "Kevin Hill" occupied "Mars'" timeslot last year.

Another factor could just be that the show is finally coming into its own in its second season.

“It takes time sometimes for a drama to find its core audience,” says Breslow. “[The network] is giving this the time that it needs to flourish.”

Nonetheless, UPN is making sure it does what it can to ensure the continued upswing for the show, including a tie-in with AOL.com. An alternative ending to tonight’s episode will be available exclusively through the site, along with the original televised ending. Fans can then vote for their favorite. The winning ending will be revealed Dec. 7 on AOL and during the airing of that night’s episode.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_1524.asp

Fox's big gamble: 'Idol' on Thursday
It will say today if it will shift the hit show



And it doesn't move.

Fox news (http://www.thefutoncritic.com/cgi/pr.cgi?id=20051130fox01)

Edit: It also mentions the cancellation of Killer Instinct and the season/series finale of the already canceled Reunion on Feb. 2.

Great catch, David!

Here is the zap2it version.

The 2005-2006 Season: Round Two
'Idol' Stays Put, Lots More Moving for FOX Midseason


zap2it.com---FOX is indeed shaking up the Thursday-night landscape at midseason, although the announcement the network made about its schedule isn't quite the earth-shattering one many were expecting.

Deciding not to mess with success, FOX is keeping "American Idol" in its Tuesday-Wednesday home, with the fifth season of the show scheduled to premiere Tuesday, Jan. 17. There had been widespread speculation in recent days that the network would shift the "Idol" results show to Thursday in a bid to challenge CBS' dominance of the night.

"With all of the speculation and rumor, it's great to finally announce the premiere of the second half of our season," FOX Entertainment chief Peter Liguori says. "It takes discipline to hold back '24' and 'American Idol,' but doing so allows us to strengthen our schedule across the week and to give our viewers nonstop excitement from January through May."

FOX is making some changes to Thursday, moving comedies "That '70s Show" and "Stacked" into the 9 p.m. hour following "The O.C." as of March 2. The shows will face a tough road there opposite CBS' powerhouse "CSI" and NBC's "The Apprentice."

In a change from the plan it announced last spring, FOX will keep "House" at 9 p.m. Tuesdays. The show has proven to be a strong performer on its own this fall, and its ratings will likely get a further boost by airing after the Tuesday "Idol."

First-year drama "Bones," meanwhile, will move from Tuesday to 9 p.m. Wednesday -- opposite ABC's "Lost" -- starting Jan. 25. The Wednesday "Idol" will stay at 8 p.m. for the audition/field-narrowing phase, then move to 9 p.m. in the spring. The network hasn't finalized its Wednesday plans for when that occurs.

Finally, the network has also set a return date for "Prison Break": A repeat of Monday's (Nov. 28) "fall finale" will air Monday, March 13, and new episodes will be paired with "24" starting the following week.

Here's a rundown of changes in FOX's midseason schedule (Saturday and Sunday lineups remain intact):

Monday
8 p.m. "Skating with Celebrities" (premieres Wednesday, Jan. 18; moves to Mondays Jan. 23-March 6)
8 p.m. "Prison Break" (returns March 13)
9 p.m. "24" (premieres Sunday, Jan. 15; moves to Mondays the following night)

Tuesday
8 p.m. "American Idol" (premieres Jan. 17)
9 p.m. "House"

Wednesday
8 p.m. "American Idol" (premieres Jan. 18)
9 p.m. "Bones" (as of Jan. 25)

Thursday
8 p.m. "The O.C."
9 p.m. "That '70s Show" (as of March 2)
9:30 p.m. "Stacked" (as of March 2)

Friday
8 p.m. "The Bernie Mac Show"
8:30 p.m. "Malcolm in the Middle"
9 p.m. "Trading Spouses" (as of Jan. 6)

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6629099#post6629099

These moves make a lot of sense.

Rather than trying the macho "Idol"-to-Thursday play, which probably would have cut the audience slightly, the Fox folks are looking to build "Bones" into a winner -- which shouldn't be too hard after the Wednesday "AI" showing.

And they are leaving "House" where it has become very strong.

Sometime the moves you don't make are better than the ones you do.

It seems obvious that Madison Avenue gave the network feedback that it was a little skeptical of moving the "AI" franchise. (You should recall that 30-second commercials on "AI" cost about $200,000 more than on any other network entertainment program.)

And, as the saying goes, "money talks". Especially in network TV.

The 2005-2006 Season: Round Two
Fox backs off Thursday “Idol” switch
Keeping show on Tuesdays and Wednesdays

By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Nov 30, 2005

Today was decision day at Fox.

After weeks of mulling over the idea, the network decided against moving mega-hit “American Idol” from Tuesdays and Wednesdays to Wednesdays and Thursdays, which would have been one of the most significant primetime changes in recent years.

Yesterday several sources told Media Life they expected Fox to make such a move, just weeks after a Fox spokesperson dismissed the rumor as highly unlikely. Fox has been feeling out buyers for weeks about the change.

Fox is known for its bold programming moves, and this would have been among the boldest. Though switching “Idol” to Thursday surely would have provided the knockout blow for NBC’s fading schedule, it was a hugely risky move for Fox.

In the end, the network decided against it. Instead, it will make several other scheduling shifts that should still strengthen its midseason lineup. The most significant is expanding Wednesday’s results show from a half to a full hour, despite the fact that even 30 minutes often seems too long for the elimination episode.

Fox moved the Wednesday edition from 9 to 8 p.m., presumably to avoid going up against ABC’s “Lost,” which has become much stronger this season.

“House” will remain on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. after “Idol,” keeping its original slot instead of moving to Monday at 8 p.m., as Fox had promised last May. “Bones,” which now airs Tuesdays at 8 and was supposed to move to 9 at midseason, switches to Wednesday at 9 p.m.

That bumps Wednesday comedies “That ‘70s Show” and “Stacked” to 9 p.m. Thursday, taking the place of the canceled “Reunion.” “Killer Instinct,” the Friday 9 p.m. drama, will have its series finale Dec. 2, to be replaced by “Trading Spouses.”

“24,” which returns to its Monday 9 p.m. slot on Jan. 15, will follow the reality show “Skating with the Stars” at 8 p.m. until March 20, when fall hit “Prison Break” returns to the schedule.

Buyers had been buzzing the past two days about “Idol” moving to Thursdays, where it would have faced CBS’s “CSI” and NBC’s “Apprentice” at 9 p.m. Though the move would have been a gamble, shaking up the entire night, it may have proved a wise one, effectively killing NBC on the night.

One researcher told Media Life that it seemed like the right time to make such a move, even though “Idol’s” ratings would decline from last year against tougher competition. He says that the season is still Fox’s to take among adults 18-49, with CBS down from where it was last year and NBC not even in the mix.

ABC does have the Super Bowl in February and NBC has the Olympics, but a strong “Idol” combined with slight gains for Fox for most of its returning shows means that the competition for No. 1 among 18-49s is still wide open.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_1525.asp

The 2005-2006 Season: Round Two
UPN Schedules Two January Premieres

By Christopher Lisotta TVWeek.com

UPN has announced the January premiere dates for its new soap drama "South Beach" and new reality series "Get This Party Started."

"Beach," which stars Vanessa Williams and Giancarlo Esposito, will debut with a two-hour series premiere Wednesday, Jan. 11, at 8 p.m. (ET) and will air in its regularly scheduled time period Jan. 18 at 8 p.m., bridging the current cycle and the upcoming sixth cycle of the reality series "America's Next Top Model."

"Party," in which surprise parties are planned for show participants, is being hosted by former "Laguna Beach" cast member Kristin Cavallari. It will premiere Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 9 p.m. UPN will repeat the previous week's "Party" Tuesdays at 8 p.m. beginning Jan. 31.

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=8977

By the way, Jim, a sleeper I have found (after some really dreary early episodes) is "Related" on the WB.


I don't get WB in HD but will check it out on your recommendation. Delany has always been a favorite of mine all the way back to China Beach.

In the last couple of years I really steer away from anything I can't get in HD with a few exceptions like FX's outstanding dramas, SciFi's Battlestar Galactica and of course, UPN's Veronica Mars(which I can't get in HD anymore thanks to the movement of the planets, or something along those lines- :D ).

We don't get UPN in HD.
NewsCorp owns the local station.
Go figure.

The 2005-2006 Season: Round Two
Fox Looks at January


By Rich Heldenfels Akron Beacon Journal

As was the case with Simon Cowell's rumored departure from ''American Idol,'' talk about Fox moving around telecasts of ''Idol'' proved premature. Cowell is back, as is noted below, and ''Idol'' will remain a Tuesday/Wednesday fixture.

Fox planned changes in January because it is bringing back ''Idol'' and ''24,'' and they eat up time slots. So changes are being made: ''Bones'' moves to Wednesday, ''Killer Instinct'' is done, ''Prison Break'' will return in March and reality gets yet another watch-stars-fall-down show with the premiere of ''Skating With Celebrities.''

Sorry, I needed a moment. That title always makes me giggle.

Anyway, here's the Fox lowdown for early 2006, first on a nightly basis, then show by show.

Mondays -- ''Skating With Celebrities'' at 8 p.m. from Jan. 23 into March, when ''Prison Break'' returns. ''24'' will be at 9 p.m. as of Jan. 23 but will have a four-hour premiere before that.

Tuesdays -- ''American Idol'' at 8 p.m. starting Jan. 17 (two-hour telecast), ''House'' remains in the 9 p.m. slot (except for that Jan. 17 pre-emption, obviously).

Wednesdays -- ''American Idol'' audition episodes at 8 p.m. beginning Jan. 18. Special premiere of ''Skating With Celebrities'' follows on Jan. 18; ''Bones'' gets the 9 p.m. slot as of Jan. 25, for the weeks when ''Idol'' is still running hour-long audition shows on Wednesdays; when ''Idol'' goes to half-hour results shows, ''Bones'' will probably drop to 8 p.m., with ''Idol'' at 9 and something else at 9:30. (Fox still has some half-hour backup shows in the wings.)

Thursdays -- ''The O.C.'' at 8 p.m., with ''Reunion'' at 9 p.m. until its series finale on Feb. 2. (Fox is calling it a season finale, but it hasn't ordered more episodes of the show beyond its original 13.) The 9 p.m. hour will then probably go to specials during February sweeps, with ''That '70s Show'' and ''Stacked'' taking over 9 p.m. as of March 2.

Fridays -- ''Bernie Mac,'' ''Malcolm in the Middle'' and, as of Jan. 6, ''Trading Spouses.'' ''Killer Instinct'' has its last telecast on Friday.

Saturdays -- Still ''Cops'' and ''America's Most Wanted.''

Sundays -- Comedy reruns at 7, followed by ''King of the Hill,'' ''The Simpsons,'' ''The War at Home,'' ''Family Guy'' and ''American Dad.''

I know, a lot of that is confusing. I had to call a Fox rep to sort some of it out and fill in a few blanks. To make it clearer, here's a show-by-show breakdown of those making moves. (''House,'' ''The O.C.,'' the early-Friday comedies and the Saturday and Sunday lineups stand pat.)

-- ''24'' comes back with a four-hour premiere on Sunday, Jan. 15, and Monday, Jan.16, before settling into the 9 p.m. Monday slot on Jan. 23.

-- ''American Idol'' has a two-hour premiere at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 17, followed by a new hour at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 18. It will then settle in at 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the audition shows. Once it goes to half-hour results shows on Wednesdays, those will probably move up to 9 p.m. Wednesday.

-- ''Bones'' will move to 9 p.m. Wednesdays as of Jan. 25, as long as ''American Idol'' is doing one-hour telecasts at 8 p.m. Wednesdays. When ''Idol'' goes to half-hours, ''Bones'' will probably move to 8 p.m. Wednesday.

-- ''Killer Instinct'' is done after this Friday's telecast.

-- ''Nanny 911'' does not have a time slot in the early '06 lineup but may pop up as filler on occasion, and will be available if another show falters.

-- ''Prison Break'' will be back at 8 p.m. Mondays with a replay of the ''fall finale'' on March 13, followed by new episodes beginning March 20.

-- ''Reunion'' will stay at 9 p.m. Thursdays until Feb. 2, when it will have its finale.

-- ''Skating With Celebrities'' will have a special premiere at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 18, following ''American Idol.'' It will then air at 8 p.m. Mondays beginning Jan. 23.

-- ''Stacked'' takes a break from mid-January to March 2, when it returns at 9:30 p.m. Thursdays.

-- ''That '70s Show'' takes a break from mid-January to March 2, when it returns at 9 p.m. Thursdays.

-- ''Trading Spouses'' moves to Fridays at 9 p.m. as of Jan. 6.

http://blogs.ohio.com/beacon_tv/

We don't get UPN in HD.
NewsCorp owns the local station.
Go figure.
Yeah, that's ridiculous, in LA no less. We're lucky up here, KBHK-UPN is Viacom owned and has been HD for years, I just can't get the signal OTA anymore. As soon as DirecTV lights up the netlets I may have to go for their non-DVR box instead of waiting for the MPEG4 HD-DVR before going with HD LiL that's already available. If WB gets added at the same time then it's a done deal. I just hate going through all this equipment swapping out.

The 2005-2006 Season: Round Two
Fox: Night shift

'Idol,' 'House' to stay put; 'Trading' to replace 'Killer'

By JOSEF ADALIAN Variety.com

Fox has ended weeks of speculation about its scheduling plans for "American Idol" by deciding to do...pretty much what it said it would do last May.

Despite fevered guessing by industryites and some overeager media outlets, Fox Wednesday said "American Idol" will remain on Tuesday and Wednesday nights when it returns for its fifth season in January. And, as expected, frosh drama "Bones" will slide into a post- "Idol" timeslot.

Biggest change from what Fox announced in May: "House" will remain in its current 9 p.m. Tuesday timeslot, where it's a solid hit. And the Wednesday night "Idol" results show will avoid a confrontation with ABC's "Lost" by airing at 8 p.m. rather than 9 p.m.

In addition, laffers "That 70s Show" and "Stacked" are now set to follow "The OC" Thursdays from 9-10 p.m., starting in March. On Fridays, Fox will move unheralded reality hit "Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy" to 9 p.m., replacing the now-canceled "Killer Instinct".

And as expected, "Prison Break" will return from hiatus in March, airing Mondays at 8 (Daily Variety, Nov. 29). In January and February, Fox will keep the 8 p.m. Monday slot warm with unscripted skein "Ice Skating with the Stars."

Moves by Fox make it more likely NBC will now shift "My Name is Earl" to Thursdays, though the net's made nothing official.

I know I'm a little late to the game, but I have a comment (or 2) on the ala carte topic. IMHO, Canada is a poor example of how ala carte works. Why? Because I believe the US basically subsidizes it. As long as US cableco's don't have ala carte pricing, it seems impossible to guage the overall impact such pricing will have on the cost of individual channels and what form packaging will take. Unless I am missing something, Canada can afford to do ala carte because the bulk of the money networks receive as compensation still comes from the US market.

Also, it seems that "ala carte" and "must carry" are always tied to cable. Will they/do they apply to sat as well? Shouldn't they?

If they pass an a la carte requirement - it will apply to DBS as well.

Critic’s Notebook:
Tough Week for TV Shows


By Matt Roush TVGuide.com

With the cancellation ax swinging left and right this week, let's accentuate the positive, shall we?

As in: Prison Break announcing, at the end of its "fall finale" episode Monday night, that it would return sometime in March, not in May as previously rumored. The addicted among us will still chafe at the wait, no matter how long (or short) it might be. But I'm cool with the show waiting out the first rush of mid-season madness in January and sweeps (complicated by Winter Olympics) in February. When it comes back, in whatever time period Fox chooses, we'll be there.

The episode itself was relatively intense, with Michael & Co. hitting a wall — or, rather, a pipe — in their escape effort, while Veronica finds herself back in the crosshairs of that ridiculous psycho-agent, who murdered his partner in the night's biggest nonsurprise, though not before we learned that Lincoln's so-called "victim" is still alive. That was a cool twist, and a surefire way of exonerating someone from death row, you'd think.

As for the rest of the week's more sobering news, some quick thoughts:

Threshold. Bummer. I know this show is not without flaws, but I liked the character camaraderie among the geek squad, as well as the entire premise of a sci-fi thriller decked out in the trappings of a suspenseful pseudo-spy procedural. Alias meets Alien. It's a pity that CBS' viewers (and its executives) don't seem flexible enough to embrace anything that doesn't involve murder, detection and tidy resolutions. A little variety and balance on the schedule would be refreshing, but CBS is riding so high these days, they don't need to take a risk like this. What a shame.

Reunion. No surprise here. The idea was always a bit of a long shot, and the scheduling (including at least one early preemption that was out of Fox's control) was no help in drawing people into this continuing story/mystery. But what really damns Reunion, which became clear to me almost immediately after its engaging pilot, is that the concept is much more intriguing than the execution (from acting to writing). Great idea, not a great show. But, as is so often the case on Fox (remember John Doe?), fans deserve better than to be left hanging, and I hope for their sake that Fox at least provides a solution to the whodunit.

Alias. Again, no surprise. The writing was on the wall from the moment ABC moved it away from Lost to anchor a new (and failing) Thursday lineup this season. Alias remains a great deal of fun to watch, as it has been even at its worst, but creatively, it's obviously adrift, with too many new characters in the mix — only one of whom, Rachel, is even remotely involving. This takes focus away from the show's core, not to mention the absence of Michael Vaughn (whose status, dead or alive, isn't exactly keeping me up at night). By confirming that this is the end, the network has done the right thing, allowing the producers to prepare an exit strategy with a sense of event instead of defeat. When the show returns in the spring with its final batch of episodes, I'm hoping we'll greet these final hours with a feeling of triumph, not despair. This was a good, respectful run for a show that always had the feeling of a cult masterpiece. Alias was ABC's greatest asset during some of its darkest days. Now that the network is on a rebound, it doesn't need Alias as much as we do. Giving it a decent send-off is better treatment than the show might get on a lesser network.

http://tvguide.com/tv/roush/dispatches/

I can see it now...

ESPN - $19.99
ESPN2 - $9.99
TNT - $7.99
CNN - $9.99
FOXNEWS - $15.99

lol


I know I'm a little late to the game, but I have a comment (or 2) on the ala carte topic. IMHO, Canada is a poor example of how ala carte works. Why? Because I believe the US basically subsidizes it. As long as US cableco's don't have ala carte pricing, it seems impossible to guage the overall impact such pricing will have on the cost of individual channels and what form packaging will take. Unless I am missing something, Canada can afford to do ala carte because the bulk of the money networks receive as compensation still comes from the US market.

Also, it seems that "ala carte" and "must carry" are always tied to cable. Will they/do they apply to sat as well? Shouldn't they?

I can see it now...

ESPN - $19.99
ESPN2 - $9.99
TNT - $7.99
CNN - $9.99
FOXNEWS - $15.99

lol


Given those prices, there would be very few subs, and advertising rates would collapse.

The prices couldn't rise too much or the advertising dollars would simply disappear.

If the satellite/cable/telco rules change someone will figure out how to make a fortune on the new ones. The airline rules changed, and Southwest, JetBlue and others were able to deal with the new reality while the dinosaurs: among them TWA, Eastern, National, PanAm, Braniff, along with the currently ailing United and Delta didn't.

Given those prices, there would be very few subs, and advertising rates would collapse.

The prices couldn't rise too much or the advertising dollars would simply disappear.

If the satellite/cable/telco rules change someone will figure out how to make a fortune on the new ones. The airline rules changed, and Southwest, JetBlue and others were able to deal with the new reality while the dinosaurs: among them TWA, Eastern, National, PanAm, Braniff, along with the currently ailing United and Delta didn't.

Yup, we're already starting to see content providers bypass distributors by going straight to the internet.

I agree, George.
And the more that happens, the more pressure there will be on content providers to make their programs available on an a la carte basis.
But let's take this discussion over to the other thread.
Even though I post news about Congressional action here, I generally prefer we talk about programming in this thread, if that's OK.

Tough Week for TV Shows – Continued


In its Thursday edition, "Daily Variety" reports bad news for a pair of CBS comedies.

“…CBS has cut back its orders on Wednesday night laffers "Still Standing" and "Yes, Dear" to 13. With shows including "The New Adventures of Old Christine" and the return of "Out of Practice" sitting on the bench, Eye execs presumably decided they didn't need a full season order of "Standing" and "Dear”….”

From Variety,

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117933688?categoryid=14&cs=1&s=h&p=0
Variety.com - 'House' call pricey for USA, Bravo

Posted: Tue., Nov. 29, 2005, 10:00pm PT

'House' call pricey for USA, Bravo
Nets to pay $1.4 mil per episode for rerun rights

By JOHN DEMPSEY

USA and Bravo have agreed to pay their sister company NBC Universal $1.4 million an episode for cable rights to reruns of the hit Fox Network series "House."

The $1.4 million price comes less than a week after Lifetime ponied up $1.35 million for reruns to Paramount TV's "Medium." But Lifetime bought out the weekend syndication rights to "Medium" with its $1.35 million.

By contrast, NBC U has retained the right to sell "House" to TV stations for double runs each weekend simultaneous with the show's debut on USA and Bravo in fall 2008. The ad revenues from these TV syndication plays could funnel another $500,000 into NBC U's coffers over a four- or five-year period.

The syndication clause restricts the runs of "House" on USA and Bravo to Monday through Friday. The bulk of the runs will go to USA.

There's no cap on the number of episodes in the "House" deal, so USA and Bravo will have to continue paying for the series as long as Fox keeps renewing it.

USA and Bravo together agreed to cough up $1.92 million an episode last year to share the reruns of NBC U's "Law & Order: Criminal Intent." But in that case, the deal is cable-exclusive: There'll be no weekend TV syndication.

November sweeps break the mold

By Gary Levin USA TODAY

TV sweeps months were once known for splashy miniseries, goofy stunts, obnoxious fiancés and Michael Jackson interviews. November's race, which ended Wednesday, was tame by comparison.

CBS won the race for total viewers by a big margin of 3 million but remained in a dead heat with ABC for the young-adult crown, and the winner could be determined by the strength of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Lost for the final night. (Both networks are projecting a month-long tie.)

But three of the four major networks had something to crow about: All but NBC gained viewers from last November, fueled not by those specials or outrageous reality series, but by newer scripted hits:

• ABC's Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatom y and Lost were top-10 shows and put the network within spitting distance of its first sweeps win among the 18-to-49 crowd in nearly six years, since the heyday of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in 2000. This week's Monday Night Football game, in ABC's final season, was its most-watched in nearly five years.

• CBS has widened its net. No longer mostly dependent on CSI, Survivor and the departed Everybody Loves Raymond, the network has established beachheads with newcomers Criminal Minds, Numb3rs and Ghost Whisperer, and set series records with Cold Case.

• Fox, fourth in total viewers, is still up from last year, as House and Prison Break proved stand-alone hits. As usual, the network is expected to rebound come January, when American Idol and 24 return.

• NBC is in a sorrier state, down 16% in young adults with even fewer Friends than last November. Most new series are struggling or canceled, and the main ray of hope rests with Tuesdays, where My Name Is Earl is the season's top new comedy, Law & Order: SVU is strong, and The Biggest Loser had a huge finish Tuesday, averaging 16 million viewers.

Why the lack of big ratings ploys in November, one of three key months used by local stations to set ad rates?

"The networks have fewer stunts these days because it is more important for them to get a handle on how regular series are performing and what changes they need to make in midseason," says Steve Sternberg of media firm Magna Global USA.

Besides, there were fewer turkeys to replace. "More and more shows either were successes or simply didn't fail," says CBS and UPN scheduling chief Kelly Kahl.

"There was really less room to stunt. If you see signs of life with a new show, you want to give it a chance by leaving it on," he says. And "the 'win at all costs' mentality has gradually been reduced the last couple of years," as Nielsen has begun issuing more detailed year-round ratings in more cities.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-11-30-november-sweeps_x.htm

Critic’s Notebook:
CBS has the better pope biopic

Have No Fear: The Life of John Paul II ABC, tonight, 8 PM ET/PT
* * out of four

Pope John Paul II CBS, Sunday, 9 p.m. ET/PT and Dec. 7, 8 PM ET/PT
* * * out of four

By Robert Bianco USA TODAY

When it comes to docudramas, the network approach has always been too much, too soon.

We're used to watching headline-monopolizing stories morph into hastily produced dueling docudramas — two for Scott Peterson, three for Amy Fisher, to name a few. So no one should have been shocked when both ABC and CBS hustled to produce biographies of the late Pope John Paul II.

Nor, considering the competitive nature of network TV, is it any surprise ABC is throwing its shorter, less elaborately produced Have No Fear into the teeth of CBS' powerhouse Thursday lineup, just to get it on the air before CBS' Pope Sunday.

What you should take from this is that ABC has justifiably lower expectations for its inferior product, and is more interested in damaging CBS' film than in protecting its own.

Actually, the only surprise in the whole affair is the silly, self-serving debate ABC has provoked over which movie is tougher or more objective. A charge of "unduly influenced" has been leveled at the CBS movie because it was made with the cooperation of the Vatican, unlike ABC's.

That Vatican blessing may explain why only the CBS movie makes an out-and-out pitch for Pope John Paul II's sanctification by re-enacting what might be seen as a miraculous cure. But otherwise, arguing over which film takes a "softer" approach to its subject is like arguing over which 1-year-olds hit harder, girls or boys.

Both films are unequivocally reverential, which is exactly what any sane person would have expected. Anyone who thought ABC or CBS would risk offending Catholics by airing a movie that was even remotely critical of an enormously popular pope a few weeks before Christmas has no grasp of how American commercial TV works.

Still, if both films take the same tack, they don't do so with comparable skill. In its rush to hit all the high spots of a remarkable life, tonight's Fear plays like an illustrated Life of the Saints on fast-forward. Blink and you can miss decades.

Fear gets off to a particularly weak start as it plunges into the early boyhood of Karol Wojtyla — who is such a saintly child, you practically expect him to levitate.

While things improve when Thomas Kretschmann takes over the role, asking the 43-year-old actor to play John Paul from the age of 20 on was apparently asking too much. We're told the pope is aging, but Kretschmann never seems less than young and vital.

CBS' two-part film avoids that problem by splitting the role between Cary Elwes as the younger Karol and Jon Voight as the pope. Both give fine performances, but of all the actors in both movies, Voight stands out. He's not just a better physical match for the older John Paul than Kretschmann is, he also more closely mirrors our image of the pope as a person: that mix of majesty and humility, humor and steel. Fear can only discuss the symbolic power of the pope's suffering; Voight portrays the human cost.

Pope lacks the independent spirit and grasp of history that might have been gained had CBS allowed more than five minutes for reflection before plunging into production. Even so, by using its length to present a better picture of the times in which the pope lived, it inevitably paints a better picture of the person shaped by those times.

Which means if you want to spend TV time with the pope, do it on Sunday.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/reviews/2005-11-30-pope-review_x.htm

OBITUARY
Actress Wendie Jo Sperber, 43

Variety---Wendie Jo Sperber, actress, comedienne and Founder of weSPARK Cancer Support Center, died Nov. 29 in Sherman Oaks, Calif. after a long battle with breast cancer. She was 43.

Sperber starred in TV series "Bosom Buddies" with Tom Hanks and in a string of comedy films including Steven Spielberg's "1941," Robert Zemeckis' "I Wanna Hold Your Hand," the "Back to the Future" trilogy, and Neil Israel's "Moving Violations" and "Bachelor Party."

Tom Hanks said, "The memory of Wendie Jo is that of a walking inspiration. She met the challenges of her illness with love, cheer, joy, altruism through weSPARK, and an unstoppable supply of goodness."

A Los Angeles native, she began her acting career while still in high school. Allan Carr, whom she invited to see her in "A5678," a stage revue on Melrose, helped get her SAG card with a part in "Grease."

She had continuing roles in "Private Benjamin," "Women in Prison," "Babes" and "Hearts Afire." She also appeared on the breast cancer episode of "Murphy Brown." More recently, she appeared on "Will and Grace" and "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter."

Her theater credits include Wendy Wasserstein's "Isn't It Romantic" and a starring role opposite Ron Silver in "As You Like It."

Diagnosed with cancer in 1997, she founded weSPARK Cancer Support Center in Sherman Oaks in 2001 to provide free services including support groups, information on the latest research, classes, teen and children's groups.

Sperber unveiled and promoted the breast cancer stamp with the U.S. Postal Service. She was named 1999 Woman of the Year by the Los Angeles County Commission for Women, received the Namaste Spirit Award 2003 from the Namaste Interfaith Center, the 2004 Mordecai Kaplan Award for Distinguished Service by the University of Judaism, and was recently honored by the Jennifer Diamond Foundation.

She is survived by a son, a daughter, her mother and father, two sisters and a brother.

Donations may be made to weSPARK, (818) 906-3022.

Wednesday
8 p.m. "American Idol" (premieres Jan. 18)
9 p.m. "Bones" (as of Jan. 25)


Well, there will likely go my watching of Bones:( Why schedule it during Lost and Veronica Mars??????? Kick out the sit-coms and move it to Thursday, without Reunion that slot is open. Why do they always schedule to go against the same demographic? I've really started to like the show and now I'll have to figure out how to keep watching.

HD and Sports broadcasting in Europe
http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/primedia/be-november2005/index.php?startpage=16

Wednesday’s prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s analysis of what they mean -- have been posted at the top of Ratings News the second post in this thread.

The November Sweep
ABC and CBS tie
”Rudolph” boosts CBS on the final night

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Dec 1, 2005

Not only did “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” save Christmas last night, he may have saved November sweeps for CBS.

The holiday special, airing for the 41st straight year, averaged a 5.7 overnight rating among viewers 18-49 at 8 p.m. last night, more than double what CBS averaged in the time slot last week with sitcoms “Still Standing” and “Yes Dear.”

That boosted CBS to a 5.3 overnight average for the night, nearly tying ABC’s 5.4 average. The two entered the night tied for the sweeps lead with a 4.4 average. CBS’s big performance, up 47 percent over its 3.6 Wednesday overnight last week, likely ensures that the two will end with a tie. Both CBS and ABC predicted that late yesterday.

“Rudolph’s” 8 p.m. performance also helped “Criminal Minds” at 9 p.m., which averaged an impressive 4.9 rating head-to-head against ABC’s Wednesday night hit “Lost.” “Minds” was up 36 percent versus the 3.6 it earned last week.

Though “Lost” averaged an 8.8, leadout “Invasion” lost nearly half of that, pulling ABC down for the night.

If ratings hold, this would be the first sweeps tie since 2001, when Fox and NBC shared the lead. CBS is declaring sweeps wins in households, total viewers and viewers 25-54. ABC will finish an easy first among adults 18-34.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_1580.asp

(From Marc Berman’s Thursday, December 1, 2005 Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com )
Freshman Series Scorecard: Primetime Recap

Given the recent trip of cancellations -- ABC’s Hot Properties, CBS’ Threshold and Fox’s Reunion -- what follows is the updated status of the 31 new primetime series.

ABC
Commander in Chief: full-season renewal.
Freddie: full-season renewal.
Hot Properties: canceled.
Invasion: full-season renewal.
Night Stalker: canceled.

CBS
Close To Home: full season renewal.
Criminal Minds: full season renewal.
Ghost Whisperer: full season renewal.
How I Met Your Mother: full season renewal.
Out Of Practice: heading to hiatus in place of The Jenna Elfman Show (working title).
Threshold: canceled.

NBC:
The Apprentice: Martha Stewart: canceled.
E-Ring: full season renewal.
Inconceivable: canceled.
My Name Is Earl: full season renewal.
Surface: full season renewal.
Three Wishes: on the fence.

Fox:
Bones: full season renewal.
Head Cases: canceled.
Killer Instinct: three additional episodes ordered.
Kitchen Confidential: canceled.
Prison Break: full season renewal.
Reunion: canceled.
The War at Home: full season renewal.

UPN:
Everybody Hates Chris: full season renewal.
Love, Inc.: full season renewal.
Sex, Love & Secrets: canceled.

WB:
Just Legal: canceled.
Related: six more episodes ordered.
Supernatural: full season renewal.
Twins: five more episodes ordered.

Well, there will likely go my watching of Bones:( Why schedule it during Lost and Veronica Mars??????? Kick out the sit-coms and move it to Thursday, without Reunion that slot is open. Why do they always schedule to go against the same demographic? I've really started to like the show and now I'll have to figure out how to keep watching.


And "Criminal Minds".

I agree, I'd have moved it to Thursday following "AI".

But Fox is obviously counting on addition by subtraction -- that "Bones" will chip into the strong audiences already watching "Lost" and "Criminal Minds" since it skewed more heavily to women.

Critic’s Notebook:
Little new on the tube post-sweeps

By Rick Kushman Sacramento Bee TV Columnist

The November sweep is over, and we all know what that means. Coming up: a month of repeats.

Plus, some holiday specials and a couple of pope movies - more on that in a bit - but basically, the TV world figures you're out shopping, at home writing cards or experiencing your annual holiday breakdown and just not paying attention.

It won't be all reruns all the time. They'll mix it up on you - "ER" is new on Thursday, "Desperate Housewives," "Grey's Anatomy" and "The West Wing" are fresh episodes on Sunday, for instance - but expect lots of "encore showings."

And, by the way, you can tell in the listings because there is an "N" next to a new episode. Newspapers once put "R" next to repeats, but there were so many, it got way easier to note the new shows.

Given this temporary state, I have mostly cheesy news for you. Hey, I'm only as good as my material. And first up is this: Hold your fluffy little dog and expensive designer purse, "The Simple Life," with both Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, will be back with a new season.

I'm a little embarrassed to bring this up, but E! Entertainment bought the rights to the show formerly on Fox and promptly announced this week that 10 new episodes are coming in the spring.

Fans of useless pop culture will remember that Paris and Nicole have been feuding. I don't remember the reason. Probably had something to do with a disagreement over quantum physics. In any case, the professional airheads are now worst friends, and Fox in October decided it was not going to try to play counselor.

But the folks at E!, what do they care? This is a network that generally draws a couple hundred thousand viewers, and if Paris and Nicole just stand and sulk, that could still produce a ratings spike.

And E! has a plan. This round will be called "The Simple Life: Till Death Do Us Part," and in "Wife Swap"-like style, those kooky spoiled kids will take turns playing "the traditional role of wife," E! says - cooking, cleaning and running a household for a different family each week. At the end, the unfortunate family will decide who was better or, more likely, less of a jerk.

Couple of things to notice here. Paris and Nicole perform separately, so, apparently, they can maintain their feud. And E!, with its "traditional" wife roles, is living in the 1950s. Either way, bet you can't wait.

________________________________________

This next one kinda makes your head hurt.

Christopher Knight, who long ago was earnest Peter Brady in "The Brady Bunch," is getting married to "America's Next Top Model" winner Adrianne Curry. He's 48, she's 23. This is his third marriage, her first. Still, by Hollywood standards, we've seen worse.

Here's where we add the freaky quotient. He's a former child star, she was a reality-game winner. The two met on yet another reality show, "The Surreal Life." Then VH1 followed their relationship on "My Fair Brady," and VH1 recently said there would be a second season sometime soon.

This isn't life imitating art, or life becoming art, or even anything resembling art or normal life. This is Bizarro World. If you watched the two together, you'd say they shouldn't be in the same room, let alone getting married. But, according to VH1, it was love that triumphed over everything else. Plus, the ratings were pretty good. I'm just saying.

________________________________________

On another note, a reminder that the first of the two competing Pope John Paul II movies will air tonight. That one is ABC's "Have No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul II" (at 9 PM ET/PT ABC), a two-hour film starring Thomas Kretschmann.

Then on Sunday, CBS starts its four-hour miniseries, "Pope John Paul II," a bigger-budget movie starring Cary Elwes and Jon Voight (at 9 PM ET/PT Sunday, concluding at PM ET/PT next Wednesday).

There's no word on how it happened that both nets made pope biographies at the same time, though the buzz around Hollywood is that producers of both started working on them almost immediately after Pope John Paul died April 2.

And if it matters, you have to think neither network thought its film a ratings blockbuster because, remember, the first airs the day after sweeps ends.

________________________________________

Finally, can I ask this? The classic "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" special aired last night on CBS and ol' Rudolph again battled the Abominable Snowman and save Christmas.

Here's my question: I've sung the song over and over. Did I just miss the Abominable Snowman reference?

http://www.sacticket.com/tv_radio/v-print/story/13916895p-14755129c.html

Why Fox axed ”Idol” move to Thursday

One risk: The show would take a ratings hit

By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Dec 1, 2005

After mulling the idea for weeks, Fox decided yesterday not to move its most valuable franchise, “American Idol,” to Thursday nights.

The network says that a variety of options were considered for the show and that ultimately the Fox programming strategists felt keeping the show on Tuesdays and Wednesdays was the best option.

Why Fox would consider the move in the first place is a no-brainer: a chance to gain a major foothold on network TV's most lucrative night.

Fox has been lusting after the prestige of a Thursday night hit for more than 10 years, dating back to the early 1990s when it moved “The Simpsons” to Thursday, only to retreat.

But over the past five seasons, Fox has watched CBS make inroads, and it seemed a perfect time to challenge both CBS and NBC on the night, with “Survivor” on the decline and NBC’s entire schedule fading. A Thursday move would have likely finished off NBC, completing the job CBS started.

But in the end, as Fox weighed the risks, it decided against the Thursday move, and for two reasons, as surmised by media buyers and researchers.

The first reason was a very rational fear of the unknown. On the tougher Thursday night, “Idol” would certainly take a hit in the ratings. But how much of a hit? Fox had no way of knowing. The risk was that the reality show, which is already showing some signs of fatigue, would see that fatigue accelerate on Thursdays.

A substantial ratings slide would be enough to knock Fox out of contention for a second season win in adults 18-49.

The second reason Fox backed off the Thursday switch was dissatisfaction among media buyers. Buyers were already upset over the high prices being charged for “Idol,” and they were dead set against paying even more if the show moved to Thursday, broadcast television's priciest night.

The money issue was probably the bigger concern. One media buyer who asked not to be identified said that Fox had been feeling out agencies for weeks about the move. “Idol” is already the most expensive show on TV, with prices for a 30-second commercial ranging from $500,000 to $700,000.

Buyers were even more unhappy with the notion of paying that much for an unproven timeslot. Additionally, the scatter market looks very weak for first quarter, and Fox would have had trouble getting the price it wanted for the remaining “Idol” inventory.

“It’s already the most expensive 30-second commercial on television, and it’s among the highest rated,” says one researcher. “They already have sponsors like Ford, Cingular and Coke. From that end, they may just want to let sleeping dogs lie.”

Fox's standing would have been further hurt if "Idol" faded on Thursday. Many expect the show to decline this season, after a surprisingly strong fourth edition. In fact, former Fox president Gail Berman was telling reporters last year that she expected declines.

Ultimately, it made more sense for Fox, known for its bold programming decisions, to hold off. One buyer tells Media Life that he expects Fox to be right in the mix for the season, despite trailing CBS and ABC by more than half a ratings point now.

He says Fox’s decision to start its new shows early, combined with the resurgence of Sunday nights with “Family Guy,” puts Fox in a better position than last year, when it barely edged CBS for No. 1 among 18-49s.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_1557.asp

John Paul Times II
CBS's Biography of the Late Pope Has a Life That ABC's Lacks

By Tom Shales Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, December 1, 2005; C01

Any crime-show fan knows about "good cop, bad cop." The networks, in their self-defeating inscrutability, are playing "good pope, bad pope" -- although not in that order. ABC and CBS have scheduled film biographies of Pope John Paul II to air in the nights ahead, with CBS at least being able to say that its film was announced first.

Steering clear of such wordplay as "pope-pourri" isn't easy, but rendering a verdict on the films is a no-brainer: ABC's is bad, and CBS's is not just good but aglow, a kind of thinking viewer's holiday ornament. If you see only one pope movie this month, and that ought to be enough, CBS's "Pope John Paul II" is by far the wiser choice.

A disclaimer at the top of ABC's "Have No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul II" labels it a "dramatization" based on "events" in the pope's life. It might indeed be based on events, but calling it a dramatization is a whopper. To be a dramatization, it would have to contain drama. Even though the life of the Polish pope, who died April 2, obviously is loaded with dramatic potential, the film (airing tonight at 8 on Channel 7) seems listlessly uninterested in exploring it.

The whole thing, not just its dialogue, has the stiffness of rhetoric and the rigidity of dogma, extremely unfortunate in that John Paul was praised for the many ways he made the pope a more accessible, activist, pliant sort of fellow. Putting "fear" in the title was an ironic touch, because the producers approach the story timidly, taking pains to avoid controversy and making the papal portrait so bland that its remarkable hero is reduced to the dimensions of the proverbial guy next door -- sort of like the neighbor half-glimpsed in "Home Improvement."

Three actors play the man born Karol Wojtyla within the first 15 minutes of ABC's movie -- one as a tot, one as a teenager, and then Thomas Kretschmann as the grown-up Wojtyla. Playing pope is always risky business -- something about those robes turns actors to stone -- and Kretschmann seems simply scared stiff. His John Paul displays little warmth or wit -- qualities for which the real pope was celebrated -- and ages awkwardly. About the only time Kretschmann shows any vigor is when scolding Archbishop Oscar Romero (Joaquim de Almeida) for allegedly "preaching Marxism" and "splitting the church" in El Salvador.

Previous films by director Jeff Bleckner, incidentally -- and incidental he is -- include an excellent group biography of the Beach Boys. Except for a moving montage at the end of "Have No Fear" (the final image is a dilly) and a few small touches, the movie is infected with a dolorous diffidence. Even the re-created assassination attempt in 1981 has little impact.

A subsequent scene, in which John Paul visits the would-be assassin in his cell and tells him, "God loves you," does have welcome emotional punch. It's a pity that hardly any other scenes equal it. The film is less dramatization than recitation, opening with the pope's visit to the Mideast in 2000 and then flashing back to his boyhood, the early death of his mother, his dabbles in theater, the Nazi invasion of Poland, the Communist takeover, his decision to become a priest, his rise within the hierarchy, and so on.

The movie is more or less obligated to touch upon the ugly scandals involving child abuse by priests that have plagued the church. Told of the allegations, the pope declares, "There is no place in the priesthood for those who would harm the young." And that's that.

The ABC and CBS films portray John Paul as a progressive who brought much-needed modernization to the church; they avoid what some considered his reactionary views on birth control, abortion, gay rights and other hot topics. But there's no need to make either film a shopping list of controversies. Besides, CBS's film gets into weightier issues, matters that are genuinely spiritual, and explores them intelligently. It's provocative but in a deeper way than is usual for a TV movie.

"Pope John Paul II" (airing Sunday night at 9 and Wednesday night at 8 on Channel 9) divides the role in two, with Cary Elwes playing Karol "Lolek" Wojtyla for most of Part 1 and Jon Voight taking over early in Part 2, just after Wojtyla, then 58, is elected the first non-Italian pope in 455 years.

Writer-director John Kent Harrison uses the assassination attempt to frame the story, so Voight appears before Elwes does. Getting into flashbacks is mainly a matter of choosing which tattered old cliches one wants to use, but Harrison does it with inventiveness, a signal that the film will be much more artful than ABC's dry downer. CBS got guidance and a seal of approval from the Vatican, but if that implies the film will be all scrubbed and syrupy, it's anything but. ABC's film profiles a historical figure, while CBS gives us a portrait of a real human being.

Elwes leaves his pretty-boy image way behind with an engaging and robust portrayal of Wojtyla as a young man who loses his mother, father and brother before he is 20 and must stand by helplessly, for the most part, as his beloved Poland is overrun with Nazis.

While ABC's film depicts the Nazis as an inconvenience, "Pope John Paul II" makes palpable the panic gripping the Poles as the Nazis approach and then occupy their country. Wojtyla is sitting in a Krakow classroom in 1939 when soldiers burst in, rip a cross off the wall and drag away the teacher. His last words to his students as he is carried off: "Do not forget who you are!" This has tremendous resonance throughout the film, especially when, as pope, Wojtyla returns to his native land and lends support to the Solidarity movement and leader Lech Walesa.

Although it might strike some as a token, "some of my best friends are" gesture, one of the pope-to-be's best childhood friends is in fact Jewish, and Wojtyla is as opposed to anti-Semitism as he is to fascism and, later, communism. The two men have a reunion in Rome as aging adults that is one of the film's most emotionally rewarding scenes.

The script is unusually successful at communicating the meaning of being spiritually gifted, portraying Wojtyla as earnest and moral without turning him into a goody-goody. His inspirations include the Polish archbishop (played by James Cromwell) who tells him, "This is the highest form of religion: to give hope to those who have none." Imaginative casting brings back some once-familiar faces not seen frequently in recent years. Ben Gazzara shows a heretofore untapped dignity as an elderly Vatican secretary and Christopher Lee, so frequently a menacing figure, is a sweetheart in the role of a Polish cardinal.

But the revelation is Voight, who of course has kept very busy as an actor in recent years, whether having a hammy old time in the ridiculous "Anaconda" or biting Kramer's arm on an episode of "Seinfeld." The man who immortalized Joe Buck, the two-bit hustler of "Midnight Cowboy," shows yet another side as the adult pope, able to make him a man of extraordinary generosity when it comes to sharing his passion for life. Restless for quests and causes, Voight's John Paul is agonized when infirmities restrict him, and these scenes are achingly poignant.

There's a comic side, meanwhile, to sequences in which Leonid Brezhnev and other commie muck-a-mucks wrestle with the thorny problem that the Polish pope presents for them, especially when he voices his empathy for Walesa. "Bringing communism to Poland," one of the bureaucrats groans, "is like trying to saddle a cow."

It is said of Wojtyla, during a Vatican conference in the 1960s, that he has "a remarkable talent to reach people," and we see this in Voight's eyes, expressions, in his every gesture. This kind of infectiousness isn't easy to convey without using cheap tricks that are the equivalent of licking the audience's face. Voight somehow combines stature and cuteness.

Although shot on a lavish scale in Italy, Poland and elsewhere, "Pope John Paul II" succeeds on intimate terms even when troops are marching or huge crowds are filling St. Peter's Square, and Elwes and Voight are largely responsible. The movie is honestly and actually about something -- about a man, yes, and about the value of belief, but also about that "remarkable talent" the pope has. It's the ability to instill joy in human hearts, and the film not only celebrates it but, in its finest moments, even possesses it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/30/AR2005113002416_pf.html

John Paul Times II
A Monumental Man of God: Two Takes on the Life of John Paul II

By Alessandra Stanley The New York Times

The last time there were two popes - one in Rome, the other in Avignon - was almost 600 years ago. This time around, it is not much easier to determine who is the more legitimate John Paul II: Jon Voight on CBS or Thomas Kretschmann on ABC.

CBS, like Rome, has the edge. "Pope John Paul II," which begins on Sunday, is a big-budget, four-hour mini-series that was made with the Vatican's blessing and with help from members of Opus Dei. ABC's "Have No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul II" tonight has a whiff of Avignon-style defiance beneath its piety. The writers included one incident in the Polish pope's 26-year reign that delicately hints that even this pope's infallibility had limits.

Both movies are deeply admiring of the pope as a religious figure and a world leader. CBS does a better, more thorough job of telling his story, and Mr. Voight is convincing and compelling as the adult Karol Wojtyla. But the mini-series's perspective is a shade more orthodox, one that focuses on his spiritual teachings and his crusade against Communism. ABC's version comes closer to a Commonweal critique: highly respectful, but also delicately raising the question of whether the pope's fierce anti-Communism made him a tad inflexible in his early dealings with liberation theology in Latin America, particularly in war-torn El Salvador.

The ABC version shows the pope in his old age repenting for the stern way he reprimanded the left-leaning Archbishop Óscar Arnulfo Romero before the archbishop's assassination by a right-wing death squad in 1980.

It is not surprising that two networks came out with movies about the pope at the same time and selected different aspects of his papacy: John Paul II, who died in April, was a world leader with a vast influence that reached far beyond his flock. But a papal biography is a little like a midnight Mass at Christmas: there is something of interest in it for anyone, but it best serves those who are already believers.

ABC's two-hour version begins in Jerusalem in the year 2000, when the ailing John Paul II jolted history by praying at the Western Wall, the Jewish holy site, and asking forgiveness for all the sins of the Roman Catholic Church. Later, kneeling in prayer, he reminisces about his life, musing, "God truly works in mysterious ways." Flashbacks begin with his boyhood in Wadowice, where his piety already was evident and deepened with the death of his mother.

It is hard to work sex into a biography of a modern pope, but ABC manages to gin up a hint of youthful romance, though the producers took a poetic license that in darker times might have put the Inquisition on their case. After moving to Krakow with his father in 1938, the young Karol, known to his friends as Lolek, pursued his high school love of theater. In a rehearsal scene, he kisses a fellow student, then whispers to her, "I wish it was real."

Most biographers agree that Wojtyla had a special bond with a high school classmate, Halina Krolikiewicz, an amateur actress who remained a close friend throughout his life, though she always insisted that their friendship was solely platonic. Here, the young woman is a Jewish student who rebuffs his courtship ("That's all I need," she says) because she is emigrating to Palestine. In real life Wojtyla was friendly with Ginka Beers, a Jewish medical student in Krakow who fled anti-Semitism, but biographers do not cast her as a love interest, even a pure-hearted one. The writers, limited to a two-hour film, evidently decided to compress two different biographical points in one scene. Young Wojtyla had many close Jewish friends, and as a youth he was a charismatic athlete and scholar who led a normal, healthy life.

Mr. Kretschmann, a German actor who played the music-loving Nazi officer in "The Pianist," is skillful at conveying the psychology of young Wojtyla, particularly his sense of helplessness when the Nazis invade Poland and some of his friends join the resistance. He decides to enter the priesthood and finds his own path of peaceful resistance by joining an underground seminary. But the movie races so quickly through the milestones of his career as a bishop in Communist Poland, his election in 1978, the attempt on his life in 1981, and his confrontation with the Polish authorities that some of the most powerful moments in his papacy are underplayed.

So are some of the less exalted milestones. In mentioning the sex abuse scandal that rocked the American church and darkened the last years of the pope's reign, the writers make sure the buck stops long before it reaches St. Peter's. John Paul II is shown lecturing American bishops about zero tolerance. Privately, when an aide timidly asks the pope whether even pedophile priests can be redeemed, John Paul II replies, "Every sin can be forgiven, but by God, not by me."

CBS opens its biography with the 1981 assassination attempt in St. Peter's Square, building a thrillerlike suspense as the then-vigorous pope smiles and jokes with his followers while the Turkish gunman, Mehmet Ali Agca, snakes through the crowd. As the pope lies near death on a stretcher, he replays his life in flashbacks. His childhood is covered more briskly in this version, which dwells more on his youth during the war, his struggle between pacifism and resistance and his battle with Communist officials after the war is over. Cary Elwes ("The Princess Bride") plays the young Karol Wojtyla, and while he does not look the part, he manages to convey both the young priest's devotion and his nurturing, playful side.

Mr. Voight melts into the role of the adult Wojtyla. He has the pope's Polish accent down cold, but also the wit, charm and willpower that turned John Paul II into a superstar even in the secular world. The mini-series has its own playful moments. In one scene, at the height of the crisis in Poland in 1981, Cardinal Agostino Casaroli (Ben Gazzara), then the Vatican secretary of state, pops his head into John Paul II's study and says, "The Americans want to know if the Vatican has a secure line." John Paul II gives him a goofily baffled look and replies, "What is that?" The Cardinal shrugs in an Italian pantomime of "Beats me."

"Pope John Paul II" is at its best when reliving the high points of papal geopolitics, especially the pope's emotional first trip back to Poland in 1979. The last third of the film lags a bit, mirroring the end of John Paul II's papacy, when his enemy was no longer Communism but secular materialism and his physical suffering at times eclipsed the clarity of his message.

Historians can quibble with both films on minor points, but even devout believers would be hard put to doubt the sincerity of either tribute. Both do their best to pay homage to an extraordinary figure and manage to do so in ways that are neither absurd nor embarrassing.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/01/arts/television/01stan.html?pagewanted=print

John Paul Times II
CBS offers deeper, more effective portrayal of the pope than ABC Paul II

By Sid Smith Chicago Tribune arts critic December 1, 2005

Two major networks are about to unveil their competing biographical treatments of Pope John Paul II, arriving as sober-minded preludes to later, lighter holiday fare.

