Hot Off The Press! The Latest Television News and Info [Text View] - Page 33

fredfa

12-24-05, 09:35 PM

I am very heartened at how diverse our interests seem to be. It makes me feel a little more comfortable about the wide variety of items I post here -- or subject you to.

At any rate, it is still early in the balloting (and you have plenty of time to get your votes in) but here are the early returns from the “Hot Off The Press” TV Programming Poll:

Favorite new network prime-time shows which debuted in anytime in 2005:
My Name Is Earl 3
Bones 2
Grey’s Anatomy 2
Prison Break 2
Surface 2
Everybody Hates Chris
Invasion
Law & Order: Trial By Jury
Medium
Related

Favorite new prime-time cable shows:
The Closer 3
Over There 3
Weeds 3
Wanted 2
Always Sunny in Philadelphia
American Dad
Bones
Footballers Wives
Prison Break
Starved

Favorite veteran prime-time shows:
Arrested Development 3
House 3
Lost 3
NCIS 3
24 2
Veronica Mars 2
Cold Case
CSI
Nip/Tuck
Rescue Me
The Shield
The West Wing

Favorite veteran cable prime-time shows:
Battlestar Gallactica 2
Rescue Me 2
The Shield 2
South Park 2
4400
Dead Zone
Monk
NFL Prime Time
Rescue Me
Silent Sundays on TCM
The Sopranos
The Wire

Favorite TV actors:
Hugh Laurie 5
David Boreanaz 2
Jerry Orbach 2
Will Arnett
Zack Brack
David Caruso
Michael Cera
Jason Lee
William Peterson
Gary Sinise
William Shatner
James Spader
John Spencer
Kiefer Sutherland

Favorite TV actresses:
Kristen Bell 2
Maura Tierney 2
Jessica Walter 2
Patricia Arquette
Dana Delany
Jenna Fisher
Jennifer Garner
Mariska Hargitay
Melina Kanakaredes
Stephanie March
Rachel Nichols
Mary Louise Parker
Sandra Oh

Favorite TV sports production:
MLB on HDNet
Monday Night Football
NHL on HDNet
Real Sports

Favorite TV news program or (cable net) :
Fox News Channel 3
CBS Evening News 2
CNN

Show the critics most overlook:
NCIS 3
Battlestar
How I Met Your Mother
Related

Show the critics most over-hype:
Arrested Development 2
Commander In Chief
Desperate Housewives
Grey’s Anatomy
How I Met Your Mother
Nip/Tuck

Actor who makes you cringe
David Caruso 4
Matt LeBlanc
William L. Peterson
Jeremy Piven
William Shatner

Actress who makes you cringe
Pamela Anderson 2
Lara Flynn Boyle 2
Mischa Barton
Marg Helgenberger
Jill Hennessy
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Kathryn Morris

The one show you hate most to miss:
Lost 2
24
Arrested Development
Veronica Mars

Former favorite which has lost your interest:
Alias
Cold Case
Crossing Jordan
Lost
Law & Order
Law & Order: CI
Law & Order: SVU
The Simpsons

(Actress: Melina Kanakaredes

(For HD viewers only) Favorite program to show off your HD setup to friends and neighbors:
Lost 2
CSI: Miami
NHL
MLB
NFL
SEC Football on CBS
Smart Travels, PBS and HDNet
Surface

(For HD viewers only) Is there any show you enjoy so much you'd watch it even in SD?
Battlestar Galactica 3
Arrested Development
Family Guy
Grey’s Anatomy
The Simpsons
South Park
Veronica Mars
The West Wing
Original series on FX, SciFi and TNT

fredfa

12-24-05, 10:00 PM

The Best TV Shows of the Year
Neighborhood Dealers and Sleeper Cells Next Door

By Alessandra Stanley The New York Times December 25, 2005

THE COLBERT REPORT. It started on Comedy Central as a one-man, one-joke routine: Stephen Colbert doing a parody of conservative cable foghorns like Bill O'Reilly and Joe Scarborough. But his show keeps getting better. Some nights, it is funnier than "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," which launched Mr. Colbert's career.

SLEEPER CELL. This Showtime series is "24" for smart people. An African-American F.B.I. agent, and practicing Muslim, infiltrates an Islamic terrorist cell in Los Angeles. He looks at hate from both sides now.

WEEDS. Mary-Louise Parker as a pot-dealing suburban mom and Elizabeth Perkins as her snooty, sardonic neighbor are sublime - the Joan Crawford and Bette Davis of premium cable. "Weeds" and "Sleeper Cell" are proof that Showtime has a reason to live.

HOUSE. Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) has his own physician's code of conduct, a Misanthropic oath: first, do some harm. He mercilessly mocks and terrorizes patients, their families and co-workers before solving a medical mystery each week. As addictive as Vicodin.

HURRICANE KATRINA REPORTING. Ten days that shook the television world: harrowing live coverage changed how Americans view the federal government and the news media. Even Fox News was outraged.

GREY'S ANATOMY. It might as well be called "Sex and the City Hospital," but now that "Desperate Housewives" has lost its edge, these love-seeking surgeons are a fun Sunday-night replacement.

COMMANDER IN CHIEF. Nobody likes a goody-goody government, but Geena Davis is terrific as a leader beyond reproach who becomes the first woman president - the unHillary.

LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT. Not the Vincent D'Onofrio episodes, but the new ones with Chris Noth and Annabella Sciorra. She brings a hint of film noir mystery to every scene.

THE CLOSER. Kyra Sedgwick doesn't need to see dead people to solve crimes in this TNT series. She is a Southern belle version of Kathryn Morris on "Cold Case." They are a new kind of cop: Hitchcock blondes with a badge.

MARTHA. Fascinating. Martha Stewart is shedding the giddy, girlish persona she adopted for her post-prison comeback and, in her new syndicated show, reverting to her old self: grimly competent and self-serious.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/25/arts/television/25stan.html?pagewanted=print

CPanther95

12-24-05, 10:28 PM

Take a break, Fred - and have a very Merry Christmas.

fredfa

12-24-05, 10:59 PM

Best to you, too, CPanther!

DoubleDAZ

12-24-05, 11:38 PM

I thought there was nothing like Gifford, Meredith and Cosell, myself.I don't generally watch football just for the sake of watching football. If the Packers aren't on (and sometimeseven when they arethisseason :) ), I find something else to watch/do. But, I almost always watched MNF when those 3 were the broadcast team. I enjoyed them more than many of the games, they were a riot and Dandy Don always had me ROTFLMAO when he started his, "The party's over" routine. :)

DoubleDAZ

12-24-05, 11:57 PM

Favorite new network prime-time shows which debuted in anytime in 2005:
Grey’s Anatomy
Prison Break
Medium

Favorite new prime-time cable shows:
The Closer
Over There
Wanted

Favorite veteran prime-time shows:
House
Lost
24

Favorite veteran cable prime-time shows:
Battlestar Gallactica
Dead Zone
The Sopranos

Favorite TV actors:
Hugh Laurie
William Shatner
John Spencer

Favorite TV actresses:
Kristen Bell
Maura Tierney
Patricia Arquette

Favorite TV sports production:
NA

Favorite TV news program or (cable net) :
Fox News

Show the critics most overlook:
NCIS 3
Battlestar
Numb3rs

Show the critics most over-hype:
Arrested Development
How I Met Your Mother
Nip/Tuck

Actor who makes you cringe
NA

Actress who makes you cringe
Lara Flynn Boyle

The one show you hate most to miss:
24

Former favorite which has lost your interest:
Alias

(For HD viewers only) Favorite program to show off your HD setup to friends and neighbors:
Lost

(For HD viewers only) Is there any show you enjoy so much you'd watch it even in SD?
Everything I watch, I'd watch in SD if I had to.

fredfa

12-25-05, 12:43 AM

Sorry I missed this column Friday on Festivus Day. And in the spirit of the season, I will not highlight the “winners”.

The Disappointing TV Developments of the Year
A bagful of disappointments

It's time for our annual Festivus roundup of letdowns
By Alan Sepinwell and Matt Zoller Seitz Newark Star-Ledger Staff Friday, December 23, 2005

Start limbering up for the feats of strength, because it's Festivus time!

Since "Seinfeld" ended, we spend every Dec. 23 honoring the holiday created by angry old man Frank Costanza (technically by "Seinfeld" writer Daniel O'Keefe's dad), an alternative to the commercialization of Christmas, Chanukah and the rest of the December gift-giving fests.

So gather 'round the aluminum pole for the airing of the grievances to all the members of the TV family who disappointed us in 2005, and remember -- Festivus isn't over until you pin your father!

We're disappointed with...

Cookie Monster, for participating in the politically correct fraud that is the new "Sesame Street" healthy eating campaign. For 35 years "C" was for cookie, and that was good enough for us. All of a sudden, we were supposed to believe you'd rather be eating carrots or broccoli or boiled fish? Monster, please.

The executives of E!, for picking "The Simple Life" up off the scrap heap and continuing Paris' unfortunate moment in the spotlight. What, you're too good for Tara Reid, but Paris and Nicole are acceptable?

Dave Chappelle, for bugging out to Africa before he could come close to finishing the third season of "Chappelle's Show." To quote Lil Jon, "WHAT?"

Ray Romano and Phil Rosenthal, for ending "Everybody Loves Raymond." Sure, your finale was one of the best sitcom swan songs ever, but now that you're gone, who will make us laugh? Freddie Prinze Jr.?

"My Name Is Earl," for making its title character's criminal past so much livelier and funnier than his do-gooder present. Speaking of flashbacks, we're also disappointed in ...

"Lost," for having the opposite problem. Fans want to know what's happening on the island right now, and the show's increasingly reductive, flabby flashbacks get in the way while telling us stuff we already knew. And...

"Lost," for using any excuse possible to not move the plot forward, from showing the standoff in the hatch three different ways in three straight episodes to having Michelle Rodriguez's Ana-Lucia angrily shout down any questions that might clarify what happened to the passengers in the tail section. And...

"Lost," for the producers' phony indignant response to all the complaints about the first-season finale, which promised to reveal what was in the hatch, then faded out without showing us anything.

"The Amazing Race," for wasting a season on the lame "Family Edition" concept, which featured too many contestants and too much time spent within the continental United States. If we wanted to see someone cross the Delaware, we'd pile into the Munchmobile and do it ourselves.

Stephenie LaGrossa, for coming back to "Survivor" a second time and promptly erasing whatever good will she'd earned losing so gracefully the first time around.

Ricky Gervais, for following up the amazing "The Office" with the just-okay "Extras," another in a seemingly endless line of HBO inside-show biz comedies. Everyone feared the American "Office" would be a disaster; instead, it's been consistently funnier than "Extras."

Powerful live TV buffs, for using their network clout to force us to sit through very un-special episodes of "Will and Grace" and "The West Wing."

David Letterman, for finally luring Oprah Winfrey onto his show and then fawning over her like Rosie O'Donnell interviewing Tom Cruise. And ...

Oprah, for not smacking some sense into Cruise while he was bouncing up and down on that couch. (You can make up for it by hiring a deprogrammer to rescue Katie.)

CBS' reality show division, for airing "The Will," a despicable, badly produced show about an aging millionaire's relatives competing to inherit his beloved ranch. Only one episode aired before the network came to its senses and canceled the thing, but it was one too many.

CNN, for overreacting to Fox News Channel's ratings success by encouraging local news-ish stunts, and ...

CNN, for joining the vogue for missing persons melodramas, and ...

CNN, for putting lynch mob harpy Nancy Grace at the center of Headline News, and ...

CNN, for simultaneously injuring the careers of Aaron Brown and Anderson Cooper by dumping the former and seizing on the latter's raw, real Katrina moment to package him as a wet-eyed, navel-gazing parody of an anchorman.

Bill O'Reilly, for misusing his considerable power to promote the idea of a "war on Christmas," writing himself a fake angry letter on the subject so he could repudiate it in a mailbag segment, calling for a boycott of supposed Christmas-hating retailers on his radio show in weaselly language designed to let him deny he was calling for a boycott, and otherwise giving a divided, exhausted nation one more thing to squabble over. He's become a parody of a parody of himself; Stephen Colbert without the jokes.

"Empire Falls," for wasting great source material (the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Richard Russo, who also wrote the script) and an almost perfect cast (minus Helen Hunt) on a mediocre adaptation. Ed Harris, Paul Newman and company hit most of the novel's notes, but where was the music?

Fictionalized biographies of Pope John Paul II on ABC and CBS, for making one of the 20th century's most influential, controversial, fascinating men as bland and safe as those descriptions of presidents that American public school children still snooze through.

Pat O'Brien, for leaving drunken voicemail messages that have rooted in our brains like skunkweed. And let's not forget ...

Dr. Phil, for participating in O'Brien's on-air intervention and rooting O'Brien's exhortations even deeper in our minds by playing those voicemails yet again.

VH1, for continuing to enable alcoholic, steroid-abusing, self-pitying fame junkie Danny Bonaduce with his reality show "Breaking Bonaduce" -- and for going ahead with the project even after Bonaduce slit his wrists halfway through filming.

Bravo's "Being Bobby Brown," for trying to make Bobby so cuddly and safe that he made the "Osbournes" version of Ozzy look like the '70s version of Ozzy.

NBC, for allowing executive Jeff Zucker to fail his way up the corporate ladder after he left the network's primetime schedule in ruins. Also for benching "Scrubs" while letting "Joey" jack up one bad joke after another for months.

And finally, bringing the "Seinfeld" connection full circle:

"Curb Your Enthusiasm," for cranking out episode after episode this year that felt like the product of a "Curb Your Enthusiasm" plot-generating software program. Yes, the finale was great, but not great enough to erase a season's worth of sighs.

http://www.nj.com/columns/ledger/alltv/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-0/1135319271271700.xml&coll=1

fredfa

12-25-05, 12:47 AM

For most of the people in the United States, Christmas has arrived. For the rest of us it is just minutes away.

So, if you have missed my greetings over the past few days, let me wish you again a

M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S !

H A P P Y C H A N U K A H!

Or, if you prefer:

H A P P Y H O L I D A Y S!

It is my hope that however you celebrate this season you will find joy, warmth, comfort and love with family, friends and those who are special in your life.

fredfa

12-25-05, 12:59 AM

Critic’s Notebook
For a surefire ratings winner, just put 'CSI' in the title

By Vince Horiuchi The Salt Lake Tribune

I consider myself a fairly savvy television watcher. At least I know how to program my VCR so the clock stops blinking.

But I can't for the life of me understand the nation's obsession with police shows that do nothing more to enhance the art of storytelling than show us how to swab blood from a severed ear.

According to Nielsen Media Research, seven of the 10 most-watched series last week were what we high-brow television critics call "legal prodecurals," police dramas that are more about solving a crime than the characters surrounding it.

The week's top six shows were "CSI," "NCIS," "CSI: NY," "Without a Trace," "Criminal Minds" and "Cold Case." A seventh such show, "CSI: Miami," was No. 10. Two others made the top 20: "Numb3rs" (14) and "Law & Order: SVU" (19).

I'm asking someone - anyone - to help explain why these crime shows are so popular. Why has the original "CSI" been No. 1 for several years?

Is it the fetching Marg Helgenberger, who plays a fetching crime technician in "CSI"? Or is it the nifty slow-motion special effects of bullets ripping through human organs? Or perhaps it's the allure of dripping, mangled body parts as ripped skin flaps delicately in the wind?

What can't be the reason is a riveting story. None of these shows have what you would call a real narrative.
I watched an episode of "CSI: Miami" a couple of weeks ago because it was about video gamers who commit bank robberies and shootings in the vein of a "Grand Theft Auto" game.

Sure enough, there were special-effects sequences galore, and the show had the solid production values of a film (thanks to big-shot movie producer Jerry Bruckheimer, of "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Armageddon" fame). But the story was ridiculously shallow.

Episodes of "Cold Case" that I've seen were just as bland, and "Criminal Minds" is just too unpleasant to watch. And in the case of the "CSI" franchise, I'm still hard-pressed to believe that crime technicians could do all the interviewing, shooting and chasing instead of police officers. All techs do is stuff like taking pictures and analyzing strands of hair (although that job, mind you, is just as important as detective work).

Finally, in all of these series, torture, grisly murder scenes and female victimization are the order of the day. Only the guest stars are different.

Yet America is watching, and the networks continue to introduce new versions of this type of crime drama every fall (one day, "CSI: Provo" will star Donny Osmond, with Wilford Brimley as his crusty boss).

It's odd that Americans who complain of too many negative stories on the 10 p.m. news don't mind a big chunk of ghastly crime in prime time.

http://www.sltrib.com/tv/ci_3336145

fredfa

12-25-05, 10:54 AM

M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S !

H A P P Y C H A N U K A H!

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.

fredfa

12-25-05, 11:56 AM

The party's over
'MNF' ends ABC run with startling legacy

By Bob Raissman The New York Daily News

The greatest legacy ABC's "Monday Night Football" will leave is not a product of Howard Cosell or Don Meredith. Nor is it about Frank Gifford, Roone Arledge or Pete Rozelle.

When Al Michaels and John Madden preside at the funeral of ABC's "MNF" tomorrow night, as an audience of masochists suffers through Patriots-Jets, the greatest testimonial to "MNF," the second-longest running series in the history of TV, is this: The National Football League actually got ESPN to fork over $1.1 billion per year for eight years to purchase TV rights to "MNF" beginning in 2006.

To a television executive this is all that matters. All those sappy retrospectives make for nice reading and rekindle some fine memories, even if they do canonize some of the most miserable people in the business. And yet the fact that "MNF" is still worth an astronomical rights fee is the greatest tribute anyone can pay (and ESPN did, through the nose) to every man, woman and child who ever worked on the series.

The incredible monetary value attached to the series is even more impressive considering the institution that "MNF" once was has been dead for years. We can debate when the patient's heart stopped beating. We can quarrel over when "MNF" lost its big-event luster and stranglehold on the consciousness of the American viewer.

Some will argue things were never the same after Cosell, a man who could make an offsides penalty sound like a world crisis, quit on his "MNF" colleagues. That theory cannot be dismissed. In reality, there are many reasons leading to the NFL's decision to make "MNF" a cable property and turn "Sunday Night Football," which debuts on NBC in 2006, into its marquee prime-time product.

When "MNF" was born in 1970, viewers had only the three major networks as viewing options. By the time Cosell left, before the 1984 season, cable TV was fragmenting the audience. Even with the competition, "MNF" was a fixture in Nielsen's top 10 for the past 15 years. Problem was the rights fee the NFL charged ABC for "MNF" made it impossible for the series to make any money.

And as the years passed, and ABC continued swimming in red "MNF" ink, it was clear network suits were struggling in an effort to make "MNF" feel important again. After Cosell split, ABC brought in seven different analysts to try to create a buzz, including comedian Dennis Miller in 2000.

Perhaps the cruelest irony in all this is that over the past 10 years or so, ABC got stuck holding a bag full of bad games. Going into each season, ABC's sked looked good on paper, but by the time NFL mediocrity infected the product, the broadcasters were calling games that were neither compelling nor competitive.

So it is fitting that tomorrow night the curtain comes down with Patriots-Jets, which back in August may have looked like an attractive matchup, but now could turn out to be the lowest-rated game in the history of "MNF."

The fact ABC's "MNF" lasted more than three decades clearly reflects the cockeyed nature of the sports TV business. Here you had a network paying the NFL major dough for the right to broadcast what ultimately became a junk schedule. And now, ESPN is willing to pay even more to take it over.

It should be interesting. The NFL has always been smart about controlling its exposure, but is now on its way to oversaturation. Viewers will have NBC's Sunday night package and, in all likelihood, the NFL will add a package of seven Thursday night games. And, of course, there is Fox and CBS Sunday regional offerings as well as the package of games offered on satellite TV.

By the time Monday rolls around will anyone be ready for some football?

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/col/braissman/

fredfa

12-25-05, 01:32 PM

It is still not too late to vote -- the polls are still open!

(In case your ballot got lost in the Holiday mail pile.)

By the way, feel free to fill in as many – or as few – of the categories as you would like. A hint: Use this as a template. Just use the "quote" function, fill in your picks, undo the "quotes" and post your picks.

What – or Who -- Would You Pick?
The “Hot Off The Press” Best of 2005

It is the end of the year, and the TV columnists have been busy putting together their best and worst lists of 2005. But why should they have all the fun? Let’s join them. So, please post your favorites in the following categories:

Favorite three new network prime-time shows which debuted in anytime in 2005:

Favorite three new prime-time cable shows:

Favorite three veteran prime-time shows:

Favorite three veteran cable prime-time shows:

Favorite three TV actors:

Favorite three TV actresses:

Favorite TV sports production:

Favorite TV news program or (cable net) as the case may be:

Show the critics most overlook:

Show the critics most over-hype:

Actor who makes you cringe

Actress who makes you cringe

One former favorite which has lost your interest this season:

(For HD viewers only) Favorite program to show off your HD setup to friends and neighbors:

(For HD viewers only) Is there any show you enjoy so much you'd watch it even in SD?

If you would prefer anonymity, note your picks and send a PM – I’ll be happy to post your choices without your name attached. Your guilty pleasures will be safe with me!

fredfa

12-25-05, 02:38 PM

Off-Beat TV Picks for the Week Ahead
What says holidays like . . . monkeys?

By Peter Ames Carlin The (Portland) Oregonian Sunday, December 25, 2005

(Note: All times are Pacific, so check your local listings.)

A week that begins with a joyous observance of faith (choirs, cathedrals, vigorous demands for figgy pudding) ends in a night of drinking, debauchery and Carson Daly. Which makes a lot more sense than the sudden influx of monkeys on the TV schedule.

Yeah, that's right, monkeys.

No, I don't know what it means. I don't make up the TV schedule. I just report the facts and try to come up with a wisecrack or two.

Maybe it's the figgy pudding that attracts the simian types. Maybe you don't know the kind of ravenous hunger you'd have for figs, butter, brown sugar and milk until you've spent a day swinging and climbing ashcan-over-teakettle through the jungle. This is not a carefree existence, not even close. There are snakes, for one thing. Natives with blowguns. And a terrible case of Carson Daly envy. Because, really, what separates him from your average jungle-born ape?

And don't mention opposable thumbs, either. Not until you've taken a really close look at his hands.

TODAY

8 p.m. "Bobby Short at the Cafe Carlyle" (Ovation): No monkeys at the Carlyle. Not now, and especially not when Bobby Short, New York's favorite cafe singer, was holding court. He's gone now, but his charm -- and exquisite way with the American songbook -- live on.

MONDAY

9 p.m. "My Gym Partner Is a Monkey" (Cartoon Network): Again with the monkeys! This cartoon takes place at Charles Darwin High School, a public institution attended solely by animals. And one human kid who matriculates as a result of a computer error.

TUESDAY

8 p.m. "Wanted: Ted or Alive" (Outdoor Life): "Here I come again now, baby/Just like a dog in heat." Rock 'n' roll similes don't get more, uh, striking than that. And now Ted Nugent, aka the Motor City Madman, aka a rocker-turned-strangely charming survivalist wack-job, forces contestants to turn various indigenous creatures into sausage. Or else.

9:30 p.m. "Cops" (Court-TV): A repeat of one of the Portland-based episodes. So here's your chance to see your neighbors, friends and possibly yourself in all their drunk, disorderly and (most disturbingly) shirtless glory. People, please. If you must turn felonious, and ineptly so, put on a T-shirt. Or at least do some sit-ups first.

WEDNESDAY

9 p.m. "Bigfoot" (National Geographic Channel): A documentary about recent sightings of the biggest monkey ever. And he lives in the neighborhood. Or so they say.

SATURDAY

New Year's Eve: Hey, look, it's Dick Clark! And he's still doing New Year's Eve! I think I first uttered that sentence in 1976, when Dick's rockin' eve would have featured the likes of Chicago, Natalie Cole and maybe Starbuck ("Moonlight Feels Right"). The Monkey King only knows where those bands are tonight, but Dick Clark is still in Times Square for yet another "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve," (10 p.m., ABC), which reports from Times Square with performances by Mariah Carey, Duran Duran and the Pussycat Dolls. Meanwhile "NBC's New Year's Eve With Carson Daly" swings into 2006 with Mary J. Blige performing, all starting at 11:30 p.m. MTV gets into the act at 10:30 p.m., too, with "MTV's New Year of Music," with live performances from Kanye West, Shakira and Young Jeezy, among others.

Where are the Monkees tonight?

http://www.oregonlive.com/living/oregonian/peter_carlin/index.ssf?/base/living/113504192928430.xml&coll=7

fredfa

12-25-05, 03:57 PM

Moss, Cosell, the Bucs and the NFL's best rivalry

My top 5 MNF games

By Don Banks sportsillustrated.cnn.com

I'm not all misty-eyed for the passing of ABC's Monday Night Football, but after 36 seasons and many incarnations, it has earned its status as a pop culture icon. And now, once the Patriots and Jets tee it up this coming Monday, it'll be time to say good-bye.

Like any other kid growing up in the 1970s, I liked Monday Night Football for two reasons: Getting to stay up later than normal on a school night to watch the halftime highlights, and for one of the best pieces of opening theme music in TV history: "Duhnt-duhnt-duhnt-duh!!''

Say what you will about the announcers, the glitzy new formats ABC trotted out every few years, or the late nights that inevitably rolled into early Tuesday mornings, we did watch. We had to watch. It was must-see TV before they ever invented must-see TV.

Here are five of my favorite MNF memories:

1. Vikings 37, Packers 24, Oct. 5, 1998

This was the night that Randy Moss officially became the NFL's Next Big Thing. I was covering the game as the Vikings beat writer for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and while we knew by then that Minnesota's rookie receiver had some rare play-making skills, he hadn't really taken over a game quite like he did that night at cool and blustery Lambeau Field.

Moss, playing in just his fifth NFL regular-season game, caught five Randall Cunningham passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns (52 and 44 yards) as the stunned Packers fans saw the undefeated Vikings bring Green Bay's club-record 25-game home winning streak to a resounding end. Minnesota led 37-10 early in the fourth quarter, and I'll always remember how Moss and Cunningham (who finished with 442 yards passing) appeared to be playing their own personal game of pitch-and-catch.

2. Packers 12, Bucs 9, in OT, Dec. 12, 1983

This isn't a game that's going to make anyone's list but mine, but I was there in Tampa Stadium that night that Howard Cosell called his final Monday night game from ABC's booth. But that's not what made this late-season game between two also-rans memorable.

Leave it to Bucs head coach and noted quipster John McKay to do that. Tampa Bay, headed for a 2-14 season, lost to the Packers thanks to kicker Bill Capece missing both an extra point and a 35-yard fourth-quarter field goal attempt. Green Bay capitalized on Capece's miscues and tied the game on a Jan Stenerud field goal late in regulation, and won it on another Stenerud three-pointer early in overtime.

After the game, McKay was asked about his struggling kicker and got off one of his most inspired lines: "Capece is kaput. There will be no more field goals kicked by the Bucs this year, no matter what the score is. I'm tired of being crucified.''

Capece was cut soon after, and the next week, new kicker Dave Warnke missed a field goal and an extra point and shanked three kickoffs in a three-point loss at Detroit. Fed up with kickers, McKay then had 300-pound offensive tackle George Yarno kick the Bucs' final PAT of the season.

3. Dallas 31, Washington 30, Sept. 5, 1983

The Cowboys and Redskins played a bunch of thrillers on Monday night, and this was another classic in their heated rivalry. But it's remembered as the beginning of the end for Cosell, who said of diminutive Redskins receiver Alvin Garrett during one catch and run: "Look at that little monkey run!''

It was the season-opener of Cosell's final year in the MNF booth, and his comment drew a firestorm of criticism, given that Garrett is black. Cosell insisted that he has used the "little monkey'' label on short, fast white players in the past, and the record bore him out. But the damage was done, and Cosell never really seemed his confident, bombastic self again that season.

I was watching that night from the sports department of the St. Petersburg Times, while working my first newspaper job during college. I heard what Cosell said and knew instantly he had a controversy of his own doing on his hands. Within hours he had been denounced nationwide by a collection of voices, proving just how powerful and high profile the MNF platform had become.

4. Minnesota 31, Dallas 27, Jan. 3, 1983

You watched Monday Night Football because you never knew what you might see. Like the bored fan who flipped off the TV cameras in the Astrodome in the early 1970s, or the gruesome breaking of Joe Theismann's leg by Lawrence Taylor in 1985.

But no matter how much football you watched, how many times could you ever possibly hope to see a 99-yard touchdown run? But that's what Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett pulled off at the Metrodome on this night, racing down the right sideline for the longest run in NFL history.

I can still hear MNF's Don Meredith adding "and a half'' to Frank Gifford's excited call of the 99-yard ramble, which began on the Cowboys' one-half yard line. It was the final game of the strike-shortened 1982 regular season, and that once-in-a-lifetime play alone helped make up for the seven weeks we had endured without the NFL that fall.

5. Denver 17, Green Bay 14, Oct. 15, 1984

Was there every any better television in the history of MNF than the night an early-season Rocky Mountain snowstorm turned the Broncos-Packers game into the visual treat of all that Denver orange and blue (and Green Bay green and yellow) set off against a blanket of white? The game was played in a driving snowstorm that obscured the field under an ankle-deep layer of the white stuff.

As for the actual game, it was pretty much decided early, as Broncos defensive backs Steve Foley and Louis Wright both returned fumbles for touchdowns in the game's opening minute, before the Packers seemed to have their bearings in the cold.

Though the Broncos played host to many memorable games in the 1970s and '80s, the Snow Game was probably the signature moment of creaky old Mile High Stadium.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/don_banks/12/22/topfive.mnf

fredfa

12-25-05, 04:17 PM

Turning out the lights on Monday Night Football

BY Barry Horn The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS - Monday Night Football goes out with a whimper not a bang after 36 seasons on ABC. The 3-11 Jets against defending AFC champ Patriots in the finale makes it a stinker of a game.

The meaninglessness of the game, however, should ensure lots of reminiscing and schmoozing about the good old Monday Nights on ABC.

``It's a TiVo game,'' says MNF producer Fred Gaudelli. ``There's a lot of history in this.''

Dandy Don Meredith, who gained more fame in the MNF booth than under center for the Cowboys, will appear through the magic of videotape. His rendition of Willie Nelson's "The Party's Over" will turn out the lights for ABC.

Frank Gifford, who along with Meredith and the late Howard Cosell made up the signature Monday Night booth, will be along as well.

Cosell died in 1995. One can only imagine what his reaction would be to the demise of the institution that elevated him from sparring sessions with Muhammad Ali and made him a star.

Joe Goldstein, the legendary New York public relations man straight out of Damon Runyon and longtime Cosell confidant, thinks he knows.

"I don't think you could print what he would say," Goldstein said. "Needless to say, he'd be very disappointed."

Of course, Monday Night Football will march on next season courtesy of ESPN, whose cable reach is 90 million homes, about 20 million fewer than ABC.

Expect the drum beating to be deafening. No one is better at self-promotion than the self-proclaimed "worldwide leader in sports."

However, NBC, the new home of football on Sunday nights, has already fired the first shot at MNF on cable.

NBC is calling its effort Football Night in America.

The implication? Sunday is the more democratic night with the bigger potential audience.

You can be sure NBC will heavily promote John Madden moving from Monday to Sunday nights. The network will also remind how close Al Michaels came to joining him not for a bigger salary but rather a bigger stage.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/13477162.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

fredfa

12-25-05, 08:26 PM

The Serial Dramas
Tune In Next Week (but Log on Tomorrow)

By Kate Aurthur The New York Times December 25, 2005

While stand-alone procedural dramas like "CSI," "Without a Trace" and "House" are the backbone of the Nielsen Top 20, this year it was shows like "Lost," "Prison Break," and "24" that incited the most fervor in their audiences. Those series - with their baffling conspiracies, multifaceted plots and breathless tempos - required an unusual degree of commitment from viewers. To keep them engaged, or to reward their engagement, the networks use podcasts and episodes on mobile phones to seed discussions on message boards and fan Web sites, those global equivalents of water-cooler conversations.

It seemed that everyone wanted in on the act. The previous fall's "Lost," a hit for ABC, begat this fall's "Invasion," also on ABC, "Surface" on NBC and "Threshold" on CBS - all science fiction shows with similarly elaborate story arcs.

But nearing the season's midpoint, the only one of the new shows to grab the audience's imagination is "Prison Break" on Fox, in which an inscrutable hunk (Wentworth Miller) gets himself sent to jail in order to break out his brother (Dominic Purcell), who is on death row.

Why did "Prison Break" break out? One thing it shares with "Lost" is just-right pacing. A series about an escape timed to the ticking clock of an execution must dole out its action sparingly - which in the wrong hands can mean excruciatingly. But Paul Scheuring, the show's executive producer, has given a lot of thought to how to make viewers feel intrigued without making them feel frustrated. "You're always giving up something so they never feel like they're being ripped off, and you're introducing new mysteries that hopefully have equal interest," said Mr. Scheuring, who has painstakingly outlined the first two seasons. "It's a fine balance of storytelling."

Damon Lindelof, an executive producer of "Lost," wondered how that balance could be maintained. "There's a Catch-22 implicit in the serialized nature of that show, which is that they can never get out of prison," he said in a telephone interview. In other words, then what?

But when Mr. Lindelof isn't worrying about other people's shows, he's busy stitching together the countless narrative strands and obscure clues that make up each episode of "Lost." "Obviously," he explained, "it's our goal that when all is said and done, people will look at the entire puzzle and say: 'I can now watch the pilot and understand where the polar bears come from. They told me how Locke ended up in a wheelchair. They told me what Kate did.' " But that doesn't make it any easier to time those revelations. "We can only control how fast the car goes, but we have no brakes," he said.

Few serialized "mythology" shows have managed to tell a complex story in a way that is both satisfying and comprehensible throughout the entire run; more common are the examples like "Twin Peaks," which flamed out quickly, or "The X-Files," which underwent a painfully long unraveling. Carlton Cuse, who is also an executive producer of "Lost," said, "We do feel like we're a little bit in uncharted territory."

For longevity and viewer satisfaction, Fox's "24," which will begin its fifth season on Jan. 15, has turned its strict one-day-equals-one-season format into a surprisingly freeing device. The show's structure is more like a reality-show competition - an "American Idol" or a "Survivor" - than an epic arc: each season is a slow-motion sprint to the finish line. And then it restarts on a whole new day. (It's a format viewers might see more of next season: NBC has ordered a pilot called "Kidnapped," about an abducted teenager, and 20th Century Fox Television is developing "Crisis," a real-time series about terrorists at a Miami resort.)

Could "24" go on forever? Peter Liguori, Fox's president of entertainment, and the man who decides these things, said: "I look to the James Bond movies, where there is a compelling character at the core of every one of those stories. So with the assumption of the talent wanting to be with the show, yes."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/25/arts/television/25aurt.html?pagewanted=print

fredfa

12-25-05, 08:31 PM

A Critical View:
Awards show delivers with consistency

'Kennedy Center Honors' is the most elegant show of its type on television
By Hal Boedeker Orlando Sentinel Television Critic December 25, 2005

Oprah Winfrey salutes Tina Turner. Quincy Jones and k.d. lang honor Tony Bennett. Paul Newman, Willie Nelson and Glenn Close pay tribute to Robert Redford.

There's no lack of star power in the 28th edition of “The Kennedy Center Honors”, television's classiest awards show. CBS presents the program, which taped Dec. 4, on Tuesday. A network release explaining the event suggests CBS has another winner.

For the third year in a row, Caroline Kennedy hosts this celebration of career achievement in the arts. Lavish retrospectives unfold in this order for the five honorees: actor-director Redford, singer Bennett, actress Julie Harris, dancer Suzanne Farrell and rock superstar Turner.

The crowd shots are always a bonus. The Washington audience includes President Bush and first lady Laura Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Sen. Ted Kennedy.

Former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw begins the tribute to Redford and notes that some of the actor's roles were a stretch. "Does anyone believe it would take a million dollars for Demi Moore to run off with Robert Redford?" Brokaw asks.

Newman, Redford's co-star from The Sting, jokes about the tricks the two men have played on each other. Actress Close recounts her first meeting with Redford before filming The Natural. Country superstar Nelson sings "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys."

Quincy Jones says that Bennett has "always had this beautiful, sweet light and sound glowing over him.'' Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis plays Bennett's signature song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."

Then four singers honor Bennett: Vanessa Williams on "The Best Is Yet to Come," Diana Krall on "Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)," Grammy nominee John Legend on "For Once in My Life" and lang on "What a Wonderful World."

Kevin Spacey opens the tribute to Broadway actress Harris by saying, "I speak for the entire community of theater when I say we have admired her choices, her determination, her gift and her dedication to her craft."

Alec Baldwin, Mary-Louise Parker and Helen Mirren salute Harris with more glowing words. A splashy rendition of "Broadway Baby" unites Christine Baranski, Karen Ziemba, Leslie Uggams, Tyne Daly and Michele Lee, who co-starred with Harris on TV's Knots Landing.

In honoring Farrell, Jacques D'Amboise calls her a "demon of a dancer." The Suzanne Farrell Ballet Company performs George Balanchine's Divertimento No. 15.

Winfrey opens the Turner celebration by touching on one of the singer's best-known songs. "We don't need another hero," Winfrey says. "We need more heroines like Tina Turner."

Queen Latifah starts the musical tribute by singing "What's Love Got to Do With It."

Other singers tackle Turner's big hits: Melissa Etheridge on "River Deep, Mountain High," Beyonce on "Proud Mary" and Al Green on "Let's Stay Together."

Among awards shows, The Kennedy Center Honors usually offers a sublime experience. It looks as if the center has done it again.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/tv/orl-haltv2505dec25,0,3170231,print.story?coll=orl-caltvtop

fredfa

12-25-05, 08:41 PM

Best of 2005
2005 saw some provocative twists on the traditional

By Alan Sepinwall Newark Star-Ledger Sunday, December 25, 2005

Idiot box? Nah. Vast wasteland? Forget about it. The best television of 2005 managed to entertain at the same time it was stirring up debate about pressing social issues, including a space adventure that's really a 9/11 allegory, a foul-mouthed Western that looks at the roots of law and order in America and a high school drama about a cute blonde private eye whose cases always seem to revolve around the widening gap between the haves and the have-nots. Here are my picks, in descending order.

1. "Battlestar Galactica" (Sci-Fi): Our nation suffers a brutal attack by a group of religious zealots who believe they're God's chosen people. The military, civilian government and media spar over the proper way to wage war on the terrorists. The president starts invoking God at every turn to drum up voter support. Opinions are split when it's revealed that soldiers have been torturing prisoners of war.

The latest installment of "Frontline"? Try the remake of a cheezy '70s space opera. Producer Ronald Moore and a heavyweight cast led by Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell have reclaimed science fiction from the people who only saw it as an excuse for special effects and technobabble; they're using the spaceships and robots to comment on modern life in the way that sci-fi masters like Philip K. Dick and Rod Serling used to.

2. "Deadwood" (HBO): In Year Two of David Milch's social archaeology of the Old West, civilization came to Deadwood and actually made life in the camp worse, exemplified by serial killer dandy Francis Wolcott (Garrett Dillahunt), brutal pimp Mr. Lee (Philip Moon) and ruthless mining magnate George Hearst (Gerald McRaney). Kidney stones sidelined homicidal saloonkeeper Al Swearengen (Ian McShane) for several painful episodes; by the time he recovered, it was clear that his moral code was stronger than that of the more respectable Hearst.

3. "Veronica Mars" (UPN): Watch it simply as a series of mysteries involving the uncannily smart and composed title character (Kristen Bell), and this is still great television, capable of making you laugh, cry or gasp -- sometimes all three in the same scene. Plus, the first season satisfyingly wrapped up both of its main story arcs with the style and respect for the audience that's escaped bigger shows such as "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives." But Rob Thomas and his writers have higher ambitions than telling new Encyclopedia Brown or Nancy Drew stories. This show is upfront about wealth and class in a way that TV is usually afraid to address; both of season two's big arcs have let the rich and poor citizens of Neptune (a town where you either have servants or are one) take the idea of class warfare much too literally.

4. "Arrested Development" (Fox): How can you not love a comedy featuring a no-nonsense attorney named Bob Loblaw (say it five times fast), a loose seal biting the hand off of a boy-man obsessed with his mother Lucille, a tourist trap called Wee Britain where you drive on the wrong side of the road, a family pageant called Motherboy XXX, a racist ventriliquist dummy, a man with alopecia who wears dress eyebrows, a professional stand-in named Larry Middleman, and an in-denial gay psychiatrist who nearly died from bad hair plugs? Unfortunately, most of America had no problem at all not loving the surreal, intricately written misadventures of the Bluth family, which is why the comedy is on the brink of execution, barring an 11th-hour stay by another network like ABC or Showtime. But if this is the end, it was funny while it lasted.

5. "Sleeper Cell" (Showtime): It dragged in the middle, and the boss switcheroo in the final hours was a mistake, but "Sleeper Cell" worked as both white-knuckle thriller and thoughtful examination of being Muslim in America. When's the last time an action movie or TV show paid more than lip service to the ideals its heroes and villains are fighting for?