First, there's ABC's TV movie "Have No Fear: The Life of John Paul II" (7 p.m. Thursday on WLS-Ch. 7), followed closely by CBS' two-part mini-series, "Pope John Paul II" (beginning 8 p.m. Sunday on WBBM-Ch. 2).

The verdict is fairly straightforward. The more star-studded CBS effort (which concludes at 7 p.m. Wednesday) is twice as long and twice as effective.

ABC's "Have No Fear" is dignified and respectful, and it covers an even wider span of the late pope's life than the CBS venture. Scenes include two tragedies he endured before reaching adulthood: the deaths of his mother and brother. Even as a boy, he demonstrated the unshakeable faith for which he became so famous.

But the two-hour length of "Have No Fear" just about renders any depth out of the question. Thanks to commercials, the actual airtime is only 88 minutes. The movie is more a series of biographical announcements than penetrating drama. The future pope dabbles in the theater. He vies with the Nazis and becomes a priest. He struggles against the Communists. He rises in the church, survives an assassination attempt and engages in major spiritual and political matters of his day. All these important developments fly by too quickly, too superficially.

As Karol Wojtyla of Poland, and later the pope, Thomas Kretschmann conveys great piety, evocative in scenes capturing the pontiff's abiding humility, kneeling in prayer at his prie-dieu, lovingly clasping his rosary.

But Kretschmann is better at solemnity than charisma, inadequate at conveying those ineffable personal charms that enabled the late pontiff to be so easily and magically at home with millions worldwide. The pope's wit, sincerity and natural ease -- aspects admittedly hard to capture and convey -- are missing here.

Two actors portray the pope in CBS' "Pope John Paul II": Jon Voight in his days at the Vatican and Cary Elwes as Wojtyla in his days in Poland, ages 18 to 50. The Elwes portion, which dominates the first half, after a brief, harrowing depiction of the 1981 assassination attempt, is the more successful and interesting, partly because it's less familiar. Unlike ABC's abbreviated treatment, this version depicts in some detail Wojtyla's struggle against the Nazis and his deepening Jewish friendships, so key to his later historic visit to Israel. For all the Nazi horrors, the script achieves moments of sardonic wit. When he tells an actress he's becoming a priest, she responds, "You're joking, right?"

Elwes manages both a boyish idealism and an impish political savvy, tools Wojtyla employed even more effectively in thwarting the Communists, who consistently underestimated him, an ongoing source of humor in the movie. There's an almost idyllic scene of Wojtyla's early days guiding young people under Communist oppression, outwitting a pair of thugs who try to thwart a kayak outing. This first half provides insight into how his character was formed, how he forged his enormous resolve, how his faith deepened and how he developed a grand empathy for the innocent.

Voight portrays the later pope with subtle, actorly gestures and sensitivity, though his role is more that of a stand-in in a documentary covering such historic episodes as his support of Poland's Solidarity trade union movement and his appeal to worldwide youth. Still, Voight's cagey talents and a generally better script manage to capture at least a bit of the pope's irresistible personality.

Ben Gazzara, Christopher Lee and James Cromwell turn in fine character portrayals as important influences on Wojtyla's religious life. Probably the toughest competition for both these movies is the unavoidable fact that Pope John Paul II lived in a media age and proved to be such a superstar. The backstage Vatican dialogue is often pro forma set-up for well-known history and doesn't add much to our understanding.

But there are moments of memorable human interaction in both films, too, as when the pope visits his imprisoned would-be assassin, an act reverberating with his saintly, transcendent vision. It's left to Kretschmann, near the end of "Have No Fear," to utter the message fervent in both treatments: "At the evening of our lives, we shall be judged on love."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/tv/chi-0511300362dec01,1,5821321,print.story?coll=chi-ent_tv-hed

John Paul Times II
Pope bios turn out less than divine ABC Paul II

Networks' Karol-ing trips bring uninspiring message
By David Bianculli New York Daily News TV Editor

The prospect of dueling TV biographies of Pope John Paul II is a lot more promising than the days when networks would do battle by presenting competing telemovies about the likes of Madonna, Mia Farrow and Roseanne.

That said, the two imminent dramas about the late pontiff are similar in more than subject: They're both disappointingly perfunctory and surprisingly unemotional.

Tonight's version, ABC's "Have No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul II" (at 8), is the weaker of the two, and not because it tells its biography in two hours, instead of the four allotted by CBS to "Pope John Paul II," presented Sunday night at 9 and Wednesday night at 8.

"Have No Fear," starring Thomas Kretschmann as Karol Wojtyla, is anchored by many of the same set pieces as its CBS rival.

In both, we see Wojtyla displaying early prowess as an actor and scholar, and befriending a beautiful young woman. We see him studying secretly at a seminary as the Nazis occupy his native Poland, rising to the priesthood, and becoming a Catholic bishop at the age of 38.

"I am far too young," he says when offered the bishop post.

"That will be remedied in time," says his mentor.

That's from the ABC version, written by Michael Hirst and Judd Parkin, and directed by Jeff Bleckner. In the CBS version, written and directed by John Kent Harrison, Wojtyla says, "I am only 38," to which his benefactor responds, "A weakness you shall soon overcome."

That's how close the two narratives are.

Wojtyla defies the Soviets in Poland, rises through the church ranks to cardinal and, after a voting gridlock at the conclave to replace the justappointed, shockingly short-lived John Paul I, is elected in 1978 to become Pope John Paul II at age 58.

You'll learn, or be reminded of these events, no matter which drama you watch. On ABC, except for much more detail than from CBS about the aftermath of the assassination attempt on the Pope, that's about it. There's little time for anything else, save an author's message delivered in the form of a lecture to young students.

"Never, never give up on hope," the aging Pope tells them. "If the young aren't filled with hope, then nobody is."

Yet at least the ABC version brings up the allegations of child abuse against some priests in the United States. The CBS version shies away from almost all political controversy. And where ABC suggests that young Karol's rejection by a woman may have played a part in his seeking the priesthood, CBS shows him - already rock-steady in his faith and path - rejecting her.

CBS, in its four hours, has better scenery and more ornate sets and locations. Portions were shot in and around the Vatican and elsewhere, but in such scenes the architecture overwhelms the actors and narrative.

"Pope John Paul II" on CBS also has bigger stars who split the title role. Cary Elwes, puffier than in his "Princess Bride" days, plays Wojtyla in Part I. As Part II begins and Wojtyla is elected Pope, Jon Voight takes over. It's a distracting shift and it doesn't quite work - just like most other things in both of these stiflingly reverential, sadly superficial TV biographies.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/ent_radio/story/370457p-315129c.html

John Paul Times II
ABC and CBS present dueling bios of the Polish pontiff, neither touched with greatness
.
By Jonathan Storm Philadelphia Inquirer Columnist

Thirteen years ago, the Big Three networks hooked up in a race to see who could be quickest to make a movie about Amy Fisher. She was the infamous, jealous Long Island Lolita, 16, who shot the wife of her 30-year-old grease-monkey lover. All three films were pretty awful.

Ah, we've come a long way.

Tonight and next week, two of the three networks will display the results of their latest race. The quality's about the same, but instead of a shoot-'em-up sex-o-rama, it's a Pope-a-Palooza.

Tonight at 8, ABC broadcasts Have No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul II, a Cliffs Notes hodgepodge that stuffs about 80 years into two hours. Sunday and Wednesday, CBS airs a mini-series. Its title, Pope John Paul II, perfectly reflects the originality of the effort.

John Paul fans might like tonight's show, which mixes the sentimental with the academic in a reverent, of course, examination of the life of one of the 20th century's key players.

Somewhat surprisingly, CBS's big-deal production with the name actors (Ben Gazzara, Christopher Lee, James Cromwell and Jon Voight as the Pope) and exclusive location footage from the Vatican is deadly dull. Obvious stereotypes mix with a confusion of characters in a stew peppered with repeating scenes of pontification.

Just because your film's about the pontiff...

"God has challenged us," a cardinal says as the college tries to pick a successor to Pope John Paul I. With the typical lugubrious pace of many mini-series ("OK, we've made a decent movie. What do we do for the other two hours?"), CBS challenges viewers simply to stay awake.

The show contains a miracle. After he's elected Pope at the beginning of episode two, Karol Wojtyla magically morphs from small-time actor Cary Elwes, who plays him almost all of Sunday night, into Oscar-winner Voight.

Voight depicts the vigorous, impish aspects of the Pope that helped make him so widely loved, and he ages exquisitely, displaying what truly appear to be the same sorts of painful infirmities that John Paul II was determined to share with the world as he demonstrated the importance of suffering in human life. From that angle, he would have loved this mini-series.

The Vatican itself seems to love it. Pope Benedict XVI blessed the project after a Nov. 17 screening at the Vatican. Two possible reasons:

The crowd that night was spared the drudgery of the first two-hour episode, seeing only a brief cut-down.

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who would have ended up on the cutting-room floor if he hadn't subsequently been elected pope, is depicted in a couple of scenes.

Even popes like to see themselves on TV.

The show depicts Wojtyla's (and Poland's) struggle first against the Nazis, next against the Communists. Nobody's saying these folks were paragons, but this is the eight-millionth time we've seen the Nazis as the usual goons, shoving Jews into trucks, shooting little boys in cold blood, and grabbing pretty girls off the streets.

The Commies look like mean chimpanzees in cheap suits who have lots of meetings.

"Make no mistake," says the chimp playing former KGB boss Yuri Andropov. "This pope is no friend of Marxism."

Unlike all those other popes who were.

If you're still aching to watch Pope John Paul II, note that Wednesday's installment starts at 8 p.m., not 9. CBS doesn't want to interfere with the CSI: NY ratings machine. At 10 on Wednesday, detectives find a dead doctor at the doll hospital and a recently living doll lying naked, natch, in her apartment.

ABC's film tonight (note that it, too, begins at 8) proceeds with a lighter touch, starting as little Karol makes a soccer save. "Was the hand of God," he quips.

The Nazis still drag people off, and the supposedly Communist soldiers still feel the spirit of Christmas and allow Bishop Wojtyla to celebrate outdoor Mass. But the apes are replaced by British actor Richard Rees, who imbues strongman Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski with a little humanity.

Thomas Kretschmann (a native of East Germany who played Nazi Capt. Wilm Hosenfeld in The Pianist) does a darn good job portraying Wojtyla from about age 20 until his death. Instead of changing into a different person when he becomes pope, Wojtyla in this one just develops a little more of an accent.

Partially because of its more cursory treatment of the Pope's life, the show seems less preachy and more emotional than the CBS effort, and more appropriate.

After all, it was Protestant ministers, not Catholic priests, who made their congregations sit still for hours and hours while they unloaded their stentorian sermons.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/television/13297028.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

Fredfa..

Shoot me if you've already posted this....

NBC ADJUSTS MID-SEASON PROGRAM LINEUP WITH NEW SERIES LAUNCHES AND RETURN TO THURSDAY-NIGHT COMEDY BLOCK BEGINNING WEEK OF JANUARY 2

"My Name Is Earl" and "The Office" Move to Thursdays to Join New Two-hour Comedy Block That Includes New Comedy "Four Kings" and "Will & Grace" While Drama "The Book of Daniel" Joins Schedule as New Series

"Scrubs" Returns with Weekly Back-to-Back New Episodes on Tuesdays (9-10 p.m. ET), "The Biggest Loser" Comes Back with Series of Themed Specials Titled "The Biggest Loser: Special Edition" and "Most Outrageous TV Moments" Becomes Weekly Series

BURBANK - December 1, 2005 - NBC adjusts its mid-season program lineup beginning the week of January 2 as the hit freshman comedy "My Name Is Earl" and "The Office" move to Thursdays to join a new two-hour comedy block that includes the new comedy "Four Kings" and "Will & Grace." In addition, the new limited drama series "The Book of Daniel" will premiere, "Scrubs" will return to Tuesdays and the "The Biggest Loser" will come back as a series of themed specials titled "The Biggest Loser: Special Edition."

Thursday nights will return to NBC's storied comedy roots starting on January 5 with an 8-10 p.m. (ET) block that includes "Will & Grace," "Four Kings," "My Name Is Earl" and "The Office."

"The Book of Daniel," which begins with back-to-back episodes on Friday, Jan. 6 (9-11 p.m. ET), will be featured as a limited series that will run until Friday, Feb. 3 - the week prior to the start of NBC's exclusive coverage of the 2006 Winter Olympics on Friday, Feb. 10. "Most Outrageous TV Moments" will now become a series starting on Friday, Jan. 6 (8-9 p.m. ET).

NBC's "The Apprentice" and "Joey" will return following the Winter Olympics (additional details about NBC's post-Olympic program schedule will be revealed during the network's January Press Tour).

The announcements were made today by Kevin Reilly, President, NBC Entertainment.

"These mid-season adjustments allow us to showcase the season's top-rated new comedy in 'Earl' as well as the increasingly popular 'The Office' on Thursdays along with the new 'Four Kings' while we also introduce a great new drama series in 'Book of Daniel' on Fridays" said Reilly. "In so doing, we have the pieces in place to fulfill one of our goals -- to bring back a block of quality comedy to Thursday nights."

"Four Kings" and "The Book of Daniel" were previously announced as mid-season series at NBC's May Upfront. "Four Kings" will premiere on Thursday, Jan. 5 (8:30-9 p.m. ET).

After "The Book of Daniel" debuts with its back-to-back episodes on Friday, Jan. 6 (9-11 p.m. ET), it returns the following week (January 13) in its regular time from 10-11 p.m. (ET). "Dateline NBC" will then return in its new Friday time (9-10 p.m. ET) on January 13. "Most Outrageous TV Moments" -- originally a series of NBC specials -- will begin its weekly run as a series on Friday, Jan. 6 (8-9 p.m. ET).

"Scrubs" returns to NBC's primetime lineup with back-to-back original episodes on Tuesdays (9-10 p.m. ET) following "Fear Factor" starting Tuesday, Jan. 3.

Fresh off its record-setting season finale on November 29, "The Biggest Loser" will now return as a series of self-contained and themed specials in "The Biggest Loser: Special Edition," beginning on Wednesday, Jan. 4 (9-10 p.m. ET). The series will then run for five more weeks prior to the start of NBC's exclusive coverage of the Winter Olympics on February 10.

No changes will be made on NBC's Monday, Saturday or Sunday nights.

NBC's new mid-season schedule, which begins January 2, follows (all times ET); new series are in upper case (except "ER"):


Mondays
8-9 p.m. "Surface"
9-10 p.m. "Las Vegas"
10-11 p.m. "Medium"

Tuesdays
8-9 p.m. "Fear Factor"
9-9:30 p.m. "Scrubs"
9:30-10 p.m. "Scrubs"
10-11 p.m. "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"

Wednesdays
8-9 p.m. "E-Ring"
9-10 p.m. "The Biggest Loser: Special Edition" (new title)
10-11 p.m. "Law & Order"

Thursdays
8-8:30 p.m. "Will & Grace"
8:30-9 p.m. "FOUR KINGS"
9-9:30 p.m. "My Name Is Earl"
9:30-10 p.m. "The Office"
10-11 p.m. "ER"

Fridays
8-9 p.m. "MOST OUTRAGEOUS TV MOMENTS"
9-10 p.m. "Dateline NBC"
10-11 p.m. "THE BOOK OF DANIEL"

Saturdays
Movies and variable programming

Sundays
7-8 p.m. "Dateline NBC"
8-9 p.m. "The West Wing"
9-10 p.m. "Law & Order: Criminal Intent"
10-11 p.m. "Crossing Jordan"

Nielsen Report
A promising start for the new “Nightline”
.First two nights improve on Koppel's numbers

By Abigail Azote MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Dec 1, 2005

After years of the same old thing, ABC’s “Nightline” has a new look and a new format, with perhaps some new juice as well, based on ratings for the first two days.

Ted Koppel, who anchored the show for nearly 26 years, was replaced Monday by three new co-anchors: Terry Moran, Cynthia McFadden and Martin Bashir. The new team reports on three topics rather than one, as Koppel had.

The question, of course, is whether these changes will boost “Nightline” out if its perennial No. 3 ranking in its timeslot. Early results suggest they might.

The show on its first two nights substantially improved "Nightline's" ratings over those of the earlier weeks when Koppel was still in the anchor's chair. Certainly some of that was sampling by the curious, folks drawn to the show by all the news coverage of the changes in format and faces.

Just how much will be clearer next week, when ratings for an additional week's viewing are out.

On Monday, premiere night for the revamped “Nightline," the show aired more than an hour late, at 12:45, because of a "Monday Night Football" game that ran long. Yet it bettered the prior Monday's rating, and handsomely, averaging a 3.3 overnight rating from 12:45 to 1:15, up 18 percent from the previous Monday’s 2.8 rating. That Monday telecast was delayed as well.

On Tuesday, the new "Nightline" did even better airing at its usual time of 11:35 p.m., averaging a 3.8 metered market household rating.

That compares to a 3.3 rating for Tuesday, Nov. 15, the last Tuesday of a regular "Nightline" broadcast. (The following Tuesday, Nov. 22, Koppel aired his final broadcast, for which ratings were up substantially.)

Equally impressive, this Tuesday’s show nearly tied with CBS’s second-place “Late Show with David Letterman.” If that trend should hold, that would put even more heat on “Letterman,” which has been slipping this year.

But that's not to say everyone is impressed. Koppel may not have been a ratings magnet, but he was adored by critics as an icon of TV news, and his retirement was seen as a loss to the craft. That led to some fiercely negative reviews of the new "Nightline" format and anchor team.

“Something extraordinary has been replaced by the commonplace,” wrote USA Today’s Robert Bianco, likening the show to a half-hour version of “20/20.”

“Now you have three stars presenting three stories; none were given significantly more time to develop than they would have found on most any other televised newscast."

Yet some critics see promise, one being the New York Daily News' David Bianculli. He found the premiere wobbly but believes the flaws can be remedied. “Lock down the camera, and slow down the segments, and the new version of ‘Nightline’ will deserve to retain its time slot, and stand a better chance of building on that proud journalistic tradition.”

Meanwhile, in other daypart ratings for the week ended Nov. 20:

ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” was the only Sunday morning show to decline, down 10 percent from the previous week to 2.3 million total viewers. CBS’s “Face The Nation” grew the most, up 14 percent to 3.2 million while NBC’s “Meet the Press” drew 4.5 million, up 12 percent.

CBS’s “Early Show” saw the biggest gain for the week among morning shows, up 11 percent to 3.1 million viewers. First-place “Today” on NBC declined 2 percent to 6.1 million while ABC’s “Good Morning America” was flat week to week.

All three late-night shows were up this week, NBC’s “Tonight Show” with 6.2 million total viewers, CBS’s “Late Show” with 4.7 million and ABC’s “Nightline” with 3.6 million. “Last Call with Carson Daly” was down 6 percent to 1.5 million viewers.

In syndication for the week ended Nov. 13, “Wheel of Fortune” was the top game show, “Oprah” the top talk show and “Everybody Loves Raymond” the top comedy.

For the week ended Nov. 27, all evening newscasts grew week to week. NBC’s “Nightly News” led with 11 million total viewers, up 7 percent. ABC’s “World News Tonight” averaged 9.3 million and CBS’s “Evening News” 8.2 million, both up 3 percent. “Nightly News” extended its lead over “World News Tonight” by 30 percent, to 1.7 million total viewers.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_1555.asp

Sports On TV
Nascar Inks Rights Deals With ABC Sports/ESPN, TNT

By John Consoli MediaWeek.com

Nascar has reached separate, eight-year TV rights deals with ABC Sports/ESPN, and Turner Broadcasting, under which ABC/ESPN would pay $270 million per year and Turner's TNT would pay $80 million per year. The terms of the deal were first reported by SportsBusiness Journal and confirmed by Mediaweek through its independent sources.

Nascar has not officially announced the deal, apparently wanting to wait until it finalizes a deal with Fox for the remainder of the race telecasts. A Fox official said the network is continuing to negotiate and expects to reach an agreement with Nascar, but said nothing has been finalized.

Under the new deal, ABC/ESPN will televise 17 Nextel Cup races during the second half of the season [previously part of the NBC/TNT combined package] and all of the Busch Series races [which were previously part of the previous Fox package]. Among those 17 will be 10 "Chase for the Cup" races, which will all air on ABC. Most of the Busch Series races will air on ESPN2.

Turner's TNT will air six Nextel Cup races, three from the previous Fox package and three from the previous NBC/TNT package. Those races will air between the first half package, expected to be Fox's, and the new ABC/ESPN package.

Under the previous TV rights packages, which expired after this just-completed Nascar season, NBC/TNT combined paid $200 million per year for the second half of the Nascar season, and no Busch races. NBC and Fox split airing of the Daytona 500 in alternating years under the previous pact. Under the new agreement with Fox, which is still in discussion, Fox would air the Daytona 500, which opens the Nascar season, every year. Fox would also air 13 races to start the season.

ESPN and Turner/TNT officials would not comment on the deals, and Nascar officials could not be reached for comment.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001612389

The November Sweep
ABC and CBS tie
”Rudolph” boosts CBS on the final night



Though “Lost” averaged an 8.8, leadout “Invasion” lost nearly half of that, pulling ABC down for the night.


Interesting, I thought last night's Invasion episode was probably the best one of the season, it jolted the whole series into high gear. I guess people got tired of the slow-moving previous episodes and didn't stick around.

(From Marc Berman’s Thursday, December 1, 2005 Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com )
Freshman Series Scorecard: Primetime Recap

Given the recent trip of cancellations -- ABC’s Hot Properties, CBS’ Threshold and Fox’s Reunion -- what follows is the updated status of the 31 new primetime series.


Killer Instinct: three additional episodes ordered.

oooookay...so is Killer Instinct cancelled....or not..? :D

Fredfa..

Shoot me if you've already posted this....

NBC ADJUSTS MID-SEASON PROGRAM LINEUP WITH NEW SERIES LAUNCHES AND RETURN TO THURSDAY-NIGHT COMEDY BLOCK BEGINNING WEEK OF JANUARY 2

"My Name Is Earl" and "The Office" Move to Thursdays to Join New Two-hour Comedy Block That Includes New Comedy "Four Kings" and "Will & Grace" While Drama "The Book of Daniel" Joins Schedule as New Series


With as much trouble as NBC is having with ratings this year, you have to wonder if it's really wise to make scheduling changes to bona fide hits like My Name Is Earl.

[QUOTE=DrDon]Fredfa..

Shoot me if you've already posted this....

NBC ADJUSTS MID-SEASON PROGRAM LINEUP WITH NEW SERIES LAUNCHES AND RETURN TO THURSDAY-NIGHT COMEDY BLOCK BEGINNING WEEK OF JANUARY 2

Not at all, DrDon, thanks.

I've updated the network schedules at the top of the thread to incorporate the new ABC, Fox, and NBC announcements.

I guess this seems to indicvate the end for "Three Wishes" and "Joey". Too bad, I thought "Three Wishes" was a sweet show.

On the other hand you wonder how anyone could ever have approved "Joey" in the first place.

oooookay...so is Killer Instinct cancelled....or not..? :D


Keen eye, Jim :)

Those episodes were ordered some time ago, and it since "Killer Instinct" doesn't appear on the Fox 2006 schedule. I'd say it is gone.

I would love to be proven wrong.

Sports On TV
'Big Picture' powering NASCAR's TV deals?

By DAVID POOLE The Charlotte Observer

NEW YORK CITY - Why are networks about to agree to pay NASCAR around $4.4 billion in a new eight-year television contract when those who paid $2 billion less in a six-year deal that ends after 2006 lost money?

Because people who worry about how the numbers add up in sports-rights-fee packages miss the big picture, said Neal Pilson, the former head of CBS Sports who now consults with NASCAR on television matters.

"It's not about whether you're profitable in a particular time slot on Sunday," Pilson said Wednesday at the Sports Business Daily/Sports Business Journal Motorsports Marketing Forum.

"It's like going into a store and buying three bottles of Gatorade for $1 on special," Pilson said. "If that's all you buy, you beat the store. But the stores know when you come into buy Gatorade you're also likely to get eggs, cheese, milk, butter and bread. When you do that, the store beats you."

To find the true value of a television sports package, Pilson said, a network must consider what having a property - or, for that matter, not having it - means in the context of its entire programming picture.

When Pilson worked at CBS Sports, he said, he argued with the network president that CBS could not afford to allow Fox to outbid it for rights to NFL games. The president disagreed and Fox got the rights.

During the years CBS did not have NFL games, Pilson said, it lost affiliate stations to Fox and suffered a decline in ratings for all of its programming.

Pilson left CBS believing there was a direct link. But that opinion is not universally held in the television industry.

NBC decided in October to pull out of the current round of television negotiations, and its officials have declared their unwillingness to make any sports-rights deal they feel cannot be profitable. But Pilson noted that NBC is getting back into the NFL business after making the same decision CBS did years earlier. NFL telecasts return to NBC with a Sunday night package beginning next season.

NASCAR's television future will involve ABC/ESPN and TNT, and their deals are essentially done.

According to Sports Business Daily, ABC/ESPN will pay $270 million per year for the season's final 17 Nextel Cup races and the entire Busch schedule.

TNT will pay $80-$85 million for six Cup races in June and July.

Sources from two television networks, independently of each other, told the Observer late Wednesday morning that the ABC/ESPN and TNT deals would be announced Thursday at the annual championship week press conference here. But later in the afternoon, NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said no announcement would be made Thursday.

The holdup apparently is continuing negotiations with Fox for the first 13 Cup races each season in the new deal, including each year's Daytona 500.

Fox and NBC alternated having the Daytona 500 in the contract that ends next year, with NBC getting the season-opening Daytona race in its final year.

Dick Glover, vice president for broadcasting and new media for NASCAR, was scheduled be on the panel with Pilson on Wednesday. But Glover was a no-show and his participation in "active negotiations" was given as the explanation.

If Fox pays $200 million per year, roughly the same at it is paying in the current deal, that would make NASCAR's total television deal worth about $550 million annually for eight years - or $4.4 billion total.

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/sports/motorsports/13298373.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

Howard Stern set for “60 Minutes” profile

From Matt Drudge at drudgereport.com

Praying on air that the cancer suffered by his nemesis, then Federal Communications Commissioner Alfred Sikes, would spread was one of the more controversial stunts Howard Stern pulled. But the potty-mouthed radio jock says he has second thoughts about saying it now. Stern tells this to Ed Bradley and shows a softer side of his persona in a profile to be broadcast on 60 MINUTES Sunday.

"You know what," he tells Bradley, "I don't know that I would do that now. I'm older," says Stern, who at 51 is almost the same age Sikes was when he was diagnosed with the prostate cancer he eventually recovered from.

When Stern made the remark in 1992, his sexually explicit show had become the FCC's favorite target for fines, piquing Stern's ire. "When I get angry and really fired up and feel like my back is up against the wall, I will say vicious things," explains Stern. "Rather than hide that, I would rather put that out on the radio and let someone see the full range of [my] emotions," he tells Bradley.

Stern does not regret the remarks because, he believes, they make for good radio. "If you're going to be strong on the radio, you've got to let it all hang out - even the ugly stuff - and you can't apologize for it," he says.

Next month, Stern's extremely popular show moves to uncensored Sirius, a satellite radio network not regulated by the FCC. Sirius is paying hundreds of millions of dollars to Stern to single-handedly make the fledgling medium a success. Does Stern see his move from over-the-air radio as ultimately a defeat in his long battle against the FCC? "You could choose to look at it that way," he tells Bradley, "but I don't. I look at it that I won. I go to a new medium. I'm uncensored, and for me, it's a checkmate," says Stern.

Bradley's profile reveals a softer side of Stern. Instead of outrageous, Stern gets emotional when discussing his show's staff and very introspective when he returns to his hometown, Roosevelt, Long Island. There he suffered the effects of being one of the few white kids in a mostly black town, picked on in school and replete with bad memories that shaped his character and his show. "I think when you listen to me, you're an insider. You're in the club. We're not the guy in Roosevelt High School being goofed on when we're all together. We're strong," he tells Bradley.

Developing...

http://www.drudgereport.com/flash2.htm

Keen eye, Jim :)

Those episodes were ordered some time ago, and it since "Killer Instinct" doesn't appear on the Fox 2006 schedule. I'd say it is gone.

I would love to be proven wrong.
Yes, I have no doubt it's gone as well. :(

Too bad, I really think if they dumped the male lead and installed someone who was more engaging this show might have made it.

NBC to shuffle primetime lineup in January

By Cynthia Littleton The Hollywood Reporter Dec 1, 2005

NBC is looking to rebuild its Must-See TV comedy block on Thursday, unveiling a midseason schedule overhaul for Janaury that relocates its promising new comedy "My Name Is Earl" to the line of fire against CBS' top-rated "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."

The peacock's makeover brings significant changes to Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights. Starting the week of Jan. 2, NBC will move "Will & Grace" up from 8:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, followed by a new buddy comedy, "Four Kings," from the same creative team as "Grace." "Earl" and its Tuesday 9:30 p.m. companion "The Office" will relocate to the Thursday 9-10 p.m. hour in place of "The Apprentice: Donald Trump," with the night capped as it has been for the past 11 years by "ER."

"Joey," the "Friends" spinoff that has occupied the Thursday 8 p.m. slot for the past two seasons, will go on the shelf until after NBC wraps its coverage of the winter Olympics during the last two weeks of February. The next cycle of Trump-hosted "Apprentice" will also return to the lineup post-Olympics in an unspecified time slot, NBC said.

With the scheduling moves unveiled Wednesday, "we have the pieces in place to fulfill one of our goals -- to bring back a block of quality comedy to Thursday nights," said NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly.

NBC will fill the "Earl"/"Office" void on Tuesday with back-to-back episodes of "Scrubs," the returning series that has been waiting in the wings so far this season for a midseason berth, from 9-10 p.m. "Fear Factor" will also return to NBC's schedule in January in the Tuesday 8 p.m. hour. "Law & Order: SVU" stays put in the 10 p.m. hour.

On Wednesday, the peacock plans to fill the 9 p.m. hour after the finale of "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart" later this month with special themed episodes of reality series "The Biggest Loser," which wrapped its second cycle Tuesday with strong ratings. New drama "E-Ring" and veteran "Law & Order" remain in their regular slots at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., respectively.

On Friday, NBC is benching its reality series "Three Wishes" for episodes of "Most Outrageous TV Moments" at 8 p.m., followed by newsmagazine "Dateline" and the new limited-series "The Book of Daniel," about an unconventional minister, in the 10 p.m. slot that in recent weeks has carried repeats of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent."

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001612806

The Hollywood Reporter story says "Joey" has been shelved until after the Olympics.

Maybe.

But in my cancelled list at the top of this post, I am leaving it cancelled.

Hey, it's my list, (and I have been wrong before.} :)

Back on speaking terms Dave and Oprah chat tonight


By Aaron Barnhart Kansas City Star

For 20 years there have been two constants in American television: Oprah and Dave. Yet for most of that time there’s been a palpable chill between the King of Late Night and the Queen of Daytime.

At last our long national nightmare is over. Tonight, at 11:35 PM ET/PT on CBS, Oprah Winfrey is the guest on “Late Show With David Letterman.”

It’s not entirely clear why Winfrey refused to appear on Letterman’s show all these years — though the two most likely reasons are his repeated jokes about her weight problems and the nasty reception she got in May 1989, the last time she appeared with him.

Since then, Winfrey has allied herself with his rival Jay Leno, appearing several times on “The Tonight Show.” Letterman’s attempts to humor her back to his guest couch have only made the situation worse, like his Academy Awards “Oprah-Uma” routine and, more recently, the running bit on his show where he would write forlornly in his “Oprah Log” that Winfrey was not returning his calls.

So why end the feud now? Maybe because Letterman’s program, which is based in New York, is the logical choice for her to promote “The Color Purple,” the musical she’s producing. Maybe she knew the announcement would reap a timely deluge of positive PR during a sweeps month.

Or … maybe it’s that “The Color Purple” will be playing at the Broadway Theater, one-half block south of the Ed Sullivan Theater, where “Late Show” is taped.

Letterman loves to have a camera crew roaming outside his building.

Surely it occurred to Winfrey’s publicists that the Broadway’s marquee would give Letterman months of material, a convenient visual by which to further indulge his obsession with that famously upbeat billionaire who, for some reason, “hates” him.

Perhaps, the thinking goes, if Winfrey puts up with Letterman’s nonsense in person for just one night, she’ll be spared a lot of his nonsense in the future.

Well, then put this down in your “Oprah Log”: Fat chance.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/entertainment/13293986.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

TV Notes:
“Scrubs” In, “Joey” Out, “Lost” and More!

by Matt Webb Mitovich TVGuideThursday, December 01, 2005

NBC RESTS JOEY, SCRUBS BACK IN: NBC has announced its mid-season game plan, and it goes a little something like this: Effective Jan. 2, My Name Is Earl and The Office, as speculated, move from Tuesday to Thursdays-at-9, where they will follow a pairing of Will & Grace and the new sitcom Four Kings (starring Seth Green, Shane McRae, Josh Cooke and Todd Grinnell). Filling the Tuesday void are back-to-back airings of new Scrubs episodes, which will have Fear Factor as its lead-in. Succeeding The Apprentice: Martha Stewart on Wednesdays at 9 is The Biggest Loser: Special Edition, a series of standalone and themed specials. Sandwiching Dateline on Friday are Most Outrageous TV Moments and the new The Book of Daniel, which stars Aidan Quinn as a reverend who sees and chats with Jesus. As for our pal Joey, NBC will bench the Friends spin-off until after its Winter Olympics coverage. Could we be less surprised?

SPERBER LOSES CANCER FIGHT: Wendie Jo Sperber, best known for playing cross-dressing Tom Hanks' confidante on the early-'80s sitcom Bosom Buddies, lost an eight-year battle with breast cancer on Tuesday. "The memory of Wendie Jo is that of a walking inspiration," says Hanks in a statement. "She met the challenges of her illness with love, cheer, joy and altruism. We are going to miss her as surely as we are all better for knowing her." Sperber's credits also included Michael J. Fox's big sister in all three Back to the Future movies.

THE SITCOM LIFE: Nicole Richie, who just signed on for a fifth round of The Simple Life (to air on E!), is back in bed with Fox, her reality show's original home. Per Variety, Richie has inked a deal with the network to have a sitcom developed around her or to be cast on an existing series, such as Arrest--. Er, I mean Kitchen Conf--. Um, Bernie Mac?

FAMILY'S LOVING LOST: At the seventh-annual Family Television Awards, which honor outstanding family-friendly viewing, ABC's Lost — whose Shannon and Boone, after all, redefined "family friendly" — was named best drama, CBS' The King of Queens took top comedy, CBS' The Amazing Race won best reality program and UPN's Everybody Hates Chris was declared the best new series.

SNL REUNION: Former Saturday Night Live star Tracy Morgan has been cast in a new NBC comedy being written by and starring current Weekend Update anchor Tina Fey. The as-yet-untitled series offers a behind-the-scenes look at an SNL-type program; Morgan will play the show-within-a-show's self-confident star.

THIS 'N' THAT: William H. Macy, Kim Delaney, William Hurt and Ron Livingston have been cast on TNT's eight-hour summer miniseries Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King, reports Variety.... DVD distributor Shout! Factory has licensed the entire library of horror movies hosted by Elvira, aka Cassandra Peterson. Watch for the first release around Halloween 2006.... Per the Hollywood Reporter, The N is going into production with its first dramatic thriller series, Whistler, centered on a snowboarder's mysterious death at a mountain resort.

http://tvguide.com/news/entertainment/

Nielsen National People Meter Expansion Continues

Addition of 2,000 Homes Nationally Marks Completion of First Phase;
LPM Homes Will Finalize Expansion

(Press Release from Nielsen Media Research

NEW YORK, December 1, 2005 – Nielsen Media Research has completed one phase of its plan to double the size of its National People Meter (NPM) sample with the addition of 2000 households.. These new sample households are from outside of the Local People Meter (LPM) markets. The sample expansion plan to bring the NPM sample from 5,000 to 10,000 households was announced in 2003. It began in June of that year and this first phase was completed, on schedule, this fall.

Sara Erichson, General Manager of National Services, announced the completion of this important phase of sample quality improvement, noting, “This is truly a vital achievement in our goal to provide clients with a robust National sample. As technology continues to fragment audiences and change the way viewers watch television, it is essential that we keep pace. Doubling the sample is one of the ways we are doing that. The expanded sample will provide a strong foundation for the innovations we will introduce in 2006, beginning with time-shifted viewing data.”

The remaining part of the sample expansion plan will be complete once all 10 of the Local People Meter markets are fully operational and integrated into the National People Meter sample, using weighting methods to compensate for regional impacts. To date, seven of these 10 markets have been integrated. In 2006, when the full complement of 10 LPM markets has been integrated, we will have completed the full sample expansion. This will effectively double the national sample from its 5,000 household size of two years ago. With the first phase complete, the effective sample size now stands at 9,160.

Why Expand the Sample?

The larger a sample is, the more projectable it is to the universe it represents. An equivalent sample of 10,000 provides several key benefits. Sampling error will be reduced by approximately 28 percent. As audiences continue to fragment, larger samples tend to produce more stable data. Larger samples also enable clients to evaluate more targeted demographic and geographic breaks. By the time the 10th LPM market, Atlanta, is switched over to People Meters in 2006, there will be nearly 13,000 homes contributing to our National People Meter Sample, with an effective sample, after weighting, of nearly 10,000 households.

Spotlight On Couric:
Will Katie Stay Or Jump Ship?

By Roger Catlin Hartford Courant TV Critic

If it's true that Katie Couric intends to make a decision by the end of the year about whether she's staying at NBC, she's only got a month to do so, starting today.

Couric is the highest-paid news talent on network TV, leaping over Barbara Walters - and any of the network anchors - with her $10 million-a-year contract to host the "Today" show. Her lucrative contract expires in May.

It's been reported that CBS in particular has been trying to woo her, especially since it has been without a permanent anchor since Dan Rather stepped down in March.

CBS has floated a number of options for its post-Rather "Evening News," which has long been last in the big-three ratings. As Bob Schieffer has filled in, with his own folksy approach, CBS chief Les Moonves has said he's toying with the idea of more than one central voice for the job. He's said he's thought about bringing talent in from elsewhere, or even finding a place for Jon Stewart of the popular comedy "The Daily Show," which is part of the Viacom family's Comedy Central.

Hiring Couric as anchor wouldn't be as strange as some of those notions, but her chirpy demeanor and toothy smile - which fit the morning show so well - might seem out of place amid the usually dour evening news reports.

"Nothing would surprise me," says Rich Hanley, graduate program director at the Quinnipiac University School of Communication in Hamden.

But her talents wouldn't be put to their best use, he says.

"She does the morning show well. She's established a great rapport with the audience with that casual format, where the audience darts in and darts out. Her career is really based on that kind of agility," Hanley says. "The nightly news requires someone, in my opinion, who has more significant experience on the street as a reporter."

Though she began her career at NBC as a deputy Pentagon reporter, Couric has left most of the hard news on "Today" to the show's news anchor, Ann Curry. Also, Couric's co-host, Matt Lauer, has scored more of the newsworthy interviews lately, from getting President Bush to admit last year that he didn't think the war on terror could be won (later retracted) to holding his own opposite an agitated Tom Cruise.

Couric's biggest "get" this year, by contrast, was Jennifer Wilbanks, the Runaway Bride, whose name you might not even remember now.

Never mind how Couric would fit amid a weighty pantheon that has included Walter Cronkite, Eric Severeid and the brave TV news pioneers of Fred Friendly, Ed Murrow and Bill Paley currently being canonized in the George Clooney movie "Good Night, and Good Luck."

It may be a considerable adjustment to accept Couric as chief anchor for every future crisis after nearly 15 years as morning cheerleader, fluff flinger and eager promoter of every movie, book or TV show the stars come by to plug.

Just a month ago, on Halloween, she wore a full Marilyn Monroe costume (Lauer and weatherman Al Roker went as Batman and Robin) that wouldn't quite jibe with the sober face of network news.

And even if she did leave, who would replace Couric should she take the leap, either to the "CBS Evening News" or "to pursue other options"?

There's no shortage of ready women in the morning TV loop - from Curry and Melissa Stark, already on the morning show, to the large roster of MSNBC talent, including Natalie Morales, Alison Stewart, Amy Robach and Milissa Rehberger.

But would any of them have that spark of familiarity, perkiness and brains that made Couric the biggest "Today" star since Jane Pauley?

With NBC taking a swan dive in prime-time ratings, the network doesn't want to alter a show that continues to give it dominance, reigning over No. 2 "Good Morning America" in the most recent ratings by 700,000 viewers, with 6.1 million to the ABC program's 5.4 million. "Today" attracts almost twice the audience of CBS's "The Early Show," which gets about 3.1 million viewers.

Audiences took to Couric right away on "Today" and deepened their devotion after the death of her husband, Jay Monahan, of colon cancer in 1998 at the age of 42. That led to a successful money-raising campaign for cancer research and awareness of colonoscopies.

More recently, though, she's been stung by reports that she's becoming something of a diva, and her back and forth with Lauer can sometimes be shrill.Ironically, the buzz about her possible move to a more serious news venue came after an embarrassing episode Thanksgiving Day. Couric and Lauer, hosting the Macy's parade coverage for NBC, did not report the biggest news of the day, that an errant balloon had caused a street light to crash, injuring two.

http://www.ctnow.com/tv/hce-couric.artnov30,0,4814167,print.story?coll=hce-headlines-tv

The November Sweep
Rudolph Guides CBS to 18-49 Demo Tie With ABC

By John Consoli MediaWeek.com DECEMBER 01, 2005 -

Producing its best 18-49 rating since 2000, the animated classic Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, on the final night of the November sweeps, guided CBS to an unexpected tie in the 18-49 demo with ABC, both producing a 4.4 for the 28-day sweeps period.

Heading into the final night, CBS and ABC were tied with a 4.4 rating in the demo, but even CBS execs were privately skeptical that the network would be able to win the night with ABC's blockbuster drama Lost in the mix. But Rudolph wound up producing a solid 5.8 rating in the 18-49 demo, winning by a sizable margin over ABC sitcoms George Lopez and According to Jim, and offsetting the Lost margin in its time period.

Both CBS and ABC finished the sweeps with a 4.4 rating in the 18-49 demo.

NBC finished third in the 18-49 demo during the sweeps with a 3.3 rating, just edging out Fox, which finished with a 3.2. UPN finished with a 1.5 rating in the 18-49 demo, while the WB was last among the broadcast networks with a 1.4 rating.

Overall in the demo for the sweeps, ABC was up 10 percent over last November, CBS was down 2 percent, NBC was down 18 percent, and Fox was up 7 percent. UPN was flat, while the WB was down 13 percent.

CBS won the viewers race, averaging 14.5 million, ABC was second with 11.6 million viewers, NBC was third with 9.5 million, and Fox was fourth with 7.7 million.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001613040

TV Notes:


THIS 'N' THAT: William H. Macy, Kim Delaney, William Hurt and Ron Livingston have been cast on TNT's eight-hour summer miniseries Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King, reports Variety....
Sounds interesting, definitely an interesting cast.

Regarding TNT, 5 new episodes of "Wanted" begin on Dec 5 with 2 eps back to back on Dec 5.
http://alt.tnt.tv/tntoriginals/wanted/site/
:::: TNT WANTED ::::


Showtime's 9 ep mini-series, "Sleeper Cell" begins Dec 4. This one looks to be pretty good.

http://www.sho.com/site/sleepercell/home.do
Sleeper Cell, Showtime dramatic television event.

I'll post some "Sleeper Cell" reviews in a tomorrow or Saturday.

(And I am delighted "Wanted" will be back to help get us through a rerun-filed December! Nothing like a nice, violent show to foster that holiday spirit!)

The November Sweep
Football kicks ESPN to No. 1 during November

“Monday Night Football” has had its three highest-rated games of the season the past four weeks, and Fox’s Sunday football delivered its best household average in three years. No surprise, then, that the red-hot NFL pushed ESPN to No. 1 in primetime on cable during November among total viewers, adults 18-49, 18-34s and 25-54s. The network saw increases of 10 percent or more in every demo, and four “Sunday Night Football” broadcasts were the top-rated shows among 18-49s and 25-54s for the month.

USA, riding big increases from the return of “WWE,” finished second in primetime in every major demo, recording year-to-year gains of 16 percent or more.

As expected, the three major news networks slid compared with last year, when the presidential election inflated November averages. MSNBC was down the least in primetime, 11 percent, in total viewers, but ranked No. 34 with 392,000 total viewers. Fox News was down 27 percent to 1.65 million total viewers, ranking sixth on basic cable, and CNN was down 24 percent to 718,000, finishing No. 25.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/cat_index_31.asp

It was posted that Joey was being pushed until after the Olympics. Have there been any press releases about how the programming for the Olympics will be handled this time?

I'll post some "Sleeper Cell" reviews in a tomorrow or Saturday.

(And I am delighted "Wanted" will be back to help get us through a rerun-filed December! Nothing like a nice, violent show to foster that holiday spirit!)
LMAO.. :D :D

It was posted that Joey was being pushed until after the Olympics. Have there been any press releases about how the programming for the Olympics will be handled this time?


Handled in what way?

NBC has said everything on the main net will be broadcast in HD this time. Obviously the lesser events on some of the cable channels will be in SD, but hopefully UHD and NBC HD will guve us two HD channels, at leats at times.

Realistically, I assume UHD will repeat NBC coverage.

Handled in what way?

NBC has said everything on the main net will be broadcast in HD this time. Obviously the lesser events on some of the cable channels will be in SD, but hopefully UHD and NBC HD will guve us two HD channels, at leats at times.

Realistically, I assume UHD will repeat NBC coverage.


It would be nice if UHD was more than just reruns.

It would be -- but NBC being on same day and all HD is a good leap from the last Olympics.

It would be nice if UHD was more than just reruns.
That isn't supposed to happen this time, at least that's what I thought I read.

That's what I remember reading, too.

NBC's Couric May Jump to Rival CBS

By Matea Gold Los Angeles Times Staff Writer December 1, 2005

NEW YORK -- NBC's "Today" show co-anchor Katie Couric is being actively wooed by CBS to be its next evening news anchor — a move she is seriously considering, according to sources at both networks.

In recent weeks, CBS News President Sean McManus has been doggedly courting Couric to switch networks and assume the anchor seat of the "CBS Evening News," according to three senior editorial employees at CBS and NBC.

While the 48-year-old morning host is contemplating the offer, sources said, it's unclear whether she can formally negotiate a new job until her NBC contract expires in May.

NBC News President Steve Capus said the network hopes to hold on to Couric, who has been the face of the "Today" show for almost 15 years. He called the growing speculation about her next step "premature."

"I don't think she's decided what to do," he said. "We're still sitting here with many months to go before this is going to be in front of us."

"Some day, at some point in the future, she is going to feel that it's time to get off the 'Today' show," Capus added. "I don't know when it's going to be."

Couric's agent did not return calls for comment. CBS officials declined to comment.

CBS Chairman Leslie Moonves had unsuccessfully tried to lure Couric away last spring when Dan Rather left the anchor desk. Since then, veteran Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer has served as interim anchor of the evening newscast, a stint he expected would only last a few months, while network executives pondered how to remake the show.

When McManus replaced news President Andrew Heyward in October, he announced that one of his immediate goals was to court new talent to the network. Couric has been his top priority, sources said, with the news president offering her "the moon" to come aboard. Any offer would have to involve a substantial salary to match Couric's current deal with NBC — a reported contract of $60 million over 4½ years.

The switch would represent a dramatic change for Couric, whose folksy style has been the hallmark of the "Today" show, a lively mix of breaking news, entertainment and lifestyle stories. Some network news observers question whether she would be the right fit for the more staid world of evening news.

"Her big strength is her versatility," said analyst Andrew Tyndall. "The job of a nightly news anchor is different: it requires less range, but more depth."

If CBS is successful in signing her, the move would upend the dynamics of the evening news competition — pitting her against her current NBC colleague Brian Williams — and shake up the race between the highly profitable morning shows.

With Couric — and later co-anchor Matt Lauer — at the helm, "Today" has been the top-ranked morning program for a decade. But ABC's "Good Morning America" has made a strong run at overtaking its rival this year, coming tantalizingly close in the spring. In recent weeks, "Today" has regained its wide lead, beating its rival by 864,000 viewers at one point last month.

The possibility of Couric's move has all three networks locked in a complex game of chess, each trying to anticipate the others' moves. At ABC, network officials are still pondering who should replace longtime anchor Peter Jennings, who died of lung cancer in August. One of the top candidates is Charles Gibson, co-anchor of "Good Morning America," who has expressed interest in the post, according to several sources familiar with internal discussions.

But ABC executives may be reluctant to move him off the morning show, which is substantially more profitable than the evening newscast, especially if Couric leaves and they have an opening to overtake "Today."

Gibson had been pulling double duty through the spring and summer, appearing on "Good Morning America" and anchoring "World News Tonight" several nights a week. But since late September, the evening anchoring duties have been split between "20/20" co-anchor Elizabeth Vargas and Saturday anchor Bob Woodruff, the other two top contenders for the post.

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/la-120105couric_lat,0,966872,print.story?coll=la-tot-promo

Isn't that the whole premise of O'Reilly's show? As soon as the other side makes a VALID point he yells at the guest and turns the mic off. That's mature debate if I ever saw it.

Stop watching Fox (or CNN/MSNBC) if you desire intelligent news and/or debate and look for less partial outlets like the BBC. No flash or stunts for ratings, just news.

Sorry for not getting personal, just getting out facts that the Faux News Channel doesn't bother with ;)

I haven't found your initial assertion to be the typical case. He has the rare goofball on who just rants and raves but the majority of the program is pretty much as the blogger describes. At least you didn't get personal. ;)

Chuck

I posted the story simply becasyse it goes against the grain of so much out there about FNC -- and O'Reilly specifically.

So it seemed interesting to me.

And when it comes to discussing American society, I think I'll shy away from the BBC. :)

Critic’s Notebook:
Sleeping near the enemy
”Sleeper Cell” appears to be a complex look at jihadis in L.A., but it devolves into a caper

By Paul Brownfield Los Angeles Times Staff Writer December 2, 2005

The Islamic extremists in "Sleeper Cell," a 10-hour miniseries beginning Sunday on Showtime, are first-generation jihadis, an it-takes-a-village collection of holy warriors practicing and plotting potential strikes on L.A. targets.

They include an impressionable white kid from Berkeley, a Frenchman and former skinhead, a Bosnian Muslim, a Saudi national, and an African American ex-con. They're supposed to be woven into the fabric of the city, dormant terrorists with jobs and lives masking the ultimate mission.

The creators of "Sleeper Cell," Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris ("Bulletproof Monk"), want to paint the issue in all stripes and sentiments while getting at an airborne anxiety — extremism in our midst, a war with no front. It's a lot of noise around — dare I say it — a procedural; "Sleeper Cell" seems to devolve into a long, suspenseful caper pitting the feds against a band of twisted criminals, one of whom is working undercover for the FBI.

For all its putative complexity, then, its passing examination of radical Islam versus peaceable Islam, its allusions to Guantanamo Bay and the Iraq insurgency, "Sleeper Cell" feels more like "The Shield," the L.A.-based cop drama on FX, the characters talking in overly stylized, expository quips, the L.A. cityscape whipping past in convincing fashion.

The subterfuge starts at a temple before moving to a bowling alley, in and out of vans, over to the mosque, across the border to Tijuana and into the arms of a lonely single mother; "Sleeper Cell" can be gruesomely violent, and the producers manage to shoehorn in sex scenes.