6. "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC): Soapy, silly and just a pleasure to watch, this hospital drama cobbles together the best elements of "ER" and "Friends" and powers the stories of competitive, sexually active surgical interns with the best soundtrack on television. One request for the new year: more of Miranda "The Nazi" Bailey (Chandra Wilson), TV's best no-foolishness character since Frank Pembleton on "Homicide."

7. "House" (Fox): The medical cases have become so routine that they're almost besides the point. (Though whoever had Nov. 29 in the pool for the first episode where a patient actually had vasculitis, congratulations.) The best moments of the show are less about identifying the disease of the week than they are about diagnosing the many antisocial tics of the good doctor. The writers have recognized that the brilliant Hugh Laurie will be funny and likable no matter what House does and says, so they've pushed the character's behavior deeper and deeper into the realms of the unacceptable. The "Three Patients" episode with Carmen Electra and the secret of House's limp was so dazzling it probably deserves its own spot on the list.

8. "The Daily Show" & "The Colbert Report" (Comedy Central): If you ever have reason to doubt what an amazing feat Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and company pull off four nights a week, trying checking out the increasingly pathetic spins that "Saturday Night Live" takes on the same material (government incompetency, blowhard talking heads) with a week's time or more. No matter how depressing the actual news gets, it's reassuring to know that these fake newsmen will always find a way to make us laugh about it.

9. "Bodies" & "Viva Blackpool" (BBC America): These two dramas, one bleak and one whimsical, were this year's highlights from the increasingly essential BBC America. "Bodies" depicted a hospital OB/GYN unit ruled by incompetency and bureaucracy with such unblinking focus that it was hard to watch without needing to scream at the television. "Viva Blackpool," meanwhile, paid homage to the late, great Dennis Potter ("Singing Detective") with a joyous, neon-lit murder mystery/musical hybrid.

10. "Rescue Me" (FX): In which creators Denis Leary and Peter Tolan seemed to go out of their way to alternate genius with idiocy. Plot threads appeared and disappeared at random, dramatic moments were undercut by cheap jokes and the female characters all devolved into misogynst caricature. And yet... and yet... moments like Tommy (Leary) inviting a beating to atone for the death of his son, or Chief Reilly (Jack McGee) breaking down over his wife's slide into dementia, or Sheila (Callie Thorne) being abused by her Tommy-esque girlfriend were done with such power and grace and raw emotion that it's almost okay to forgive all the knuckledragging moments. Almost.

Honorable mentions

"Lost," a gripping thriller and character drama when it isn't too busy guarding its own secrets;
Glenn Close playing sparring partner with "The Shield" star Michael Chiklis;
the finale of "Six Feet Under," which came awfully close to redeeming those last couple of seasons;
the finale of "Everybody Loves Raymond," which didn't need to redeem anything but should serve as a model for any sitcom approaching the end;
"Project: Greenlight," which found its strangest character yet in bath-obsessed director John Gulager;
"How I Met Your Mother," "The Office" and "Everybody Hates Chris," three great hopes for the future of TV comedy;
and the spring seasons of "Survivor" (Tom, Ian and Stephenie) and "The Amazing Race" (Rob and Amber vs. the world), both reality series in top form.

http://www.nj.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/columns-0/113548924710520.xml&coll=1

fredfa

12-25-05, 08:44 PM

Best of 2005
Honor roll

By Matthew Zoller Seitz Newark Star-Ledger Sunday, December 25, 2005

The best show of the year? What the #!@*)!! do you think?

My Top 10 list this year should probably carry an asterisk. While there were at least 10 programs, or groups of programs, worth watching every week -- and many more worth checking in on (see my "Honorable Mentions") -- my No. 1 selection, David Milch's HBO western "Deadwood," towered so far above the rest that I was tempted to put every other program in a tie for 10th place. That's not a knock against "Battlestar Galactica," "American Experience" and other formidable titles, just a frank admission that "Deadwood" is not just another program; it's a work of art, the next evolutionary step in series television, and the first drama since "Hill Street Blues" that I feel privileged to have been alive to see. For more evangelizing, read on.

1. "Deadwood" (HBO): After we're all dead and gone and every other program on this list has become an obscure cultural footnote, David Milch's wise, sad, brutal, sensual, linguistically daring, intricately plotted frontier drama will still be watched, analyzed, quoted and treasured. Not merely the greatest dramatic series ever made, but an evolutionary cultural signpost, as significant to television as "Ulysses" was to the novel and "Citizen Kane" to cinema: a work that gathers the medium's accumulated knowledge into one dazzling production, and adds a few innovations of its own. And it's funny, too.

2. "The Comeback" (HBO): The most unpopular, critically slandered and widely misunderstood great series in recent memory, this dark sitcom from producer Michael Patrick King ("Sex and the City") and co-producer-star Lisa Kudrow was cringe TV at its finest, a comic acid bath very few viewers were brave enough (or masochistic enough) to dip into. But the series amounted to more than a weekly display of wanton meanness. Every week it forced us to ask what, exactly, we want from our protagonists, human truth or audience-coddling fantasy. It divided our sympathies as few series dare, asking us to identify with and even cheer Kudrow's character, the ditsy, aging sitcom starlet Valerie Cherish, then letting her scheme, overreach and self-destruct so horribly that our first impulse was to turn away as if shielding our eyes from an obscenity. Like "I Love Lucy," "The Larry Sanders Show," the Canadian classic "More Tears," Steve Coogan's various Alan Partridge programs, and other great comedies that found spectacle in discomfort, "The Comeback" reminded us that comedy is tragedy that's happening to someone else, and that behind every joke, there's a grievance.

3. "Battlestar Galactica" (Sci-Fi): Everytime a new sci-fi series comes on the air, the producers trot out the same tired boilerplate about how theirs isn't a really sci-fi series, but a serious drama that just happens to include sci-fi elements. "Battlestar," now in its second season, is arguably the first high-profile sci-fi show since "Farscape" and the syndicated "Star Trek" series that earns the right to make such lofty claims. In fact -- brace yourself for heresy, kids -- this hard-edged, heavily allegorical series one-ups all preceding sci-fi series by refusing to coddle any of its protagonists in order to make them "relatable." Like 1970s movie heroes, the "Battlestar" crew can be stubborn, deluded, manipulative, childish and dishonest, but the show never cares if you approve; it only asks that you find their behavior believable and interesting, and find cultural, political and theological insight in the series' broad-brushstroke action plots.

4. "American Experience" (PBS): So consistently intelligent and engrossing that one tends to take it for granted, this public TV war-horse had one of its best years ever, airing original and insightful looks at the moon race, the 1927 Louisiana flood, country music's legendary Carter family and the history and cultural significance of Las Vegas.

5. "Veronica Mars" (UPN): If "Deadwood" is a weekly symphony, each episode of the high school gumshoe series "Veronica" is like a new single by a beloved bunch of garage band rockers: three chords plus guts. Alternately smart-alecky, morose, absurd, soapy and politically aware (if the show cared any more about class, its actors would have to start speaking in English accents), it's the most serious fun show on TV.

6. "American Masters" (PBS): The veteran arts series mounted a 20th season that ranked with its very best. There were thorough, lively looks at Ernest Hemingway, Lucille Ball, Samuel Goldwyn, Hank Williams, Willa Cather and Ralph Ellison. And there was a four hour epic on Bob Dylan, directed by Martin Scorsese, that did double-duty as a psychologically astute biography of Dylan and a revealing analysis of how young performers create fresh styles and personas by combining early influences -- a subject that arguably only an artist of Scorsese's stature could have explored with such empathy and exactness.

7. "Frontline" and "Frontline World" (PBS): This year, topics included the evolution of Christianity, the secret history of credit cards, the ethics of torture, the blight of prostitution in India, the effect of global warming on the South Pacific, the historical aftershocks of the O.J. Simpson verdict, a portrait of the Bush administration's photo op mastermind Karl Rove and multiple hours on the Iraq war, the War on Terror and the painful, ongoing complexities of Mideast politics. These two sister series aren't just doing consistently outstanding news reports; at times they seem to be single-handedly propping up a tradition of sober-minded inquiry that's all but vanished from network TV news.

8. "Adult Swim" (Cartoon Network): Why put this programming bloc on the list? First, because it's more surprising, daring and funny than any other regular programming bloc on commercial TV, and second, because it offers some of the most formally daring pop art you'll see anywhere on TV. From established freakshows like "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" and "Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law" to repeats of "Futurama" and "Family Guy" to new additions "12 Oz. Mouse" and "The Boondocks," there isn't a single program that doesn't prompt a visceral reaction, everything from "Genius!" to "That's the dumbest thing I've ever seen." (And yes, sometimes both.)

9. "Weeds" (Showtime): Just when you thought seriocomic looks at suburban life had nothing new to say (cough cough, "Desperate Housewives"), along comes this Showtime series about a widowed suburban pot dealer and her ever-growing client list, which plays like "Goodfellas" meets "thirtysomething." Refreshingly, this series doesn't bother ripping the façade from suburban life because it knows there hasn't been a façade in decades -- just a jumbled community full of quirky individuals balancing responsibility with desire, and doing whatever gets them though the night.

10. Jack's Big Music Show" (Noggin): Imagine a cross between "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood," "The Muppet Show" and Leonard Bernstein's "Young People's Concerts," and you sense the appeal of this brilliantly simple new children's series, which goes beyond stale pronouncements about the history and creation of popular music, and actually breaks it down in terms that even preschoolers can grasp.

Honorable mentions

To "Lost" (ABC), for being passionate, thrilling and eerie even when it's repeating itself and yanking our chain;
"Nightline" (ABC), for letting departing host Ted Koppel go out with freedom and dignity, and revamping the format without sacrificing seriousness;
"The Daily Show" (Comedy Central) for combining news, satire, media criticism and avant-garde conceptual humor;
"The Colbert Report" (Comedy Central), for daring to give a brilliant clown four shows a week to play around with;
"Unscripted" (HBO), "Forty Deuce" (Bravo) and "Project Greenlight" (Bravo) for their insight into the creative process and their merciless depiction of the artist's life;
"Sometimes in April" (HBO) and [FONT=ARIAL BLACK][COLOR=red] "Yesterday" (HBO), for dramatizing recent African tragedies with grace and power; and
"Rescue Me" (FX), for its rambunctious slapstick, droll banter and fearless acting.

http://www.nj.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/columns-0/113548922410520.xml&coll=1

fredfa

12-25-05, 08:47 PM

Critic’s Notebook
One Commercial More

By John Eggerton bcbeat.com

"Roast em' on an open fire" my nine year old daughter, Virginia, said to me. So here goes.

I was watching Cartoon Network Christmas Eve with my kids because I love Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol so much that I am willing to sit through commercials every five minutes to hear the songs "Hand for Each Hand" or Lord's Bright Blessing." It really is marvelous television and the best musical setting of the Carol ever. Period. Bar None. End of Discussion.

I appreciate that Cartoon's "Christmas Rush" marathon is a commercial venture more than a gift to my kids, but the rush was mostly about the endless ads than the shows sandwiched between them, so much so that even my kids noticed it.

But there's was low dudgeon compared to mine when they cut the beautiful Julie Styne song, The Winter Was Warm, to shoehorn in a promo for all the other Christmas shows they were going to pepper with so many ads and promos that continuity was as distant a dream as peace on earth.

How about a Christmas Eve marathon where the present to kids is far fewer ads? I know, that is like asking retailers to close down the week before Christmas to allow their employees to volunteer for the homeless. Nice idea, but impractical.

So, thanks for the Carol, but I could have done with a couple more verses.

http://www.bcbeat.com/

fredfa

12-25-05, 09:44 PM

Best of 2005: The Characters
Lies and the Lying Doctors and Cons Who Tell Them

By Virginia Heffernan The New York Times December 25, 2005

GREGORY HOUSE ('HOUSE') Fox's great diagnostician contends that everybody lies; he was lying when he said that. The writing is witty here, and the English comic Hugh Laurie, as a jerky pill-popping genius, is among few television actors who can sell those scary things called witticisms.

T-BAG ('PRISON BREAK') A white supremacist who likes to initiate a new convict into the ways of the big house with a welcoming rape, Robert Knepper's Theodore Bagwell is the most depraved of the would-be prison-breakers. He's also adroit at fake penance, as when he seemed to surrender to Abruzzi, only to rise up and slit his throat. The most "Oz"-like of the inmates, T-Bag keeps "Prison Break" rough - and prevents the Fox show from getting too "Shawshank."

ARI GOLD ('ENTOURAGE') He's so smug, you almost don't want to give it to him. But Jeremy Piven's devil agent, as he rose and fell, stole the show this season on "Entourage": the MySpace generation gets its own Gordon Gekko.

SUSIE GREENE ('CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM') She's as bothersome as Larry, and far more vulgar, but - ingeniously - she hoards the moral authority on this show. Nobody plays the suspicious, carping Best Friend's Wife like Susie Essman.

KRISTIN ('LAGUNA BEACH: THE REAL ORANGE COUNTY') Eve Harrington in the O.C. This season, Kristin - a real™ person, according to MTV - trounced her rival, Lauren, and seized the narration of the molten-looking teenage reality series. Something in her feral jockiness made her a male fantasy, and the beach boys pined.

CHRISTIAN TROY ('NIP/TUCK') First, do harm. On FX's drama of highly paid slashwork, the bad doctor Troy is beauty's apostle and its victim. And as the killer Carver says, beauty is a curse upon the world. Understand? Julian McMahon, as Christian the womanizer, is the master of the show's portentous palaver and grim fun.

JOHN LOCKE ('LOST') This onetime paraplegic has become a philosopher king on the enchanted island of "Lost." This season, Terry O'Quinn's Locke went down his precious hatch at last - and a bullet seemed to bounce off his temple. He'd better be invincible: Mr. O'Quinn is the ranking actor here, and Locke's the sober scoutmaster to the rowdy kids of the ill-fated fuselage.

NANCY BOTWIN ('WEEDS') Television's most interesting drug dealer is no longer on "The Wire." Instead, she's nicey Nancy of Agrestic, Calif., a lovely and convenient planned community for families. To the role of pot-lady amid the ticky-tack, Mary-Louise Parker brings both sweetness and spiritual exhaustion.

AL SWEARENGEN ('DEADWOOD') The foul-mouthed Deadwood boss, has made an art of delivering his most turbulent, virtuoso monologues while receiving oral sex. It's that kind of show. And Ian McShane - florid, roiling and grandiose as Swearengen, HBO's Melvillean antihero - is the id of the id.

TYRA BANKS ('AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL') She's only superficially girlfriendy; what makes Tyra a great character are her Solomonic verdicts on beauty and ferocity. Forget (of course) "You're fired." Tyra can make the most cumbersome tagline in television history - "You're still in the running towards becoming America's next top model" - sound fierce.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/25/arts/television/25heff.html?pagewanted=print

fredfa

12-25-05, 10:19 PM

Best of 2005
Gold Watches

Entertainment Weekly

Here’s what made our list of 2005's best moments on ''American Idol,'' ''The Apprentice,'' and other shows in our weekly TV Watch.

10. On American Idol, Bo sings an a cappella version of ''In a Dream'' ''Bo's decision to toss caution — and backing instruments — to the wind paid off more than I'd have ever expected, as the Alabama native showed off his ability not only to hit listeners' guts but also to hit even the trickiest notes with total authority. Much like Fantasia's season 3 'Summertime,' it was the kind of star-making turn that renders the results of the competition irrelevant for Mr. Bice.'' —Michael Slezak

9. On 24, tech nerd Chloe discovers her inner action heroine and blows away some bad guys ''24 has never been the most progressive of TV shows when it comes to women, and giving them weapons and letting them pump a few rounds of lead isn't the most creative way to render them 'strong.' But as a general rule, snarky computer analysts with mousy looks and Big Ass Guns totally rock!!'' —Jeff Jensen

8. On Dancing With the Stars, Kelly Monaco nearly loses the top half of her dress, mid-dance .. I predicted a wardrobe malfunction for the sultry soap star, so it only took me a few seconds to recognize what was happening when she began clutching her breasts at inappropriate moments midway through her 'Bailamos' samba. Now, normally, I wouldn't recommend that judges hand out 8s and 9s to a dancer just for keeping her top on, but in this case Monaco seriously earned her applause.'' —MS

7. Survivor: Guatemala The guys get violently ill ''The Nakúm tribe won and received a flint and the superior camp, but then Blake starting puking his guts out. Or was it Jim? Or was it Judd? Oh, right — it was all three! But even that barforama was tame compared with Bobby Jon, who I honestly thought for a split second might go and die on us. That whole eyes-rolling-back-in-his-head thing was eerie.'' —Dalton Ross

6. Praying all the way, good guys Uchenna and Joyce edge out the sneaky (and already rich) Rob and Amber in the season finale of The Amazing Race ''The idea of someone really thinking God might invest anything in deciding who wins a reality show seems a bastardization of religion. And yet with this one ending so moralistically, I thought just maybe God had something to do with it. I mean, if I were God, I'd certainly think, 'I usually don't get involved, but if Uchenna and Joyce don't win this, then I'm really a douchebag.''' —Josh Wolk

5. Narm! On Six Feet Under, Nate suffers a post-adultery seizure ''As vital as Nate has been to Six Feet Under throughout its five seasons, is there anyone out there who'd be all that sad to see him reach his final destination? Especially after his completely unforgivable decision to sleep with, as his pregnant wife so eloquently put it, 'that sappy little ferret Maggie.' Or the way he repeatedly referred to his unborn daughter with the kind of detachment you'd expect in a discussion about, oh, which type of can opener you ought to buy in the kitchen aisle at the local Target.'' —MS

4. On Desperate Housewives, Bree changes Rex's tie in the coffin at his funeral ''The she-devil was in the details — and the pitch-perfect performance of the incomparable Marcia Cross. The hilarity and the credibility of Bree's wordless transformation from heartbroken widow to borderline psychopath could've easily been derailed if, say, Rex's prep-school tie hadn't been quite so orange, or so hideously adorned with that blasted crest. Or if the episode's director hadn't allowed the camera to linger on Bree as she propped her late husband's torso upward as casually as one might, say, fold an airplane seat table. Or if Cross's body language and facial expression hadn't been so marvelously hungry as Bree scanned the throat of every man in the church for the perfect pinch-hitting accessory.'' —MS

3. On Britney and Kevin: Chaotic, Ms. Spears provides videotaped evidence of how one pair of body parts resembles another: ''She focused the camera on her knees and said, 'They look just like boobs. But they're not. They're my knees!' and then shrieked with laughter. One wonders, what about this intensely banal moment made her tell her editors to include it in the show? You could start by blaming an askew perspective conditioned by a short lifetime spent surrounded by parasitic giggling hairstylists and publicists to whom she only has to say, 'Milk, milk, lemonade, round the corner, fudge is made,' and they'll crap their pants laughing. And yet, Tom Hanks probably gets his ass kissed wherever he goes, but you don't see him making a TV show where he plays the game 'Earlobes or testicles?' '' —JW

2. On Lost, Shannon is shot by Ana Lucia after following a vision of Walt into the jungle ''As my friend Liz pointed out, Shannon engaged in some high-risk behavior this episode: She had sex with Sayid and later declared her love for him. She was redeemed by her sad flashbacks (in which her dad dies and her Wicked Stepmom attempts to crush her ballerina dreams). Then she went running through the jungle in the rain. 'And she didn't listen to Creepy Wet Walt! Creepy Wet Walt told her to shut up. She didn't listen, and she went screaming off towards him. People who don't listen to Creepy Wet Walt... are dumb.''' —Scott Brown

1. On the season finale of The Apprentice, winner Randal rejects Donald Trump's suggestion to also hire runner-up Rebecca: ''There it was. The moment of truth. The time for Randal to step up and do a very gentlemanly thing. But his response was, 'No, Mr. Trump. It's not called The Apprenti. There should only be one.' And to light boos from the audience and quite the look of surprise on Trump's face, that was how we ended. Randal gets a job. And then given the chance to hire the extraordinarily smart and competent Rebecca, he falls, blazing, onto the sword of his tragic, tragic pride.'' —Whitney Pastorek

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/commentary/0,6115,1143898_3_0_,00.html

keenan

12-25-05, 10:51 PM

Best of 2005
Gold Watches

Entertainment Weekly

9. On 24, tech nerd Chloe discovers her inner action heroine and blows away some bad guys ''24 has never been the most progressive of TV shows when it comes to women, and giving them weapons and letting them pump a few rounds of lead isn't the most creative way to render them 'strong.' But as a general rule, snarky computer analysts with mousy looks and Big Ass Guns totally rock!!'' —Jeff Jensen

That was definitely a scream out loud, "Yeah, Chloe!!" scene, without a doubt a 24 classic.

Thanks for all these favorites lists, it's nice to be reminded of a lot of the very, very good TV that was on this year.

It's good to see that more and more folks are really starting to "get it" when it comes to what Battlestar Galactica is really all about.

P.S. Can't wait until Jan 15, The Jack Bauer Power Hour is back!!! :) :D

fredfa

12-26-05, 12:21 AM

I agree Jim, but I am usually a bit dismayed at how elitist these lists tend to be.

So many of the critics seemingly wouldn't caught dead enjoying anything their fellow critics might chide them about -- or that millions of Americans seem to like.

But every once in a while one of them lets something slip -- that is what makes it fun for me to read (and post) them all.

tall1

12-26-05, 03:35 AM

What – or Who -- Would You Pick?
The “Hot Off The Press” Best of 2005

It is the end of the year, and the TV columnists have been busy putting together their best and worst lists of 2005. But why should they have all the fun? Let’s join them. So, please post your favorites in the following categories:

Favorite three new network prime-time shows which debuted in anytime in 2005:
Medium
Grey's Anatomy
My Name is Earl

Favorite three new prime-time cable shows:
Extras
Weeds
Unscripted

YFavorite three veteran prime-time shows:
Lost
24
Arrested Development

Favorite three veteran cable prime-time shows:
Sopranos
Six Feet Under
Entourage

Favorite three TV actors:
James Gandolfini
Michael Imperioli
Jason Bateman

YFavorite three TV actresses:
Kristen Bell
Rachel Bilson
Mädchen Amick

Favorite TV sports production:
The Masters

Favorite TV news program or (cable net) as the case may be:
Hannity & Combs

Show the critics most overlook:
King of Queens

Show the critics most over-hype:
Commander In Chief

Actor who makes you cringe
none

Actress who makes you cringe
Geena Davis

One former favorite which has lost your interest this season:
(TIE) Desperate Housewives / Two and a Half Men

(For HD viewers only) Favorite program to show off your HD setup to friends and neighbors:
Lost

(For HD viewers only) Is there any show you enjoy so much you'd watch it even in SD?
Veronica Mars (local UPN doesn't broadcast HD)

Thanks Fred for making this TV season so much fun.

DoubleDAZ

12-26-05, 09:38 AM

Thanks Fred for making this TV season so much fun.Ditto here! I joined this thread really late, but it sure has been entertaining and informative. It's now the first one I read at least 3 times a day; before work, after work, and before bed (and a lot of other times in between work and bed).

fredfa

12-26-05, 09:58 AM

Sports On TV
Final 'Monday Night Football' tonight

The party's over after tonight for ABC and its 36 years of 'Monday Night Football”
Dave Darling Orlando Sentinel Staff Writer December 26, 2005

They said it would never work.

The NFL in prime time?

Come on. In 1970, ABC would stand a better chance of putting water in a bottle and trying to sell it.

After all, who would possibly want to watch the NFL at night when you could be watching Here's Lucy, The Doris Day Show or Laugh-In? There simply was no room for professional football in the mix. The NFL was meant to be played on Sunday. . . . during the day.

That is, until Commissioner Pete Rozelle and ABC Sports President Roone Arledge came up with the bold idea to put the NFL on the air every Monday night.

Arledge's dream was to create an "entertainment spectacle." His vision included doubling the number of cameras (to six), putting three broadcasters together in the booth and making extensive use of a relatively new technology called "instant replay."

Critics saw it as a desperate move by a struggling network. Others saw it as ingenious.

"I thought it was a good idea because pro football really had a lot of momentum at the time," said Frank Gifford, who worked Monday night games for ABC for 27 seasons. "ABC really had nothing to lose."

So on Sept. 21, 1970, the Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets took to the field on a sultry night at Municipal Stadium for what would be the first of 557 Monday Night Football games on ABC.

Don-don-don-dah!

And Monday Night Football became an overnight sensation. . . . a cultural phenomenon.

For 36 years it has provided a playoff atmosphere every week.

For 36 years it has been center stage for the game's greatest stars.

For 36 years, it has extended our NFL weekend one more day.

Tonight, ABC will televise its final MNF game. Beginning next season, the games shift to sister network ESPN.

"It was talked about everywhere," said Gifford, who joined Howard Cosell and Don Meredith in the booth in 1971 as MNF's play-by-play announcer. "It wasn't just a game. It was an event."

Indeed, Monday Night Football has become a piece of Americana.

The original prime-time reality show is the second-longest running nighttime show behind 60 Minutes.

It came long before the days of ESPN and 24-hour-a-day sports networks, altering the sports-programming schedule forever. Soon the World Series would be in prime time and the Olympics would move to night hours for good.

"It really got the ball rolling in that direction," Gifford said. "People didn't expect us to do well. But ABC ended up owning Monday nights and it led to more prime-time sports."

Tonight, ABC turns out the lights for the final time.

At long last, the party's over.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/tv/orl-mnf2605dec26,0,2363044,print.story?coll=orl-caltvtop

fredfa

12-26-05, 10:05 AM

Sports On TV
Turn out the lights

The party's over for 'Monday Night Football' on ABC after a 36-year run as the show that became a part of pop culture moves to ESPN in 2006
By Bob Hohler The Boston Globe Staff December 26, 2005

A casket bearing the bombastic pundit who revolutionized television sports broadcasting and helped alter American pop culture with his provocative role on ABC's ''Monday Night Football" rests in a New York cemetery beneath a headstone etched with a passage from the poem, ''Ode to a Nightingale."

''My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains my sense," reads Howard Cosell's epitaph.

Cosell recited the line during a ''Monday Night Football" game 25 years ago as he broke the news of John Lennon's murder and helped the nation confront its grief.

Sometime late tonight, ABC's ''Monday Night Football" also shall pass. After 36 seasons as one of the brightest stars in the galaxy of sports broadcasting -- a reign rich in innovation, inanity, and indelible memories -- the second-longest-running program in prime-time history will expire moments after the scoreboard clock at Giants Stadium runs out on a game between the Patriots and New York Jets.

Cause of death: Sagging ratings, financial losses, and a drowsy numbness that has seeped into the broadcast since Cosell's heyday in the announcer's booth with Frank Gifford and ''Dandy" Don Meredith. The program, eclipsed in prime-time longevity only by CBS's ''60 Minutes," is scheduled to begin a new incarnation next year before a smaller audience on ESPN.

''It was an event that defined a country's culture," said former Patriot Russ Francis, whose fame the Monday night broadcast wildly enhanced. ''Wherever I go in the world -- Morocco, Korea, Germany -- when people find out I played American football, they say, 'Monday Night Football.' It will be sad to see it go."

When the show debuted in 1970, television viewers had never seen anything like it. NFL games became a springboard for such a wacky celebration of sport and society that when the Patriots hosted their first Monday night contest, they hired a stuntman, Jumpin' Joe Gerlach, to plunge out of a hot air balloon.

''I thought, 'This is 'Monday Night Football,' if I ever saw it,' " said Upton Bell, then the Patriots' general manager. ''The show was more than a game. It was an entertainment product. The only thing missing was Cecil B. DeMille."

Gerlach, a former Olympic high diver, plummeted through a strong crosswind toward a small mat in Schaefer Stadium Nov. 6, 1972, as the Patriots and Colts prepared to open the second half. On impact, Gerlach ignited an explosive device, then lay motionless for several seconds amid a cloud of smoke and an eerie silence. Finally, he sprang to his feet.

''It was the highlight of the game," Bell said. ''They kept showing replays, with Cosell asking Meredith, 'What do you think of that, Danderoo?' "

At first, the broadcast venture itself seemed as risky as Gerlach's dive. ABC reluctantly agreed to air the show only after CBS opted to stick with its Monday night hits, ''The Doris Day Show" and ''Here's Lucy," and NBC chose to continue riding its ratings bonanza, ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In."

Yet ABC concocted a formula for the show that both pioneered regular sports programming in prime time and created a ratings juggernaut. The trick was pairing Cosell, a brash, ''tell-it-like-it-is" commentator, with Meredith, a quick-witted, twangy Texan and former Pro Bowl quarterback. Meredith's musings (''Isn't Fair Hooker a great name?" he wondered aloud of a Cleveland receiver) balanced Cosell's biting monologues, while Gifford provided the play-by-play -- and a calming influence.

''People remember Don being a country bumpkin, which he wasn't, and Howard being a pain in the , which he was," Gifford said. ''I was the law and order."

[B]Star-studded affair

The television universe in 1970 was limited to little more than three major networks. Only 7 percent of American homes received basic cable, and nine years would pass before ESPN hit the airwaves. So, when ABC rolled out a slickly produced, prime-time football show with a trio of announcers who broke the mold of their traditionally reverential predecessors, male viewers led the stampede to the program.

'' 'Monday Night Football' served as an ambassador for the sport, bringing in a lot of nonfootball fans and helping the league leapfrog the other sports on television," said Randy Vataha, a Patriots receiver in the 1970s who now serves as president of Boston-based Game Plan LLC. ''It was the best marketing tool the NFL ever had."

The show became a celebrity magnet for the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Placido Domingo, Burt Reynolds, John Denver . . . and Kermit the Frog.

The most fascinating episode, however, involved Lennon and President Ronald Reagan, then governor of California. Each figure embodied part of the cultural divide of the time, Lennon the protesting pacifist pop star, Reagan the hard-line conservative leader. Gifford had invited them to appear on the same show in the early '70s, assuming Lennon would be a no-show.

To Gifford's surprise, he looked over his shoulder during the broadcast and spotted the two waiting together.

''Governor Reagan had his arm around John Lennon and he was explaining American football to him," Gifford said. ''Only on 'Monday Night Football' would you get those two guys, who were poles apart, united."

Their appearance prompted some swift maneuvering by Cosell, who initially planned to interview Reagan but anticipated the audience's keener interest in Lennon.

''Giffer," Gifford recalled Cosell abruptly stating, ''you take the governor and I'll take the Beatle."

Meredith, who was not available for an interview, described the program in those days as ''Mother Love's Traveling Freak Show." He had started a broadcast in Denver by saying, ''Welcome to the Mile High City, and I really am." And he projected a similar image near the end of most lopsided contests when he crooned, ''Turn out the lights, the party's over."

Wherever they went, Cosell and crew were treated like rock stars. Mayors doled out keys to their cities. Autograph-seekers swarmed them. Newspapers and television stations reported on their arrivals, their itineraries, their performances.

''They were the Mick Jagger and U2 of their time," Bell said.

Until the end, Cosell was a lightning rod, revered by countless viewers, reviled by countless others. His grandson, Colin Cosell, said Cosell's daughter, Jill, sometimes watched until the final minute of every broadcast to be sure no one tried to carry out one of the numerous threats on her father's life.

''He constantly received death threats, either because he was Jewish or people disagreed with his opinions or just got fed up with his nasally voice," said Colin, whose birth Cosell announced on the show in 1979. ''But, for all his faults, he stuck to his guns and told it like it was."

Francis once irked Cosell by asking him to drop the nickname Cosell had created and had helped make Francis famous: ''All-World." Francis tried telling Cosell his football brethren, including his teammates, so resented the nickname they ''wanted me dead."

''Listen to me and listen to me carefully, No. 81," Francis recalled an angry Cosell saying. ''Get tough or get out -- quick."

Cosell later asked Francis to baby-sit his grandchildren at a hotel pool while Cosell attended a pregame production meeting. The request led to trouble when Cosell returned so late that Francis missed a Patriots meeting, incurring the wrath of coach Chuck Fairbanks.

''What are you doing splashing around in the pool with these critters?" Fairbanks barked, according to Francis. ''Get your fanny in the meeting now."

Not until Cosell's funeral in 1995 did Francis learn that Cosell had paid the fine Fairbanks planned to impose on Francis.

''People talk about what a blowhard he was," Francis said, ''but he was a fine gentleman."

Personality changes

In one of the most poignant moments on ''Monday Night Football," Cosell helped pay tribute in 1979 to Francis's former roommate, Darryl Stingley, when Stingley returned for the first time to Foxborough after Raiders safety Jack Tatum rocked him a year earlier in Oakland, leaving him a quadriplegic. The crowd gave Stingley a seven-minute ovation, twice preventing the game from resuming.

''I spent a lot of time before then dealing with the demons -- the whys and what-fors," Stingley said in a phone interview from Chicago. ''But the people were so overwhelming in their support that night, it was truly the launching pad that sent me back out into the world."

As for Cosell, Stingley said, ''I had heard so many negative things about him, but I found him to be genuine in his compassion. I'll never forget him for that."

In an ironic twist, Cosell's reign on Monday nights ended not long after he described a play involving Redskins receiver Alvin Garrett in 1983 by saying, ''Look at that little monkey go."

An outspoken supporter of civil rights, Cosell said he would have used the same term to describe a white player. Many black leaders also defended him. But Cosell did not return for the '84 season, and the program never reclaimed its ratings dominance, despite consistently ranking among the top network programs through this season.

''It's still part of American culture, but back in those days it was a prime-time spectacular," said Bill Fine, president and general manager of Channel 5, Boston's ABC affiliate. ''Back then, it was much more of an event for the nation."

Meredith lasted one season after Cosell's departure. Gifford stayed until 1997, a 27-year run in which he worked with 11 on-air personalities, including Al Michaels, O.J. Simpson, Joe Namath, and Lesley Visser, the former Boston Globe sportswriter who became the first of five women sideline reporters on ''Monday Night Football."

While the program lost much of its original pizzazz -- particularly when the curtain fell on the halftime highlights Cosell narrated as if they were footage from a battlefront -- the crews that followed Cosell and Meredith managed to mix some humor with their weekly football feast. Visser, for example, once teased Michaels about his obsession with special prosecutor Kenneth Starr's inquiry into President Bill Clinton's relationship with Monica Lewinsky.

After interviewing former Packer great Bart Starr during a game in Green Bay, Visser threw the broadcast back to Michaels by saying, ''There you have it, Al, the Starr report."

By the mid-1980s, ''Monday Night Football" began to steadily decline in the ratings, ultimately prompting ABC to take another risk in 2000 by tossing comedian Dennis Miller into the booth with Michaels and retired quarterback Dan Fouts. Miller and Fouts lasted only two seasons before ABC pared its three-man crew in the booth to two, Michaels and John Madden.

''The show became a game of musical chairs, with a lot of failed on-air experiments," Colin Cosell said.

The final bow

In recent years, the once-mighty broadcast continued to rank among the top 10 prime-time programs but began lagging behind a head-to-head competitor, ''Everybody Loves Raymond." Cable television's array of viewing options increasingly sapped the show of its ratings clout, and even Gifford stopped watching every game (he said he missed last Monday's).

''MNF is like virtually everything in traditional media, weakened by the explosion of technology and the fractionalization of the media landscape," said Tim Spengler, executive vice president and director of national broadcast for Initiative, one of the nation's top ad-buying firms.

Gifford, who plans to attend tonight's game, said he initially persuaded Meredith to join him. But Meredith, who cherishes his privacy, reneged, instead agreeing to appear in taped segments from his home in New Mexico.

''I told him to take off the freaking cowboy hat and the dark glasses and nobody would recognize him," Gifford said. ''But I guess he feels less of an obligation to be there than I do."

Michaels and Madden will work the broadcast together for the last time, as Michaels prepares to move to ESPN with the Monday night crew and Madden joins NBC for a new Sunday night football game. (Joe Theismann, the former Redskins quarterback who suffered a memorable career-ending injury on ''Monday Night Football" in 1985, will replace Madden on Monday nights.)

Disney, which owns both ABC and ESPN, has scheduled a party at 2 a.m., after tonight's broadcast. Revelers will toast one of the craziest adventures in sports broadcasting, a national phenomenon that began when the (Boston) Patriots played their home games at Harvard Stadium, Bill Belichick was an 18-year-old senior at Phillips Academy in Andover, and gas was 36 cents a gallon.

The Disney execs still believe so deeply in Monday night football that they paid the NFL $1.1 billion a year over the next eight years to broadcast the games on ESPN, double the price of ABC's final contract. But no one expects either the new ESPN or NBC broadcast to generate the buzz Cosell and Co. once created.

''Unless your team is playing in it, it may be just another game," said Jason Mittell, a professor of media studies at Middlebury College. ''I have a hard time imagining it will become as iconic as [ABC's] 'Monday Night Football.' "

http://www.boston.com/sports/articles/2005/12/26/turn_out_the_lights?mode=PF

fredfa

12-26-05, 10:08 AM

Sports On TV
20 Years Later, Theismann Revisits Replay

By Richard Sandomir The New York Times December 26, 2005

ASHBURN, Va., Dec. 22 - It was one of the ghastliest sports injuries captured on television, and Joe Theismann had spent 20 years avoiding the replay. He would turn his head if clips were being shown of the tackle by Lawrence Taylor that snapped his right leg during ABC's broadcast of "Monday Night Football."

Although he initially agreed to watch a tape of that Giants-Redskins game with a reporter, Theismann then resisted. "Why would I want to watch that?" he said. But after a break, he returned to a viewing room in the Redskins' complex, where he works out and is a regular visitor.

"O.K.," he said, sounding nearly eager to see the play that ended his playing career. "Let's do this. It's been long enough."

Theismann's belated reminiscence came four days before ABC's "Monday Night" finale - the Patriots against the Jets at Giants Stadium - after 36 seasons. ABC has two wild-card playoff games and the Super Bowl left, but the Monday night games will shift next year to ESPN, for whom Theismann has called Sunday night games since 1988. He will call "Monday Night" with Al Michaels, the show's play-by-play voice for 20 years.

"I wanted to continue to do television," Theismann said. "The only viable option for me was 'Monday Night.' "

As he watched the game that turned him into a sportscaster, he recalled that he was inconsistent that season. He was throwing too many interceptions. "I was in a funk," he said, then remembered how in training camp he boasted that he would play until he had to be carried from the field.

As he watched video of his 36-year-old self from Nov. 18, 1985, he said he had thought that would be the game that would reverse his luck.

He watched as he fired a sharp pass to Gary Clark.

"See," he said. "That's the way I should have played all year."

He watched as he was sacked by Leonard Marshall.

"Stupid decision," he said. "I should have thrown that ball away."

He protested a pass-interference penalty against the Redskins.

"No!" he said from his leather swivel chair. "Bad call!"

Frank Gifford, Joe Namath and O. J. Simpson were in the booth. Ten months earlier, in January, Theismann called the Super Bowl with Gifford and Don Meredith, as ABC Sports relegated Simpson to pregame duties.

Now, as the moment that ended his playing career neared, Theismann said: "I'm getting butterflies. It's like you know something's coming."

The second quarter began with a short run by John Riggins for a Washington first down to the Redskins' 46.

One play away. "This is funny," he said. "My heart's racing."

The flea-flicker: Theismann handed off to Riggins, who pitched it back to him, but Theismann could find no open receivers. He was trapped. Giants linebacker Harry Carson grazed Theismann with his right hand. Then Taylor jumped and grabbed Theismann's lightly padded shoulders. Taylor's momentum caused his body to swing under Theismann's torso; his knee landed with a missile's impact on Theismann's lower right leg.

ABC's live angle showed little, but Gifford took note of the gravity conveyed by Taylor's fervent waving for help. But a reverse angle, taken from the 50, revealed the grisly twisting of the leg. Looking through his camera from the opposite side of the field, Jack Cronin knew he had witnessed something dreadful. He alerted Chet Forte, ABC's director. "I think someone should look at the tape," Cronin said he told Forte. "I think he broke his leg. And they said, 'Oh, man.' "

Tommy O'Connell, another cameraman, said he heard Forte say that the shot was too gruesome to be replayed.

Bob Goodrich, the producer, said it was the worst injury he had seen. He said in an interview that he told the announcers: " 'Guys, this is ugly.' We knew we had to be careful."

But despite the misgivings, ABC rolled the replay. Simpson or Namath groaned.

They all knew the sound of snapped bones, Gifford said.

"Oh," Theismann said. His eyes closed a bit. He winced: the jolting voltage of memory. "You could hear it," he said, referring to the cracking of his tibia; his fibula was broken, too. "The pain was unbelievable."

"Oh, God," he said. "Wow. It just went so suddenly. It snapped like a breadstick. It sounded like two muzzled gunshots off my left shoulder. Pow, pow!" Then, he said, his endorphins kicked in and he felt no pain.

Paul Maguire, the partner of Theismann and Mike Patrick on ESPN's Sunday night telecasts since 1998, was watching. "It was a hell of a hit," Maguire said last week. "Over the years, we've shown it on the air, but I don't know what he does. I'm not looking at him."

Jay Rothman, the producer of ESPN's Sunday night N.F.L. telecasts, said the spectacle of the injury only partly defined Theismann. "He was a great little field general, and that in his mind is what defines him," he said. "He looks at it as a hell of a career that unfortunately got shortened."

While ABC was in a commercial break after the first replay, a camera zeroed in on Theismann; there was blood around his shin. "That was not something people wanted to see, especially if kids were watching," Goodrich recalled thinking. On the air, Gifford reported what was seen by the camera and warned that another replay was coming. "If your stomach is weak," Gifford said, "just don't watch."

Theismann's face was turning away as it repeated his horror.

"How many times do I have to watch this?" he said quietly.

Then, he turned away, but not far enough to avoid seeing it.

He recalled being lucid and hearing the team's orthopedic surgeon tell him that he had reset the tibia on the field. He could be seen speaking. Eventually, six men carried him off on a gurney; an ABC handheld camera showed them bringing him to a dimly lit area under the stands at R.F.K. Stadium.

On the field, Jay Schroeder replaced Theismann. In the third quarter, ABC showed the replay for the third and final time. Gifford repeated his caution to viewers with weak stomachs.

The Redskins won, 23-21.

Now Theismann looked relieved. He had finally seen the play, not just a photograph, but the full sequence, from the start of the flea-flicker to the mangling of his leg, which, after healing, is a little shorter than his left.

He said it was not as bad as he imagined, or as graphic as people told him. "It was so quick and so sudden," he said. "I didn't feel a twinge in my leg, but I felt butterflies. If the technology available now was available then, it would have been incredibly more graphic."

Now, the circuit is complete. Theismann called his first football game with the "Monday Night" crew. Then his career expired on "Monday Night."

Now he will call "Monday Night."

" 'Monday Night' is a stage where everybody watches," Theismann said. "It's more than a game, it's an event."

As much as anyone, he would know.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/26/sports/football/26monday.html?pagewanted=print

fredfa

12-26-05, 10:18 AM

Sports On TV
Clock runs out for 'MNF'

By David Bianculli New York Daily News TV Editor Monday, December 26th, 2005

While every other network this evening is showing reruns, ABC is airing something that's not only original, and live, but the swan song of a TV institution.

"Monday Night Football," after 35 years, is down to its last four quarters starting at 9 p.m.

The predictable, even inevitable signoff, is the country-and-Western lyric "Turn out the lights, the party's over," which Don Meredith used to sing at the first sign of a blowout (often to the annoyance of more serious announcing booth mate Howard Cosell). And Meredith will show up tonight to do just that, and to help open the show - though not, reportedly, in person.

Former Dallas Cowboy quarterback Meredith, and famously abrasive yet talented sportscaster Cosell, were two-thirds of the unprecedentedly crowded booth fielded by ABC executive Roone Arledge for that first game on Sept. 21, 1970. ABC's Keith Jackson was the other - replaced, the following year, by Frank Gifford. They're the troika that made "MNF" must-See TV regardless of which teams were playing.

There was Cosell's eagerly awaited halftime package of highlights from the previous day's games. Hard to imagine, but in those pre-ESPN days, that was considered a breathlessly fast turnaround - and breathlessly is precisely how Cosell narrated the clips. Also, there was the byplay in the booth, especially the antagonistic banter between Meredith and Cosell, that had to be heard, just as the drop-in special guests - including John Lennon - had to be seen.

(It was Cosell on "Monday Night Football," in fact, who announced to the nation Lennon's shooting during a December game in 1980.)

The Cosell-Meredith-Gifford troika was the show's all-time best announcing team, followed by the current team of Al Michaels and John Madden.

All-time worst? Twenty years ago, for a single stinker of a season, Gifford had to deal with both Joe Namath and O.J. Simpson.

It was an enjoyable show to watch, and often as much the source of water-cooler talk the next day as "Desperate Housewives" is today. It first cracked the Top 10 during the 1982-83 season, and has been up in, or hovering near, that ratings stratosphere ever since. And in terms of a continually running prime-time series still on the air, only "60 Minutes," which premiered two years before, is older.

All these achievements and elements are scheduled to be saluted tonight, the last night before the "MNF" moves to ESPN next season. As for the game itself, the New England Patriots and New York Jets are on the field - but with one team a playoff lock and the other locked out, the real interest here will be in the final "MNF" packaging around the event.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/col/dbianculli/v-pfriendly/story/377805p-320910c.html

fredfa

12-26-05, 11:24 AM

Christmas night’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.

fredfa

12-26-05, 12:17 PM

Best of 2005
Best of television: 25 reasons to tune in

By Charlie McCollum San Jose Mercury News

IT'S TIME ONCE AGAIN TO ASSESS THE STATE OF TELEVISION OR, MORE SPECIFICALLY, TO LOOK BACK AT THE BEST OF AMERICAN TV IN 2005. SURE, THERE WAS SOME TRULY UGLY STUFF OUT THERE. BUT ON THE WHOLE, THERE WAS PLENTY OF GOOD TO BE FOUND, ENOUGH THAT SOME WORTHY SHOWS DIDN'T MAKE THIS LIST OF TV'S BEST.

1. ``Lost'' (ABC) A rich, fascinating and complex drama (with Matthew Fox, above) that was terrific in its first season and only got better when it returned for Season 2 in the fall. A true cultural phenomenon, it is the one show currently on the air that viewers talk about and discuss endlessly. (ABC)

2. FX As an outpost of quality television, FX has eclipsed HBO (at least temporarily) with such dramas as ``Over There'' (with Keith Robinson, above), ``Rescue Me,'' ``The Shield'' and ``Nip/Tuck'' -- all of which would have made the list individually.

3. ``Deadwood'' (HBO) A contemplation of the American psyche disguised as a tale of the Old West. A great cast (including Keith Carradine, above), an evocative visual style and creator David Milch's literate, if profanity-laden, writing made this one of TV's best dramas. (HBO)

4. ``The Daily Show With Jon Stewart'' and ``The Colbert Report'' (Comedy Central) “The Daily Show With John Stewart'' continued to be a heady mix of laughs and insights into the news. And Comedy Central finally found the perfect companion piece in ``The Colbert Report,'' a very funny faux newscast from ex-``Daily Show'' contributor Stephen Colbert. (Comedy Central)

5. ``Veronica Mars'' (UPN) Like ``Lost,'' this high school drama (with Kristen Bell, above) went from very good to even better at the start of its second season. No other series had quite the same mix of snappy dialogue, emotional kick and pop culture awareness. (UPN)

6. ``No Direction Home: Bob Dylan'' (PBS) Director Martin Scorsese's take on Dylan's career was thoughtful, funny and totally engrossing. Some of the artist's flaws may have been glossed over, but as musical documentaries go, they don't get any better. (PBS)

7. ``Nightline'' (ABC) Farewell, Ted Koppel and many of the other folks who on many nights made ``Nightline'' essential viewing. But the show gets one last mention on the list if for nothing else than its coverage of Hurricane Katrina. (ABC)

8. BBC America I know a lot of viewers don't get this channel. But if you can, you should. Whether it's drama (``Viva Blackpool'' with David Morrissey, above), news (``BBC World News''), comedy (``The Alan Partridge Experience'') or just entertainment, BBC America is great TV.

9. `GREY'S ANATOMY' Who would have thought last spring that the best series on an ABC Sunday schedule that includes ``Desperate Housewives'' would turn out to be this moving, funny and sexy medical drama? (ABC)

10. `ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT' The delightfully dark series about a truly dysfunctional family was the best comedy on network TV -- at least until Fox cut short its current season late this year. (Fox)

11. BRIAN WILLIAMS The transition from longtime and much-admired NBC anchor Tom Brokaw to Williams was almost seamless. Then Williams really made his mark with superior on-scene reporting and anchoring during and after Hurricane Katrina -- establishing himself as TV news' top dawg. (NBC)

12. `WEEDS' A wickedly funny look at suburban life, this comedy about a soccer-mom-turned-pot-dealer featured some of the sharpest dialogue on TV this year as well as a superb performance by Mary Louise Parker in the lead role. (Showtime)

13. `GILMORE GIRLS' Just when it looked as if this fine family comedy-drama was running on empty, it made one of the great comebacks in the history of series TV. Its rapid-fire, screwball-comedy-style dialogue was the most clever on television. (WB)

14. `BATTLESTAR GALACTICA' The best science fiction uses allegory to comment on the current state of the world, and ``Galactica'' did that with insight and energy. There hasn't been a sci-fi series this good since the heyday of ``Star Trek: The Next Generation.'' (Sci Fi)

15. HUGH LAURIE AND KYRA SEDGWICK Their shows weren't quite good enough to make this list, but the stars of Fox's ``House'' and TNT's ``The Closer'' gave weekly performances that were so rich and nuanced that they deserve recognition as some of the best acting on TV.

16. `24' For four seasons now, this show has managed to take a very fragile premise -- a 24-hour race to save the world -- and make it work. Last season was particularly gripping with another intense performance from Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer. (Fox)

17. `ADULT SWIM' The Cartoon Network's late-night 'toon block for adults has been one of TV's real comedy gems for some time -- and it got even better this year with the addition of ``Boondocks,'' a gleefully subversive series based on Aaron McGruder's comic strip. (Cartoon Network)

18. `THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN' Dave may have mellowed in recent years, but the show was still the best thing on late-night network TV. And, hey, Oprah finally showed up.

19. `EXTRA' and `ENTOURAGE' Hollywood loves to make series about itself, but too often, the shows are too self-absorbed and loaded with too much inside baseball for most viewers. These HBO comedies were exceptions, using their showbiz settings to comment on universal human foibles. (HBO)

20. `DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES' TV's most-watched show almost didn't make the list because the first few episodes of its second season lacked the satirical bite, clever writing and sharp storytelling of Season 1. Now, the show looks to be back on its game. (ABC)

21. `PRISON BREAK' Like ``24,'' this new prison drama stretches plausibility to the breaking point but is so well-made and well-acted that you really don't care. (Fox)

22. `UNFORGIVABLE BLACKNESS: THE RISE AND FALL OF JACK JOHNSON'' (PBS) and ``RING OF FIRE: THE EMILE GRIFFITH STORY' (USA) On the surface, these two documentaries were about the world of boxing and two of the sport's dominant figures. But both went far beyond that to deal with issues of race and sexuality.

23. `MY NAME IS EARL' (NBC) and `EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS' (UPN) Just when the sitcom appeared to be dead, along came these two new shows that not only were popular but also delivered their laughs with an edge.

24. `MI-5' Too bad A&E buried this British-made show late on Saturday nights. It's a compelling, high-energy spy thriller that is much more grounded in the real world than ``24.'' (A&E)

25. `JACK & BOBBY' It's sad that this high-quality series that mixed politics and family drama got the ax after just one season. It gets extra points for making a graceful exit that brought at least some closure to its fans. (WB)

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/entertainment/television/13481948.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

fredfa

12-26-05, 12:48 PM

A Critical View:
Sometimes Ads Are The Best Thing On The Tube

By Roger Catlin Hartford Courant TV Critic December 26 2005

TiVo subscribers may be speeding right through the best programming on TV.

Some of the most entertaining moments on television happen in commercials - those tightly directed 30-second spots that have captured viewers with a creative level not often equaled by the shows that come between them.

But who would watch a whole show of commercials?

Last year, nearly 3 million viewers tuned into the first "Funniest Commercials of the Year" on TBS - a very respectable number on cable.

So the show returns to celebrate the cleverest of this year's commercials Wednesday at 9 PM ET on TBS.

Hosting once again is Kevin Nealon, the Connecticut native who studied to be an ad man before he turned stand-up comic and actor.

"I love commercials if they're done well," Nealon says over the phone from Los Angeles. "Commercials have become great little 30-second films. A lot of people tune in to the Super Bowl just to see the commercials."

Fifty spots will air during the special - including 10 that were shown online, where they competed for votes as funniest.

Among those finalists, chosen from domestic and international commercials were:

One from careerbuilder.com, in which an employee finds himself in a workplace surrounded by monkeys.

An ad in which kisses replace handshakes at a board meeting - to illustrate that fewer germs are shared by kissing than shaking hands, courtesy of Science World.

In another that uses surprise as an element, a jogger is lured toward a Toyota Vios, only to be swallowed up by a monster that had set up a cardboard cutout of the car.

The Bridgeport-born Nealon, who has also been featured in the acclaimed Showtime series "Weeds," originally wanted to make those types of commercials.

But after working toward a marketing degree at Sacred Heart and Fairfield universities, "I knew I didn't want to get into the ad world. I knew I didn't want to ride the train into the city every day. And I knew I liked doing stand-up."

"People said I should check out the clubs, and eventually I did," he says. His move from stand-up to "Saturday Night Live" came fairly quickly.

Even so, commercials played a role in Nealon's life. He appeared in a cracker commercial with country star Lynn Anderson that seemed promising, until the ads were pulled after the product was recalled.

More successful were the memorable commercial parodies he participated in at "Saturday Night Live."

Among his favorites from that period, he says, were those for Bad Idea Jeans and The Love Toilet. Also, he says, "I loved the Change Bank."

The pair of First Citiwide Change Bank ads, done with talking heads in a sincere voice accompanied by a tinkly piano, described the appeal of the bank. ("If you come to us with a 20-dollar bill, we can give you two 10s, we can give you four fives - we can give you a 10 and two fives. We will work with you." )

Then there is that unforgettable Colon Blow, a cereal said to be equal to the fiber content of more than 30,000 bowls of oat bran.

The good news about modern TV commercials is that so many of them go for the same kind of humor to retain viewers.

An actual ad by Ikea touting free delivery - which shows a customer knocking down a succession of townspeople while trying to transport an over-wide Persian rug tied to a car - might merit a place among the "SNL" parodies.

http://www.ctnow.com/tv/hce-commercials.artdec26,0,4933837,print.story?coll=hce-headlines-tv

fredfa

12-26-05, 03:48 PM

As of 2 PM PT Dec. 26, 2005
It is still early in the balloting (and you have plenty of time to get your votes in) but here are the early returns from the “Hot Off The Press” TV Programming Poll:

Favorite new network prime-time shows which debuted in anytime in 2005:
Grey’s Anatomy 8
My Name Is Earl 7
Medium 7
Prison Break 6
Bones 4
Surface 4
American Dad 2
Related 2
Everybody Hates Chris
Invasion
Law & Order: Trial By Jury
Threshold

Favorite new prime-time cable shows:
The Closer 9
Over There 8
Weeds 7
Wanted 7
Bones 3
Prison Break 2
Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Extras
Footballers Wives
Starved
Unscripted

Favorite veteran prime-time shows:
24 8
House 7
Lost 5
NCIS 5
Arrested Development 4
Veronica Mars 4
Cold Case 3
The West Wing 3
CSI 2
Nip/Tuck
Rescue Me
The Shield

Favorite veteran cable prime-time shows:
Battlestar Gallactica 3
The Sopranos 6
Dead Zone 5
Rescue Me 5
The Shield 4
South Park 4
Monk 3
The Wire 3
4400
Entourage
NFL Prime Time
Rescue Me
Silent Sundays on TCM
Six Feet Under

Favorite TV actors:
Hugh Laurie 11
David Boreanaz 4
Jerry Orbach 3
William Shatner 4
Kiefer Sutherland 4
James Gandolfini 3
Gary Sinise 3
John Spencer 3
James Spader 2
Will Arnett
Jason Bateman
Zack Brack
David Caruso
Michael Cera
Michael Imperioli
Jason Lee
William Peterson

Favorite TV actresses:
Kristen Bell 6
Maura Tierney 6
Patricia Arquette 5
Jennifer Garner 3
Jessica Walter 3
Mädchen Amick 2
Dana Delany 2
Mariska Hargitay 2
Melina Kanakaredes 2
Mary Louise Parker 2
Rachel Bilson
Jenna Fisher
Stephanie March
Rachel Nichols
Sandra Oh

Favorite TV sports production:
Monday Night Football 3
The Masters 2
MLB on HDNet
NHL on HDNet
Real Sports

Favorite TV news program or (cable net) :
Fox News Channel 6
CBS Evening News 5
Nightline 2
CNN
Hannity & Colmes

Show the critics most overlook:
NCIS 7
Battlestar 5
How I Met Your Mother 2
King of Queens 2
Numb3rs 2
Related 2

Show the critics most over-hype:
Arrested Development 6
Commander In Chief 5
How I Met Your Mother 4
Nip/Tuck 4
Desperate Housewives 2
Grey’s Anatomy

Actor who makes you cringe
David Caruso 7
Matt LeBlanc 3
William L. Peterson 2
William Shatner 2
Jeremy Piven

Actress who makes you cringe
Lara Flynn Boyle 5
Pamela Anderson 4
Geena Davis 3
Marg Helgenberger 2
Jennifer Love Hewitt 2
Mischa Barton
Jill Hennessy
Kathryn Morris

The one show you hate most to miss:
24 5
Lost 4
Arrested Development 2
Veronica Mars

Former favorite which has lost your interest:
Alias 5
Cold Case 3
Crossing Jordan 2
Desperate Housewives 2
Lost 2
Law & Order
Law & Order: CI
Law & Order: SVU
The Simpsons
Two and a Half Men

(Actress: Melina Kanakaredes)

(For HD viewers only) Favorite program to show off your HD setup to friends and neighbors:
Lost 6
CSI: Miami 3
NFL s
NHL
MLB
SEC Football on CBS
Smart Travels, PBS and HDNet
Surface

(For HD viewers only) Is there any show you enjoy so much you'd watch it even in SD?
Battlestar Galactica 5
Veronica Mars 4
Grey’s Anatomy 2
The West Wing 2
Arrested Development
Family Guy
The Simpsons
South Park
Original series on FX, SciFi and TNT

harley1

12-26-05, 05:01 PM

Your favorite three new network prime-time shows which debuted in anytime in 2005:
My Name Is Earl,Threshold

Your favorite three new prime-time cable shows:
The Closer,Wanted,Over There

Your favorite three veteran prime-time shows:
NCIS,The Shield,West Wing

Your favorite three veteran cable prime-time shows:
The Wire,Sopranos,Entourage

Your favorite three TV actors:
Jerry Orbach,James Gandolfini,Gary Sinise

Your favorite three TV actresses:
Pam Anderson,Mariska Hargitay,Maura Tierney

Your favorite TV sports production:
Monday Night Football,Sunday Night Football,NHL Hockey on OLN

Your favorite TV news program or (cable net) as the case may be:
Hardball MSNBC

The show the critic’s most overlook:
NCIS

The show the critics most over-hype:
Desperate Housewives

The actor who makes you cringe
Jeremy Piven

The actress who makes you cringe
Jill Hennessy

One former favorite which has lost your interest this season:
Boston Legal

keenan

12-26-05, 05:24 PM

Fred, if you posted a separate thread for this as well you might get even more responses. A larger sampling would be very interesting and possibly an insight to how fellow AVS members think about TV programming.

fredfa

12-26-05, 06:25 PM

Good thought, Jim.
CPanther95 looks in on occasion, as do KenH and Dr.Don.
Maybe one of those moderators will let me know if that is a workable idea.

keenan

12-26-05, 06:58 PM

Good thought, Jim.
CPanther95 looks in on occasion, as do KenH and Dr.Don.
Maybe one of those moderators will let me know if that is a workable idea.
I think it you just started a thread with a template like you have done here it should work. You would still have to tabulate the numbers by hand like you are doing now. I don't think a poll style post is possible, but it might be. Get enough numbers and maybe you could send it to one of these columnist as an example of what the hyper-critical HD enthusiast watches on TV. :)

dervari

12-26-05, 08:12 PM

Fred, if you posted a separate thread for this as well you might get even more responses.

I agree. However, for me it's so that the News thread doesn't get hijacked by people replying to this message. I want to read about NEWS in this thread, not everyone's response to a "poll".

fredfa

12-26-05, 08:44 PM

Point well made, dervari.
But please indulge me on this one.
It gives me a better idea of what people are interested in.
That helps me select what kinds of stories to post.

fredfa

12-26-05, 08:49 PM

And, by the way, I hope people don't see this thread as simply a news thread.
It is better when it also gets responses.
Hot Off The Press is designed to not just provide news anc comment about TV, but also to spark at least some minimal discussion.
If that discussion gets too frequent on one topic, we'll move the topic off to its own thread (like the a la carte one) while still posting news here.

fredfa

12-27-05, 12:11 AM

Sports On TV
With Dandy Curtain Call, a Show Signs Off

By Richard Sandomir The New York Times December 27, 2005

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.--Frank Gifford had an easy answer for all the nostalgia surrounding the final "Monday Night Football" broadcast on ABC after 36 seasons, before it moves to ESPN next year. Oh, the legacy! Oh, the Cosellian lore!

"It's going to cable," he said last night on the field before the Patriots-Jets game at Giants Stadium. "What's the difference?" Gifford called 411 of the 555 "Monday Night" games, from 1971 until he was ousted in 1998.

"When we started, there was no cable," he said. "There were only nine channels, and ABC had nothing else for people to watch." (There was "Marcus Welby, M.D.")

Of course, one could make a case that ABC's ceding of "Monday Night" to ESPN is a landmark in sports television history, even if the two networks are siblings within the Walt Disney Company. It signifies the power and wealth of ESPN, with all its subscriber fees, and the marginalization of ABC Sports, which operates as the broadcast wing - the junior partner - of the voracious ESPN.

Who, in 1970, could have anticipated anything but a broadcast network carrying what the National Football League has called its most important package?

Who could have envisioned ABC without pro football?

"It is a big deal," said John Madden, arguing his case close to where Gifford was standing. Madden will leave ABC after this season after four years to join NBC's Sunday night package. "And people make fun of people who make a big deal of it, so it's chic to make fun of it," Madden said. "But I knew it was a big deal when I coached, and so did my players."

Last night's matchup, particularly the presence of the lowly Jets, might not have been the farewell ABC would have planned, if it could plan such things. But there is historical symmetry: the Jets played the first "Monday Night" game, losing to the Browns. Still, they are hardly the type of co-stars likely to draw viewers eager to witness to the last Monday night on the network.

"We've seen this coming," said Al Michaels, who will travel to ESPN with the series. At about this time, Rush Limbaugh, who once aspired to joining "Monday Night" for the job Dennis Miller got, greeted Michaels.

"Albino!" Limbaugh shouted, using the nickname Miller gave Michaels. Limbaugh, of course, worked for ESPN's "NFL Countdown" program but resigned under pressure for remarks he made about Donovan McNabb.

Michaels invited Limbaugh to watch him work in the booth.

"I came to see what he does," Limbaugh said.

In ABC's production truck, the big news was that Don Meredith had finally agreed to play a role on the broadcast. It had been a years-long quest; Meredith lives a quiet, secluded life in Santa Fe, N.M., and has avoided television for 20 years.

"I told him, 'Do you have any idea how many people you will make happy if you do this?' " said Fred Gaudelli, the "Monday Night" producer. Gifford provided the entrée, but Gaudelli persuaded Meredith, whose shtick with Howard Cosell in the booth for most of the early years of the series created indelible memories.

For many fans of a certain age, "Monday Night" has never been the same since the days of Gifford, Cosell and Meredith, regardless of the greater quality of the Michaels-Madden combination. Cosell and Meredith provided something so different from what preceded them that their appeal seems to be frozen in broadcast amber.

Gifford, as he said last night, "provided law and order."

Gaudelli persuaded Meredith to offer some comments in the opening tease, including "Are you ready for some football?" and to warble, once more, "Turn out the lights, the party's over," the lyrics he famously sang during blowouts.

The words sound particularly apt for the post-"Monday Night" ABC.

In the truck during the opening minutes of the game was Lou Volpicelli, who directed "Monday Night's" replay truck in its first two seasons.

Volpicelli said he helped Meredith grow more comfortable with broadcasting when he first joined ABC directly from playing for the Cowboys. As he watched the rarely seen Meredith on the screen, Volpicelli, now 84, clapped his hands.

"He was," Volpicelli said, "so much fun."

George Bodenheimer, the president of ESPN and ABC Sports, is largely responsible for moving "Monday Night" from ABC to ESPN and has made no apologies for the shift. He is an ESPN lifer who started in its mail room. He views ESPN and ABC as partners.

He said, "It will be safe to watch 'Monday Night' next year," then added: "Those who want to write the obituary for ABC Sports are sorely mistaken. ABC will thrive in its partnership with ESPN."

Without "Monday Night," ABC Sports will lose more of the cachet it once had, when it carried the Olympics and baseball. But those are all gone, and soon the Orange, Fiesta and Sugar Bowls will leave, too. Much of what remains, and will be coming, like Nascar, are part of deals ESPN engineered. But that doesn't bother Bodenheimer.

"ABC Sports has a very strong legacy, and sports fans understand it," he said.

But for now, the "Monday Night" party is just about over.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/27/sports/football/27tv.html?pagewanted=print

fredfa

12-27-05, 12:24 AM

Big 'Deal' carries NBC in troubled 8 p.m. slot

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter--)NBC got some early holiday cheer last week as the game show "Deal or No Deal" wrapped its five-night run with double-digit ratings improvements in the crucial 8 p.m. hour, where the network has lagged the most so far this season.

"Deal" finished out its run Friday with an average of 11.7 million viewers and a 3.7 rating/13 share in the adults 18-49 demographic, according to preliminary estimates from Nielsen Media Research. That marked NBC's best numbers in the 8 p.m. Friday berth (excluding Olympic telecasts) in more than three years, since the November 2002 premiere of "It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie"; it also qualified as the highest nonsports 18-49 demo score on any network in more than two years, since the September 2003 debut of the now-canceled CBS drama "Joan of Arcadia."

Granted, "Deal" aired against minimal competition during the preholiday period, when overall TV viewing levels traditionally take a dive. But the fact that the game show -- in which host Howie Mandel challenged contestants to guess which of 26 sealed briefcases contained a $1 million cash stash -- drew a decent crowd might well encourage NBC to experiment with more nontraditional programming and scheduling patterns in the opening hour of primetime. (After three airings, NBC ordered additional episodes of "Deal," which are likely to air in March.) Indeed, NBC brass have cited the network's weakness at 8 p.m. as a major handicap that has dragged down its performance on most nights this season.

According to NBC, "Deal" improved on the network's 8 p.m. season averages by an average of 54% in adults 18-49 and 51% in total viewers. "Deal" delivered season-high 8 p.m. ratings for the network in its airings Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; Tuesday's "Deal" installment came in second in 18-49 to the finale of "The Biggest Loser."

"Deal," which improved on NBC's 8 p.m. Friday season average by 106%, gave NBC a rare Friday victory (9.6 million, 2.9/9) against wall-to-wall repeats on the competition, save for UPN's "Friday Night SmackDown!" (3.6 million, 1.2/4).

http://channels.netscape.com/news/story.jsp?id=2005122620510002677178&dt=20051226205100&w=RTR&coview=

fredfa

12-27-05, 02:17 AM

Sports On TV
Cleveland Indians form new TV network

20 Games in HD OTA
By Anthony Castrovince MLB.com

CLEVELAND -- The Indians' ownership family is taking over its team's presence on the tube with the creation of a new media company.

The Dolan family announced Monday it has created Fastball Sports Productions, an interactive media enterprise that will produce the largest television package in Indians team history.

Though the business will officially operate as a separate entity from the club, it will be controlled by the Tribe's ownership group and will be licensed to carry games in the Indians marketing area.

Fastball Sports Productions will partner with WKYC Channel 3 to broadcast 150 regular-season games and eight Grapefruit League games throughout the Indians' TV territory.

The deal brings to an end the Indians' 16-year partnership with FSN Ohio, which had been the club's sole local TV home since 2002.

"We strongly believe that this is in the best interest of the franchise to take this route," team president Paul Dolan said. "All you have to do is look to other clubs that have done this and the success they have enjoyed. We expect the same kind of success, proportionate to our market size."

The successful clubs to which Dolan referred to include the Yankees and their YES Network and the Red Sox and their New England Sports Network.

But other clubs in smaller markets, such as the Astros and Twins, have seen their regional sports networks falter.

Where those networks didn't come through -- and where the Indians expect to succeed -- is in securing cable outlets to provide the channel to a broad base of fans. The Indians have taken the first step toward avoiding that problem by signing a non-exclusive, long-term distribution agreement with Time Warner Cable, Ohio's largest cable system operator.

Terms of the Time Warner deal were not disclosed, but with industry reports indicating that Time Warner will soon acquire the Adelphia and Comcast cable outlets in the Cleveland area, Dolan said the team has already guaranteed at least half of the roughly 3 million FSN viewers will have access to the network.

Fastball Sports' aim from this point forward is to secure deals with other cable and satellite outlets so that the remaining half of the viewership will be covered, as well.

"I'm confident [by Opening Day] we will have had discussions with the distributors and made a fair offer to make the games available," Dolan said. "We are certainly aware in virtually every scenario [involving regional sports networks], there have been issues early in the process. Some of those issues have been fatal. Even the successful networks have had issues in the early portion. But we're hopeful, given the compelling nature of our programming, we will have success in getting 100 percent distribution."

The new network, which does not yet have an official name, is scheduled to carry 130 of the club's regular-season games in '06, as well as eight Spring Training games.

WKYC will broadcast 20 regular-season games in high definition, mostly on weekends.

The WKYC affiliation ensures that the team will bring to an end a four-year run in which Indians games were not broadcast locally on "free" TV. WKYC will be the first local over-the-air station to broadcast Tribe games since WUAB Channel 43 did so in 2001.

WKYC will serve as the production arm for the Fastball Sports Productions channel. The channel is expected to carry exclusive features that go beyond the standard game broadcasts. It will not, however, be a 24-hour channel in the initial going.

"It will be exclusively Indians programming, as of today," Dolan said. "Our goal is to get to a point where it is a full-time regional sports network with full-time programming. We will move forward from there. But for us, distribution is key right now."

With the distribution deals taking up the majority of the Fastball Sports focus for now, Dolan said decisions about on-air talent will be made in the coming months.

The TV deal will not have any short-term effects on the team payroll, but the club is hoping the new network will eventually build on the $16.5 million brought in annually from FSN Ohio and allow the Tribe to increase the payroll from year to year.

In fact, Dolan said the new network's expected revenues were already factored into the 2006 payroll, which is expected to eclipse $60 million.

"We think this is the way to generate more revenue, and we will put it back in the payroll in order to support the team," Dolan said. "There is certainly risk that we will not generate the revenue we think we will. We think that risk lies largely in the first couple years. But we are trying to build a strong, viable business."

The initial viability of the business is dependent on the club's efforts to make those deals with other cable and satellite outlets.

"In the first couple years, there may be transition issues," Dolan said. "But at the end of the day, I would hope the cable operators throughout the area would recognize that what you have here is a local company taking control of its local product."

http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/content/printer_friendly/cle/y2005/m12/d08/c1279170.jsp

fredfa

12-27-05, 02:33 AM

Sports On TV
For “Monday Night Football,” It Was a Night to Remember

By Larry Stewart Los Angeles Times Staff Writer December 27, 2005

The "Monday Night Football" run that began on ABC in 1970 is over. It ended with the New England Patriots' 31-21 victory over the New York Jets on Monday night. There is no Monday night game next week, and the series moves to ESPN next season.

Frank Gifford and Don Meredith helped ABC say goodbye, and it was the voice of the late Howard Cosell that Monday night's audience heard first.

Gifford was at the game in East Rutherford, N.J., appearing at the top of the telecast and talking with Al Michaels at halftime.

The reclusive and gray-haired Meredith, appearing on television for the first time in years, was part of the opening. In a taped segment, he called the series "unscripted and unrehearsed," adding, "And if you missed it, you had nothing to talk about the next day at the water cooler."

It was also left to Meredith to say the trademark "Are you ready for some football?" In another taped segment, at the start of the fourth quarter with the Patriots leading 28-7, he sang "Turn out the lights, the party's over."

Michaels promised a night of reminiscing, and it was.

It all brought back many personal "Monday Night" memories, and my first face-to-face encounter with Howard Cosell ranks high on the list.

It was Dec. 10, 1973. I was 26 and earlier that year had been assigned to the sports-television beat by Los Angeles Herald Examiner sports editor Bud Furillo.

Cosell, Gifford and Meredith were the featured guests at a luncheon at the Hollywood Palladium before a Monday night game between the Rams, then the Los Angeles Rams, and New York Giants at the Coliseum.

A colleague, Barbra Zuanich, was also at the luncheon, and we decided to talk to Cosell. About a month earlier, I had done a phone interview with him, but I had not met him.

When we approached, he was semi-civil — probably because of the presence of an attractive young woman. He told us he was very sick and had visited UCLA Medical Center the day before.

"Are you going to be able to go on the air tonight?" Zuanich asked.

"No, I'll just let those other two guys handle it," Cosell said.

I said, "Are you serious?"

Cosell's response went something like this: "What, are you an immature little baby? Don't you understand, young man, I am 'Monday Night Football.' Who would do the intro? Who would do the halftime highlights? Without me, there is no show."

Cosell then pulled a tattered letter from his coat pocket. It was from a college professor who supported him in his attack on what he liked to call "the bought-and-paid-for print media." He then told me what a terrible business I was in.

"I'm not going to get into a verbal confrontation with you, Howard," I said, more than a bit rattled.

I turned to walk away, and he said, "Come back here, young man, I'm not done with you yet."

By now, he had an audience. I don't remember exactly what else he said, but it wasn't pleasant.

ABC Sports publicist Irv Brodsky called me at the Herald Examiner later in the day to apologize for Howard and assure me I wasn't the first young sports television writer he had attacked.

I saw Cosell again at an ABC function in a home in Westwood. Surprisingly, he was somewhat friendly, inviting me to play pool. But once an audience converged on the pool table, I never got a shot. Cosell wanted to show off his skills with a pool cue, and didn't want anything to interfere with that.

I remember sitting down with him and his wife, Emmy, during an ABC junket in Montreal, about a month before the 1976 Summer Olympics.

I pointed out that he had a great job that paid well and that he was probably one of the five most famous men in America.

"Can't you just enjoy all that?" I asked.

He went into a tirade about being persecuted by the print media.

That's not to imply that all my experiences with Cosell were unpleasant. He was very moody, but when he was in a good mood, he was OK.

I moved from the Herald Examiner to The Times in 1978, and had another memorable meeting with him a few days before the start of the 1984 Summer Olympics. I was at the Universal Hilton, the ABC hotel, when I ran into Cosell, Jim Murray and Brodsky, the ABC publicist. The three of them had been to dinner.

"We were just talking about you," Murray said. "I was telling Howard about your Friday column, that you said he would be missed if he quit 'Monday Night Football' "

I think Murray had led Cosell to believe the column was more positive toward Cosell than it was. Anyway, Cosell invited me to the hotel bar for a drink.

That was about 9 p.m. I left the bar around 1:30 a.m.

A number of Cosell's ABC colleagues joined us at various times. One was Mike Pearl, now the executive producer of ABC Sports. Another was Mike Eruzione, the captain of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team who worked the '84 Summer Olympics for ABC.

At one point during the evening, I asked Cosell about rumors that he was thinking about retiring from "Monday Night Football."

He said he would make a decision on the Monday after the Olympics ended. I said, "Can I call you?"

He said, "I don't know if I'll take your call, but you wouldn't be doing your job if you didn't try."

I called his office at ABC in New York on that Monday without any luck. I tried again the next day, telling the woman who answered the phone in Cosell's office that he was expecting my call.

I was told he was at his vacation home in West Hampton but if he called in, he would get my message.

Lo and behold, Cosell called back. I'll never forget his opening words: "How are you and Mike Eruzione getting along these days?"

During the Olympics, I had been critical of Eruzione's role. ABC had him doing offbeat features from such places as Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

Cosell went on to say, "It's the end of a chapter. I am quitting 'Monday Night Football.' "

A year later, in his autobiography "I Never Played the Game," Cosell devoted a page and a half to that phone call. He wrote that I had somehow gotten his home phone number and he had "inadvertently" given me a national exclusive.

Cosell claimed to always tell it like it is, but maybe in this case he didn't want to admit that he had actually returned the phone call of a lowly print journalist.

Cosell was often resentful of Gifford and Meredith, who were respected and popular players in their day. They had clout and standing in the NFL that Cosell, no matter how hard he tried, could never achieve.

Cosell went on a campaign against what he called jockoracy — the practice by the networks of hiring sports commentators based largely on their marquee value.

As an announcer, Gifford at times was criticized for his see-no-evil approach and some embarrassing slips of the tongue. In 1979, Gifford identified Dallas Cowboy defensive back Dennis Thurman, a former USC Trojan, as Thurman Munson, who had been killed in a plane crash less than two months before.

But off the air, Gifford was always a delight.

Maybe we got along because we had a certain kinship. He was from Bakersfield, 50 miles south of my little San Joaquin Valley hometown of Strathmore. Gifford's father was an oil-field worker and the family moved often throughout the San Joaquin Valley. When he told me about the little towns where he'd lived — Avenal, Alpaugh, McFarland, Shafter and Taft — I knew them all.

I last saw Gifford at Don Klosterman's wake at the Bel-Air Country Club in June 2000. It was two years after his 28-year run on "Monday Night Football" had ended.

We sat together and reminisced about our mutual friend, Klosterman; about our childhoods in the San Joaquin Valley, and, of course, about "Monday Night Football" and Cosell.

Gifford, a class act, was loyal to Cosell, as usual, although such loyalty hadn't been mutual. Cosell was always going out of his way to criticize Gifford.

Meredith, besides being a former Cowboy quarterback, brought personality to the booth. He would do things like kissing Cosell on the cheek, then making a face. One time when a male fan was caught on camera sleeping, but awoke long enough to raise his middle finger, Meredith quipped, "He's saying, 'We're No. 1.' "

Meredith left the show in 1974 and went to NBC with the promise of acting opportunities. For the most part, that part of his career failed.

He then returned to "Monday Night Football" in 1977 and stayed for seven seasons.

The last time I tried to reach Meredith, in the early 1990s, a woman answered the phone at his home in Santa Fe, N.M., told me to throw away the phone number and not to call again.

Coincidentally, I was on vacation visiting an uncle in Santa Fe in 1994, and took a city tour. Our tour guide pointed out Meredith's home and said, "His wife usually calls to complain when she sees our tour vans."

Meredith truly had become on a recluse.

In their heyday, the team of Gifford, Cosell and Meredith clicked like no other. They made sports broadcasting history.

Now, the show they made into a national institution is changing channels.

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-sp-mnf27dec27,0,4084854,print.story?coll=cl-tvent

dervari

12-27-05, 05:14 AM

And, by the way, I hope people don't see this thread as simply a news thread.
It is better when it also gets responses.

I agree about this. I like the discussion part, but seeing just numerous LONG posts about "please tell me what you like" gets distracting. Overall, I love the section and wish I had tuned in long ago! Keep up the good work.

fredfa

12-27-05, 09:04 AM

Thanks for the kind words, dervari.

fredfa

12-27-05, 09:22 AM

Holiday Programming
A Christmas wish

By Aaron Barnhart Kansas City Star TV blog

Here's what we wanted for Christmas -- some Christmas movies.

Sunday night, December 25th, we surveyed the 200 movies available on demand from our cable company. Then we flipped through another two dozen or so channels of movies on our digital tier.

No sightings of "It's a Wonderful Life." No "Holiday Inn." Not even an airing of "Bad Santa."

Bizarre.

You can turn on the radio in any market in the U.S. of A. and hear Christmas songs from the middle of October onward. And yet you can't get a decent holiday movie when you want it?

What am I missing here? Why is the federal government wasting its time pressuring Comcast and Time Warner to set up "family tiers"? It's the holidays -- set up a frickin' "holiday tier"!

Right?

http://www.tvbarn.com/

fredfa

12-27-05, 09:27 AM

The 2005-2006 Season: Part Two
Bleeding with Celebrities

By John Eggerton of Broadcasting & Cable at bcbeat.com

Leave it to Fox to promote ice skating as a tough ,dangerous competition compared to that wimpy dance-off hit over on ABC.

In promos for its icy homage, Skating With Celebrities, Fox, the network that brought us World's Scariest Police Shootouts, 101 Things Removed From the Human Body, sneers that skating isn't ballroom dancing, then shows some blood on the cut forehead of one of the skaters to drive home the point.

The network also describes the show as a "train wreck on ice," asking: "Which celebrities will remain vertical and which will hit the ice?"

I know I watch skating in hopes that somebody will fall and injure themselves. I mean, all that twirling and artistry is for those ballroom dancing sissies.

Fox's show debuts two weeks or so after ABC returns with its second round of Dancing with the Stars, the surprise summer hit that the net milked once two often with a fall dance-off that did not draw nearly the crowd of the original competition and raised questions about wether the dance-off will still have legs when it takes to the floor for a second time.

ABC should be able to tell pretty quickly after the Jan. 5 debut whether the reality show has sticking power or was primarily driven by the fiery competition between John O'Hurley (Mr. Peterman on Seinfeld) and soap star Kelly Monaco.

http://www.bcbeat.com/

fredfa

12-27-05, 09:34 AM

A Critical View:
'Honors' worth prizing

THE 28TH ANNUAL KENNEDY CENTER HONORS. Tonight at 9 PM ET/PT CBS.