Showtime, trying to nip at HBO's brand, keeps conjuring promising and topical micro worlds, shooting premises into the zeitgeist as if out of a cannon, only to see them drift to the ground in the middle distance. It seems to start with ideas and then work backward, toward formula. The network is launching "Sleeper Cell" during a "free preview weekend" window. The packaging is all there, a DVD that came to critics as a discreet folder with the tagline: "Friends. Neighbors. Husbands. Terrorists." You opened it up to a picture of five guys standing around a barbecue — friends, you figured, whom you would come to know and empathize with despite their horrific errand.

To be sure, this has been something to ponder, grimly, since 9/11, since Madrid and London, and last month's hotel bombings in Jordan — that continuing question of L.A.'s civic elusiveness but from a terrorist's point of view, looking for a symbol. In an early scene, our terrorist protagonists are in a van, tossing around the possibilities — the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, UCLA, LAX — each possibility discussed in the context of freeway directions. "Take the 101 to the 134," one says, "merge onto the 210, exit at Pasadena. Hit the Rose Bowl."

That's Ilija (Henri Lubatti), a Bosnian war refugee hardened against the West for allowing the slaughter of Muslims in his homeland, including his family; he is also a math teacher and connoisseur of early hip-hop who can quote lyrics to A Tribe Called Quest songs. The cell members are all middle class and educated, their love-hate flirtations with Western culture inevitably turning them angry and inward (there are no madrasas in the background here). The Frenchman Christian (Alex Nesic) drives a Hollywood tour bus and favors strip clubs, while Tommy (Blake Shields) is trying to escape his broken Berkeley childhood and his leftist-medievalist mother.

These three orbit around the cell's good cop-bad cop duo: ringleader Farik (Oded Fehr) and Darwyn Al-Sayeed (Michael Ealy), a Nation of Islam ex-con who is actually working undercover for the FBI, and who is played in brooding one-note by Michael Ealy (I think he cracks an expression in Episode 4). "That's why I'm the perfect weapon, just another American idiot cruising the mall," Tommy tells Darwyn over lunch in a food court, the two taking a break from casing the place for a potential anthrax attack.

But it's Darwyn who's the better cover; he doesn't appear to be acting. He's busy, though, flitting between clandestine cell activity and meetings with his FBI contact (James Legros), while managing to get involved in an ill-advised affair with single mother Gayle (Melissa Sagemiller).

As the show opens, Darwyn emerges from deep cover in prison and into a sleeper cell led by Farik, who is himself operating under an assumed identity — he runs a security firm and is an active Jew, down to his role as coach of a Little League team.

"You're not supposed to think, you're supposed to follow instructions," is the kind of thing Farik says to Darwyn.

The cell members meet in doughnut shops, at the bowling alley, at the park. Fehr appears, with instructions. Fehr is a magnetic presence, but with the entrances he quickly comes to seem like a Bond villain getting out for some air ("Oklahoma City — I was jealous till 9/11," he says to the white supremacist with whom he is exchanging heroin for explosives).

"Sleeper Cell," ultimately, only postures at the duality of the sleeper terrorist's existence, the juxtaposition of the monstrous act with the banal ways in which hardened extremists can exist in the world for years before suddenly striking. It is that paradox that has heightened real-life investigative accounts of terrorists as well as fictional ones, such as "Paradise Now," the current Palestinian film about two suicide bombers plucked from existential drift and hopelessness into violent purpose.

Here, it's all teeth-clenching purpose and precious little drift, as if the producers can't trust a down beat, don't have the patience for the waiting and living part. "Sleeper Cell" promises the barbecue, the friends-neighbors-husbands part, but it keeps cutting back to the chase.

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-ontv2dec02,0,4909278,print.story?coll=cl-tvent

Fredfa,

I just want to thank you again for this thread and the hard work it takes to put it together. I have found out more than I ever cared to know about a lot of things and you have kept me apprised of new/interesting shows that I otherwise might have missed. My only regret is that we don't have enough space/time to hash a lot of subjects, Bill O'Reilly and FNC could double the thread if you didn't control it. :) Keep up the great work!

Dave, I really appreciate those words. The whole idea is to get people to know more about TV. I am so glad you have found it helpful.

Perhaps in February/March when I come to Peoria to do some work the the Padres we can have dinner and meet face-to-face.

Again many thanks for the kind words -- they are always good to hear.

-------------------

(What I would ask from any reader who enjoys the thread: if you know people who are interested in TV, email them the url -- and let them join us, too. I keep a close tab on the daily hits here, and we are growing, but I would love to grow faster!)

Perhaps in February/March when I come to Peoria to do some work the the Padres we can have dinner and meet face-to-face.I would love that. As you know, there are plenty of places to choose from by the stadium and I live just south of there, on the other side of Shunk Creek near Greenway & 77th Dr.

I guess this seems to indicvate the end for "Three Wishes" and "Joey". Too bad, I thought "Three Wishes" was a sweet show.

On the other hand you wonder how anyone could ever have approved "Joey" in the first place.
So is Joey cancelled for sure than? If it is, I don't think I'll miss it all that much. The good news is that this frees up the timeslot of Everybody Hates Chris exclusively. A surprisingly fresh and excellent show. Who would have thought I'd be saying that about a UPN show?

Joey was for the most part, just not all that good. I've never liked fake comedy, and that's basically the only thing this show brought to the table. I loved the cast, I just never really cared for the material.

But, I always feel for an audience who lost a favorite show, and that's no different in this case.

I just think they took the wrong approach with this show.

No, NBC says Joey will return "after the Olympics". The reason why escapes me.

And I somehow can't believe NBC, with all its problems, will be helped with bringing this show back. That's why it is in my cancelled list. But NBC is saying I am wrong.

Fox Looks at 'Idol' Schedule and Decides It's Just Fine
By Bill Carter The New York Times Dec. 1, 2005

After weeks of speculation that the Fox network might alter the schedule of its hit talent-show franchise "American Idol," Fox executives announced yesterday that the series would return in January in its customary slots on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

"You don't mess with a good thing," said Peter Liguori, the president of Fox Entertainment. He conceded that serious consideration had been given to a plan that would have moved "Idol" to Wednesday and Thursday nights in a bid to grab a piece of Thursday, television's most lucrative night for advertising. "There was a ton of debate," Mr. Liguori said.

In the end, however, Fox decided it could not risk unsettling any aspect of a show that it just this week renewed for as much as six more years at a huge price. According to figures filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Fox agreed to pay $95.5 million for the next four years of "American Idol" and an additional $77 million for two more years if the show continues to reach certain rating levels.

Mr. Liguori acknowledged that Fox executives would have opened themselves to a torrent of second-guessing if "American Idol," which could see some slight erosion in its ratings this season just because this is its fifth year, suffered from being moved to different nights.

"I know you get second-guessed in this business, but I'd rather be second-guessed for the right reasons," Mr. Liguori said.

With Fox taking a pass on the switch of "Idol" to Thursday, NBC is now almost surely going to move its hit new comedy "My Name Is Earl" into the Thursday at 9 p.m., Eastern and Pacific times, slot in January, probably in tandem with its highly regarded, but lower-rated, companion comedy "The Office." Those moves will affect the location of "The Apprentice," which is coming back, probably in March.

Fox announced the status quo for "Idol" in a series of midseason programming moves. "Idol" will start its season Jan. 17. For several weeks it will program hourlong audition shows both Tuesday and Wednesday nights, before settling into its regular format with a performance show on Tuesday and a voting results show on Wednesday.

The slot on Thursday night at 9, which had been expected might go to "Idol," will be filled by two comedies, "That 70's Show" and "Stacked." The latter has performed woefully in the ratings so far this season, but Mr. Liguori said Fox is hoping for better results on Thursdays.

Fox will also bring back its hit drama "Prison Break" on Mondays starting March 13. Fox will move its new drama, "Bones," to Wednesdays at 9 following "Idol" on Jan. 25. It will add a new reality series "Skating With Celebrities," starting on Jan. 18, a Wednesday, at 9. That show will then move to Mondays at 8 the next week.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/01/arts/television/01idol.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1133500164-ADHXAo5kY9Nny7vrKFqySQ&pagewanted=print

Critic’s Notebook:
“Sleeper Cell": Just try to stay awake for this

* 1/2 out of four

By Robert Bianco USA TODAY

It's hard to say what's more dispiriting: thinking that terrorists walk among us or watching them stumble along for 10 hours on Showtime.

Cobbled together out of hundreds of undercover/caper movie clichés, Sleeper Cell is so absurdly detached from the real world, it makes 24 look like a documentary. The plot runs at a fever pitch, and yet the pacing seems designed to ensure that the only "sleepers" involved are likely to be in the audience.

Created by Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris (who count among their credits the upcoming cartoon Master P: Kung Fu Panda), Sleeper airs in a miniseries burst: hour-long installments Sunday through Wednesday for two weeks, leading up to a two-hour finale Dec. 18. Odds are your interest in these walking position papers disguised as characters will fade long before then.

The only possible draws here are two charismatic stars struggling to make themselves register in the void: Oded Fehr and Michael Ealy, who have the burden of representing contrasting faces of Islam. Fehr is the bad guy, an Islamic extremist who leads the busiest sleeper cell on record. Ealy is his noble opposite, a Muslim FBI agent who infiltrates Fehr's cell — and who exists solely so that he can say things like, "These guys have nothing to do with my faith."

Just to make the point crystal-clear that you can't equate terrorism with any one religion or nationality, Sleeper makes its cellmates a multinational band. There's a French skinhead, an All-American college boy and a Bosnian refugee who comes equipped with one of those see-how-I've-suffered stories meant to explain the terrorists' viewpoint. Balance is an admirable goal, but it's unwise to try to tell two sides of a story when you can't competently handle one.

Much might be forgiven if the film were frightening, but for the most part, Sleeper is simply puzzling. To be troubled by it, you have to believe that terrorists routinely risk exposure by going off on homicidal tangents and that the FBI is so befuddled it can't foil a plan even when it has an inside agent spilling the details.

Dispiriting, nothing. That would be truly terrifying.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/reviews/2005-12-01-sleeper-cell-review_x.htm

Critic’s Notebook:
“Sleeper Cell” eventually wakes up

By Melanie McFarland Seattle Post-Intelligencer TV Critic Friday, December 2, 2005

Once you've experienced Jack Bauer in all his finger- breaking, terrorist-shooting, world-saving glory, is it possible to go back to some semblance of reality?

It’s impossible not to ask yourself that question while watching Showtime’s “Sleeper Cell.” Its premise brings to mind Jose Padilla, a U.S. citizen accused of conspiring to murder, kidnap and maim Americans overseas and providing material support to terrorists. According to reports, neighbors recall Padilla as a nice kid who always helped his mother.

That image, the wolf in the guy next door's clothing, should be more horrifying than any minute-to-minute crisis Fox blows out on prime-time television.

But "Sleeper Cell" doesn't quite achieve this. It is real in all the wrong parts -- such as where they sit around talking about terrorism and each other, which constitutes most of the three opening episodes -- and unbelievable in others.

This is a TV series whose creators, Cyrus Voris and Ethan Reiff, have written an interesting script while forgetting that it's for TV. And that little box favors a taste of immediacy over soporific details with the occasional explosions of terrible deeds.

"Sleeper Cell" takes us inside the world of extremism through the eyes of FBI agent Darwyn al-Sayeed (Michael Ealy), a man drowning in deep cover.

Al-Sayeed, known to the cell as an ex-con named Darwyn al-Hakim, also happens to be the show's way of covering itself. His character is a true Muslim, a man of righteousness and peace, prone to giving didactic speeches about the faith and its history to those who misunderstand it, which makes him the complete opposite of cell leader Faris al-Farik (Oded Fehr).

Al-Farik is an eerie figure who poses as a devout Jew, and a Little League coach, and has no qualms about exploiting any infidel to fund his nefarious doings.

His Los Angeles-based terrorist cell is an equal opportunity recruiter, though. Blond, blue-eyed and thoroughly stupid Berkeley guy Tommy Emerson (Blake Shields), Bosnian high school teacher Ilija Korjenic (Henri Lubatti) and handsome French tour bus driver Christian Aumont (Alex Nesic) are all in league with the cause.

Fehr's performance is worth noting, if only because his cool demeanor is frighteningly at odds with the insane rhetoric pouring out of his mouth. His portrayal may be the show's greatest point of interest -- that is, if you aren't annoyed by Shields, or hypnotized into a slumber by Ealy's never-ending "haunted past" routine.

The purse of his lips and his eternally sorrowful eyes are supposed to scream Darwyn's sharp contempt for the violence and immorality he sees al-Farik and his merry band of sociopaths perpetrate in the faith's name. We're supposed to sympathize with his anger when the cell visits strip clubs, or as Christian cheats on his wife with hookers.

Only this devout, sullen-faced Muslim easily falls into bed with the single mom, a smoker no less, living next door to one of the jihadists. Which is only slightly less understandable than a murder he commits to officially infiltrate the group.

That demonstrates the identity crisis at the heart of this series. It makes a point about true Islam versus the one claimed by extremists, but doesn't force Darwyn to bring his faith head-on against al-Farik's perverted version until the fourth episode. And it is in this fourth hour that the story's grip at last takes hold.

Before that, the show has its poignant moments; Darwyn's encounter with a Mexican brothel funding al-Farik's holy war in a future episode is an especially queasy discovery, outdone only by al-Farik's reaction to it.

You'll want more of this. What we get instead are character intricacies and secondary stories devised to expose how evil and rife with hypocrisy these holy warriors are. Necessary elements, but the way they're executed puts cement boots on the plot progression.

Who knows? Some viewers, particularly those used to the unduly luxurious pacing of premium cable, may hang around until "Sleeper Cell" finds its way. As for the rest of you, be happy "24" returns with a two-day, four-hour premiere Jan. 15 and 16.

And that brings us to the one frenetically paced thing about "Sleeper Cell," which is its schedule. The first through fourth episodes of will air at 10 and 11 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday. Parts 1 and 2 encore Thursday between 8 and 10 p.m., and Part 3 and Part 4 repeat Friday at the same time. Next Saturday is the "Sleeper Cell" marathon, in case you missed those other opportunities. All four installments air between 8 p.m. and midnight, and on Sunday, Dec. 11, the cycle begins anew with parts 5 through 8. The two-part season finale runs Dec. 18 at 8, with an encore at 10.

In any other corner of the television universe, this hyperactive push through the series would signify a lack of confidence on the part of a network that believes it has a stinker, and just wants to get rid of it. Not on Showtime, which calls this two-week saturation a "progressive effort," geared toward subscribers' "time-shifting viewing habits."

In layman's terms, that means Showtime's programmers know you probably can find many more exciting options whenever "Sleeper Cell" is on.

The terrorists aren't winners here, but we're not sure if Showtime will be, either.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/printer2/index.asp?ploc=t&refer=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/tv/250493_tv02.html

Critic’s Notebook:
Do they look like TERRORISTS?
”Sleeper Cell” goes deep inside extremist minds

By David Kronke [B]Los Angeles Daily News Television Writer Dec. 2, 2005


"Forget the show - reality itself is unnerving," says Oded Fehr , who stars as an Islamic extremist in Showtime's incendiary series "Sleeper Cell," about a small band of terrorists hidden in plain sight on the streets of Los Angeles.

"When we think, 'This is as far as they would go,' they go further. We never thought they would kill themselves. We never thought they would get women involved, and they have."

In the series, which debuts on Sunday, Michael Ealy stars as Darwyn, an earnest Muslim undercover FBI agent who infiltrates an L.A. sleeper cell run by the cannily charismatic Farik (Fehr). Alex Nesic , Henri Lubatti and Blake Shields play other members of the cell, of French, Bosnian and American backgrounds, respectively.

The series was created by screenwriters Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris ("Bulletproof Monk"). Voris says, "The theme of the show is, at the very least, 'know your enemy.' If people are trying to kill you, find out why, even if you'll never agree or they're sociopaths, because it helps you fight them."

"We were looking to craft three-dimensional human beings across a spectrum of characters - all ready, willing and probably able to commit these heinous, destructive acts," Reiff adds.

With such intentions, Voris concedes, "This show, from the critical side, there's going to be people on both sides of the ideological spectrum who won't like it. I don't know if audiences will embrace it or freak out."

Voris and Reiff also conceived "Sleeper Cell" as a response to films and TV series that trod tremulously around the ugly truths of 9/11.

"All these various American TV shows found it impossible to deal head-on with real enemy Islamic extremist terrorists," Reiff says, adding, "It was inevitable, in a country where pop-culture garners so much attention out of proportion to its actual importance, that this would creep back into popular culture."

The two were assiduous in recruiting both experts in counterterrorism and Islam and in hiring Muslim writers and crew members.

"I was very, very concerned that we got it right," says Ealy. "This series didn't pull any punches. I don't feel you can deal with such volatile subject matter and be conservative about it."

Ealy adds that while creating his character, "What I came up with is that Darwyn is the wrong guy for this assignment. He's a Muslim, so that's the strangest contradiction. If you're undercover in the FBI, you have to be a good liar. And then I sat with the Islamic consultant and learned you're not supposed to lie; it's a very disciplined faith.

"To me, that was the tightrope to walk on - how do you maintain that element of his personal integrity as a peace-loving Muslim with these extremists without getting yourself killed? It's an absolutely awful conundrum. I learned from this show, I don't want to work for the FBI. I thought I was a good actor, but I would not be good undercover. Having integrity can get you killed."

For his part, Fehr had to struggle with his own moral integrity - he was born in Israel - to accept the role of an anti-Semitic terrorist. "Being associated with that type of character ... (is) scary, because more in TV than in movies, people associate you with the character you play. I couldn't be more distant from that character; to be associated with it is something I'd rather not happen. But weighing that against the opportunity to play a really challenging role and fantastic material that is close to me, growing up in the Middle East - it was a great challenge as an actor."

Experts recruited for the series were taken seriously, which isn't always the norm for a TV series, where the level of technical accuracy often ends at how to hold a firearm.

"On '24,' Jack Bauer kills 30 people an episode, and there are no repercussions," Voris says. "In our pilot, when Darwyn is faced with blowing his cover, that became a huge issue. Our technical advisers told us that (the government) would want to shut the thing down. So that became a plot point for us - it wouldn't get shut down only if the situation was bigger than they suspected. Every script went through two or three law- enforcement tech advisers and an Islamic tech adviser, so it took much longer, vetting them through all these sources."

In another episode, Farik's group tries to smuggle anthrax into America in a recreational vehicle. "Our experts told us the easiest thing to get across the border without checking is a mobile home with a family inside," Voris says.

He adds, "We were concerned that the show be realistic as possible, but we don't want it to be a handbook for terrorists. They know far more than we do, but we need be responsible. So we would find out the real thing and then slightly alter certain details," so they couldn't be readily emulated.

Ealy admits his time with the experts was sobering. "The fact that the FBI consultants could not tell us for sure if there were real sleeper cells in this country - that they were not permitted to tell - that was pretty sobering," he says.

"But the most sobering factor in this show is that they are among us," he adds. "It may seem improbable to think that they are among us and they are assimilating into our culture. If anything, this show demonstrates how they would do it. Talk to anyone who knew one of the 19 (9/11 terrorists), and they say, 'He went bowling.' 'He wore Hawaiians shirts.' 'He seemed the nicest guy.' That's what is terrifying."

What might be terrifying for Showtime is the fact that FX's recent ripped-from-the-headlines series, the Iraqi War drama "Over There," failed to muster many viewers, despite its timeliness and critical acclaim. But Reiff takes pains to separate the two series.

"In interviews for that show, (executive producer Steven) Bochco distinctly refused to discuss his position on the war," says Reiff. "We didn't filter ourselves in any way, shape or form. We went at this with every ounce of belief, anger and passion regarding this material.

"Another big advantage we have," Reiff adds, "is that our show takes place over here. Literally. Outside your window, in your local mall, at your local diner. There's no way we could make a calculated political choice."

http://dailynews.com/ontv/ci_3265774

The 2005-2006 TV Season
Ask Matt
(from the Ask (TV Critic) Matt (Roush) column at TVGuide.com

Question: I realize that all four major television networks share the common need for ratings and for money from advertisers, so the fact that they cancel shows left and right whenever one of them isn't getting them much in either of those areas shouldn't come as a surprise. However, it is hard to understand their reasoning when your favorite shows so often get canceled or indefinitely postponed. Threshold has been stopped officially, and the new episode scheduled for Tuesday didn't air. I made a commitment before the fall schedule began to watch at least one of the many new supernatural thrillers. I chose Invasion on your recommendation, but after a while, Threshold pulled me in. I saw all the episodes from beginning to end and I loved them. I liked it even more than I did Invasion. Now it's getting canceled. It's not surprising, but it's so disappointing. Alias is gone after this season (no shocker there, but still). Arrested Development: gone. Kitchen Confidential: gone. It's impossible to watch television nowadays without having your fingers crossed, hoping that the networks won't cancel your favorite show! Are we ever going to be able to relax and just watch a show without thinking about its cancellation, or is the quantity-over-quality rule going to always be applied in this medium? — Jorge

Matt Roush: Fact of life: Many, if not most, TV shows fail. The rules of TV are changing, but perhaps not fast enough, and maybe it never will get to the point where a show can survive just because, like Threshold. Too bad for Threshold that it didn't air on a struggling network like NBC — or, in the case of Alias, on ABC a few years ago. I'm just glad ABC is sticking with Invasion through the season even though it's losing a big chunk of the Lost lead-in. My fear is that ABC will someday hit its own procedural mother lode, like CSI has become for CBS or Law & Order for NBC, because nothing will choke creativity out of a schedule faster than a network that's able to clone a hit successfully and be rewarded for it, regardless of the quality of the spin-off/rip-off.

This has been an especially rough week where cancellations are concerned, prompting letters like yours, as well as this one from Beth:
"I am afraid there will be a day when there is nothing I want to watch on TV. With the cancellations of Arrested Development, Alias, Kitchen Confidential (which had promise) and Reunion, I am running out of shows. Yes, I still have Gilmore Girls, Veronica Mars (god bless that show!) and Lost. I am assuming Invasion won't last — but I will watch until they kill it. What is a discerning TV watcher to do?"

To borrow your own words, Beth: "Watch until they kill it." (And at least you'll get a full season of Invasion — that's more than a show like this would have gotten in the pre-Lost era.)
________________________________________
Question: Say it ain't so! I'll never forgive CBS if they cancel Threshold without giving it one more try. Why can't they just put it on Saturdays at 8 pm/ET? I know they won't put it back on Fridays since Close to Home is doing much better in Threshold's old time slot, but CBS doesn't air anything on Saturday nights except reruns of CSI and other crime dramas. Threshold may have failed on Tuesday nights, but the network needs to find it a good home. It's a good show with a lot of potential. — Rob

Matt Roush: It was hard to pick which letters/questions to address in the wake of Threshold's premature demise, but I'll go with this one, if only to state the obvious. At the moment, the only way original programming will exist on Saturday nights is if the network goes the reality route, as ABC appears to be planning and the way in which Fox keeps afloat with its crime-stopper programs. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy — we don't watch TV on Saturdays, because no one puts anything on worth watching — but the networks have convinced themselves it's not worth throwing money away on the night by putting low-rated (and expensive) scripted shows on a night when few are watching.

CBS' schedule is so solid on so many nights that there are few slots (except maybe Wednesdays at 8 pm/ET) where a show like this could fit without dragging the schedule down, as Threshold did in its one Tuesday outing (and as many have noted, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving is hardly a fair test). Plus, CBS has a number of shows waiting in the wings for mid-season, and this is the only new show the network has canceled. Something had to give. Too bad it wasn't mediocre slop like Criminal Minds.

After almost every cancellation, there's the inevitable question like Chris C.'s: "Do you think Threshold should be given a second chance on another network, like Fox or the Sci Fi Channel?" I'd love to see that happen, but it almost never does. I stayed a fan of the show to the end, but even I'll admit that this didn't generate as much buzz (in the media or elsewhere) as I'd hoped. I don't imagine anyone is clamoring to add it to their schedule.
________________________________________
Question: In terms of interest, action and characters, I rate Threshold first, Invasion second and Surface dead last. Yet Threshold has been canceled while the other two have been renewed. What is your opinion of the three shows, ratings aside? — Speros Z.

Matt Roush: I flip-flopped continually between Threshold and Invasion as to which I preferred. It usually depended on which I'd seen most recently. Threshold seemed to me more fun, but Invasion is more emotionally involving and intriguing, and lately has made its way back to the top (although none of the network sci-fi/fantasy shows comes close in appeal or distinction to Battlestar Galactica; I'm anxiously awaiting tapes of its first new episodes, scheduled for January). On Invasion, the relationship of Mariel and Sheriff Tom is so deeply interesting and disturbing to me, I watch the show in fascination even when the narrative seems to meander. As I've said before, considering how subtly creepy Invasion is, I'm amazed it's doing even as well as it is. I'd address Surface, but I need to stay awake to finish the rest of this column.

And finally, this word on Threshold from (inevitably) a nonfan, Vance: "I love your column and rely on your critical judgment before I invest too much time in a new series. Nonetheless, I have to disagree with your assessment of Threshold. As someone who appreciates the likes of Battlestar Galactica and Farscape, I don't see how you can enjoy the hokey dialogue, cartoon characters and snail's-pace plotting of this very mediocre show. I admit that the first two or three episodes had promise, but Threshold has degenerated into a 2005 version of the old Galactica — pure pabulum. Can you see any of these criticisms as valid?"

I tend to think that all, or most, criticisms are valid — even ones, like this, that I don't particularly agree with, especially those about the show's pace. I thought most episodes covered lots of ground, and I enjoyed seeing how the aliens kept trying each week to get their infectious signal out in new and ingenious ways. But clearly, more people felt your way than mine. It happens. (And I prefer Battlestar and Farscape as well.)

The final, final word goes to Valerie, who jokes (I think), "Do you think this show would have stayed on CBS if the words 'Jerry Bruckheimer' appeared in the credits?"
________________________________________
Question: I just read in TV Guide's Entertainment News that Reunion was canceled! I'm really disappointed by this news because I really enjoyed this (underwatched) show. In my opinion the whole concept and idea behind it was really well done and had been carried out nicely. Obviously, though, it was on at a horrible time and I sensed impending doom when I read that the American Idol-results show might be airing on Thursdays in 2006. I totally wasn't expecting a Season 2 of Reunion due to its low ratings, but I was at least hopeful for one full season. What happens now? Did they already shoot the 13 episodes Fox has ordered? Will Fox at least be airing all of the filmed episodes? Will we ever find out what happens? — Dave

Matt Roush: As of this moment, it's just too early to know how it will play out. It looks as if Fox will air the remaining episodes, with the finale set for Feb. 2, but the show hasn't even finished production yet (this week I was told they were still filming Episode 12), so it's still possible that they'll rush an ending and a solution to the whodunit into the final script. It probably won't satisfy the show's small fan base, but it's still better than those who were watching Night Stalker got.
________________________________________
Question: I love your column. It's so informative. Here's my question: I understand that both Alias and Threshold have been given the ax! I'm really sad, but I'm also surprised. I thought Threshold was a hit on Friday nights. Also, why won't the network simply try moving Threshold to another night so that it can find an audience? I don't understand how networks can spend so much money producing these shows then yank them when they aren't instant hits. As far as Alias is concerned, I never saw the handwriting on the wall. I had no idea it was in such trouble. Are the ratings so awful that the show warrants cancellation? Do you think it's time for Alias to go? — Mark

Matt Roush: The Threshold situation has been pretty well covered (see above), although I should point out that while Threshold wasn't doing disastrously on Fridays, the ratings tended to drop after Ghost Whisperer and pick up again for Numbers, and now with the compatible Close to Home in that time period, the audience flow has been much more sustained. With Alias: I honestly didn't think it was that big a secret that most everyone involved with the show, as well as at the network, were looking at this season as a possible (and probable) final season.

(This summer at the critics' press tour, I asked a number of people with the show and at ABC if we should just consider this Alias' swan song, and most felt we probably should.) Confirming the end this early in the game allows the producers to go out with a flourish, which is a good thing. If Alias had taken Thursday by storm, which it didn't (that honor goes, more or less, to Smallville) , then maybe the situation would have changed. But personally, I do think it's time to let the show go while it still has a shred of its original energy and appeal.
________________________________________
Question: Hi, Matt. I have two issues after watching Monday's Prison Break: Considering all the guys on that show, why does it seem like it's the lawyer chick who makes a majority of the stupid mistakes? She's starting to remind me of the stereotypical teenage girls on TV who keep doing stupid things, like the daughter in the first two seasons of 24. Also, why doesn't Fox create a two-hour action block with Prison Break at 8 ET and 24 at 9? I can't see that the early hour is the issue since the show isn't that violent (it isn't Oz or, as a better example, Alias). Also, the subject matter and dialogue of House seem better suited to the 9 pm hour. Is this really all because of American Idol? Is AI still that strong? Can't they push that show to March instead of Prison Break? Argh! — Marisa

Matt Roush: First off: the annoying "lawyer chick" Veronica. It's pretty clear to me that Prison Break is at its best in the prison and dealing with the caper, and not in the subplots on the outside dealing with the conspiracy, especially where Veronica and L.J. vs. those idiotic psycho-agents working for the lady VP are concerned. But to the meat of your question: Lots of frustration in the mailbag about Prison Break's hiatus, which on the positive side isn't quite as long as we initially feared. I'm assuming your final questions were ironic where American Idol was concerned, because there's no way to avoid the fact that in the second half of the TV season, it's all about Idol on Fox. Nothing is more important. Nothing.

I would also argue your point on the violence level of Prison Break, which for many weeks was intense enough to send the person I live with out of the room, vowing never to come back (although we both watched the cliff-hanger "finale" avidly). But as Fox announced earlier this week, they also like the idea of an action-themed Monday, so now Prison Break will be leading into 24 starting in mid-March. I agree that House, being a truly adult show, is better suited for the later time period, so I'm glad to see it's staying put on Tuesdays at 9 pm/ET and not moving to Mondays in front of 24 (as Fox originally had planned).
________________________________________
Question: In reference to your comments regarding Grey's Anatomy's diversity and that a real breakthrough will be made when a lead in an ensemble is allowed to be a minority — sadly, I think it happened already but nobody noticed! When I think of Homicide: Life on the Street, I think of Andre Braugher and Kyle Secor, but especially Andre. When he left the show, it swiftly went downhill. I was excited when he got his own show — seemed like a breakthrough really had been made, but the network pushed his show around from night to night and from time to time before finally canceling it. I was not impressed enough by Hack to watch him play second fiddle. I hope that his upcoming show will, again, prove his talent and ability to carry a series as a minority and as a top-rate actor. — Erika

Matt Roush: I'm with you. Andre Braugher is a huge talent, and maybe a network like FX (where his new drama Thief will premiere early next year) will finally give him a proper showcase. The medical drama he starred in that you referred to was Gideon's Crossing, which aired on ABC in 2000-2001. It was, if I recall, a much more somber series than Grey's Anatomy, but not a bad show by any means. As for Homicide, he was certainly celebrated during the run of that show. Pembleton and Bayliss were one of the great detective teams in TV history.
________________________________________
Question: I'm one of those who has loved Lost from the beginning. Someone (maybe you?) likened it to reading a novel, and I felt that way, too. I loved the flashbacks and I loved learning more about the characters, especially the bombshell things, like Locke's wheelchair. My husband, however, has insisted from the beginning that he felt the writers were making it up as they went, throwing in every unbelievable and unexplainable thing possible, and would never be able to tie it all together.

After reading Michael Ausiello's interview with the executive producers, I find that my husband may be right. One made the statement that it "boggles (his) mind" when people ask what the numbers mean because he doesn't think that question will ever be answered. I mean, excuse me? They put the numbers in everything imaginable and they are mystified that people wonder what they mean? Don't get me wrong: If I know there's a payoff to be had, I'm willing to wait. I'm not demanding resolutions right now, but it would be nice to be assured that there will be resolutions eventually. There's a big difference between going along for a wonderful ride and being taken for one. I guess as someone who loved Twin Peaks and The X-Files, my guard is up, and I'm enjoying the story a whole lot less this year. Heck, if I just sat around and thought of improbable events and made no effort to tie them together, I could write for one of the top shows on television. Help me, Dr. Matt; am I just being paranoid? — Mickey

Matt Roush: Maybe a wee bit. I loved your line about "a big difference between going along for a wonderful ride and being taken for one." The way I feel about Lost, the ride is so wonderful that I'm not in the least concerned for now about the ultimate destination because my hope is that we won't get to the bottom of the island's mysteries or, more important to me, to the roots of the psychology of these fabulous characters for seasons to come. Besides, when it comes to something like the numbers, what kind of explanation could there be that would matter or would satisfy anyone without becoming as mystifying and ultimately impenetrable as The X-Files' mythology turned out to be? Look up "McGuffin" in a Hitchcock glossary. Some plot points exist solely for the purpose of taking us on the ride. What they mean (like, say, The 39 Steps to use a classic example, or anything in the backstory of North by Northwest) isn't as important as what they trigger. And do I think these writers know what they're doing? I most definitely do. Everyone should be as lost as these guys. And now that the "tailies" have caught up to the original cast, maybe the chronically impatient among us will get back with the program. I will admit to having a short fuse about griping where Lost is concerned. I can't imagine a show being better produced, written, cast, etc., than this one. The payoff for me is in the experience of watching these gripping hours of TV. Wherever they lead, I'm still following.
________________________________________
Question: I recently saw that in January, CBS will be airing a new show in The Amazing Race's time slot. Is Amazing Race just taking a hiatus for the second half of the TV season? While I'm excited to see Tom Cavanagh return to TV (I miss the sadly canceled Ed) , The Amazing Race is my favorite reality show, so what's CBS doing in January? — Katie

Matt Roush: Basically, CBS is giving Love Monkey (the comedy-drama starring our delightful Mr. Ed) a tryout in Amazing Race's time period for January and, I'm assuming, February (to keep Race out of the way of the Winter Olympics) . This is a typical mid-season operation (like Jenna Elfman's new comedy filling in for Out of Practice for a couple of months). And then Race will return with a new edition (not a family one, thankfully) in the spring and will finish out the season in its regular slot. That's my understanding, anyway.
________________________________________
Question: I recently read that the creators of Gilmore Girls, Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, were possibly leaving at the end of this season to work on another show that they are creating. The last time they focused on another show (the spin-off of Jess' character), Gilmore Girls went into a slump and lost 20 percent of its audience. Why would they leave Gilmore Girls now, especially when it's back on track, and they have said that it would only continue for maybe two more seasons? I would think that as a creator of a successful show, you would want to see it all the way through to the end. Why leave now and create the possibility that the show will end poorly? There are lots of examples of this happening. Are there any shows that have benefited from the original creators leaving to work on something else? Like most rabid Gilmore Girls fans, I'm worried by this development. — Larry S.

Matt Roush: Some shows actually do benefit by bringing in new blood to run things after a number of years (think of, say, Law & Order: SVU, which has flourished under Neal Baer's leadership). But it is treacherous indeed when a show with such a specific voice and point of view loses its creator (think of, say, The West Wing). The words "possibly leaving" are very loaded ones to me, and I won't believe they'll actually abandon this show until it happens. And even if they do focus on launching a new show while Gilmore Girls is still up and running, something tells me they'll still be doing some quality control — or at least writing the final episode. I guess you and other fans do have every right to be concerned. But the reality of the business is that it's awfully rare for someone to stick with a show for such a long haul when there are opportunities to create something new. (Everybody Loves Raymond's Phil Rosenthal being among the most notable and laudable exceptions to the Hollywood rule.)

http://tvguide.com/tv/roush/askmatt/

Critic’s Notebook:
2 Talk Show Titans Are Speaking Again

By JACQUES STEINBERG and LOLA OGUNNAIKE The New York Times December 2, 2005

Oprah Winfrey ended a 16-year absence from David Letterman's couch in grand style last night, appearing as a guest on his "Late Show" on CBS and then receiving a personal escort from him down Broadway to the premiere of "The Color Purple," the new musical she is producing.

Even as Manhattan evenings go, this one featured especially high drama with plenty of back story, as two television titans held hands while crossing from the small screen to the live stage over the span of a single block - West 53rd Street, which separates his theater (the Ed Sullivan) from hers (the Broadway).

"Even my mother said tonight she may switch over from Leno," Mr. Letterman said during the taping of his opening monologue.

In sitting for a television interview with Mr. Letterman, Ms. Winfrey acceded to years of on-air cajoling from the oft-cranky talk show host, who had been seeking, at least in part, to make amends for a bit at the 1995 Academy Awards in which he toggled between two sound-alike first names - Uma and Oprah - to little laughter. But if the night offered the end of a celebrated standoff - one that Ms. Winfrey said during a later interview was stoked by her discomfort at being the butt of Mr. Letterman's jokes long before the Oscars - it also served as the beginning of yet another career for her. She added the title of Broadway producer (she is one of several on the production) to her various roles as talk show pioneer, movie actress, literary cheerleader, magazine mogul and international philanthropist.

But before she could walk the red velvet carpet outside the opening of "The Color Purple," she had to sustain a fair bit of ribbing from him, as did he from her.

"I want to thank Jimmy Carter for negotiating the peace settlement," Mr. Letterman said during the monologue, before Ms. Winfrey appeared. "Plus, we had to give her a Pontiac."

Suggesting that it had taken a ruse to get her to the show, he added, "She thinks she's seeing 'Spamalot.' "

Mr. Letterman dedicated his entire "Top 10" list to Ms. Winfrey - "Messages Left on Oprah's Answering Machine" - including "No. 10. 'This is Martha Stewart. If you need it, I planted a box cutter in the guest chair.' " He also took several shots at Dr. Phil McGraw, her protégé.

Once on stage, though, Ms. Winfrey, who was interviewed for more than a half-hour, soon turned the tables on Mr. Letterman. Picking up on something serious that Mr. Letterman had said in the monologue - he revealed how moved he had been when Ms. Winfrey sent a basket of children's books to him two years ago, upon the birth of his son, Harry - Ms. Winfrey asked, "What's your favorite of the books?"

Mr. Letterman responded, "You can't go wrong with 'Runaway Bunny.' "

Moments later, she presented him with a wrapped present that turned out to be a framed photo, signed by her and the other target of his famed Oscar joke, the actress Uma Thurman.

"I wanted you to know it's really over, O.K., whatever it is you thought was happening," said Ms. Winfrey, who had last appeared on Mr. Letterman's show in 1989, four years before it moved from NBC to CBS. "There is no feud. There's only peace and love."

To that end, Mr. Letterman spent several minutes asking Ms. Winfrey about her charitable efforts in Africa, including a school in South Africa that she is creating for girls whom she intends to recruit by going "village to village."

Afterward, in an interview at the Broadway Theater, Ms. Winfrey said she had stayed away from the Letterman show all these years, partly, because her last appearance on the comedian's couch was "not the most pleasant."

"I felt uncomfortable because I felt like his whole mission was to make me the joke," she said, "and I'm a smart enough woman to know that I don't have to go down that road."

Last night Mr. Letterman was a complete gentleman, which Ms. Winfrey found pleasantly surprising. "It was really lovely," she said smiling, "so much so that I kept thinking, O.K., when's the stunt coming, the big gimmick, the joke. And nothing happened. And that's to his credit."

As stars like Sidney Poitier, Jerry Seinfeld, Donald Trump, Angela Bassett and Quincy Jones made their way down the red carpet in front of the theater, Ms. Winfrey, resplendent in a chocolate brown dress with a purple sash, took a break from the pandemonium. It was a half-hour before show time and as she stood in the middle of the empty theater, staring at the darkened stage, she recalled the afternoon she discovered "The Color Purple."

After reading a review of the book, she immediately went out and bought a copy. "I read the book that afternoon," she said. "I got up and went back to the bookstore and bought every copy of the book in the store and every copy in surrounding stores. I went to work the next day and gave it to everyone I knew and said: 'You will not be my friend if you don't read this book.' "

Ms. Winfrey's portrayal of Sofia, a no-nonsense housewife, in the film version of "The Color Purple" earned her both Golden Globe and Oscar nominations. This year is the 20th anniversary of the film, a fact that Ms. Winfrey noted. "There is really something mystical about the whole thing," she said, "and that is how I know that it will be a success. I'm not worried about the critics. I would hope that they love it as much as I do, but I'm not the least bit worried."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/02/arts/television/02oprah.html?pagewanted=print

PRIMETIME NOV 2005 SWEEP :
28 DAYS - FULL SWEEP
(11/3/05-11/30/05 vs. 11/4/04-12/1/04)


PERSONS 2+ (Millions)
Network / 2005 / 2004 / Change
CBS 14.57 #1 14.33 #1 +2%
NBC 9.56 #3 10.74 #2 -11%
ABC 11.66 #2 10.72 #3 +9%
FOX 7.72 #4 7.04 #4 +10%

ADULTS 25-54
Network / 2005 / 2004 / Change
CBS 5.6/13 #1 5.5/13 #1 +2%
NBC 4.0/09 #3 4.6/11 #2(T) -13%
ABC 5.1/12 #2 4.6/11 #2(T) +11%
FOX 3.3/08 #4 2.9/07 #4 +14%

ADULTS 18-49
Network / 2005 / 2004 / Change
CBS 4.4/12 #1(T) 4.5/12 #1 -2%
NBC 3.3/09 #3 4.0/10 #2(T) -18%
ABC 4.4/12 #1(T) 4.0/11 #2(T) +10%
FOX 3.2/08 #4 3.0/08 #4 +7%

HOUSEHOLDS
Network / 2005 / 2004 / Change
CBS 9.3/15 #1 9.2/15 #1 +1%
NBC 6.3/10 #3 7.0/11 #2 -10%
ABC 7.4/12 #2 6.9/11 #3 +7%
FOX 4.8/08 #4 4.4/07 #4 +9%

Source: Nielsen Media Research

The TV Column
Oprah Gives Peace -- and Letterman -- a Chance

By Lisa de Moraes The Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, December 2, 2005; C07

Nobel Peace Prize contender-if-her-fans-have-anything-to-say-about-it Oprah Winfrey last night made her first appearance on David Letterman's late-night show in 16 years to claim there was never any truth to the report that she had a problem with him.

Next she'll be blaming "the media."

"Could you please tell me what has transpired?" Oprah asked Letterman, smiling sweetly.

"I have never for a moment had a feud with you."

Which is odd because, for the better part of two decades, despite repeated requests from Letterman, Oprah had refused to return to any show he has hosted. Two years ago she told Time magazine that she would not go on Letterman's show because both times she had, in the '80s when he was on NBC, "I was sort of like the butt of his jokes. I felt completely uncomfortable sitting in that chair, and I vowed I would not ever put myself in that position again."

But now, at least on her fans' Web sites, she's campaigning for the Nobel Peace Prize, and Letterman has gotten old and lost his edge, so last night he fawned over her and she let him. It was sad.

"This is the television event of the decade," he gushed, introducing her as an "icon," "humanitarian" and "Broadway producer."

Oprah brought him a present that, because Oprah is first and foremost a businesswoman, was wrapped in purple by way of plugging her new Broadway production, "The Color Purple."

The present was a picture of Oprah and Uma Thurman, the gals who, just a few days earlier on Oprah's syndicated show, had dissed Letterman for that lame joke with which he'd opened the Academy Awards in '95 -- "Oprah, Uma. Uma, Oprah." They've never forgotten the cruel, cruel joke, they told Oprah's viewers, because they're both very, very sensitive about their first names. Poor lambs.

"I want you to know it's really over, whatever you thought was happening," Oprah told Letterman, still smiling very Nobel Peace Prize-ly.

Letterman said he could not thank Oprah enough for finally agreeing to be a guest on his CBS show: "It means a great deal to me, and I'm just very happy you're here."

"Does it really?" Winfrey asked. "I've been hearing for the past week you talking about it, and I didn't know if you were really serious or you were just doing your 'Dave thing.' " Letterman, ignoring the slap, continued to fawn:

"You have meant something to the lives of people," he said. "We're just a TV show."

He stuck with that theme for some time: "It's more than a show," he said of her syndicated daily program.

"It's a mission," she agreed.

"I can't believe you're being this serious!" she said repeatedly. Really, she's got to work on her shtick if she expects to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Still, you can't blame her for being a bit skeptical. Though she insisted "there never was a feud" between her and Letterman when she recently picked up an award for good-deed-doing -- not, however, the Nobel Peace Prize -- at the International Emmy Awards ceremony, the Chicago Tribune tells a very different, much darker, if slightly sketchy and lead-buried, story.

In 1989, Letterman's NBC show traveled to Chicago, and Oprah was his guest for what would be the last time -- until last night.

The reporter covering the Chicago taping little knew it would be the start of a 16-year kerfuffle that ended only because (a) Oprah produced a musical version of "The Color Purple" that opened last night right across the street from the old Ed Sullivan Theater, where Letterman's show is taped, and (b) a bunch of Oprah freaks started a movement to get her the Nobel Peace Prize, so she needs to bury all outstanding hatchets.

If the writer had known, he might have led his coverage with something a little yeastier than "David Letterman's first Chicago taping did, I suppose, live up to its billing Tuesday afternoon at the Chicago Theatre."

Five graphs in, the report got down to it:

"With little fanfare but with Larry 'Bud' Melman doing the Dave introduction, taping began," according to the 1989 Trib account.

It continued that Letterman "couldn't help that his interview with Oprah Winfrey uncomfortably disintegrated into discussions of black people in restaurants, satanic sacrifices and one scream of 'Rip her, Dave.' Robert Palmer, the model of urbanity, provided the show's obvious highlight, while comic Tom Dreesen was his amiable self."

Black people in restaurants and satanic sacrifices? Is it any wonder that Oprah, no matter how she may deny it, was a little miffed for 16 years?

But last night, Oprah had an expensive Broadway production to hawk, and so, to wrap their kiss-and-make-up session, Letterman escorted her to the premiere of "The Color Purple," with cameras rolling. Oprah's victory was complete, and Letterman had become that which he once mocked. An Opraholic.

* * * * * * * *

NBC, not Fox, has made the risky midseason scheduling move.

One day after those pantywaists at Fox wimped out on moving "American Idol" to Thursday night, NBC announced that it's moving this season's biggest freshman success, "My Name Is Earl," to Thursday night and reintroducing the four-comedy block that made NBC great for almost two decades.

Best of all, "Joey" is off NBC's schedule. See, someone is listening to our prayers.

As of Jan. 5, NBC's Must See TV lineup will start with "Will & Grace," followed by the new guy-com "Four Kings," then "My Name Is Earl" at 9 and "The Office." "Earl" is the No. 1 comedy on any network among the 18-to-49-year-olds advertisers pay a premium to reach.

Replacing it and "Office" on Tuesday night are "Scrubs" and "Scrubs." Yes, NBC will air back-to-back original episodes because if there's one thing we've learned this season from, say, Fox's "Prison Break," it's that oftentimes the best lead-in for a show is the same show. "Scrubs" debuts on Jan. 3 and the plan is to run two episodes each week until the start of the Winter Olympics on Feb. 10.

The four-comedy block on Thursday "has been a big part of our history," NBC's daring entertainment division chief Kevin Reilly told The TV Column.

"We know viewers like watching comedy in blocks, and they really liked watching it on NBC on Thursday for a long time."

He noted that the current broadcast TV landscape is short on comedy and very short on four-comedy blocks -- the only other one being CBS's on Monday night because, technically, "King of Queens" is a comedy.

NBC has 24 episodes of "Scrubs" and, what with Olympics preemptions coming up in February, the network could almost get through the season with the back-to-back "Scrubs" play pattern, if it wanted to. On the other hand, unless we get really lucky, "Joey" might become "Scrubs's" partner on Tuesdays after the Games because Reilly said "Joey" would be back, but not on Thursdays.

Also not on this schedule is "The Apprentice" with The Donald, though NBC has promised it will rev up again after the Games. Replacing Martha Stewart's "The Apprentice" on Wednesdays at 9 will be "The Biggest Loser." Fill in your own joke here.

That hole on Friday at 10 left by the cancellation of NBC's fertility clinic drama "Inconceivable" will be plugged by a new drama, "The Book of Daniel," in which Aidan Quinn plays a pill-popping Episcopalian minister who sees and talks to Jesus.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/01/AR2005120101705_pf.html

Critic’s Notebook:
When David Met Oprah

By Rich Heldenfels Akron Beacon Journal

It's always a little surprising to see Oprah Winfrey look nervous. She is wealthy, she is accomplished and, within the confines of her many TV projects, she is firmly in control. But you could tell that she was waiting for an anvil to fall on her head during her appearance on David Letterman's show last night -- or at least for some prank, fretting as she did that Letterman might have an unflattering childhood picture of her in her hated glasses. She even expressed surprise at how serious Dave was, quizzing her about the troubles in Africa and Oprah's work there.

The interview as such won't go down as great television, since Dave's many gifts do not include conducting artful interviews. He's a comedian, and a very good one, and his show is most inspired when it tries to be silly, irreverent, smart-alecky. That was certainly what Oprah expected, and also -- her claims of a non-feud aside -- a big reason why she hadn't been on Dave's show for 16 1/2 years. Instead, she ended up giving an interview she could have done anywhere, with a host as fawning as she might have found in a dozen other places.

But this meeting of the talk titans was less about what actually happened than the sheer possibility of it. Letterman's run-up to Oprah's visit, his constant and delighted jokes in the days leading up to it, gave him fresh material and energy. Last night, Dave's walking Oprah to the neighboring theater, where ''The Color Purple'' was opening, was more fun than the interview before it. The walk had that what-will-happen-next quality, and Dave seemed to be having a grand old time at it.

More fun still is thinking about what will happen the next time Oprah visits Dave. That's when the fun should really start. She can relax, knowing that even if Dave gets silly, he means no harm. Last night's show was, after all, an hour-long apology, a promise to Oprah that Dave will treat her with respect and admiration -- even if he does occasionally make fun. And Dave, having made penance, will be able to go back to irreverence and whimsy. Fewer people may watch than did last night, but the hilarity will probably be greater.

http://blogs.ohio.com/beacon_tv/

Katie: To move or not to move

By Verne Gay Newsday Staff Writer

Oh, Katie: Hamlet really doesn't have anything on you, does he?

Industry sources Monday confirmed that discussions between Katie Couric and CBS have begun again, though Couric -- also once again -- has still made no decision whether to leave "Today" after her contract expires next May.

If this seems like deja vu all over again (with a bit of "to be or not to be" thrown in), there's a reason for that: CBS chief Leslie Moonves had approached Couric months ago about the top anchor role on "Evening News." That dance, however, appeared to end almost as abruptly as it started.

But with a new News president at the helm (Sean McManus -- also running CBS Sports and a protege of famed star collector Roone Arledge), another offer has been tendered. Word of revived interest was first raised in this week's edition of New York magazine, and trade magazine Broadcasting & Cable, which reported that the Couric-to-CBS speculation is "getting louder and louder."

Is Katie-as-Hamlet a negotiating ploy? That's the usual speculation in these situations, and most industry observers have long wondered whether Couric -- who's as wedded to the NBC culture as the peacock tail -- would fit in at CBS. But there's little doubt that the discussions are heating up at a convenient moment for Couric, if not for NBC: "Today" is on the verge of a 10-year winning streak while fading "Good Morning America" now appears to stand as much chance of overtaking its rival as the Jets of making a playoff berth.

Both CBS News and NBC News declined comment on the reports.

http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/nyc-katie30,0,6484896,print.story?coll=ny-television-headlines

(From Marc Berman’s Friday, December 2, 2005 Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com )
November 2005: Final Sweep Results

In a sweeps period of mixed leadership, CBS finished November 2005 a healthy No. 1 in total viewers and adults 25-54, outdelivering second-place ABC by an average of 2.92 million viewers and 10 percent among adults 25-54. ABC and CBS tied for dominance among adults 18-49, with ABC up 10 percent and CBS down 2 percent year-to-year in the demo. This marked CBS’ fifth consecutive November win in total viewers and third straight for the month among adults 25-54. ABC delivered its highest adult 18-49 rating during any sweep period since Feb. 2001, with 5 of the top 6 shows in the demo (Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, Lost, Monday Night Football and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition). This also marked ABC’s first win in the coveted demo for any sweeps period since May 2000.

Also worthy of accolades in November was American Idol-less Fox, which built by margins of 7 to 10 percent from Nov. 2004 courtesy of a regularly scheduled line-up that includes House, Prison Break, Bones, Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy, Family Guy and old faithful The Simpsons.

Once the proud leader in adults 18-49, NBC sunk to a distant third in the demo, trailing ABC and CBS by a hefty 25 percent. The sinking Peacock net, which slid by margins of 11 to 18 percent year-to-year, also finished No.3 in total viewers (a whopping 5.02 million behind CBS) and adults 25-54. UPN and the WB shared the No. 5 spot, with the WB down 7 to 13 percent in the three surveyed categories, and UPN closer to year-ago levels.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

Sports Media and Business
Collinsworth and Madden Would Unite Analytic Minds

By Richard Sandomir The New York Times December 2, 2005

The talent search to find a play-by-play partner for John Madden starting next season on NBC's Sunday night football broadcasts is in its sixth month.

It would have been over long ago had Al Michaels not decided to follow "Monday Night Football" from ABC to ESPN. But Dick Ebersol, the chairman of NBC Universal Sports, has plenty of time and is evidently in no hurry.

"Dick and John are close," said Sandy Montag, Madden's agent. "They have a relationship that goes back to 1982 when Dick was doing 'Saturday Night Live,' and there's a mutual respect. This is a group effort, and at the appropriate time, we'll look at all the options." NBC had no comment.

Michaels's decision to go to ESPN and the astronomical odds against Bob Costas's leaving NBC's proposed studio program underscores the lack of other great play-by-play voices available to work with Madden, who has benefited from working with classic sports voices like Michaels and Pat Summerall. And Jim Nantz of CBS and Joe Buck of Fox are spoken for contractually.

So who is left? The logical, tantalizing answer is a nontraditional one that has been speculated upon since first being raised in June in Newsday: Cris Collinsworth, who got out of his contract as the co-No. 1 analyst with Troy Aikman in the Fox football booth in order to wait a season before becoming Costas's partner in NBC's studio program.

A Madden-Collinsworth pairing would be a fascinating opportunity to hear two of the best analysts engage in the ultimate football conversation without a third voice between them (although one might argue that Buck nicely mediated the differing styles of Collinsworth and Aikman).

Collinsworth and Madden are separated by a generation: the former is 46, the latter, 69; one is a former wide receiver, the other a former coach and hugely popular corporate pitchman whose latest client is Verizon Wireless.

Madden takes his bus to games, but Collinsworth flies.

Madden is foremost a full-field visionary, a fully developed character whose critical sword is less pointed than Collinsworth's.

Madden long ago redefined the booth analyst's role at CBS and Fox, where he was the model for attempts to create a corps of baby Maddens to back him up - as if such analytic clones could be developed by network fiat.

Through his post-playing career as a game and studio analyst (and as co-host, with Costas, of HBO's "Inside the NFL"), Collinsworth has become one of the most articulate former athletes in sportscasting; he is unable to escape his affliction for candor, and watching him on the HBO program, one can see that he understands timing, narrative and how to draw out others.

But it would not necessarily be a simple transition for Collinsworth. Even if NBC's goal is to create a joint venture in analysis - a master class from different vantage points, even a weekly debate - Collinsworth would have to master play-by-play fundamentals, which Michaels plies so adroitly.

He would have to learn the mechanics of play-calling, which he is aware of from working with Buck and others like Marv Albert. He must act swiftly on the suggestions of a producer talking in his ear; digest and relate multiple story lines; pay heed to the spotter and statistician; know when to look at the TV monitor and the field; engage Madden in amiable debate; modulate his voice depending on the game flow; and give dramatic voice to scoring plays.

If Collinsworth takes the job, it would seem NBC would want him to learn the play-by-play role and simultaneously diminish some of it if the notion of this new paradigm of two big-name analysts talkin' is to take hold.

Collinsworth would have to do all this in prime time even as he and Madden try to forge a rapport and pursue their conversation about the game before them and those that were played earlier that day.

Being a leading analyst, while not easy, has fewer moving parts than play-by-play. Generally, the analyst speaks during the breaks between plays, assessing strategy, picking apart replays and wielding a Telestrator stylus.

There is risk in all this: Taking Collinsworth from the studio would weaken that program (there are no comparable replacements) and if his transformation in the booth were not smooth and rapid, the Sunday evening broadcast, which Ebersol sees as the successor to "Monday Night," might stumble. How well Collinsworth balances his characteristic pungency - a trait that would be a shame to lose - with his play-by-play learning curve would be a crucial element in the pair's success.

Madden is savvy enough about television, and his image as a performer, to know that working with Collinsworth would be a fitting third act in a career that flourished with the terse and wry Summerall then advanced easily to the loquacious Michaels, who long ago became a part-time analyst. Working with Collinsworth would be a challenge worth embracing.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/02/sports/football/02tv.html?pagewanted=print

Sports Media and Business
Irvin discloses ESPN suspension

Failure to reveal recent legal problems results in one-week ban

By Barry Horn The Dallas Morning News Friday, December 2, 2005

ESPN has suspended Michael Irvin from its upcoming NFL studio shows Sunday and Monday because he failed to inform the network of his legal problems over the Thanksgiving weekend.

While ESPN would not confirm on Thursday that Irvin has been suspended, a network spokesman said Irvin would not return to ESPN until its Sunday Countdown studio show on Dec. 11.

"We don't comment on specific personnel matters," ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said.

"They told me it was for not divulging information to them," said Irvin, who volunteered that he had been suspended.

ESPN did not learn of Irvin's Friday arrest until the network began receiving media inquiries Sunday night, hours after Irvin already had appeared on the morning Countdown show. Irvin said he did not volunteer the information to ESPN because he had paid a fine and had been released from jail an hour after he was arrested. He considered the case closed. He said he did not realize that $256 of the $591 he paid before he was released was not a fine but a bond on a Class C misdemeanor citation for possession of drug paraphernalia.

"I thought it was over," he said. "I didn't think much of it."

Still, Irvin said he was not upset with the suspension.

"Everything with ESPN has been fine," he said. "They've been great."

Irvin is in the final months of a three-year contract with ESPN that expires after the NFL season. The Cowboys Ring of Honor wide receiver has evolved into one of ESPN's highest-profile analysts and leading interviewers.

Irvin first mentioned the suspension to Norm Hitzges on Hitzges' Thursday morning radio show on KTCK-AM 1310 and reiterated it at a subsequent news conference.

It was Irvin's first meeting with an assembled Dallas-Fort Worth media since word of his arrest.

Both the Hitzges show and the news conference were held at a Far North Dallas television and electronics store. An audience of about 20 onlookers watched Hitzges interview Irvin.

Afterward, Irvin signed autographs and shook hands with members of the friendly crowd. One man handed him a note of support, which Irvin placed in his pocket.

Irvin was arrested Friday after Plano police pulled over the car he was driving for speeding. A subsequent routine computer check found a three-month-old arrest warrant for an speeding ticket Irvin failed to pay in Irving.

When police searched his two-door Mercedes-Benz SL55 they found a Versace sunglasses case under the driver's seat that contained a multicolored pipe with marijuana residue as well as plastic bags containing marijuana residue.

Irvin went out of his way Thursday to mention how polite Plano police were during the arrest and search. He said he was particularly grateful they allowed him to comfort his sobbing wife, Sandi, who was a passenger in the car.

Irvin has said since Sunday that the drug paraphernalia was not his. He said it belongs to a friend of his, "T," a struggling addict who showed up at his house on Thanksgiving. Irvin said he would not allow the paraphernalia in his house and placed it in his car with the intention of disposing of it.

Michael Irvin answers questions about his recent arrest and subsequent suspension by ESPN at a news conference after he gave a radio interview.

Irvin's image was tarnished in 1996 when he pleaded no contest to a felony cocaine possession charge. He was sentenced to four years' probation, which he successfully completed. In 2001, he was arrested in connection with marijuana and cocaine possession in a North Dallas apartment. Those charges were later dropped.

He reiterated Thursday that he has snorted cocaine, smoked marijuana and battled his own drug demons in the past, seeking help to become drug free.

"One thing I never have been is a hypocrite," Irvin said after the news conference. "When I was a whore, I'd tell you I was a whore. That's not the case now. I got in this trying to help a friend, and I'm not sorry I did."

http://www.dallasnews.com/cgi-bin/bi/gold_print.cgi

A la carte a good idea, Cablevision head says

By Richard J. Dalton Jr, Newsday Staff Writer December 2, 2005

Cablevision chairman Charles Dolan said yesterday he supports a la carte cable subscriptions, breaking ranks with the cable industry, which contends that the model would raise rates.

The issue of a la carte programming resurfaced earlier this week when Federal Communications Commission chairman Kevin Martin said the model would lower rates, contradicting a year-old FCC report. Under the a la carte model, cable customers would subscribe to and pay for only the channels they want.

"Our experience indicates a la carte will result in a more affordable service for all, with more programming options," Dolan said in a statement. "Consumers should not be obliged directly or indirectly to buy services they do not want."

Dolan's support for the model differs from the company's response on Tuesday, when it referred questions about the pay-per-channel model to a trade group that opposes the option.

But proponents of package deals say the offerings keep rates low by bringing cable channels to more homes, thereby boosting advertising rates that help offset subscription fees.

Cablevision customer Burton Newman, 74, a retired accountant in North Woodmere, said he's skeptical the arrangement would lower rates, but he would like Cablevision to provide the option. "If they support it, why haven't they offered it?"

Cablevision spokesman Jim Maiella said the company is hamstrung by cable networks, which sell channels in packages to Cablevision and other cable providers, which in turn sell them to subscribers in packages. If a cable company wants to offer Disney's ESPN, for instance, Disney may contractually force all its programs on the cable provider.

"The industry would have to shift to allow cable operators like Cablevision to offer a la carte programming," Maiella said.

Dolan's remarks are consistent with Cablevision's battle last year to allow subscribers to make the YES Network an optional premium channel.

But arbitrators forced Cablevision to carry the Yankees channel for all family cable subscribers, raising Cablevision's cost for the network. Cablevision then increased rates 95 cents a month.

http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-bzcabl024535275dec02,0,5700545,print.story?coll=ny-business-headlines

ABC's Pope biopic lands with a thunk

”Have No Fear” posts a dismal 1.4 18-49 rating

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Dec 2, 2005

Critics weren’t kind to ABC’s biopic “Have No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul II,” and neither were viewers.

The two-hour movie starting at 8 averaged just a 1.4 overnight rating among viewers 18-49 last night, down 44 percent from the already-low 2.5 average the network had averaged on the night over the four prior weeks. The movie averaged just 6.7 million total viewers.

And that came against minimal competition, too. UPN and the WB were in repeats, CBS's “CSI” was a repeat and NBC’s 8 p.m. comedy block was a repeat.

Though ABC rushed into production with its Pope movie shortly after his death, and managed to get it on the air before a similar miniseries debuting on CBS this Sunday, viewers simply weren’t interested.

Perhaps ABC’s problem was the quality of the production. Most reviewers found the two-hour film way too short to chronicle Karol Wojtyla’s life and said that CBS’s upcoming version is stronger.

The Chicago Tribune’s Sid Smith writes, “The two-hour length of ‘Have No Fear’ just about renders any depth out of the question. Thanks to commercials, the actual airtime is only 88 minutes. The movie is more a series of biographical announcements than penetrating drama.”

Ann Rodgers of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes, “Because the movie tries to cover too much ground, it will be incoherent for those who don't already know the story, and disappointing for those who do. Worse, it is off-key in its presentation of both minor and major passages of his life.”

What “Have No Fear’s” poor rating means for CBS’s Pope movie is unclear. Certainly, the topic of the late pope in itself has great appeal, as all the tributes after his death made clear.

Were viewers turned off of the ABC movie because of the harsh reviews? Or was viewing slight because Thursday is a weak night for the network?

Or could it be that viewers skipped it because they were awaiting CBS’s more in-depth version? We will have a better sense next Monday.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_1608.asp

The Police Blotter
“Lost” pair arrested for drunken driving

(Honolulu Star-Bulletin)

Two "Lost" actresses were arrested Thursday in Windward Oahu on suspicion of drunken driving.

Michelle Rodriguez, 27, and Cynthia Watros, 37, were in separate cars when they were pulled over by police at about 12:35 a.m. yesterday in Kailua, KHON-TV reported.

People magazine reported Rodriguez had been arrested for three driving misdemeanors in Los Angeles in 2003.

Rodriguez plays a tough character in the TV series, while Watros plays a newcomer from the tail section of the airplane that crashed at the beginning of the show.

They each posted $500 bail and were released.

Police Capt. Frank Fujii did not return calls to the Star-Bulletin. Police spokeswoman Michelle Yu refused comment. But Fujii told People magazine, "They were arrested just before midnight without incident, and both women were driving their own vehicles."

Charges are expected to be filed Dec. 29 in Kaneohe District Court.

The "Lost" publicist did not return a call to the Star-Bulletin.

http://starbulletin.com/2005/12/02/news/briefs.html

The 2005-06 Season: Part Two
NBC's Thursday smelling salts: “Earl”

Turns to the No. 1 sitcom to revive the night

By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Dec 2, 2005

Fox backed off, and now NBC is pushing forward.

The network confirmed yesterday that it will move freshman hit “My Name is Earl” to Thursdays starting in January, part of a revamped midseason lineup that returns NBC to its long-successful formula of four sitcoms and a drama on Thursday, the night the network once dominated.

NBC made its announcement one day after Fox decided not to move mega-hit “American Idol” to Thursday, which would have complicated NBC’s plan. The network had been waiting to see what Fox would do before making any midseason announcements.

But media people had been anticipating the NBC switch for quite some time, in fact ever since the upfront last spring. Buyers back then were furious with the network for not tackling Thursday's problems going into the fall season.

“Earl,” which had aired Tuesday at 9 p.m., will also take the 9 slot on Thursday beginning Jan. 5, bringing with it “The Office” as its 9:30 lead-out.

“Will & Grace” will lead off the night at 8 p.m., followed by a new sitcom, “Four Kings,” at 8:30 p.m. That bumps “Joey” and “The Apprentice” off the schedule until at least after February’s Olympics.

"The Apprentice" is expected to return in the spring, after a much-needed break, in the view of media buyers, who think the show has suffered from over-exposure.

When "Joey" returns, if in fact it returns, is a bigger mystery. It may well be that the fading show's period of rest will morph into a trip to the retirement home. NBC is not saying but many are speculating today.

Taking “Earl” and “Office’s” place on Tuesday will be back-to-back new episodes of “Scrubs,” the fifth-year show that aired Tuesdays at 9 last year but has been off the air since the spring.

It’s the most aggressive scheduling move NBC has made since launching “Apprentice” on Thursday night nearly two years ago, and it’s a welcome one to media buyers and planners.

They grumbled last May when NBC returned its Thursday schedule intact, despite large ratings dropoffs for “The Apprentice” and poorer-than-expected performances by “Joey” and “Grace.” This season, NBC has fallen even further behind CBS among adults 18-49 on the night and also saw much of its 18-34 audience drop off, in part due to tougher competition from the WB and UPN.

“The remarks they were hearing at the upfront could have told them they were going to have problems,” says Chris Allen, vice president and associate director of national broadcast at GSD&M in Austin.

“They were not doing anything to save a sinking ship. There was no apparent effort to do anything dramatically different to shake up their schedule.”

Media buyers are always fond of stiff competition in any media, and that's especially so for broadcast television on the most lucrative night of the week, when retailers and movie studios advertise to entice the weekend crowds.

But NBC was reluctant to start “Earl” on brutal Thursdays, despite all of the early positive buzz, deciding instead to grow the show on Tuesday and then move it over, according to media buyers.

GSD&M's Allen thinks NBC has made a smart move in shifting “Earl,” the season’s highest-rated sitcom with a 5.6 adults 18-49 average. Though it will be facing TV’s most watched show, CBS’s “CSI,” he doesn’t expect to see much ratings drain.

“I think ‘Earl’ plays to a unique audience, and I think with ‘The Office’ they’re a good matched set,” Allen says. “One flows well to the other. The night’s become so competitive that now all the networks have a little something going on.”

NBC also said yesterday that “Book of Daniel,” a new Friday drama, will premiere Jan. 6 with a two-hour episode at 9, then settle into the 10 slot the following week. “Most Outrageous Television Moments” will take over the 8 p.m. timeslot Friday.

And “The Biggest Loser” will return as a series of self-contained special episodes during the six weeks leading into the Olympics, airing Wednesdays at 9 p.m. "Loser" will take the place of “The Apprentice: Martha Stewart,” which has been dropped after one season.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_1583.asp

The 2005-06 Season: Part Two
Going forward, it's all uphill for NBC

It's now hit bottom. Next comes the hard part

By Kevin Downey MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Dec 2, 2005

NBC barely fended off another humiliating fourth-place finish in the just-concluded sweeps. But while the worst of its 18-month ratings nosedive may appear to be over, its climb out of the hole will be a long and arduous one.

Despite some promise for ratings improvement in 2006, with the Olympics in February and next month's return to a four-comedy block on its once-mighty Thursday lineup, most media pundits think NBC’s rating in the lucrative 18-49 demographic isn’t about to take off.

Not when Fox’s “American Idol” is returning in January, or with ABC’s ratings surging or as CBS remains the most-watched network in key demographics.

Shari Anne Brill, vice president and director of programming at Carat, says she doesn’t expect NBC to rebound unless its midseason programs prove to be dramatically better than those that premiered in the fall.

“The ‘Biggest Loser’ really helped them out and ‘Fear Factor’ is coming back and that does pretty well for them,” she says. “But they have not scored well in dramas. ‘Apprentice: Martha Stewart’ was a big disappointment and the regular ‘Apprentice’ continues to decline.”

Still, NBC appears to be on the brink of doing marginally better than it has in the recent past.

Last season, NBC ranked No. 4 in 18-49s for the full season, which ended in May, marking its lowest standing ever in that demographic. It also ranked No. 4 in this year’s February and May sweeps.

NBC’s 18-49 rating for the November sweeps, which concluded on Wednesday, was down 18 percent, to a 3.3. But that was one-tenth of a point better than Fox, which was up 7 percent, to a 3.2 rating. ABC was up 10 percent, to a 4.4, while CBS tied for No. 1, about flat at down 2 percent.

NBC had been on track to tie Fox in the 18-49 demographic. The second-season finale of “Biggest Loser,” however, changed that on Tuesday. The show achieved its best rating ever in the demo, 6.7, while 16 million people tuned in.

Moreover, NBC’s Tuesday staple, “Law & Order: SVU,” has been generating Emmy buzz this season while scoring some of its best ratings in years.

NBC will also be helped out by the Winter Olympics in February, though perhaps less so than one would typically expect.

Several media people say the Olympics will likely pull relatively low ratings. NBC has been the top-rated network in key demographics prior to past games. That isn’t the case this year – NBC ranks No. 4 season-to-date – meaning millions of viewers who have already established viewing patterns on other networks will be harder to lure over.

Relatively low Olympic ratings, in turn, means promotional spots for new shows on the Games will be seen by fewer viewers than in the past.

“They are in a much weaker position than they were for the Salt Lake City Olympics four years ago,” says Brill. “Back then, they were top rated in adults 18-49. And ‘Friends’ was having a very strong year, creatively, so ratings were soaring. NBC isn’t anywhere near that now.”

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_1591.asp

Critic’s Notebook:
Still tied up in 'Knots'

Series is looking fine with passage of time; reunion show tonight
By Scott D. Pierce Salt Lake City Deseret Morning News Dec.2, 2005

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Michele Lee turned the tables on a roomful of TV critics and asked us a question — but she was the one who ended up surprised.

"How many of you in the room actually saw 'Knots Landing'?" she asked. And her mouth dropped when all 60 or so of us raised our hands. Joan Van Ark and Donna Mills, who join her on the "Knots Landing Reunion" (tonight at 8 on CBS/Ch. 2), were similarly stunned.

"I was absolutely amazed," Lee later told the Deseret Morning News. "It's not like we were a critical darling."

Well, I loved the show and said so in print a number of times. But I was only on the job the last three seasons of the show's 14-year run (1979-93). And, for the most part, "Knots Landing" got no respect.

"Our fans loved us, and that was all that mattered," said Lee, who played stalwart Karen Fairgate McKenzie in all 344 episodes of the show (the only actor to do so).

"I think that 'Knots' fans were the most loyal, most dedicated, most loving fans that anyone's ever had," said Mills, who played the conniving Abby Cunningham Ewing Sumner.

Fans still have a lot of fond memories of the best of the prime-time soap during its era. Better than much higher-profile shows, such as "Dynasty," and the show "Knots" was spun off from, "Dallas."

You don't have to take my word for it. "Knots" reruns on Soap Net still hold up. And they hold up better than reruns of those other shows.

"One of the reasons this show held up so well is you all got along so well off-camera," said Michael Levitt, who produced the special. "There was such off-camera chemistry and warmth, and that really comes across within this special."

And these people genuinely seem happy to be back together. Lee, Mills and Van Ark are joined by William Devane, Kevin Dobson, Lisa Hartman-Black and Michelle Phillips as they reminisce and look at clips of the show.

It's a measure of how much the actors loved the show that Alec Baldwin, "Desperate Housewives" star Nicollete Sheridan and 80-year-old Julie Harris (winner of five Tonys and three Emmys) all made an effort to be part of the reunion.

"A show can't go on 14 seasons, when you don't have what Michael just spoke of," said Van Ark, who first appeared as Val on "Dallas" and, with (three-time) husband Gary Ewing (Ted Shackelford), moved to California and provided "Knots' " launching point. "I think there's a definite connection that is between the lines of any dialogue that we had. . . . This reunion reinforced to me how totally joined we were as actors and as people because we shared many years together."

It was something viewers shared for all those years as well. "Knots" was not without its glitz and glamour and what Mills calls the "sizzle" that came out of its plot twists, but at its heart it was about relatively normal, middle-class people living on Seaview Circle.

"(Viewers) identified so with those people on the cul-de-sac because we were them," Lee said.

Characters ranged from infants to senior citizens. "It bridged a whole generation of people and all aspects of their lives," Mills said.

Which made it easy to get caught up in the show. Ask any "Knots" fan about the kidnapping and eventual return of Valene's twins and you're likely to hear a lot of emotion and maybe even see a few tears. "When I met Magic Johnson, that's all he could talk about," Van Ark said. "He told me details about the scene that I didn't even remember."

Even Levitt, who admits he didn't watch the show when it was on, was "blown away" when he went through the episodes while editing the reunion.

"While this show was immensely popular and had a loyal, core audience and lasted 14 years, I think in many ways it was underrated," he said, pointing out that it was filled with both comedy and drama — long before "Desperate Housewives," a show that resembles "Knots" in many ways.

"I don't know if it got the acknowledgment it should have. And the dramatic scenes — I mean, I'm a sensitive guy, but I didn't expect to be brought to tears watching various scenes," Levitt said.

Yeah. So where were all my fellow critics when the show was still on the air, anyway?

NO GRANDMA CLAUSE: Lee's character, Karen, had two sons, a daughter and a stepdaughter who were all adults by the time the show ended. But none of them ever had children.

"I had written in my contract that I would not be a grandmother on 'Knots Landing,' " Lee said. "I said, 'Forget the money. Forget the dressing room . . ."

At which point executive producer Michael Filerman could not keep quiet.

"It was never 'forget the money.' It was never 'forget the dressing room,' " he said as Lee laughed.

"That's why we went off the air," Filerman joked. "We figured — what else can we do with her? She won't be a grandmother."

http://www.desnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635165498,00.html

Oprah Carries Dave

By Ben Grossman Broadcasting & Cable

The much-anticipated reunion between David Letterman and Oprah Winfrey gave CBS’s Late Show its largest audience since 1994, according to the fast national ratings for Dec. 1.

The show attracted 13.45 million viewers, the biggest audience since Feb. 25, 1994, the night of another media-hyped "rivalry," the Olympic skating finals involving Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding.

Winfrey’s appearance apparently brings to an end the supposed "feud" between the two, which included Letterman’s infamous "Oprah-Uma" introduction when hosting the 1995 Academy Awards.

According to CBS, Thursday’s show was the fourth-largest in the show’s history, trailing only Feb. 25, 1994, the August 1993 premiere of the show, and the Feb. 23, 1994 show that followed the Olympic skating semi-finals that year.

The success of the Letterman-Oprah meeting also buoyed The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, which turned it its highest metered-market rating ever with a 3.3/12 in the 55 Nielsen metered markets.

The November Sweep:
November to Remember for Cable
By Linda Moss Multichannel.com 12/2/2005 3:47 PM ET

Cable is establishing a Thanksgiving tradition: It’s taken another November sweep from broadcast.

For the second year in a row, cable won the November sweep in primetime, outperforming the seven broadcast networks and continuing its years-long trend of grabbing audience share.

Cable tallied a 53.1 primetime household share, up 3.1% from last year, compared with 46.6 for the broadcast networks, which were flat, according to a Turner Entertainment Research analysis of Nielsen Media Research data.

Cable also widened its lead over broadcast. Last November -- the first sweep in that month that cable ever won -- it racked up a 51.5 share compared with broadcast’s 46.6.

When cable won the November sweep for the first time last year, Turner chief research officer Jack Wakshlag predicted that broadcast would never win another sweep period again. And he’s been right so far.

“What’s going on is a continuation of what we’ve seen to this point,” Wakshlag said.

The last sweep period for which broadcast scored a victory was back in February 2004, according to Wakshlag.

Broadcasters may have suffered this November because they didn’t do any of the big-event programming that’s usually reserved for sweep periods, according to Tim Brooks, executive vice president of research for Lifetime Television.

“The networks may rethink to some degree their lack of stunting,” he said. “Stunts do create excitement, bring viewers back, give you promotional platforms … You really need to do something to bring people in.”

Nielsen has different time frames for data for the November sweep period and for the month of November. This year, the sweep period ran Nov. 3-30, while data for the month of November spanned Oct. 31-Nov. 27. The sweeps are important because advertisers use ratings from those four months to calculate prices for commercials.

In primetime for the month of November, ESPN was the No. 1-ranked cable network with a 2.5 rating, up 14% from last November, according to a Disney ABC Cable Networks Group analysis of Nielsen data. ESPN’s football coverage -- both National Football League and college -- helped to increase its ratings score. In fact, the top four cable shows in November were Sunday-night NFL games on ESPN.

Coming up second in the primetime rankings was USA Network, which garnered a 2.3 rating, an increase of 21%. The addition of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.’s Monday Night RAW this November added some bulk and muscle to USA’s numbers. In fact, November was the strongest month in almost six years for USA among total viewers and the 18-34 and 18-49 demographics.

Disney Channel was No. 3 in primetime, up 19% with a 1.9 rating. The network benefited from several holiday stunts centered around Thanksgiving, including its “Stuffed with Stars Marathon,” a lineup of movies and one episode of That’s So Raven.

Turner Network Television was fourth and dipped in the numbers to a 1.8, a 10% slip from last November.

Three networks -- TBS, Nick at Nite and Fox News Channel -- tied for fifth place with 1.5 ratings. TBS was flat and Nick at Nite was down 12%. Without the benefit of the presidential election, which was held last November, Fox News dropped 21%.

Similarly, Cable News Network saw a 22% decrease, registering a 0.7 rating in primetime. MSNBC was flat with a 0.4.

Lifetime Television and Cartoon Network each did a 1.4 in primetime. Both networks were down 13%.

Hallmark Channel and Spike TV rounded out the top 10 in primetime, each with 1.1 ratings.

Hallmark continued to see ratings growth, up 22%. Spike dropped 21%.

FX, TV Land and The History Channel each racked up 1.0 primetime ratings. FX was up 11%, TV Land posted a dramatic 43% increase and History was flat.

Cable Ratings for Nov 21-27
RANK PROGRAMS NET P2+ (Millions)
1 NFL REGULAR SEASON L (SAINTS/JETS) ESPN 6.78
2 WWE ENTERTAINMENT (WWE RAW) USA 4.54
3 WWE ENTERTAINMENT (WWE RAW) USA 4.51
4 SPONGEBOB NICK 4.29
5 S J NEUTRON WINLSE KABOOM NICK 4.26
6 SPONGEBOB NICK 4.10
7 LIZZIE MCGUIRE MOVIE, THE DSNY 4.09
8 S J NEUTRON WINLSE KABOOM NICK 4.01
9 HOLES DSNY 3.96
10 S SUITE LIFE OF ZACK&CODY(S)-11/26 DSNY 3.95
11 SPONGEBOB NICK 3.950
12 LAW & ORDER TNT 3.946
13 REAL WORLD XVI MTV 3.76
14 DRAKE & JOSH NICK 3.75
15 JIMMY NEUTRON NICK 3.66
16 SPONGEBOB NICK 3.63
17 LAW & ORDER: SVU USA 3.612
18 SUITE LIFE OF ZACK & CODY DSNY 3.611
19 SPONGEBOB NICK 3.60
20 LAW & ORDER TNT 3.57
21 SPONGEBOB NICK 3.41
22 FAIRLY ODD PARENTS NICK 3.49
22 LAW & ORDER TNT 3.43
24 FOP MOVIE SCHOOLS OUT NICK 3.420
25 LAW & ORDER TNT 3.419
26 SPONGEBOB NICK 3.37
27 FAIRLY ODD PARENTS NICK 3.37
28 FAIRLY ODD PARENTS NICK 3.31
29 S LIZZIE MCGUIRE MOVIE, T(S)-11/26 DSNY 3.33
30 JIMMY NEUTRON NICK 3.30
31 LAW & ORDER:CRIM INTENT USA 3.23
32 SPONGEBOB NICK 3.22
33 SPONGEBOB NICK 3.16
34 FAIRLY ODD PARENTS NICK 3.13
35 SPORTSCENTER: L ESPN 3.08
35 LAW & ORDER:CRIM INTENT USA 3.07
37 SPONGEBOB NICK 3.04
38 SPONGEBOB NICK 3.02
39 LAW & ORDER TNT 3.00
40 DRAKE & JOSH NICK 2.97

Source: Nielsen Media Research[/b]

The TV News Business
Weighing anchors
Brian Williams puts his stamp on 'NBC Nightly News' as he marks his first year in the chair

By Matea Gold Los Angeles Times Staff Writer December 2, 2005

New York -- NBC anchor Brian Williams was leaving his third-floor studio at Rockefeller Center after a recent broadcast when he was confronted with yet another reminder of his industry's precarious footing.

This time, it came in the form of a dozen Bard College undergraduates, touring the NBC newsroom for journalism class.

"Anyone grow up in a household where people actually watched the news at 6:30?" asked the anchor, stopping to chat with them before he headed out. The students shuffled their feet. One young woman tentatively raised her hand.

"One?" asked Williams, smiling wryly. "Well, without sounding like a commercial announcement, the broadcast you just saw is the single largest source of news in the United States."

"A lot of people are out there writing early obituaries and saying it's all going to Google," he added. "I don't believe that. I think we have a power that they don't."

You can't blame Williams for sounding a little defensive. Today marks his first anniversary in the anchor chair since inheriting the job from Tom Brokaw, and while the newly installed NBC anchor has earned plaudits and healthy ratings in his first year, he's also had to contend with a growing uncertainty about the future of the evening newscast.

As overall viewership continues to ebb, the industry has been awash in predictions about the demise of the traditional 6:30 p.m. broadcast. The rapid-fire departure of legends like Brokaw, Dan Rather, Peter Jennings and Ted Koppel only heightened a general sense of unease about the future, especially as ABC and CBS are still in limbo about who will take over their flagship broadcasts.

Still a relative newcomer, the 46-year-old Williams is now the dean of network news and the only permanent anchor of an evening newscast. Despite the upheaval, he remains bullish about the genre.

"This is the closest you can come to really hitting a swath of the American viewing audience," he said. "And when a Katrina happens or, God forbid, a 9/11, people come back to the so-called Big Three over-the-air networks in droves."

But that doesn't mean that he's counting on the stature of the network news to prevail against the tide of new technology. As he's settled into his new role, Williams has worked to straddle the worlds of old media and new media.

"I've not been forced to change because of a competition model," he said. "Tom had Peter and Dan chasing him around the globe, that always kept him sharp. I've been kept sharp this year by innovation, by the need to modernize."

Since May, he has posted daily entries on his MSNBC.com blog, "The Daily Nightly," about the makings of the newscast — some written on his Blackberry while he's on location reporting a story — in an effort to bring a new form of transparency to the process. Last month, the website began offering a netcast of the "NBC Nightly News" online every night after it airs on the West Coast, due in large part to his efforts.

"He's at the forefront," said Jeff Zucker, president of NBC Universal Television Group. "I think he's helping push NBC News into the new era."

In many ways, Williams' first year as a network anchor has been marked by an odd duality. With his buttoned-down delivery, earnestly furrowed brow and oft-expressed reverence for the traditions of broadcast news, he represents the standard-bearer for the conventional television anchor role — even as he's at the vanguard of its transformation.

"He's really made an effort to think about the future, rather than just take over a newscast that was functioning pretty well," said network news analyst Andrew Tyndall, who tracks the evening newscasts for a weekly report. "The fact that he's thinking about what the anchor's job is going to be like in five years is encouraging."

Williams didn't go into his new job with a plan to remake the evening news for the new century. When he took the helm of the "NBC Nightly News" last Dec. 2, he was focused more on trying to manage the inevitable comparisons with his predecessor.

As to whether he felt any anxiety about the hand-off, he quipped, "Just the nervousness that would come when taking over for an icon."

That said, "I've never suffered for a lack of self-confidence," Williams added matter-of-factly, his tall frame folded onto a couch in his book-lined corner office on a recent afternoon. "I knew I would succeed; you have to, I think. I couldn't go into any venture any other way."

In many ways, he had been groomed for the job for more than a decade. Once Williams joined the network in 1993, plucked from the CBS affiliate in New York, it was clear NBC considered him a potential successor to Brokaw. He quickly was made White House correspondent and then got his own live newscast, "The News With Brian Williams," an hourlong program that aired on NBC's sister cable channels for eight years. He also anchored the Saturday edition of the "NBC Nightly News" and regularly filled in for Brokaw during the week.

A regular guy

In Williams — a NASCAR fan and former volunteer firefighter who grew up in upstate New York and later the north shore of New Jersey — NBC found an anchor with Everyman qualities, the perfect foil to defuse complaints about the media elite.

Still, the network was nervous about the departure of Brokaw, who had led NBC's newscast for 21 years. Would audiences take to a more youthful, unseasoned newscaster, one who drew only modest ratings on his cable show? Would second-place ABC finally have an opening to bump NBC from its top-rated perch?

In the end, the carefully planned handoff was the smoothest transition in what would emerge as one of television news' most tumultuous years.

While Williams' audience — an average of 9.3 million people so far this year — is about 5% smaller than what Brokaw was drawing at the same point last year, he has maintained a hefty margin over his competitors at ABC, whose evening newscast has averaged 8.8 million viewers this year, and CBS, which has pulled in 7 million. In the last month, the viewership of "NBC Nightly News" swelled to an average of 10.3 million, according to Nielsen Media Research.

"Brian has done a remarkable job," said Bob Schieffer, interim anchor of the "CBS Evening News." "He's putting his own stamp on the program. He's a serious journalist and, frankly, I wish he was not nearly as good as he is."

ABC officials are equally complimentary. "Brian had big shoes to fill, and I think he's done it with dignity and grace and success," said Jon Banner, executive producer of "World News Tonight."

Brokaw, whom Williams consults with regularly, said his successor has grown "more comfortable, I think, every month.

"In fact, at this point, people are beginning to wonder, 'What was the name of that guy that was there before?' " added the longtime broadcaster, who still produces documentaries for NBC.

Yet for all Williams' self-confidence, all of the favorable reviews and strong ratings, it sometimes seems as if he's still trying to prove he's seasoned enough for the job.

During a lunchtime hosting gig last week at the Council on Foreign Relations, where he moderated an appearance by Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.), the NBC anchor posed a question about the Iraqi insurgency by first detailing one of his visits to the country.

"I guess the combat was three days underway when the helicopter I was flying on was shot at," he told the audience.

In the last year, Williams has gone to lengths to demonstrate his reporting chops — traveling to Banda Aceh after the Southeast Asian tsunami, to Rome to document Pope John Paul II's final days, and to Baghdad and Mosul for the Iraqi elections. But he's garnered the most attention for his coverage of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Hunkered down in the New Orleans Superdome when the storm hit, he was one of the first to report on the squalor there — and one of the first to press federal officials on-air about their slow response to the devastation.

"It was an absolute defining moment for him," said Jeff Alan, author of "Anchoring America: The Changing Face of Network News." "Before that, I think most people looked at him as a polished news reader."

The story also showcased Williams' technological prowess. When fierce winds tore off pieces of the Superdome's roof, he snapped a picture with his cellphone camera, which was quickly posted on MSNBC.com and shown on the network. That Williams has led efforts to expand the newscast's technological reach is seen as ironic by those who know him well.

"He was a guy who had dust accumulating on his computer a couple years ago," said NBC News President Steve Capus, a longtime friend, who said the anchor frequently mentions websites he's learned about from his teenage children.

Williams is quick to note that his interaction with the audience doesn't shape the lineup of the evening news. But it does give him a chance to explain decisions — and sometimes apologize for them. In this week's postings, he answered a spate of e-mails complaining that NBC was devoting too much time to New Orleans at the expense of the rest of the Gulf Coast region and detailed the challenges of arranging an interview with New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin.

Still, he harbors some skepticism about the burgeoning passion for new technology.

Back in the newsroom, Williams told the Bard College students about how he recently ran into a friend in the hall listening to a podcast of a radio program on his iPod.

"He was just going on and on about the amazing portability of this thing," he recalled. "He said, 'Of course, we know the ultimate is coming. We're just a few months away from Apple coming out with an iPod that receives live broadcast transmissions.'

"And I said, 'Well, do you think they'll call that a radio?' "

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-williams2dec02,0,5081944,print.story?coll=cl-tvent

The Power of O: Winfrey's guest shot earns Letterman biggest audience in a decade

By DAVID BAUDER
AP Television Writer

December 2, 2005, 3:24 PM EST


NEW YORK -- David Letterman has learned the Power of Oprah: her "Late Show" appearance Thursday earned him his biggest audience in more than a decade.

An estimated 13.5 million people stayed up late to watch Winfrey's first visit to Letterman in 16 years, Nielsen Media Research said on Friday. Only three times has Letterman had a bigger audience on CBS _ for his network premiere in 1993 and twice in 1994 in the midst of the Nancy Kerrigan-Tonya Harding ice skating melodrama.

Winfrey's appearance more than tripled Letterman's typical audience of 4.3 million viewers, Nielsen said.

Letterman escorted Winfrey to the nearby Broadway premiere of "The Color Purple" after their chat. Winfrey co-produced the musical, at least partly explaining the timing of her Letterman appearance.

During the interview, Winfrey said she thought Letterman's infamous 1995 joke on the Academy Awards ("Oprah, Uma. Uma, Oprah") was funny _ although she did pointedly present him with a signed portrait of herself with Uma Thurman.

"I have never for a moment had a feud with you," she said.

The summit between the talk titans was set up by years of Letterman jokes about Winfrey, mixed in with years of her rejecting offers to appear on the show, and endless promotion promotion since her visit was announced.

The "Late Show" audience was larger than that of most prime-time programs and appeared to consist almost entirely of people who usually don't watch late-night TV. Incredibly, Jay Leno on NBC's "Tonight" show was seen by 6.2 million people on Thursday _ more than his season average of 5.8 million _ evidence that Leno's usual fans didn't abandon him.

"Late Late Show" host Craig Ferguson basked in Letterman's glow. His show, which directly follows Letterman, had its biggest audience ever early Friday, Nielsen said.


http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--tv-letterman-opra1202dec02,0,7451670.story?coll=ny-region-apnewyork

ABC ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL JANUARY PREMIERE DATES

ABC Press Release
“Dancing with the Stars Result Show” and “In Justice” Join Friday Night Schedule as of January 6; Crumbs” to Follow “Dancing with the Stars,” Beginning Thursday, January 12

The ABC Television Network has announced premiere dates for “Dancing with the Stars Result Show,” “In Justice” and “Crumbs.”

As previously announced, “Dancing with the Stars” will premiere Thursday, January 5. The new season of the summertime hit will premiere with a two-hour installment (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET). As of January 12, it will air in 90-minute installments in its regular time period, 8:00-9:30 p.m., ET. Its eight-week run is scheduled to conclude Thursday, February 23.

“Dancing with the Stars Result Show” will premiere Friday, January 6, in its regular time period, 8:00-8:30 p.m., ET.

This second season of “DWTS” will feature a new lineup of celebrities, who will be announced at a later date. “Dancing with the Stars” is the U.S. version of the international smash hit series, “Strictly Come Dancing.” This version is produced in America by BBC Worldwide. Richard Hopkins (UK) and Conrad Green (USA) are executive producers. Izzie Pick is supervising producer. Alex Rudzinski directs.

“Hope & Faith” will remain on Fridays but moves to an earlier time period, 8:30-9:00 p.m., ET, as of January 6.

“In Justice” also joins the Friday night lineup as of January 6, premiering in its regular time period, 9:00-10:00 p.m., ET. “In Justice” is a completely new take on the procedural drama. Focusing on cases of justice run amok -- sloppy police work, false testimony and biased juries -- the National Justice Project is a high-profile, non-profit organization made up of hungry young associates who approach their work like a puzzle… a puzzle that’s been put together wrong. They fight to overturn wrongful convictions, liberate the falsely accused and discover the identity of those really to blame. They’re led in their task by modern-day heroes, David Swain, a blustery but charismatic attorney of questionable ethics but undeniable talent, and his chief investigator, Charles Conti, a former cop. “In Justice” stars Kyle MacLachlan as David Swain, Jason O’Mara as Charles Conti, Marisol Nichols as Sonya Quintano, Constance Zimmer as Brianna and Daniel Cosgrove as Jon Lemonick. Executive producers on the series are Robert and Michelle King, Stu Bloomberg and Jeff Melvoin. “In Justice” is from Touchstone Television.

“Crumbs” will premiere following the second episode of “Dancing with the Stars” on Thursday, January 12, in its regular time period, 9:30-10:00 p.m., ET. This frantic family comedy focuses on two estranged brothers – Mitch and Jody – who are forced to reunite when their mother, Suzanne, is released from a psychiatric facility. Mitch is the prodigal son who is returning home after a failed Hollywood career, and Jody is the older brother who stayed behind to run the family restaurant business. Rounding out this dysfunctional family is their father, Billy, who has not yet told his resentful and somewhat volatile ex-wife that he’s about to have a baby with his new girlfriend. “Crumbs” stars Fred Savage as Mitch Crumb, Jane Curtin as Suzanne Crumb, William Devane as Billy Crumb, Eddie McClintock as Jody Crumb, Maggie Lawson as Andrea Malone and Reginald Ballard as Elvis. Marco Pennette created the series and serves as executive producer. Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins and Joe Davola are executive producers. “Crumbs” is from Tollin/Robbins Productions in association with Touchstone Television.

Thursday, January 5
8:00-10:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars” (two-hour season premiere)
10:00-11:00 p.m. “Primetime”

As of Friday, January 6
8:00-8:30 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars Result Show” (premiere)
8:30-9:00 p.m. “Hope & Faith” (new time period premiere)
9:00-10:00 p.m. “In Justice” (series premiere)
10:00-11:00 p.m. “20/20”

As of Monday, January 9 (as previously announced)
8:00-9:00 p.m. “Wife Swap”
9:00-9:30 p.m. “Emily’s Reasons Why Not” (series premiere)
9:30-10:00 p.m. “Jake in Progress” (season premiere)
10:00-11:00 p.m. “The Bachelor” (season premiere)

As of Thursday, January 12
8:00-9:30 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars” (regular 90-minute format begins)
9:30-10:00 p.m. “Crumbs” (series premiere)
10:00-11:00 p.m. “Primetime”

“Reunion” fans out of luck
Who killed Samantha? We'll never know

By Maureen Ryan Chicago Tribune

Though Fox is airing six more episodes of the soapy Thursday night show "Reunion" -- two in December and four in early 2006 (-- the central murder mystery of who killed Samantha will not be resolved by the time the canceled show finishes its run.

Here's a statement that "Reunion" executive producer Jon Feldman released Friday:

"The show was intricately plotted over 22 episodes to tell the full story of our characters' lives (and deaths). Because the events of Samantha's murder are partially reliant on characters we haven't yet met -- and events we haven't yet seen -- there is no way to solve the mystery of her murder without being able to complete the full arc of our story through [the] present day.

"I greatly regret that this question along with many others that the series has posed will remain unsolved, and I am deeply grateful for the support of viewers who share this regret."

"Deaths"? Now there's another mystery. Arrrgh!

http://tempo.typepad.com/entertainment_tv/

Some shows to watch this weekend

By Sid Smith and Maureen Ryan Chicago Tribune

“Monk,” 10 PM ET/PT Friday, USA Network: In “Mr. Monk and the Secret Santa,” a special holiday entry, a cop is poisoned by wine intended for Capt. Stottlemeyer, the character played with such crusty, put-upon appeal by former Chicago stage actor Ted Levine. Meanwhile, Tony Shalhoub’s Monk, our favorite TV neurotic, gets to don a Santa suit in one especially scrumptious bit.

“Creature Comforts,” 11 PM ET/PT Friday, BBC America: This series of stop-motion animated shorts from Nick Park shows all the originality, skill and humor that you’d expect from the Oscar-winning creator of “Wallace & Gromit.” In this half-hour series, snippets from interviews with average British folks are put into the mouths of animals, and the results are gently ironic vignettes that illustrate the idea that perhaps humans and animals aren’t that different after all. It’s strange that BBC America is scheduling this series for late Friday nights; it’s really delightful fare for the whole family (then again, “Creature Comforts” is also now available on DVD).

“The Happy Elf,” 8 PM ET/PT Friday, NBC: An animated, holiday tale inspired by a song from Harry Connick Jr., who narrates. It tells of Eubie, one of Santa’s helpers, on a mission to bring Christmas cheer to a forlorn, Santa-deprived place called Bluesville.

“Project Runway,” 11 PM ET/PT. Saturday, Bravo: The second season of this fashion-focused reality show begins Wednesday, but first, Bravo is re-airing the dramatic final five hours of the sensational first season. For style fans and devotees of quality reality television, this series is must-see TV; if you haven’t watched “Project Runway” before, don’t miss this chance to catch up with the most nail-biting episodes of Season 1.

“Da Vinci and the Code He Lived By,” 9 PM ET/PT Sunday, the History Channel: For cable networks, “The Da Vinci Code” is the gift that keeps on giving. New specials based on Dan Brown’s hit book or on the artist of its title crop up regularly on cable, and this one fits the History Channel’s typical model: slightly cheesy re-enactments, sonorous narration and serviceable insights from a series of well-spoken academics and experts. Though it doesn’t really touch on the themes of Brown’s book much, Da Vinci’s life and times get a solid going-over here; who knew the Renaissance legend didn’t primarily consider himself a painter (he was more into engineering and war-fighting technology) or that he had no time for that upstart Michaelangelo?

“Sleeper Cell,” 10 PM ET/PT Sunday, Showtime: A new series, a cut above the usual fare on this cable channel, telling of an undercover agent implanted in a small band of terrorists in Los Angeles. Michael Ealy plays Darwyn, the agent, who signs on to work with terrorist Farik (Oded Fehr), a cool, smooth, eerily calm Ssadist whose notions of retribution include burying an errant disciple up to his neck in desert sand and then pummeling his exposed head with rocks. Ealy comes off as an appealing hero with anti-hero touches, a stoic, grim-faced mystery hinting of inner demons. One gripping and disturbing early sequence involves a plot to inject anthrax into the ventilation system of a shopping mall.

“The Dead Zone,” 10 PM ET/PT Sunday, USA: Though it’s not as winning as this weekend’s one-off holiday episode of “Monk,” “The Dead Zone’s” Christmas outing is worth a look for fans of the spooky show. Jennifer Finnigan guest-stars again as psychic Alex Sinclair, who has struck romantic sparks in the past with seer Johnny Smith (Anthony Michael Hall); it’s nice to see the appealing Finnegan in something other than her grim CBS series, “Close to Home.” In this episode, Smith and Sinclair come across a man who says he’s Santa -- but appears to have a criminal past. Santa as a stick-up artist? Smith and Sinclair don’t want to believe it and set out to discover the truth about the kindly old gent.

http://tempo.typepad.com/entertainment_tv/

Critic’s Notebook:
CBS' pope as good as it gets

By Verne Gay Newsday Staff WriterDecember 2, 2005

Even though CBS' four-hour movie on Pope John Paul II has already received what may be the ultimate boffo TV review - a blessing by his very own successor - not every Catholic who watches will be so charitable. Each will watch "Pope John Paul II" through his or her own glass darkly, so to speak - guided not only by their memories of one of the longest-serving popes in history, but by their own feelings about this pope. Those feelings are complicated.

He was revered by American Catholics but freely ignored by many who engaged in contraception or any of the other "evils" of modern life he decried - consumerism, feminism, homosexuality and abortion. Others left the church altogether, infuriated by what they deemed a regressive posture or by his tepid response to the pedophile priest crisis.

But ... you won't see any of this in "Pope John Paul II."

The deeply reverent (let's call them) will have problems, too. This was a pope who richly documented his faith in a vast literary output and who worshiped the Virgin Mary almost as much as Jesus Christ. His thinking was ruled, maybe even dominated, by the beauty of the liturgy and by the ugliness of his despised "culture of death."

Again ... you'll get barely a whiff of this (almost all of it late in hour four), and any day now one can expect the charge - probably fair - that CBS has sanitized their man to make him more palatable for a commercial audience.

So be it. But viewers should still step back, take a deep breath and recognize that this will also probably be the best TV pope they're likely to get for some time and the standard against which future efforts will be judged. "Pope John Paul II" is based on a script by John Kent Harrison (and others) that is both levelheaded and seems fairly airtight as far as its scholarship is concerned. Some readers, doubtless, will take violent umbrage to that assertion - did a dying German soldier really hold a Luger to the head of a young Karol Wojtyla as he administered last rites, as portrayed here? But keep in mind: This is TV, not gospel.

Meanwhile, let the debate begin: Who makes a better Karol Wojtyla? Cary Elwes (playing the young Wojtyla in Sunday's version) or Jon Voight (playing the older one in Wednesday's)? In a jarring casting move, the Italian production company, Lux Vide, decided to employ Elwes (excellent in the first two hours), then Voight (so-so in the last two) as the pope himself. Maybe there's a sound theological reason for this - even the Vatican divides the pope's official biography as "pre-pontificate" and "pontificate" - but viewers will be flummoxed.

"Pope John Paul II" was also preceded by a bit of controversy. Lux Vide apparently has ties to the conservative Catholic group Opus Dei, and some rival network suits at ABC suggested this might bias the CBS version. Though the movie does, in fact, usually steer a wide berth around the controversies, so did ABC's last night. And to CBS' benefit, it also errs on the side of caution: CBS' pope, for example, didn't single-handedly topple the Iron Curtain (as some biographers argue), but he played a vital role by supporting Poland's solidarity movement.

For those viewers looking for a good yarn, Sunday night is best because it tracks Wojtyla's life through the Nazi occupation years. Those, of course, were formative ones for the future pope. Wednesday's conclusion is more diffuse and less focused: The pope has assumed the world stage, but Voight shuffles from one side of it to the next. His pope lacks not only the innate energy and vocal resources of the original, but even of Elwes.

And along with Elwes, the supporting cast - James Cromwell and Christopher Lee playing Wojtyla patrons - are yet another reason to call "Pope John Paul II" the TV-standard bearer for now.

POPE JOHN PAUL II. Hands-down the best of the dueling pope movies, but Part One (Sunday at 9 PM ET/PT on CBS) is stronger than Part Two (Wednesday at 8 PM ET/PT.)