By David Bianculli New York Daily News TV Editor Tuesday, December 27th, 2005
*** 1/2 (Out of four)

Early in December, some of the most talented people in the world gather to honor more of the most talented people in the world.

A few weeks later, thanks to crisp writing and producing beforehand and fast editing afterward, the results show up on CBS as an annual special, "The Kennedy Center Honors."

Why these aren't the most popular shows of the week, or even the year, is astounding to me, even though they traditionally show up in the repeat-filled week between Christmas and New Year's.

George Stevens Jr., who has produced and co-written these specials for 28 years, packs a ridiculous amount of artistry, entertainment and class into each two hours.

This year, once again, Caroline Kennedy, having picked up where Walter Cronkite left off, is host of the event (tonight at 9, CBS). The honorees, in order of presentation, are Robert Redford, Tony Bennett, Julie Harris, ballerina Suzanne Farrell and Tina Turner.

They don't do anything but sit there, as peers and inspired followers sing their praises and perform in their honor - but in this context, that's plenty.

The structure is the same throughout. Someone comes out to make introductory remarks. A biographical film is shown. Then, one after another, stars come out to pay homage, sing songs, dance or generally raise artistic hell.

Redford, for example, gets the intro from Tom Brokaw. After the film, Paul Newman - Butch Cassidy to Redford's Sundance Kid - comes out to salute his old pal. So do Glenn Close from "The Natural" and Redford's Horseman" co-star Willie Nelson, who sings, appropriately, "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys."

That's just for starters. To honor Bennett, Wynton Marsalis leads a sizzling jazz-quartet rendition of "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," and the salute continues with Vanessa Williams ("The Best Is Yet to Come"), Diana Krall ("Fly Me to the Moon") and k.d. lang ("What a Wonderful World").

Harris' friends speak and sing to her. Farrell's ballet students dance for her. Even if you're not familiar with any of these artists' work when you tune in, you'll treasure them.

When, after nearly two hours of top-notch entertainment, Melissa Etheridge half-sings, half-screams "River Deep, Mountain High" to Turner, you ask yourself, what could top all this?

And then Beyoncé comes out, dressed to kill like Tina always was, to burn through easy and rough renditions of "Rolling on the River." Believe it or not, there's still more to come. But come on - what else do you need?

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/col/dbianculli/v-pfriendly/story/377982p-321074c.html

fredfa

12-27-05, 09:41 AM

A Critical View:
Encore for “The Closer'”

By Mike Brantley Mobile Register Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Here's your chance, from the beginning, to get with the program.

"The program" is "The Closer," which is about the best television cop show to hit basic cable since FX's "The Shield." Only the heroine of "The Closer" -- Kyra Sedgwick's Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson -- is somebody you'll really feel good about rooting for.

Maybe you're rooting for Michael Chiklis as Det. Vic Mackey on "The Shield," but if you are you have to at least feel guilty about it. You know, the way you feel funny about hoping Tony Soprano beats the rap on "The Sopranos."

Mackey, after all, is a bad cop.

Johnson, on the other hand, is all good. She is, however, misunderstood by many of her coworkers. My favorite aspect of the show during its 13-episode, first-season run on TNT last summer was watching and hoping most of her colleagues would come around and be supportive of her. Eventually, most of them did, but it was a tough road she followed there for a while.

New viewers can follow that road for the first time, and old-timers can travel down it again, beginning tonight as TNT starts showing those 13 episodes again. They will be shown at 10 PM ET/PT Tuesdays over the next three months.

Having earned its star a recent Golden Globe nomination, "The Closer" is a gripping crime drama about an Atlanta detective transferred to Los Angeles to head the LAPD's Priority Homicide Division. The unit is charged with cracking sensitive, high-profile murder cases, and Sedgwick's character has a talent for using an awareness of her own imperfections and neuroses to learn the secrets of her suspects and obtain confessions.

TNT has renewed "The Closer" for a 15-episode second season, set to begin in June 2006. "The Shield," by the way, will return to FX with its fifth-season debut on Jan. 10.

"The Closer" has helped TNT keep its title as the most popular cable channel. The premiere episode -- the one repeating tonight and introducing viewers to the "feminine yet forceful, offbeat yet indomitable CIA-trained" Johnson -- attracted 7 million viewers on June 13. That was more than enough to make the episode the most-watched ad-supported cable series telecast this year.

In fact, it attracted 5.3 million households, making it the current record holder as ad-supported cable's top original scripted series telecast ever.

The only thing I can't figure out is why slightly fewer people tuned in for the subsequent episodes. I'll admit that it was the second or third episode before I was really hooked, so I can't help but think there are a few folks out there who really ought to give this series another shot.

Or give it a shot for the first time if you missed it altogether. If you like police dramas and or character-driven TV shows, I think you'll like "The Closer."

Case closed.

http://www.al.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/entertainment/1135678719242550.xml&coll=3

fredfa

12-27-05, 09:50 AM

Critic’s Notebook
Dick Clark vs. Regis on New Year's Eve

Just like auld times It still takes vets like Dick Clark and Regis Philbin to ring in the new
By Frank Lovece, special to Newsday December 27, 2005

Everything old is New Year's again.

Dick Clark, 76, is set to appear on ABC's Champagne and a party hat

"It's a fascinating holiday," he says, "in that it comes right after the megalopolis of Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas has exhausted us," he says. "We're so exhausted by the time we get to New Year's Eve, all the symbolism has gone to these other places. Christmas you could talk about forever: reindeer, stars, bells, mistletoe, the list goes on and on. By New Year's Eve, the only symbols you've got left are Old Man Time, Baby New Year, Champagne and a party hat."

With New Year's Eve reduced to a beverage and a baby, he says, "the thing we most associate with traditional American New Year has fallen not to ancient traditions, but to broadcasting."

That even includes "Auld Lang Syne."

Think we've always been singing it, like at the end of "It's a Wonderful Life"? Uh-uh. A few Americans, mostly of Scottish and British descent, were familiar with that traditional Scottish ballad - an 1896 New York Times article makes mention of a party group singing it in Lenox, Mass. - but it was Guy Lombardo who popularized it into tradition. His annual broadcasts from the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan from 1929 to '49, followed by decades at the Waldorf-Astoria, burned the song into our brains and made him the Guy they called "the man who invented New Year's Eve."

Whether on television or on radio, New Year's Eve broadcasts provided an electronic agora, a virtual town square. Before that, around the country, many people celebrated with neighbors in a real town square - or a real Times Square - as church bells tolled midnight. (In New York City, even before the Times Square gatherings began in 1904, Manhattanites congregated at Trinity Church on lower Broadway.) "You're at home but with a crowd, and that's the essence of television and radio New Year's Eves," Simon says.

A six-hour celebration

Before the current TV celebrations got established, though, no one quite knew what would fly. Simon describes a 1949 TV listing that shows "NBC having a six-hour celebration, from 8 o'clock to 2 o'clock. It was probably a local [New York City] show, but no kinescope of that was left, unfortunately, so we don't know. But it does show you how much desire there was even then to celebrate this thing on TV." Though perhaps for not quite that long - Simon found no record of any other such six-hour show.

Other attempts at figuring out how to spend the night included news specials and variety shows. CBS at one point in the '50s had radio and TV anchor Bob Trout covering the Times Square crowd and ball-drop as a news event; so did NBC, with newsman Ben Grauer. In 1955, CBS aired a variety special called "New Year's in New York," hosted by radio actor Bud Collyer (famous for his timbre-changing phrase, "This is a job ... for Superman!" and the future host of the classic game show "To Tell the Truth"). NBC's "Tonight Show" often ran as usual on New Year's Eve; you could have celebrated with Johnny Carson and Woody Allen in 1965.

As for New Year's Eves yet to come, "Digital TV and the Internet may have impact," says Simon. "We're already seeing fragmentation, with Dick Clark getting a certain audience, MTV getting a certain audience. There was a glorious international celebration in 1999 , but we're not all that interested in an international thing. Maybe not even national. Just demographic, if each network were to have its own way."

Still, New Year's Eve, as always, comes down to the personal. "I happen to spend New Year's Eve with Guy Lombardo's niece," says Thompson. "She has tapes of the old specials, so we might ring in New Year's Eve 1961!"

AULD LANG SING

Among your musical choices on Saturday, Dec. 31: (Note: All times Eastern)

"MTV'S NEW YEAR OF MUSIC" (MTV, 10:30 p.m.- 12:30a.m.)
Hosts: VJs Susie Castillo, Damien Fahey, Vanessa Minnillo, Quddus Philippe and La La Vazquez
Performers include Adam Levine, All-American Rejects, Common, Fall Out Boy, Shakira, Kanye West, Young Jeezy

"NEW YEAR'S EVE LIVE" (Fox/5, 11 p.m.-12:30a.m.)
Host: Regis Philbin
Performers include Nick Cannon, Tyler Hilton, John O'Hurley. Interviews with Donald Trump, Carrie Underwood.

"NEW YEAR'S EVE: FROM NEW YORK" (ESPN, 11 p.m.-1 a.m.)
Hosts: Stuart Scott, Steven Van Zandt
Sports highlights of 2005, plus performers the Charms, the New York Dolls, the Troggs, the Woggles.

"NBC'S NEW YEAR'S EVE WITH CARSON DALY, PRESENTED BY CHEVROLET" (NBC/4,11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.)
Host: Carson Daly
Performers include Mary J. Blige (live), Wanda Sykes. Commentary by Brian Williams and Diddy (Sean Combs).

"DICK CLARK'S NEW YEAR'S ROCKIN' EVE 2006" (ABC/7, 11:35 p.m.-1:05 a.m.)
Hosts: Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest
Performers include Mariah Carey (live), plus bands 3 Doors Down, 311, the Bangles, Chris Brown, Sean Paul, the Pussycat Dolls, Sugarland - in Hilary Duff-hosted Hollywood segments.

http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/ny-etlede4565418dec27,0,7935889,print.story?coll=ny-television-headlines

fredfa

12-27-05, 10:04 AM

Gone in 2005
Noted in passing, television's lost greats

By Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz Newark Star-Ledger staff

Before 2005 ends and we turn over the calendar, it's time to pay tribute to some of the TV people we lost in the last year, from household names to more anonymous contributors.

As always, we do not presume to offer a complete list, and we have deliberately omitted people who appeared on TV but were better known for their contributions to other fields.

Johnny Carson (79, January): The King of Late Night folded Jon Stewart's satirical bite, David Letterman's self deprecation and Jay Leno's populism into one peerless package. To quote Letterman's Emmy tribute to his mentor, "In a culture that indiscriminately invokes the gold standard as a measure of judgment, Johnny Carson was platinum."

(Speaking of "The Tonight Show," this year we lost two of the program's bandleaders: Skitch Henderson (87, November), conductor under host Steve Allen; and Jose Melis (85, April), who led the orchestra for Jack Paar.)

Lamont Bentley (31, January). A car wreck claimed this likable costar of "Moesha," who was also a hip-hop producer, a Starburst candy spokesman and an activist urging single fathers to take responsibility for their children.

Ossie Davis (87, February), a regular on "Evening Shade" and "The L Word," acclaimed stage and screen actor, lifelong civil rights activist, pioneering African-American director ("Cotton Comes to Harlem"), friend to Malcolm X and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and longtime husband of Ruby Dee.

Paul Henning (93, March), creator of "The Beverly Hillbillies" and author of its theme song, one of the most addictive sing-alongs ever.

William Joseph Bell (78, April): Prolific, Emmy-winning daytime soap writer who co-created "The Young and the Restless" and "The Bold and the Beautiful."

Eddie Albert (99, May): One of the first faces ever seen on television, Albert appeared in NBC's first TV broadcast in 1936, a primitive production that was mainly a plug for NBC's radio network. He found his greatest fame on "Green Acres" as Oliver Douglas, a New York businessman who tried to live the simple life in the country with pampered wife Eva Gabor.

Howard Morris (85, May): A tiny, rubber-faced comedian who was Sid Caesar's best foil on "Your Show of Shows" -- bawling and clinging to Caesar's leg in the immortal "This Is Your Story" sketch -- played rock-throwing loner Ernest T. Bass on "The Andy Griffith Show," and was a prolific sitcom director and cartoon voice actor. (One of Morris' more notable voice roles was as Gopher in the "Winnie the Pooh" cartoons. Paul Winchell, who played Tigger, died in June at 82.)

Frank Gorshin (72, May): The master of 1,000 impressions in nightclubs across the country, Gorshin is best remembered for donning the green tights of The Riddler on the '60s "Batman" series.

Lane Smith (69, June): Southern charmer who toiled for years in small movie roles before hitting it big as Richard Nixon in the miniseries "The Final Days," a role he parlayed into higher-profile film work and the role of Daily Planet editor Perry White on "Lois & Clark."

Dana Elcar (77, June): Dependable character type who usually played military and law-enforcement bosses, notably on "Baretta," "Baa Baa Black Sheep" and "MacGyver," where the loss of his own sight was worked into the show to raise awareness of diabetic retinopathy.

James Doohan (85, July): Every Trekkie within a three-quadrant radius had his own impression of Doohan's Scottish burr as original "Star Trek" engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, an intergalactic working class hero who always managed to get Captain Kirk more power when he needed it.

Barbara Bel Geddes (82, August), star of stage and screen ("Vertigo") and long- running star of "Dallas," where she played Ewing family matriarch Miss Ellie.

Peter Jennings (67, August): The cool, sophisticated member of the Big Three anchormen's club; a high school dropout turned self-schooled voice of authority; unflappable and sharp-witted; allergic to the idea of coddling viewers, even when reporting on inflammatory subjects like Mideast violence; equally at home behind the anchor desk and in the madness of war zones.

Don Adams (82, September): Would you believe... that a nasal comedian whose real last name was Yarmy would become a big star playing "Get Smart" hero Maxwell Smart, a bumbling James Bond wannabe with a phone in his shoe?

Bob Denver (70, September): As the bumbling title character of "Gilligan's Island," he found new ways every week to klutz up attempts to get off the island. Before that, he was TV's first beatnik, "Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" sidekick Maynard G. Krebs, who suffered an allergic reaction to the idea or even mention of work.

Chris Schenkel (82, September): A sportscasting jack-of-all trades, Schenkel was comfortable no matter the size or shape of the ball (or even without a ball). He was the voice of the football Giants for 13 years; did college football, pro basketball, boxing, the Olympics, horse racing, golf, tennis, and, perhaps most famously, bowling, where he was an ABC Saturday staple for decades.

Charles Rocket (56, October): The star of the ill-fated "Saturday Night Live" cast that replaced the original Not-Ready-for-Primetime Players, Rocket's live use of the F-word not only got him fired, it inspired NBC to clean house. He appeared frequently on TV for the rest of his life, most notably as Bruce Willis' brother on "Moonlighting."

Nipsey Russell (80, October): The Poet Laureate of Television, Russell parlayed a supporting role on "Car 54, Where Are You?" into a lifetime of guest appearances on talk shows and game shows (notably "To Tell the Truth" and "Match Game"), where he'd always produce an amusing rhyme or 12.

Ralph Edwards (92, November): Pioneering TV producer and creator of "This Is Your Life," "Truth or Consequences" and other influential game shows.

Pat Morita (73, November): The Oscar-nominated costar of "The Karate Kid" broke through as diner owner Arnold on "Happy Days." He also starred in "Mr. T and Tina," the first sitcom with an Asian lead.

Richard Pryor (65, December): Although best known for his records, concerts and films, the comedian's TV work was distinctive and underrated. He cohosted the 1983 Oscar telecast; hosted "The Midnight Special"; guest hosted one of the funniest "SNL" episodes ever; wrote and performed poignant characters on 1977's "The Richard Pryor Show," and created and starred in the gentlest, wisest Saturday morning kids' series of the 1980s, "Pryor's Place."

John Spencer (58, December): First as a streetwise attorney on "L.A. Law," then as the president's right hand on "The West Wing," Jersey guy Spencer brought blue-collar wisdom and decency to two of TV's finest dramas.

Also departed:

Barney Martin (82, March): Former New York cop who played Jerry's raincoat salesman father on "Seinfeld"...

Kevin Hagen (77, July), who played the kindly Dr. Hiram Baker on "Little House on the Prairie"...

Mitch Hedberg (37, March), comedian and frequent guest of David Letterman and Craig Kilborn...

Pat McCormick (78, July), writer for Red Skelton and Phyllis Diller, actor (on "Sanford & Son" and in three "Smokey and the Bandit" films) and regular guest on "The Tonight Show" and "The Gong Show"...

Leon Askin (97, June), who played Gen. Albert Burkhalter on "Hogan's Heroes"...

Debralee Scott (52, April), who played Cathy Shumway on "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman ..." and Hotsy Totsy on "Welcome Back, Kotter" ...

Ruth Warrick (88, January), the first wife in "Citizen Kane," who went on to star for 35 years as Phoebe Tyler Wallingford in "All My Children" ...

Danny Simon (86, July): Writer who worked with big brother Neil on the legendary "Your Show of Shows" writing staff ...

Mason Adams (86, April), Ed Asner's boss on "Lou Grant" and the commercial voice of Smucker's jelly...

Herb Sargent (81, May), longtime "Saturday Night Live" writer and producer...

Shana Alexander (79, June), veteran journalist whose "60 Minutes" debates with James J. Kilpatrick inspired the "Jane, you ignorant slut" debates on "Saturday Night Live"...

Paul Duke (78, July), host of PBS' "Washington Week in Review"...

Myron Floren (85, July), accordionist on "The Lawrence Welk Show"...

Wendie Jo Sperber (47, November): Sitcom veteran and breast cancer activist who lived across the hall from cross-dressing Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari on "Bosom Buddies"...

http://www.nj.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/columns-0/113557560345710.xml&coll=1

fredfa

12-27-05, 10:42 AM

The Business of TV
Cable is now half digital

By Don Kaplan The New York Post

Digital cable is finally catching up.

Roughly as many people are digital cable subscribers as are old-fashioned analog subscribers, according to a new AP study.

Digital — which lets subscribers get more channels and allows cable companies to turn set-top boxes into computers capable of recording, fast forwarding, freezing live TV and offering scores of on-demand options — has, until now, lagged far behind analog cable.

Now there are nearly as many digital cable boxes as analog, the survey says — about 46 percent are digital, 52 percent are analog.

Overall, about 51 percent of those asked have cable TV. Twenty-six percent have satellite service, while 22 percent of TV owners get by on regular over-the-air television.

All this new technology means that people are spending more money on their cable bills, which now sometimes include telephone and internet service.

Overall, the majority of those asked said they are paying more than $200 a month on these communications services.

http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/pfriendly_new.php

fredfa

12-27-05, 10:51 AM

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.

fredfa

12-27-05, 11:33 AM

Sports On TV
RIP, “MNF”

By Jim Cheney at bcbeat.com

It is with some sorrow that one of the titans of the annual fall network programming schedule has come to an end, and this downfall has nothing to do with grisly discoveries on the Las Vegas strip. This is the end of a genuine golden era, as a decades-long exhibition of the most popular game in America has become the high-maintenance casualty of modern television broadcasting.

It’s been 36 seasons of life for ABC’s venerable slice of the NFL, Monday Night Football. Once derided as a boondoggle and a folly, MNF became the premier regularly scheduled television sports broadcast. Despite the occasional variation in the quality of the teams and in the audience interest, each of the 555 games was an event. There were more cameras, more broadcasters, more viewers and far more spit shine--a high-sheen polish which created an almost blinding aura. It was a pure example of America--over-the-top hyperbole located squarely at the now well-traveled crossroads of professional athletics and splashy entertainment.

But MNF became an ironic victim of success. ABC is the top broadcaster, and pricey, primetime sports extravaganzas, while resting comfortably in the Nielsen top ten, no longer sit as comfortably in the hearts of the suit-and-whiteboard set. But despite its waned popularity in the boardroom, there is no denying MNF established the broadcast style which dominates modern televised football, making stars on and off the field.

MNF of course made Howard Cosell one of the most famous, and most reviled, men in the country. Cosell was the target of anti-Semitism, advertiser criticism and viewer schism, all the while establishing the sports broadcaster as a megastar that has cooked the loins of the legions of aspiring SportsCenter anchors. The producers even stretched the bounds, offering a two-year experiment in comedian Dennis Miller, a man whose reliance on obscure references equaled his ignorance of professional football.

http://www.bcbeat.com/

fredfa

12-27-05, 11:52 AM

Best of 2005
The year in television: Here are some of TV's memorable moments for 2005

By Tom Jicha the South Florida Sun-Sentinel December 27, 2005

Every year in television can't be like 2004, when Desperate Housewives and Lost captured and held the attention of America and demonstrated that there is still a future for broadcast TV. Alas, many memories of 2005 will be sad ones: Peter Jennings' departure and subsequent death; the demise of Nightlin e as we knew it; extended coverage of killer storms and the breakup of The Newlyweds.

However, those who shun television would have missed a lot, some of it very good, some of it not so good and some of it just so strange that it cannot be ignored in recalling the memorable moments of the year about to pass into nostalgia.

1. American Idol

Every episode is an event, speculated upon in advance, chewed over in retrospect. Drama, soap opera, comedy, competition, snarkiness, backbiting, memorable performances and a whiff of scandal -- plus America got the winner, Carrie Underwood, right. TV doesn't get any better.

2. Hurricane Katrina

Everyone, except apparently FEMA chief Michael Brown and the White House, was mesmerized by the devastation in New Orleans, which is as unparalleled as early (and unchallenged) predictions of the death toll were exaggerated. By letting his disgust run rampant on the air, Anderson Cooper became the Hurricane Hunk. Before the floodwaters receded, Cooper had blown away Aaron Brown to become the face du jour of CNN.

3. Oprah May 23

In a frenzy of calculated spontaneity to convince skeptics he's not, well, what Seinfeld said there was nothing wrong with, Tom Cruise jumps up and down on Oprah's couch and declares his boundless, giddy love for a woman, who incidentally happens to be Katie Holmes.

4. NYPD Blue and Everybody Loves Raymond finales

Dennis Franz's ultimate anti-authoritarian, Andy Sipowicz, doesn't change after 12 years and 263 episodes. Even after he's made squad room boss, he keeps defying superiors right to the end. As Blue faded to black, viewers were left feeling that life went on; the TV audience just won't be around to share it. The same feeling pervaded Raymond's swan song. True to their word, the producers contained it to the usual half-hour, one which reminded loyalists that as much as the Barones bickered, they loved and continue to love each other.

5. West Wing debate

Live episodes of weekly series are grossly overrated; semi-pro actors in storefront theaters do it every night. However, as these gimmicks go, the free-wheeling showdown between Alan Alda and Jimmy Smits, as presidential candidates Arnold Vinick and Matt Santos, was brilliantly conceived and carried out. Alda, in particular, was exemplary, espousing as passionately as Rush Limbaugh conservative positions with which Alda personally vigorously disagrees.

6. Dancing with the Stars

A summer filler became a phenomenon. Millions of Americans, many of whom couldn't identify Arthur Murray, became such instant experts on ballroom dancing that a national controversy erupted when Kelly Monaco's soap opera fans voted her the winner over John O'Hurley. ABC staged a rematch, which produced the opposite result, but America had moved on to other things.

7. Kendra Todd, the apprentice

Boynton Beach real estate agent Kendra Todd blitzed the field as she became Donald Trump's first female Apprentice on May 19. Todd was undefeated as a project manager and so outstanding as a teammate that she was never put into jeopardy in the boardroom. Her design of a sales brochure for Pontiac, accomplished single-handedly while teammates took a nap, was so professional that the car company adopted it as a sales tool. Said an admiring Trump, "She knocked the ball out of the stadium."

8. Jack Bauer, the fugitive

Payback is ... not very nice for Kiefer Sutherland's 24 uber hero. Despite Jack staving off Armageddon one more time, season four ended in May with the acting president putting out a contract to whack him, lest the Chinese make Jack takeout for his role in a deadly attack on their consulate. So as the series gears up for Day Five, Jack is on the lam from the world's two superpowers.

9. Sleeper Cell

OK, so it was 24 Lite, but the 10-hour Showtime miniseries on a terrorist plot to kill millions of Americans was a gripping thriller and a reminder how the mainstream networks have all but abandoned the miniseries form. (A two-part movie, whose actual production time is just more than 21/2 hours, is not a miniseries.)

10. Nip/Tuck Dec. 20

OK, it didn't trigger the global curiosity of "Who Shot J.R.?" but fans of the spicy FX series were kept spellbound until new associate Quentin Costa was revealed to be the sadistic Carver, who had been terrorizing the Miami Beach plastic surgeons and those around them. However, the gratuitously over-the-top grotesque nature of the season finale caused the series to slip a few places in this list.

Honorable mentions

The emergence of Desperate Housewives and Lost are really last year's stories, but they continue to build on their success ...
Everybody Hates Chri s has become the second reason, along with Veronica Mar s, to figure out where UPN is on your cable dial ...
Chris, My Name Is Earl and How I Met Your Mothe r offer hope that comedy is on the verge of emerging from its comatose state ...
Elvis by His Family might have been the most entertaining documentary ever on the king, and was far superior to the two-part docudrama it accompanied ...
HBO's Rome brought viewers into the tent with kinky sex but held them there with slowly unfolding tales of political intrigue in the ancient empire ...
Meanwhile, Entourage began to develop into what might be the next terrific HBO comedy ...
Glenn Close was magnificent in her one-season stay on The Shield ...
Oprah Winfrey's visit to The Late Show With David Letterman on Dec. 1 would have made the Top 10 if Dave had been more Dave and not groveled at the feet of the queen of daytime. Maybe next time. Maybe next year.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/news/bal-tv-year1227,1,3839413,print.story?coll=bal-tv-utility

fredfa

12-27-05, 11:58 AM

(From Marc Berman’s Tuesday, December 27, 2005 Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com )
Network News: Season to-Date Rating Results

With the anchor chairs recently changing in network news, what follows are the season to-date rating results for NBC’s Nightly News, ABC’s World News Tonight and CBS’ Evening News. NBC’s Nightly News with Brian Williams holds a commanding household and total viewer advantage over ABC’s World News Tonight, now with Elizabeth Vargas and Bob Woodruff, while leading by just one-tenth of a rating point (or 4 percent) among key adults 25-54. Excluding a flat performance for ABC among adults 25-54, both network newscasts posted minor year-to-year losses.

Although CBS’ Evening News with interim anchor Bob Schieffer is third in the three surveyed categories, year-to-year the network newscast is up by 4 percent in both households and total viewers (with no change in adults 25-54).

What follows are the network news results from Sept. 19 through Dec. 16, 2005 (with change versus the year-ago period in parentheses):

Households:
NBC: 6.9/14 (- 5)
ABC: 6.1/12 (- 5)
CBS: 5.3/10 (+ 4)

Total Viewers:
NBC: 9.80 million (- 6)
ABC: 8.66 (- 5)
CBS: 7.46 (+ 4)

Adults 25-54:
NBC: 2.6/10 (- 7)
ABC: 2.5/10 (no change)
CBS: 1.9/ 7 (no change)

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

fredfa

12-27-05, 12:02 PM

Sports On TV
Heyday of 'MNF' worth celebrating

This night once had might
By Bob Ryan Boston Globe Staff December 27, 2005

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- If you're 40 or so, ''Monday Night Football" came on the air when you were 5. You know no other way of sports life.

On the other hand, if you're 20 or so, you have no idea what the fuss is all about. It's just, well, there.

If you're a young'un, you weren't around when it was a sports happening and not just the end of Week Whatever (also the last chance for a gambler to get even). You're just looking for a game.

But back in the day, ''Monday Night Football" was a big deal because ABC sports chief Roone Arledge made the pioneering move of placing three men in the broadcast booth, two of whom were certified characters. The public never had heard anything like the byplay between Howard Cosell and Don Meredith, or ''Dandy Don," as Howard might say. They really were a show, separate and equal, from the game itself.

I found it rather amusing that last night's Patriots-Jets game at Giants Stadium was being sold as the end of ''Monday Night Football." As a broadcast entity, ''Monday Night Football" will be back next year. It will be on ESPN, a move that reflects where televised sports coverage is today as opposed to where it was in 1970, when Arledge put forth the radical notion that professional football could become a serious prime-time attraction on Monday. Thirty-five years later, ''Monday Night Football" is the second-longest-running prime time show, trailing only ''60 Minutes."

All this weeping and wailing is something of a network conceit. The days when anyone made a fuss over ''Monday Night Football," over and above the game itself, are long gone. And I say that as one of the dwindling number of writers who still enjoys John Madden. I like him, but his presence alone wasn't going to get me to watch ''Monday Night Football" if I didn't care for the matchup. I suspect I speak for millions.

It wasn't that way 30 years ago, when Cosell was in full polysyllabic bellow. The man was larger than life in the 1970s. If Woody Allen weren't drafting him to appear in a movie (''Bananas," where, as I recall, Howard did play-by-play of the Woody character's wedding night), the powers-that-be were getting him to MC the legendary Sinatra ''Main Event" concert from Madison Square Garden. Cosell was ubiquitous and delightfully controversial, at once America's most beloved and most reviled sportscaster.

Placing Cosell in the booth with Meredith was a true inspiration. It was the colossally arrogant New Yorker vs. the folksy Texan, who loved nothing better than to fire away at Cosell's pomposity. There was never a doubt that Meredith was 100 percent honest. He didn't play-act. When he thought Cosell was being ridiculous, or had just stepped into a football matter that was way over his toupeed head, he said so.

In the middle was Frank Gifford, a superstar jock turned average play-by-play man. He had clout and was not just another broadcast traffic cop. (And don't bother e-mailing me about Keith Jackson; I know he was the original play-by-play man. For one year. That's like layup trivia, you know?)

Anyway, it was all great theater.

What the average fan never knew was just what a grand Shakespearian production the entire thing was. The executive producer was Arledge, a megastar in his own right. The director was Chet Forte, the former Columbia All-America basketball player (kiddies, back when he played in the '50s, this was still possible) who was a handful for any employer because of a gambling problem that would plague him for his entire adult life. The stories emanating from the truck (as Forte watched his money float away on this or that INT) kept insiders howling from coast to coast.

It was all a traveling circus, and a costly one. Money was absolutely no object for anyone. Everything was top-shelf. First-class air travel for everyone. Four-star hotel suites. Limos to and from everywhere. Nothing was too good for the key players. It was the greatest joyride any of them ever would have.

By the way, all the stories you've heard? They're probably no more than 99.99 percent true. They never did know when Howard would show up, shall we say, somewhat indisposed. A lot of key decisions were made on the fly, as many breaths were held until the Great Man proved that he would be coherent.

But the man was an absolute genius. We live in an age of instant everything, but in those days a football-loving nation looked forward to halftime for the taped highlights of the Sunday games, all narrated off the top of his head by Cosell, who never stumbled and who had an eerie timer in his head (he was famous for knowing exactly what would constitute a 15-, 30-, or 60-second narration -- or two minutes, for that matter).

It really is true that Cosell brought the news of John Lennon's death to the American public (I can still hear him referring to it as ''an unspeakable tragedy") during a Monday night game. It probably made as much sense that he do it as anybody else, given his enormous celebrity and weekly visits into millions of American households via ''Monday Night Football." True, he had other forums, including a daily radio commentary that was aired well into the '90s. But it was ''Monday Night Football" that cemented his status as an American icon.

That is what we celebrated last night. ''Monday Night Football" has gone on and on, and it will continue indefinitely on ESPN. But it is just the final game of the week, nothing more. Once upon a time, this newspaper dispatched the great Leigh Montville to every Monday night game on the assumption that it would be Topic A at every water cooler in America on Tuesday morning and we needed to be there. But if the Patriots weren't playing last night, you can be certain my boss would have had me somewhere else.

The Monday night football that everyone thinks of when they think of ''Monday Night Football" died a long time ago. But I'm here to tell you it sure was fun while it lasted.

http://www.boston.com/sports/articles/2005/12/27/night_once_had_might?mode=PF

fredfa

12-27-05, 02:31 PM

Best of 2005
The biggest stories of 2005

By Aaron Barnhart Kansas City Star

A review of the year in television must begin with its most significant milestone: the 20th anniversary of the publication of Amusing Ourselves to Death, Neil Postman’s laser beam of a tract about TV.

The professor, who died in 2003, correctly prophesied that viewers one day (that is, now) would have in their households a perfect instrument for entertainment — one that was tragically and ironically inept at helping us communicate.

“Americans are the best entertained and quite likely the least well-informed people in the Western world,” he wrote. And he pinned the blame squarely on TV for, in his words, “transforming our culture into one vast arena for show business.”

Postman’s son, Andrew, writes in the new 20th-anniversary edition of the book: “(M)y father asked such good questions that they can be asked of non-television things. ‘What happens to us when we become infatuated with and then seduced by (these gizmos)? Do they free us or imprison ” us? Do they make our leaders more accountable or less so?’

And the question we should reflect on every Christmas Day: “Do they make us better citizens or better consumers?”

Postman, I believe, would have been pleased that in 2005 television helped make our leaders more accountable. The meta-story of 2005 was the return of criticism as healthy and even fashionable. Take the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Savvy corporate and government handlers are shrewd about steering TV cameras to the photo ops for their clients. But they could not tell the cameras who or what to shoot after Katrina.

The flooding of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast was the biggest TV story of 2005, and while it minted a couple of new stars, notably CNN’s Anderson Cooper, mostly what it did was give voice to the poor and bewildered ordinary citizens stranded by the storm.

Their voices accumulated, and the din humbled a president, exposed the shoddiness of a government relief agency and performed a public service.

Speaking of CNN, it finally ditched its retro debate show “Crossfire,” thanks to critics like Jon Stewart who told its hosts their on-screen bickering was “hurting America.” Unfortunately, what took its place was even worse: the schizo “Situation Room,” which bombarded viewers with as many as six screens of video at once. As if that weren’t disorienting enough, then came questions from the mind of Wolf Blitzer.

Celebrities died in 2005, none bigger than Peter Jennings and Johnny Carson. Neither would have been comfortable with the acclaim that followed their passing. They were throwback stars who comported themselves like VIPs while somehow not losing their common touch.

George Clooney made “political films” hip again, including his “Good Night, and Good Luck,” about the iconic CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow. However, let the record show that HBO — a channel usually averse to political messages — beat Clooney to the punch earlier in 2005 when it aired “The Girl in the Café,” a romantic comedy set against the backdrop of the G8 summit, and “Dirty War,” a startlingly realistic simulation of a terrorist attack on downtown London.

Al Gore also got into the business as the most public face behind the investors in Current TV, a cable channel that succeeded in giving viewers airtime to tell their stories. Many of them were fresh and substantive.

In a first, FX aired a TV drama taking place during the war it was dramatizing. But “Over There” steadily lost viewers and was canceled. Also retiring in 2005 were “Six Feet Under,” “NYPD Blue,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,” UPN’s “Enterprise,” Dan Rather and his equally tarnished CBS boss, Andy Heyward.

KCPT general manager Bill Reed retired, too, and with his head held high. He went on “NewsHour” to defend public television after it came under fire from Corporation for Pubic Broadcasting chairman Ken Tomlinson, a Bush appointee. Tomlinson quit in November, just before an inspector general’s report accused him of improperly paying a right-wing media watchdog to log the political views of PBS talk-show guests.

Emmy voters found “Lost” the best TV drama, while American viewers, according to Nielsen, voted “Desperate Housewives” the top new show. Both shows were then turned into downloads for the new video iPod (only $1.99 per episode, up slightly from the network price of free). That created a feeding frenzy of deals that will eventually turn many of us into on-demand viewers who will never AGAIN watch TV shows at their appointed hour or sit through another commercial break.

Appointment TV, however, was clearly alive in 2005. Millions stayed up to see Oprah Winfrey end her 16-year feud with David Letterman. Millions more tuned in Dec. 11 to see Tonganoxie’s Danni Boatwright win the $1 million prize on “Survivor.”

Few, however, tuned in to see the ladies from Squeal of Approval, a KCK-based trio of amateur barbecue chefs, when they went to New York City and knocked off the pros to win the “All-Star BBQ Showdown” on OLN.

Speaking of OLN, it lost its meal ticket when Lance Armstrong won his seventh and final Tour de France.

Cable news networks lost theirs when Michael Jackson took one last ride away from the Santa Barbara courthouse and flew off to Bahrain.

“Jeopardy!” had to hope for a new meal ticket when its biggest star, Ken Jennings, was defeated in a three-day ultimate tournament by the less telegenic Brad Rutter.

Martha Stewart got to remove her ankle bracelet, but by then she had shackled herself to Mark Burnett, who sweet-talked her into doing a second “Apprentice.” Next to fibbing about a stock trade, it was the second dumbest move she has made.

Chris Rock hosted the Oscars. Ellen DeGeneres hosted the Emmys. Craig Ferguson hosted “The Late Late Show.” And many of us would’ve traded every night of the year to see Johnny host anything one more time.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/entertainment/columnists/aaron_barnhart/13468277.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

fredfa

12-27-05, 02:34 PM

Maybe there will be some new HD news by this presentation....

DIRECTV to Present at the Citigroup 16th Annual Media and Entertainment Conference

(DirecTV News Release)
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Dec 27, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- DIRECTV (NYSE:DTV) will present at the Arizona Biltmore Resort on Monday, January 9th, 2006 at 4:40 pm MT. The presentation will include an update and outlook on the DIRECTV business.
A live webcast of the presentation will be available at www.directv.com and an archive of the presentation and webcast will be posted under the "Investor Relations" link of this website.
Date: Monday, January 9, 2006

Time: 4:40 p.m. MT/6:40 p.m. ET/ 3:40 p.m. PT

Speaker: Chase Carey, President and CEO, DIRECTV

Webcast: www.directv.com

fredfa

12-27-05, 02:56 PM

Thankfully, many of you haven't neglected to take a few moments and fill out the programming poll. (And to a majority lately have been PMing me their votes rather than posting them here.)

If you haven't voted yet, please do. PM me with your votes, if you like.

A template for your ballot is available here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6785221#post6785221

I'll post current results in the next day or so.

biggiE48

12-27-05, 03:05 PM

Favorite three new network prime-time shows which debuted in anytime in 2005:
Grey's Anatomy
My Name is Earl
Threshold may it RIP

Favorite three new prime-time cable shows:
Weeds (make me want to eat)
Sleeper Cell even though it was a mini series it was pretty good

Favorite three veteran prime-time shows:
Lost
West Wing
House

Favorite three veteran cable prime-time shows:
Deadwood
Monk
BattleStar Galactica

Favorite three TV actors:
Ian Mcshane,William Sanderson
Hugh Laurie
Edward James Olmos

Favorite three TV actresses:
Robin Weigrat
Carlo Gugino

Favorite TV sports production:
Real Sport

Favorite TV news program or (cable net) as the case may be:
Countdown with Keith Olberman

Show the critics most overlook:
Battlestar Galatica

Show the critics most over-hype:
Commander In Chief
Arrested Development
Lost
Actor who makes you cringe
Vincent D"Onofrio
David Caruso
Major Jim Tisneski what was Benjamin Bratt thinking

Actress who makes you cringe
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Marg Helenberger

One former favorite which has lost your interest this season:
MALCOM IN THE MIDDLE

(For HD viewers only) Favorite program to show off your HD setup to friends and neighbors:
Any CBS NFL game

(For HD viewers only) Is there any show you enjoy so much you'd watch it even in SD
Battlestar Galatica

fredfa

12-27-05, 03:29 PM

Thanks for the vote, biggiE48.

It is good to see you posting again! :)

fredfa

12-27-05, 03:38 PM

I know many of you cringe at his name, but AVS member Phillip Swann's website today has a column you might enjoy today titled "10 Ways HDTV Can Save You Money".

Personally I wish he would get off the somewhat repetitive and sexist and ageist remarks about how it makes women -- especially women past their 20s -- look "old", etc, but he does have some amusing thoughts.