Garner-Affleck have a Daughter
(from TVGuide.com)

SHRIEKING VIOLET: Concluding what seemed to be the world's longest gestation period, Jennifer Garner welcomed her and husband Ben Affleck's first child, a baby girl named Violet (according to E! News), on Thursday. Already this morning, in an emotional moment, the Alias star's firstborn delighted mom with her first wig change.

http://www.tv.com/tracking/viewer.html&********33480&tid=5900&ref_type=101

If you watch Saturday’s Army-Navy football game on CBS, you won’t see any promos for “Survivor” or “CSI” or any other show you are familiasr with. But the 11 promos you will see will tout a show that has never been on the air, you probably know little about, and you won’t be able to see for more than a month..

CBS Promos “The Unit” During Army, Navy Football

By John Consoli MediaWeek.com DECEMBER 02, 2005 -

CBS will devote all of its on-air promotion during tomorrow's Army vs. Navy college football game telecast to the network's new mid-season military drama The Unit. The series, which follows the lives of an elite military forces unit, will premiere early next year.

A total of 11 on-air promos will run during the game and vary in length between 10, 30 and 60 seconds. CBS officials said it is the first time such a stunt promotion is being done during a sports telecast.

"The Army/Navy game attracts millions of servicemen and their families, as well as veterans, and this is a great way to reach our target audience in advance of the launch of the series," said George Schweitzer, president of the CBS Marketing Group.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/networktv/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001613637

Sorry, this story slipped through the cracks and should have been posted much earlier. But Bill Carter’s take on the programming side of network television is always worth reading.

NBC Shifts Shows to Try to Regain Thursdays

By Bill Carter The New York Times December 2, 2005

NBC announced several schedule changes yesterday in an effort to rebuild its Thursday night comedy lineup and reclaim a night that has defined the network for two decades.

The network said that starting in January, it would move its most successful new series, "My Name Is Earl," from Tuesday night to the 9 p.m. Thursday spot once occupied by blockbuster comedies like "Seinfeld" and "Cheers."

Kevin Reilly, the president of NBC Entertainment, said the changes were intended not for short-term ratings gains but to reach the long-term goal of reclaiming Thursday, the night when the most money is spent by TV advertisers. NBC, which is now second on Thursday, fell behind CBS for the season that ended in May, the first time in 20 years that the network has not dominated the evening.

"Thursday night is what NBC is about," Mr. Reilly said. "This is just about going back to a comedy block."

In addition to "Earl," NBC is moving "The Office" to Thursday at 9:30. The American version of the British comedy has struggled to find a big audience, though it started to perform better this season following "Earl" on Tuesday nights.

"The show has a very loyal core young audience," Mr. Reilly said, adding that he had been hearing more and more good things about the show anecdotally.

NBC, a unit of the General Electric Company, will add a new comedy "Four Kings" to Thursday at 8:30, sliding the long-running "Will and Grace," which is probably in its last season, to 8 p.m. All the moves will begin Thursday, Jan. 5.

The moves displace "The Apprentice," the reality show that forced NBC to move away from comedy on Thursdays two years ago after it became one of television's biggest hits. The show's ratings have declined in each of its succeeding editions, and a second version of "The Apprentice" this fall, starring Martha Stewart, stumbled badly.

But the version starring Donald Trump remains one of NBC's highest-rated hours. Mr. Reilly said the network's plan all along had been to give the show a rest until March, after NBC's coverage of the Winter Olympics, which will occupy much of February.

He said "The Apprentice" would return in the spring, though "it looks likely it will be on another night." NBC announced this week that it was ordering another edition of "The Apprentice" for next season.

NBC made its schedule changes one day after the Fox network announced that it was not going to shift its popular "American Idol" from Tuesday and Wednesday nights to Wednesday and Thursday nights.

NBC executives, who had been considering the move of "My Name Is Earl" to Thursday for almost a month, had held off until it was clear the show would not have to face "Idol" on Thursday.

In another move NBC announced that the comedy "Scrubs," which was off the air all fall, will return on Tuesday nights, starting Jan. 3. "Scrubs" will broadcast two original episodes back to back each week at 9 and 9:30.

Mr. Reilly said NBC hoped "My Name Is Earl" would carry the audience that has supported it on Tuesdays over to Thursdays. He acknowledged that the comedy would face formidable competition from "C.S.I.," CBS's highest-rated series. But he noted that "Earl" had already faced tough competition on Tuesday when three other networks had strong shows going against it.

The schedule moves also displace the comedy "Joey," the spinoff of "Friends" that has been a ratings disappointment on Thursdays.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/02/business/02nbc.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1133575175-8MXfxTvxvsEDJafF0XKjew&pagewanted=print

If you watch Saturday’s Army-Navy football game on CBS, you won’t see any promos for “Survivor” or “CSI” or any other show you are familiasr with. But the 11 promos you will see will tout a show that has never been on the air, you probably know little about, and you won’t be able to see for more than a month..

CBS Promos “The Unit” During Army, Navy Football


Cool, thanks for the info. :)

Remembering 'Bosom Buddies' Wendie Jo Sperber

By Kevin Thomspon Palm Beach Post Television Writer

Many years ago I told a good friend of mine that she reminded me of Wendie Jo Sperber. I meant it as a compliment.

After all, Sperber was cute, curvy, perky and the only full-figured gal I had ever seen who could do the split.

My friend was slightly offended, but over time, she came to realize my comparison came from the heart and that I truly thought Sperber was sexy.

I share this story because Sperber died Tuesday after an eight-year battle with breast cancer. Sperber, of course, is best remembered for her role on the short-lived -- and grossly underrated -- ABC comedy, ”Bosom Buddies”, which co-starred Tom Hanks before he became the Oscar-winning, mega-movie star Tom Hanks he is today.

On the show, Sperber was adorable and funny. The perfect scene-stealing sitcom sidekick. She was the Megan Mullally of her day.

Rest well, Wendie. Wherever you are, I'm sure you're making everyone laugh.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/thompson/entries/2005/12/many_years_ago.html

Critic’s Notebook:
Showtime’s grim “Sleeper”

An undercover agent battles religious extremists in Showtime’s ‘Sleeper Cell,’
which depicts terrorism with grit and honesty

By Diane Werts Newsday Staff Writer December 4, 2005

A blond guy, a black guy, an immigrant Frenchman and a Bosnian refugee sit together chatting in a booth at a Los Angeles diner.

It's an all-American scene of assimilation and brotherhood.

Except their brotherhood is that of Muslim extremists, plotting the murder of thousands of Americans in a shocking day of terror.

They're the stealthy title crew of Showtime's gut-punch drama "Sleeper Cell" (premiering Sunday night at 10, during Showtime's free-preview weekend) - a persuasive statement that, in today's anti-terror war, profiling may get you nowhere.

"You can't really sneak 19 Arab guys into the country anymore. The new wave of recruitment is to get Western converts" to Islam, says "Sleeper Cell" co-creator Cyris Voris, referencing the Sept. 11 plot of foreign Islamic extremists crashing hijacked planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. It's their homeland successors who fuel Showtime's 10-hour series, a rich character drama and riveting suspenser that makes Fox's "24" seem lackluster.

"Sleeper Cell" feels more real, for one thing. It deals in attitudes as much as adrenaline, and the script names names - places such as Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Bosnia and Guantanamo Bay, plus terrorists such as Osama bin Laden. Characters cite actual grievances - the Serbs' "ethnic cleansing," allegations of American torture at Abu Ghraib and Gitmo. Even offhand location shots add authenticity: The French immigrant drives his tour-guide bus past Hollywood's legendary Mann's Chinese theater as its marquee promotes the Crusades action film "Kingdom of Heaven."

Unsanitized storytelling

That gritty immediacy was born of the creators' "visceral reaction to 9/11," says Voris, who lived in Jersey City and took the PATH train to the World Trade Center every day for years. Ethan Reiff, his longtime writing partner (TV's "Brimstone," the movie "Bulletproof Monk"), grew up in Brooklyn's Park Slope. They were appalled post-9/11 when they saw pop culture depicting terrorism in sanitized ways, Voris says. "Euro-terror, vague Middle Easterners, or a conspiracy by oil companies. It was really infuriating. It just trivialized this horrible tragedy we went through in this country, how people could keep doing shows about the subject and not have any connection to the real world whatsoever."

Reiff remembers seeing a billboard over Hollywood's Sunset Boulevard strip advertising TNT's 2004 anti-terror drama "The Grid" with glossy close-ups of stars Julianna Margulies and Dylan McDermott.

"It hit me that you had these two beautiful head shots of the white American heroes, bigger than life, and in the background were dozens of scratchy little black-and-white snapshots from the most-wanted list of terrorists," he said. "For our show, you'd have to take the camera and zoom in beyond the white American heroes to actually focus in on 'who are these guys trying to blow us up?'"

A less zealous U.S. agent

The first season's tense 10 hours, unreeled over two weeks (see sidebar), follow "24's" accelerating suspense format, going undercover with the only man equipped to thwart the central terror plot. He's still a resourceful American agent, but isn't mainly driven by testosterone derring-do or patriotic zeal. Michael Ealy, the gentle blue-eyed black actor who played the ex-con in "Barbershop" and co-starred in "Their Eyes Were Watching God," stars in "Sleeper Cell" as a weapons runner just out of prison, where he'd been tutored by a black radical Islamic cleric. That turns out, in the first of many razor-sharp twists, to be "deep cover" for the FBI's Darwyn Al-Sayeed, an ex-Army Ranger and devout Muslim committed to his own conversely peaceful "struggle against all the enemies of God."

"The war within Islam"

"The Darwyn character is really the walking metaphor of the show," Voris says in a phone interview. "Yes, the show is a thriller, about evil bad guys you want to see stopped. But the sub-theme is the war within Islam. And not in some cheesy, politically correct way. It's a great dramatic conflict for the lead character. Essentially on some level he believes the same thing, but the terrorists are perverting it for political ends. And you see him put in the belly of this beast."

A beast that's not so simple or single-minded. Darwyn's human targets become more layered as he plots alongside them, driving their "Jihadmobile" van and casually casing targets as "just another American idiot cruising the mall." Blond American dude Tommy (Blake Shields) is a rootless Quran scholar fueled by issues with his self-absorbed liberal parents and authority figures. Christian (Alex Nesic), a French convert, is a loose cannon who claims to be dedicated to his faith but betrays its tenets constantly, filling him with self-loathing. Bosnian Ilija (Henri Lubatti) saw his entire family slaughtered by Serbs. He hates America for standing by as it happened. But he's obsessed with American culture, demonstrated by his mean karaoke bar rendition of the Tribe Called Quest rap "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo."

Exploring terrorism's infrastructure

Holding them together is a shadowy Arab figure, Faris Al-Farik (Oded Fehr), an icy charmer who can "justify anything that will further our cause." He's the link to other cells in an intricate scheme involving poison chemicals, not to mention drug-running, child prostitution, white separatists and other tentacles of the terror trade. "That was important to us because some people try to marginalize the Islamic extremist terrorists by saying it's just a handful of guys," Reiff says in a phone interview. "But the truth is, if there's a handful of guys who commit the actual acts, more than a handful have to be down for the cause or the cause would collapse. There's an infrastructure that goes well beyond the terrorists themselves."

As that infrastructure is revealed, those who fight terror share screen time. Woven into "Sleeper Cell's" tapestry are federal interagency squabbles, bureaucratic butt-covering and the local/national investigation rivalries. Darwyn also navigates his own inner-city family and a budding relationship with a white working-class single mother (Melissa Sagemiller) living next door to his new "friends."

Ealy's character becomes our eyes and ears learning the terror lifestyle. "Undercover agents spend a lot of time hanging out, watching and listening, and it's not easy for an actor to just hang out and be really compelling and communicate a lot to the audience," Reiff says. "Michael was an actor who could give us a great performance without having to tear up the scenery." The same is true of villain Fehr, "who brings an instantly heroic, charismatic presence to anything he does. Rather than cast someone who the moment you saw him, you'd go, 'Oh, there's the bad guy,' we wanted to cast someone who went against expectations. And when we met with him, we did not know that Oded was actually an Israeli Jew."

"I grew up knowing about terrorism every day," said Fehr, a 35-year-old Tel Aviv native, at TV critics' July press tour. "What's beautiful for me is that through this show, I've come a lot closer to Islam and really spoke deeply with Muslims about very painful subject matters. The show taught me a lot about the peaceful Muslims who live here in America and who all of a sudden have to deal with being 'the enemy.' And you know what? They're as scared as we are."

Religions share common ground

Ealy's understanding grew in talking to Muslim crew members from Pakistan and Libya. "They explained to me one day over lunch that Christianity and Islam are not that far apart," says the 32-year-old actor from Maryland and the New York stage. "For instance, Mary, the mother of Jesus, is looked upon with holy reverence in Islam."

The series makes that clear. Mentions of Jesus evoke respectful Muslim responses. Ealy's character often references the messages of peace in the Quran to government handlers and civilian friends who hold preconceived notions that Islam equals terror. As "Sleeper Cell" draws us into his world, it becomes shocking when police disparage a suspect as "a known Muslim" - as if faith itself were a crime. That's why busy movie actor Ealy couldn't resist this television series. "I'd never seen this character before," Ealy says by phone in the mellow tone that lends Darwyn such eerie composure. "So how often does that role come along?"

Not only rarely, but possibly never in such a potent context. It's at the core of an excitingly plotted thriller that's also an exploration of faith, a primer on politics and a vehicle for a kind of quiet hero we haven't seen - one driven by deeply held belief in a religion many Americans still don't realize worships the same God as Christianity and Judaism. All grew from mutual roots in the Old Testament, before branching off into sects that have further fragmented in the explosive ways we see today. Clarifying that in the course of this nail-biting suspenser will mean "some people feel like, oh, you're sympathizing," Voris admits. "But there's a line I always use about 'know your enemy.' Just to find out about somebody who's trying to kill you is not a bad thing. I think it's irresponsible not to try."

With ample viewing options, it’s an easy 'Cell’

'Sleeper Cell" debuts in a concentrated dose of 10 hours aired over just 15 days. Showtime program chief Bob Greenblatt takes his cue from the way viewers have started watching TV on DVD. "People will rent a season of '24' and watch six or eight hours over the weekend. People are watching things in very concentrated ways," Greenblatt says. "We wanted to get it all out there and give people a chance to digest it all at one time."

The debut schedule is as follows:

Sunday: Hour 1, 10 p.m. (repeats at 11 p.m.)

Monday: Hour 2, 10 p.m. (and 11 p.m.)

Tuesday: Hour 3, 10 p.m. (and 11 p.m.)

Wednesday: Hour 4, 10 p.m. (and 11 p.m.)

Next Sunday: Hour 5, 10 p.m. (and 11 p.m.)

Dec. 12: Hour 6, 10 p.m. (and 11 p.m.)

Dec. 13: Hour 7, 10 p.m. (and 11 p.m.)

Dec. 14: Hour 8, 10 p.m. (and 11 p.m.)

Dec. 18: Hours 9-10 finale, 8-10 p.m. (and 10-midnight)

Mini-marathons can help viewers catch up:

Thursday: Hours 1-2, 8-10 p.m.

Friday: Hours 3-4, 8-10 p.m.

Saturday: Hours 1-4, 8-midnight

Dec. 15: Hours 5-6, 8-10 p.m.

Dec. 16: Hours 7-8, 8-10 p.m.

Dec. 17: Hours 5-8, 8-midnight

Non-Showtime subscribers in some satellite and cable systems can see the first several episodes of "Sleeper Cell" in a "free preview" weekend. Check with your provider for details.

Critic’s Notebook:
Post-Koppel 'Nightline' A Mixed Bag

Show Segmented; Anchors Have Disparate Interview Skills

By Roger Catlin Hartford Courant TV Critic December 2 2005

The unveiling of the new "Nightline" this week came with little fanfare and a 70-minute delay.

The new team taking over the late-night ABC News show from Ted Koppel didn't start until 12:45 a.m. because "Monday Night Football" ran late.

Such are the pitfalls of the late-night news slot - competing with comedy talk shows and the vagaries of the NFL.

Koppel, who stepped down Nov. 23 from the show he originated in 1980, always handled such indignities with grace. And it was often worth waiting through local news to get to his in-depth half-hour reports. Little wonder that it took three people to replace him: Cynthia McFadden, Terry Moran and Martin Bashir.

The first few shows this week left the impression that McFadden was chief anchor, since she held down the desk at Times Square (Mr. Peanut buzzing in a light-up sign behind her) and introduced reports from her colleagues. But that may change if she travels as much as her co-hosts have for the first week.

As if to show its intent remains serious, the program has offered nightly reports from Baghdad, where Moran assesses the war at a time when Americans are scrutinizing it and the White House is rushing to defend it.

By Wednesday, McFadden sounded as if she was getting sick of it as well, introducing the piece by exclaiming, "Will we EVER get out?" She was a little more circumspect when interviewing Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, about the war's progress. She had a few tough questions for him, but unlike Koppel, she appeared unready to react to what he said or press him further on his answers.

At one point, Pace said that whatever troop level the military has asked for, President Bush has delivered, something that may have been a surprise to Gen. Eric Shinseki, who testified to Congress that the occupation needed more troops. Pace also hinted that those best able to determine when the war was over were "the lance corporals and lieutenants and captains over there." (Really? I asked at home.) McFadden declined to press the point. Perhaps she had too little time.

Koppel had the luxury of going long. Not only did he usually take up a whole program with one issue, sometimes he even exceeded the time boundaries of the show if needed, informing affiliates on the spot.

Now, it's pretty clear that the half-hour show will pretty much be divided into three different news segments of about eight minutes or less, involving each of the co-anchors.

When that involves a debate, as it did Monday, when McFadden talked with priests who disagreed with a new Vatican policy meant to eliminate gays from the priesthood, they can barely get going before it is over.

That's true, too, with Moran, who looks a bit like Geena Davis' hubby on "Commander in Chief." Spending whole days with Iraqi figures, he still can't get much out of them, particularly Ahmad Chalabi, profiled Wednesday. But he did have a couple of tough questions for Chalabi that brought Koppel to mind. After he revealed a campaign slogan that began, "We liberated Iraq," Moran shot back: "You liberated Iraq? You and what army?" Moran summarized: "He's quite a character."McFadden showed no such Koppel-like flashes. When interviewing in the two-screen manner of the show, she tended to look bored, smile unaccountably or, worst of all, **** her head coquettishly.

At least when Koppel squinted, it looked like he was processing answers.

The wild card in all of this is Bashir, the British-born journalist of Indian descent who first came to ABC as the legendary interviewer of Michael Jackson in the special that won sweeps and launched this year's molestation trial. He seems to be tainted by more of a tabloid approach.

Bashir's story Monday was common enough: a winning football team at a California school for the deaf.

But by Wednesday, Bashir was reporting on face transplants ("Good medicine or dangerous science?" McFadden teased) and hyping his story Thursday during which he accompanied Victor Conti as he began his prison term, long after everyone else had forgotten his name as steroids purveyor to sports stars.

McFadden began the week by calling Koppel's career "an inspiration."

"We will do our best to build on the proud journalistic tradition of this program," she vowed.

And while Koppel signed off with a succinct "And that's our report," McFadden dug deeper into ABC News history to reuse a phrase made famous by a more notorious former anchor, Geraldo Rivera. Perhaps intending to bookend the network's popular morning news show, she chirped:

"Good night, America."

http://www.ctnow.com/tv/hce-nightline.artdec02,0,4642867,print.story?coll=hce-headlines-tv

Tony Perkins' Last 'Good Morning'

Posted by bria at mediabistro.com

Weatherman Tony Perkins said goodbye to ”Good Morning America” this morning. ABC looked back at Tony's seven years on GMA, and all of the anchors gave him a parting gift.

From Diane: matching recliner chairs for Tony and his young son Connor so they can watch TV together; from Robin, a DVD of all the times Tony mentioned The Beatles on GMA; and from Charlie, a key to his apartment so if Tony, his wife Rhonda and son Connor want to come back and visit NYC, they have a place to stay.

After the show, staffers gathered on the set for a champagne toast and cake.

ABC News President David Westin's sent this goodbye message on Thursday to ABC staff:

"Tomorrow marks the last day our friend and colleague, Tony Perkins, will be with us on 'Good Morning America.' He is returning to live full-time in his beloved Washington, D.C., and to serve as the morning weatherman for WTTG-TV, his old station.

During his time with GMA, Tony covered no fewer than 19 hurricanes. Time and again, Tony and his team brought viewers up-to-the-minute reports on some of nature's worst disasters, putting themselves in harm's way to bring ABC News viewers the story.

In addition to expert weather coverage, Tony did many memorable interviews, including his pal Ringo Starr and other music icons like Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and Stevie Wonder.

And, of course, with his partner, Gary Stein, Tony created and starred in our ABC News Now hit program, 'Stealing Scenes.'

Much more than all of this, Tony became a part of the GMA family and, by extension, of the larger family of ABC News. All of us owe him a large debt of gratitude for his hard work, his good cheer, and his great enthusiasm. We will miss him.

Please join me in congratulating Tony on this new chapter in his career."

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/abc/tony_perkins_last_good_morning_28919.asp#more

Critic’s Notebook:
Miniseries tracks terror from the inside
Agent goes undercover to uncover wrongdoing in Showtime's “Sleeper Cell”

By Ellen Gray Philadelphia Daily News

In a more perfect TV world, Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris, the creators of Showtime's new miniseries "Sleeper Cell," would get to keep the show's first secret a little longer.

That secret, whose revelation was one of the several shocks, small and large, in the pilot that I first saw last summer, is that this isn't so much a show about an Islamic terrorist cell operating in Los Angeles as it is about a Muslim FBI agent named Darwyn Al-Sayeed (Michael Ealy) who infiltrates that terrorist cell.

In an interview in Los Angeles in July, Reiff was resigned to reading that particular spoiler everywhere.

"Showtime wants you to write about that," he said, acknowledging that otherwise, something that might be a hard sell becomes an impossible one, a show that might seem, if just for a little while, to merely be in the business of putting a human face on terrorism.

"Our show is not a docudrama," he said. "Our show is fiction, and for us to have been able to do this show... . we had to have a rooting interest. We had to have someone to believe in, we had to have someone to sympathize for, we had to do someone doing the right thing. Otherwise, it would be too oppressive."

In Darwyn - whose name, Reiff said, was meant only to convey "that he's a strong and capable individual" - the boundaries-pushing premium-cable network's found a hero the most jittery exec should feel comfortable with.

A devout Muslim, Darwyn's not plagued by, say, the heroin problems that troubled "24's" Jack Bauer after he spent a period undercover. (And when his relationship with a single mom quickly turns sexual, Darwyn's more conflicted about it than Jack would be about cutting off some bad guy's head.)

He's not only a good guy, he's a good guy with such an extensive knowledge of the Quran that he can put both his FBI superiors and his co-religionists in their place when either tries to equate Islam with terrorism.

And while most of the terrorists Darwyn meets undercover display intriguing signs of humanity, from one's unlikely fondness for hip-hop to another's complicated relationship with his mother, the writers never lose sight of what the folks at "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" used to call the "big bad."

Here it's personified by cell leader Farik ("The Mummy's" Oded Fehr), who, when one cell member expresses a wish to have carnal knowledge of Britney Spears, suggests that he can do so with "her corpse."

Yes, he wants to kill us all. Even Britney.

It's an odd moment, because up until then, "Sleeper Cell" had reminded me more than a little of "The Hamburg Cell," the British-made documentary about some of the Sept. 11 hijackers that HBO aired in January.

The Britney reference, though, was a reminder that in Hollywood, it's all about Hollywood.

True, the Sept. 11 attacks were carried out nearly 3,000 miles away from the center of the entertainment universe, but Angelenos, at least those in the industry, remain convinced that they're next, which could explain why security checks at some of the studios I've visited in recent years rivaled what I've seen at some Manhattan landmarks.

It's also why "24's" threats tend to be West Coast-based, and why "Sleeper Cell's" terrorists, speculating about their possible target, quickly reel off candidates like Pasadena's Rose Bowl and LAX.

And it may be one reason that Farik's not-so-merry band includes not a half-dozen Arabs but a Frenchman named Christian (Alex Nesic), a sweet-faced Bosnian named Ilija (Henry Lubatti) and an "All-American boy" named Tommy (Blake Shields).

(Fehr, who plays Farik as an Arab Muslim masquerading as a Jew, is actually Israeli.)

Sure, it's a reminder that not all terrorists are dark and swarthy. But it also makes it easier for many American viewers to tell them apart.

So while "Sleeper Cell" is in many ways a far more serious look at terrorism than "24," with its made-up countries and over-the-top stunts, it's still impossible to forget that it's piece of entertainment about people who'd like to kill millions of us, brought to you by the guys who wrote "Bulletproof Monk."

Most of the time, it's a pretty gripping one, too, which is good, because Showtime's decided to air all 10 hours over a dauntingly short period (albeit with many repeats).

But in the wake of the ratings failure of FX's "Over There," a drama set amid the present-day reality of the war in Iraq, you have to wonder:

How many people will even want to be entertained this way?

SLEEPER CELL. 10 PM ET/PT Sunday, Showtime. Continues at 10 PM ET/PT Sundays through Wednesdays for two weeks, followed by a two-hour finale at 8 PM ET/PT Dec. 18.

http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/entertainment/television/13308188.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

Obituary
Marc Lawrence, 95; Best Known for Playing Menacing Characters
Also Directed “Maverick” and “77 Sunset Strip” TV shows

By Dennis McLellan Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

With his piercing eyes, pockmarked face and brooding air, Bronx-born character actor Marc Lawrence portrayed a memorable array of menacing gangsters over seven decades.

In 1935, he played Lefty Croger, a gang henchman in the Paul Muni crime drama "Dr. Socrates."

In 1948, he played Ziggy, Edward G. Robinson's fedora-wearing fellow mobster who shows up during a lull in the storm to buy a shipment of counterfeit money in "Key Largo."

In 1971, he appeared as one of the three black-suited Slumber Inc. henchmen who tossed Plenty O'Toole (Lana Wood) through a high-rise hotel window into a pool in the James Bond classic "Diamonds Are Forever."

Looking out of the window afterward, Sean Connery as Bond says, "Exceptionally fine shot."

A deadpan Lawrence responds, "I didn't know it was a pool down there."

Lawrence, a stage-trained actor who fell victim to the Hollywood blacklist in the 1950s, died of natural causes Sunday at his home in Palm Springs, his family said. He was 95.

Beginning with an uncredited bit part as Gene Raymond's cellmate in "If I Had a Million" in 1932, Lawrence appeared in more than 175 movies. Among them are "The Ox-Bow Incident," "This Gun for Hire," "Cloak and Dagger," "The Asphalt Jungle," "Marathon Man," "Foul Play," "The Man With the Golden Gun," "The Big Easy" and "Ruby."

In a notable change of pace, he delivered a touching performance as a mute hillbilly in the 1941 drama "The Shepherd of the Hills."

But it was as a movie heavy that he made his mark, and more than 60 years after arriving in Hollywood, he was still being cast in such parts as mafia kingpin Carlo Gambino in HBO cable TV's 1996 biographical drama "Gotti."

"Lawrence belonged to that exclusive club of character players so good, so distinctive, that the minute he entered a scene, you knew exactly whom you were dealing with: In his case a baaaad egg cold enough to freeze Lowe's State [theater] in a summer heat wave," film historian and Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne wrote in the Hollywood Reporter in 1998.

Born Max Goldsmith, Lawrence began acting in New York. "I was the best actor in our school," he told the Chicago Tribune in 1998. "I could memorize faster than anyone, and my old uncle in the Yiddish theater said I had stage guts, so I guess he inspired me."

In 1930, after two years at City College of New York, Lawrence was accepted into Eva Le Gallienne's renowned repertory theater, where he became friends with John Garfield. The two actors appeared on stage together in a number of plays, including Group Theatre productions.

By 1932, Lawrence had gone to Hollywood, where he played small roles in as many as 14 pictures in a single year (1939).

"I had this effect on people," he told the Tribune. "I remember walking along the street and seeing Eddie Cantor's name up on one of the theaters, so I stopped by the ticket seller and asked him, 'When does Eddie go on?' He looked at me and went pale and said, 'You-you-you-you're the guy in that picture up the street!' He was petrified of me.

"So I went and watched that movie again and thought to myself, 'Christ almighty, what an ugly [expletive]! Holes in my face, black eyes that pierce right through you. Here I thought I looked like Ronald Colman, and the ticket seller was right."

After freelancing through half of the '30s, Lawrence signed with Columbia Pictures. "I made $150 a week working for [Columbia boss] Harry Cohn, who always liked me. He told me [mobster] Johnny Rosselli said I was the best hood in films."

But the movie roles dried up in 1951 after two government agents knocked on the door of his North Hollywood home and accused him of being a Communist Party member.

"I got a subpoena," Lawrence told the Riverside Press Enterprise in 1994. "That was tantamount to a guilty verdict. But, yeah, I was a member of the party. I joined about 1937. What … did we know then? They passed out forms and said, 'Sign your name for hope and humanity.' I was all for hope and humanity, so I signed my name.

"I went to about five or six meetings. When I got bored at home I'd go to a meeting. That's just about it as far as I was concerned."

Pressured by the House Un-American Activities Committee, Lawrence admitted that he had been a member of the Communist Party and named other party members, something he felt guilty about for years. "I spoke against my own conscience," he told the Tribune.

To escape the blacklist, Lawrence and his writer wife, Fanya Foss, moved to Italy in 1951 with their two children. Lawrence worked there as an actor in numerous films over the next eight years. He also returned to the stage, receiving critical acclaim for his portrayal of longshoreman Eddie Carbone in a 1958 London revival of Arthur Miller's "A View From the Bridge."

Returning to Hollywood in 1959, Lawrence began directing episodes of "Maverick," "77 Sunset Strip" and other TV series.

In 1963, he was back on the big screen playing a deported mafia don in "Johnny Cool." The next year, he directed, co-produced and co-wrote the low-budget film "Nightmare in the Sun," starring John Derek and Ursula Andress. He later wrote, produced, directed and appeared in the 1972 thriller "Daddy's Deadly Darling."

Lawrence, who wrote a candid 1991 autobiography, "Long Time No See: Confessions of a Hollywood Gangster," once said that "being a tough guy is easy. You just give them this hard look and yell, 'Hey, you, get over here!' and nobody bothers you."

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-lawrence1dec01,1,3434749,print.story?coll=la-news-obituaries

Macon McCalman, 72
Actor's Career in Films and TV Series Spanned More Than 30 Years

From Los Angeles Times Staff and Wire Reports

Macon "Sonny" McCalman, 72, a character actor who appeared on the television shows "Cheers" and "Three's Company" and in the films "Deliverance" and "The Client," died Tuesday in his hometown of Memphis, Tenn., after a long illness, family members said.

His acting career spanned more than 30 years and included roles in popular TV shows from the 1970s through the 1990s: "Kojak," "Roots," "Family Ties," "Dallas," "Murder, She Wrote," "Designing Women," "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," "L.A. Law" and others.

His movie roles included the prosecutor in "Fried Green Tomatoes" and Deputy Queen in "Deliverance."

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-passings2.2dec02,1,1619170,print.story?coll=la-news-obituaries

Fans sending out SOS for “Arrested Development”

By Bill Goodykoontz The Arizona Republic Dec. 3, 2005

If all of the readers who wrote and called to complain about the all-but-certain demise of ”Arrested Development” were Nielsen families, we wouldn't have had to have that conversation - the show would be a monster hit.

Man, fans of AD don't just like the show, they love it (as do I). Trouble is, only about 4 million of them tuned in each week, which is a tiny audience. But after reporting that Fox had yanked the show for the November sweeps rating period after airing only five episodes this season, and failing to extend its season beyond 13 episodes (who knows when the extras will run) - both signs that scream CANCELED in neon letters - I think I heard from all 4 million fans.

OK, that's a stretch, and part of the response was due to online readers elsewhere (unless, for example, The Republic has a heretofore unknown subscription base in the Netherlands). But there's no doubt that fans of the show are vocal, and they are ticked.

"I'm amazed at how stupid the networks are!" e-mailed Libby, voicing the groupthink. "First they shuffle the show around, and when busy, intelligent people can't find it (and I'm certain, due to AD's writing, most fans are both busy and intelligent), they cancel it? Morons. Talk about 'arrested development.' "

Well said. Keep in mind that the show will return Monday at 8 PM ET/PT on Fox with new episodes, but it's not on the Fox schedule for January, so the situation is grim.

But since this is a question-and-answer format, let's play along: by far the most-asked AD questions were, "Where can I write Fox to complain? And will it do any good?"

As to the former, try this address:

Arrested Development
P.O. Box 900

Attn: Fox Broadcasting
Publicity Dept.
Beverly Hills, CA 90213-0900

As to the latter, the answer is almost certainly not. While a few shows have scored an extra season, or at least part of one, thanks to fan campaigns, it's unusual. And since AD is relatively expensive to produce, the chances of it being picked up by another network are equally unlikely (though there's a rumor that Showtime is a possible suitor).

Best, then, to enjoy the DVDs and tune in to the remaining episodes. Enjoy it while you can.

• Seth e-mailed awhile back, noting that, after the much-hyped live-debate episode, The West Wing dropped off NBC's schedule. "Can you shed any light on West Wing's situation and where it may be found in the future?"

It's back Sunday at 8 PM ET/PT on NBC. As for its situation, it ain't great. Not surprisingly, it has struggled on Sunday nights, though the live debate (I thought Alan Alda's Arnold Vinick whipped Jimmy Smits' Matt Santos, but that's just me) gave it a bit of a boost. If you're a fan, the advice is the same as above: Enjoy it while you can.

• Finally, Katherine of Tempe e-mails, asking whether the Dan Futterman who wrote the screenplay for Capote is the same guy who played Vincent on Judging Amy. And the answer is: yes. So his show got canceled? Big deal. Talk about landing on your feet.

http://www.azcentral.com/ent/tv/articles/1203goody03.html#

John Paul Times II
CBS' papal tale feels realistic

By Dusty Saunders (Denver) Rocky Mountain News December 3, 2005

ABC won the race. But CBS got a papal blessing at the Vatican.

When Pope John Paul II was near death last March, both networks began plans for televising docudramas about his life. And a race was on to determine which network would have the first movie.

Have No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul II, a two-hour drama, aired earlier this week on ABC. CBS' more ambitious project, Pope John Paul II, being broadcast as a four- hour event (9 LM ET/PTSunday and Wednesday) received a major publicity boost in mid-November when Pope Benedict VI endorsed the film after seeing a condensed version.

After the Vatican screening, the pope, before a huge throng that included several CBS and Viacom executives, blessed the project and those involved.

"I welcome the distribution of this film," the pope told the assembled crowd, giving the kind of support that could draw more viewers to the TV set than a mountain of favorable reviews by critics.

The two productions have several things in common. While reverential in tone, both suffer from a length problem. ABC's two- hour film was not long enough, while the CBS event is an hour too long.

Three hours would have been ideal for both. (And I'll leave it to educated papal watchers to compare and determine the accuracy of both films.)

Will network television ever throw away its constricted time formats and let script creativity dictate a drama's length?

Also, neither network seemingly believed its projects were worthy enough to air during the competitive November sweeps. After all, ABC had to give time to Barbara Walters' annual sugary tribute to her Ten Most Fascinating People. And CBS felt viewers couldn't live without Category 7: End of the World, a four-hour catastrophic (quality-wise) tale about a devastating hurricane.

As did the ABC project, the CBS miniseries concentrates on key junctures in Pope John Paul's early life, including his years growing up in Nazi-occupied Poland and his work bringing down communism in his native country.

Both scripts show, in tasteful terms, that the young Karol Wojtyla, a man of the world, had friendly relationships with women before he entered the seminary.

ABC's Have No Fear starred German actor Thomas Kretschmann, who, with the aid of aging makeup and gradually stooping shoulders, portrayed Wojtyla from his early adult years through his papacy.

Unfortunately, the script had a hurried "and then this happened" feel, giving the production a cramped look.

The ABC film did dramatize one alleged controversy ignored by the CBS drama - Pope John Paul's decision not to support the semi-Marxist theology in El Salvador.

Some Vatican watchers claim this may have led to the 1980 murder of Archbishop Oscar Romero, now considered a martyr.

The overall depiction of the pope's life is more realistic in the CBS film Pope John Paul II, partially because Cary Elwes plays young Wojtyla and Oscar winner Jon Voight takes over as the reigning pontiff. (Still, the quick transition from young to old during two scenes is jarring.)

Also, the CBS production was allowed to film exclusive footage in and around St. Peter's Square, since script writers worked closely with Vatican officials.

The production begins with the assassination attempt in 1981 and then flashes back to his early years in Poland. The rest of his life is told basically in chronological fashion.

While several scenes deal with the familiar issues of his papacy, the four hours basically stay away from long dramatizations surrounding controversies.

An interesting 2002 conversation occurs when Pope John Paul discusses the ongoing sexual abuse scandal centered on priests in the U.S.

When informed that many blame the Vatican for a coverup, Pope John replies: "I accept the criticism . . . I have asked for forgiveness."

In case you weren't aware, cable's Hallmark Channel aired a dramatic docudrama, Karol: A Man Who Became Pope, in August. The well-made Italian film was aired in Europe shortly after John Paul II's death.

http://www.insidedenver.com/drmn/spotlight_columnists/article/0,2777,DRMN_23962_4284135,00.html

TV Ratings
TV Braces for DVR Ratings

New Nielsen service offers buyers, networks choice of formats
By Anne Becker Broadcasting & Cable 12/5/2005

The television industry may be talking in different ratings languages in the coming weeks, say TV executives, when Nielsen begins to include programs recorded on digital video recording devices (DVRs) in the viewing it tracks for networks and advertisers.

Beginning Dec. 26, the ratings company will report three separate data streams: 1) “live,” viewing excluding any DVR playback; 2) “live plus same day,” live viewers and those who played back programs on a DVR within one day of their initial airing; and 3) “live plus seven,” live viewers and those who played back programs on a DVR within a week of their initial airing.

Says Sara Erichson, general manager of national services for Nielsen Media Research, “With regard to the different flavors of data, it was pretty clear that different clients had different needs and different priorities.”

Changes in Nielsen ratings, the basis upon which networks and advertisers negotiate the value of ads, threaten to drastically alter how advertising deals are structured. Many ad buyers, not surprisingly, don’t like the new streams and say they won’t include DVR viewers in deals they make during next spring’s upfront; more viewers mean more money that advertisers could be asked to shell out.

Viewers often use DVRs because the devices allow them to skip through ads, and buyers don’t want to pay for viewers who aren’t going to watch their spots. DVR viewers skip through as much as 90% of ads, according to research from Magna Global USA, Interpublic’s media-buying unit.

In making these changes, Nielsen is responding to a long-voiced industry desire for more-accurate measurement of how many people are watching TV. DVRs have been around for almost a decade, and networks and advertisers still do not take into account viewers who record programs on the devices. Only about 7% of U.S. TV homes have DVRs now, according to Nielsen. But that percentage could jump to 37% by 2010, according to Forrester research.

The broadcast networks have united in favor of the new rating streams. Preliminary Nielsen research shows that network programming as a whole registers 4% more viewers when DVR users, who are proven to watch more television than non-users, are factored in. That means more viewers for the networks to tout when they ask media-buying agencies for more money for advertising.

“What we are seeing is that DVRs are going to increase viewership to major network programming and commercial exposure in those programs,” says David Poltrack, executive VP, research and planning, CBS Television & UPN.

Nielsen has been incorporating programs recorded on VCRs into its “live” sample for years, says Steve Sternberg, Magna executive VP/director of audience analysis. That includes all VCR-recorded shows, he adds, not necessarily those that have been viewed. Until Nielsen removes VCR-recorded programs from its live sample, Magna does not want to include DVR-viewed programs in the sample upon which it bases negotiations of upfront ad fees for next year.

Cable networks may not benefit as much as broadcast from incorporation of DVR viewing; they tend to rerun shows multiple times, lessening the likelihood that viewers will record them.

So far, the cable industry has taken a wait-and-see stance toward Nielsen’s changes. The Cable Advertising Bureau recently issued a statement to its members saying that, while “all TV exposures hold value, without enough empirical data to support any one data stream as the platform to value playback, we should not set any market precedent for future commerce.”

Nielsen is allowing its clients to choose which streams to use; the players—broadcast and cable networks, media buyers, individual advertisers—will have to decide which is most advantageous and try to negotiate deals accordingly after they analyze the DVR-inclusive numbers over time.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6288758

This lengthy article from the upcoming issue of “Broadcasting & Cable” puts a lot of the arguments over a la carte (from many sides) in some context.
Congress and the FCC Turn Up the Heat

By John M. Higgins and P.J. Bednarski Broadcasting & Cable 12/5/2005
(With Additional reporting by Michael Grebb and Ben Grossman )

In a single stroke, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin may have turned the world of cable operators and programmers on its head.

Under the glare of TV lights at a Senate indecency hearing last week, Martin reversed course on the agency’s pivotal 2004 decision that shot down a new way to sell cable TV to subscribers, essentially allowing customers to choose precisely which channels they could buy.

Martin said that this method, known as à la carte, would not push consumers’ cable bills higher. His predecessor, former FCC Chairman Michael Powell, had made “mistakes in its basic calculations,” according to Martin. And by Martin’s analysis, à la carte is an ideal antidote to TV’s rising indecency. Television today “contains some of the coarsest programming ever aired,” he said, adding that the move will offer consumers a real choice at no cost to cable companies.

Cable companies are howling at the FCC chairman’s new agenda. They see à la carte as the regulatory equivalent of a dirty bomb, rendering both systems and basic networks economically uninhabitable. The more expensive channels, such as TNT or sports channel ESPN, could end up as costly standalone choices. How many people would pay the $15 per month one analyst estimates that ESPN might charge in an à la carte world? Smaller networks without much marketing money would struggle in the clutter.

Cable operators fear lower revenues if customers buy fewer channels and, at least near term, marketing chaos as the industry rips up the model for selling their core product. Perhaps most challenging will be defining, as Congress seems to want them to, what exactly “family programming” is.

Already, one cable pioneer and iconoclast has broken from the pack, agreeing with senators that à la carte is entirely feasible—and weakening any argument otherwise. Chuck Dolan, chairman and founder of Cablevision Systems, declared in a statement, “We do not believe in the long term that selling programming à la carte will be detrimental to either programmers or cable operators … Consumers should not be obliged directly or indirectly to buy services they do not want.”

DBS rival EchoStar and telco AT&T also endorse à la carte.

Consumer advocates have for years pushed à la carte as a way of letting subscribers reduce their bills, allowing customers to choose individual channels in a package from the current offering of 100 channels or so. Subscribers would select basic channels the same way they can take or leave movie networks like HBO or Showtime.

“THEY HAVE THEIR EYES ON US”

The approach has gained steam among critics of TV indecency. Parents with conservative tastes can already block out raunchy FX or MTV shows that offend them through the V-chip, a little-used parental-control technology in TVs that can block offensive programming (see sidebar, below). But critics resent that they nevertheless have to pay for these channels as part of the basic tier. À la carte would let them cherry-pick only the channels they want to receive.

Peter Tolan, creator of the edgy Rescue Me on FX, thinks the indecency police “have their eyes on us and Nip/Tuck and The Shield,” two other FX shows that push the envelope.

The drive for indecency legislation is continuing to build. Four such bills are working their way through Congress. Another indecency hearing is scheduled for Dec. 12, and in January powerful Senate Commerce Committee Chairman—and indecency critic—Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) plans another hearing at which the committee will start marking up legislation.

“A VERY DANGEROUS IDEA”

Cable operators say they see a couple of paths to a compromise but privately acknowledge that they risk the à la carte debate spinning beyond their control.

Mandating à la carte would be legally tricky. National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) President Kyle McSlarrow called using à la carte to control content “a very dangerous idea” at the hearing and proclaimed that the industry would fight it in court as a violation of the First Amendment.

“The point was not to be antagonistic. It was to be very clear where we stand,” McSlarrow said in an interview. The cable industry is trying to blunt the attacks by promoting tools that parents already have to control what their kids can watch on TV, and they are trying to develop new ones.

“The best outcome, everyone basically agrees with me, is that everyone should have the ability to protect their children,” McSlarrow said.

Proper parenting seemed to be the universal ideal, but those skills are lacking these days, testified Joe Pantoliano, best known as violent mobster Ralphie on HBO’s The Sopranos. He said he is stunned that parents allow their kids to watch the series. “I’m always flabbergasted on the many occasions parents approach me with their children and encourage their children to tell me how much they love The Sopranos,” said Pantoliano, co-president of Creative Coalition, a Hollywood lobbying group. “On these occasions, I can’t help but think, why would they let their children watch a show like this?”

Martin signaled that he wants to reopen the à la carte debate at the Senate Commerce Committee’s Open Forum on Decency last Tuesday. With 23 witnesses—including media executives, conservative Christian groups and religious broadcasters—limited to five-minute presentations, the hearing was expected to be routine.

But it wasn’t until Martin’s office made a courtesy call late Monday that NCTA officials knew he would press the issue at the hearing.

Cable executives thought they had largely defanged the à la carte question. In 2004, the FCC Media Bureau issued a report concluding that consumers’ bills would probably increase in an à la carte world. That echoed a similar analysis by the Government Accountability Office.

Martin slammed the FCC report guided by Michael Powell and ex-Media Bureau Chief Ken Ferree as based on “incorrect and biased analysis.” A new report to be issued by commission staff soon shows that à la carte “could be economically feasible and in consumers’ best interest.”

À la carte is only one solution. Martin outlined other options to regulate content, including holding basic networks to the same indecency rules that govern broadcast channels, or mandating tiers of family-friendly programming. At the least, Martin was clearly sharpening up à la carte as a weapon to force the cable industry to clean up its content.

“We used to receive indecency complaints by the hundreds, and now they come in by the hundreds of thousands,” he said. “The industry needs to do more to address parents’ legitimate concerns.”

Programmers say à la carte could crush their dual revenue stream—the license fees from cable operators and the rates they could charge for advertising—since fewer people would be watching.

Networks bundled into the basic cable tier reach around 95% of a cable system’s subscribers. No network is likely to secure that penetration in an à la carte world. (HBO, for example, manages to snag around 30% of cable and DBS homes; Showtime gets just 10%).

Ad sales would be suffer from the loss of viewers who happen to graze through a network. How many occasional viewers of HGTV or TLC’s home-improvement shows would balk at paying for those networks every month?

In a 2004 report, Bear Stearns media analyst Ray Katz estimated that, if ESPN’s penetration fell to 50%, it would have to charge consumers $7.79 monthly to offset financial losses. MTV and Fox News would have to charge $1.06 monthly. If penetration dropped to 25%, ESPN would have to charge $15.82; MTV $2.32 and Fox News $2.17.

And it doesn’t count the $14 or so that operators would charge to even order the first à la carte channel.

Both programmers and operators would then confront the kind of monstrous marketing challenge faced by pay movie networks, which turn over 50% of their subscribers each year. How much would low-rated networks like Bravo or E! have to spend to persuade subscribers to buy? Operators say they face backoffice and billing havoc juggling subscribers’ choices.

Jonathan Rodgers, president of TV One, a startup network aimed at black viewers, says he has had an à la carte-themed nightmare that “had me knocking on every door in Biloxi [Miss.], telling them to buy TV One.”

“RISK OF BEING SQUEEZED OUT”

“Less-watched channels would be at risk of being squeezed out, as they would no longer receive affiliate fees across such a broad subscriber base,” says UBS Warburg analyst Aryeh Bourkoff. “Many smaller/less-watched cable networks would find it economically unfeasible to provide service to such a small audience, with little ability to raise affiliate fees.”

One possible compromise would be to subject basic-cable networks to the same indecency standards faced by broadcasters.

Disney touts that one, largely because it would pinch its competitors without materially affecting its own cable networks, including ABC Family and The Disney Channel. (Moreover, Disney is against offering ESPN à la carte.)

Cable operators would accept that compromise in an instant. “If it were up to cable operators, this wouldn’t be a debate,” says the president of one major operator.

But the owners of racier networks News Corp. (FX) and Viacom (MTV, Comedy Central, Spike) oppose the idea and may have the First Amendment on their side.

A more palatable alternative would be the creation of a “family tier,” filled only with unobjectionable programming, much as operators relegate porn to pay-per-view channels.

Such a tier might be the preferred route to get Capitol Hill off cable’s back, says a prominent communications attorney who has represented broadcasters and cable networks.

Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president of the public-advocacy group Media Access Project, agrees that Congress and the FCC want an easy solution so “this whole thing goes away.” He adds, “My guess is that the family tier would be phenomenally unsuccessful. I suspect actual viewing habits, as compared to what viewers write their senators about, are different.”

A family tier also presents one immense problem. “Who’s going to decide what a family network is?” asks TV One’s Rodgers.

For example, it is unclear how MTV, which targets teens but is criticized for broadcasting obscenities and sexual situations, would be classified.

The TV industry’s best hope is make it incredibly simple for parents to control TV in their homes, filtering out rough programming even when they’re not around. That might be through a bigger push of the V-chip, or more-sophisticated filters in cable set-tops.

One buzz phrase that is catching on is “uniform ratings system.” Media critics bemoan the cacophony of various ratings for TV, movies and videogames. Lobbyists say that Stevens seems receptive to the idea of one simplified grading system for all media content.

Sen. Stevens issued a stark warning to television executives in the hearing room: “Everybody at this table ought to realize, if we don’t reach an agreement of some sort during this period before January, we’re going to see a bill that many of you won’t like to live under, and we’ll be in litigation for years to come.”

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6288804

fredfa, will the Live +1 and Live +7 ratings info be available for public consumption?

Sports Media and Business
Collinsworth and Madden Would Unite Analytic Minds


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/02/sports/football/02tv.html?pagewanted=print

I'm glad this is just speculation because this is a horrible idea. Madden needs his own stage. IMO, his age already shows but Michaels and him play off perfectly together. Collinsworth is terrible in the booth. I can't tell you how much enjoyable Buck and Aikman are without him. NBC needs a top notch professional who can call the game and let Madden do his thing. Costas is the clear choice even if it is just for a year or two, because I'm not sure how much longer Madden can do this? I would say a possible alternative would be Dick Stockton. He calls a solid game and lets the color guy do his thing. But he is not much different than Hammonds. The more I think about it NBC may have stuck it to themselves by signing Madden so early.

Chuck

Friday’s overnight network prime-time ratings have just been posted at the top of RATINGS NEWS the second post in this thread.

fredfa, will the Live +1 and Live +7 ratings info be available for public consumption?

I have no idea -- (if I remember) I'll call Nielsen on Monday and ask.

Holiday Viewing
A Classic Whose Message Endures

By Robert J. Thompson Special to The Washington Post Sunday, December 4, 2005; Y05

"We all know that Christmas is a big commercial racket. It's run by a big eastern syndicate, you know." So says Lucy in "A Charlie Brown Christmas," which turns 40 this month (Dec. 6, 8 PM ET/PT ABC).

By 1965, Charlie Brown and his friends already had penetrated American popular culture. Charles M. Schulz's "Peanuts" comic strip, which he started in 1950, already had inspired a best-selling book and a wide range of merchandising tie-ins, but "Peanuts" had yet to be featured in its own television show. Then Time magazine did a cover story about Schulz in April 1965. Eight months later, Schulz and former Disney animator Bill Melendez delivered the first of nearly 50 television specials.

Christmas television was on a roll in the 1960s: "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" made its debut in 1964, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" in 1966 and "Frosty the Snowman" in 1969.

Somehow, though, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" remains the gold standard, perhaps because it still seems so modern. It's hard to believe that this show was made when Lyndon B. Johnson was in office and "Bonanza" was the biggest hit on television. It is, after all, a children's Christmas story about a kid who's depressed.

"I think there must be something wrong with me," Charlie tells Linus. "Christmas is coming, but I'm not happy. I don't feel the way I'm supposed to feel. I always end up feeling depressed."

And Charlie relies on Lucy, a pre-adolescent quack who dispenses psychiatric advice at 5 cents per session. "If we can find out what you're afraid of," she declares, "we can label it." It was only 1965, but Lucy had seen the future.

With a little sleight of hand, the story then turns to the idea that the overcommercialization of the holiday is responsible for Charlie's diminished emotional wellness. And the evidence is everywhere. Lucy, who delights in "that beautiful sound of cold, hard cash," confesses that she hates her toys and bicycle and other presents of Christmas past -- what she really wants is real estate.

Little Sally, a toddler not yet old enough to write but with an acute sense of entitlement, dictates her letter to Santa with the request that he just send cash: "All I want is what's coming to me. All I want is my fair share."

Even Snoopy is made delirious by a flier for a neighborhood decorating contest that reads, "Find the true meaning of Christmas. Win money, money, money."

Then the show does something extraordinary for network TV. In its low-key, minimalist way, with the cool jazz piano of Vince Guaraldi in the background, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" resorts to old-time religion.

Charlie's directorial debut at the school auditorium is going poorly. He needs to be saved. He follows a light in the east to a Christmas tree lot. The fancy aluminum trees are well accommodated, but there seems to be no room in this inn for one little runt of a tree.

Charlie embraces it and is mocked by his peers for doing so. Linus recites from the Gospel of Luke, wraps the tree in his swaddling blanket and, lo, the tree becomes radiant. Charlie is redeemed, and the children all sing "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." And the over-commercialization that plagued Charlie has been vanquished.

It's commonplace now for movies such as "Jingle All the Way" to take on the holiday-industrial complex. It wasn't so commonplace in 1965. In the end, though, Lucy was right: Christmas is a big commercial racket, and Christmas TV specials are an important part of that racket. Christmas television helped fuel the growth in holiday spending and extend the holiday season.

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" has launched a commercial bonanza of its own. If you take a quick look online or in mail-order catalogues, here's a small sampling of what you might find: a set of two "Charlie Brown Christmas" vinyl bobbleheads, $26; a "Charlie Brown Christmas" sweatshirt, $23; a three-piece set of scenes from the show rendered in ceramic, $37.50; a book about the show, $29.99; a 40th-anniversary CD, $14.99: and, of course, the DVD, $16.99.

You've got to think that Lucy, Sally and Snoopy are loving this -- a shopping list of items celebrating a show in which materialism was the problem.

But still, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" was one of the nice things about the 20th century, and it's good to see the show still can make it on network TV in the 21st.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Thompson, professor of media and popular culture at Syracuse University, says he will watch the show again this year for about the 35th time -- having missed a couple of years while in college.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/29/AR2005112901454_pf.html

Critic’s Notebook
“Sleeper Cell” Will Keep You Wide Awake

FBI Infiltrates Terrorist Cell

By Roger Catlin Hartford Courant TV Critic December 3 2005

It's the fallow time in premium cable, where after Sunday's season finale of "Curb Your Enthusiasm," there will be no original programming on HBO's vaunted Sunday night until "The Sopranos" and "Deadwood" return in March.

(Note from Fred: "Deadwood's" return was recently pushed back to June by HBO.)

Box office blockbuster replays and holiday-tinged films will have to fill the bill, at least until the end of the year.

But upstart Showtime, looking to take advantage with counter-intuitive December programming and inactivity at premium cable elsewhere, will pack in the entire season of its 10-hour drama series "Sleeper Cell" between Sunday's debut and the two-hour finale Dec. 18.

More than just filling the end-of-year void, the daring topical thriller should satisfy the growing audience awaiting next month's return of "24" on Fox.

Like that series, and as its title indicates, "Sleeper Cell" jumps solidly into the realm of domestic terror that may continue to linger in the back of our mind but is rarely depicted in our TV drama.

And now, as the mall traffic swells, comes a series where the big first target next week is a popular shopping center. By bringing words like anthrax and its antibiotic Cipro back into the lexicon, we are reminded, thankfully, how long it's been since the terms have been in headlines. At the same time, it rekindles that same fear of anonymous death spread by deadly spores in the mail and in public air-conditioning systems.

Though it's not tied to the real-time contrivance used on "24," "Sleeper Cell" has the same density of plot turns and surprises. That said, it may be best for viewers to just stop reading and tune into Showtime Sunday night at 10 and succumb to the twists unawares.

(I'll give you a minute to turn to the sports page).

But in the interest of actually writing a review, let it be said that the central figure who became a Muslim while in prison - well-played by the serious-minded Michael Ealy - seems at first to be recruited by a Los Angeles sleeper cell of al-Qaida. But he is revealed to be, by the end of the first episode, an FBI agent in deep cover, so deep it scarcely looks like he'll survive the first Sunday amid his treacherous accomplices.

As real as the terrorist threat continues to be, there is some suspension of disbelief required with "Sleeper Cell." Who can believe U.S. officials would allow an agent to go so far, even killing along with the cell, in order to keep his cover in hopes of preventing a bigger, more catastrophic death toll? Or that the nervy agent would threaten everything by constantly checking into the office via cellphone or getting involved with a woman who has nothing to do with the political intrigue?

That said, it's nice to have Melissa Sagemiller as the single mother that Ealy's Darwyn al-Hakim starts to date.

Most of his time, of course, is spent amid the intrigue of the cell led by the mysterious and charismatic local leader Farik, played with no small measure of menace and mystery by Oded Fehr. So embedded is he in the local community, he's found not in a mosque but at the local temple, where he is also coach of a baseball team for Jewish boys.

Indeed, by being a Muslim, Darwyn may be the most stereotyped sleeper cell member, though he's not a real member at all. Others in his cell include a blond American rebelling against his liberal mother, a Bosnian who is now a school teacher and a French radical.

If "24" created controversy by depicting its terrorists as Muslims last season, "Sleeper Cell" diffuses it by making its central figure a Muslim who is motivated largely by taking down those who would defame his faith and twist it to their own murderous aims.

Amid the planning and tension and chases, real arguments take place about the Koran's real intent and what the prophet would do. But this is no theology exercise. It's pounding excitement with a shocking premise: That neighbors among us, in the parks or at cookouts, are secretly plotting our demise.

It's a relief, actually, that Darwyn is not an actual member of the cell: It would be too much to ask viewers to follow the plans of terrorists for entertainment. We can cheer his brave infiltration and hold our breath when it appears he'll be caught every five minutes.

And even if the planned attack is delayed so much it starts to feel like "Prison Break" after a while, audiences can get caught up in the smart, timely intrigue at a time when both "24" and "Prison Break" are between seasons.

http://www.ctnow.com/tv/hce-sleepercell.artdec03,0,14032,print.story?coll=hce-headlines-tv-top

The Business of TV
That Sinking Feeling

By J. Max Robins Broadcasting & Cable 12/5/2005

If you’re toiling away at a broadcast network these days, getting the Nielsen overnights every morning has to be a lousy way to start the day. If your gig is at NBC, it’s got to be a daily punch in the gut: The network is off 16% in its target 18-49 demo from a year ago.

Everybody else, except ABC, is off or at best basically flat season-to-date.

Strikingly, there wasn’t one breakout hit by the end of the November sweeps that compares with last year, when newbies Desperate Housewives and Lost already were both established watercooler series.

Yes, a handful of new series do show promise. Much-hyped, well-executed comedies, such as NBC’s My Name Is Earl and UPN’s Everybody Hates Chris, have found an audience. (NBC now hopes Earl fans will follow him to Thursdays.) CBS appears to have keepers with dramas Criminal Minds and Ghost Whisperer and the comedy How I Met Your Mother.

Still, none of the shows has generated that breakthrough buzz we’ve seen in seasons past, from the original run of The Apprentice to midyear runaway hit Grey’s Anatomy.

Instead, there’s a burgeoning list of failures in this year’s rookie class: ABC’s Hot Properties and Night Stalker, Fox’s Killer Instinct, and NBC’s Martha Stewart-fronted version of The Apprentice won’t be back for second editions. CBS’s Threshold is on the threshold of being officially killed.

But wait, there’s more. Those losers join such early casualties as Fox’s Head Cases and UPN’s Sex, Love and Secrets and The WB’s Just Legal. Meanwhile, ABC’s Alias and Fox’s Arrested Development are ending, too, leaving critics weeping and hardcore fans waiting for the complete works with extras in boxed DVD sets that no doubt will be out in time for Christmas 2006.

Lessons can be learned from what hasn’t worked so far. More often than not, it’s next to impossible to clone a hit if it’s not CSI or Law & Order. Spinoffs like Martha playing The Donald may sound good in a pitch meeting, but it’s a tough to pull off—especially when your Martha plays a numbed-out version of her former tough self.

As Martha has learned, remakes are incredibly hard to pull off, too. Night Stalker, based on failed cult hit from 1974, seemed doomed from the get-go. I’ve seen Lost, and Threshold was no Lost. Same goes for ABC’s Invasion and NBC’s Surface, which are surviving but are hardly big box office. It’s easy to imagine the pitch meetings for Reunion or Sex, Love and Secrets—each hyped, no doubt, as “younger, hipper Desperate Housewives.” But the execution just has to be there—and it wasn’t in either case.

It’s so important for a network to be in sync with its core viewers’ expectations. In an attempt to broaden its audience too much and too fast, The WB has tarnished what was once a crystal-clear brand. Did The WB really think the network of Gilmore Girls, Charmed and 7th Heaven would embrace Don Johnson as a rummy lawyer in Just Legal? The network went after older viewers and, season-to-date, is down 7% with the 18-49 crowd.

And then of course there’s NBC, which for years seems to have gone out of its way to avoid refreshing all the elements that made it dominant for so long. Where is the next generation of smart dramas that are such a part of the network’s legacy? West Wing launched seven years ago, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent debuted in 2001. Like ABC a couple years back, the network is in a creative quagmire that has been simmering for years and now is at full boil.

When a network does that poorly, it drags the whole business down. Inside NBC, they’re hoping that desperation is the mother of invention that will give birth to the next hit of Desperate Housewives proportions. But on their network. Hey, the holiday season can make anybody hopeful.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6288812

Allan Waters, Canadian Broadcast Pioneer, Dead

(Canadian Press)TORONTO - A pioneer in Canadian broadcasting, Allan Waters, the founder of CHUM Limited has died.

Waters stepped down from the CHUM board of directors in October after half a century in the broadcast industry. He served as chairman and president of CHUM until 2002.

Waters began his career in 1954 with the purchase of 1050 CHUM in Toronto, which became the first Top 40 radio station in Canada.

He created the vision for CHUM, which grew to have radio and television stations from coast to coast. CHUM owns 33 radio stations, 12 local television stations and 21 specialty channels, including MuchMusic, Space and Bravo

According to a press release, Waters had served as President of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, was in that group's Hall of Fame as well as the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame.

http://www.recorder.ca/cp/National/051203/n120311A.html

It seems media mergers aren’t just a mania in the United States:
Media map rewritten; Toronto Star buys into rival

CEO stresses editorial independence; $283M deal must be approved by CRTC

David Bruser Toronto Star Business ReporterDec. 3, 2005

Torstar Corp. will pay $283 million for a 20 per cent stake in broadcaster and rival publisher Bell Globemedia Inc. as part of a deal announced yesterday that forms an unlikely link between owners of warring newspapers.

But this is mainly a TV and Internet play for Torstar as it now seeks a stake in a company that runs CTV, the country's leading private broadcaster, and many specialty channels, including TSN and Discovery Channel, according to Torstar president and CEO Robert Prichard.

And Prichard stressed Torstar's Toronto Star will remain editorially independent from Globemedia's Globe and Mail.

"This investment gives Torstar substantial exposure to conventional and specialty television in Canada. It strengthens our position as a broadly based media company," Prichard said during a conference call. "These are premium assets, market leaders in their fields, and the plans for growth are compelling."

Also as part of the deal, the private equity arm of the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan will buy a 20 per cent stake for the same price, $283 million. Meanwhile, BCE Inc., which had been rumoured to be looking to reduce its majority stake or sell off Bell Globemedia completely, went from nearly 70 per cent to 20 per cent ownership, netting $1.3 billion from the recapitalization but also retaining some control of content that BCE can use for other initiatives.

Meanwhile, Woodbridge Co. Ltd., the Toronto-based holding company of the Thomson family, raised its stake in Bell Globemedia from 31.5 per cent to 40 per cent at a cost of $120 million.

The ownership shuffle connects Torstar and Teachers' with Bell Globemedia's 15 per cent interest in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors and the Air Canada Centre.

One analyst at CIBC World Markets said Torstar now has a "defensive play" in the local newspaper market, with an ownership stake in The Globe.

"Most importantly, Torstar remains a player in the Canadian media landscape," he said.

"With eventual [mergers and acquisitions] in the sector, the ultimate result of a few very big cross platform media conglomerates is likely. On its own, Torstar would have been hard-pressed to participate in the move. However, it is now a partner in just such a venture."

Media analyst Adam Shine of National Bank Financial in Montreal said he understands Torstar's desire to get into other media, considering the newspaper's recent weak advertising linage and the issue with foreign exchange rates this year at its book publishing arm, Harlequin.

"I don't think it should come as a great surprise that Torstar is looking to broaden its exposure to other sectors of media, particularly those that are actually showing consistent growth," Shine said. "Certainly among broadcasting assets in Canada, the BGM assets are among the jewels across the landscape (and) CTV, I think, is at the top of its game, putting together an exceptionally strong program line-up that on a nightly basis dominates Canadian viewing."

For BCE, the move represents what chief executive Michael Sabia described as a "capital-lite" way of allowing the company to use the content.

"TV on your cellphone — just one example of the work we're doing," he said.

BCE said it will not say how it will use the proceeds of the sale until February.

The deal, which must still meet regulatory approval from the Competition Bureau and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, is not expected to close until the third quarter of 2006.

The deal places Torstar, the company that publishes the Toronto Star and prints the National Post at its plant in Vaughan, as part-owner of the company that publishes competitor The Globe and Mail.

One union official fears that makes an increasingly fuzzy Toronto media landscape.

"Clearly, it concentrates more ownership in fewer hands," said Peter Murdoch, a vice-president with the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada. "One media company now controls the largest newspaper in the country and now is in partnership with probably its primary competitor — and one would have hoped that CTV is a competitor. That lends itself at least to the potential of homogeneity of opinion, politics, you name it."

But Prichard stressed Torstar's stake is a minority one, and added during BGM board discussions Torstar's agent will not participate in talks of Globe and Mail strategy or performance.

Torstar has for years wanted in to the television business. In 2002, the company lost a bid to operate a television station when the CRTC ruled the business plan was not viable.

Torstar also hopes the deal will lead to more Internet-based businesses. Torstar and Bell Globemedia are already jointly involved with running workopolis.com, a Canadian online career search site.

Another analyst said exploring Internet ventures is key to Torstar's future success.

"Physically printing words on paper and driving it around in trucks and putting it on people's doorsteps is not the most efficient way of disseminating information," said the analyst, who did not want to be named.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_PrintFriendly&c=Article&cid=1133566818350&call_pageid=968332188492

“Lost” actress could face jail after DUI

Michelle Rodriguez is on probation in California

By Rod Antone Honolulu Star-Bulletin

One of the two actresses from the ABC series "Lost" arrested for drunken driving in Kailua early Thursday could face jail time in California because of other traffic arrests in 2003.

Thursday's incident is the second drunken-driving arrest for Michelle Mayte Rodriguez, who is on probation after pleading no contest to DUI, driving with a suspended license and a hit-and-run charge during two separate incidents in Los Angeles. Officials for the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office said they are investigating whether Rodriguez is in violation of her probation.

"Potentially, she could face six months in jail for each misdemeanor charge," said Frank Mateljan, Los Angeles City Attorney's Office spokesman. "Right now, we're in the process of contacting authorities in Hawaii to get a copy of the police report, in order to make a determination if a probation violation hearing is warranted."

Rodriguez, 27, and Cynthia M. Watros, 37, were driving separate cars and heading toward Honolulu along Kalanianaole Highway around midnight when they were noticed by police because one of them had gotten out of her car to talk to the other while at a stoplight, according to police reports.

Officers saw the two continue driving and weaving along the road, police said.

Police said officers stopped both actresses near Auloa Road and arrested them under suspicion of operating a vehicle while under the influence of an intoxicant, after both failed field sobriety tests.

A source close to the investigation said Watros had a .1 percent blood alcohol level while Rodriguez had .14 percent blood alcohol level, almost double the legal level of .08 percent.

According to the source, both cooperated with officers during their arrest, and no one knew they were Hollywood stars until they arrived at the Kailua Police Station for processing.

Rodriguez was released at 2:45 a.m. after she posted $500 bail, as did Watros later at 3:30 a.m.

Both actresses are second-season additions to the cast of "Lost" and play the newly discovered survivors of the tail section of the airplane that apparently crashed on the other side of a remote island.

Rodriguez plays police officer Ana Lucia Cortez, and Watros plays a therapist known as Libby.

http://starbulletin.com/print/2005.php?fr=/2005/12/03/news/story02.html

Tulsa's suprising win over Central Florida jumbled the bowl picture -- at least a little. Tulsa now heads for the Liberty Bowl.

So keep up with all the bowl schedules (at least the HD ones) in the very first post of this thread -- which will be updated continuously today and tomorrow as the results dictate which teams go to which bowls.

Holiday Viewing
"A Charlie Brown Christmas": simple, quiet and still very hip


By Rachel Kipp Marion, Indiana, Chronicle-Tribune

Years before the VCR, the Schulz family had tapes of "A Charlie Brown Christmas." But that didn't mean the special's creator, the late Charles Schulz, didn't lament a missed opportunity to see it "live."

"We did try to watch it when we were home and sometimes we'd be out and he'd say, 'Oh drat, it's on tonight,' " remembers Schulz's wife, Jeannie. "For some reason, when you watch it on television at the time that it's broadcast, I think you have a sense of the community of people that are watching it with you."

Since the special premiered in 1965, that community has grown to millions of adults and children who span generations. Like Schulz, many carve a place in their holiday tradition to watch each year when the program is broadcast on television, despite the availability of VHS and DVD.

On Dec. 6, (8 PM ET/PT ABC) fans will celebrate Christmas with the Peanuts gang for the 40th time when they leap off the newspaper comics page into Schulz's tale of needy trees, a materialistic beagle named Snoopy and a depressed Charlie Brown who is searching for the true meaning of the holiday. The special includes an additional series of animated stories based on the work of Schulz, who died in 2000.

Fans and the special's creators say the program has endured for the very reasons that television executives were initially wary of it: quiet, simple storytelling, the jazzy Vince Guaraldi score and Linus answering Charlie Brown's plea with a recitation of the Bible passage that describes Jesus' birth.

"This will always hold up because it has a core to it," says Peanuts fan and collector Andrea Podley, 59, of Bellingham. "It had a meaning that everybody from all levels can relate to. The story is extremely simple, yet it has meaning and I think everyone extracts the meaning they want for themselves."

All of those elements came together quickly over a weekend in 1965. Schulz, whom friends called Sparky, executive producer Lee Mendelson and animator Bill Melendez holed up in the cartoonist's studio near Santa Rosa, Calif., to create a holiday special using the comic-strip characters for sponsor Coca-Cola.

"We sat down and Mr. Schulz said, 'First of all, I really think if we do a Christmas show, it should have some meaning and I guess the best meaning it could have is to tell the true story of Christmas. So at the end maybe we could have Linus read from the Bible,' " remembers Mendelson, who went on to create dozens more Peanuts specials with Schulz and Melendez. "Bill and I looked at each other because no one ever animated anything from the Bible before."

For music, Schulz wanted some Beethoven for Schroeder and all agreed that jazz by Guaraldi should be included. It was finished about a week before airing on CBS.

"We had an opening song, and at the last minute I said, 'Gee, we really have got to put some words on it,' " Mendelson says. "So I wrote the words to 'Christmastime is Here' because I couldn't find anybody else to do it, and that's really kind of become a Christmas standard."

Reviews offered hope

But the special nearly missed gaining that designation. Both network and sponsor were initially unimpressed. Glowing reviews from several magazines gave the creators hope, but it was a wait-and-see attitude until the program aired Dec. 9, 1965.

"We got a 47 share, which means that half the country that had television that night watched 'A Charlie Brown Christmas,' " Mendelson says.

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" won an Emmy and a Peabody Award, made Guaraldi's music a Peanuts mainstay and spawned Charlie Brown holiday programs for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day. It also gave Schulz the creative freedom to tackle subjects like cancer and D-Day in subsequent specials.

The program remains relevant today because it was ahead of its time, tackling holiday depression before it was acknowledged in public, says Robert Thompson, professor of pop culture at Syracuse University.

"It's just a very, very hip show and hip not because it was dripping in irony and wisecracks," Thompson says. "Hip in just its absolute sincerity."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/PrintStory.pl?document_id=2002652136&zsection_id=2002119662&slug=charliebrown29&date=20051129

CNN to start live Net video service
By SCOTT LEITH The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 12/03/05

CNN is gearing up for its next foray in the new world of media: an online service that will feature the network's first extensive use of live video on the Internet.

CNN will launch the new service, dubbed Pipeline, on Monday. Unlike CNN's current Web products, which lean on text or video snippets that aren't live, Pipeline will feature four video streams. The service, in development since September 2004, has its own staff, studio and news anchors at CNN Center in Atlanta.

"You can't find anything like this on the Web," said David Payne, senior vice president of CNN News Services and general manager of CNN.com.

One goal is to get people to use CNN Pipeline on their computers while at work, especially if they don't have a TV nearby. Pipeline also is meant to have a much different feel than CNN or CNN Headline News. Among other things, CNN Pipeline will feature raw video — of the latest car chase, weather disaster or congressional hearing — with relatively little commentary from anchors.

The trick: getting users to both understand the new service and then pay for it. In an environment where most online news is free, CNN plans to charge about $25 a year for Pipeline. The content won't include any ads.

"We think there's an appetite to build off of the fundamentals of CNN.com," which is a free site, said Susan Grant, executive vice president for CNN News Services. The live video available on Pipeline is costly and needs backing from subscribers.

"If we could afford to give it away, we would," Grant said.

So far, few media companies have had success with paid news content. The Wall Street Journal is a rare exception, with its 764,000 paid online subscribers. The New York Times is still in the early days of offering TimesSelect, a paid service that chiefly features the work of columnists.

CNN, meanwhile, hasn't had much luck. In June, it dropped fees for videos at CNN.com, giving up after about three years.

Michael Castengera, a consultant who teaches journalism at the University of Georgia, thinks CNN is wise to at least try something new.

"Anybody doing anything innovative is smart, at this point," he said. "How successful it will be is the big issue."

CNN Pipeline will be available via a link at CNN.com. PC users must sign up, then download a program to run Pipeline. Mac users are confined to using a Web version for the time being.

During the day, the Pipeline screen will display several options — four live streams, or what CNN dubs "pipes" — plus recorded videos and access to archived items. From 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., Pipeline will include CNN International among the pipes.

PC users will have the option of shrinking Pipeline to a small TV-like box that can sit in the corner of a computer screen. Payne said this kind of unobtrusive application is aimed at keeping people interested in running Pipeline all day.

"We'll have totally sunk productivity in America," Payne joked.

But David Hazinski, a faculty member at the University of Georgia who has consulted with CNN, is skeptical about Pipeline. For one thing, the lack of anchor narration might prove to be a shortcoming, not a strength. "Otherwise, it's wallpaper," Hazinski said. "I don't get it."

While CNN's offering of live video is unique, the network will have to lure users to a product that is noticeably different from CNN's other services. Payne said CNN needs "several hundred thousand" subscribers to recoup its costs.

Grant said Pipeline will be promoted on CNN.com at first and later via a marketing campaign.

Other networks, meanwhile, aren't sitting still when it comes to online video. NBC broke ground in November by starting to offer "NBC Nightly News" as a "netcast," although hours after the original broadcast airs.

http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/1205/03bizcnn.htmlhttp://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/1205/03bizcnn.html

The first step to news in national HD?
“Pipeline” Nerve Center in HD

Control room equipped for future
By Ken Kerschbaumer Broadcasting & Cable 12/5/2005

Pipeline’s control room is CNN’s first totally high- definition control room. Located next to the CNN.com newsroom in Atlanta, the room (a smaller version of the CNN control rooms found in New York and Washington) features a wealth of next-generation HD gear. Sony’s MVS-8000 Series production switcher, a Leitch HD video server and HD graphics will all be used to deliver content to Pipeline’s “channel one” stream.

“That first stream will be fully produced, while the other three will be partially produced and have a lot of incoming raw footage,” says Gordon Castle, Turner Broadcasting System Inc. chief technology fellow.

The decision to go HD reflects three trends. First, complex broadband products require top-quality production gear. Second, the cost of that gear has fallen to a point that it is affordable enough to use on a broadband-only product. Third, building a control room today demands that it is entirely high-definition, so that the equipment doesn’t have to be replaced before it’s reached the end of its life cycle.

Original content for Pipeline will be shot in HD, with the use of Sony HDV and HDCAM gear in the field and Sony HDC-930 cameras for the studio portion. Pipeline subscribers won’t be able to see the material with HD resolution, as broadband pipes aren’t big enough yet. But they will be able to see it in widescreen.

“We’ll be stretching all of the incoming 4:3 material with the same Teranex technology that TNT-HD is using,” says Castle. The image will be stretched more on the sides so that objects in the center, typically the focus of a shot, won’t appear distorted. “We did some testing of incoming material, and from time to time, the stretch will be objectionable,” says Castle. “But the bulk of the time it works.”

I know the above comment on "Pipeline" ignores the VOOM HD news service, and the sometimes almost heoric news efforts of HDNet. I don't mean to slight them, (or to start arguments about "first HD national news") but CNN is a totally different national (and international) news animal.

“We’ll be stretching all of the incoming 4:3 material with the same Teranex technology that TNT-HD is using,” says Castle. The image will be stretched more on the sides so that objects in the center, typically the focus of a shot, won’t appear distorted. “We did some testing of incoming material, and from time to time, the stretch will be objectionable,” says Castle. “But the bulk of the time it works.”

Ugh. Stretch-o-vision.

I agree -- but if the tech folks at the "real" CNN starts drooling over the HD toys at "Pipeline" -- who knows what that could lead to?

When Larry David Calls, You Answer

By Margy Rochlin in The New York Times Dec. 4, 2005

Shelley Berman, the veteran actor and comedian, balled up a fist and held it against one of his ears. "This is the way you hold a phone," he said. "This" - he extended his thumb and pinky in imitation of a telephone receiver - "is ridiculous! This is not how you hold a phone."

Whether they agree with Mr. Berman, 80, on the protocol of pretend telephone use, a generation of Berman fans would be thrilled to see him strike such a pose. Back in the 1950's, his signature nightclub bit was to sit cross-legged on a high bar stool, tilt his head contemplatively into a clenched hand and improvise long, wittily complicated one-sided conversations. These days, though, a new generation of fans know him only as Larry David's stoop-shouldered, doddering father, Nat, on HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm", who recently implied that Larry had been adopted. So was he? "It's not up to me to give coming attractions," said Mr. Berman, with a proud little grumble.

He is happy, however, to talk about how his role on the show - which has its season finale tonight - has affected his career. "My worth has increased considerably," he said. "There's a kind of exponential excitement I am living in now."

Indeed, on a recent Sunday at 10 p.m., Mr. Berman and his wife of 58 years, Sarah, were faced with a television-viewing conflict: should they watch Nat warble a Seder prayer on a Passover episode of "Curb" or switch over to ABC's hit series "Grey's Anatomy" to see Mr. Berman as a sweetly doting husband to an ailing wife? (They watched "Grey's Anatomy," figuring they could catch one of HBO's many "Curb" repeats.) He auditioned for the HBO role in 2001. Going on right after Shecky Greene (who got big laughs with the show's production staff), Mr. Berman was handed a slip of paper outlining the scene, but with no actual dialogue. And then he and Mr. David were supposed to start riffing. "I just knew what I was going to do, but I didn't know what I was going to say," Mr. Berman said. After the tryout, Mr. David followed Mr. Berman down the hall. "He said, 'Will you lose the rug?' " Mr. Berman recalled. "I said, 'Yeah.' He says, 'O.K., you got the part.' It never happens like that. Usually, you go home and they don't call you and they don't call you and they don't call you, and pretty soon the idea comes to you that you didn't get the part."

Before that, Mr. Berman's most famous role was as himself, in a 1963 NBC documentary, "Comedian Backstage." In a precursor of today's reality television genre, a camera crew trailed him day and night for an entire month. When the program was broadcast, it showed dynamic performance sequences at the Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood, Fla.; a whole lot of scenes of him chain smoking, lecturing his nebbishy apprentice manager and obsessively fiddling with his expensively tailored three-piece suit; and perhaps most notoriously, an angry backstage outburst after an actual ringing telephone disrupted one of his trademark phone routines.

Today, it wouldn't register very high on the star tantrum scale, especially since in the moments after his outburst he looks deflated, bowing his head away from the camera, as if what he wished most was to take back the wrecked performance. But when "Comedian Backstage" was broadcast, he became almost untouchable, reduced to begging for low-paying television guest spots and eventually filing for bankruptcy. Somewhere along the way, Mr. Berman's wife said, the tantrum-as-tipping-point story has acquired a convincing new gravity.

That's how the incident has been recounted in recent comeback profiles, at any rate, but Sarah Berman says the career slump and bankruptcy were not really linked. "I really feel our life was not ruined," she said. "He kept working. He was well paid. I've said to him, 'Shelley, even you are beginning to believe all this stuff!' Our downfall was not with the documentary but the financial people we had in charge. We've led a pretty good life."

The Bermans live in a spacious house in Bell Canyon, Calif., a gated community outside of Los Angeles that is favored by WB stars and horse owners. On a recent warm, clear day, Mr. Berman relaxed on his yellow living room couch wearing loose black pants, a black jacket, a beige crewneck shirt and a gray hairpiece that made him look years younger than he does on television. "For me, to be a kvetch is not a good idea," he said. "I'm not going to sit up here and say, 'I've been mistreated.' "

He was raised in a cramped, noisy apartment on the west side of Chicago, shared by his mother and father, his younger brother, an aunt and uncle, their two children and a Lithuanian-born grandmother who supported the family by buying pure alcohol from local gangsters and converting it for sale as homemade whiskey. That crowded home, he says, inspired his career path. "At dinner, at any time, you could not be heard," Mr. Berman said. "There was no way I was ever going to explain myself or be noticed in this household. But when I went to school I knew a great way to be heard, and that was being funny."

Mr. Berman didn't start out in comedy. Trained at the prestigious Goodman School of Drama at the Art Institute of Chicago, he was schooled in every part of the dramatic arts, from lighting to makeup to serious theater. After graduation, he received an offer to join a Chicago troupe that would become known as pioneers of modern improvisation, the Compass Players, which later evolved into Second City. There, Mr. Berman parried onstage with the likes of Mike Nichols and Elaine May and picked up a key to making spontaneous humor fly. "Showing off was not the point," Mr. Berman said. "It was about getting along onstage and reacting and giving."

These days, Mr. Berman - who recently heard that the coming Cameron Diaz film "Holiday" has a part written for him - spends two weeks out of the year as the headline act at the Improv at Harrah's in Las Vegas.

He draws on those Compass Players anecdotes frequently for a humor writing class he has taught for the past 21 years in the master's of professional writing program at the University of Southern California. There, he dispenses encouragement and tough love as roughly two dozen young students read their scenes aloud.

Recently, however, a session of Mr. Berman's class began with a student's approaching him, not for professional advice, but with a shy request. "I'm going to Vegas," the man said. "Can I get tickets to your show?"

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/04/arts/television/04roch.html?pagewanted=print

Critic’s Notebook
The Outlook For Prime Time Schedule Changes

By Matt Roush TVGuide TV Critic
Now that the dust has settled a bit on all the 2006 mid-season changes that will be kicking in as soon as the holidays are over, here's my night-by-night scorecard of the imminent battles we'll be covering a month or so from now.

Monday

The big news is the return of 24 on Fox, with a four-hour blast January 15-16, followed by all-new episodes through the rest of the season. For the first two months, Skating with Celebrities (a rip-off of Dancing with the Stars) will be 24's lead-in. But come mid-March, Prison Break will return. What a one-two punch that promises to be!

CBS will coast along by capping off its popular comedies with CSI: Miami. The only change: Out of Practice goes on temporary hiatus, with Jenna Elfman's sight-unseen sitcom filling in.

Saying goodbye forever to Monday Night Football, ABC targets the female demographic with two reality anchors sandwiching two romantic comedies: Wife Swap leading into a combo of Emily's Reasons Why Not (starring Heather Graham) and Jake in Progress (starring John Stamos). Smartly going with reality counterprogramming against crime-drama juggernaut CSI: Miami and strong No. 2 Medium, ABC tries another edition of the we-thought-it-was-dead The Bachelor, this time set in Paris.

Toughest time period: 9 pm/ET, with 24, Two and a Half Men, Las Vegas and the cute Emily fighting for viewers.

Tuesday

What a tough night.

The big news, again on Fox, is the return of American Idol, with a long string of audition and semifinals episodes before we get to the real meat of the show sometime in February or March. House is staying in the spot where it became a smash hit on Idol's coattails a year ago. Fox will rule.

As usual, the 9 pm/ET time period is going to be very crowded. Joining worthy contenders House and Commander in Chief, NBC finally brings back Scrubs with back-to-back new episodes. This will fill an hour that used to be occupied by My Name Is Earl and The Office, which have now relocated to Thursdays. (Why NBC continues to have more faith in The Office, keeping it yoked to Earl, than in Scrubs is an ongoing puzzle.) And CBS is filling the gap between cycles of The Amazing Race with the enjoyable romantic dramedy Love Monkey (starring Ed's affable Tom Cavanagh), and it will be interesting to see if CBS' crime-thirsty audience will embrace a show so outside the formula.

Adding juice to the 10 pm/ET hour is the return of FX's The Shield, with Forest Whitaker joining the cast as Vic's new nemesis. I imagine I'll fall even farther behind on Boston Legal and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as a result.

Wednesday

Another night directly impacted by Idol, which will be paired initially with Bones at 9 pm/ET (against Lost! ), and then when the results-show format kicks in (moving to 9), Bones will move to 8 (a much kinder time period for it) and Idol will be paired with some no-doubt-forgettable comedy.

UPN fills the gap between cycles of America's Next Top Model with the new soap South Beach leading into the eternally underwatched Veronica Mars. Considering how miserably the network's last soap did (Sex, Love & Secrets) , I'm hoping it won't be long before Tyra is wrangling a new set of girls.

NBC marks time before February's Winter Olympics by airing stand-alone episodes of The Biggest Loser in between E-Ring and Law & Order. Wouldn't it have been smarter for the network to restore The West Wing to its former roost, even for a short period of time? It's dying on Sundays.

Thursday

It's about time. NBC restores a two-hour comedy block to Thursdays, presumably bouncing the fading The Apprentice to another night after the Olympics. But unlike in the peacock's glory days, only one of the four comedies are truly "must-see." Leaving Scrubs out of the lineup seems especially foolish, though kicking Joey to the curb is long overdue. The terrific My Name Is Earl is being asked to do battle against CSI, instead of kicking off the night in the old Friends slot. (The dying Will & Grace gets that honor, paired with the dumb-guy sitcom Four Kings, from the same producers.) As on Tuesdays this fall, Earl is paired with the incompatible The Office, which has improved this season but not enough to take on the CBS juggernaut. (Again, why not pair Earl with Scrubs?) Still, Earl should have some impact on the night.

Fox also moves comedies to its Thursday dead zone at 9 pm/ET, with the past-its-prime That '70s Show and the ratings-deflated Stacked following The O.C., in the vain hope of holding on to the elusive young demographic that The O.C. still kind of attracts.

Meanwhile, ABC takes advantage of a short Survivor hiatus to bring back last summer's surprise camp hit Dancing With the Stars for a second go-round, followed by yet another comedy contender (ABC's manic Crumbs) in the 9:30 pm/ET time period. That makes four networks (counting UPN) trying to lure audiences with comedy on Thursdays. And yet it will be CBS, as always, that gets the last laugh.

Friday

NBC's Kevin Reilly showed a bit of his old FX moxie when he ordered the offbeat The Book of Daniel into series production, but his ardor quickly cooled, resulting in a shortened episode order and the unfortunate scheduling of Daniel into a tough 10 pm/ET time period. It's a shame. This one's a gem. This whimsical family drama is about an embattled Episcopal priest (Aidan Quinn) who talks regularly to Jesus when not contending with domestic and church-administration crises. The blue-chip cast also includes Ellen Burstyn as Daniel's boss and Once and Again's luminous Susanna Thompson as his martini-prone wife. Enjoy while you can.

Daniel's competition doesn't merely include one of CBS' 1,001 popular crime procedurals, Numb3rs, but two strong cable shows are also returning in early January for their winter seasons: USA Network's enduring detective comedy Monk and Sci Fi's blistering space adventure Battlestar Galactica.

And ABC jettisons its comedy lineup, probably not a moment too soon, with only Hope & Faith remaining, hammocked between the Dancing With the Stars results show and the new legal dramaIn Justice. Doubt any of that will make much of a dent in CBS's leadership on Fridays, for what that's worth.

Saturday

Who cares?

Sunday

Nothing much changes. ABC will still be the network to watch. And HBO won't get back into the game until the return of The Sopranos in March.

http://tvguide.com/tv/roush/dispatches/

OBITUARY
Herbert L. Strock, 87

Pioneering TV and Creature Feature Director

By Dennis McLellan Los Angeles Times Staff Writer December 4, 2005

Herbert L. Strock, a pioneer television producer and director who also directed the B-movie creature features "I Was a Teenage Frankenstein," "How to Make a Monster" and "The Crawling Hand," has died. He was 87.

Strock died Wednesday of heart failure at Riverside County Regional Medical Center in Moreno Valley after a car accident, his daughter, Leslie Mitchner, said.

Strock launched his television directing career in the late 1940s and worked on countless series, directing the first 10 episodes of "Highway Patrol" and episodes of "Sky King," "Sea Hunt," "Maverick" and "77 Sunset Strip."

But he is best remembered for his drive-in movie fare, which included "Blood of Dracula" and "Gog," shot in 3-D.

"He was just a real old-time type of get-it-down Hollywood moviemaker, who'd just go in knowing what needed to be done and very efficiently handling everything," said Tom Weaver, a horror and science fiction film expert who interviewed Strock for Fangoria magazine. "He always turned the stuff out within schedule and budget, which made him the producer's darling."

Born in Boston, Strock moved with his family to Los Angeles when he was 13. At 17, while still a student at Beverly Hills High School, he became the director of gossip columnist Jimmy Fidler's Hollywood segments for Fox Movietone News, in which Fidler visited with stars.

A 1941 graduate of USC, where he studied journalism and film, Strock served a brief stint in the Army's Ordnance Motion Picture Division before landing a job at MGM as an assistant editor on the 1944 film "Gaslight."

Several years later, he became a television pioneer as the producer and director of 13 episodes of "The Cases of Eddie Drake," a half-hour filmed detective series starring Don Haggerty and Patricia Morison. Although made for CBS, it aired years later on the DuMont network.

"It was the first television show ever put on film," Strock said in an interview with Weaver. "We shot it in 35-millimeter black and white. My budget was $7,500 per half hour, and we shot one a day. This was unheard of in Hollywood. I would shoot four pictures in a batch, all mixed up, in four days."

The story in each episode was set up by having detective Haggerty go to crime psychologist Morison's office to tell her what had happened.

During the filming of the series, Morison recalled Friday, she learned she had gotten the female starring role in Cole Porter's "Kiss Me, Kate" on Broadway.

After telling Strock that she would have to fly to New York to begin rehearsals, she recalled:

"He said, 'Oh, this is so exciting. We'll rearrange our schedule and shoot all your segments in 10 days.' He didn't give any argument. That's what I remember about him: how generous he was."

Strock made his transition to feature film directing when, as associate producer and film editor, he took over as the uncredited director of the 1953 science-fiction thriller "The Magnetic Monster." He also took over as the uncredited director of the 1953 science-fiction horror film "Donovan's Brain," whose cast included Nancy Davis Reagan.

Strock, who owned a post-production facility after he quit directing in 1980, wrote about his career in the 2000 book "Picture Perfect," part of the Scarecrow Filmmakers Series.

In addition to his daughter Leslie, he is survived by his wife of 64 years, Geraldine; daughters Candice Dell Strock and Genoa Dodd; and two grandsons.

A private memorial service will be held.

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-me-strock4dec04,0,6911926.story?coll=cl-tvent

USC and Texas certainly did their parts to make the BCS look good Saturday. LSU and Virginia Tech didn't help at all. And the biggest loser might have been Oregon, which now could well finish behind Notre Dame and Ohio State and quiet the Duck fans complaints about being shut out of the Fiesta Bowl. (But no matter what, it appears all but certain that Ohio State and Notre Dame will get the two at-large BCS slots.)

And other Saturday upsets made for some major changes in the bowl assignments. While the final official announcements won't be announced until later Sunday, the updated and all-but-official pairings (for the bowls being broadcast in HD) are listed in the first post of this thread.

Fred, Fred... I can not believe my eyes! Tell me it is not so. Oregon's mascot is a vicious, fighting DUCK. The timid, whimpy beaver belongs to archrival Oregon State, whose fans have had nothing to cheer about for years.

I wish USC or Texas would have lost, just so there would have been some sort of scandal for who would get the other spot.

I hate this stupid BCS system. This is football! Institute a freaking playoff system.

Just like in the NFL, any football team can win the big one, so a playoff system is the only way to show that possibility.

I think it would be SOO funny if another BCS bowl game (like Ohio State vs. Notre Dame) got better ratings than the BCS "Championship" game, which I won't even be watching.

That would be nice.

Critic’s Notebook
The Outlook For Prime Time Schedule Changes
Wednesday
UPN fills the gap between cycles of America's Next Top Model with the new soap South Beach leading into the eternally underwatched Veronica Mars. Considering how miserably the network's last soap did (Sex, Love & Secrets) , I'm hoping it won't be long before Tyra is wrangling a new set of girls.


Whoa, stupid move on the part of UPN. I don't see how this can do anything other than hurt VMars' numbers. Why can't UPN come up with some better shows? EBHC and VMars' (which I don't even watch on a regular basis) are the only shows I watch on that network.

Fred, Fred... I can not believe my eyes! Tell me it is not so. Oregon's mascot is a vicious, fighting DUCK. The timid, whimpy beaver belongs to archrival Oregon State, whose fans have had nothing to cheer about for years.


Guilty. (And I alway think the Duck is pretty amusing. No excuse.)

But thanks for catching the idiotic error. I've fixed it so future generations won't know.

:)

Saturday’s network prime-time ratings have been posted at the top of Latest Prime Time Ratings news which is the second post in this thread.

The college football polls make it official: Ohio State and Notre Dame qualify for the BCS. Oregon is out.
Updates made in the first post of the thread.
Ain't it grand that 7-4 Florida State is in while 10-1 Oregon is out?

Ain't it grand that 7-4 Florida State is in while 10-1 Oregon is out?
Tell the PAC10 to grow a set and have a championship game.

Shows To Watch Sunday Night

From TVGuide.com

Desperate Housewives [New] 9 PM ET/PT, ABC
So how do you like that? DH's Dr. Goldfine survived and George didn't. Didn't he? We'll see, and we'll see how it all plays out with Bree's bad-boy son Andrew. We'll also see what's up with Susan and her newly found dad (Paul Dooley) and stepmom (Joyce Van Patten). We'll see the battle for Carlos's soul between Gaby and "Sister Mary Hot Pants" (Melinda Page Hamilton) escalate. And we'll see how life at work is treating new VP Lynette now that Nina is out of the picture. You don't expect Ed to be an improvement, do you? As The Who once put it: Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. — Paul Droesch
________________________________________
Big in '05 Awards [Special] 8 PM ET/PT, VH1
D.L. Hughley emcees this annual lighthearted salute to the most talked-about people, moments and crazes of the year. Beck, Def Leppard and INXS are slated to provide the musical entertainment, and stars set to join in the festivities include Jeremy Piven, Kate Beckinsale, Lindsay Lohan, Kristin Cavalleri, Hulk Hogan and family, and Danny Bonaduce. — Fred Mitchell
________________________________________
Pope John Paul II [Special] 9 PM ET/PT, CBS
Cary Elwes and Jon Voight star in this reverent two-part drama about the life of Karol Wojtyla, who became Pope John Paul II. Elwes portrays Wojtyla as a younger man, and Voight plays him in his later years. Both deliver strong, convincing performances. The story, which concludes Wednesday, begins with the failed 1981 assassination attempt on the pontiff's life. As John Paul undergoes surgery, flashbacks reveal his younger days in Poland. — Tim Holland
________________________________________
Sleeper Cell [New] 10 PM ET/PT, SHO
This gripping 10-part miniseries peers into a frightmarish world of armed, angry and resentful Islamic militants waging holy war on American soil. The face of the new enemy is not one of swarthy menace and fiery-eyed radicalism — he is, literally, the guy next door in the guise of bowling-alley operator, college teacher, tour-bus driver, supermarket clerk. He is French, Bosnian, Arab and Anglo-American. And they are led by a ruthless businessman who runs a security firm. Michael Ealy plays Darwyn Al-Sayeed, a devout African-American Muslim and undercover FBI agent who infiltrates a Los Angeles cell of extremists. Oded Fehr plays Farik, the chillingly sinister zealot sworn to "strike without warning... without pity." — Ray Stackhouse
________________________________________
Curb Your Enthusiasm [New] 10 PM ET/PT, HBO
To borrow a phrase from Jeff, Larry's agent and pal, this year has been a "big bowl o' wrong." In this case, however, that's meant as a compliment, though the victims of Larry's uproariously offensive behavior are too numerous to mention here. But besides finding out if Richard Lewis gets his kidney, another reason to watch tonight's fifth-season Curb finale is that HBO won't have new episodes — for anything — until The Sopranos returns in March 2006. — Joe Friedrich
________________________________________
Grey's Anatomy [New]10:01 PM ET/PT, ABC
While the other Grey's doctors are preoccupied with the quints case that began last week (that is, when they're not preoccupied with sex), Cristina must deal with a convicted murderer (guest Rosanna Arquette) who hit upon an odd get-out-of-jail card: she swallowed razor blades. Cristina doesn't give her much sympathy. Speaking of which, Alex (yes, Alex) is in need of some. It seems that he blew it with Izzie once and for all when he slept with Olivia again, and now that patient he misdiagnosed last week is dying. — PD

http://tvguide.com/tv/hotlist/

The BCS Selection show is on ABC at 5 PM ET. At 6 PM ET, ESPN will fill in the details on the other bowls on its "Bowl Selection Show".

I'll update the HD bowl schedule after all the shows.

Cable stable fears new a la carte label
While many networks prefer fixed price, some operators might benefit from plan

By John Dempsey Variety

The cable industry last week was obsessed by its most dreaded phrase in the French language: a la carte.

Relishing his role as the villain of the piece is Kevin Martin, chairman of the FCC, who seems hell-bent on steamrolling Washington into forcing cable operators to sell each network to their customers for a separate price (a la carte), instead of bundling them into a 60-channel tiered package that retails for about $50 a month.

Nets in the $50 tier include all the big ad-supported ones, highlighted by five that reach more than 89.7 million subscribers apiece: Discovery, ESPN, CNN, TNT and USA.

The possibility of losing the security of a 60-channel bundle is freaking out cablers, whose nightmare scenario goes as follows: Thanks to a government edict that upends its business model, cable network X starts to hemorrhage viewers, stumbles off a Nielsen-ratings cliff and winds up a corporate derelict, its balance sheets overflowing with red ink.

But Mike Egan, a cable-TV consultant and principal in Renaissance Media Partners, says that, while cable networks hate the idea of substituting an uncertain a la carte for the comfortably lucrative basic-cable tiers, there are more than a few cable operators that might want to see some changes in the status quo, even a shift as radical as a la carte.

"Cable operators are at the mercy of the biggest media companies," Egan says. The media companies with the most desirable clusters of cable networks -- Walt Disney, Time Warner, NBC Universal, Viacom and News Corp. -- "gouge the **** out the operators" when the contracts come up for renewal, as Egan puts it.

ESPN will pocket a humongous $2.8 billion this year from cable-operator license fees, a figure that will rise to $3.28 billion in 1996, according to projections from Kagan Research. Fox News is preparing to ask cable operators to pay quadruple what they're shelling out now as current deals expire in the next year or two -- from a monthly average of 25¢ a subscriber to $1 a sub.

The nets respond they need big increases from the ops to help offset programming costs, which keep skyrocketing every year. And, the networks insist, high-visibility programming keeps subscribers tuning in; the resultant ratings boost helps the cable system because it retains two minutes within each hour to sell to local advertisers.

But dissident cable ops are not mollified by these network arguments. "What many operators want is for the federal government to bail them out of bad contracts with cable networks," says Josh Bernoff, media analyst with Forrester Research.

Although a la carte would be a potentially frightening leap in the dark for many reasons, some cable ops say it would give them more control over the license fees that they funnel to the networks.

For example, Bear Stearns reports that a cable network would have to jack up its prices to make up for households lost as a result of a la carte pricing. Instead of disappearing into a 60-channel bundle where each network's fees don't get broken out individually, the jacked-up price would flash in neon lights because it would show up on the subscriber's bill as a separate entry, just like HBO.

Taking MTV as an example, Bear Stearns says that if the network kept only 50% of its subs post-a la carte, its monthly rate would have to climb dramatically, from 28¢ a sub to $1.06.

But the cable op would build its own costs into the new monthly rate and then pay the network only for the subscribers who actually buy MTV. If the network wanted to go after more customers in order to bump up its ratings and harvest more advertising dollars, MTV would have to lower its monthly price, not raise it.

The FCC's Martin will soon release an a la carte study that should give comfort to the two groups most disgruntled by the way cable operates: dollar-conscious activists who claim that the price of monthly cable bills is soaring much faster than the rate of inflation, and parents who are convinced that networks like FX, MTV and Comedy Central are warping the minds of their children.

Leaks of the FCC study indicate that, contrary to a 2004 commission report, a subscriber can buy as many as 14 basic-cable networks a la carte for less than the 60-channel package. If the analysis holds up, cost savers would break out the party hats, and protective parents would buy only networks with programming that stayed within the broad outlines of a G or PG rating.

If a la carte were to become the new model, the reign of destruction that cable networks are nervously predicting is not inevitable, says Shari Ann Brill, VP and director of programming for Carat USA, the media buyer. Although she's not in favor of a la carte, Brill says it's not necessarily true that networks will suffer crippling losses of Nielsen ratings if, say, only half of their current subscribers pay the extra monthly fee.

"ESPN's rating is not based on the 90 million homes that can get access to it," Brill says. "The rating is based on the people who actually watch it."

Which implies that ESPN can easily write off the homes that don't buy it under a la carte because they never looked at the network anyway.

But that analysis discounts the channel surfers who accidentally land on a network they rarely watch, like what they see and hang around long enough to be counted by the folks at Nielsen.

Wall Street threw itself into the discussion last week but mostly ended up discounting the possibility that Congress would pass a law mandating a la carte. Kathy Styponias, media analyst for Prudential Equity, said in a report the FCC might back off its move to a la carte if cable took the step of "voluntarily agreeing to the same decency standards as now apply to broadcasting."

But even if the cable ops and networks refused to compromise, Styponias says any legislation imposing a la carte would be "constitutionally suspect" and get thrown out by the courts.

Beyond the legal problems, Jessica Reif Cohen, media analyst for Merrill Lynch, says the "the lobbying power" of the media congloms would go a long way toward keeping congressmen from muttering the phrase a la carte, even in their sleep.

Cable stable fears new a la carte label
While many networks prefer fixed price, some operators might benefit from plan



Taking MTV as an example, Bear Stearns says that if the network kept only 50% of its subs post-a la carte, its monthly rate would have to climb dramatically, from 28¢ a sub to $1.06.


The discussion of a-la-carte is just riddled with dis-information such as this. There is no mention that maybe MTV would have to pay their content providers less money for the material they show on their net. The statement above only looks at half of the equation and such statements are rampant when a-la-carte is being discussed. Why is it a given that the networks "need" to make this much money? Why is it laid on the subscribers wallet that we have to support a given expenditure by a net like MTV? Has MTV ever thought about being a little more fiscally responsible in the manner of lowering it's internal cost? Of course not, because every damn cable sub in the nation is paying for MTV whether they want it or not. For the consumer it's just money thrown away, for the nets it's money that allows them to get fatter and fatter. Being that cable is practically a utility, one could make the argument that the public is subsidizing private enterprise.