Here:

http://www.tvpredictions.com/hdtvsavings122705.htm

fredfa

12-27-05, 05:11 PM

The Business of TV
Cable network subs as of November, 2005

Cable Channel / Subs (in thousands)
THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL 90,411
ESPN 90,329
CNN / HLN 90,286
CABLE NEWS NETWORK 90,141
TURNER NETWORK TELEVISION 89,960
USA NETWORK 89,836
SPIKE TV 89,736
NICK-AT-NITE 89,683
NICKELODEON 89,683
LIFETIME TELEVISION 89,667
TBS NETWORK 89,651
THE WEATHER CHANNEL 89,651
A&E NETWORK 89,519
ESPN2 89,392
THE LEARNING CHANNEL 89,305
HOME AND GARDEN TV 89,109
HEADLINE NEWS 89,031
MTV: MUSIC TELEVISION 88,978
ABC FAMILY CHANNEL 88,846
THE HISTORY CHANNEL 88,763
VH1 88,598
ADULT SWIM 88,564
THE CARTOON NETWORK 88,564
CNBC 88,313
FOX NEWS CHANNEL 88,157
FOOD NETWORK 88,125
COMEDY CENTRAL 87,902
ANIMAL PLANET 87,848
FX 87,502
AMERICAN MOVIE CLASSICS 87,420
E! ENTERTAINMENT TV 87,039
DISNEY CHANNEL 87,014
TV LAND 86,337
MSNBC 84,996
SCI-FI CHANNEL 84,894
COURT TV 84,630
THE TRAVEL CHANNEL 82,439
BLACK ENTERTAINMENT TV 81,077
BRAVO 79,771
CMT 78,706
TV GUIDE CHANNEL 77,464
HALLMARK CHANNEL 70,689
THE GOLF CHANNEL 68,015
SUPERSTATION WGN 67,387
SPEED CHANNEL 64,542
OUTDOOR LIFE NETWORK 62,891
MTV2 58,698
DISCOVERY HEALTH 58,682
ESPN CLASSIC 58,270
GSN (GAME SHOW NETWORK) 57,995
OXYGEN 56,525
WE: WOMENS ENTERTAINMENT 56,163
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHNL 55,791
G4 53,587
TOON DISNEY 50,724
LIFETIME MOVIE NETWORK 49,596
SOAPNET 47,112
ESPNEWS 45,506
NOGGIN/THE N 44,967
BBC AMERICA 43,359
STYLE 41,575
GREAT AMERICAN COUNTRY 39,255
FUSE 38,746
THE SCIENCE CHANNEL 38,555
THE MILITARY CHANNEL 37,568
DISCOVERY TIMES CHANNEL 37,330
NICKTOONS 36,109
FITTV (The Health Network) 35,974
BIOGRAPHY CHANNEL 34,892
HISTORY INTERNATIONAL 34,553
THE OUTDOOR CHANNEL 25,722
TV ONE 23,217
FAMILYNET 21,321
TURNER SOUTH 10,956

Premium Channels

HBO - THE WORKS 31,111
HBO PRIME 30,955
ENCORE 27,860
ENCORE PRIMARY 26,173
SHOWTIME 17,986
SHOWTIME PRIME 17,799
STARZ 17,171
STARZ PRIMARY 16,918
MULTIMAX 15,324
MAXPRIME 15,247
THE MOVIE CHANNEL 15,219

Source: Nielsen Media Research

Woodrow

12-27-05, 06:03 PM

Favorite three new network prime-time shows which debuted in anytime in 2005:

Don't really have one

Favorite three new prime-time cable shows:

Don't really have one..maybe, Las Vegas. Lot's of eye candy.

Favorite three veteran prime-time shows:

MNF(past tense)

According to Jim

CSI

Favorite three veteran cable prime-time shows:

Orange County Choppers

Mythbusters

(basically anything on discovery and A&E)

Favorite three TV actors:

James Belushi(under-rated actor, IMO)

Favorite three TV actresses:

Don't really have a favorite actress

Favorite TV sports production:

Was MNF, now it is ESPN NFL football

Favorite TV news program or (cable net) as the case may be:

FOX, MSNBC

Show the critics most overlook:

According to Jim(:D)

Show the critics most over-hype:

Most all of them

Actor who makes you cringe

Can't really say...

Actress who makes you cringe

Sarah Jessica Parker

One former favorite which has lost your interest this season:

COPS(no HDTV) besides, we've pretty much seen it all now.

(For HD viewers only) Favorite program to show off your HD setup to friends and neighbors:

Anything on PBS HD(OTA). Specifically, Soundstage and Smart Travels.

(For HD viewers only) Is there any show you enjoy so much you'd watch it even in SD?

Orange County Choppers(I watched in SD for years)

I answered as best I could. Hope it helps.:)

EDITED James for Jim..

fredfa

12-27-05, 06:05 PM

Thanks Jim -- every vote counts!

fredfa

12-27-05, 06:06 PM

Yes Boss

New York Post

Bruce Springsteen, who rarely allows his music to be used in TV or movie soundtracks, has licensed no fewer than nine songs to the cop show "Cold Case" for an episode next month.

The episode, to be called "8 Years," is about an unsolved murder in a circle of four high school friends. It airs Jan. 8.

The story follows the surviving three kids into adulthood as cops try to figure out who killed the murdered classmate.

Among the Springsteen sings used are "No Surrender," "Drive All Night," "Stolen Car" and "Atlantic City." All the music is from Springsteen's "middle period" in the 80s and early '90s.

The show's executive producer says the episode was in fact written around the songs - rather than just picking songs that illustrate the story.

"Because there are such vivid stories and characters in Bruce Springsteen's music, we decided to let the lyrics do a lot of the storytelling for us, instead of depending on dialogue," said exec producer Meredith Stiehm, who wrote the episode. "In this case, I chose the songs first and then designed the story around them."

Springsteen allowed "Cold Case" to use one of his songs, "Walk Like a Man" last year in an episode called "The Lost Soul of Herman Lester."

It has helped that the show's consulting producer, Mark Pellington, directed a Springsteen video and put in a good word to convince the New Jersey rocker to allow use of his songs.

Last year, the same show did an episode based around 10 John Mellencamp songs.

Woodrow

12-27-05, 06:07 PM

Thanks Jim -- every vote counts!
Jim?? I'm Chris.:D

tkmedia2

12-27-05, 06:21 PM

btw the show is "American Chopper" not Orange County Choppers.

fredfa

12-27-05, 06:39 PM

Jim?? I'm Chris.:D

And I am frazzled! Sorry Chris!

Woodrow

12-27-05, 06:43 PM

btw the show is "American Chopper" not Orange County Choppers.Yet, you knew what I was talking about.;)

EDIT>>

And you missed my calling James Belushi, Jim Belushi..:D

Woodrow

12-27-05, 06:44 PM

And I am frazzled! Sorry Chris!
No biggie! I knew what you meant.:)

fredfa

12-27-05, 08:56 PM

This is the list, that so far at least, I peronally find the most offensively and arrogantly elitist.
In my mind it is not hard to see why EW is not really on anyone's list of serious TV sources.
But then, as I noted, those are my personal opinions. Here are Gillian Flynn's:

Best of 2005
The Ten Best
By Gillian Flynn Entertainment Weekly

1-Arrested Development (Fox) Stepping into the orbit of Arrested's conniving, hapless Bluth family is like entering an ingenious Rube Goldberg contraption. One-liners whiz by, only to boomerang around five episodes later (2005 featured whip-fast callbacks to Tom Jane, Charlie Brown, and ''Operation Hot Mother''); visual gags arrow into view, gone so quickly a TiVo is practically requisite; the Bluths themselves bounce in and out of ludicrous situations — this year saw George (Jeffrey Tambor) chattering to dolls in the attic and Buster (Tony Hale) losing a hand to a seal. Creator Mitch Hurwitz, bless him, has created a just-past-reality world that thrives on falsity — a place where magicians rule (kinda), a family lives in a fake model home, and the zenith of familial relations is Motherboy, an event in which sons and moms don matching costumes and pretend to love each other. As oddball as Arrested is, it's also humane. A flawless cast — from Will Arnett's breathy, bombastic Gob to Jessica Walter's boozy Lucille — grounds it, aided by Ron Howard's affable narration. Of course, the center of sensibility is good son Michael (Jason Bateman) and his even better son, George Michael (Michael Cera). Bateman and Cera give the best reacts around — the former all weary exasperation, the latter adorably bunny-stunned. Together, they're the sweetest, awkwardest straight men on the smartest, most shockingly funny series on TV...which is likely canceled, despite six Emmy wins. It's a perversion not even the Bluths deserve.

2-Bodies (BBC America) Smug incompetence leaves a woman paralyzed, her child stillborn, the family desperate for a settlement. This six-part hospital drama pits management golden boy and inept doctor Roger Hurley (The Office's Patrick Baladi) against a striving young resident (Max Beesley) who'd like to do the right thing — bust Hurley — if it doesn't cost him too much. Easily outwitting all American medical dramas, Bodies boasts a bad guy who's often sympathetic and a good guy who lies, cheats, and betrays with embarrassed shrugs. Splashy showdowns, bloody procedures, and tragic screwups pock each episode, but Bodies' real achievement is making everyday complacency and tiny-minded bureaucracy absolutely riveting.

3-Lost (ABC) Months can (and will) be spent sorting the clues — codes, comic books, kid nabbers — confettied all over this mystery island. But let's focus on Lost's lesser-heralded qualities. First, the ability to turn our overinformed brains against us: Knowing word was out that new castaways would be introduced, the writers took a page from Psycho, rolling out science teacher Arzt, letting us think he'd be a regular — and then smithereening the guy. Second, the disturbing images that stick: a child's teddy bear dragged through the forest, that queasy industrial video found in the hatch. Third, the graceful introduction of a whole new set of characters, whose devastating firsthand experience with the Others (that chilling cry: ''They took the children!'') injected them, and the show, with a double shot of paranoia.

4-The Staircase (Sundance Channel) Oscar-winning documentarian Jean-Xavier de Lestrade (Murder on a Sunday Morning) found himself a nonfiction whodunit bonanza. One night, North Carolina mystery writer Michael Peterson discovers his wealthy wife dead at the bottom of their mansion's staircase. He says accident. The gaping amount of blood hints otherwise. To say more — and there's much more — is to ruin the twists of this eight-part series, in which participants regularly turn to the camera and remark on how lucky the filmmakers are. With amazing access to the defense team, Peterson's blended family, and the entire trial, The Staircase is an intense look at family dynamics, Southern politics, prejudice, faith, secret lives, and a blow poke.

5-Entourage (HBO) Now, this is how you do a season 2. Rising star Vince (Adrian Grenier), who'd been a shade too cool, landed a dream film role as Aquaman opposite his old flame Mandy Moore (Mandy Moore) — and went completely gaga. The two funniest characters — Vince's poignantly unsuccessful older brother, Johnny ''Drama'' (Kevin Dillon), and Vince's nasty, knife-tongued agent, Ari (Jeremy Piven) — bantered, whined, and threatened their way through more showcase scenes. The boys screwed hot women, bought mansions and artwork...and more hot women. Overtly macho, but never misogynistic. Among all the inside Hollywood jokes is an even more inside joke: These dude's dudes, with their defensive loyalty, pouty silent treatments, and joyful cliquery, out-girl most girls.

6-Veronica Mars (UPN) Perfectly anachronistic, Veronica features shadowy shots straight out of a '30s noir flick, biker gangs and secret clubs with a '50s feel — and a decidedly current heroine. High school detective Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) can fix her own car, clean up her own mess, and always come up with a nifty retort to the jerks who run her school. Yet she's utterly reliant on a man — her doting father (Enrico Colantoni). ''I love you so much...I knew you'd come...I knew you'd save me,'' she cries when Pop swoops her from certain death in the packed first-season finale. Creator Rob Thomas has smartly satisfied every postfeminist's desire for a hero in this mutually adoring, wisecracking couple. It's paternalism without ''Paternalism,'' Nick and Nora without the sex — brilliant.

7-Stella (Comedy Central)/ Wonder Showzen (MTV2) When these shows aren't funny they actually burn, they're so bad. But when they're on — and that's the majority of the time — they're the most original comedies around. Wonder Showzen, a kids'-show satire, features an Elmo-style, man-on-the-street puppet who hosts segments like ''What's Riling You, Harlem?'' and kid reporters who visit butcher shops, horse tracks, and Wall Street, asking painfully pointed questions. The result is a series of usually sly jabs at capitalism, racism, jingoism, and silly people who get angered by hand puppets. Stella stars comedians Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, and David Wain as three suit-clad roommates who live in a world as unique as Pee-wee Herman's. Mocking everything from uninspired conversational patter to uninspired movie dialogue to uninspired thought, while bouncing around absurdist plots (Sam Rockwell pops up as a fake-mustache dealer), Stella draws a clear, refreshing line: Either you're in or you're out.

8-Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel (HBO) The show's 10th season has been so addictively watchable, it's almost ruthless. Gumbel and his team of old-school sports reporters (Frank Deford's interview with spurned baseball coach Wally Backman felt 10 years past its time, and I mean that in the best way) preside over stories both strange and wonderful, from an update on Lakers pugilist Kermit Washington to an investigation of fan racism in European soccer to a profile of beloved Dodgers announcer Vin Scully. Whatever the topic, these journalists are utterly sensible: ''You pay taxes on horses having sex?'' yelped Bernard Goldberg during a segment on a superstud pony — and chances are, you were thinking the same thing too.

9-Everwood (The WB) This down-to-earth series tends to get overshadowed by soapier shows, but it's a near-perfect family drama — funny, genuine, and completely unsoggy. Consider: How many series would allow teenage Ephram (Gregory Smith) to reasonably support his buddy Bright (world's best best friend, played by Chris Pratt) in dumping a girl because she eschewed premarital sex? Bonus points for sidestepping a potential avalanche — the graduation of high school sweethearts Ephram and Amy (Emily VanCamp) — by creating believable crises that left them stuck at home. That their parents were to blame for their ruined college plans (her mom got cancer, his dad kept a whopper of a secret) only fueled their teen angst. Everwood is faithful to its recurring thrust: good people screwing up and trying, not always gracefully, to fix things. It's not the flashiest formula, for which we should be thankful.

10-Prison Break (Fox) A series that continually writes itself into a corner, then tunnels out, Prison Break is occasionally logic-defying, but always just savvy enough to get away with it. Wentworth Miller, as the brilliant engineer who got sent to prison so he could break his brother out, is a cool little deadpan center in a universe of mobsters, folk legends, and government hitmen. Here's hoping that all the so-far-clever sleights of hand pan out.

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/commentary/0,6115,1142721_3||1141710|1_0_,00.html

fredfa

12-27-05, 09:37 PM

In contrast with Gillian Flyyn of EW, here’s nationally-respected Rick Kushman of the Sacramento Bee. Reading his list, you get the feeling he respects network TV and doesn’t have to go off sniffing to BBC America, Sundace Channel or MTV2 to find quality programs done with care.

Best of 2005
The Ten Best

Cops and serials trump reality
By Rick Kushman Sacramento Bee TV Columnist

This was an odd year for television. As always. That means, I suppose, a truly odd year would be one that's not odd, but now we're getting too weird, so let's stick with the TV year: odd.

Part of it was the swing away from another recent, uh, oddity - "reality" - and back toward more traditional kinds of prime-time hits. Reality TV isn't dead; it's all over some cable channels, but it's fading on the larger-scale networks. I mean, NBC had to cancel "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart." Who saw that kind of thing coming even two years ago?

Meanwhile, what is dominating the mainstream TV landscape are old-fashioned cop shows - there are 15 hours of law enforcement on the regular network schedules, not counting the repeats on Fridays and Saturdays - and serial-like dramas with depth, complexity and good writing - think: ABC's "Lost," "Desperate Housewives," and "Grey's Anatomy," Fox's "House," NBC's "Medium," WB's "Gilmore Girls" and a bunch more, including cable shows such as FX's "The Shield" and TNT's "The Closer."

But if the programming is a bit old-school, the delivery is definitely 21st century. Never mind TiVo and other digital video recorders - that technology has already been surpassed. (It is, frankly, brilliant, but it's already old.)

Now, TV's coming into our lives through computers, cell phones, iPods and, very soon, your Dick Tracy watch. Networks aren't just repeating shows, they're offering bonuses, podcasts, new scenes and all kinds of video on demand.

We are not far from a time - a couple of years, is all - when viewers will watch pretty much everything on their own schedules and in places you'd never suspect. (Conan O'Brien predicts you'll get TV reception in your coffee cup.)

This year, we also saw changes in network news that, if not exactly more modern, makes it all younger, and, probably, less serious and in-depth. However, for a short while anyway, during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina we saw TV news stand up, challenge its sources and conventional thinking - and matter. People such as Fox News' Shepard Smith even challenged his own network line.

As for the changes, there was the clean sweep of the big-name, longtime news anchors, and the continuing changes in network news. For different reasons, CBS' Dan Rather and ABC's "Nightline" host Ted Koppel stepped away from their shows, joining NBC's Tom Brokaw, who retired last year. ABC replaced Koppel with three people, and changed "Nightline's" single-story depth to a more zippy, if still generally serious, three or four stories nightly.

And after ABC's Peter Jennings died in August from lung cancer, ABC replaced him with the anchor team of Elizabeth Vargas and Bob Woodruff and added live telecasts for the Mountain and Pacific time zones.

CBS, which has had the most time and made the most noise about recalibrating its evening news, has yet to say what it will do. But the non-secret is that CBS is waiting while it tries to lure NBC's Katie Couric from the "Today" show.

What that would mean for CBS News in terms of tone and form is still a mystery, but the one certain thing is that all of network news is mimicking prime-time programming by producing its own serial drama.

Speaking of prime-time programming, here is the best of the series this year. The list includes only shows that aired some fresh episodes in 2005.

1. "Lost" (ABC): This show towers over TV right now with its power, its mystery, and its intelligence. "Lost" could have wandered aimlessly, just not answering questions. Instead, it opened vast new territory, gave us piles of new tangled puzzles, and expanded the storytelling to layers and layers - to the point where fans don't know which possibility to argue about.

It's got debates going on good vs. evil, science vs. faith, on the simple definitions of right and wrong. It gives hints in obscure literary references, cryptic patterns and arcane developments. All the while, it's drawn intriguing characters, killed some of them, kept our attention, and, most all, produced a gripping and entertaining hour.

2. "Deadwood" (HBO): If Shakespeare was writing for television right now, he'd be "Deadwood" producer David Milch. Milch created a town rife with every human fear, foible and natural tendency, then populated it with a parade of unique and complex characters who keep growing. And he wrapped it all in the coarsest yet most lyrical dialogue on TV. "Deadwood" is sheer brilliance.

3. "House" (Fox): You know you've found a well-constructed series when its central figure is selfish, angry and seemingly without compassion - and you love the guy. Hugh Laurie's Dr. House is TV's most infuriating, and mesmerizing, character. There is an electricity around him and around this show, and producers Paul Attanasio and David Shore write lines so clever you know you could never have thought of them.

4. "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" (Comedy Central): How is it possible that every year Stewart and company keep getting better? They have a dead-on view of our planet, and nothing on the planet is funnier. At times, this Emmy-winning fake newscast seems to be one of the few shows doing real journalism. They do simple yet brilliant things, like show this weeks's tape of a politician saying, "I never promised I could fly," then they'll show the politician's campaign speech where he says "I promise you. I can fly." You wonder how comedians can figure out to do this but the rest of TV news can't.

(We're including spinoff "The Colbert Report" - the t's are silent - in this ranking because it's already had some of the finest moments of television satire this year.)

5. "Everybody Hates Chris"[/FONT][/COLOR] (UPN): When it premiered this fall, critics said it was the funniest new show this year. Turns out, we were right. Some of the laughs come from Chris Rock's comedy and delivery, some from the deadpan sincerity of this family. But what ties it all together is the dexterity of producer Ali LeRoi's writing and storytelling. It's a family sitcom, with plenty of silly situations that we've seen a million times, but this shows is always fresh, energetic and big-hearted, and very funny.

6. "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (CBS): There is a reason this is TV's top-rated show. I used to say it was just very cool, and very slick, great TV but maybe not great drama. I was wrong. "CSI" tells complex stories, sometimes with genuine emotion, and has steadily let us see more of its characters without losing focus. It is consistently surprising, fascinating, superbly acted - the low-key intensity of William Peterson is a treat - smartly written and still very slick and cool. (Much the same can be said, by the way, for "CSI: New York" and "CSI: Miami," but they go to the Honorable Mention list.)

7. "The Shield" (FX): Nothing on TV can match "The Shield's" combination of adrenaline, moral ambiguity and complex characters. It piles great writing on top of great characters and has you questioning every person and every move. It's all produced in an intense hyper-reality that makes it more real and more smart. It ranks with the great TV cop shows.

8. "South Park" (Comedy Central): There needs to be one animated show on the list, just because. It could have been Fox's very funny "Family Guy" or Cartoon Network's challenging "The Boondocks." (Sadly, however, after all its years of greatness, not "The Simpsons." Not this year.) But "South Park," which has always been terrific, has stepped up its game. Or maybe we're just noticing again that it's always irreverent, refreshing and worth some big laughs. It now holds the mantle of animation's best cultural commentator.

9. "Arrested Development" (Fox): This strange, subversive comedy is like nothing else on TV - maybe to its detriment. It's as underwatched as it is funny. This twisted bit of brilliance gives us the anti-sitcom family, a dysfunctional, intensely oblivious, irresistibly incorrigible bunch that never, ever learns. This is dark humor at its best, mixed in with a lightning, irreverent wit.

10. "Gilmore Girls" (WB): Maybe I'm just a sucker for this series, and, frankly, I was getting a bit antsy with the Lorelai-Rory rift, but it bounced back with its more typical stellar episodes. For all this show's quirkiness and fast-talking, pop-culture obsession, it also says a lot about the complexity of relationships and families, and that's what makes this special. That and the insanity.

Honorable mention:
"Desperate Housewives" (ABC)
"Cold Case," (CBS)
"CSI: Miami," (CBS)
"CSI: New York"(CBS)
"Everybody Loves Raymond" (CBS)
"Bones" (Fox)
"Family Guy" (Fox)
"Law & Order" (NBC)
"Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (NBC)
"Medium" (NBC)
"My Name Is Earl"(NBC)
"Scrubs" (NBC)
"Veronica Mars" (UPN)
"Everwood" (WB)
"Frontline" (PBS)
"Nova" (PBS)
"Nip/Tuck" (FX)
"Over There"(FX)
"Rescue Me" (FX)
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO)
"The Closer" (TNT)
"The Boondocks" (Cartoon Network)

http://www.sacbee.com/content/lifestyle/columns/kushman/v-print/story/14010253p-14843000c.html

fredfa

12-27-05, 10:19 PM

Critic’s Notebook
(Her) TV blog is back … and racing to catch up!!

By Diane Holloway Austin American-Statesman Tuesday, December 27, 2005

It seemed like a good idea at the time, but, really, taking an entire month off is wrong on so many levels — the most important of which is I’m totally lost on the TV beat right now.

December is a good month to be out of it, since most shows are in reruns and there are only so many animated holiday specials any one human can stomach.

But there must have been something on I should have seen and didn’t. I do know that I have at least a dozen midseason series pilots in my drawer that need to be previewed — soon….

…John Spencer, aka Leo McGarry on “The West Wing,” died. Like his character, Spencer had a heart attack; unlike his character, the heart attack killed the actor.

Now what? “The West Wing” writers are pondering what to do, and it’s not going to be easy. For one thing, Leo was seen in a flash-forward scene that launched this, the show’s seventh season, last September.

Originally President Bartlet’s chief of staff, Leo is the vice presidential candidate of Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits) this season. Of the 14 episodes that have been filmed so far, Leo appeared in seven. The production is on hiatus, and a new episode isn’t scheduled until later in January.

The presidential election that is the focus of the season pits Alan Alda’s Republican contender Arnie Vinick against Smits. Speculation that Leo might be dropped in favor of a bipartisan ticket with Smits at the top is bound to heat up now. The question is whether the writers will imitate life and have Leo die. My guess is they will, knowing Spencer would have appreciated the irony.

One more peek into the past …

I promise I’m going to spend today doing actual reporting to see what’s coming, but can we just take a moment to reflect on the season finale of “Nip/Tuck”?

Good lord! The Carver was revealed (this can’t be considered a “spoiler” since the episode aired more than a week ago) to be weirdo surgeon Quentin, Julia is harboring a dark secret about a problem with her pregnancy (which she doesn’t tell daddy Sean), Kit turns out to be creepy Quentin’s sister and Matt’s transgendering friend Cherry survives a violent removal of his (Cherry’s, not Matt’s) penis.

At the end of the two-hour finale, I was exhausted, not to mention a little bit queasy. Can’t wait till next season.

http://www.austin360.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/tvblog/

fredfa

12-28-05, 01:35 AM

TV Notes
Fox Moving to Late Night?

By Cynthia Littleton The Hollywood Reporter Dec. 28, 2005

Producer Todd Yasui has been named senior vp late-night programming at Fox Broadcasting Co.

Yasui's appointment signals Fox's renewed interest in establishing a beachhead in late-night like its Big Three network rivals. At present, Fox's only late-night offering is the Saturday night sketch comedy series "Mad TV."

In addition to his executive role, Yasui is serving as executive producer of the pilot "Talk Show With Spike Feresten," which the network said is under consideration as a late-night property.

"Having an executive with Todd's experience supervise this initiative demonstrates that we're serious about considering postprime programming," Fox entertainment president Peter Liguori said in announcing Yasui's appointment.

Fox has a checkered history in late-night. The network launched in October 1986 with "The Late Show" hosted by former Johnny Carson protege Joan Rivers, who left the show after less than a year. In fall 1993, Fox tried it again with "The Chevy Chase Show," which lasted six weeks.

Yasui joins Fox after most recently serving as executive producer of CBS' "The Late, Late Show With Craig Ferguson" and its predecessor, "The Late, Late Show With Craig Kilborn," since 2000. Before that, Yasui held senior production posts on the syndicated late-night talkers "The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show" and "Magic Hour."

A former journalist, Yasui got his start in TV as a segment producer for NBC's "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno."

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001738392

TheDaveMan

12-28-05, 09:22 AM

Favorite three new network prime-time shows which debuted in anytime in 2005:
My Name is Earl, How I Met Your Mother, Everybody Hates Chris
Favorite three new prime-time cable shows:
Rome, Extras, Wanted
Favorite three veteran prime-time shows:
Arrested Development, Yes, Dear, Numb3rs
Favorite three veteran cable prime-time shows:
Curb Your Enthusiasm, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, South Park
Favorite three TV actors:
Larry Joe Campbell, Kevin James, Jason Lee
Favorite three TV actresses:
Diane Farr
Favorite TV sports production:
MNF
Favorite TV news program or (cable net) as the case may be:
FNC
Show the critics most overlook:
The Comeback
Show the critics most over-hype:
Battlestar Galactica
Actor who makes you cringe

Actress who makes you cringe

One former favorite which has lost your interest this season:
That 70's Show
(For HD viewers only) Favorite program to show off your HD setup to friends and neighbors:
Lost
(For HD viewers only) Is there any show you enjoy so much you'd watch it even in SD?
Battlestar Galactica

fredfa

12-28-05, 10:42 AM

Best of 2005
All is not 'Lost' in TV world

There's best and there's worst — and then there's the astounding and the appalling. In short, just your typical year in television. USA TODAY television critic Robert Bianco sorts through 2005's programming in search of treasures and trash.

USA TODAY's show of the year
Lost (ABC): Ingeniously conceived and brilliantly executed, Lost adds the visual sweep of the movies to the ever-shifting serialized storytelling and in-depth character development of TV's best. Television might not be lost without this show, but it would certainly be a lesser place.

The rest of the top 10
2. 24 (Fox)
3. House (Fox)
4. Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
5. Rescue Me (FX)
6. Veronica Mars (UPN)
7. My Name Is Earl (NBC)
8. Arrested Development (Fox)
9. CSI (CBS)
10. Desperate Housewives (ABC)

Five worthy runners-up
Two and a Half Men (CBS)
Battlestar Galactica (Sci Fi)
Over There (FX)
Invasion (ABC)
Everybody Hates Chris (UPN) Great show gone ordinary,news division
Nightline (ABC). The news show lost its host, its focus and just about everything that made it special, when Ted Koppel left.

Most improved series
Grey's Anatomy (ABC). Week after week, the entire show is mcdreamy.

Biggest disappointment
How I Met Your Mother (CBS). Turns out it's much harder to get an entertaining show out of a huge loser, no matter how funny some of his friends are. What was sweet in the pilot is just pitiful on a weekly basis.

Good shows gone bad: Reality division
Amazing Race: Family Edition (CBS). Stop fixing what wasn't broken and give us back the Race we love: Dump the kids, cut the teams back to two members, and get the heck out of the country.

Good shows gone bad Scripted division
Alias (ABC). As it turns out, a pregnant action hero really isn't such a hot idea. With any luck, Alias and Race will be back in shape for their midseason returns.

Great show gone ordinary, news division
Nightline (ABC). The news show lost its host, its focus and just about everything that made it special, when Ted Koppel left.

Funniest new TV star: Female
Jaime Pressly, My Name Is Earl

Funniest new TV star: Male Tom Cruise. Proclaiming his love to Oprah, pointing his finger at Matt. The guy is hilarious. He does know it, right?
Best prepared TV character — ever
Michael (Wentworth Miller) on Prison Break. The tattoo map was impressive, but the pills hidden under his skin? What problem didn't he anticipate? Other than that pesky pipe, of course.

Worst show: Reality division
Brat Camp (ABC). It's hard to top the skin-crawling slime that was Fox's Who's Your Daddy, if only for that moment when daughter-dearest climbed into a hot tub with her prospective dads. Still, the winner is Brat Camp, the worst of a bevy of shows that tried to turn child abuse into home entertainment.

Worst show: Scripted division
Killer Instinct (Fox). Sex, Love and Secrets (UPN) was sillier, and Night Stalker (ABC) was even more superfluous, but for sheer grisly, who-needs-it incompetence, the booby prize goes to Killer Instinct. Too bad Fox didn't kill it before we all had to.

Most bogus controversy
Dancing with the Stars (ABC). It's amazing that anyone cares whether Donald Trump puts one or two people into some non-existent job at a paid-by-TV salary. Even so, the real wonder is that people somehow got themselves so worked up over Dancing with the Stars that ABC was able to milk the show for a second-chance dance-off. Excuse me, folks, but none of the stars could dance, and the prize was a giant tin can. Relax.

Best bad movie
Locusts (CBS). In a year when the most enjoyable TV movies were the awful ones, who didn't cherish this thrill-free thriller about a plague of grain-munching bugs? Watch out! They're going to ... not really do anything much to you at all.

Five who need a TV timeout
"Romber" (Rob and Amber)
Donald Trump
Paula Abdul
John O'Hurley
Nancy Grace

Stars who might want to reconsider their choices
Faye Dunaway, The Starlet
Farrah Fawcett, Chasing Farrah
Whitney Houston, Being Bobby Brown
(And that's just for starters.)

Least welcome return
Martha Stewart. A flop reality show, a flop bio-flick and a barely-above-flop-level talk show. Guess our national fascination with Martha ended when her jail time did.
http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/reviews/2005-12-27-year-in-tv_x.htm

fredfa

12-28-05, 10:43 AM

Best of 2005
“USA Today” Viewer Poll

For the past month, USA TODAY readers have been voting for their favorite shows of the year.
1. Lost
2. CSI
3. Grey's Anatomy
4. Desperate Housewives
5. My Name is Earl
6. Family Guy
7. House
8. Commander in Chief
9. Everybody Hates Chris
10. Criminal Minds
http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/reviews/2005-12-27-year-in-tv_x.htm

fredfa

12-28-05, 10:48 AM

Best of 2005
Five fabulous performances

By Robert Bianco USA Today

Male
Jason Lee, My Name Is Earl
Hugh Laurie, House
Denis Leary, Rescue Me
Ian McShane, Deadwood
Terry O'Quinn, Lost

Female
Felicity Huffman, Desperate Housewives
Kristen Bell, Veronica Mars
Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy
Shohreh Aghdashloo, 24
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/reviews/2005-12-27-year-in-tv_x.htm

fredfa

12-28-05, 10:54 AM

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

scantor

12-28-05, 10:59 AM

Favorite three new network prime-time shows which debuted in anytime in 2005:

Prison Break, My Name is Earl

Favorite three new prime-time cable shows:

Haven't seen anything new worth watching.

Favorite three veteran prime-time shows:

Lost, Arrested Development, Family Guy

Favorite three veteran cable prime-time shows:

Battlestar Galactica, Monk, Dead Zone

Favorite three TV actors:

William Petersen
Terry O'Quinn
Hugh Laurie

Favorite three TV actresses:

Allyson Hannigan
Marg Helgenberger
Evangeline Lilly

Favorite TV sports production:

Hate pretty much all of them, but I'll vote for a future enhancement: letting people auto-mute godawful TV commentators and overlay a radio soundtrack from a local radio team

Favorite TV news program or (cable net) as the case may be:

Daily Show (I know, not news, but the world is too sad to be anything but a comedy at this point, it's self-satirizing)

Show the critics most overlook:

Strangely, I seem to watch mostly popular and well-regarded shows these days, a total reversal from the late 90s. Maybe Family Guy.

Show the critics most over-hype:

Grey's Anatomy, any reality show

Actor who makes you cringe

David Caruso (loved him on NYPD Blue, but lord, please make him stop)

Actress who makes you cringe

Vanessa Marcil (don't always hate her per se but the actress/character combination is brutal)

One former favorite which has lost your interest this season:

Simpsons (just keeps sinking lower)

(For HD viewers only) Favorite program to show off your HD setup to friends and neighbors:

Las Vegas (for males anyway)
Lost (for home theater sound)

(For HD viewers only) Is there any show you enjoy so much you'd watch it even in SD?

I don't watch much that I wouldn't also watch in SD, but the reverse is certainly true (doubt I'd watch Las Vegas in SD, for one)

fredfa

12-28-05, 11:32 AM

Best of 2005
It's a funny thing about TV in 2005

By David Bianculli New York Daily News TV Editor Wednesday, December 28th, 2005

It was another great year for television. After drama made a comeback in 2004, comedy did the same thing in 2005, with NBC's "My Name Is Earl" and UPN's "Everybody Hates Chris" emerging as the brightest new shows. "Earl" even made my end-of-year top 10 list, and "Chris" just missed it.

But, as with last year, my list of shows just below the top 10 is almost as impressive, and every one of them qualified as must-see TV every week. There was no "Sopranos" in all of 2005, but HBO's "Six Feet Under" finished spectacularly, "Rome" got stronger as it went along, "Warm Springs" was a fabulous old-fashioned telemovie, and "Entourage" was a wild romp each week.

Other shows that would have made my top 10 in leaner years included Showtime's series "Weeds" and miniseries "Sleeper Cell"; UPN's "Veronica Mars" and the aforementioned "Chris," which I didn't hate at all; the Fox mainstays "24" and "The Simpsons"; FX's "Nip/ Tuck," "Rescue Me" and "The Shield"; ABC's new "Invasion," and NBC's resurgent "The West Wing."

That's a great lineup of quality television, but it's not even my top 10.

These are my top 10 for 2005, in alphabetical order:

"American Masters: Bob Dylan - No Direction Home," PBS. This two-night documentary, while very tightly focused and controlled, offered a brilliant portrait of the artist as a young man - and showed Dylan was just as mercurial and durable as the music he made.

"Arrested Development," Fox. It won Emmys and other awards, but almost no one watched. Too bad. This comedy's creators and cast and crew did everything right, and it's a show destined to be rediscovered - make that, for most people, discovered - on DVD.

"Curb Your Enthusiasm," HBO. Last season's surprise ending, in which Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft revealed their decision to hire Larry David in "The Producers" was itself a "Producers"-type scam - couldn't be topped. But this year's stunner, in which Larry dies and goes to heaven, briefly, after a season spent avoiding donating a kidney to Richard Lewis, was almost as good. Weekly doses of sheer brilliance.

"The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," Comedy Central, and "Real Time With Bill Maher," HBO. I know, corralling these two shows into one vote is cheating a bit - just like gerrymandering. But in a political off-year, when the only reliable inspiration for material was presidential missteps, both Stewart and Maher made exceptionally strong seasons anyway. They worked harder to find the laughs, and the truth, and it showed. Both programs should be mandatory viewing in media classes.

"Deadwood," HBO. Ian McShane got robbed of another Emmy as Al Swearengen on this addictive, increasingly complex and ambitious David Milch Western. Actually, you could sprinkle Emmys to a half-dozen cast members, and you wouldn't be overdoing it. One of the very best dramas on TV - when it's on.

"Desperate Housewives," ABC. The second season started very disappointingly, but it has finished the year back in high stride: When Marcia Cross' Bree saw police carrying away her erotic doppelganger, her reaction was unforgettable. Also worth remembering: This is an award for all of 2005, and from January through May, "Housewives" was fabulous.

"Lost," ABC. No sophomore slump here. I adore this show, and each new mystery, each new plot thread, pulls me in more. Impeccably acted, ambitiously plotted, gorgeously shot.

"My Name Is Earl," NBC. Jason Lee's portrayal of a former reprobate seeking to mend his ways is one of those rare comedies guaranteed to make you laugh out loud. The entire cast is just right, and Jaime Pressly, as ex-wife Joy, truly is a joy to behold. It's the best work she has ever, ever done.

"Over There," FX. Like "Arrested Development" - even more so - this was a show that people stayed away from, in caravans of droves. But its contemporary depiction of a U.S. military unit in Iraq, and its unflinching look at the moral complexities of this war in particular and all war in general, made it a four-star series all the way. Catch it on DVD. You'll be glad you did - but sorry they won't be making more.

"Scrubs," NBC. Finally, one last underappreciated TV gem. "Scrubs" returns with new episodes next week, so there's still a chance to rally around this particular sitcom flag. But where "My Name Is Earl" has found its audience and momentum, "Scrubs," which is every bit as dynamic and funny and original, still searches for its. For a New Year's resolution, maybe you could help.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/v-pfriendly/story/378164p-321259c.html

fredfa

12-28-05, 11:40 AM

The Business of TV
Out of Disc World

By Don Kaplan The New York Post

TV shows on DVD are the hottest thing in Hollywood.

For the first time ever — as overall DVD sales go flat and blockbuster films become box-office bombs — sales of television shows on disc such as "Desperate Housewives," "The O.C." and "24" have become the fastest growing segment in entertainment.

Sales of TV shows on disc are expected to top $2.7 billion this year, according to Adams Media Research, a group of entertainment industry consultants.

Five years ago sales of TV shows on DVD were so small, they were practically irrelevant.

Now the range of choices go from "Lost" to classics ranging like "Leave It To Beaver" and "Sanford and Son."

"When they originally hit the market in such a big way it was found money for the studios, [since] these shows had already paid for themselves through syndication," said Adams' Jan Saxton.

The top-selling DVD of the year is sure to be the second season of "Chappelle's Show" which has raked in a cool $74 million since its release last May, according to the industry trade magazine, DVD Exclusive.

The runaway success of TV on DVD can be attributed to the technology which permits an entire season to be sold in a package the size of a book.

VHS tapes were too bulky.

http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/pfriendly_new.php

fredfa

12-28-05, 11:46 AM

The Business of TV
CBS Streaming 2.5 Men, Mother on Yahoo!

Mike Shields MediaWeek.com

CBS is streaming two full-length episodes of two of its hit comedies, Two and Half Men and How I Met Your Mother on Yahoo!, beginning on Dec. 27 through Monday Jan. 2.

In what appears to be a stunt aimed at promoting CBS' Monday comedy lineup, the episodes are being offered to Web users free of charge and without commercials -- which the network is calling its "Comedy Bowl."

While this is the first time that CBS has streamed episodes of its shows online, earlier this year, its sister network UPN streamed the pilot episode of Everybody Hates Chris on Google.com. Recently, CBS chairman and CEO Les Moonves has been outspoken about the fact that his company is exploring a variety of distribution outlets for its series, including the Web, Apple's iTunes, and various mobile platforms.

The episodes being featured on Yahoo! TV, each of which aired earlier this season, include Two and Half Men's "We Called It Mr. Pinky" and "Madame and Her Special Friend," along with How I Met Your Mother's "The Pineapple Incident" and "The Sweet Taste of Liberty."

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/interactive/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001738171

fredfa

12-28-05, 11:56 AM

The Business of TV
Retrans Fights Down to the Wire

By Linda Moss Multichannel.com

Several retransmission-consent disputes are simmering across the country, with the largest one possibly depriving more than 100,000 cable subscribers in Texas of their chance to watch the home-state Texas Longhorns in college football’s Rose Bowl.

Three cable operators -- Time Warner Cable, Cable One Inc. and Charter Communications Inc. -- may all be forced to drop KIII, an ABC affiliate in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Dec. 31 as part of a retransmission-consent squabble with the station, owned by McKinnon Broadcasting.

The three operators are balking at paying KIII cash for carriage. Time Warner, which has about 110,000 customers in the market, claims the broadcaster is seeking what would add up to $500,000 to continue carrying the station.

KIII has threatened to pull its signal from all three operators if a new retransmission-consent pact isn’t reached by Dec. 31, when the old deals are up. In fact, similar deals across the country are set to expire at years-end, as well.

Time Warner spokesman Keith Cocozza said Tuesday that the cable operator is “hopeful” that its subscribers won’t lose KIII and its programming. But just in case the system, which is also handing out A/B switches, is setting up four “viewing parties,” where Time Warner subscribers will be able to go Jan. 4 to watch the Rose Bowl, which pits the University of Texas against the University of Southern California.

Charter has about 10,000 subscribers in Corpus Christi, while Cable One has roughly 6,000.

“We continue to negotiate in good faith and remain confident that we'll come to reasonable terms,” Charter spokesman Dave Andersen said.

Cable One also said it is in talks with KIII.

In addition to the situation in Texas, Cable One is balking at paying cash to continue carrying a Gannett Broadcasting station, NBC affiliate KPNX in Phoenix. The cable operator uplinks the station to communities in central and northern Arizona at a cost of $1 million per year.