WRT a-la-carte, I say bring it on and fast. So what if it may cost more initially, it will certainly weed out the fat and un-watched garbage that these nets are getting fat on at our expense.

I agree, but my catalyst is EPSN and the ridiculous salaries athletes get these days. We'll see how many $100M salaries there are when ESPN tries to charge $15/mo for it's content. I could say the same thing about movie star salaries, but I can choose not to go to movies or buy DVDs or subscribe to movie channels, I can't choose not to subscribe to ESPN.

Of course, I agree about MTV and others too, but they don't demand near as much per sub as ESPN does at my expense. I used to be anti-ala carte, but the more I think about it, the more I'd be willing to pay for what I want and only what I want. This would certainly be more fair than all of us being forced to pay for channels we don't want and don't watch.

I used to be concerned about my favorite channels/shows losing out, but I guess that happens now on regular TV with all the cancellations that take place due to lack of an audience, but I always seem to find something else to watch. :)

Agreed, I just used MTV because that's the one that was referenced in the article. :)

Tell the PAC10 to grow a set and have a championship game.

Which championship game did Nortre Dame win again?

Which championship game did Nortre Dame win again?
I agree with your point. The only game they won was the $$$ game. Which doesn't negate my comment about the PAC10.

Agreed, I just used MTV because that's the one that was referenced in the article. :)Oh, I know that, I was just adding to the discussion. :) I should say that I am not anti-ESPN, I'm just against my being forced to subsidize it this way and if it takes ala carte to make that happen, so be it.

The BCS Selection show is on ABC at 5 PM ET. At 6 PM ET, ESPN will fill in the details on the other bowls on its "Bowl Selection Show".

I'll update the HD bowl schedule after all the shows.

This Stinks! UCF accpeted a bid to play in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, the only bowl game not in HD :(

Kathy Styponias, media analyst for Prudential Equity, said in a report the FCC might back off its move to a la carte if cable took the step of "voluntarily agreeing to the same decency standards as now apply to broadcasting."


Isn't this the real engine pulling the la carte train.

A group wants to control what is shown on cable channels.

Isn't this the real engine pulling the la carte train.

A group wants to control what is shown on cable channels.

True. It is the club being used to try to force a la carte.

But cable operators are (incredibly foolishly in my mind) resisting.

So why not try a la carte and let people who want raunch have all they want -- and they can pay for it.

Let people who wants sports have all then want-- and they can pay for it.

Let people who wants kids shows have all then want-- and they can pay for it.

Why should anyone have to pay to subsidize his or her neighbor's favorite channel?

What exactly do we get from ESPN's MNF bid besides a bigger bill? It is true that "programming costs" for ESPN are severe, but only because they bid such an ungodly amount - which they only did because they have a blank check from MSOs come contract time. If they hadn't bid, it would go to one of the broadcast networks for a lesser ungodly amount - an amount much more closely resembling its "actual" value.

How can they possibly explain with a straight face how MNF will generate $350 million in profit on ESPN, but lose $150 million on ABC which has a significant advantage in the number of viewers? So after factoring in the advertising revenue they will lose on ESPN, they still will net a half billion dollar increase in revenue?

The sad thing is they'll hit those numbers - it's not really how that's the question, because we know the answer - the real question is how can they justify it with a straight face.

The official and final HD bowl schedule is now in the first post of this thread.

A Look Back
A La Carte: Everything Old Is New Again

Before Government No-No, Film biz used to “bundle” its movies

By Gabriel Snyder Varitey.com

It happened more than 50 years ago, but the film business went through its own a la carte fight.

Before it was ended by the Paramount consent decree in 1948, Hollywood studios widely used "block booking" to sell a year or more worth of films to theaters.

By bundling their pics, studios got guaranteed distribution for all their titles, the classics along with the stinkers. In the 1930s, studio slates could be as many as 50 pics per year. Leverage with exhibs also allowed them to produce shorts like cartoons and newsreels, which were booked via "full-line forcing."

Independent exhibs, which were forced to pay for lousy pictures, and indie producers, who thought they were being squeezed out of the market, hated block booking.

The practice was also decried by activists who thought films were corrupting society.

Testifying before Congress in 1926, William Shaefe Chase, who headed the religious-backed Federal Motion Picture Council, called for legislation to block the practice.
According to "Hollywood Censored" by Gregory D. Black, Chase believed local theaters would decline to play the smutty stuff if they could choose pictures individually.

Eventually the activist crowd focused on establishing a production code that took effect in the 1930s. But the campaign against block booking was taken up by the Department of Justice's studio antitrust investigation, which culminated in the Paramount decree. As well as forcing studios to divest their theaters, the rule prevented bundling pictures.

Under the new system, production slates plummeted to around 20 pics per year, says UCLA film professor Jonathan Kuntz, as studios strived to make each pic profitable rather than let the winners subsidize the losers. And, of course, all the programmers -- the sub-B movies, the Bugs Bunny cartoons and the newsreels -- were eventually phased out.

Why should anyone have to pay to subsidize his or her neighbor's favorite channel?
Exactly, or channels that only have false sub/ad numbers because of bundling, like OLN for example. Does anyone really think Comcast would have signed that contract with the NHL if OLN had to stand on it's own merits instead of being forced on subs by bundling? And why should my yearly cable rate increase help pay for that?

Watch out Jim, you'll get all those hockey fans upset at you.

What, all 260,000 something of them..? Bring it on.. :D

Analysis
Not really a morning person?

Katie Couric, Charles Gibson may switch to nightly news. But it's a tough choice for the networks. Nighttime has the prestige; daytime's where the money is
By Matea Gold Los Angeles Times Staff Writer December 5, 2005

NEW YORK -- NBC's Katie Couric is contemplating leaving her perch at the top-rated "Today" show to take over the third-place "CBS Evening News." ABC executives, meanwhile, have been weighing the best use of veteran anchor Charles Gibson: Should they keep him on "Good Morning America" or tap him to take over "World News Tonight"?

The behind-the-scenes discussions, which have consumed the television news industry in recent weeks, underscore the two often contradictory forces that increasingly shape the broadcast television news divisions.

The contrast between them is as different as, well, day and night.

On one hand are the morning news programs, whose expanding audiences and lengthy running times have made them top revenue generators for the networks. But for all of their value, it's the evening newscasts — which earn less money but substantially more esteem — that remain the flagship shows.

Faced with a limited pool of top stars, network executives are now trying to navigate those crosscurrents as they plug the holes left by Dan Rather's departure from the "CBS Evening News" and the recent death of ABC anchor Peter Jennings.

"This is a real dilemma in terms of where the networks want to go," said Charles Bierbauer, a former correspondent for ABC and CNN who is now dean of the University of South Carolina's College of Mass Communications and Information Studies. "Are they following their heads or their hearts here? Is it about prestige or is it about profits?"

Network news executives didn't always have to make such a choice. In their early years, the news divisions lost money, a fact the television networks accepted because the newscasts imbued them with a certain amount of stature. But once the networks became absorbed by large corporations, the news divisions were considered profit centers and expected to contribute their share of revenue.

The morning newscasts — with their longer formats, opportunities for corporate sponsorship and largely female audiences coveted by advertisers — emerged as the most profitable news shows. Even though "Today," "Good Morning America" and "The Early Show" don't attract as many viewers as their evening kin, the overall audience in the morning is steadily expanding, while the evening news viewership continues to shrink.

Together, the morning shows generated a combined sales revenue of more than $1 billion so far this year — almost three times the amount brought in by the evening newscasts, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus, which tracks network advertising. "Today" — which runs an hour longer than its competitors — has made an estimated $250 million in annual profits in recent years, a major share of NBC's overall earnings.

The emphasis on the morning segment's value to the bottom line worries some network news veterans, who fear that financial considerations threaten to supplant journalistic values.

"What's at stake is the information function of network television," said Reuven Frank, who served as president of NBC News from 1968 to 1973 and again in the 1980s. "It is not being assigned what I consider its proper priority, therefore it is at risk."

Different talents are required for the morning and evening anchor jobs, of course. The affability and flexibility needed for the morning — segue from the war in Iraq to [B]"Desperate Housewives" stars without missing a beat — is a far cry from the gravitas needed to anchor the evening news. Some wonder whether Couric, who came of age on TV as a "Today" co-host, can make the jump to a harder-edged format; Gibson, a longtime news reporter and anchor, would seemingly make the transition from morning to evening more easily.

So far, there's no question that the evening newscasts — largely free of the frothy lifestyle and entertainment segments that fill much of the morning programs — are still considered the crown jewels of the networks, the platforms that offer unparalleled status. The fact that Couric is considering leaving the top morning show to take the helm of an evening broadcast that lags substantially behind its rivals speaks to the post's unmatched influence.

"The anchoring job of the evening news is still the most prestigious job in American journalism, certainly in television journalism," said Robert Zelnick, chairman of Boston University's journalism department and former ABC News correspondent. "It is the pinnacle."

But whether Couric makes the switch rests in part on her value as the face of NBC's morning show — and the lengths to which the network will go to keep her on its most profitable newscast.

A similar tug-of-war is being played out internally at ABC. With Jennings' death and the recent departure of Ted Koppel, Gibson is viewed by many as the network dean, a natural choice to assume the anchor chair of "World News Tonight."

But moving him off of "Good Morning America" could upset the dynamics of the ensemble show, which relies on a lively interplay among Gibson and co-anchors Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts. The timing could not be worse. Last spring, the ABC program came close to overtaking "Today," which has dominated the morning news competition for a decade. Although the NBC show has since widened its lead, ABC could have another opportunity to seize first place if Couric leaves "Today."

Network officials may decide not to name 62-year-old Gibson to the evening news post for other reasons, of course — including the fact that ABC may want a younger anchor at the helm. But the decision is being closely watched for what it says about balance of power between the morning and evening newscasts, as much as anything else.

"If they keep Charlie in the morning, what they're saying is, we don't want to run the risk," Zelnick said. "If they take Charlie and put him in 'World News Tonight,' that's a statement that the flagship show is still mightily important."

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-anchors5dec05,0,1545247,print.story?coll=cl-tv-top-right

Holiday Programming
After 40 years, it's still a good special, Charlie Brown

ABC will air seasonal favorite Tuesday night
By Edward M. Eveld Knight Ridder Newspapers

The plot is thin. The pace is slow. The music is decidedly not rock 'n' roll. But A Charlie Brown Christmas is a beloved piece of Americana, despite its flaws and idiosyncrasies, or maybe because of them.

There's reason to consider this cultural icon now because — are you sitting down? — the animated TV special turns 40 this year.

That's right, it was 40 years ago that Charlie Brown first decried the commercialization of Christmas. Forty years ago he placed a single red ball on his sorry but real Christmas tree and lamented, "I've killed it!"

In a bit of irony the folks in charge of all things Peanuts are trotting out new stuff they want you to buy to commemorate the 40th, including a plastic rendition of a spindly Charlie Brown tree available at Urban Outfitters for $24.

Many fans will forgive them the excess.

When the show airs Tuesday on ABC, you can bet Jon Yaeger, 26, will be watching. A singer/songwriter whose own music is more rock 'n' roll, Yaeger remembers getting hooked on the show's Vince Guaraldi jazzy score when he was 10 years old. Plus, the nostalgia of growing up with the show keeps him coming back.

With video, of course, fans aren't limited to one viewing. "I watched it like four times last year," Yaeger said.

And you can feel the smile in Pauline Graeber's reverie as she thinks about the show: "To see Charlie Brown come back with that pitiful little tree and say he can't do anything right, and then there's Snoopy decorating his house and winning first place ... "

Graeber, of Leavenworth, Kan., probably has one of the biggest collections of Peanuts music boxes in the country — 550. She recalled meeting Charles Schulz in 1989 at Beaglefest, a gathering of collectors, in California. Schulz told the collectors about the show's foibles, how at the time he and the other creators figured it was doomed.

Schulz died in 2000.

"We thought we had destroyed Peanuts," said Lee Mendelson, executive producer of the show, in a recent interview. "It just didn't work. And the network didn't like it. It was too slow; we had used kids' voices and that jazz music."

When he first saw the show, Mendelson immediately thought the opening weak because of the instrumental music, which wasn't exactly joyful. Mendelson figured lyrics might help, and he came up with Christmas Time Is Here. Over the years Guaraldi's tune with Mendelson's lyrics grew into a holiday standard.

So why the Guaraldi score — a contemporary jazz sound — in the era of rock 'n' roll? Mendelson had used Guaraldi's music for a 1963 documentary on Schulz and liked it. Guaraldi's instrumental song Cast Your Fate to the Wind won a Grammy in 1963.

Mendelson credits Schulz for the success of the show.

"It was a hit because of the morals and humor of a great Midwestern guy," Mendelson said about Schulz, who grew up in Minnesota.

The show's anti-mercantile theme continues to resonate, including the discussion about the true meaning of Christmas. In the show it's Linus who moves center stage, blanket in tow, and recites the account of Jesus' birth from the Gospel of Luke.

"It's the whole denouement," Mendelson said. "It's totally unexpected. It was probably the first animated scene of someone reading out of the Bible. That was Schulz's Midwestern roots."

No doubt the humor in the admittedly sluggish storyline and the peculiarities of Schulz's characters are big factors in the show's continued popularity, said Derrick Bang, the entertainment editor of the Davis Enterprise in California and author of three Peanuts-related books. His latest, It's Only a Game, is a collection of single-panel cartoons by Schulz from the 1950s.

Scenes from the show and Peanuts gags are cultural mainstays: Lucy in the psychiatry booth, Sally radiating hearts for Linus, Lucy trying desperately to get Schroeder to notice her noticing him.

"I watch the show every year and still chuckle when Charlie Brown and Linus are on the Christmas tree lot," Bang said. "They rap on the aluminum Christmas tree and it goes, 'clunk, clunk.' It's a sociological statement people can relate to."

The music undeniably became a draw, Bang said, and the CD sells extremely well every year. Guaraldi, who died at 47 in 1976, was a genius at the instrumental hook, he said.

And Bang agreed with Mendelson that the Linus spotlight scene clinched it. Bang said the comic strip had gentle theologic content but was never preachy. In the Christmas special, too, Schulz wasn't sermonizing.

"That was the meat," Bang said. "I truly believe the special was a convergence of many happy events."

The special received an Emmy for best network animated special of 1965. Its popularity remains strong. Last December, TV Guide named the show "Best Christmas Special," and its airing by ABC drew an audience of 13 million.

Here's a heads up for next year, when another animated classic turns 40. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown first aired Oct. 27, 1966.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/printstory.mpl/ent/3497013

The Business of Television
Looking for the Proceeds in TV-on-Demand

By Richard Siklos The New York Times December 5, 2005

For five decades or so, the television industry's main mission has been to come up with hit programs, get them on screens, and hope people will stop and watch. Now, that is just the starting point.

As an era of ordering TV shows at the push of a button gets underway, new challenges are clouding the landscape in the year ahead: What business models are going to work and who is going to get paid what?

These questions loom behind attention-grabbing announcements in recent weeks from some of the biggest TV networks, cable operators, satellite companies, gadget-makers and Internet players, including Apple, Disney, NBC Universal and Comcast, offering what is expected to be the first of many new video-on-demand and downloading services.

"The video segment of the content industry is trying to be out ahead and not have happen to them what happened in the music industry," said Saul Berman, a partner specializing in media with I.B.M. Consulting, referring to the widespread illegal downloading of music in the absence of appealing legal ways to buy online music.

But the road to video convergence is crowded with convoluted business relationships and potential conflicts. Behind the press releases, a major power struggle is unfolding among a wide group of stakeholders - from studios to satellite operators to manufacturers of consumer products - as new ventures are being devised for the digital age.

"We've taken a couple of steps forward, but there really isn't a clear business model yet," said David Zaslav, the president of NBC Universal Cable.

One issue is whether consumers ought to pay for their shows individually or whether on-demand access should be a free component of a subscription to video services provided by cable or satellite operators or newer competitors like Internet or telecom companies. Another is whether the shows will be sold for viewing during a set time period, or will be permanent so that consumers can collect them like DVD's. And, not surprisingly, a big point of contention is how the revenue generated by these new services is shared. As a result, only a handful of the most popular shows on television are available on-demand so far.

Mr. Zaslav and other industry executives and analysts said progress was slow because of the longstanding and often convoluted relationships that exist among the companies that create content, the networks that package and market it, and the distributors who deliver it into households, which can sometimes all be tentacles of the same conglomerate. The News Corporation, for example, owns the Fox TV network and production studio and also controls DirecTV.

Also, the broadcast TV networks that reach the biggest audiences and have relied on advertising as their sole source of revenue have had to run on two parallel and seemingly conflicting tracks.

First, they've had to explore new revenue models as TiVo and similar digital video recorders threaten conventional advertising by allowing viewers to fast-forward through commercials on the shows they record. At the same time, they've had to ensure that marketers and especially the network affiliates that own the majority of the big networks' local stations around the country are not alienated by these new ventures. For example, making a popular show available on demand via cable or the Internet within hours of its airing may lead fewer viewers to tune in during its scheduled time slot. That, in turn, would mean reduced advertising revenue and hamper the ability of the local affiliates to promote other shows in their lineup.

Because of this, CBS, for one, will begin offering reruns in January of hit shows like "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" for 99 cents an episode, but only in markets where Comcast offers cable service and CBS owns the local TV affiliate. And, like NBC and ABC, CBS is so far only offering programming that it owns a large piece of and has the right to rebroadcast. Notably, the CBS partnership with Comcast only runs until the end of August 2006, an unusually brief period for such an arrangement.

Until recently, Comcast, the nation's largest cable company, has made free video-on-demand products a cornerstone of its strategy to convert more of its customers to its digital service. CBS was already allowing Comcast to offer programs like its CBS Evening News free on Comcast's video-on-demand service. But Comcast, faced with the prospect of NBC's deal to show selected programs on DirecTV for 99 cents a show, acceded to CBS's insistence that it be paid directly.

"There was no way we were going to do this for free," Leslie Moonves, the chairman of CBS, said in an interview when the deal was announced last month.

Josh Bernoff, an analyst at Forrester Research, a technology and market research company based in Cambridge, Mass., predicts TV shows available by video-on-demand will eventually be free, and that new interactive business models for advertising on demand will help pay the freight. For instance, he believes broadcasters will adopt "click though" pricing models similar to the fast-growing Internet advertising on portals like Google and Yahoo. Under that scenario, the network would be paid each time a viewer clicked on an ad or perhaps an icon super-imposed on the screen that paused the show they were watching and took them to a longer commercial.

Cable operators including Comcast, Cox Communications and Charter Communications have already made long-form advertising such as sponsored musical performances and infomercials part of what they offer on free video-on-demand. TiVo - a service for which subscribers pay a monthly fee to access - offers so-called showcases to advertisers. These showcases encourage customers to check out long-form advertisements and special promotions when they are browsing through a cable company's listing of TV shows, for example.

Mutual accusations of greediness are nothing new among the various players in the television ecosystem, but the newest technologies have intensified those accusations.

Broadcasters like CBS and NBC will continue to push either to be paid directly or to be compensated in some other way for what they see as their part in helping companies like Comcast or DirecTV put their digital boxes in more homes.

"If we're putting our best content on the digital platform - and if that content excites viewers and therefore increases the number of people that want to keep that box in their home - then we should get a piece of that value," Mr. Zaslav said.

Distributors such as cable companies, however, argue that they have invested tens of billions of dollars in the technology to make these services possible and the networks are already being fairly compensated under existing relationships.

Despite the pressure it is under from digital video recorders and the spread of video on the Internet, television supported by advertising is "a successful model that everybody understands," said Jeffrey M. Bewkes, who oversees Time Warner's entertainment businesses, which includes the Turner cable networks, HBO and the Warner Brothers studio.

Mr. Bewkes has been championing StartOver, a service developed by Time Warner Cable as an alternative to video-on-demand and digital video recorders. StartOver was introduced in a small test market in South Carolina several weeks ago.

StartOver offers digital cable subscribers a free restart button if they join a program in progress, with about 60 broadcast and cable networks participating in the venture. While the utility of the service is initially quite limited, Mr. Bewkes and Time Warner hope over time to be able to persuade the networks and their nervous affiliates to continue to extend the window when people could restart programs they have missed by hours and possibly days.

While this may sound exactly like video-on-demand, the difference is that StartOver viewers can pause a show, but not fast-forward past the advertising. It is far from clear that such a service would gain acceptance in households where people with digital video recorders are already zipping through ads. In Time Warner's case, Mr. Bewkes says that because the company has content, networks, the nation's second largest cable company and online heft through its America Online division, it need not pick sides in the shakeout over new digital business models.

However, he is skeptical of a future without TV networks as a platform to introduce programs, build loyalty or direct viewers to affiliate programming like local newscasts. "Nobody's got a crystal ball here," he said. "But I'm not sure we're ready to throw out 30 years of television industry economics."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/05/business/media/05media.html?pagewanted=print

What, all 260,000 something of them..? Bring it on.. :D

Are you talking about hockey fans or Arrested Developement fans? I guess the lesson is ratings equal quality? :confused:

A Critical View:
Sci Fi's 'Triangle' is gripping ... until the fog rolls in

By Melanie McFarland Seattle Post-Intelligencer TV Critic

Legends – nautical, urba or otherwise -- state a number of reasons as to why planes and ships allegedly disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle. Some postulate about fields of methane hydrates, creating eruptions of gas that alter the water's density, causing boats to sink. Others blame extraordinary magnetism, temporal rifts, the lost city of Atlantis and that good old standby, Martians and other green men, for the supposed string of bizarre phenomena in the region.

Yet, no one can explain why, after most of the legends of vanished flights and ships have been adequately explained, Hollywood keeps returning to plumb these depths. Now, it's Sci Fi Channel's turn.

Know that "The Triangle" isn't just another tale of tourist area weirdness. The six-hour miniseries airing in three parts, from 9 to 11 PM ET/PT Monday through Wednesday, also could be considered a metaphor for crafts that encounter these mystical waters. The first night seems to have some idea of where the tale is headed. The second meanders, but manages to hold steady. On night three, though, the fog descends and the plot disappears from the brain's radar system, as if the tale itself had been swallowed by the Devil's Sea. Around 11 p.m. on Wednesday, you'll be asking yourself what the hell happened.

Perhaps this is to be expected from the combined storytelling talents of executive producers Bryan Singer and Dean Devlin. Singer gave us an intelligent take on superhumans ("X-Men"), Devlin sold moviegoers a cart of bull about bringing down an alien horde with a prehistoric laptop ("Independence Day").

The same cheap, mesmerizing thrills keep this miniseries intriguing enough to see through to the end. That makes it something of a success ... I suppose.

"The Triangle" mashes together a few of the better-known conspiracy theories into a largely enjoyable action-adventure mindfreak, which begins with Christopher Columbus sailing past a 21st-century cargo ship. Said crossing somehow liquefies some of the modern vessel's crew, leaving a mutilated body wearing a 15th-century cross onboard.

That pushes its owner, standard issue eccentric billionaire Eric Benirall (Sam Neill), to his limit. Other ships of his have disappeared, and there's some sort of Dorian Gray-style trickery happening to his reflection.

Benirall wants answers, and he's willing to put up a $20 million jackpot to get them.

Naturally, he calls tabloid journalist Howard Thomas (Eric Stoltz), the obligatory skeptic; deep ocean resource engineer and man-bait Emily Patterson (Catherine Bell); the sexy Australian who's supposed to jump her bones, adventurer and meteorologist Bruce Geller (Michael Rodgers); and washed-up psychic Stan Lathem (Bruce Davison).

Even weirder than these choices is a jetliner's vanishing over the Triangle moments after they assemble. The team finds it empty, covered in barnacles and other signs of aging, the most notable of which is a surprise locked within.

Somehow this encounter kicks off each team member's own private strangeness -- seeing apparitions, walking into alternate realities in which they never existed or happen to be dead. Adding to their problems is an unusual interest by a team of covert agents in suits, led by a frigid woman with auburn hair. Because where there's a conspiracy, there needs be the military.

Benirall's team isn't alone in its Triangle madness. While it's zipping around the ocean, Greenpeace activist Meeno Paloma (Lou Diamond Phillips), the sole survivor of a sea accident that claimed his compatriots, arrives home from the hospital with no memory of having a young son.

Of course, the Triangle Busters don't meet Meeno until the series is almost over -- right around the time at which all efforts to make sense have been abandoned.

"The Triangle" is a frustrating near-miss with a script (written by "Farscape's" Rockne S. O'Bannon) that fails to satisfactorily join its multiple arcs.

The explanation at the heart of the phenomenon works, although it isn't especially creative. Perhaps we can hope against hope, that this tale is enough to make any future designs on Bermuda Triangle movies vanish. Permanently.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/printer2/index.asp?ploc=t&refer=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/tv/250634_tv03.html

Dr. Phil and “Shape Up!”
E-mails offer glimpse into launch of Dr. Phil-endorsed diet products
By Michelle Caruso New York Daily News

LOS ANGELES — "Dr. Phil" McGraw admits in e-mails he had "no expertise" in making the line of diet products he endorsed and is being sued for.

Still, he put his name on Shape Up! nutrition supplements, shakes and energy bars after asking for "the strongest of disclaimers" in the products' ads.

His concerns, detailed in e-mail printouts contained in court records and obtained by the New York Daily News, may come back to haunt him in the class-action fraud lawsuit filed by angry users of the diet line.

With his demand for the warning label suggesting misgivings about the Shape Up! hype, the e-mails may be a weighty topic at his deposition, which could take place as early as next month.

"This fleshes out our position that Dr. Phil was in charge ... he was rewriting the commercials," said lawyer Henry Rossbacher, who filed the class-action suit against Dr. Phil in 2004.

The suit alleges Dr. Phil, who endorsed the products, and CSA Nutraceuticals, which marketed them, made phony claims about Shape Up! products.

Ads and packaging promised the products could "help you change your behavior to take control of your weight" and "control eating impulses."

Those claims were "deceptive and fraudulent," the suit alleges.

Dr. Phil — the top-rated TV show host who bolted to fame as the best-selling author of "The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom" — denies the accusations.

"It's a pretty silly claim," his Dallas lawyer, Bill Dawson, said. "It's the kind of suit that makes people hate lawyers."

The recommended dosage of Shape Up! supplements was 22 pills a day and cost $120 a month. CSA stopped selling the products early last year when faced with a Federal Trade Commission probe into false-advertising allegations.

Dozens of e-mails in the court record offer an inside glimpse of Dr. Phil's high-powered lifestyle, fiery temper and king-size ego as the Shape Up! launch was readied in 2003.

On July 6, Dr. Phil was so mad about an early piece of promotional copy that he dashed off a tirade in uppercase letters:

". . . I have been saying for weeks and weeks that Richards was not going to wait until the last minute and then pressure me for content and reaction. ...

" ... They need to redo the one that says I created these products b/c I have no expertise. ... ," he wrote.

In another e-mail that night, he wrote: " ... we need to kill or redo all of those. ... All of the press releases, or whatever they are, are way too Phil-centric."

Nearly two weeks later, Dr. Phil was still displeased with the promo copy.

"With regards to the brochure, we want the STRONGEST of disclaimers and instructions about consulting physicians. ASSUME a litigation in our future, and put on the warning label what we would want if we were having to defend ourselves," he wrote on July 19.

Things got worse on Sept. 25, when Dr. Phil saw the preliminary TV ads.

"Surely they have alternatives? ... The TV stuff will be a train wreck if it runs. TV is what I do ... and trust me those are bad, bad, bad," Dr. Phil wrote in another all-caps e-mail.

In a message about a marketing plan to link the Web site of Shape Up! to his own, Dr.Phil.com, he said, "Problem is, that is the tail waggin' the dog and it is not at all perceived as a favor. DrPhil.com has millions of hits and Shape Up! has zero and never will rival our show's (numbers)."

When told that Sam's Club and Wal-Mart wanted him to speak at their annual management meetings on Aug. 17, 2003, Dr. Phil balked.

"Not saying it's not worth it, but want to know what we get out of it. Sam's and Wal-Mart order my books anyway. ... That's no favor. They need me," he wrote.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/PrintStory.pl?document_id=2002664825&zsection_id=2002119662&slug=webdrphil04&date=20051204

The Business of TV
And Now a Word From Our Sponsor. Our Only Sponsor.

By Stuart Elliott The New York Times Dec. 5,2005

For decades, first on radio and then on television, the phrases "And now a word from our sponsor" and "Brought to you by ..." were as commonplace as canned laughter. Shows even saluted their advertiser patrons by name, from "The Bell Telephone Hour" to "Magnavox Theater" to "Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse."

But by the late 1950's, rising costs along with concerns about control over programming produced profound change. Advertisers shifted from sole sponsorships to buying commercials one spot at a time all over the network schedules. (About the only exception: Hallmark Cards, which has continued to sponsor the "Hallmark Hall of Fame" since 1951.)

Now, as Madison Avenue anxiously seeks ways to catch the attention of jaded, distracted consumers, the idea of sponsorship and similar forms of advertising exclusivity is gaining favor again. And in a contemporary twist, the concept is spreading to new media like podcasting, so-called online Webisodes and mobisodes, which play on mobile phones.

"It really is back to the future," said Max Wasinger, senior vice president for sales and marketing at Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America in Irvine, Calif. His company, a unit of Mitsubishi Electric, agreed last week to become the exclusive sponsor of a high-definition music channel being introduced by the MTV Networks Music Group division of Viacom.

"This takes our brand and moves it to another level," Mr. Wasinger said of the deal, which includes Mitsubishi becoming the title sponsor of original programming on the MHD music channel and the words "Powered by Mitsubishi" appearing in spots urging viewers to watch.

The sponsorship offers Mitsubishi a way to "make a closer connection" than conventional commercials can, Mr. Wasinger said, with "a younger generation that is buying high-definition and big-screen television sets."

Among the other big advertisers signing on for sponsorships are Bacardi, ConAgra, DaimlerChrysler, Ford Motor, General Motors, Georgia-Pacific, Nike, Nokia, Royal Philips Electronics, Target and Time Warner.

"We realize the ability of a 30-second stand-alone spot to impact viewers has diminished," said Richard Taylor, senior vice president for brand marketing at AOL in Dulles, Va., part of Time Warner.

Sponsorships offer a marketer a chance to convince consumers that "a brand adds value to the viewing experience," he said, by providing benefits that could not be offered if the brand was, say, 1 of the 16 shown in the eight minutes of commercials in a 30-minute program.

For instance, AOL's sponsorship of the second season of the reality series "The Gastineau Girls" on E! Entertainment Television, which began last week, includes free podcasts produced by AOL with the stars of the series, Lisa and Brittny Gastineau. The 10 podcasts, one for each week of the series, can be downloaded from a Web site (aol.com/podcasting) where computer users may also subscribe to get all 10.

Also, when Philips agreed to be the sole national sponsor of "60 Minutes" on Oct. 23, the company ran about half as many commercials as are scheduled in a typical episode, allowing CBS to add about six minutes to the content of the show.

"We're always looking for opportunities where we can stand out in the clutter, and this was doing something the viewer would look favorably upon," said Andy Donchin, executive vice president and director for national broadcast at Carat USA in New York, the media agency owned by the Aegis Group that negotiated the deal for Philips.

"I looked on the CBS Web site after the show aired and people were writing in to say thank you," Mr. Donchin said, contrasting that with the usual attitude among consumers that commercials are "uninvited and intrusive."

Data from IAG Research gathered by CBS, owned by Viacom, showed that among viewers aware of the sponsorship, their favorable opinion of Philip increased by 38 percent.

To be sure, sponsorships are no panacea for the problems of how to reach consumers. And they must be developed carefully lest they produce new problems.

"You need to have sensitivity and be responsible," said Greg D'Alba, chief operating officer for advertising sales and marketing in New York for the CNN cable network owned by Time Warner.

CNN works hard to make sure viewers understand that an advertiser's sponsorship "is never going to change how we cover a story," he added.

Mr. Taylor at AOL said: "The last thing I'd want to do is dominate a program to the point it's annoying. You start to be an annoyance, and you're not doing anything to benefit the consumer - or the brand."

With sponsorships resembling more and more the model that originated decades ago, could the concept come full circle? That is, will advertisers soon agree to sponsor entire seasons of series and in exchange get their names in the titles?

"Yes, there are advertisers definitely interested and we are talking about that," said David Levy, president of the Turner Entertainment Sales Group in New York, which oversees ad sales for cable channels like Cartoon Network, TBS and TNT.

There is one caveat to the discussions, Mr. Levy said: unlike the early days of TV, when series were brought to the networks by advertising agencies and did not get on the air unless they had sponsors, "the networks now would not give up control of the creative and the schedules."

If advertisers are amenable to those stipulations, it may not be long before the TV listings include entries for shows like "The Cingular Cellphone Hour," "Microsoft Theater" and "Wachovia Playhouse."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/05/business/media/05adcol.html?pagewanted=print

OBITUARY
Jack Colvin, 71; Known for Role in TV's “Hulk”

By Myrna Oliver Los Angeles Times Staff Writer December 5, 2005

Jack Colvin, a popular character actor who co-starred with Bill Bixby as the abrasive tabloid reporter Jack McGee in the 1970s television series "The Incredible Hulk," has died. He was 71.

Colvin died Thursday in a North Hollywood nursing home of complications following a stroke he suffered Oct. 22.

The "Hulk" series, based on the Marvel Comics hero, ran from 1977 to 1982 on CBS, featuring Bixby as a scientist frustrated and angry over being too weak to save his wife's life in a car crash. He subjects himself to gamma rays to explore extraordinary strength, and when he becomes enraged, turns into a most un-jolly green giant (played by bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno).

Colvin, who had a long history as a stage actor, was dubious about the series when he was asked to sign on.

"When they told me the title, I laughed…. But then they gave me two scripts to read and I knew the series would go," he told The Times shortly before the series ended. "People identify tremendously with the frustration, the rage and the anger that breaks out in a man."

Times reviewer Kevin Thomas wrote when the series began in 1977 that it "is incredible, all right — but that doesn't mean it isn't also lots of fun and even poignant besides."

Thomas and other reviewers praised Colvin's work as McGee, with one even commending the actor for doing "more with this character than it probably deserves."

Colvin also directed a few episodes of the series.

A native of Lyndon, Kan., Colvin moved to Los Angeles with his family at an early age and became a child stage actor. At age 17 he became a private student of the actor and teacher Michael Chekhov, and later taught the Chekhov acting technique at USC, Cal State Northridge, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and the Central School of Cinematography in Rome.

In the 1960s, Colvin teamed with Yvonne Wilder as a comedy duo, Colvin and Wilder, performing at Ye Little Club in Beverly Hills and on television variety shows.

Colvin's other television work included appearances in "The Rat Patrol," "Kojak," "The Six Million Dollar Man," "The Rockford Files," "Quincy," "Cagney and Lacey" and "Murder, She Wrote." On the big screen, he had minor roles in several films, including "Scorpio" and "Rooster Cogburn."

An active member of Theatre East in Studio City for 20 years, Colvin directed such productions as "Dead End at Sunset" in 1990 and acted in many others. The theater company staged "Girly, Girly and The Real McCoy," which Colvin wrote.

He was prominent in other small theaters locally, directing plays ranging from his former partner Wilder's comedy "Weehawken" at the Tiffany in 1988 to Shakespeare's "Hamlet" at the Melrose Theater in 1993.

At the time of his death, Colvin was the artistic director of the Michael Chekhov Studio, USA West.

He had no immediate survivors.

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-me-colvin5dec05,0,3832056,print.story?coll=cl-tvent

Its time again for my periodic reminder of something I think you will really find interesting:

Check It Out!
If you haven’t yet heard AVS Radio, which offers two new shows a week, what are you waiting for?

It is produced by The HTGuys for AVS Forum and offers news, interviews, and HT topics that are sure to make you a weekly listener.

Here is all the info you need:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/announcement.php?f=34&announcementid=81

Happy Listening!

The official and final HD bowl schedule is now in the first post of this thread.

Please add the Cotton Bowl on January 2nd. Alabama vs Texas Tech.

The Queen of Sci Fi Gets Ready to Rumble
By KATE AURTHUR The New York Times Dec. 4,2005

ON a November day in her office in Rockefeller Center, Bonnie Hammer, the president of the Sci Fi Channel, kept glancing at a poster for "The Triangle," a new mini-series about a team of investigators in the Bermuda Triangle. It wasn't the luminous hologram in the poster's center that captivated her. It was the idea of grabbing it, and putting it up on the train she takes each day to her home in Westport, Conn. "They still have U.S. Open posters up," she said. "I want to rip them down."



As one of the most successful programmers in cable television, Ms. Hammer tends to get a bit worked up about these things.

She first joined USA Network in 1989, coming from Lifetime, where she had programmed documentaries. For most of the 1990's, Sci Fi was USA's runty little corporate sibling. But Barry Diller, who was the chairman of USA Networks, wanted that to change. He offered Ms. Hammer either head of development at USA or head of programming at Sci Fi. "I loved the idea of taking over," Ms. Hammer said, "something in a sense that would be under the radar." USA eventually was acquired by Universal, and when that company merged with NBC last year, she became president of both channels.

In Ms. Hammer's six-year reign at Sci Fi, the channel's audience has doubled. More important for its finances, Sci Fi is ranked in cable's top 10 among adults 25 to 54 and 18 to 49, the demographics its advertisers seek.

It was an uphill climb. "There were a lot of negative perceptions of both the genre and who actually watched it, that it's for geeks, it's all male and it's for 12-year-olds," said Ms. Hammer, who as if to heighten the contrast favors lots of jewelry and the occasional leather skirt. "So we had to embrace a lot of what we heard and then try to figure out how to change that."

An ambitious venture like "The Triangle" is part of that reinvention. Instead of the usual made-for-TV talent, Ms. Hammer has made a point of luring big names associated with accessible, crowd-pleasing science-fiction films, and letting them work on passion projects. The first big coup was getting Steven Spielberg to create an exclusive 20-hour series about alien abductions, which was broadcast in December 2002 under the name - lest anyone miss the point - "Steven Spielberg Presents Taken." She described "Taken" as "a humongous risk," but one worth undertaking because, she said, "It invited an audience who normally wouldn't try us to come in." In the end, the series broke all ratings records for the channel.

For "The Triangle," a three-night mini-series that begins tomorrow at 9 p.m., she signed as its executive producers Bryan Singer, the director of "X-Men" and the forthcoming "Superman Returns," and Dean Devlin, a co-writer and producer of "Independence Day." The two men, who are longtime friends, had been batting around ideas for a joint project about the Bermuda Triangle, and Mr. Devlin said Sci Fi was the first place that came to mind. "Sci Fi brought back to life this kind of mini-series," he said in a telephone interview from London. "So we thought if we're going to do this with the amount of ambition that we have in the storytelling, Sci Fi was the place that would support us."

Jeff Zucker, the president of NBC Universal Television Group, said of Ms. Hammer, "That has been her recipe: these big event series, combined with an incredibly strong Friday night lineup," which has included the remake of the 1970's series "Battlestar Galactica."

In addition to Mr. Zucker, Ms. Hammer answers to Jeff Gaspin, the president of the cable arm of NBC Universal, and Bob Wright, the chairman of NBC Universal. In the months leading to the merger of NBC and Universal, Mr. Gaspin and Ms. Hammer worked closely together. And that's when the idea emerged to expand her portfolio. "It was very clear to us," Mr. Gaspin said, "that for Bonnie to be challenged, she was going to have to have more than one channel."

She was challenged, all right: "My hope," Mr. Wright recalled telling her, "was that she could get USA to No. 1."

The USA channel had changed hands so many times it had lost any clear identity. And in the process, it had lost ratings. "Zucker, and Wright, and Gaspin, asked me what I wanted to do," Ms. Hammer said. "First of all, I wanted to give it a brand. Nobody knows what USA is. And the other thing was to bring back the W.W.E. to its rightful home."

Yes, World Wrestling Entertainment. During her previous stint at USA, Ms. Hammer had worked closely with the World Wrestling Federation, as it was then called, and its larger-than-life chairman, Vince McMahon. The scrappy executive and the booming promoter made an odd pair. But, Mr. McMahon said, Ms. Hammer didn't let that stop her. "She thought, 'It's probably fun, let me get into it.' "


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/04/arts/television/04aurt.html

Please add the Cotton Bowl on January 2nd. Alabama vs Texas Tech.

Is Fox doinmg the Cotton Bowl in HD, Carl?
If so, great news!

Amd George -- do you know if NBC is going to present the Gator Bowl in HD?

Markey Expects 'Hard' DTV Date To Move
By John Eggerton Broadcasting & Cable

Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) tells C-SPAN in an interview slated for Monday night that he expects the House version's Dec. 31, 2008, deadline for the cut-off of analog service and the switch to digital TV will be delayed.

Asked about the transition and the amount of money the Republican-backed first-come, first-served set-top box subsidy would cover--about 10 million out of a possible 20 million households or more, Market says: "My best is that Republicans will back off...there will be a delay in the date to turn off analog TV sets in America..."

Markey has been one of the most vocal critics of the House-passed DTV transition bill. Unlike the bipartisan Senate version that allocates $3 billion to a subsidy that would cover everyone, the House version requiries viewers to actively seek out the subsidy, and would only put $960 million towards it.

The Senate bill also sets an April 7, 2009 hard date.

When the House bill passed in October, Markey argued that it was an attempt to save tax cuts on the backs of the poor by returning most of the spectrum auction receipts--anywhere from $10 billion to perhaps as much as $30 billion--to the treasury rather than sufficiently funding the subsidy first, which would primarily benefit the poor and elderly.

Without a subsidy covering everyone, he said at the time, the January 2009 hard date would be untenable.

ABC Comes Out of November Sweeps With Strong Momentum

By John Consoli MediaWeek.com De. 5, 2005

While media agencies continue to say that the sweeps are outdated, there is a belief--after the end of the November sweeps--among agency executives that ABC is the network with the greatest momentum. And this perception should help the network continue to bring in the highest-priced scatter ad dollars as the season continues.

ABC not only tied CBS for a November sweeps victory in the adults 18-49 demo ratings race (with a 4.4), producing its highest rating during any sweeps since February 2001, but also won the 18-34 race (3.6) and managed to improve its nightly lead-in ratings to its affiliates’ local-news telecast by double digits.

ABC had five of the top six highest-rated shows during the sweeps in adults 18-49 and had better ratings in the demo compared to last November on five of seven nights. In the 10:30-11 p.m. half-hour each weeknight, ABC grew its adults 18-49 rating by 14 percent and its adults 25-54 rating by 18 percent, giving its affiliates a chance to grow their local-news audiences. And ABC’s 4.4 rating among the 18-49 demo was up 10 percent over last November.

“We do base our buying more on a quarter-by-quarter basis, so the sweeps are not that important, but it is very apparent to us that ABC certainly will have great momentum going forward,” said Steve Grubbs, CEO of media agency PHD North America.
ABC may have the momentum, but CBS dominated in total viewers during the sweeps. CBS averaged 14.5 million viewers per night, nearly 3 million more than second-place ABC and 5 million more than third-place NBC. CBS also won the household (9.3 to ABC’s 7.4) and adults 25-54 (5.6 to ABC’s 5.1) demo races.

Strong showings by its new shows, including Criminal Minds and Ghost Whisperer, helped CBS offset some slippage by veteran series CSI and CSI Miami. ABC grew on the strength of Desperate Housewives, Lost and Grey’s Anatomy.

Fox was the only other network to show across-the-board demo gains during the sweeps—up 10 percent in viewers (7.7 million) and 7 percent among adults 18-49 (3.2). Helping to bolster Fox’s numbers were freshman drama Prison Break and second-year drama House. The latter doubled its 18-49 ratings from last November to a 5.2 and drew nearly 8 million more viewers per episode.

NBC showed double-digit decreases in the major demos, as did the WB, which was surpassed by UPN in viewers—3.6 million to 3.5 million—and in the 18-49 demo, 1.5 to 1.4.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001613739

Unexpected TV moments: Uninspired, too

By Jonathan Storm Philadelphia Inquirer Columnist Mon, Dec. 05, 2005

TV Land, home of all things comforting and ancient on television, cooks up another Top 100 list this week: The 100 Most Unexpected TV Moments. The countdown starts tonight and will be televised in five 20-clip chunks at 10 PM ET/PT nightly through Friday.

A truly unexpected TV moment would be one of these shows that didn't include lame comments from noncelebrities. Before the countdown even gets to 90, you hear from such dim lights as: Ant, host of VH1's Celebrity Fit Club; A.J. Hammer of Showbiz Tonight; and, because no lineup of D-listers would be complete without her, Melissa Rivers.

Where's Jonathan Storm? I know a lot more than these folks, and if they'd put me on, I wouldn't make fun of their silly show here in the paper. But I don't work for TV Guide, which is partners in the thing, so instead of my pretty puss, it's TV Guide executive editor Steve Sonsky, and one more missed chance for TV to make the handsome choice.

My vote for TV's most unexpected moment: The Challenger space shuttle exploding, Jan. 28, 1986.

It didn't make the list, but you do get Mike Tyson biting Evander Holyfield's ear, a naked Richard Hatch on Survivor, and the double trouble with a helicopter experienced by ER's Dr. Romano.

Sonsky eventually explains why shocking news got left out: "We decided not to have a list that dwelled on tragedy." He doesn't explain in that context how William Hung's American Idol ditty, Jimmy Swaggart's confessing to adultery, or Michael Jackson's kissing wife Lisa Marie Presley are on the list.

Not all the commentators are so bad. "They were looking for football, and they got me," says Jennifer Edwards, who played Heidi back in 1968, when NBC flipped the switch away from the thrilling conclusion of the Jets-Raiders game, so folks wouldn't miss a moment of her passionate thespianship.

Some of the unexpected are just weird ideas for shows: Cop Rock, The Flying Nun, Hogan's Heroes. There are 12 choices from sports, eight from game shows, including Paul Lynde's responding to a question about what he'd like to do with Bachelor No. 2, and eight from talk shows, highlighted by Drew Barrymore's birthday salute to David Letterman.

It's probably more fun just to enjoy the nostalgia than complain about the choices, since so many seem so haphazard. But you'll see how tough it is to suppress your gripes, when Sonsky keeps popping up and you know you could have had me.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/television//13328766.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

Critic’s Notebook
I wore what?

Be strong as you watch TV's 4-hour look at awful fashions from recent decades:
Wear a smile, maybe some polyester

Jean Patteson Orlando Sentinel Staff Writer December 5, 2005

I'm watching TV with my daughter. The conversation goes something like this:

"Mom! You didn't!"

"I did."

"You did?"

"I did."

"I can't believe it."

"I can't believe it either. But I did."

What we're watching is a preview of perhaps the most aptly titled show on TV: "I Can't Believe I Wore That". It debuts at 10 tonight on WE: Women's Entertainment network, and runs nightly through Thursday.

The four-part series invites viewers to 'fess up and embrace their former fashion faux pas as they revisit four decades of sartorial lowlights with hosts Bo Derek and comedian Dave Coulier (who was grungy on Full House before grunge was hot).

The show is an irreverent romp, not serious psycho-social commentary. But it makes me wonder: What will we think of today's hottest trends a decade from now?

The first hourlong segment -- the one I'm watching with my 22-year-old daughter -- is "a funkadelic time trip to the 1970s," says Derek, warning: "Hang on, because things are going to get ugly."

They do.

Remember disco shirts, leisure suits and jumpsuits? How about hot pants, bell-bottoms and platform shoes? Afros, shags and the Farrah Fawcett flip?

Today, they're ugly. But during the decade that brought us Studio 54 and Saturday Night Fever, those looks were dyn-o-mite.

"Mom! No! I can't believe you wore that."

"I can't believe I wore that. But I did. We all did -- guys and girls."

Polyester. Nothing says '70s fashion quite like that slick, sweaty fabric.

"I get static cling just thinking about it," says Simon Doonan, creative director of the chic Barney's New York boutique.

Doonan is one of 40 fashion gurus and entertainers who comment on the passing parade of fashion bloopers in I Can't Believe I Wore That. Others include Essence magazine style editor Mikki Taylor, Kool and the Gang's J.T. Taylor and The Brady Bunch's Barry Williams.

For the most part, their quips are funnier than Derek and Coulier's scripted banter.

"We're about to check out some hot pants -- no ifs, ands or buts," says Coulier. "Well, maybe some butts."

Saw that one coming.

Fortunately, the hosts only play bit parts. The stars of this series are the fashions. They're presented in a flashy, splashy collage of video clips and stills, backed by bouncy disco music and interspersed with factoids and graphics that give context to the decade.

In the 1970s segment, images of Richard Nixon, pet rocks and smiley faces suddenly blip onto the screen. And as roller-skaters in tiny, shiny Dolphin shorts whirl around the rink, a subtitle blurts: "In the '70s there were over 4,000 roller discos in operation."

"Mom. Please. Say you didn't."

"I didn't. Not Dolphin shorts. But hot pants . . . "

"I can't believe . . . "

"Sorry, kid. Believe."

Upbeat and sassy, the '70s segment segues from spray-can-fit jeans and plaid bell-bottoms, to granny dresses and punk leathers.

"The whole idea was to be flashy and wacky," explains a Sonny Bono look-alike, who models a butterfly-collar shirt, bell-bottoms and 8-inch platform boots from his collection of '70s kitsch.

The decade has "a joyfulness about it, a playfulness," he says. "Who wants to be serious all the time?"

Chiropractors became millionaires in the '70s, says Derek, thanks to platform shoes. Behind her, images of the monstrous footwear flash by -- red-suede oxfords, silver sandals with cutout stars, polka-dot loafers with goldfish inside clear plastic heels.

The commentators have a field day:

Singer Jody Watley: "Some sort of megawoman thing happens when you dance with platform shoes."

Celebrity stylist Nole Marin: "I think they were kind of hideous and atrocious. . . . that's not a cute look for men."

But Doonan, who is never the tallest guy in the room, has a different take: "The '70s was a great decade for we midgets. It was platforms, platforms, platforms. Not only were you taller, you were also groovy."

"Platforms, Mom?"

"Don't roll your eyes at me, kid. Platforms are back. You'll be wearing them before the year's out."

"I can't believe . . ."

"Believe."

Tuesday night's segment takes a look at the 1980s: Jennifer Beals' off-the-shoulder sweatshirts, Joan Collins' glamour suits, Bill Cosby's Coogi sweaters. Commenting are Charlene Tilton of Dallas fame and Jordan Knight of New Kids on the Block.

On Wednesday, Mad TV's Debra Wilson and Jeff Timmons of the singing group 98 Degrees make fun of 1990s-style grunge, "Monica" berets and "Rachel" haircuts.

In the final episode Thursday, actors Tom Arnold and Laura Dern weigh in on some of the more questionable styles that came in with the new millennium: Ugg boots, Juicy Couture sweats and low-rise jeans.

"Mom, don't start."

"Kid, I can't believe you're wearing that."

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/tv/orl-fashiontv05dec05,0,430504,print.story

Dave Chappelle is back -- sort of?

By Maureen Ryan Chicago Tribune December 05, 2005

"Chappelle's Show" is back, sort of.

Comedy Central announced Monday that the sketches that Dave Chappelle was working on before he quit the program will air in the second quarter of 2006 (no specific date was given). The third season of "Chappelle's Show" will consist of comedy bits that had been completed before Chappelle took his unexpected leave of the hit show last spring.

It'll be several months before the new "Chappelle's Show" episodes air, but Comedy Central will show teasers for the new material before then. A sneak preview of the new season of "Chappelle's Show" will air during the year-end special "Comedy Central's Last Laugh '05," which airs 9 p.m. Sunday.

The "Chappelle's Show" third-season preview will also appear on www.comedycentral.com/motherload beginning Dec. 12.