Gannett is also involved in a retransmission-consent beef with a 6,000-subscriber operator in Georgia, Kingsland Cable TV of Kingsland, Ga. Gannett is demanding Kingsland pay a license fee of 35 cents per month, per subscriber for each of its two TV stations, WTLV and WJXX, according to the system’s owner, Don Trednick.

A Gannett spokeswoman declined to comment Tuesday.

Bresnan Communications and WyoMedia Corp. are in talks to reach a retransmission-consent pact before Dec. 31, or the operator may lose broadcast signals. That situation involves several stations in Wyoming --KGWC, a CBS affiliate in Casper-Riverton; KGWL, a CBS affiliate in Lander; and KTWO, an ABC affiliate in Casper-Riverton -- with the cable operator refusing to pay a 12-cent license fee to the broadcaster.

“We’re continuing to negotiate,” said Steve Brookstein, Bresnan’s executive vice president of operations. “We’re optimistic.”

The broadcaster offered to let Bresnan carry its stations free for a year, according to WyoMedia general manager Mark Nalbone.

But Brookstein said that offer was contingent on the operator withdrawing a complaint that it filed with the Federal Communications Commission about the alleged cross-ownership of a number of Wyoming stations.

fredfa

12-28-05, 12:13 PM

Critic’s Notebook
‘Monday Night Football’ gone … tiny-screen TV shows here

By Diane Holloway Austin American-Statesman

ABC’s 36th and final “Monday Night Football” telecast beat the (mostly rerun) competition but was nevertheless a shadow of its once-dominant self.

The semi-tepid ratings — a 7.8 rating and a 13 share — probably made ABC feel sanguine about the decision to bump “MNF” from the broadcast network to ABC’s cable sister ESPN. But the lack of interest probably had a lot to do with the game itself. The playoff-bound New England Patriots beat the hapless New York Jets in a meaningless contest.

Earlier in the season, “MNF” drew more than 20 million viewers, so the final fall on ABC wasn’t a total disaster.

In case you missed it this week (and apparently millions of you did), “MNF” was rife with nostalgia for former announcing stars such as Dandy Don Meredith, Frank Gifford and the late Howard Cosell. Only brief flashes of O.J. Simpson were seen … for obvious reasons.

Next fall, ESPN is bound to do well with “MNF.” A small rating on ABC is huge on ESPN, and football draws that coveted demographic of young men. ABC is counting on entertainment series doing better than football on Monday nights next fall, but that’s going to depend on the series, isn’t it?

No mini-TV for me!

I’m not jumping on the bandwagon for the teeny-screen TV fad. In fact, I’m lusting for a wall-sized plasma to come my way in 2006.

But weensy screens are all the rage, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. From iPods to cell phones, people are watching “TV” on this new-fangled small-screen streaming video.

CBS recently made a big deal of announcing the streaming arrival of its sitcoms “Two and a Half Men” and “How I Met Your Mother.” As of yesterday, one could squint through episodes of the two sitcoms featuring inch-tall stars and indecipherable settings.

Granted, the LCD screens on these phones and iPods provide pretty sharp pictures. But they’re still itsy-bitsy and not for me. I want my TV shows huge and HD.

http://www.austin360.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/tvblog/

fredfa

12-28-05, 12:42 PM

Week 14 Network Ratings
CBS Streak Continues

CBS continued its winning way in both total viewers and adults 18-49 in Week 14 of the 2005-06 TV season which ran Dec. 19-25.

But led by its surprise game show hit “Deal or No Deal”, (which placed all five of its hours in the week's top 14 slots) NBC managed to sneak into second place in total viewers and edge ABC for third in a tight race in the 18-49 demo.

Average Prime-Time Total persons: (in millions)
CBS 9.99 million (10 share)
NBC 7.72 (8 share)
ABC 7.32 (7 share)
Fox 6.75 (7 share)

Adults 18-49
CBS 3.59 million (8 share)
Fox 3.50 (8 share)
NBC 3.40 (8 share)
ABC 3.24 (8 share)

Source: Nielsen Media Research

fredfa

12-28-05, 01:00 PM

Last week’s top 10 prime-time program ratings are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS -- the second post in this thread.

fredfa

12-28-05, 01:57 PM

Week 14 Network Ratings
Some Thoughts

What is interesting to note about the weekly ratings, and it has been more and more apparent as the season began to take shape, is how strong CBS is on a week-to-week basis. Reruns, originals, specials stunted against it, it rarely matters. CBS has won every week so far this season.

ABC surges with original episodes of “Lost”, “Desperate Housewives” and “Grey’s Anatomy”. The shows do substantially worse when they are rerun (last week: Grey’s 35th, Lost 39th, Desperate 46th). But ABC will get big hits later in the year (especially in the 18-49 demographic) from the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards.

NBC will be helped immensely by the Winter Olympics which stretch over three February sweep weekends. And I am sure work in reviving the “Deal or No Deal” franchise is already frantically under way. With the terrible problems NBC is facing, it might just plug DOND in several places in the schedule. Remember that starting next fall, NBC needs four fewer hours of programming because it will have NFL Sunday Night Football starting at 7 PM ET with the pre game show. So it just needs to stagger through this season, and then add one or two decent programs next year, while lopping off the worst of its mediocre current crop.

Fox will, of course, become far stronger in January when it brings back “American Idol”. And don’t forget, each hour of good ratings on Fox is magnified, because its average only encompasses the 15 hours it programs, while ABC, CBS and Fox all program 22 hours week. So a big rating for American Idol helps Fox about 50% more than any single strong show on its competitors.

But back to CBS. Over the past several seasons it has kept its schedule remarkably stable. It just runs those CSIs and other procedurals out week after week. In original episodes and in reruns they remain remarkably strong. While ABC’s biggest guns were slumping badly in reruns last week, “CSI” (#2), “Without A Trace” (#5) and “CSI: NY (#9) were all reruns.

Obviously the “coveted” 18-49 demo is a slightly different story. But CBS still leads that category, too.

Remember the old admonition that “slow and steady wins the race?”

CBS seems to be proving it.

fredfa

12-28-05, 02:01 PM

The Future of TV
Will “On Demand” kill the supply of prime-time TV?

By David Kronke Los Angeles Daily News Television Writer

ABC's recently canceled "Night Stalker" never got much traction on the air, where it was buried by "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and "The Apprentice," but there was a place it was a consistent top-10 hit, matching and even surpassing "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" on iTunes' Video Bestsellers list.

"We had a terrible time slot, but it was heartening to see how well we charted on iTunes," says "Night Stalker" executive producer Frank Spotnitz. "At this stage in on-demand TV, I don't think the network saw that as part of their business. They kept their eye on it, but unfortunately it didn't happen soon enough to become a powerful argument (to keep the show on the air). It was viewed as an experiment."

Granted, thousands of downloads (at $1.99 a pop) scarcely compare to millions of prime-time viewers. Still, "It's not just about the Nielsen (ratings) anymore," says Jerry Maglio, Starz! vice president of marketing. "It's about the Nielsens plus this plus that, depending on who's being targeted, that will equal success or failure. The video landscape is changing - daily, it seems."

"Night Stalker" may have been a victim of an industry unsure of how to contend with the exploding new technologies surrounding it, but it will hardly be the last.

"How long have we been hearing about all this new technology and the breathless cries of revolution, and it never happened?" says Robert Thompson, founding director of Syracuse University's Center for the Study of Popular Television. "This year, the tipping point occurred."

"It's exciting and frightening both," Spotnitz says. "Everybody knows everything's going to change. But no one knows how."

Here are three glimpses of how things may change in the near future, and what it means both for viewers and those who create and distribute TV entertainment.

R.I.P., network prime-time schedule?

ABC first made episodes of some of its programs available at iTunes; NBC followed ("The Office," a relatively low-rated sitcom, is a hit at iTunes, with episodes taking up 13 of the top 40 positions on the video sales list), and added on-demand offerings of some of its programming through DirecTV. CBS is doing the same via some Comcast digital cable operators.

Are these networks taking baby steps to their own future irrelevance? When any programming is available whenever the viewer wants it, what does that portend for those carefully strategized prime-time lineups?

"There's been a declining audience for network TV for a while," says Spotnitz. Besides cable and the Internet, he says, "People have their own libraries of things they specifically want to see, which competes for TV viewing time. More options is good news for the consumer but bad news for the networks, who are responsible for the most expensive hours of TV produced. It'll be harder and harder to maintain an audience that justifies that business model."

Starz!'s Maglio agrees. "There's been a steady erosion of ratings off broadcast, and now a couple of other factors - the on-demand mentality, and in a parallel path, the youth of America who prefer broadband, Internet-based content options. Put all that together, and what's moving south is an adherence to a fixed-schedule viewing pattern. What's emerging is a personal prime time, where you become the programmer, selecting among the options available to you."

Paul Levinson, chairman of the department of communications and media studies at Fordham University in New York, says of the networks, "They're on the ropes - they'll not last much longer. By 2015, network TV may be one-fifth as important as it is now. The prime-time TV programmer will become an artifact of history. Geniuses like William Paley brilliantly understood how to put together a great lineup, but those are already bygone days: No one at the networks today has that sort of stature."

Albert Cheng, vice president of Disney/ABC Digital Media, says that rumors of the death of prime-time TV are greatly exaggerated and that other platforms help the weekly schedule. "They give the viewer another opportunity to see a show they've missed; they're another opportunity to get that show further along (in its overall visibility). (Even with iPods and PCs), the bulk of consumer time will be spent in front of the tube. The largest platform you have will still be TV in five years, and it'll play a large role in driving other platforms. In 10 or 15 years, I can't see that far."

R.I.P. DVD sales?

The industry was heartened when a new revenue stream was discovered in the DVD boxed set of seasons of TV series. But sales are already slumping, and DVD recorders - including one from TiVo, the service that made recording programs a no-brainer - are insinuating themselves into the marketplace. (TiVo also allows users to interact with their iPods and PCs.) A recordable DVD can hold one hour of programming per disc at high quality, six hours at "basic" quality.

Moreover, a study commissioned by Starz! on Demand found that 70 percent of its on-demand users no longer go to video stores and that 60 percent buy fewer DVDs. (No means of recording on-demand programming was implied in the survey; the service itself was credited with the change in consumer behavior.)

Most questioned didn't think this assemblage of facts spelled worry for the DVD's future. Even Jim Denney, vice president of product marketing at TiVo, says, "It's much more a point of convenience than a substitute for buying a set. You burn these shows and take them with you - they come with the commercials. If you want a season all in order, without commercials, the boxed set offers a different value for you."

Syracuse's Thompson says, "All rational predictions say it will have a huge influence, but I don't have a rational response to this. People buy DVD sets and don't watch them. I keep finding, over and over, when I visit people's homes, that they have rows and rows of DVD sets, which have the cellophane still on. People just like the packaging - it was a stroke of genius to offer an entire season of a series in something no bigger than a three-pack of VHS tapes."

"A 'Lost' fan is going to want that set," says Cheng. The DVD recorder, to me, suggests home video, transferring home videos to DVD. I don't see that threat."

Spotnitz, on the other hand, says, "My guess is, yes, this will dry up and, beyond that, software is going to disappear altogether. There's no reason to own a plastic disc and burn it when you can play whatever you want, whenever you want."

Will high-definition TV simply punch the reset button?

Mark Cuban is the famously outspoken owner of the Dallas Mavericks, a film producer ("Good Night, and Good Luck"), online mogul and co-founder of HDNet, a digital service providing programming in high-definition. He says that as the country prepares to switch from analog to digital programming in 2009, high-definition TV will be at the forefront and rescue the broadcast networks.

"The conventional wisdom seems to be that video on demand from cable providers or video-on-demand downloads from the Internet will supplant traditional TV," he wrote in an e-mail. "That won't happen.

"There is no question that consumers will benefit from being able to receive content wherever they want, whenever they want. Video to the device will definitely succeed. ... But watching video on an iPod wont replace watching TV. ... The variable that no one seems to be including in their evaluations of the future is HDTV."

High-definition TV will take far more bandwidth than cable and satellite companies currently use, and, Cuban notes, "We are in a bandwidth-constrained environment. Cable companies are not going to invest in upgrading their cable plants. Satellite companies are limited in the number of satellites they can launch."

Viewers become quickly won over to HD programming, often eschewing anything else, and as bandwidth becomes an issue, some networks will find themselves squeezed out of the picture, Cuban says.

"If there will be a reduction in the number of channels available because of HD, that should lead to an increase in the value of the prime-time broadcast schedule," he continues. "HDTV will change the landscape to the advantage of the broadcast networks."

http://www.dailynews.com/entertainment/ci_3348060

fredfa

12-28-05, 02:10 PM

Week 14's (Dec. 19-25) complete network average prime-time results (with demographic averages) are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS the second post in this thread.

fredfa

12-28-05, 05:06 PM

Best of 2005
Kevin Thompson's best of 2005

By Kevin D. Thomspon Palm Beach Post Television Writer

With the curtain closing on 2005, it's time to look back on the TV season that was. As usual, there was plenty of good (24, The Office), bad (Melanie Griffith on The WB's Twins) and ugly (just about any Fox reality series other than American Idol).

Best new shows: My Name Is Earl, Everybody Hates Chris, Prison Break, Commander-in-Chief. Earl for Jason Lee's 'stache. Chris for the pitch-perfect ensemble. Prison Break for Wentworth Miller's devilish smirk and Commander for Geena Davis' believable presidential air.

Best old show that feels new again: The West Wing. Thanks to a captivating presidential race between idealistic Democrat Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits) and savvy Republican Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda), NBC's long-running White House drama is Must-See TV once again.

Best shows to get canceled: Kevin Hill, Jack & Bobby, The Night Stalker.

Most surprising character revelation: When Law & Order's ADA Serena Southerlyn (Elisabeth Rohm) was fired for being too "passionate," she outed herself by responding, "Is this because I'm a lesbian?" No, it's because you're a robotic actress.

Worst movie: The Poseidon Adventure. You know a film is bad when you're rooting for the ship to sink. Glug. Glug.

Stupidest reality show: UPN's Britney & Kevin: Chaotic. Did we really need to see Ms. Oops I Did It Again saying dumb things like, "My ideal guy will be someone that has not seen that much because I have" while marveling at her knees or pointing a camera up her nose? I think not.

Worst idea for a TV show remake: USA Network's Kojak. Sure Ving Rhames is a compelling presence and one bad mutha, but Kojak's famed lollipop and hip fedora belong to the late Telly Savalas — and always will.

Best evil impostor: Joel Grey was deliciously slithery as a fake Arvin Sloane (Ron Rifkin) on Alias.

Most intelligent reality show no one watched: NBC's The Law Firm, which got benched after only two episodes. Unlike most reality shows, David E. Kelley's series wasn't dumb. It actually gave you an interesting peek inside our legal system as we watched a bunch of extremely good-looking, but harried attorneys preparing cases while racing the clock. There aren't many reality shows that both entertain and educate.

Most hyped reunion: Oprah Winfrey and David Letterman bury the hatchet as The Great O appears on Letterman's show for the first time since 1989.

Funniest Emmy speech moment: Lackawanna Blues' winner S. Epatha Merkerson digging in her ample bosom to find her acceptance speech. She never found it.

Most shocking TV show death: Silky smooth drug dealer Stringer Bell getting gunned down on HBO's The Wire.

Most bizarre TV show death: String bean Monica Mancuso (Lara Flynn Boyle) blowing off a hotel roof and into the Sin City sky on Las Vegas.

Juiciest reality show controversy: Paulagate! Former American Idol contestant Corey Clark claiming he had a secret affair with dippy judge Paula Abdul.

Juiciest reality show controversy II: Seinfeld's John O'Hurley crying he was robbed when General Hospital's Kelly Monaco won the Dancing With the Stars competition. O'Hurley had a point. And he came out on top in the rematch.

Worst performance by an Oscar winner: Halle Berry's lightweight turn in Their Eyes Were Watching God. The Hollywood beauty did her best to bring author Zora Neale Hurston's Janie to life by wearing frumpy overalls and sweating, but you never quite forgot you were watching the luminous Halle Berry.

Most courageous (or insane) actress: Kirstie Alley for being game to poke fun at her much-publicized weight gain in Showtime's hilarious Fat Actress.

Saddest reality show moment: The Contender's Najai Turpin committing suicide three weeks before NBC's boxing reality show was set to debut.

Best scene stealer: Jeremy Piven devours all the scenery as a shark-like agent who loves to "hug it out" on HBO's Entourage.

Best scene stealer II: Neil Patrick Harris is the go-to funny guy as a skirt-chasing leech on CBS' How I Met Your Mother.

Most frustrating season finale moment: Finally getting inside the mysterious hatch on Lost only to see... a very long ladder.

Most satisfying season finale moment: It's a tie. Jack "Mr. Save The World Man" Bauer going into exile on 24 and Nick "Mr. Square-Jawed Man" Stokes buried alive with some nasty fire ants on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Saddest goodbyes: The deaths of legendary Tonight Show host Johnny Carson, ABC News' World News Tonight anchor Peter Jennings and The West Wing's John Spencer.

Classiest goodbyes: Ted Koppel stepping down as Nightline's anchor, Everybody Loves Raymond's memorable series finale and Six Feet Under's touching final episode.

Most memorable hurricane benefit concert moment: Rapper Kanye West blurting "George Bush doesn't care about black people" while co-host Mike Myers looked visibly startled. Ah, you gotta love live TV.

Best local TV story: Boynton Beach resident Kendra Todd getting hired by Donald Trump on The Apprentice.

Most disturbing TV show trend: Women being tortured, kidnapped, beaten, raped and killed on just about every crime drama.

Most mystifying disappearance: A mentally exhausted Dave Chappelle going AWOL and leaving Comedy Central's Chappelle's Show in limbo. See? A $50 million TV deal isn't all what it's cracked up to be.

Lamest reality show catchphrase: "You just don't fit in" on The Apprentice: Martha Stewart. Neither did Stewart.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/tv/content/entertainment/arts_entertainment/epaper/2005/12/25/a10j_tv_web_1225.html

fredfa

12-28-05, 05:22 PM

Some Hints about the future
What’s Ahead On “Desperate Housewives”

By Michael Starr The New York Post

Controlling neat-freak Bree Van De Kamp will begin hitting the bottle when "Desperate Housewives" returns with new episodes next month.

"We're starting her descent into alcoholism," "Housewives" creator Marc Cherry tells TV Guide.

Over the last season-and-a-half, raven-haired Bree (Marcia Cross) has experienced her husband Rex's philandering, his mysterious death and the suicide of her boyfriend, creepy pharmacist George Williams (Roger Bart) — who admitted to poisoning Rex in a fit of jealous rage.

According to Cherry, hints of Bree's impending alcoholism have been lingering since the show's premiere last year.

"When Bree has tension, she grabs a glass," Cherry says. "Chart it back and you'll see so many moments where she just goes for wine."

Cherry says he and Cross have been plotting the alcoholism storyline for quite some time now.

He also says Bree's drinking will definitely affect her relationship with fellow "Housewives" Gabrielle (Eva Longoria), Lynette (Felicity Huffman), Susan (Teri Hatcher) and Edie (Nicolette Sheridan).

"It gets pretty ugly," Cherry says.

"Housewives," which returns Jan. 8 with a new episode, "One More Kiss," has actually grown in its second year and averages upwards of 25 million viewers a week.

All of the show's female stars, save for Sheridan, received Golden Globe nominations earlier this month.

Huffman won an Emmy last fall for her "Housewives" role as harried Lynette, who went back to work when her husband, Tom (Doug Savant), decided he wanted to be a stay-at-home dad.

Earlier this month, Savant himself spilled the beans on an upcoming storyline, when he told "Extra" that "when we come back on the air . . . Eva Longoria is kissing me, which begs the question as to why Tom and Gabrielle would be canoodling.

Savant also said that Cherry wants Tom and Lynette to go out with another couple — who'd be played by William H. Macy and Laura Leighton, the real-life partners of Huffman and Savant.

http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/pfriendly_new.php

fredfa

12-28-05, 09:05 PM

As of 7:05 PM PT Dec. 28, 2005
Here are the current returns from the “Hot Off The Press” TV Programming Poll:
(PM your ballots to me if you haven’t voted yet.)

Favorite new network prime-time shows which debuted in anytime in 2005:
Grey’s Anatomy 23
My Name Is Earl 21
Medium 15
Prison Break 15
Bones 10
Surface 8
American Dad 7
Prison Break 6
Threshold 6
Criminal Minds 5
Everybody Hates Chris 3
Invasion 3
Related 2
Law & Order: Trial By Jury

Favorite new prime-time cable shows:
The Closer 26
Wanted 17
Weeds 13
Over There 12
Extras 3
Sleeper Cell 2
Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Footballers Wives
Starved
Unscripted

Favorite veteran prime-time shows:
24 29
House 27
NCIS 15
Lost 14
Veronica Mars 9
The West Wing 9
Arrested Development 8
CSI 8
Without A`Trace 7
Cold Case 6
Family Guy 2
Las Vegas 2
Monday Night Football 2
According to Jim
Nip/Tuck

Favorite veteran cable prime-time shows:
Monk 18
The Sopranos 16
The Shield 15
Rescue Me 15
Battlestar Gallactica 12
Dead Zone 11
The Wire 9
South Park 7
Deadwood 4
Rescue Me 4
Entourage 3
Six Feet Under 2
4400
American Chopper
Mythbusters
NFL Prime Time
Silent Sundays on TCM

Favorite TV actors:
Hugh Laurie 32
William Shatner 8
Gary Sinise 8
David Boreanaz 4
James Gandolfini 7
Kiefer Sutherland 7
Jerry Orbach 6
John Spencer 6
David Caruso 5
Patrick Dempsey 5
Vincent D’Onofrio 4
Jason Lee 4
William Peterson 4
James Spader 4
Terry O’Quinn 3
Jason Bateman 2
Jim Belushi 2
Will Arnett
Zack Brack
Michael Cera
Michael Imperioli

Favorite TV actresses:
Mariska Hargitay 16
Maura Tierney 15
Kristen Bell 14
Patricia Arquette 13
Jennifer Garner 12
Melina Kanakaredes 8
Marg Helnegberger 7
Mary Louise Parker 7
Ellen Pompeo 7
Carla Cugino 6
Katherine Heigl 6
Dana Delany 5
Jessica Walter 5
Chandra Wilson 4
Alyson Hannigan 3
Evangeline Lilly 3
Stephanie March 3
Mädchen Amick 2
Pamela Anderson 2
Sandra Oh 2
Robin Weigert 2
Rachel Bilson
Jenna Fisher
Rachel Nichols

Favorite TV sports production:
Monday Night Football 12
The Masters 7
NASCAR on Fox 6
Sunday Night Football 4
Yankees on YES 3
NASCAR on NBC 2
Real Sports 2
San Diego Padres on Cox 2
US Open on CBS 2
MLB on HDNet
NHL on HDNet
NHL on OLN

Favorite TV news program or (cable net) :
CBS Evening News 17
Fox News Channel 14
Nightline 7
ABC World News Tonight 4
NBC Nightly News 3
CNN 2
Countdown (Keith Olbermann) 2
Hannity & Colmes 2
Hardball (Chris Matthews) 2
MSNBC 2
Bill O’Reilly 2
The Daily Show

Show the critics most overlook:
NCIS 22
Battlestar Galactica 19
How I Met Your Mother 14
King of Queens 12
Numb3rs 7
Without A Trace 7
Cold Case 5
According to Jim 2
Related 2

Show the critics most over-hype:
Arrested Development 22
Commander In Chief 14
How I Met Your Mother 11
Nip/Tuck 9
Desperate Housewives 8
Lost 7
Grey’s Anatomy 2

Actor who makes you cringe
David Caruso 16
Matt LeBlanc 13
Jeremy Piven 9
William L. Peterson 6
William Shatner 4
Vincent D’Onofrio 2
Benjamin Bratt (in E-Ring) 2

Actress who makes you cringe
Lara Flynn Boyle 14
Pamela Anderson 13
Geena Davis 9
Jill Hennessy 8
Jennifer Love Hewitt 8
Marg Helgenberger 5
Kathryn Morris 2
Sarah Jessica Parker 2
Mischa Barton
Vanessa Marcil

The one show you hate most to miss:
24 19
Lost 16
NCIS 13
Grey’s Anatomy 9
House 7
Arrested Development 6
Bones 4
Prison Break 4
Veronica Mars 2

Former favorite which has lost your interest:
Alias 20
Crossing Jordan 13
Desperate Housewives 9
Cold Case 8
Lost 8
Boston Legal 7
The Amazing Race 6
Malcolm In the Middle 4
The Simpsons 4
Two and a Half Men 4
American Idol 3
COPS 3
Survivor 3
Law & Order 2
Law & Order: CI 2
Law & Order: SVU

(Actress: Melina Kanakaredes)

(For HD viewers only) Favorite program to show off your HD setup to friends and neighbors:
Lost 24
CSI: Miami 21
NFL 16
NFL on CBS 5
MLB 4
Surface 4
NHL 3
Smart Travels 3
Las Vegas 2
SEC Football on CBS 2
Soundstage 2

(For HD viewers only) Is there any show you enjoy so much you'd watch it even in SD?
Grey’s Anatomy 18
Battlestar Galactica 17
Veronica Mars 14
The West Wing 11
Arrested Development 9
Family Guy 3
American Chopper
The Simpsons
South Park
Original series on FX, SciFi and TNT

fredfa

12-28-05, 09:16 PM

Best of 2005
TV got better in 2005, but it's the extreme stuff we'll remember

By Melanie McFarland Seattle Post-Intelligencer TV Critic Thursday, December 29, 2005

All seen and told, 2005 was a year of recovering and rebuilding on television. Commercial networks gave us groundbreaking drama and, against the most dire predictions, comedy worth fitting into our schedules.

Network and cable news brought home Hurricane Katrina's devastation and, instead of being complicit to political spin, played a role in pushing the government to do right by its people. On the other hand, the faces we knew have vanished. Dan Rather stepped down in the spring, ABC's Peter Jennings passed away in August and Ted Koppel left "Nightline" last month.

And as we hit the hyphen in the 2005-2006 season, we have the ability to watch the television we want anywhere we can carry our video iPods.

But none of these events or trends represents what we'll remember most about television in 2005. No, it's the nutty highs and awful lows that'll remain in the memory banks.

So, instead of a top 10 list, TV's peaks and valleys -- whether realized in a perfect scene, a phenomenon or a bout of lunacy -- are what we'll cite here, compiled as a list of greatest ... whatevers.

Greatest Example of the Television Medium Being Just Medium: R. Kelly's video opera "Trapped in the Closet" "Trapped in the Closet" has little, if any, technical merit. The lyrics are sophomoric, the repetitive melody includes a beat that sounds like a toilet backing up, and the 12-part tale is ludicrous. In brief: Sylvester, played by R. Kelly, sleeps with a wig-wearing pastor's wife, leading the pastor to reveal he has a gay lover named Chuck. At the same time, Sylvester's wife was sleeping with a cop, and his trailer park missus turns out to be pregnant by a little person, who pops out of a cabinet and defecates in his pants out of fear.
A healthy run on various video channels made "Trapped in the Closet" a so-bad-it's-good phenomenon parodied by Jimmy Kimmel (in his five-part creation "The Pizza") and referenced in an episode of "South Park," which is the ultimate pop-culture christening. Brace yourselves, because rumor has it more chapters are forthcoming.

Greatest Cliffhanger: "Grey's Anatomy's" season finale Where most cliffhangers merely served to pull us back to a series in the fall -- a good thing for network TV -- "Grey's Anatomy's" had long-lasting repercussions. Ten seconds before the end credits, Derek "Dr. McDreamy" Shepherd, in the midst of asking Meredith out on a date, turned to her and apologized -- just in time for his wife, Addison, to walk up. In a single moment, the writers took a character we loved, and one who quickly could have become a bore, and transformed him into a jerk. Everyone may have wondered what was in the hatch last summer, but this fantastic rude awakening wins for sharpest slap in the face.

Greatest Twist You Didn't See Coming: Walt's kidnapping on ABC's "Lost" Leave it to Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse and J.J. Abrams to lead us in the wrong direction, building our fear that Claire's infant was in the Others' sights when what they wanted all along was Walt. The moment he was taken will go down as one of the most tragic, gut-wrenching scenes on television, and one that left you a little sick as the kidnappers' boat sped away. But now that the year is over, I hope the writers resolve that thread very soon.

Greatest Hope for the Future of Comedy: NBC's "My Name Is Earl" "Everybody Loves Raymond" may have ended, but comedy got on the road to recovery in 2005. CBS gave us another classic, multicamera sitcom in "How I Met Your Mother" and UPN found the consistently funny "Everybody Hates Chris," a slice-of-life look at growing up in the '80s through the eyes of Chris Rock.
Neither show has the wide-reaching appeal of Jason Lee's Earl Hickey, a lovable loser trying hard to overcome his past, and the low expectations everyone has of him because of it. Earl's quest is a simple one: to improve his karma and become a better man. But the real beauty of "Earl" is that it never degrades or makes fun of the people it portrays, something a lazier comedy would do -- which is only part of the reason we adore it so completely. That, and the sweet and trashy crew surrounding our hero.

Greatest Reason to Fear for Our Future: MTV's "Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County" It's soft-scripted, it's brainless, it chronicles the largely dull dating lives of barely coherent rich kids. But in its second season, "Laguna Beach" was so popular that its cast became celebrities on par with Ashlee Simpson and Hilary Duff. (You can't say that about any other reality refugees.) Not only is "Laguna" returning for a third season, but a Miami-set spinoff, "8th & Ocean," is set to debut in March.

Greatest Evidence That TV Can Sell Nuts: Bravo's "Being Bobby Brown" If you beat one catchphrase into oblivion this year, it was probably "Hell to the no," Whitney Houston's favorite response. As we all saw on Bravo's "Being Bobby Brown," Whitney is her own brand of loony. Not "oughta be locked up" loony, but fried-brain loony, the kind that her husband can relate to and the sort that could make a compelling reality show, or an R&B opera.
At the same time, there was never a question as to whether their love is fo' real. They sing and dance all the time -- while buying sunglasses, eating pancakes, getting their booze on. Bobby even admitted on national television that he relieved his wife's constipation, er, manually. That's love, y'all.
Beyond the details, Houston's show -- and it really was hers, contrary to what the title says -- represented the next mutation of celebreality: the meltdown. "Being Bobby Brown" prepared us to accept VH1's "Breaking Bonaduce," which sold a former Partridge's unraveling as merriment, and Bravo's "My Life on the D-List," a cheerful look into Kathy Griffin's limping career.

Greatest Evidence That TV Is Not a Good Place To Go Nuts: Tom Cruise Sure, we heard the rumors before 2005. Back then the only glimpses we got of Tom Cruise were on the red carpet and through carefully managed interviews in print and on TV. But sometime in the spring, Tommy Boy decided the most appropriate place to reveal his deep and quite sudden love for Katie Holmes was on a syndicated television equivalent of a celebrity tabloid. And, like the diminutive man in R. Kelly's saga, Cruise sprung out of the wacko cabinet, jumping up and down on Oprah's couch and accosting "Today's" Matt Lauer with crazy talk. "Do you know what Adderall is? Do you know Ritalin? Do you know now that Ritalin is a street drug? Do you understand that? ... You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do. ... Matt, Matt, Matt, you don't even -- you're glib. You don't even know what Ritalin is." Woo!

Greatest Actualization of When Keeping it Real Goes Wrong: Dave Chappelle and the missing third season of "Chappelle's Show" on Comedy Central.
When television's funniest man vanished in the midst of producing another highly anticipated season, rumors swirled that either he was in drug rehab or had a psychotic break. Only someone who's high or crazy could walk away from a deal reported to be worth around $50 million, right? But no, Dave was simply on a spiritual sabbatical in South Africa. Apparently he was unhappy with the show's direction, a feeling that cannot compare to the average fan's acute disappointment. Although "Chappelle's Show" as we know it is over, Comedy Central is airing the four "lost" episodes, without Dave's stand-up intros or blessing, in '06. Makes us wonder whether the comic is saying to himself, "Is Dave Chappelle gonna have to choke a bitch?"

Greatest Proof That It's Possible to Make Shakespearean Entertainment With Four-Letter Words: HBO's "Deadwood" For those of us who appreciate the profound portraits of humanity at its most dignified and basest, "Deadwood" is a treasure. The second season blew away the old Western myths of black and white hats, and showed the town's heroes and villains for what they are -- imperfect beings, subject to fate's whims and the lure of greed. The town blackheart, Al Swearengen, fell desperately ill and, in the process, softened to the verge of tenderness; noble Seth Bullock turned his back on his lover, Alma Garret, out of obligation to a wife he didn't love. Though it may relinquish its standing once "The Sopranos" returns in March, "Deadwood" remains the finest gamble any network has made, and Ian McShane, who plays Swearengen, is without peer.

Greatest Predictable Ratings Stunt We Can Live With Nevertheless: Unmasking the Carver on FX's "Nip/Tuck" The Carver, though exciting, nonetheless represents a low point in "Nip/Tuck's" progression, and devalued the larger plot developments. The season seemed bent on rising to the hysteria the serial killer introduced, making the story line's twists and turns ever more outrageous. And when The Carver's identity finally was revealed, it turned out to be the person everyone suspected -- Dr. Quentin Costa. What saved this from being a total letdown was the fact that he had an accomplice in Detective Kit McGraw -- his sister! -- and that he was born without male genitalia. But was it the worst thing to happen to "Nip/Tuck," or the best? The season finale was the highest-rated episode in FX's history, attracting 5.7 million viewers, 3.9 million of those in the 18-to-49 demographic.

Greatest Indicator That Television News Will Never Learn: Weather reporting after Hurricane Katrina Dear TV newspeople: We thought it would become clear that during Katrina, when we saw Mother Nature smack your toupees into Oz, that standing in grotesquely inclement weather wasn't necessary. We can't hear what you're saying or even see you. And yet, there you were. The real reporting came in the aftermath, when the worst had passed and we needed to put the weather's fury and infrastructure failures into context. You performed beautifully. Kudos.
Then, when Rita arrived, we got Al Roker blowing over while his cameraman clung to his legs. When heavy rains hit New Jersey, "Today's" Michelle Kosinski rode a canoe through a few inches of water as the locals walked through the shot wearing galoshes. Do we need to tell you how stupid that looked? So in 2006, make it a point to stop measuring the wind's mph with your faces. Please? Save your energy for real hard-hitting news.

Oh, well, what's aired is done. Next year can only bring better things.

Can't it?

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/printer2/index.asp?ploc=t&refer=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/tv/253696_tv29.html

fredfa

12-28-05, 09:23 PM

Critic’s Notebook
Can scruffy 'Earl' make the peacock proud again?

By Maureen Ryan Chicago Tribune TV blog Dec. 28, 2005

It’s fitting that NBC is searching for redemption through the scruffy Earl Hickey.

Hickey, the title character on “My Name Is Earl,” is the new centerpiece of NBC’s new Thursday comedy block. Gone is the underperforming “Joey,” and, for now, Donald Trump’s “Apprentice.” The 2006 Thursday lineup, which debuts Jan. 5, is the aging “Will & Grace,” a new comedy, “Four Kings,” “Earl” and the offbeat white-collar comedy “The Office.”

It’s a bold, risky move, and Earl Hickey is a far cry from the urban sophisticates that NBC long employed as the mainstays of its Thursday “Must-See TV” lineups. Hickey wouldn’t really fit in with the Central Perk gang on “Friends” or with the neurotic “Will & Grace” crew, but then again, the ratings-challenged NBC isn’t the strutting, shiny peacock it once was. Both the network and Earl Hickey need more than their share of good karma.

For his part, “Earl” creator Greg Garcia says he isn’t nervous about the move from Tuesdays, where “Earl” has grown into a top-20 hit, to Thursdays. Not that anyone believes Garcia.

“When I say that to people, they repeat the question -- they have trouble believing it,” says Garcia. “What I wake up every morning terrified of and go to bed at night terrified of is not being able to do a good show. I always have that stress on me. Once I give the show to the network and I’m proud of it, I really don’t have that nervousness of `Are people going to watch;, are they not going to watch?’ I can’t control that.”

Garcia says the move to Thursday, where “Earl” will go up against TV’s Goliath, “CSI,” didn’t exactly come as a shock: He says the “Earl” cast and crew assumed that if the show did well, it might move to Thursdays, an extremely tough night in which the networks compete hard for lucrative movie advertising.

The best part of the Thursday move, according to Garcia, is that “Earl” will move with its former Tuesday companion, the increasingly hilarious “The Office,” which, at press time, occupied 14 of the top 100 slots on iTunes video charts.

“I think `The Office’ is hysterical,” Garcia says. “I was catching up with some episodes of it at my parents’ house over Thanksgiving, and as soon as I finished, I e-mailed [NBC President] Kevin Reilly, and I said, `This is the funniest show on TV. If we are moving, I pray to God “The Office” is coming with us.’”

NBC did indeed keep the block together, and has pinned a good chunk of its hopes of recapturing its former Thursday glory on the scruffy “Earl” and his small-town pals. The network’s gift to him this year, Garcia jokes, is that extra zing of excitement when he goes to check “Earl’s” overnight ratings on Friday mornings.

“I like to gamble, and this feels like a little bit of a gamble,” Garcia says. “We’ll see if it was ultimately a good move. I also have the luxury of saying, `It wasn’t my decision.’ If it’s a good move or a bad move, I don’t have to worry too much. As long as we don’t start turning in bad episodes, I’ve done my job.”

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

fredfa

12-28-05, 10:03 PM

The Digital Revolution
The great convergence

As technology advances, the lines between phones, TV and the Internet are blurring
By Stacey Hirsh Baltimore Sun reporter

Imagine typing into a Google search on your television screen: "Here's looking at you, kid."

Google responds: "Casablanca. Would you like to watch it now?"

Click yes, and the movie plays.

This sort of digital seamlessness might not be imaginary much longer. With the convergence of telephone, cable and Internet, experts say technology is inching us closer to a world where all three services are interchangeable.

Incoming phone calls will pop up on your television screen. You'll watch movies on the Internet. On-demand viewing will be the norm - not just what you want and when you want it, but in what form. Buyers and sellers on eBay will actually talk to each other to cut their deals.

And as telephone, cable and Internet businesses continue to fight their way into the others' markets to form single multimedia networks, some experts believe the big winner will be consumers, because added competition should yield better products and lower prices.

"Over the next few years, we'll see a lot of experimentation with different packages of communication and Internet access services," said Jim Harper, director of information policy studies at the Cato Institute in Washington.

Already, cellular phones have become so universal that many people are using them as their main phones instead of land lines. More than 40 million homes have high-speed Internet access, double the number three years ago, said Brahm Eiley, president of the Convergence Consulting Group, a Canadian consulting and research firm. The group predicts that by the end of 2009, nearly 80 million homes will have broadband.

Because that technology is readily available, Eiley predicts that more television content will become available on the Web, whether it is streaming movies or CNN. Television, the telephone and the Internet "are in essence morphing into each other," Eiley said.

The hardware is adapting, too. Such devices, Eiley said, are becoming like Swiss Army knives - a single tool used for multiple functions. Ultimately, all the devices in our homes will have several purposes, from making a phone call to sending e-mail. Some of these changes are already evident. For instance, consumers can watch video on their wireless phones.

What it boils down to, said Harper, is that "more of everything will be accessible everywhere."

That could mean consumers will be able to buy TV packages where channels are available a la carte, so they pay only for the channels they want to watch. Or it could mean being able to set a digital video recorder from the office.

There may be so many choices that consumers might find themselves baffled, Harper said. Choosing services will be like going to the grocery store and picking from different cuts of meats or a variety of apples, he said. And there will be new reliability issues that customers will have to weigh - cable phone service, for example, goes out if there's a break in the cable line. (Comcast said its phone service has a battery backup that kicks in during a power outage, but phone service would be interrupted if the cable line to a home snaps.)

Even if it seems confusing to some, the next generation will be sure to catch on. Or, as Harper put it: "Us oldsters should just keep in mind that our kids will understand what all these options are."

A picture of what this convergence might look like began to emerge in Maryland this month with the official launch of Comcast's telephone service in several area suburbs. The added service allows consumers to get phone, Internet and cable service from one company - and pay for it on the same bill.

With its new service, Comcast introduced to the market a formidable competitor for Verizon, which has more than 2 million customers in Maryland. Verizon, which has a joint venture with DirecTV satellite service, is countering Comcast's foray into the phone business by rolling out its super-fast FiOS Internet service and preparing its own television service. Verizon's television service is already available in parts of Northern Virginia, and the company plans to offer it in Maryland.

Mark Cooper, director of research at the Consumer Federation of America, argues that with only two major competitors in Maryland, the competition won't be vigorous.

"Small-numbers competition is not very consumer-friendly," he said.

But the Convergence Consulting Group predicts that cable companies will have 12 percent of residential telephone subscribers by the end of 2007 and 21 percent by the end of 2009. And phone companies will have 2 percent of television subscribers by the end of 2007 and 5 percent by the end of 2009, the group says.

Already, the old system is starting to adapt. Major media companies are realizing "that it's important to get their video on other screens besides the TV," said Phil Leigh, senior analyst for Inside Digital Media Inc., a Florida market research firm.

The Walt Disney Co. announced in October a deal that will let consumers download ABC and Disney Channel television shows onto their computers or iPods through the Apple iTunes Music Store. And Time Warner announced a deal last month that will enable viewers to download episodes of their old TV favorites - such as Welcome Back, Kotter - for free on AOL.com.

In October, eBay announced the purchase of Skype, a company with 59 million registered consumers that lets them make free phone calls over the Internet. Such technology, eBay says, will enable buyers and sellers to talk in real-time as they are making a deal. Sellers could have a "Skype me" button on their advertisement, and buyers with questions could just hit the button to talk. The newest version of Skype has video capabilities.

"We think there is a lot of potential for Skype to accelerate trade on eBay," said eBay spokesman Hani Durzy.

In the end, one multimedia network will deliver all telecommunications functions, from phone calls to instant messaging, Leigh predicted. Telephone and cable companies will provide only high-speed Internet access for a flat fee, he said.

Mark Komisky is already taking advantage of the convergence. His Baltimore business, Bluefire Security Technologies, uses voice over Internet protocol for its telephone service and is looking into ways to send employees podcasts with corporate data.

"We started thinking about, 'Is there a way we could do updates to our sales team in the field via a podcast?'" said Komisky, the company's chief executive.

Meanwhile, TV viewers are moving into an on-demand world, said Eiley of the Convergence Consulting Group. Television habits have changed with the advent of TiVo and on-demand cable. This trend will continue, experts say, and eventually it won't make sense to viewers that they should have to tune in at a specific time or place to watch their favorite shows.

"Your children are going to really think it's odd that you had to go to the newspaper to see what was on TV that night and then tune in," Leigh said.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/tv/bal-te.bz.converge27dec27,1,3763539,print.story?coll=bal-artslife-tv

fredfa

12-28-05, 10:09 PM

Critic’s Notebook
Aidan Quinn is a priest with a habit

By Gail Shister Philadelphia Inquirer Columnist

Aidan Quinn has a thing for Jesus and vicodin.

In NBC's new midseason drama, The Book of Daniel, Quinn's Rev. Daniel Webster pops painkillers like M&M's and has heart-to-hearts with his celestial savior (played by Deadwood's Garret Dillahunt.)

"When I read the script, I just started pacing back and forth, laughing," says Quinn. "I thought, 'I could see myself doing this.' And it's set in New York? That's it."

Daniel launches Jan. 6. It's the first series for Quinn, 46, best known for his work in films (Legends of the Fall) and TV movies (An Early Frost.)

It's not his first scripted experience with Jesus, however.

He was set to star in Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ in the late '80s, but when the film switched studios and was pushed back, Quinn wasn't available. Willem Dafoe got the part.

In Daniel, Susanna Thompson costars as Webster's martini-loving wife. Their offspring are poster kids for diversity: a gay son, an adopted Chinese son, and an angst-ridden daughter. Ellen Burstyn plays the Rev's unconventional bishop.

Quinn had no clue about the workload for a weekly hour-long show, particularly when the star appears in virtually every scene.

"It's insanity," he says with a chuckle. "I thought with a big ensemble cast, it wouldn't be that hard. My hope is that the wealth is shared more... . They want me to work more. I want to work less."

Not that Quinn's got a gripe.

"I'm used to 12-hour days from movies. I've worked exclusively in independent films, so the pace is not that different. I like working fast... Jack [creator Jack Kenny] assured me it will get better."

That future tense means Daniel will return for a second season if it does good box office during its eight-episode run.

"It's a good thing Daniel started off so neurotic," says Quinn, the father of two girls. "He wants to be an evolved, spiritual man who takes care of his family. He's got miles to go before he sleeps."

Quinn, who calls himself a nonobservant Irish Catholic, went miles to understand his Episcopalian character.

After attending services in New York, New Jersey and California, he came away impressed. (The pilot was shot in L.A.; the series, in New York.)

"The ministers all had sermons that dealt with social issues relevant to the local community, and they dealt with them in a brave way, with a sense of humor."

Not so with the Roman Catholic church, according to Quinn.

"There are exceptions, but for the most part the sermons are pretty dry and boring. Basically, they're more focused on what you're doing wrong and what a sinner you are."

If Daniel offends some Catholics, "I don't really care that much," Quinn says. "That's certainly not the intent. That's certainly not the truth. There are filters it goes through, including Jack's and mine."

Sharp-eyed viewers will recognize at least two of Rev. Webster's quirks from other series.

Firefighter Tommy Gavin (Denis Leary) talks to Jesus regularly on FX's Rescue Me. Hugh Laurie plays a pill-popping doctor on Fox's House.

When Quinn saw Leary chatting up Jesus on Rescue Me, "I said, 'Oh, my God,' and went to Jack. He said we filmed our pilot before they did theirs.

"I don't worry about anything I don't have control over. I never have, I never will."

Quinn's next project: 32A, a "little film" written and directed by his sister, Marian Quinn, about a group of girls coming of age in Dublin.

The title refers to their bra size and to the route number of the city bus they ride, he says. Production begins in March.

http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/entertainment/television/13496818.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

fredfa

12-29-05, 12:58 AM

Obituary
Michael Vale, 83; Starred in 100-Plus Commercials for Dunkin' Donuts

By Myrna Oliver Los Angeles Times Staff Writer December 28, 2005

Michael Vale, the durable character actor who starred in more than 100 Dunkin' Donuts commercials as the early-rising Fred the Baker and joked that he got paid in doughnuts, has died. He was 83.

Vale died Saturday at New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City of complications from diabetes, said his son, Tracy Vale of Los Angeles.

The Brooklyn-born character actor was a veteran of a dozen Broadway shows, a handful of movies and about 1,000 commercials when he joined some 300 other actors for a Dunkin' Donuts casting call in 1982.

About 40 of the contenders, including the short, folksy Vale, were called back to try their lines as the self-sacrificing Fred, who would rise each morning at 4 to help boost Dunkin' Donuts into the world's largest coffee and doughnut chain.

"The first time he said 'Time to make the doughnuts,' we were hysterical," Ron Berger, partner and creative director of the company's advertising agency Messner Vetere Berger McNamee Schmetterer Euro RSCG, told the Boston Herald in 1997. "We knew the importance of the role. It was such that you want someone that people are going to like and definitely relate to. Michael was it."

Vale became the personification of the burgeoning doughnut chain.

The phrase "time to make doughnuts," which he uttered so memorably and so often for 15 years, was used as the title for a 2001 autobiography by Dunkin' Donuts founder William Rosenberg.

Police officers, known for a love of doughnuts and coffee, were special fans — even pulling Vale over as he drove down the highway, just to get an autograph.

Vale's long run as doughnut spokesman put him into advertising annals along with other durable fictional pitchmen such as Madge the manicurist for Palmolive dish detergent and the Maytag repair man.

He became such a marketing icon that when the company wanted a new advertising campaign, it first surveyed customers to determine the reaction to Fred's possible departure. Customers said Fred could leave — if he were treated like an honored friend and employee.

So Dunkin' Donuts devised an official "retirement" celebration for him, including a Boston parade and free doughnuts for an estimated 6 million customers on Sept. 22, 1997.

To condition his fans for his impending departure, Vale made a special series of commercials in which "Fred" discussed retirement with politician Bob Dole and athletes Mary Lou Retton, Sugar Ray Leonard and Larry Bird.

Like the celebrity he was, Vale made the rounds of morning talk shows and other news media, reflecting on his life as the early-rising baker.

Asked by Entertainment Weekly if he had ever actually made doughnuts, Vale quipped: "I'm on record as having made one. I didn't add the sprinkles or frosting — I was too exhausted."

He didn't get up at 4 a.m. either, he confessed. It was more like 8 or 9.

Vale was given a retirement job as ambassador for the company's charitable programs, billed as a "Dunkin' Diplomat."

Growing up in Brooklyn, Vale was dubbed "the actor" by his childhood friends because of his ability to imitate various ballplayers or other celebrities. After serving in the Army Signal Corps in Europe during World War II, he studied at the Dramatic Workshop at New York City's New School.

One of his earliest appearances was in a summer stock production of George Bernard Shaw's "Androcles and the Lion." Vale later described his modest role: "I was thrown to the lions."

He made his Broadway debut in a show called "The Egg," which ran less than a month.

His most successful Broadway role was as Harold the hypochondriac doctor in "The Impossible Years," which opened in 1965 and ran for two years.

Vale appeared in several television series, including "Car 54, Where Are You?" in the early 1960s and "The Cosby Show" in 1987.

On the big screen, he was a cabdriver in "A Hatful of Rain" in 1957 and a jewelry salesman in "Marathon Man" in 1976.

The actor described working with British leading man Laurence Olivier in "Marathon Man" as "the most wonderful experience of my life."

In addition to his son, Vale is survived by his wife, Nancy; daughter, Ivy Vale Reil of New York City, and a granddaughter.

A memorial service in New York will be planned at a later date.

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-vale28dec28,1,1510031,print.story

fredfa

12-29-05, 01:02 AM

Weekly Nielsen Notes
Big 'Deal,' small 'MNF'

By Gary Levin USA TODAY

•Good Deal. Winning Deal or No Deal was pure luck, which is what NBC sorely needed — and got — with last week's five-night game show. Deal, which aired at 8 ET/PT Monday through Friday, won each of its time slots against mostly repeat competition, while averaging 12.7 million viewers. Wednesday's episode was tops with 14.1 million. The series will return, probably in March.

•So long, Martha. Deal's luck didn't help NBC's finale of The Apprentice: Martha Stewart (7.3 million viewers), which followed Wednesday's game show, lost half its audience and ranked fourth among young-adult viewers.

•Heavenly ratings. She may not have answered the questions, but Barbara Walters' ABC special Heaven: Where Is It? How Do We Get There? intrigued 13.8 million viewers Tuesday and ranked seventh for the week.

•Nip / record. The third-season finale of FX's plastic-surgery drama Nip/Tuck averaged 5.7 million viewers Tuesday and, with 3.9 million young adults, set a network record in that category for a series episode. The entire season averaged 3.9 million total viewers, up just slightly from last season.

•They weren't ready for football. ABC's penultimate Monday Night Football game (a Baltimore blowout of Green Bay), with a measly 12 million viewers, was the lowest rated in at least 14 years and did not even crack the week's top 10 shows.

•Static. NBC's Radio Music Awards (5.3 million) also fumbled half its Deal lead-in Monday and declined sharply from last year.

•Christmas cheer. TBS' annual A Christmas Story marathon ranked first among cable networks in prime time, led by the 8 p.m. showing with 4.5 million viewers. NBC's 27th airing of It's a Wonderful Life trailed with 4.4 million.

•(Nearly) end of the line. Amid the glut of series reruns, some sitcoms are finishing out their runs without much glory: Fox's Arrested Development (4.1 million viewers Monday) and ABC's Hot Properties (3.7 million Friday) each ranked fourth in their time slots against mostly repeat competition.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-12-28-nielsen-analysis_x.htm

fredfa

12-29-05, 01:12 AM

(Personally, I question this list slightly: American Idol is listed at #18, and as best I can tell, it wasn't broadcast last week.)

Weekly Ratings Notes
Most Recorded shows on TiVo
(Week of Dec. 19-25)
Rank / Program / Last Week
1 Desperate Housewives
2 Lost
3 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
4 Grey's Anatomy
5 CSI: Miami
6 House
7 ER
8 Medium
9 Family Guy
10 The West Wing
11 My Name Is Earl
12 24
13 Commander-in-Chief
14 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
15 Las Vegas
16 Boston Legal
17 Law & Order
18 American Idol
19 Without a Trace
20 The O.C.
21 Numb3rs
22 Law & Order: Criminal Intent
23 Will & Grace
24 NCIS
25 Invasion

Source: TiVo
http://www3.tivo.com/tivo-tco/top25.do?show25=seasonpass

fredfa

12-29-05, 09:44 AM

A Critical View:
Confusing new 'In Justice' puts first things second

By Jonathan Storm Philadelphia Inquirer Columnist

At the end of the second episode of In Justice, which is really the first episode - we'll get to that later - a car pulls up to San Quentin to pick up a newly freed prisoner waiting on a bench outside the fence.

It stops about 100 yards short of the bench, for no plot reason that makes any sense, but because that gives the passengers a chance to get out and walk dramatically and make a big-deal embrace with the former prisoner. And then everybody can amble back to the car while the show ends in a dramatic crane shot, as the camera rises higher and higher into the air.

All sorts of things in In Justice, which premieres Sunday at 10 on ABC, don't make sense, but you won't read the obvious wisecracks - including how it ever got on in the first place - because that is relatively easy to understand.

It's another procedural drama, like Without a Trace or Numb3r s, in which mostly young sleuths of various levels of attractiveness - starting at better-looking than you and me - write stuff on blackboards or whiteboards or bulletin boards (so we numbskulls can all follow along, too) and try to figure out who did what. Seems as if these shows all get decent ratings, so why not throw one more into the pot?

Ah, but this one has a twist. Yawn. This time, the investigators, from an outfit called the National Justice Project, are trying to figure out how to prove that some poor schlub who has spent years in jail didn't commit the crime. Mostly, they do it by figuring who did, and so how is that any different from, say, Cold Case?

Well it's different because In Justice (it's supposed to be a heightened version of injustice) doesn't have a gorgeous lead detective with weird hair and makeup. Also because it makes up impossible surprises as it goes along, or throws in nonsensical little fillips that are supposed to move the plot, but actually just move your hand to the top of your head for a good Huh? scratch.

For instance, in the first episode, actually the second - don't be impatient - a man nobody suspects of anything starts harassing one of the investigators. That gives them a big clue that maybe the harasser's somehow involved, and it eventually helps them crack the case.

I can't stand it when critics recite everything that happens in a show, even a crummy one, because they don't have enough creativity to do anything else. Who wants to watch after you already know what's going to happen?

So you won't find out here who did it on tonight's episode. And that will give you the same hey-wait-a-minute, this-is-a-cheat reaction I had when it turns out that even Agatha Christie wouldn't figure it out because there's a big curveball at the end.

You also may be confused because tonight's episode just sort of jumps into the middle of the fray without actually introducing the National Justice Project. You could get that introduction next Friday, if you actually tuned in, when the show moves into its regular 10 p.m. time slot with its pilot episode.

Network entertainment boss Stephen McPherson explained he wanted to premiere the show in "the valuable real estate following Desperate Housewives to introduce viewers to this compelling new drama." Grey's Anatom y would have been a rerun anyway. "It's a win-win," said McPherson, who obviously got his job at least partially because he's so deft with that TV exec jargon. It certainly wasn't because he picks up shows such as In Justice and then flips their episodes to bewilder the audience.

Friday you would learn that the character played by Kyle MacLachlan is a rich corporate lawyer who has spent $5 million of his own money to set up the National Justice Project in Oakland, Calif., maybe because he wants to embarrass the California attorney general and run for the office himself.

Or maybe it's just because he's bored silly with corporate law and wants to share the detective excitement with all those foxy investigators. MacLachlan, who has a knack for upright characters who are slightly askew (you may remember Agent Dale Cooper on Twin Peak s), is pretty good in his role. The rest of the crowd is pretty average. Two of them have some sort of rivalry/sexual tension that's almost as confusing as the plots of the show.

In Justice is supposed to run every week in the same time period as CBS's Numb3rs, whose characters and crimes are at least three times more interesting. In that situation, even with their arsenal of cockamamie tricks, the In Justice producers would be hard-pressed to come up with a scenario that would propel their show to success.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/television//13504142.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

fredfa

12-29-05, 09:51 AM

TV in 2005
Year was a turning point for TV

New technology and fresh faces brought changes
By Joanne Ostrow Denver Post TV Critic

Television in 2005 matured from adolescent to midlifer. Like the baby boomers it helped raise, TV awoke to the idea that it had competition from newer, more agile gizmos.

Then again, modeling sleek, wall-size flat screens, TV never looked better.

The year marked a turning point, both onscreen and behind the scenes. Technology spurred change, as did the passage of time.

The suits tried to sell the turnover as turning a page, but we knew it was the end of an era: White male anchors who led their respective networks for decades gave way to newcomers - in some cases clusters of newcomers - seeking fresh (read: younger) audiences. CBS chief Les Moonves talked about a necessary "revolution" for the creaky institution that is the evening news.

Dan Rather departed under a cloud. Tom Brokaw retired but has been back with primetime documentaries. Peter Jennings signed off, telling viewers of his lung cancer, then died four months later. When Rather and Brokaw accepted a standing ovation on behalf of the anchor triumverate at the Emmy Awards in September, a 30-year run officially ended. By year's end, Ted Koppel left, too, and Anderson Cooper displaced Aaron Brown on CNN.

"Gravitas" became so last millennium.

The hardware was at times more intriguing than the programming. "Platforms," that is, the ways we get our stuff, multiplied. Whether video iPod, cellphone, DVR, laptop, TiVo, video on demand, wireless radio or handheld PC, the delivery systems by which news and entertainment are relayed are evolving quickly. Distributors are rightly nervous.

Just as TV comedy was about to be declared dead (again), NBC's "My Name Is Earl" and UPN's "Everybody Hates Chris" revived the form, thanks to cheeky voice-over narration, cleverly drawn characters and stinging social commentary laced between laughs. Similarly, as UPN was about to be pronounced DOA, "Everybody Hates Chris" and "Veronica Mars" breathed fresh ratings life into the mini-network, boosting it to beat The WB.

"Dancing With the Stars" proved reality TV doesn't have to be about backbiting and naked aggression.

"Lost" found there is an audience for deeper, richer content beyond the initial broadcast, notably the Internet sites and video downloads that add to the couch experience.

FX's "Nip/Tuck" carved a smart-aleck niche but was too grisly to appreciate. Bravo's "Project Runway" passed the queer-eye test for camp entertainment.

Martha Stewart demonstrated you can have too much of a good thing. Geena Davis discovered America is ready to imagine a woman in the White House. Dave Chappelle learned that going AWOL can be a career boost. Larry David left us hanging: Was that perfect season ender also the series ender?

"Survivor's" sharp concept, tight editing and clever production had legs while "Amazing Race" ought not to have messed with success. They'll drop the family format and globe-trot again in 2006.

"Weeds" imagined what happens when a drug dealer who looks like Mary Louise Parker moves in next door. "Sleeper Cell" dreamed what happens when a terrorist who looks like Oded Fehr moves in next door. Both dramas suggested the long slumbering Showtime was waking to its potential.

Cheesily redesigned TV Guide proved the adage, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

"Grey's Anatomy" fed the hunger for a medical drama that isn't "ER," and for a youthful ensemble that isn't "Friends." Viewers know smart casting when they see it. (See also, the crowded, diverse cast of "Lost.")

And "Arrested Development" turned out densely packed comedic gems in spite of Fox's slaps. The network cut the number of episodes, benched the comedy during the November sweeps and won't say whether it's canceled. Rumors about ABC or Showtime picking up the Emmy-winning series continue unconfirmed.

Finally, no matter how many webcasts or downloads compete for attention, advertisers continue to pay big bucks to reach TV audiences. The paradox holds: Even as ratings decline, ad prices increase. For advertisers, TV remains the biggest game in town.

http://www.denverpost.com/ostrow

fredfa

12-29-05, 09:55 AM

Best of 2005
OK, I give up -- Here's my Top 10 for the year (sort of)

By Tim Goodman San Francisco Chronicle Thursday, December 29, 2005

People do not care about the intricacies of the why not. They want what they want.

And so it has been nearly futile these last, oh, nine or so years, to avoid the dreaded Top 10 list, the year-ender, the best-of batch. I do not particularly like these lists as they pertain to television. Attach them to movies and books and music -- total addiction. Each list (well, depending on the source) is gobbled up like Junior Mints. But I take no joy in compiling my own.

This is partly because the television season does not fall in a calendar year, like everything else. It runs from September to May for the networks. And June to God knows when for cable. In fact, the whole concept of a season gets murkier each year.

To create a Top 10 list in December means that barely four months have rolled out in the TV season. That's not a year. Anything before that was LAST SEASON. Come on, where's the continuity here? Let's say, for the sake of argument, that Fox's "24" is one of your favorite series and you're absolutely positive it should rank in the Top 10. The question then becomes: "Oh, you're referring to last year, right? Because the new season doesn't start until January." The whole idea seems ill conceived and flawed.

I made this argument on radio station KFOG a few weeks back. The reaction? Shut up and give us your list. No one cares about the senselessness of it. Nobody cares about the cliche factor. Nobody cares that I could probably give you 10 entirely different picks while pressed into a corner at a cocktail party. Give up the list. Just give it.

Even my boss knows better. He doesn't even ask for it. I went on vacation and managed to not be involved in that Sunday Pink section collection of year-end lists that the other critics participated in. I got letters wondering why. People got back my out-of-office reply. Life was good. Except my vacation ran out and a review scheduled for today had to be moved. Which left only one true option:

10. "Over There," FX: Apparently people don't want to watch a fictional account of a real war in progress. The news will do that to you. But credit FX and creator Chris Gerolmo for a bold and provocative attempt at real-time drama that messed with viewers' perceptions without pulling any obvious or easy triggers. Consider this a bold experiment. It solidified the notion that FX was (and is) making excellent television and had become an absolute must destination.

9. "Family Guy," Fox. A shotgun blast of stupidity. One of the few shows that can make you laugh out loud uncontrollably, often when you should know better or when it should be accompanied by embarrassment. The world needs more of these shows. And now.

8. "Everybody Hates Chris," UPN. If it weren't for "Arrested Development," this would easily be the best show you're not watching. Although the sitcom has driven people to UPN, the numbers should be five or six times what they are based on quality alone. Not only did it live up to and hold up to the preseason hype, the series has continued its creative growth.

7. "Extras," HBO. In its freshman season, this British import starring Ricky Gervais proved to be funnier and more reliable than the normally brilliant "Curb Your Enthusiasm," its neighbor for all six episodes. Gervais managed to simultaneously distance and echo his character from "The Office," this time with a lot more fearlessness and vulnerability, which made the painfully funny comedic bits resonate with a tinge of sadness.

6. "Lost," ABC. While acknowledging that talking about this series is half the fun of watching it, I say this with sweetness and good intentions: Shut up, already, and watch. Don't obsess the joy out of it.

5. "Entourage," HBO. Few dramas or comedies based on the inner workings of the entertainment business are worth the effort. But there's a taut glibness here that perfectly reflects the superficiality of stardom and Los Angeles. This series is rakishly entertaining and manages to seem, from afar, as an over-the-top parody of celebrity when, in fact, for anyone who's been near the business, it plays like a documentary. Now that's an achievement.

4. "Rome," HBO. All hail a series that demanded patience and understanding. While there's some truth to the notion that a TV show ought to compel you to watch it a second time and anything short of that is failure, "Rome" proved that slow starts and loyalty are often rewarded. A grand, flawed spectacle that became more intoxicating every week. Forget a second season, give us an eighth season.

3. "Rescue Me," FX. It takes a certain kind of person to love this show. That's because there's not really anything else like it on television. It has a staccato flow of coarse comedy, horrifying drama, touching sentimentality and everyday casual brutishness. There's not a road map to the "feel" of this show. Denis Leary has tapped similar veins of his comedy, but never in such a mature, challenging context.

2. "My Name Is Earl," NBC. And now for a complete refutation of that last statement. "Earl" hardly seems like an NBC show, either, but it is. (Partly because Kevin Reilly, who now runs NBC but used to run FX, championed it.) All those FX boys -- add in Peter Ligouri at Fox -- may be finding that they are running huge department stores, not boutique businesses and their heads are on the line more than ever, but damn if they can't keep down that gene that loves a little offbeat experimentation.) Some people don't get this show, but "Earl" is far and away the best new freshman series on broadcast television.

1. "Arrested Development," Fox. Because I said so. Period. I'm way past trying to explain it. But if I'm forced to make the list, I get to make the picks. Any TV show that's funny the third time you watch the same episode is rare indeed, and that owes so much to creator Mitch Hurwitz, the writing staff and a sensational cast, particularly Jason Bateman, Jessica Walter and Will Arnett. I could watch this cast read "Joey" scripts and still be entertained.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/12/29/DDG2AGE3H710.DTL&type=printable

fredfa

12-29-05, 10:02 AM

Worst of 2005
2005: Boob tube at its worst

By David Bianculli New York Daily News TV Editor Thursday, December 29th, 2005

Developing a list of the best television programming during the past 12 months is a daunting task. Assembling a lineup of the worst TV programs of 2005, is even more Herculean. So many choices, so few slots ...

It's a sin, for example, that certain awful TV shows should escape the end-of-year tally unscathed simply because there are other, worse contenders beneath them at the bottom of the barrel.

So let's take a moment, to recall, and recoil at, the runaway egotism of Bravo's "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List" and NBC's "Hit Me Baby, One More Time." And at the scripted ineptitude of two Fox shows: the unfunny sitcom "The War at Home" and the unwatchable comedy-drama "Head Cases." And at the ambitious failure of HBO's "The Comeback," and the unambitious failure of NBC's "10.5: Apocalypse."

And, of course, a special nod to ABC's "Welcome to the Neighborhood," a reality series considered so bad by its own network, that it was canceled before it premiered. Only TV critics, provided with preview tapes, got to watch "Welcome to the Neighborhood." Take my word for it, though - every one of the shows listed below, in my Bottom 10 TV Shows of 2005, were much, much worse. They're listed alphabetically, but by sweet coincidence, the show I consider worst of all comes at the very end.

Bottom of the list, bottom of the barrel.

"Bad Girl's Guide," UPN. Jenny McCarthy stars in a comedy that I awarded no stars when it premiered. I predicted failure, but that wasn't difficult. The failure was evident in every frame and lame joke.

"Battle of the Network Reality Stars," Bravo. The original "Battle of the Network Stars," from the 1970s, was a blast. This updated version was a bomb because it had no stars. 'Reality Stars' is an oxymoron. And the people gathered here to compete - well, let's just say they made the roommates on "The Surreal Life" look like diners at the Algonquin Round Table.

"Britney & Kevin: Chaotic," UPN. Someday, if not already, Britney Spears will look at this personally approved reality series of hers and ask herself what anyone who saw it was wondering: "What sort of white-trash idiot is this?" She may never have the emotional distance or intelligence required, though, to realize that question applies not only to her hanger-on Kevin, but to herself as well.

"But Can They Sing?," VH1. No. Morgan Fairchild strutting to "These Boots Are Made for Walking" had a certain train-wreck fascination, but Bai Ling in anything was an attention-starved horror to behold: all costumes, no talent and her wardrobe was even scantier than her vocal range. Bye, Ling.

"Intervention," A&E. This series took people in deep emotional pain and at very vulnerable times in their lives, and abused them for the sake of alleged entertainment. Just ask Vanessa Marquez, the "ER" actress profiled and taken advantage of in the pilot. Unforgivably exploitive.

"The Law Firm," NBC. What was David E. Kelley thinking in putting his name to this dull, poorly structured, horribly cast reality series? Clearly, he wasn't thinking at all, and was spending all his time on the infinitely superior "Boston Legal." This should have been thrown out of court. Almost immediately, NBC dumped it onto Bravo.

"Martha Behind Bars," CBS. How bad was this second Martha Stewart biopic starring Cybill Shepherd? Much worse than the first, which is bad enough. And even worse than either of the real Stewart's two new shows from 2005, which is unthinkable.

"The Real Gilligan's Island," TBS. The first edition of this putrid reality-competition series made my Bottom 10 list last year. The 2005 edition was even worse, making it the only show to make the Bottom 10 two years in a row. Quite an achievement: a monument to terrible TV.

"Who's Your Daddy?," Fox. When this series premiered, offering a grown adopted woman the chance to identify her biological father from a group of candidates, I called it "a horrible, repellant, indefensible television show." If anything, I was too kind. It was one of the last of the mean-spirited reality shows.

"The Will," CBS. CBS unveiled this series the first week of January, and yanked it after a single telecast. As a result, we never did learn which of Bill Long's family members and hangers-on impressed him enough to win the ranch he was offering as this reality show's prize. To viewers, though, the only impressive thing here was the utter inhumanity of the entire enterprise. I called it "the worst show of the year," and added: "Granted, the year is only six days old at this point - but for the next 359 days, it'll be the low point to beat."

It was - and it wasn't beaten all year. On TV, where there's a "Will," there's no worse way.

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/v-pfriendly/story/378622p-321453c.html

fredfa

12-29-05, 10:10 AM

Critic’s Notebook
”Scrubs” got 'dissed,' but it's back

By Marisa Guthrie The New York Daily News Staff Writer Thursday, December 29th, 2005

Respect is hard to come by in the TV business.

It's more like, what have you done for me lately?

And, apparently, "Scrubs" was not doing enough for NBC. So the Peacock network, which had its already singed feathers pulled out of the fire by a clairvoyant housewife and a hick with a handlebar mustache, shelved Zach Braff's quirky medical comedy in September until midseason.

"We all felt very dissed," said Braff.

The show, which received a slew of Emmy nominations this year and, more recently, a Golden Globe nod for Braff, was seemingly buried under NBC's "So long, 'Must-See TV'" woes.

"It seemed like at the beginning of [the season], the other networks were gunning for [NBC]. I guess they all sensed weakness," said series creator Bill Lawrence.

"It didn't seem like there was any Shangri-La to being on right at the start of the year. We were just worried that we weren't ever going to get our shot."

"Scrubs" has never been a ratings blockbuster. But it has a core loyal audience and the support of critics. NBC entertainment head Kevin Reilly said earlier this year that the decision was necessitated by Braff's movie schedule. Not true, said Braff. Filming on "Fast Track" (co-starring Amanda Peet) only overlapped the "Scrubs" shooting schedule by one week.

In fact, there are more than a dozen episodes of "Scrubs" in the can. The fifth season kicks off Tuesday at 9 PM ET/PT on NBC. The series is filling the void left by "My Name Is Earl" and "The Office," which move to Thursdays next week.

"It is weird to be doing all of these shows and having none of them air," said Braff. "You feel like you're sort of doing this giant art experiment with no reaction from an audience yet. When we started [shooting], we didn't even know if we would end up on the air. In the back of our heads, we thought, 'What if they never put us on.'"

But the diss, um, hiatus did give the cast and crew a little creative jolt.

"There was an attitude of, 'If we're not going to be on the air, let's take this a little bit further, let's lean into the turns,'" Braff said. "So as actors, I think we were a little bit extra wacky and silly and I think the scripts were a little more surreal and crazy."

And various guest stars, who Lawrence calls "friends of the family," will add to the kooky vibe. Jason Bateman will appear with sidekicks in tow: 10 ornery ostriches. Mandy Moore, Braff's real-life girlfriend, will play his klutzy love interest for two episodes. And Lawrence is hoping that John Cusack, one of his so-called "friends," will finally submit to a guest turn.

"He comes by [the set]. He's eaten meals here. If he doesn't make an appearance this year, he's dead to me."

No respect.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/ent_radio/v-pfriendly/story/378470p-321457c.html

fredfa

12-29-05, 10:18 AM

Cable Scorecard: 2005
'Closer' fuels TNT to cable viewers win

By Andrew Wallenstein The Hollywood Reporter Dec. 29, 2005

They don't call it "The Closer" for nothing.

The most-watched original cable series of the year helped TNT seal the top spot among all basic cable networks in total viewers and key demographics for 2005, according to Nielsen Media Research data ending Dec. 25.

But with "Closer" out of circulation for the fourth quarter, TNT dropped behind USA Network in total viewers and adults 18-49 for the first time in five years. Although ESPN won the quarter on the strength of football, USA is flexing newfound ratings muscle thanks to the October addition of the WWE franchise.

The fourth quarter will prompt a tight race next year, Lifetime executive vp research Tim Brooks said.

"It will be a real nail-biter in 2006 between TNT and USA," he said. "Wrestling can make a difference. TNT has to do something to make up that difference."

Topping all competitors among viewers 18-49 and 25-54 for the fourth consecutive year, TNT also notched basic cable's highest yearlong averages ever in those demos.

"Closer," which stars Kyra Sedgwick as a police detective, topped all series averages in total viewers, with 5.4 million. Its June 13 premiere was the most-watched series telecast of the year, attracting more than 7 million.

"Closer" was introduced this past summer on TNT along with limited series "Into the West" and NBA postseason play. All together, they powered TNT to its highest ever ratings in the third quarter of the year.

USA also was well-represented in the original series arena, with three of the six top-rated series in the 18-49 demographic, including the Tony Shalhoub starrer "Monk," "The Dead Zone" and "The 4400." The demo's top series attraction, however, was FX's "Nip/Tuck," which averaged 2.7 million among adults 18-49.

With the demo dominated by returning series, Brooks noted that cable lacked a new breakout series this year that skewed young. "I would argue that while there hasn't been that kind of breakthrough series this year, cable has continued to grow nevertheless," Brooks said. "Eventually they'll have to come up with something fresh."

MTV's "2005 Video Music Awards" was the most-watched entertainment telecast of the year, grabbing more than 8 million on Aug. 28. The network scored its highest-rated year yet in its core demographic, viewers 12-34. Among viewers 18-34, MTV ran third to TBS, followed by TNT.

In the kids space, Nickelodeon swept all youth demos, as well as total viewers, in total day ratings. But in primetime, Disney Channel ranked No. 1 among kids 6-11 and 9-14, thanks in large part to the drawing power of comedy "That's So Raven," starring Raven-Symone. Disney had the most-watched original movie on cable this year, with "Twitches" drawing more than 7 million on Oct. 14.

Lifetime also had a strong year with original movies, taking home eight of the top 10 movies in total viewers.

Among the networks showing the greatest ratings gains among total viewers for the year in primetime, Hallmark Channel led the way among fully distributed channels, with 28%. Spike TV also had a strong year, growing 27%, but Brooks noted the loss of WWE to USA sent the Viacom-owned channel tumbling 17% in the fourth quarter.

"Spike had three-quarters of a great year, but the fourth was not so good," he said. "It's still a network that has to figure out what it's going to be."

Among other channels struggling are Discovery Networks' Discovery Channel and TLC, both down double-digits in total viewers and 18-49 for the year.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001771558

fredfa

12-29-05, 11:12 AM

Wednesday night’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.

fredfa

12-29-05, 11:18 AM

(From Marc Berman’s Wednesday, December 28, 2005 Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com )
Primetime TV: The Best and Worst of 2005

With the clock ticking to 2006, here are Mr. TV’s picks for the best and worst on the small screen in 2005:

BEST

1. Lost (ABC)
Although there was some concern earlier this season about that mysterious hatch, this amazing roller-coaster ride continues to chill the masses with the unexpected in every telecast. What will they think of next? And who the heck are the “Others?”

2. Entourage (HBO)
Sex and the City may be long gone, but HBO is alive and well courtesy of this insider’s tale of a close circle of friends in Los Angeles.

3. My Name Is Earl (NBC)
Troubled NBC has its first real building block to work with thanks to a sitcom that dares to be different without alienating the masses.

4. Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS)
Yes, this nine-year gem is sorely missed. But, it is better to go out with dignity instead of overstaying your welcome. My only gripe is Ray Romano recently reprising his role as Ray Barone on a lame episode of King of Queens.

5. Two and a Half Men (CBS)
This modern day version of The Odd Couple continues to reach new heights thanks to the best supporting cast (Conchata Ferrell, in particular) on television.

6. Into The West (TNT)
At a time when the broadcast networks traditionally put the “Gone Fishing” sign up, the summer success of the sprawling Into the West proves that the miniseries format can -- and should -- be still thriving.

7. The Closer (TNT)
With Emmy worthy Kyra Sedgwick at the helm, what could have been a traditional hour of crime solving morphed into TNT’s first regularly scheduled series hit, and a weekly hour of can’t miss TV.

8. Survivor (CBS)
As reality comes and goes (and comes and goes), the Cadillac of the genre continues to stand head and shoulders above the rest.

9. Prison Break (Fox)
Instead of traveling the traditional scripted cop show route, this tale of two brothers -- one in jail and one heading to the slammer -- had the water-cooler buzzing.

10. Desperate Housewives (ABC)
Although a painfully uneven year two has hurt the long-term credibility of this once must see comical serial, the brilliance of the tail-end of its freshman season makes Desperate Housewives one of the best in 2005.

Also Worth Positively Noting:
Arrested Development (Fox)
CSI (CBS)
Gilmore Girls (WB)
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
House (Fox)
Rome (HBO)
The Shield (FX)
Veronica Mars (UPN)
Without A Trace (CBS)

WORST

1. Britney and Kevin: Chaotic (UPN)
Unless you had a Dramamine (or two) handy, the only way to survive this dizzy, brainless non-scripted hour was with a barf bucket at your side.

2. A Dr. Phil Primetime Special with Pat O’Brien (CBS)
Although Pat was a baaaad boy, graveling under the guidance of know-it-all Dr. Phil was a sad and embarrassing way to keep his job intact.

3. Twins (WB)
Ditsy Melanie Griffith married to nerdy Mark-Linn Baker? Deadly-dull Sara Gilbert and blond Molly Stanton twins? Yeah, right!

4. Breaking Bonaduce (VH1)
Can’t attention seeker Danny Bonaduce solve his personal problems without the cameras rolling?

5. Stacked (Fox)
Did you ever think Pamela Anderson would star in such a bust?

6. I Want to Be a Hilton (NBC)
After suffering through a handful of episodes, all I can personally say is I am happy to remain a middle-class Berman.

7. The Poseidon Adventure (NBC)
Can’t the networks leave well enough alone?

8. Inconceivable (NBC)
What should have been a B-level Lifetime made-for came and went on Friday after two dreary episodes.

9. Out of Practice (CBS)
Someone should tell over-the-top Stockard Channing she is not acting on the Broadway stage in this painfully generic sitcom.

10. Tommy Lee Goes to College (NBC)
Anyone involved in this non-scripted turkey should be immediately expelled.

Also Notably Lousy:
Bad Girls Guide (UPN)
Hot Properties (ABC)
Joey (NBC)
The Princes of Malibu (Fox)
The War at Home (Fox)

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/newsletters/proginsider/index.jsp

fredfa

12-29-05, 01:05 PM

The HD retransmission battle will be very heated in the months ahead. CBS has already said it will seek cash payment for its O&Os when its carriage agreements are renewed.
Individual stations and group broadcasters are already battling cable and DBS companies over the issue.
I won't be burdening you with stories on every skirmish, but will post local stories on occasion, along, of course, with national coverage.
Corpus Christi TX is a current battleground, with more than 100,000 subs in danger of missing next week's BCS Championship football game between Texas and Southern California.

The retransmission fight
KIII reaches deal with Charter for broadcasts

Agreements still pending for Time Warner and Cable One
By Kathryn Garcia Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Charter Communications and KIII have reached a verbal agreement allowing their 10,500 subscribers to continue watching their favorite ABC programming with no fear of disruption.

But more than 106,000 Cable One and Time Warner Cable customers still are waiting to see whether KIII will pull the plug on hit ABC shows such as "George Lopez" and "Grey's Anatomy," and the Rose Bowl, in which the University of Texas is scheduled to battle the University of Southern California.

Charter general manager Kevin Rice said a tentative agreement was reached Friday, and a contract should be finalized today.

"We're glad we're going to be able to serve our customers," Rice said.

Rice would not disclose the agreement's terms, but he did say it does not involve a cash payment.

KIII threatened to pull its signal from four local cable companies as of midnight Dec. 31, asking at least three of the four companies for cash payments for the right to rebroadcast what normally is a free over-the-air signal.

Grande Communications and KIII reached an agreement Dec. 16.

KIII general manager Dick Drilling would not elaborate on negotiation details with the two remaining cable companies but did say he hoped viewers would not experience any disruptions.

"We're trying our best," Drilling said.

Time Warner spokeswoman Paula Smith said negotiations are continuing, but they are preparing for the worst by distributing more than 10,000 free A/B adapters to their viewers, which allow them to easily switch between cable and antenna signals.

Adapters are available at the cable company's offices throughout the 10-county area and at H-E-B grocery stores, she said.

"We're continuing to negotiate with every hope we won't lose ABC programming," Smith said.

Time Warner also is hosting Rose Bowl watching parties to make sure no UT fan misses the national championship game, Smith said.

Officials with Cable One did not return phone calls.

http://www.caller.com/ccct/local_news/article/0,1641,CCCT_811_4346514,00.html

fredfa

12-29-05, 01:21 PM

Best of 2005
Great TV in 10 episodes

By Matthew Gilbert The Boston Globe staff

This year, there were many extraordinary episodes, TV minutes that stood out from the rest. Here is Globe TV critic Matthew Gilbert's Top 10 for 2005, with the understanding that HBO's ''The Comeback," NBC's ''My Name Is Earl," and HBO's ''Rome" have been intentionally excluded. So rich in notable episodes, they'd crowd out the others.

1. End of the Road
The most dazzling TV episode of the year was the series finale of ''Six Feet Under" (Aug. 21). Its last six minutes were mesmerizing, poetic, sad, beautiful, unforgettable. They drove home everything Alan Ball's drama had been about since its 2001 premiere: the inevitability of death, and our tendency to deny it. In a montage fueled by Sia's bittersweet song ''Breathe Me," the last moments of all the major characters flashed before us until Claire finally passes, an elderly woman in a lonely bed. The sequence brought the show's trademark sorrow to all the sweet Fisher family resolution that had come before it in the episode. This series climax deserves an honored place in TV's Finale Hall of Fame.