More on that "Last Laugh" special from Monday's Comedy Central press release: "... Lewis Black, David Cross, Greg Giraldo, Lisa Lampanelli, Carlos Mencia, Sarah Silverman and David Spade [will] rifle through the headlines to bring you the most spectacular highlights. Also included are star-packed short films and comic segments from Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Dave Attell, Andy Dick, Dave Koechner and Earthquake that bring the year into focus and skewer the world of politics, sports, celebrity, movies and much more. In addition, the 90-minute spectacular will feature musical performances from Death Cab For Cutie and Yellowcard."

http://tempo.typepad.com/entertainment_tv/

The Queen of Sci Fi Gets Ready to Rumble
By KATE AURTHUR The New York Times Dec. 4,2005

ON a November day in her office in Rockefeller Center, Bonnie Hammer, the president of the Sci Fi Channel....................................

SciFi has become one of my must have channels - she deserves as many kudos as possible.

They should put her in charge of NBC Programming - I bet I watch more Sci Fi original programming than I do on NBC.

This Just In….
''World News Tonight'' Transition

By Rich Heldenfels Akron Beacon Journal Dec. 5, 2005

While the talk gets louder about Katie Couric possibly leaving NBC to anchor CBS's evening newscast, ABC has announced its plans for ''World News Tonight'' in the wake of Peter Jennings's death.

Bob Woodruff and Elizabeth Vargas will become the newscast's co-anchors effective Jan. 2. In addition to doing an East Coast feed of the news, they'll do a second one live for the West, so the folks out there won't have to put up with a tape-delayed feed of news from three hours earlier.

ABC says the live feed is a first for a broadcast network's evening news. (It is also going to post versions of its newscast on the Internet in the afternoon and evening.) What's not a first is having an anchor tandem, of course. If you're old (and I am), you'll remember Huntley-Brinkley, a successful anchor combo; you may also remember ABC's Barbara Walters-Harry Reasoner team, not a success, and CBS's pairing of Dan Rather and Connie Chung, also not a success.

But it shouldn't be a surprise that any network is going with a paired-anchor format, since it's commonplace on local news. In fact, I've wondered why networks haven't tried it more often, since it would make the national news more closely resemble the local newscasts leading into the network programs.

Of course, the problem with paired anchors on a national level is the same one you have in local news. There has to be some suggestion of a relationship between the two anchors -- mutual respect if not outright friendship -- and that may require more than smooth transitions from one anchor's segment to the other's. They may actually have to talk to each other, and that takes time away from a newscast that is already very short.

And having two anchors takes away the voice-of-God quality that a single anchor brings to the news. With two, viewers can start wondering if one anchor is getting to present more important stories, or if the two anchors have any disagreement over a given story. The voice-of-God approach of a solo anchor does not cause that.

On the other hand, if you have one anchor, and the viewers don't like him or her, then they're going away. With two anchors, there's a chance viewers will like at least one and stick around.

http://blogs.ohio.com/beacon_tv/

Holy mess: CBS's Pope movie tanks too

Draws a paltry 1.6 rating in adults 18-49

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Dec 5, 2005

It has become very clear that TV viewers aren’t at all interested in the broadcast networks’ take on the life of Pope John Paul II.

Part one of CBS’s miniseries “Pope John Paul II” averaged a 1.6 overnight rating among viewers 18-49 from 9:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. last night, getting a late start due to NFL football runover.

The disappointing ratings come just a few days after ABC’s biopic, “Have No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul II,” bombed similarly, averaging a 1.4 overnight rating on Thursday night.

For CBS, last night’s 1.6 was down 56.8 percent versus last week, when the holiday movie “Silver Bells” averaged a 3.7 overnight rating among 18-49s. Compared to part one of its last miniseries, last month’s “Category 7,” CBS was down 68 percent.

When Pope John Paul II died in April, both ABC and CBS rushed to produce projects based on the late pontiff’s life. After a four-hour Hallmark movie made in Europe averaged strong ratings in September, it seemed the broadcast versions would at least find some audience.

But perhaps the commercial nature of broadcast (Hallmark’s version had no ads) or the big-name actors in the productions, such as Jon Voight as the pope in CBS’s version, turned viewers off. Poor reviews for both movies didn’t help, either.

Or perhaps the movies just came too late after Pope John Paul II’s death, well into the term of new Pope Benedict XVI. For whatever reason, these two movies will be remembered as two of the biggest flops in recent broadcast history.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_1641.asp

A Critic’s Notebook
Two Shows

''The West Wing''

Sometimes I think every review I write should have a note about the viewing conditions. You know, ''This prime-time show was watched between 7:30 and 8 a.m. on a Tuesday when I had the house all to myself, with a second part viewed piecemeal late that evening when I wished I could be asleep instead. I then watched the end of the second part at my office, where I couldn't hear all the lines because I have to keep the volume somewhat low and other people were talking, but it at least went quickly since my preview copy didn't have commercials.''

Shows are designed for certain times of day, after all, and my job means I don't always get to see them that way. But the bottom line on any show should be that it's good no matter when you watch it, and bad no matter how much you wish it wasn't.

So let the record show first of all that I watched last night's ''West Wing'' this morning, And let it show second that I kept saying to myself, ''Gosh, how good is this?''

The Santos storyline clicked, and ended with a moment that -- though naive in many ways -- said yes, this is a guy who could be president, and maybe a good one. At the very least, he could be Bartlet. And that wasn't all that was going on. The wedding-prep stuff was kind of amusing, and the Toby-Josh scenes were really good. ''West Wing'' has been uneven this year -- as I said before, the debate episode was a dud -- but this was one of those times when it stepped up. It kind of makes me hate that next week's episode is the wedding, because that feels like a momentum-killer. But I was glad to have that hour with it this morning.

''Kitchen Confidential''

''Arrested Development'' and ''Kitchen Confidential'' are back on Fox's schedule tonight, for what appears to be their last stand. Neither show is on the network's January 2006 lineup, and it would take a miracle -- like everything else on Fox failing -- to guarantee them an extended life.

That's especially unfortunate for ''Kitchen Confidential,'' which hasn't had much of a chance to find an audience and which is raw, funny, unbridled -- it's really good, OK? Tonight's episode, with guest star Michael Vartan of ''Alias,'' is pretty wild but I have seen two other episodes beyond that, and they're even better.

You're running out of opportunities to see the show, so take the ones you have.

http://blogs.ohio.com/beacon_tv/

SciFi has become one of my must have channels - she deserves as many kudos as possible.

They should put her in charge of NBC Programming....


You mean someone is in charge of NBC programming? :)

Vargas, Woodruff Named Co-Anchors of ABC “World News Tonight “

By John Consoli MediaWeek.com Dec 5, 2005 -

ABC News has named Elizabeth Vargas and Bob Woodruff as co-anchors of a new, expanded version of World News Tonight.

Beginning Monday, Jan. 2, the duo, who permanently replace the late Peter Jennings, will be part of the first evening newscast to broadcast a live version to the West Coast each night, in addition to the regular telecast for the East Coast and Central states.

The naming of Vargas and Woodruff as co-hosts of the new telecast, ends speculation that Charles Gibson, currently the co-host of ABC's morning news show, Good Morning America, would be named to the post.

Vargas and Woodruff have been handling those chores since the death of Jennings, along with Gibson, and in making the announcement, ABC News president David Westin said, "Bob and Elizabeth, with [producer] Jon Banner, provide the leadership we need."

In addition, Westin said World News Tonight will also make various versions of its news reports available over the Internet throughout the day.

"Now we will be providing news throughout the afternoon and evening to those who want it over computers, mobile telephones, and the countless other digital means," Westin said.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001614043

A Critic’s Notebook
Late for dinner

By Alan Sepinwall Newark Star-Ledger Monday, December 05, 2005

You knowthat scene in the cop movie where the hero's partner is two days away from retiring and sailing to Tahiti with his lovely new bride, only he gets shot and killed? Or that moment when your baseball team's eccentric young fireballer finally figures out the strike zone, only he immediately blows out his rotator cuff?

That's exactly what happened to "Kitchen Confidential," which returns to play out the string tonight at 8:30 PM ET/PTon Fpx. Based on chef Anthony Bourdain's memoir about the unspeakable behind-the-scenes activity at your average Manhattan bistro, it was one of the season's more promising new comedies. But in the early weeks, the writing hadn't quite clicked, and the ratings after "Arrested Development" were lousy. Fox took it off the air during the baseball playoffs, then kept it off a few extra weeks to pump up the return of "Prison Break," but they sent critics three episodes to plug the show's scheduled return on Nov. 14.

All three episodes were a marked improvement over the uneven first batch, so of course Fox waited a day or two after the DVD screeners arrived before pulling the show off the schedule and telling the producers that they wouldn't be ordering any more episodes after the first 13.

Enjoy your retirement, buddy... ohmygod, look out for that cruise missile!!!!

Bourdain's book is full of drunken debauchery, but in the early going his TV counterpart, named Jack and played by Bradley Cooper, was cleaned up and trying to stay out of trouble. This may have made him more presentable to a mainstream network audience, but it also took a lot of spice out of the comedy.

These new episodes play out as if co-creator Darren Star said, "Hey, wait a minute -- they hired me to do this because of 'Sex and the City,'" and set about pushing the show into wilder, racier, more ridiculous territory.

Tonight's show reunites Cooper with old "Alias" co-star Michael Vartan as a rival French chef who sparks a feud with Jack by stealing his signature dish. Jack responds by stealing Vartan's psychotic head baker, Vartan hacks into Jack's computer reservations system, etc., etc., etc., until Jack's rookie chef Jim (John Francis Daley) is left beaten and dazed by an encounter with Vartan's crew.

"There were Frenchmen everywhere," Jim moans, "and they were all smoking..."

In later episodes, a complaint by an unseen Lindsay Lohan forces Jack to spend more time schmoozing the customers. This in turn forces him to hire a new sous-chef named Becky (Erinn Hayes), who steams things up by teasing the virginal Jim while making a bet with macho Steven (Owain Yeoman) over who can go longest without propositioning the other one for sex.

Some comedies need a while to find their voice. "Sex and the City" needed a season and a half; "Seinfeld" needed parts of three. "Kitchen Confidential" seemed on the verge of that discovery after fewer than a dozen episodes, but now we'll never know. That's the way the French bread crumbles.

Oprah ... Dave... Dave ... Oprah

"The Super Bowl of Love" -- a k a David Letterman's first interview with Oprah Winfrey in more than 16 years -- netted CBS' "Late Show" its biggest audience, nearly 13.5 million viewers, since a post-Olympics episode Feb. 25, 1994.

So what did those 13.5 million viewers get to see on Thursday night? Mostly Dave at his most fawning. After a monologue full of jokes at his own expense, he genuflected early and often during the three-act interview.

"I think the world of you," he told Oprah, and later added, "Oh God, you look great."

Even Oprah seemed taken aback at Dave's tone.

"We're having a real conversation," she said at one point. "I didn't expect it."

When he asked her about her charity efforts in Africa, she said, "I can't believe you're being this serious, but this is good."

And toward the end of the interview, she said, "Thank you for being so nice to me."

Obviously, Dave felt the need to do damage control after the 1989 interview on his old NBC show that scared Oprah away for so long. But now that they've kissed and made up, let's hope both stars have a better sense of humor during their next meeting.

Not so special

As a TV critic, I'm used to getting review copies of sci-fi and fantasy shows that have unfinished or even totally absent special effects: "Buffy" episodes where you can see the wires in the fight scenes, disaster miniseries where you get black screens with white subtitles reading "A TORNADO KNOCKS LINCOLN'S HEAD OFF OF MT. RUSHMORE," stuff like that.

When the show's really good, the lack of effects doesn't matter much. But whenever I find myself thinking, "Gee, I wonder what that three-headed spacehog's going to look like," it's a good bet that the human content is lacking.

The screener for Sci-Fi Channel's new three-part miniseries "The Triangle," which premieres tonight at 9 PM ET/PT, may have featured more "TEMPORARY VFX" and other descriptive captions than any rough cut I've ever watched. That's fine; producers Bryan Singer ("X-Men") and Dean Devlin ("Independence Day") clearly don't want to skimp on the look of their story about four people charged with solving the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle.

But without those effects, there's not much there. Eric Stoltz, Bruce Davison, Catherine Bell and Michael Rodgers play the intrepid investigators with varying degrees of hamminess, and Lou Diamond Phillips spends six hours looking confused as a Greenpeace boat jockey who returns from an encounter with the Triangle to find his reality drastically altered.

The Triangle is such a popular subject that you won't come across too many theories you haven't heard before, though the opening scene, an encounter between Christopher Columbus' wooden ships and a modern cargo ship, is pretty cool. And despite a climax that promises to tell you everything you always wanted to know about the Triangle but were afraid to ask, the story ends on an ambiguous note, just in case Sci-Fi wants to turn this into an ongoing series like "Battlestar Galactica."

The difference is, "Galactica" would be a compelling drama even without all those CGI shots of spaceships blasting away at each other.

http://www.nj.com/columns/ledger/alltv/index.ssf?/base/columns-0/1133762079160740.xml&coll=1#continue

The 2005-2006 TV Season
Ask Matt

(from the Ask (TV Critic) Matt (Roush) column at TVGuide.com

Question: What the heck is going on with The Amazing Race? Not only is the family edition the dullest race I have ever seen, with really lame challenges and truly annoying contestants, but now the production people are hindering the race. Last Tuesday (Nov. 29), the Linz family was in first place until the cameraman drained the car battery and then they hobbled into fourth place. Also, the Weavers got all their money and clothes taken away at the end of the previous week, but after a very messy task involving coal, they were seen looking fresh and clean. What happened? Who is paying for their gas and cleanup? Finally, one of this week's tasks involved waiting for Old Faithful to spout! Have the producers gotten so tired that they can't even get interested? Even Phil looks really bored. Watching the first seasons on GSN makes this edition look bad. I know you have been a big supporter of the show, so I am wondering what you think is going on. — Richard

Matt Roush: I am still watching out of loyalty to a franchise I believe in and mostly love, but I can't tell you how anxious I am for this edition to be over so we can move on to something that truly deserves the Amazing title. When this season started, I was OK with them staying mostly in the U.S. until it became clear that the detours and roadblocks were going to be so mundane — rarely even picturesque (an Amazing Race trademark) and almost never thrilling. Add to that the boredom of watching families drive on American roads, and lately, drag a trailer behind them. For the record, last week was the second time this season (that I recall) in which a production snafu involving cameras draining car batteries put a team behind the pack. (I figure that they all catch up eventually in one of those equalizing waiting games, because it seems unfair to penalize a team, especially a front-runner, for something not of their doing.) Agreed as well that the Weavers seemed to suffer the least of any team ever deprived of money, because they had wheels (and apparently a full tank). But at least the Weavers are providing a juicy topic of debate, as the next questions reveal.
________________________________________
Question: Why do all the participants on The Amazing Race hate the Weavers so much? Other than that time when they freaked out a little on the long bus ride with everybody, they have been strong competitors. They might be a little immature, but that is because they have two high-schoolers on the team. The other teams started saying really mean things about them later in the series and the editing of the show never really explained why, but it seemed like the other teams hated them all of a sudden. The bottom line to me is that this is the most mean-spirited race I have seen, and if the Weavers are not in the two-hour finale, I will not be watching. I thought this family edition was fun at first, but it has turned very mean-spirited and almost unwatchable. Rob and Amber weren't hated this much last season and the other teams actually had reasons to hate them. The Weavers may be whining now, but in my mind they have reason to, with this unfounded hatred towards them. I am hoping they make at least the final three with the Linzes so they have to be on The Early Show together. The other teams must not know what happened to the Weavers' father, but if they do, it makes what they say each week even worse. What do you think, Matt? — Jim W.

Matt Roush: While I am by nature and upbringing sympathetic to a family comprised of a widow and her children, the Weavers' whiny self-pity and snarky contempt for their competitors (not to mention their unfortunate comments about Utah) make me think there's a wee bit of hypocrisy in the way they cloak themselves in their faith (which, in a game and on a show like this, really ought to be a private matter). I don't want to overgeneralize about the Weavers, the Linzes or even the shrill Godlewski women, because I always figure the producers of even a high-end reality series like this tend to edit these shows in such a way that almost no one comes out looking all that good. But here's what April wrote in to say about the Weavers, and she's hardly alone:

"Is anyone else sick of the Weavers on The Amazing Race? They talk horribly about the other teams and throw trash out their car windows. They call the other teams names and act ridiculous. I personally can understand why the other teams are against them. They're supposed to be religious — well, they're giving their religion a bad name. The daughters wear shorts so tight and short you see everything. If they end up winning the race, I don't think I'll be able to watch another race. It would definitely be fixed if they did."

I don't know about "fixed." The truth is that I'm not really rooting for any of these teams — except maybe Wally and his daughters, who, while they aren't very interesting, at least don't seem like jerks.

________________________________________

Question: I must say I am very pleased to finally know Fox's mid-season plans. However, could it be any more different from the mid-season schedule from way back in May? While the team-up of Prison Break and 24 gets me very excited about Monday nights, I am sorely disappointed in the placement of Bones. Such a great show deserves to get that American Idol boost on Tuesdays. Instead, the network does the complete opposite and pits it against a juggernaut like Lost. I realize that it still has the American Idol results show as its lead-in, but that certainly didn't make the mediocre Life on a Stick a hit last season. Also, though I never cared for the show, is Killer Instinct officially canceled now that Trading Spouses resides in its time slot? I hope you can clear these things up for me, Matt. — T. Paul

Matt Roush: I'll do my best. First off, I can't for the life of me figure out why Fox even bothers to announce a mid-season schedule in May, because there are so many variables as a new season gets underway that what looks good on paper in May almost never comes to pass by December. As for the Bone s move, which generated a flurry of agitated mail: The downside is that, for the first few weeks of the Idol season, Bones will air opposite Lost (although it's hard to say how many Lost originals there will be until February) and Veronica Mars (ditto), and that is a tough VCR/DVR dilemma, no question. But the game plan, once the classic "results" show kicks in (airing, as usual, at 9 pm/ET) is for Bones to move at that point to Wednesdays at 8 and for some mid-season comedy (probably The Loop) to pair with Idol. I'm thinking, depending, of course, on what the other networks end up doing in the still-fluid mid-season shuffle, that Bones should fare better on Wednesdays at 8 (currently a curiously empty time period) than it has been doing on Tuesdays, where it's getting whomped in the procedural horse race by the amazingly resurgent NCIS. The other point to make is that Fox was absolutely right to keep House where it was. Yes, it would be nice if every show as deserving as Bones could benefit from that Tuesday post-Idol catbird seat, but this is a business, and why in the world would Fox want to risk moving one of its best and most popular dramas, especially (in the original scenario) to an earlier time period on a different night? The Prison Break/24 combo is a much better idea. As for [B]Killer Instinct: I'm pretty sure last Friday's episode was the last ever. At least I hope so. It's not expected back.

________________________________________

Question: I love Lost. It's one of the best weekly shows that I have enjoyed and stayed loyal to. But my question is about Michelle Rodriguez's character, Ana Lucia. We know she is a tad high-strung and a little crazy, but what I would like to know is why no one has just hit her back. She has smacked, whacked and punched so many of them, and no one has turned around and just landed one on her. I sit there and watch and yell at the TV for someone to just hit her once to cure her of her issues. Thanks for letting me vent. — Patty

Matt Roush: You're welcome. And maybe you'll get your wish before long. She does tend to bring out the worst in people. You actually come off rather kindly toward her, compared to some of the hate mail I've received about the actress and character. Excerpting a longer rant from Jennifer C.: "The character is written and played so broadly it's excruciating to watch.... And it's not a matter of a character you love to hate, it's just hate-hate due to clichéd "bad girl" writing and limited one-expression acting skills. Don't believe me? Check out the various Lost message boards! Do they honestly think that abandoning the characters who have carried the show so far in favor of shoving this new chick down fans' throats is a good idea? How can they be that dense? Or is it just arrogance that they believe they are so popular that the audience will take anything?" Ouch! Personally, I don't mind Ana Lucia so much. Now that the whole cast (original and new) are united, we should see more of a balance, and I think she'll add something provocative to the mix. But that's just me, and as usual, I don't give a fig what they say on the message boards, because rarely do you hear a positive word there. And I'm all about accentuating the positive on Lost.

________________________________________

Question: What do you think about the cancellation of 7th Heaven at the end of this season? Personally, I think it should've been canceled several years ago. In the first half of its 10 seasons it was actually about family and morality and whatnot, but now it's completely different. The whole premise to every show is a couple of the characters talking, usually with one of the Camdens listening in and basically hearing what they want to hear, which is not the whole truth. After that, they spend the rest of the show talking behind each others' backs until someone finally says something. I don't know about you, but I like a show with more than just one story line. What ever happened to good, quality, family programming? — Eric M.

Matt Roush: The family drama is an endangered species, no question, but I contend it's still alive and well on Everwood. I'll let your opinion stand, because I don't watch 7th Heaven consistently (although I will be doing some homework soon for an upcoming column). But taking the historical long view, it's rare for any family show, drama or comedy, to sustain its freshness and appeal over an entire decade, in part because the kids who were so charming once upon a time have grown up (not always into very good actors) or grown away (i.e., Barry Watson and Jessica Biel) and the show strains to recapture the original magic, often by shoehorning new characters and kids into the family mix. But here's an alternate point of view, from Anthony:

"Regarding your words about 7th Heaven in the Nov. 28 column: I have heard so many people say that Heaven has lost its initial charm, but this 10th season is unbelievable. The writing (or parental lecturing) is fabulous and right on par with episodes from Seasons 1 and 2. And one thing I cannot stand is when people compare 7th Heaven with Everwood. Yes, they are two family shows and they attract the same audience, but Heaven is not, nor was it ever, meant to be beautifully scripted and acted, like Everwood. Heaven is supposed to be witty and (arguably) corny, although it is my all-time favorite show. That is what we all have loved about it through the years. Yes, Everwood is a great series, but Heaven is meant to preach and make you feel good rather than just tell a story. So your comment that Everwood's 'acting and writing runs circles around Heaven' isn't properly directed. Two similar shows. Two terrific shows. Two very different ways of presenting family quality — and both do a stellar job."

Fair enough. I've already made it clear where my sympathies lie. To get back to the original point, though, I think it's time for Heaven to sign off, although I wouldn't be surprised if WB finds a way to spin it off or clone it in an attempt to keep that considerable and loyal audience.

________________________________________

Question: Much like the woman who asked about the future of HBO's series Rome (of which I, too, am a really huge fan), I would like to ask about NBC's fabulous new show Surface. It has been quite a long time since I've gotten hooked on a major network show. (I'm not a fan of reality TV — at all.) This show has it, though! Mystery, sci-fi, human conflict, global, environmental issues and the deep, dark, ocean. Plus, all the fans I've been hearing from love the little creature that so many critics discount as a knockoff of E.T. and Spielberg. Who cares? It's really good. Do you have any advice on letting NBC know how many of us love this show? How can you keep some programming idiot from canceling it? I'm 38, with a master's degree (I'm not some dumb kid), and this show really appeals to me. Thanks for any help you can provide, Matt! — Juliana

Matt Roush: If it were up to me, cute little Nim wouldn't be the only thing about Surface in danger of expiring. But this is clearly one of those shows that are critic-proof. And while there won't be new episodes until January (mostly a function of NBC deciding not to rerun episodes), the show is doing just fine where it is, and has been renewed for a full season with no reason to think it won't be picked up for a second year. So while NBC doesn't get much right nowadays, you really don't have to worry about the future of Surface. At least not yet.

________________________________________

Question: Can you explain the logic behind Friday-night ratings? It seems to me from following dailies for a few weeks now that nothing does exceptionally well on Fridays. So when a show like Threshold wins its slot but takes fewer viewers than its lead-in and follow-up, why is that considered a failure? Now ABC has canceled Hot Properties, which is a Friday show. And while I didn't watch it, just looking at the numbers, it looks about right for how many people have nothing to do on a date night. I know few 18- to 35-year-olds who aren't out in the clubs, on dates or elsewhere on that day (save those of my friends who throw a sci-fi Friday party). So wouldn't logic dictate that even though a show has fewer viewers on Friday, it's to be expected in the culture we live in? Please help me understand what the networks expect to get on these nights. — Mike

Matt Roush: It's a good question, but a hard one to answer. Fridays are becoming the new Saturdays in terms of lowered expectations season after season. It's not quite a graveyard night yet (except where Fox is concerned), but eventually I would expect several networks to abandon the idea of programming first-run dramas and comedies on the night, like everyone has on Saturdays. Fridays work for niche programming (like Sci Fi's successful lineup), and now CBS has secured a hold on the night with a mix of sentimentality (Ghost Whisperer) and procedurals (Close to Home and Numbers). Like you, I had hoped CBS would settle for a cult audience on Friday where Threshold was concerned. But this is a very aggressive network we're talking about, targeting every time slot in a quest to stay on top in the ratings, and CBS' latest Friday move paid off, albeit at Threshold's peril. As this and the following question suggest, there ought to be nights and time periods where certain networks just accept the fact that they can't win or draw a huge crowd, and use it as an opportunity to take a risk and do something different — and stick with it a while, in the hopes that it might eventually catch on. Otherwise, we're talking about just more crime-show reruns.

________________________________________

Question: I was a fan of Reunio n, and while it upsets me that it has been canceled, my question is more of a general one. Why does Fox keep mishandling shows in an attempt to win the Thursday 9 pm/ET time slot? I realize that viewers on Thursday are valuable, but you'd think that after canceling every show that's been in the slot for the last three years, they'd realize that they simply don't stand a chance. It just seems like the best thing they could do is to put a quality show in the slot and let it gain steam over a couple of years. A quality show should have self-contained stories, so people can tune in every once in a while and enjoy it enough to stick around (the way Without a Trace won against ER). Reunion, though I enjoyed it, was the absolute worst choice because it required a commitment from the start, and on Thursday at 9 pm, it was never going to get one. — Calvin

Matt Roush: Excellent observation. Even if the show had lived up to its very cool premise (which I would argue it didn't quite), Reunion was put in a no-win situation. To be fair to Fox, though, the strategy was to program a show that might be compatible with The O.C.'s soap-opera nature. But at 9, the competition is so stiff (and when it came to choosing a serialized show in that time period, Everwood won out for me) that Reunion never truly stood a chance.

________________________________________

Question: Nip/Tuck has been more uneven this season, but I'm still really enjoying the show. What do you think, though, about what the show's writers have done to Matt this season? Is it possible for a show to take a character in too dark a direction? Now Matt's not only committed a hate crime, but he's dating a neo-Nazi and doing favors for her white-supremacist dad? I know Matt had his share of shocks last season, but aren't the show's writers taking this way too far, to the point where viewers may no longer care if Matt's conscience wakes up again or if he's eventually redeemed? Unless it's revealed that Matt is also a rapist and/or pedophile, it's hard to imagine how the show could take the character in a more loathsome direction. Maybe it makes for a surprising "twist" or something, but it just feels to me like a betrayal of what we know about his character from the past two seasons. What do you think? Does there come a point when a show gets too addicted to shock value and overwhelms its characters? — Don C.

Matt Roush: I'm always amused when Nip/Tuck fans worry about a story line or a character going too far. When don't they? This particular letter came in before Nov. 29's jaw-dropper of an episode aired, in which Christian debased an unattractive patient, forcing her to wear a paper bag over her head when he took her (cruelly) to bed, after repeated other insults. (The fact she revealed herself to be a masochist did not lessen the sting.) And let's not even get into what Quentin did with that angry soldier! It's hard to forgive any of these characters for their oversize flaws. Yes, it's true that Matt's latest detour into aberrant behavior, following his violent encounter with the transsexual subculture, is beyond disturbing — not to mention the unsettling spectacle of our sweet Meg Pryor (Brittany Snow of American Dreams) playing his hateful racist slut girlfriend. Nip/Tuck always walks a treacherous line as it wallows in each character's psychological dark side. Does this one cross the line? Is there a line? Do we even want there to be a line? I'm not so sure. And even if Matt is eventually "redeemed," I'm betting it won't take. But I'm thinking we'll still care, because all of the other exasperating people in his life will force us to care.

________________________________________

Question: In a recent column you asked someone to explain The War at Home to you. I can explain it in one sentence. It's between The Simpsons and Family Guy. — Andrew

Matt Roush: Good point. But The Simpsons lead-in didn't really help Arrested Development, did it? (Still, that was before Family Guy returned to Sundays last May.) It's kind of reminiscent of when NBC used to be able to get away with putting any old junk between its hit Thursday comedies. Hope this eventually backfires on Fox as well.

http://tvguide.com/tv/roush/askmatt/

Study: Spot and TV Better Than $1 Fee

Consumers Prefer to Watch Shows With Ads If Free

By Daisy Whitney TVWeek.com December 5, 2005

Fresh data from video-on-demand research firm Marquest Research suggests that consumers might not be that wild about the 99-cent download model for TV shows that NBC and CBS are forging ahead with.

In a research study conducted this summer and being released this week, the firm asked consumers if they would rather pay $1 per TV show episode and receive it without commercials, or watch it with commercials for free. The overwhelming majority of consumers opted for the commercial option, said Paul Rule, president of Marquest.

About 70 percent would rather watch a TV show episode for free than pay a dollar. Homes that already have on-demand access or digital video recorders were most willing to have ads, with 88 percent and 86 percent respectively preferring the ad option.

This makes sense to media agencies that have been placing clients in ad-supported VOD for the last few years. "Do you think someone is going to pay $1 for something if they can see it for free and watch one spot?" asked Michael Bologna, partner and director of emerging communications at Mediaedge:cia. "Watching shows for free and seeing advertising is a model we've been supporting for [many] years. … The amount of advertising that has been incorporated into the cable content on-demand over the past six months has grown significantly."

The Marquest research also found that consumers are interested in subscription packages of on-demand content from ad-supported networks, too, in addition to the existing SVOD content from HBO and Showtime. About 12 percent said they would be very likely to subscribe to a network on-demand programming slate. "If a network puts the right offer on a subscription basis, it will work," Mr. Rule said. However, networks need to move quickly to gain advantage. "There is a maximum amount of people who are going to be willing to spend. There are a lot of networks struggling to come up with a business model and many are looking at a subscription model. It makes more sense in the long run than peddling the 99-cent one."

http://www.tvweek.com/article.cms?articleId=29082

The official and final HD bowl schedule is now in the first post of this thread.

You forgot the Gator Bowl. January 2, Virginia Tech vs. Louisville

Deezul

I can't confirm that it NBC will be showing it in HD.

As soon as I can, it will be added. (Same with the Cotton Bowl on Fox)

A Critical View:
Traces of other series found in “Triangle”

By Matthew Gilbert Boston Globe Staff December 5, 2005

It doesn't take long for the phrase ''without a trace" to pop up in ''The Triangle," Sci Fi's new miniseries. And that's exactly as you'd expect in a story about the Bermuda Triangle, that missing patch in our scientific knowledge, that icon of the inexplicable. Indeed, almost everything in ''The Triangle" is exactly as you'd expect, once a whole bunch of cargo ships go missing ''without a trace" and a group of experts tries to figure it out.

But predictability doesn't manage to completely ruin ''The Triangle," which airs over the next three nights at 9. The miniseries is an ordinary but not awful piece of science fiction, one you won't hate watching and yet one you shouldn't hate missing. I admit to hoping it would be so bad I could write about wanting it to disappear into the Bermuda Triangle of my memory. But, alas, especially compared with the likes of last month's insulting ''The Poseidon Adventure," it deserves some props.

''The Triangle" has been put together like a confident weave of TV's supernatural drama series. It contains strands of ''Surface," the late ''Threshold," and, of course, ''Lost," especially ''Lost." Like ABC's hit show, it revolves around a time-space mystery, where planes disappear but are not gone. At one point tonight, ragged fellows from another era appear, and they look strangely like the Others who have been plaguing the ''Lost" castaways. And, like ''Lost," with its hatches and its Dharma Initiative, ''The Triangle" slowly delivers clues about its core puzzle that tease us with their possibilities.

The action-adventure plot is tied to a quirky team of four who are investigating the Triangle. There's a cynical tabloid reporter (Eric Stoltz), a sincere psychic (Bruce Davison), a cocky scientist (Michael E. Rodgers), and a proud ocean resource engineer (Catherine Bell). They've been assembled by a billionaire (Sam Neill) obsessed with the Triangle, and they bicker and flirt their way into the heart of the big secret. Each takes the job for the money, but their personal investment grows quickly as they have visions they don't understand.

The characters are pretty shallow. Basically, they're defined by one or two characteristics -- as if their names in the miniseries' original blueprint were Mr. Arrogance, Professor Cynicism, Ms. Banter, and Dr. Emotional. But the actors make them colorful enough, but not so colorful they obscure the thrills. Lou Diamond Phillips is also in the cast, as a Greenpeace captain whose brush with the Triangle has left him a changed man who suddenly doesn't recognize one of his sons. He's Mr. My Dog Is Named Nader, doing business as Mr. Memory Lapse.

With Dean Devlin of ''Independence Day" as one of its executive producers, the miniseries is filled with disaster-movie-size effects (many of which were not complete in the copy sent to reviewers). But ''The Triangle" is not as fast-paced as most big-screen action movies, and it could easily have lost two hours. They would have gone missing without a trace.

http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2005/12/05/traces_of_other_series_found_in_triangle?mode=PF

You mean someone is in charge of NBC programming? :)
Oh wow..that's cold, but true nevertheless. :D

Regarding Hammer and SciFi, I agree with CP, she's done a great job and it's a must have channel, AND IT NEEDS TO BE IN HD!! :)

Critic’s Notebook
No news is good news with Couric rumor

By Tim Goodman San Francisco Chronicle Monday, December 5, 2005

The truly sad part about the rumors of Katie Couric becoming anchor of the "CBS Evening News" -- now closing in on one year of whimsy in the ether, with six months to go -- is not that the end result would be Katie Couric as successor to Dan Rather and Walter Cronkite.

It's this: Katie Couric is not a revolution.

Wake us up when you get Oprah. Or import Keith Olbermann and "Countdown" from cable. Or burn the whole building down with Jon Stewart's "Daily Show" starting a synergy fire.

Because there has been such substantial buzz about Couric jumping from NBC's "Today" show to CBS and thus becoming this country's first solo female anchor of a broadcast network newscast, it's clear that any real thinking -- any real ideas about change as it relates to the network news dinosaur -- is not on the docket.

Sad, that.

Les Moonves -- is that all you've got?

Moonves is the head of CBS, a man who once said that network news had to be revolutionized, rethought, repackaged. And make no mistake about it -- news division bosses like Sean McManus at CBS and Steve Capus at NBC or David Westin at ABC will not be making the decisions that lead to any kind of revolution. It will be their bosses -- way up the corporate media chain, like Moonves -- who decide when the bell has rung on the old school.

What a strange world we live in. We get to read about how technology is changing everything -- from iPods and the music industry to NetFlix and the descending price of HDTV damaging the movie business, to unrelenting navel-gazing about how the Internet is damaging newspapers -- all the while talk emanating from the world's biggest media companies tells us that archaic, failing models of information delivery will continue to limp on into oblivion, except for the occasional "fresh" coat of paint -- hello Katie.

Television news programs in particular are keen on fear of change. No one wants to break the model until the whole thing has gone bust, apparently.

Avoidance of a revolution is everywhere. ABC wanted "Nightline" gone so it could woo David Letterman and put entertainment, not news, in that slot. Then Koppel leaves and ABC keeps a news program in that slot -- "Nightline" version 2.0 -- that is A) inferior to Koppel's show and B) exactly like any other news magazine show ever dreamed up.

Moral? Be careful what you wish for -- you might get it and choke.

Listen, if networks aren't going to re-imagine late-night news, what are the odds they'll opt for modernity before dinner?

Exactly. It's still your father's father's network news.

So what does all of this mean? It means that in January, the Couric-to-CBS rumor will celebrate its first birthday -- and she's not out of her "Today" contract until May, so keep your party hats on. It means that even if she gets the job, she will not change the job. Though we've been off the Couric bandwagon ever since, well, forever -- believing her to be a faux-sincere sad clown who will do anything for ratings -- she would still increase viewers, at least in the short run. She has her loyalists, and curiosity seekers driven by massive media hype would tune in for a bit.

Not to beat a drum TV executives apparently can't hear, but Couric will not change the network news blues. Talking heads are dead. Forget the Internet sucking away younger viewers -- they don't watch network news in any great number and haven't for years. Network news watchers are older. Much older. Just check the advertising for proof.

To news execs worrying about the drop-off of viewers from last year to this year and wondering where they went, start with the obituaries. Only then can you start working your way down to Yahoo.

We are all now past the crossroads. There's no real allure to the nightly network news without the comforting attraction of the Iconic Anchors (Brokaw, Jennings, Rather). Without them, you've got 22 minutes of storytelling that the bulk of the available demographic has already either read online or will check out later in the night on cable.

Let's recap: Outdated delivery system. Airs too early. Appeals to declining, elderly audience. Hello stockholders, we've got Jim Cramer on mute. Do you really need to know what he's screaming?

This isn't about Couric. Hiring her just shoots fireworks over a graveyard. That's pretty and all, but what's needed is a paradigm shift.

Yet that's a brave new world nobody is ready to build. Why? Network news presidents are simultaneously comfortable (the tank's not empty yet) and living in fear (we're driving an Edsel). Revolutionary change never comes from that environment.

Besides, their inaction is entirely explainable and understandable: They know they are shepherds, not revolutionaries. They are just moving the flock toward the cliff. It's a slow journey with a big paycheck and nice bennies. They'll be lawn bowling in Florida before the sheep go sailing.

No, it'll be up to someone like Moonves (in a Che T-shirt under a Brioni suit?) with the power to televise the revolution before the audience gets small enough for Brian Williams to drive around to everyone's home and deliver the news in person.

Couric? That's just putting a wig on a T-Rex.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/12/05/DDG73G23CI1.DTL&type=printable

Critic’s Notebook
CBS News: pretty and in the pink

By Joanne Ostrow Denver Post TV Critic

En route to refashioning its evening newscast, CBS News is doing something right. A ratings upswing bears this out.

Although the "CBS Evening News With Bob Schieffer" lags in third place, for the season-to-date the CBS half-hour is the only network evening newscast to post gains in total viewers and households. (NBC News rules with 9.52 million viewers; ABC News follows with 8.49 million; CBS News has 7.22 million.)

The evolving CBS News casting is remarkable. Have you noticed? Some nights it looks like Bob Schieffer and the Schieffer Newsbabes.

They're smart, tough and notably easy on the camera: Lara Logan, the news division's swashbuckling star, is poised in frequent on-camera debriefings from Iraq with Schieffer.

A South African, Logan was the only journalist from an American network in Baghdad when American troops invaded the city. Now she's comfortable giving her opinion on how things are going for the Iraqis. Logan was recently dubbed "the war zone 'It Girl"' by The New York Times.

She joins Sheila MacVicar, erstwhile It Girl of ABC News, Thalia Assuras in Washington, D.C., Elizabeth Kaledin on the medical beat, Trish Regan on business news, Kimberly Dozier on Iraqi prisons and others. They make veteran reporters like national security correspondent David Martin look dull by comparison.

With a new boss - longtime "60 Minutes" producer Rome Hartman replaces Jim Murphy at the helm - the broadcast is poised to continue its roll. Good thing the suits didn't knock Schieffer from his "temporary" anchor post after the Dan Rather transition.

Schieffer too is on a roll: His "Face the Nation" surged during the November sweep, coming closest to NBC's reigning "Meet the Press" in 11 years.

Schieffer may not set the demographics on fire, and his hair can't compete with Brian Williams' on NBC, but he's a trusted news quantity. That means more to viewers than the bean counters might think.

Meanwhile, at NBC News, they've got a new idea for reaching more (read: younger) audiences. "Blogging Baghdad" begins today, featuring video clips and blogs from Richard Engel in NBC's Baghdad bureau.

NBC News president Steve Capus has said the online component is critical to extend the brand and increase the "transparency" in reporting. At a time when viewers are suspicious of journalists generally, news outlets must be as open as possible in revealing how they report.

While the network news divisions strive to remain relevant, some say they'll have to do more than cast comely correspondents and launch blogs.

"They need to open up the news process in a way that is completely alien to how network news has operated in the past," says Andrew Nachison, head of the Media Center, a think tank in Reston, Va. "Simply adding some blogs to what they do isn't going to make them young and hip."

Nachison says they will have to engage audiences in "a news-gathering conversation. They need to contemplate scrapping the nightly news as a concept and think about a 24-hour news audience."

Viewers are not passive receivers of the "voice of God"-style newscasts. We are participants.

To succeed in the future, Nachison says, "The networks must tell audiences, 'You're going to help inform our understanding of the truth. You're going to fact-check us and contribute new information our reporters didn't uncover on their own."'

Not that network news must be re-created from scratch. But the new model will be "an open, collaborative somewhat messy process."

A role remains for big media institutions. "News organizations are going to play what we call a 'remediation' role in connecting society, connecting people to information and to each other," Nachison says.

The old model - "it's news when we say it's news" - is out. The new model turns the tables: Control flows up from the bottom. As Nachison sees it, the "individual now has unprecedented power over how, when and where they access and share information."

In the meantime, Bob Schieffer and the Newsbabes look credible enough.

http://www.denverpost.com/entertainment/ci_3276048

....Regarding Hammer and SciFi, I agree with CP, she's done a great job and it's a must have channel, AND IT NEEDS TO BE IN HD!! :)

As far as I'm concerned (and I guess I need to restate this periodically since so many of my posts concern non HD programs and a casual reader might think I don't care) but I firmly believe that, with few exceptions, every national channel should be in HD.

I am sure SciFi will be in glorious HD sooner rather than later. If I were forced to put an over/under line on the date I'd say Jan. 1, 2007.

News Briefs

The Hollywood Reporter

Chappelle shows
Comedy Central announced Monday that a third season of hit series "Chappelle's Show" would be released on the network's broadband channel next week.

Sinners win Sunday
The story of a man who is on a fast track to sainthood was no match for the sinners of ABC's "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy" on Sunday, according to preliminary estimates from Nielsen Media Research.

Logue in ABC comedy
ABC has given the green light to a comedy pilot from Rob Burnett and Jon Beckerman, the duo behind NBC's "Ed," to star Donal Logue.

Bravo's new slate
Bravo is set to announce Monday what it is calling the "start of the network's most aggressive development slate in its 25-year history."

Olympic warmup
NBC and its affiliates will produce a nightly half-hour program daily during February's Winter Olympics that will focus on local athletes and preview the night's telecast.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/index.jsp

The fight over a la carte
Cable Execs Downplay Chances of a la Carte Pricing

By Jay Sherman TVWeek.com December 5, 2005

The cable industry is unlikely to adopt an a la carte pricing strategy anytime soon, as it would likely result in consumers paying more to get less, two top industry executives said Monday.

Both Glenn Britt, chairman of Time Warner Cable, and George Bodenheimer, co-chairman of The Walt Disney Co.'s Media Networks division, said separately Monday that they didn't expect last week's comments from Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin to immediately usher in major changes in how cable television is delivered to consumers.

Mr. Martin shocked the cable industry by issuing a report that supports a la carte cable pricing, arguing it would be in the best interest of consumers. The report directly contradicted a study released last year by Mr. Martin's predecessor, Michael Powell, who argued a la carte would lead to higher cable bills.

Mr. Britt and Mr. Bodenheimer, commenting separately at an investor conference sponsored by UBS Securities, argued that Mr. Powell had the right approach to a la carte.

"We don't think the consumer is served by any sort of a la carte business model," Mr. Bodenheimer said. "We don't see any broad support for it on the operator or programmer side. I don't see too much momentum behind the move to an a la carte distribution system."

Mr. Britt added that cable operators, in order to maintain the same level of revenue, would either have to charge high rates for certain channels or would end up offering consumers fewer channels in order to avoid higher cable rates.

"The economics are pretty clear," Mr. Britt said.

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=8997

Holiday Viewing
The making of a classic

By Diane Werts Newsday Staff Writer December 6, 2005

It's the ugly duckling of animation - the little cartoon that could. Even its makers considered it a disappointment, and the network might have scrapped it altogether if it hadn't been scheduled for airing just days after completion, too close to call off.

Forty years later, it's only a classic cherished by generation after generation, a landmark of pop culture known worldwide, and a poignant distillation of both the awe and the alienation stirred by the holiday season.

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" - just say the title and you can hear the bouncy lines of pianist Vince Guaraldi's jazzy "Linus and Lucy." You can see sad little Charlie Brown moping at his empty mailbox, mulling the "true meaning of Christmas." There's his scrawny stick of a Christmas tree drooping under the weight of a single ornament. And blanket-dragging pal Linus finally proclaiming under a school stage spotlight "what Christmas is all about."

This gentle 1965 holiday half-hour from "Peanuts" comic strip creator Charles Schulz (airing Tuesday night at 8 PM ET/PTon ABC) encapsulates the contemporary American Christmas in a way other specials don't, no matter how much Santa Claus, reindeer, shopping and gingerbread they throw at us. Schulz understood the heart of Christmas lay not in such showy outward traditions, but in the tender yearnings annually inspired deep inside us by the promise of peace and love, togetherness and merry moments. All the mercantile tinsel piled upon the modern yule could make Christmas sag under the burden. Yet the holiday's foundation - the joy and salvation embodied in its biblical origin - still stands strong beneath the razzle-dazzle. It needs only, like Charlie's emaciated tree, "a little love" to make its significance resonate.

The soulful story of a sad boy's search for meaning hardly seemed to have the makings of a cartoon blockbuster. No up-tempo pop sing-alongs, just a contemplative jazz score. And in lieu of professional actors, a bunch of real-life kids speaking for Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy and the other "Peanuts" regulars. Today's tube viewers expect the unusual. But "A Charlie Brown Christmas" premiered in a day of just three networks, when chances were rarely taken. Nearly everything about this half-hour flouted convention, trusting instead in plain sincerity.

As producer Lee Mendelson tells it in his 2000 book "A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition," Coca-Cola was looking to sponsor a 1965 Christmas special. Mendelson had done a documentary about Schulz and Charlie Brown, so he called his comic-sketching friend, who spouted some random ideas for an outline to meet a quick proposal deadline - ice skating, a school play, a Christmas tree, reading from the Bible. Once approved, they were given just six months to produce the half-hour for a December airdate. Added to the thrifty team were animator Bill Melendez, who'd done some brief cartoon footage for the documentary, and jazz favorite Guaraldi, who'd scored it. Almost overnight, they would need to create walking, talking versions of the Peanuts characters otherwise seen in static, silent newspaper incarnations.

Decisions were made briskly, without the kind of rethinking in which brilliant inspiration gets watered down to blandness. Simplicity was the byword. Charlie Brown would sound "blah." Lucy should be crabby. Linus had to spout a babe's wisdom from a thumb-sucking mouth. Snoopy would not talk. The show would unpretentiously reflect the comic strip's portrayal of a lovable loser always doing his best, falling short and picking himself up to try again. If on the newspaper page the reader was often the only one to appreciate Charlie Brown's humble instincts, the television special would give the round-headed boy the chance to prove himself to all - a worthy holiday gift.

But "A Charlie Brown Christmas" begins with Charlie being blue: "I know nobody likes me. Why do we have to have a holiday season to emphasize it?" He bemoans Snoopy's commercial Christmas and Lucy's psychiatrist-stand greed. "Instead of feeling happy" about Christmas, he moans, "I feel sort of let down."

That stark sentiment would soon be shared by the folks who'd put together " "A Charlie Brown Christmas". Upon screening the laid-back finished product, the production team worried "perhaps we had somehow missed the boat," Mendelson recalls. The network told him, "It seems a little flat." The first critic's review, in Time magazine, perked them up a bit; it called the special "refreshingly low-key ... a special that really is special." And the ratings sent them over the moon. The lovable loser finished second in the Nielsen ratings only to "Bonanza," then a network powerhouse, and a few months later, it won an Emmy for animated special.

And it has, of course, aired annually for 40 years now (first on CBS, the last four years on ABC). Families wanted to own their own VHS copies and later DVDs of " "A Charlie Brown Christmas," which spawned other "Peanuts" TV specials to celebrate Halloween, Thanksgiving, New Year's, Easter, Valentine's Day, and even Arbor Day and baseball spring training. But none has quite matched the enduring appeal of Schulz & Co.'s first burst of innocent insight.

Christmas touches our hearts - even non-Christian hearts - in a way no other holiday matches. It teases our imaginations and stirs our emotions. Over the years, we have imbued it with strains of significance from faith, family, material comfort and personal contentment. Every year, we get our hopes up that at Christmastime, no matter our state before or after, this moment will be perfect. And every year, we are, like Charlie Brown, let down by Christmas' failure to meet our elevated expectations.

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" suggests we reassess our perspective and appreciate what we have. Even if it's a stick of a tree. All it takes is a little love to make it great.

http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/ny-ettel4540139dec06,0,6874650,print.column?coll=ny-television-headlines

A Critical View:
“Triangle” doesn't deliver

By Scott D. Pierce Salt Lake City Deseret Morning News

The first few minutes of the Sci Fi Channel miniseries "The Triangle" are really cool.

Not only have you got Christopher Columbus and his Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria in the Bermuda Triangle alongside a giant 21st-century ship, but a team from Greenpeace is interrupted by some sort of supernatural-ish phenomenon while they are trying to stop a whaling ship from honing in on its prey. Whoo-hoo!

Then we're presented with an interesting group of characters. There's a billionaire shipping magnate (Sam Neill) who's determined to find out why his ships are disappearing.

He brings together an eclectic group: a deep-ocean engineer (Catherine Bell); a meteorologist/adventurer (Michael Rodgers); a psychic (Bruce Davison); and a skeptical, tabloid journalist (Eric Stoltz). And there's a survivor of that Greenpeace boat (Lou Diamond Phillips), who's being affected by all this as well.

Of course, you've got to suspend disbelief for this to work. If you can't accept that a billionaire can get top government clearances for his team or that he can rent a submarine, don't bother. Because that's easy to believe compared to what happens after a plane crashes and what they find when that submarine submerges.

It really is pretty cool. And the story — created by Bryan Singer (who directed the first two "X-Men" movies) and Dean Devlin (who wrote "Independence Day"), with a script by Rockne S. O'Bannon ("Farscape") — starts to suck you in and makes you want to know what the heck is going on.

The problem is — eventually, you find out. And the answer is, well, underwhelming.

I won't give it away, but it involves the U.S. Navy, a cover-up, time travel and a bunch of stuff that's so far out there it's pretty much incomprehensible. And after getting viewers invested in their characters, Singer, Devlin and O'Bannon don't do well by either those characters or the viewers.

At the end of six hours, you'll be sitting there thinking — Oh? Is that it?

ALL DUE APOLOGIES: Devlin talks like he's learned a lesson — that movies don't succeed based on the special effects and his own theatrical failings were because "We didn't pay enough attention to the characters."

"I've said before and I'll say again — I think the thing that was wrong with (the 1998) 'Godzilla' was the script I wrote, and it was a powerful lesson for me," he told TV critics. "I think 'Independence Day' was a film where the characters did work."

Now if he just learns you've got to have a plot that carries more than midway through a miniseries.

http://www.desnews.com/dn/print/1,1442,635165830,00.html

Mr. Bodenheimer said. "We don't see any broad support for it on the operator or programmer side. I don't see too much momentum behind the move to an a la carte distribution system."

Just another glaring example of where the consumer fits into the mix.

Quite a shock that Disney is against a la carte. :rolleyes:

Not at all surprising considering Disey is looking at $3+ billion in sub fees in 2006 and with a la carte would have to raise its rates dramatically for those who would take ESPN. On the other hand, as you have noted, CP, the rates couldn't rise all that much without scaring subs away.

I also enjoyed Britt's take: "...Mr. Britt added that cable operators, in order to maintain the same level of revenue, would either have to charge high rates for certain channels or would end up offering consumers fewer channels in order to avoid higher cable rates...."

“24" PREQUEL NEWS

This week's Season 4 DVD release of Fox's ”24 “features a "miniepisode," about 10 minutes in length, that bridges the gap between last season, at the end of which Jack staged his death, and the new one, which begins unspooling Jan. 15. Per Variety, the "prequel," set 14 months after the Season 4 finale, kicks off with a clandestine meeting between Jack and Chloe and ends with Kim being devoured by a mountain lion. OK, wishful thinking on that last part.

http://tvguide.com/news/entertainment/