2. Parents Trapped
The generally good ''Without a Trace" came up with a brilliant episode (Nov. 17) that served as a dramatic counterweight for all the popular forensics series on TV right now. The whole hour took place solely from the perspective of a missing boy's parents, played with convincing strain by Laurie Metcalf and Matt Craven. The regular ''Without a Trace" investigators were peripheral to the action, and we could see all their arrogance and secrecy through the parents' eyes. They didn't look like the same heroic team who saves the day every week; they were pushy strangers in a home undergoing a profound crisis. The episode was a powerful TV lesson in point of view.

3. Tsetse Fly
''Entourage" is a giddy guy's comedy, with big boys playing with big toys in Hollywood. The HBO show became trendy this year, mostly thanks to Jeremy Piven's star turn as arch agent Ari Gold, the king of hugging it out. And Piven was the dynamite at the center of the series' most memorable episode so far, called ''Exodus" (Aug. 28). The season's penultimate half-hour played like its finale, with Ari getting fired, attempting a coup with the code word ''tsetse fly," getting quietly betrayed by his colleagues, and finally singing along with Stevie Wonder's ''For Once in My Life." It was a brilliant tale of just how slippery power is in Hollywood, and just how great Piven can be.

4. Down the Hatch
The opener of ABC's ''Lost" (Sept. 21) was this season's series highlight so far, after season one ended on such a creepy note last spring. It showed how on this rich series, a coincidence isn't just a coincidence; it's a major clue and a possible answer to the huge cosmic mystery. In Jack's back story, we saw him talking to a man named Desmond after jogging in a stadium. Desmond's farewell to Jack: ''See you in another life, yeah?" Later in the episode, we learn that the hermit in the hatch listening to the Mamas and the Papas is none other than Desmond. The hour built expertly to this revelation. While the series always contains evocative touches, from the image of a teddy bear to the flashes of Walt, this was one consistently thrilling hour.

5. Dare You
''How I Met Your Mother" has had many strong episodes since its fall premiere, including the one where, like Linus waiting for the Great Pumpkin, Ted waits at a rooftop Halloween party for a girl in a ''slutty pumpkin" costume. But the episode in which Barney (the outrageously good Neil Patrick Harris) pays TV news reporter Robin to do inappropriate things on the air was a classic (Oct. 10). She realizes no one is watching her newscasts, so she keeps pushing the envelope. The half-hour, with an equally good second plot about Ted redating an old girlfriend, showed why this CBS sitcom deserves its growing reputation as the new ''Friends."

6. Project Catfight
Reality shows have the whole bloated finale thing down at this point. Build slowly to the revelation, toy with our expectations, give us tears, jealousy, and glory. And the first season finale of Bravo's ''Project Runway" (Feb. 23) was no exception. But it was a flamboyant and entertaining example of its type, as garish as some of the colorful fashions. We got to see a few very talented adults act like impossible children: ''You're going to need your soul one day, Wendy, and you don't have it," Kara Saun told the villain of the night -- before she became a villain herself for accepting free shoes. Ultimately, the big prize went to Jay McCarroll, a Bruce Vilanch-looking fellow with an anarchic temperament and a wicked creative streak. The cast bid us ''auf Wiedersehen" with no class, no grace, but plenty of dish.

7. A Great Debate
It wasn't entirely successful, but it was memorable. The live debate on NBC's ''The West Wing" (Nov. 6) had a rough, realistic tone, as Forrest Sawyer moderated while Vinick (Alan Alda) and Santos (Jimmy Smits) held forth on political issues. It wasn't more of the show's tightly scripted, artfully edited storytelling, with witty repartee from CJ. The rivals talked over one another on stage as the loose script cleverly defined what it means to be a Democrat and a Republican. But then the debate episode also played like an exercise in fantasy, as the rivals decided to suspend the rules, take their gloves off, and let their passions flow. It showed us why real-life presidential debates are so stilted and fraudulent.

8. TB or Not TB
It was like tossing fresh meat to a hungry lion. Ron Livingston played the perfect bait for Hugh Laurie's cranky doctor on one of the best-ever episodes of Fox's ''House" (Nov. 1). Livingston, who also did superior TV work as the ego-challenged Berger on ''Sex and the City," played a do-good MD lobbying for moral greatness. His media-mongering refusal to take a cure for TB disgusted House, who couldn't get his head around why a doctor would destroy himself to make a political point about poor people who can't afford a cure. And when House loathes, we all benefit. The challenge to the writers of this series is to keep supplying Laurie with juicy targets for his contempt; this time, they succeeded beautifully.

9. Brat Attack
It's always a good time busting Hollywood's chops, since it busts open our wallets every day. And MTV's ''Punk'd" is always a welcome opportunity for us to gloat as celebrities writhe. This season, Ashton Kutcher's unscripted candid-camera series nailed Ellen Pompeo (Dec. 4), the star of ABC's hugely successful ''Grey's Anatomy." I've always assumed Pompeo is unlike Meredith Grey, who is a self-involved drama addict reminiscent of Ally McBeal. But when Pompeo thinks a waitress is flirting with her boyfriend on ''Punk'd," she goes medieval on her -- behind her back, of course. She out-brats her TV character, ridiculing the waitress's makeup and describing a violent fantasy with blood dripping down the waitress's face. Dr. McDreamy: Stand forewarned.

10. Bye, Bye Barones
Few sitcoms evoked more venom from me than CBS's ''Everybody Loves Raymond," the retro-sexist bicker-fest that made ''The Honeymooners" look progressive while it made divorce look desirable. (OK, I'll breathe now.) But Ray Romano's hit finished its nine-year run on May 16 with a gentle, low-key tone that's rare in these days of blockbuster finales. Darn it, the episode even made me a little mushy. The moment when Ray and Debra admitted their affection (He: ''You like me," She: ''I know. You like me, too") was small but revelatory -- not an easy mix to pull off on TV. It helped explain why they stayed together through years of stereotypical gender clash.

http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/gallery/mathew_gilberts_top_10_episodes?pg=10

fredfa

12-29-05, 01:47 PM

A look ahead at 2006
Will Cablevision sell AMC?

bcbeat.com--Oppenheimer & Co. media analyst Tom Eagan lays out what he thinks will be big media events in the New Year.

Top 10 Events Expected in 2006

1. DirecTV buys back GM pension fund's 15%, $3 billion stake, eliminating the threat those shares will hit the open market and depress the DBS service's price.
2. Cablevision sells AMC/IFC/WE.
3. NBC Universal acquires content.
4. Adelphia sale closes and Time Warner Cable goes public.
5. Satellite radio surpasses 14mm subs and offers rear-seat video.
6. Cable's voice over Internet protocol [VOIP] becomes profitable for operators.
7. HDTV sets reach mass market.
8. Media becomes more accessible anywhere anytime.
9. Telco video is delayed again.
10. Telecom Act re-write starts.

http://www.bcbeat.com/

fredfa

12-29-05, 01:58 PM

More “Deal”

NBC has ordered more episodes of “Deal or No Deal” and will schedule them some time after the Winter Olympics end in late February.

The five showings of “Deal” all finished in the top 14 of last week’s Nielsen ratings.

fredfa

12-29-05, 03:29 PM

"House" first To Nudge Nielsen DVR Needle

By John Eggerton Broadcasting & Cable

Fox's drama, House, has the distinction of being the first show whose key 18-49 rating was improved by adding in time-shifted viewing.

According to Nielsen's new national ratings, which include time-shifted DVR viewing for the first time, the only show whose DVR viewing made a difference in its rating or share was Fox's House.

Nielsen Thursday released the numbers for Monday, the first day of the expanded ratings survey.

As expected, there were essentailly no differences because the DVR sample is still so small--less than 1% vs. the 7% penetration in the TV household universe, according to Nielsen. Nielsen is adding 100 DVR homes per month to its sample, however, and expects to match the national sample by January.

Nonetheless, enough of those "less than 1%" recorded House and then watched it before 3 a.m. (the cut-off for the "live plus same day" category) to move the meter a tenth of a rating point.

Of the 23 shows on seven networks--Monday was the debut of Telemundo in the national sample as well--House was the only show to register any change whatsoever between its day-and-date rating and the "live plus same day" category that included DVR time-shifted viewing.

A special 9 p.m. Monday edition of House--it normally airs Tuesday at 9--went from a 2.2 rating/6 share without DVR viewing to a 2.3 rating/6 share with shifting included.

Nielsen will also deliver a "live plus seven-day" time shifted viewing rating/share starting in a week or so and coming out about two weeks after the original airdate.

The new Monday nationals also confirmed what the preliminary overnight numbers for Monday and Tuesday had shown: Univision, in its first side-by-side measurment against the English-language nets, ranked fifth, far ahead of The WB and UPN and was even able to unseat a couple of the shows of the Big Four in various time periods with its telenovellas.

Telemundo will be added to the national sample at the end of this month.

fredfa

12-29-05, 03:33 PM

On My 'House' High Horse Again

By John Eggerton at bcbeat.com

Having noted that fantastic Fox drama, House, was the first broadcast network show to get any kind of a ratings bump, OK, only a tenth of a point, from Nielsen's addition of time-shifted viewing to its national ratings reports this week, I decided to go back and check the 2005 Emmy nominations list just to make sure and, yes, there it was again, or wasn't, as the case may be.

A Fox drama was nominated for best dramatic series, but it wasn't House, it was 24. OK, maybe 24 should get best melodramatic series, for which it should recieve a canned ham spray-painted gold and mounted on a lucite base. But best drama, to the exclusion of House? Let's be real, here.

I like 24 as much as the next viewer as a fun, testosteronic romp.

Lost was nominated for best drama, too. If the Emmys are a popularity contest--and of course that is partly what they are--no question. But best drama? OK, maybe, in the dark with the light behind it. But I still say the show is just a "more scripted" version of Survivor.

OK, I know I am beating my House high horse a bit hard here.

It is the same steed I rode back when The Simpsons kept being relegated to the best animated show Emmy category, thrown in with the Happy Porcupines' Christmas Frolic or whatever animated holiday show was around at the time, rather than included in the best sitcom of the year category, which it is unquestionably one of, not to mention one of the best of all time.

In fact, if I had to come up with a list of the top 10 sitcoms of all time, The Simpsons would definitely be on it, along with, oh, let's see, Seinfeld, I Love Lucy, M*A*S*H, Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Cheers/Frasier, Father Knows Best/Leave It To Beaver and HomeImprovementCosbyFriendsRaymond (countrymen, lend me your ears).

http://www.bcbeat.com/

fredfa

12-29-05, 03:38 PM

The CBS and Fox distribution maps for Sunday's NFL games, delayed by the holiday weekend, have just been added to the HD football schedule, the first post in this thread.

fredfa

12-29-05, 03:55 PM

Nielsen Releases Overnight DVR Ratings

Steve McClellan Adweek DECEMBER 29, 2005 -

After a two-day delay, Nielsen Media Research issued its first ratings report that included breakouts for shows for Monday, Dec. 26 that were recorded and watched with a digital video recorder. As expected, the differences between the so-called "live" viewing (that took place as shows aired) and the additional viewing that occurred the same day via the DVR were minimal, because Nielsen currently has only 60 DVR homes in its national panel of 9,000 homes.

Those 60 households are far from representative of the estimated 8- 9 million homes in the U.S. that have DVRs today. Nielsen says it hopes to have a representative and projectable sample of DVR homes in its ratings panel by July.

But there were differences in the two sets of ratings, which could be an early indicator of which shows are likely to be viewed more often in DVR playback mode. On Monday five of 18 prime time shows (27 percent) on the six national broadcast networks registered same-day DVR playback viewing, including House on Fox; Two and a Half Men, Out of Practice and CSI: Miami on CBS; and Medium on NBC.

House had the largest number of DVR viewers--30 out of a total of 5,791,000 viewers, according to the Nielsen data. That was enough to bump the show's audience ages 18-49 by one-tenth of a rating point from a 2.2 live rating to a 2.3 live-plus same day rating. Over the course of a season a tenth of a rating point can mean millions of dollars in advertising for a show, depending on its audience size and rate card.

Most of the DVR watchers of House appeared to be women because the show's female 18-49 rating moved from a 2.7 live rating to a 2.8 for live plus same-day DVR watching. Viewing among men 18-49 remained the same at a 1.7 rating, according to both sets of Nielsen data.

Medium had the second-largest DVR audience Monday night --24 out of 8,023,000 total viewers. But with a total audience that was 2.2 million viewers larger than House's, the additional amount of DVR viewers was not large enough to increase any of the separate demographic ratings for the show. The same was true for CSI: Miami, which had nine DVR viewers out of a total audience of almost 13 million. Ratings were also unchanged for Two and a Half Men and Out of Practice. On Wednesday, Nielsen (owned by Adweek parent VNU) told clients that it was experiencing "complications" in processing all the new data on the normal timetable, and that Tuesday's ratings would be delayed until late Thursday, while Wednesday's ratings would be available Friday.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001772126

fredfa

12-29-05, 04:30 PM

NBC is game for more “Deal”

By Steven Herbert City News Service December 29, 2005

Viewers resoundingly said yes to "Deal or No Deal," with three episodes cracking last week's Top 10, according to Nielsen Media Research figures released Wednesday, prompting NBC to order additional episodes.

The five episodes of the game show on which contestants choose a briefcase with a dollar figure inside, then have to decide whether to accept an offer from an unseen "banker," averaged 12.7 million viewers.

By comparison, the first five episodes of ABC's "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," which ushered in a short-lived era of prime-time game shows, averaged 11.5 million viewers in August 1999, when television viewership was lower.

All but the Dec. 20 episode recorded season-high viewership in the time period for NBC. The five episodes all won their time slots and exceeded NBC's viewership in the time slots by an average of 51% and 54% among viewers ages 18 to 49, the group targeted by NBC, ABC and Fox Broadcasting.

NBC has ordered additional episodes, which are expected to begin airing in March, a network official said.

"Any time a show achieves good ratings, it's a bit of a surprise, especially in today's market, where hits have become particularly elusive," said David Goldberg, president of Endemol USA, which produces "Deal or No Deal."

"We certainly believed in the show and were confident based on 'Deal or No Deal's' broad international success. However, that doesn't automatically guarantee success, as we've seen many times before."

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-wk-tvratingstext29dec29,0,5232754,print.story?coll=cl-tvent

fredfa

12-29-05, 04:38 PM

A look ahead at 2006
ABC hoping for “Justice”

By Scott D. Pierce Salt Lake City Deseret Morning News December 29, 2005

According to ABC, its new series "In Justice" is "a completely new take on the procedural drama."

No, it's not.

It's sort of "Cold Case" told from the defense attorneys' perspective. Or if the lawyers on "Boston Legal" set out to free someone wrongly convicted of a crime in every episode.

Network hyperbole aside, however, "In Justice" is a promising new series. If you're a fan of legal dramas and police procedurals, you'll want to tune in.

Better yet, if you haven't watched a lot of these shows, "In Justice" will feel newer and fresher than it actually is.

The lawyers in this show work for the National Justice Project — a nonprofit organization devoted to freeing wrongly convicted prisoners who are the victims of "justice run amok" in the form of "sloppy police work, false testimony and biased juries." The project is headed by David Swain (Kyle MacLachlan), a flamboyant attorney who's made a big name for himself defending corporate clients but who is now in charge of a group of young lawyers and investigators.

His chief investigator, Charles Conti (Jason O'Mara) is a former cop whose job it is to find out who the real criminal is so that the innocent can be freed from prison. And he and his team employ the sort of whiz-bang, high-tech gadgetry and procedures we've become accustomed to seeing on "CSI."

Essentially, each episode combines the mystery of whodunit with the legal maneuverings of F. Lee Bailey. And, in the two episodes provided to critics, it works rather well.

Sunday's installment revolves around a 32-year-old woman (Maren Hinkle of "Two and a Half Men") who was convicted of murdering her own father 11 years earlier; the Jan. 6 show follows the efforts to free a man convicted of robbery and murder during the Los Angeles riots 13 years earlier.

As to the cast of characters, well, the jury's still out on that one. Swain doesn't seem to be quite the same character in the second episode that he was in the first, and the supporting cast has yet to make much of a mark.

Strangely, ABC is airing the second episode first. The episode that airs on Jan. 6 sets up the series' premise and introduces most of the characters; the episode that airs Sunday leaves you feeling at least a bit like you've jumped into the middle of something.

Be warned, however, both the episode that airs Sunday and the episode that airs Jan. 6 open with some pretty extreme violence — extreme for network television, at least. There's fairly graphic footage of people being shot and killed as we're shown the crimes in question.

A children's show this is not.

But if you like legal dramas/forensic procedurals/mysteries, "In Justice" is definitely one worth checking out.

http://www.desnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635172269,00.html

fredfa

12-29-05, 05:01 PM

Best of 2005
2005 Best Television: 'Battlestar Galactica'

By Rob Owen Pittsburgh Post-Gazette TV Editor Thursday, December 29, 2005

Despite a lackluster fall season on the broadcast networks, overall 2005 was a good year in TV entertainment. So good, in fact, that it was particularly difficult to pick which shows made the Top 10 and which fell just outside.

Although "Desperate Housewives" had a stellar spring and a terrific first-season finale, the show's sophomore slump, which it appeared to be recovering from in its most recent episodes, knocked it out of contention for the Top 10. But it would have made the Top 20, no sweat.

ABC's "Commander in Chief" missed making this Top 10 list because it painted President Mackenzie Allen (Geena Davis) as far too saintly, and her rival, played by Donald Sutherland, as mustache-twirlingly evil. It's getting old. Fast.

Other good shows that didn't quite make the list but warrant mention for their quality: "24" (Fox), "The Daily Show" (Comedy Central), "Deadwood" (HBO), "Everybody Hates Chris" (UPN), "Gilmore Girls" (The WB), "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC), "House" (Fox), "How I Met Your Mother" (CBS), "Related" (The WB), "Rescue Me" (FX), "Scrubs" (NBC), "The Shield" (FX) and "South Park" (Comedy Central) for its Scientology episode, if nothing else. Who says there's nothing good on TV?

1. 'BATTLESTAR GALACTICA' (Sci Fi Channel)

Go ahead, deride it as kiddie science fiction, but do so at the risk of displaying ignorance and ingrained bias. Filled with political and religious allegory, great character drama and exciting storytelling, this thoroughly human story is as good as TV drama gets. If you need a quick primer on the characters and story, "Sci Fi Inside: Battlestar Galactica" is the perfect catch-up. It's available at www.itunes.com and will air on Sci Fi Channel at 10 p.m. Monday.

2. 'LOST' (ABC)
Some viewers complain that the original cast hasn't gotten enough screen time this season, but does anyone rant when reading a novel and a character isn't mentioned for a few chapters? Not that I've ever heard. And yet that's exactly what "Lost" is: a thriller that unfolds like a novel, chapter by chapter. I'll leave it to others to puzzle over the meaning of Hurley's numbers or the goal of the Dharma Initiative. "Lost" is best enjoyed when you're willing to go along for the ride.

3. 'SLEEPER CELL' (SHOWTIME)
Not since "Beggars & Choosers" has an hour-long Showtime series grabbed me as did this edge-of-your-seat drama about a Muslim FBI agent (Michael Ealy) infiltrating a Los Angeles-based terror cell. The entire first season aired this month and told a complete story, so I'm not sure there's any real need for it to return, but it sure was a timely, effective and fair-minded program while it lasted.

4. 'ENTOURAGE' (HBO)
A light-hearted, fun series about fame and friendship, "Entourage" delved deeper into the psyches of its characters in season two without getting too dark or serious. That's a tricky balancing act to pull off, but this HBO comedy did it in style.

5. 'ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT' (FOX)
Gonzo comedy, totally out-there humor that requires acute attention, this comedy is brilliant in both its silliness and its reliance on viewers having an attention span. No wonder it never developed a wide following.

6. 'THE WEST WING' (NBC)
Before the sad death of actor John Spencer, "The West Wing" was experiencing a creative renaissance. The race between two good men -- that fact alone qualifies this as a political fantasy land) -- was handled with attention to detail and great care. The story line of Republican Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda) vs. Democrat Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits) has been far superior to the Aaron Sorkin-penned re-election campaign Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen) ran against straw man Robert Ritchie (James Brolin) in season three. With Spencer's passing likely necessitating the death of his character, Democratic vice presidential candidate Leo McGarry, "West Wing" will probably get that much more dramatic as it nears the end of its run.

7. 'THE OFFICE' (NBC)

We've all had a boss like Michael Scott (Steve Carell) or a co-worker like Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson), so we can relate to working under the thumb of incompetence and alongside the immature and tactless. What makes "The Office" bearable, especially in its second season, is that we identify with good guy Jim (John Krasinski) and perky Pam (Jenna Fischer). We might not want to work in their office, but it's a lot of fun to eavesdrop.

8. 'MY NAME IS EARL' (NBC)
"Earl" is just as loony as "Arrested Development," but it's got a lot more heart, which may be why it's found a following that's eluded the Fox comedy. "Earl" also benefits from an extremely likeable cast of characters, whether it's good-natured Earl (Jason Lee), dim but well-meaning Randy (Ethan Suplee), vicious Joy (Jaime Pressly) or quiet, cool Crab Man (Eddie Steeples). Here's hoping Earl's list of reparations takes several years to complete.

9. 'VERONICA MARS' (UPN)
Another drama that requires close attention, but like "Lost," "Veronica Mars" rewards loyal viewers with compelling mysteries and even better character arcs. Densely plotted and carefully layered, this story of a teen sleuth is smart and sometimes baffling. It's certainly not a show you read a magazine while watching and catch all the nuances and clues. It's that rare TV show that respects the intelligence of its audience.

10. 'OVER THERE' (FX)
An audacious attempt to dramatize an ongoing U.S. military engagement, now-canceled "Over There" succeeded in creating tension and introducing grunts whose safety you worried about week-to-week, even if they weren't the most likeable characters. Not enough viewers supported this Iraq war drama by tuning in (admittedly, it lost its way a little in its midsection), but "Over There" picked up its pack and soldiered on in its final episodes, pulling out of prime time banged up and bruised in the ratings, but not creatively defeated.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05363/629182.stm

YoungC55

12-29-05, 05:38 PM

#3 Sleeper Cell ... Good work
I enjoyed that show

fredfa

12-29-05, 06:02 PM

(Tom Bergeron gets a new co-host. You'll notice ABC makes no mention of Lisa Canning, the former Entertainment Tonight correspondent, who co-hosted the first season of the show.)

A Change at “Dancing With The Stars”

(ABC Press Release) December 29, 2005

E! ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION CORRESPONDENT SAMANTHA HARRIS TO CO-HOST ABC’S “DANCING WITH THE STARS,” PREMIERING JANUARY 5

Together with Tom Bergeron, journalist Samantha Harris (“E! News”) will co-host the new season of ABC’s hit variety series, “Dancing with the Stars,” premiering THURSDAY, JANUARY 5 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

Beginning Friday, January 6 (8:00-8:30 p.m., ET), Bergeron and Harris will co-host a live half-hour results show in which the combined scores of the audience and judges are announced and one couple is eliminated.

A seasoned journalist, Harris is a correspondent with E! Entertainment Television’s “E! News” and “THS Investigates.” She has served as host for a number of entertainment and news programs, including “Extra,” Fox’s “The Next Joe Millionaire” and “AMC Access.” Her acting credits include roles in such films as “Disney’s D3: The Mighty Ducks,” “George of the Jungle” and “Beautiful.” A few of her television credits include “Surviving Gilligan’s Island” and “CSI.”

fredfa

12-29-05, 06:11 PM

Cable Nets in 2005
TNT, USA Win Cable Ratings With Original Series

By Anthony Crupi MediaWeek.com DECEMBER 29, 2005 -

TNT will finish 2005 as the most-watched ad-supported cable channel, as the network averaged 2.57 million total viewers in prime time through Christmas Day, a year-over-year increase of 5 percent, according to Nielsen Media Research.

The Turner network also won the prime-time crown for the most viewers in the 18-49 demo, averaging 1.17 million over the course of 2005, and was tops among the 25-54 demo (1.24 million). This is the fourth consecutive yearly win for TNT among those demos.

USA Network placed second for the year with 2.33 million prime-time viewers, a 2 percent rise over 2004, followed by Nick at Nite (1.88 million, up 4 percent), ESPN (1.84 million, down 3 percent) and Fox News Channel (1.77 million, up 6 percent).

TNT was bolstered by the performance of its new original series The Closer, which was the top-rated original series on cable in 2005, averaging 5.4 million total viewers. The net also lured big audiences with its original miniseries Into the West and the cop drama Wanted.

USA also reaped the benefits of offering original series, hosting three of the six top-rated basic cable originals of 2005 among both 18-49 and 25-54 with Monk (2 million in 18-49 and 2.4 million in 25-54), The 4400 (2 million in 18-49 and 2.2 million in 25-54) and The Dead Zone (2 million in 18-49 and 1.9 million in 25-54). Since the WWE reverted to USA from Spike TV in October, the general entertainment net has ranked No. 1 on basic cable every Monday of the fourth quarter among total viewers, 18-34 and 18-49.

Other networks that enjoyed a stellar 2005 include FX, which boasted the most-watched show among 18-49 with Nip/Tuck, averaging 2.7 million viewers in the demo, and Lifetime, which earned an average 4.1 million total viewers with its slate of 15 original movies.

In total programming day, Nickelodeon was the most-watched net in 2005, averaging 1.23 total viewers. It was also tops among 2-11, 6-11, 9-14 and 6-14 in total day. The non-ad-supported Disney Channel ruled prime among the 6-11 and 9-14 sets (849,000 and 737,000, respectively), thanks to the popularity of its series That's So Raven (averaging 919,000 among 6-11 and 812,000 in 9-14) and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (837,000 in 6-11 and 732,000 in 9-14). Disney also boasted the most-watched original movie on cable this year, as its Halloween-themed Twitches lured 7.02 total viewers.

Hallmark Channel enjoyed the greatest ratings increase in total prime-time viewers among the more widely distributed nets, upping its audience by 27 percent. Spike TV also showed big gains, pumping up its prime viewership by 26 percent, although the net was down 17 percent in the fourth quarter, a dip most observers chalk up to the loss of the WWE. Nets that have lesser distribution that saw big prime viewership increases are: National Geographic Channel (up 51 percent), MTV2 (up 48 percent), CNN Headline News (+65 percent), OLN (+26 percent), Discovery Health (+41 percent) and Style (+52 percent).

On the other side of the ledger, TLC continued to struggle in prime (down 23 percent), as did CNBC (-20 percent), Discovery Channel (-14 percent), GSN (-12 percent) and A&E (-6 percent).

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001772020

fredfa

12-29-05, 06:30 PM

Cable Nets in 2005
TNT, USA Win 2005 Cable Ratings With Original Series

The 2005 Cable Network Average Prime-Time Viewership (in millions)
1 TNT 2.57
2 USA 2.33
3 Disney 2.12
4 Nick At Nite 1.88
5 ESPN 1.84
6 Fox News Channel 1.77
7 Lifetime 1.75
8 TBS 1.69
9 Toon Network 1.66
10 SPIKE 1.53
11 SCIFI 1.18
12 FX 1.16
13 History 1.11
14 ABC Family 1.09
15 MTV 1.07
16 A & E 1.06
17 AMC 1.02
18 Discovery 1.00
19 Comedy Channel 0.97
20 TV Land 0.97
20 Network Total 29.77
(Source: Nielsen Media Research)

jim tressler

12-29-05, 06:50 PM

fred.. according to directv superfan email as well as guide on the hd receivers - here are the hd games - the browns / ravens is supposed to be hd as well.. although.. take that with a grain of salt.. I will believe it when I see it :)

jim

go browns!

1:00 PM
Carolina Panthers @ Atlanta Falcons 719
Seattle Seahawks @ Green Bay Packers 720
Detroit Lions @ Pittsburgh Steelers 721
New Orleans Saints @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers 722
Baltimore Ravens @ Cleveland Browns 723
Cincinnati Bengals @ Kansas City Chiefs 724
Miami Dolphins @ New England Patriots 725
4:00 PM
Chicago Bears @ Minnesota Vikings 726
Washington Redskins @ Philadelphia Eagles 727

The CBS and Fox distribution maps for Sunday's NFL games, delayed by the holiday weekend, have just been added to the HD football schedule, the first post in this thread.

fredfa

12-29-05, 06:57 PM

Obituary
George Gerbner, 86; Educator Researched the Influence of TV Viewing on Perceptions

By Myrna Oliver Los Angeles Times Staff Writer December 29, 2005

George Gerbner, an educator and pioneer researcher into the influence of television violence on viewers' perceptions of the world, has died. He was 86.

Gerbner, the former dean of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, died Saturday at his home in Philadelphia of unspecified causes.

Always interested in storytelling, the Hungarian-born Gerbner became concerned as television and motion pictures supplanted family members and friends in relaying tales both true and fictional.

By 2000, after more than three decades of study, Gerbner told National Public Radio that he had ceased to view television as a medium.

"I call it a cultural environment into which our children are born, and which tells all the stories," he said. "You know, who tells the stories of a culture really governs human behavior. It used to be the parent, the school, the church, the community. Now it's a handful of global conglomerates that have nothing to tell, but a great deal to sell."

He said average homes had a television set turned on at least seven hours a day, and that youngsters were learning to read by watching television commercials, developing a consumer mentality.

During his 25-year tenure as dean in the Penn communications school, which was funded by TV Guide magnate Walter Annenberg, Gerbner received numerous grants to study the portrayal of violence on television and in films and also to analyze how TV and films showcase particular professions and demographic groups.

In 1968, he founded and headed the Cultural Indicators Project to measure trends in television content and examine how television shapes Americans' concept of society.

The project's database has collected information on more than 3,000 television programs and 35,000 characters.

In the early 1990s, after leaving Penn, Gerbner founded a second organization, the Cultural Environment Movement, to work for greater diversity in media ownership, employment and representation.

Over 30 years of analysis, Gerbner said the level of violence shown on television remained relatively steady — six to eight incidents per hour, and in children's programming up to 20 to 35 incidents per hour.

"The most general and prevalent association with television viewing," he testified to a congressional subcommittee on communications in 1981, "is a heightened sense of living in a 'mean world' of violence and danger. Fearful people are more dependent, more easily manipulated and controlled, more susceptible to deceptively simple, strong, tough measures and hard-line postures…. They may accept and even welcome repression if it promises to relieve their insecurities. That is the deeper problem of violence-laden television."

Through his research, Gerbner concluded that heavy television viewers (more than four hours daily) came to consider the world as rightly belonging to "the power and money elite" depicted on the small screen — the young, wealthy white males idealized in programming as heroic doctors and other professionals.

He warned that women, minorities and the elderly, from what they saw repeatedly on television, would come to accept inferior status and restricted opportunities as inevitable or even deserved.

Depriving people of the chance to see themselves with equal opportunities and potential, he told The Times in 1993, "has to be seen as an indictment of civil rights, especially in a medium that is licensed not just as a business but as a public trustee."

Television programming, he said in speeches and articles, relies on violence to demonstrate "who can get away with what against whom."

Gerbner, whose findings were regularly disputed by network executives, said that neither V-chips nor content-rating codes would prevent children from viewing the ubiquitous television violence.

The educator was editor of the Journal of Communication from 1974 to 1991 and chaired the editorial board of the International Encyclopedia of Communications for several years. He also wrote, edited and contributed to several books about communications and media.

Born in Budapest, Hungary, Gerbner had a lifelong interest in folklore and literature. He began his studies at the University of Budapest before fleeing fascist Hungary in 1939.

After arriving in Los Angeles, through the help of his brother, film director Laszlo Benedek, he studied at UCLA and then completed a journalism degree at UC Berkeley. He worked briefly for the San Francisco Chronicle as a writer, columnist and assistant financial editor.

Gerbner served in the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II, working with the Office of Strategic Services, parachuting behind enemy lines and earning a Bronze Star. After the war he worked as a freelance writer and publicist and taught journalism at El Camino College while earning a master's and doctorate in communications at USC.

He taught and conducted research at the Institute for Communications Research at the University of Illinois from 1956 until 1964, when he was recruited for the post at Penn. In recent years he taught at several institutions, including American, Temple and Villanova universities.

Gerbner, whose wife of 59 years, Ilona, died Dec. 8, is survived by two sons, John and Thomas, and five grandchildren.

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-me-gerbner29dec29,0,1972958,print.story?coll=cl-tvent

fredfa

12-30-05, 12:09 AM

A Critical View:
“In Justice”: A Mission to Free the Innocent and Expose the Guilty

By Alessandra Stanley The New York Times Dec. 30, 2005

Strangely, the more doubt that DNA testing casts on the fairness of the American system of justice, the more criminal cases on television dramas become open-and-shut. The "Law & Order" shows all vibrate with moral certainty. The "CSI" series make a religion of forensic science.

"In Justice," (Sunday, 9 PM ET/PT on ABC), is a crime drama that focuses on a less comforting fact ripped from today's headlines: innocent people rot in jail for decades, victims of sloppy police work and a flawed legal system. Some are executed.

Kyle MacLachlan stars as a showboating, big-shot lawyer, David Swain, founder of the National Justice Project, which is modeled, loosely, on the Innocence Project at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, a nonprofit legal clinic founded in 1992 by Barry C. Scheck and Peter J. Neufeld. In real life, Mr. Scheck and his co-workers limit themselves to cases where the wrongfully convicted can be exonerated through DNA testing. Lab slides make for boring television, however.

In the romanticized version, Swain, his partner and lead investigator, Charles Conti (Jason O'Mara), and their team of young associates reinvestigate complex crimes, pick through red herrings and unmask the real killers. In the premiere episode on Sunday night, their client is a former drug addict convicted of killing her own father.

There are now pro bono defense clinics like the Innocence Project throughout the country, working to win innocent people their freedom. In 2004, the University of Michigan published a study of 328 criminal cases over the last 15 years in which the convicted person was exonerated, and concluded that there were thousands of innocent people in prison. Law enforcement officials argue that the number of wrongful convictions is tiny given that there are more than 2 million people in prison. Doubts about the system drove Gov. George Ryan of Illinois to impose a moratorium on the state's death penalty in 2000.

Yet despite public awareness of the cracks in the system, it has been a long time since crusading defense lawyers had much traction on television. ("The Defenders" went off the air in 1965, "Perry Mason" in 1966.) Since "L.A. Law," the pendulum has kept swinging toward outré trial lawyers who flamboyantly defend the indefensible, from "Ally McBeal" to "Boston Legal."

ABC splits the difference with "In Justice." Swain is a self-promoting bon vivant who plays computer games while charging his corporate clients $650 an hour, and who thrives on the excitement of pro bono defense work. Conti is a former detective haunted by his own police work: a suspect he helped put away committed suicide in prison, only to be proved innocent later. The young lawyers who work for them are mostly public-spirited, but Jon (Daniel Cosgrove), the office Lothario, is a self-centered snake who works at the project only to enhance his résumé.

Wrongful convictions seem like such an obvious, and overdue, tack that it is odd that the subject has been only scatteringly explored on television dramas. Possibly the notion that our legal system is systemically flawed is too taxing for viewers to handle on episodic shows that are supposed to provide escapist entertainment.

But it is also true that there is still a lot of wishful writing under the surface of television's brutal realism. Even though the depiction of violence, emergency-room care and sex grows ever more explicit, iconic authority figures remain almost as idealized as they were in the days of "Dragnet" and "Marcus Welby, M.D."

The war in Iraq drags on, but on "E-Ring," Benjamin Bratt is ever more resourceful and invincible. As health care grows more expensive and uneven, doctors on "House" or "Grey's Anatomy" turn more brilliant and infallible. And as the criminal justice system frays, detectives and prosecutors on "Cold Case" and "Close to Home" become smarter and more compassionate. Cable tends to favor more louche heroes, from the corrupt officers of "The Shield" to the amoral surgeons on "Nip/Tuck." But while their characters are personally flawed, they remain gifted professionals. Incompetence is the blight of real life; it is almost taboo for television. Even on "Sleeper Cell," Showtime's new series about a secret Islamic terrorist cell in Los Angeles, the undercover F.B.I. agent is a gifted loner who can thwart the most sinister plots.

Signs that American confidence in law enforcement is shaken are mostly expressed obliquely or subconsciously: some of the newer crime fighters, like Patricia Arquette's character on "Medium," rely on supernatural powers, not police procedure, to solve crimes.

"In Justice" is just as entertaining but not nearly as far-fetched. It uses familiar, enjoyable characters and zigzagging plots to solve a mystery. It's just that this time, the police are an integral part of the problem, not the solution.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/30/arts/television/30tvwk.html?pagewanted=print

fredfa

12-30-05, 12:26 AM

fredfa

12-30-05, 12:53 AM

A Critical View:
New legal drama's bad timing could make for a miscarriage of “Justice”

By Melanie McFarland Seattle Post-Intelligencer TV Critic Friday, December 30, 2005

You know midseason has begun when you encounter a new scripted series that feels temporary.

But who can say? Tastes change. An endeavor that didn't have a chance yesterday could end up making it to a second season. And then there's the question of the network's other options -- specifically, whether any exist.

All of this is important to keep in mind when evaluating "In Justice," ABC's midseason legal drama premiering Sunday at 10 PM ET/PT on ABC in the slot normally reserved for "Grey's Anatomy."

Mistake No. 1. Actually, one and two -- it's New Year's Day, and if your brain has stopped throbbing from the night before, the likelihood it resembles mush is fairly high, especially after all the bowl games. Do you really want a serious drama at the tail end of all that, especially one following a "Desperate Housewives" clips show, and one that isn't nearly as entertaining as "Grey's"? (Ahem, mistake No. 3.)

Granted, one understands the strategy: "Desperate" is the best lead-in possible. By granting "In Justice" such a boost, people may follow it to the program's regular time slot, which will be Fridays at 9 p.m. as of next week. That way nobody can say they didn't give Kyle MacLachlan's new series a chance when it collapses.

But I'm being a pessimist. Looking at "In Justice" from the glass-half-full side, it isn't the worst show on television. The legal procedural blends elements of "The Practice" with a tiny bit of "CSI," minus the spiffy editing, flashback scenarios and gore. Maybe that's to be expected of a drama that follows the crusades of a legal non-profit called the National Justice Project, a group of fresh-faced law professionals who battle to overturn wrongful convictions one case at a time.

Front and center is Charles Conti (Jason O'Mara), a former cop who works as the chief investigator. Conti's the go-to guy for high-profile attorney David Swain (MacLachlan), the guy who runs the place, who feeds his tremendous ego by taking on cases previously believed to be unwinnable. In his portrayal, MacLachlan appears to be borrowing cues from "Boston Legal's" Alan Shore and Harvey Birdman, but never mind that. Notice the formula: Name-brand former hunk (MacLachlan) matched with no-name younger eye-candy (O'Mara).

Behind them are a rabble of feisty young paralegals and investigators, including Sonya Quintano (Marisol Nichols, previously of the failed midseason drama "Blind Justice"), Brianna (Constance Zimmer), the chirpy office wisecracker, and Jon Lemonick (Daniel Cosgrove), a WASP who's just there to beef up his résumé.

Rote as this seems, it's difficult to judge the series too harshly. It has the barest basics in its favor -- the cast works and the writing is acceptable. Sunday's episode has the crew trying to spring a junkie convicted of killing her father while robbing his house. She admits the robbery, but not the killing. Next Friday throws a little conspiracy into the mix when two Marines rob a jewelry store, and we learn one has connections worthy of raising a few eyebrows. Fairly interesting stuff.

Unfortunately, that's all you can really say about it. It's fairly interesting and, oh, yeah, a little too obvious, with endings telegraphed from a mile away. If a series is going to survive on Friday nights, one of the toughest of the week, it has to be better than that.

The network to beat is the unbeatable CBS, which has "Close to Home" in the 9 p.m. slot and seems to be winning with "Ghost Whisperer" and "Numbers," both of which are improving steadily. CBS has discovered that to win on Friday, you need TV you can curl up with, hot mug of cocoa in hand, and unwind.

"In Justice" is not this kind of TV. It's a legal weeper spurred on by the sort of bleak hope reserved for, well, the wrongfully imprisoned. ABC's new drama could end up beating the odds, but it sure looks like a series that was born to die.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/printer2/index.asp?ploc=t&refer=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/tv/253900_tv30.html

fredfa

12-30-05, 01:18 AM

Sports On Tv
Prime matchup should boost Rose Bowl ratings

By John Maffei (San Diego) North County Times Staff Writer Friday, Dec. 30, 2005

With college football experts calling for an offensive explosion perhaps like no other in history when top-ranked USC meets No. 2 Texas in the Rose Bowl on Wednesday, the numbers on the scoreboard could be staggering.

So, too, should the TV ratings on ABC, or at least that's the hope of Loren Matthews, senior vice president of programming for ABC Sports.

The 2003 Fiesta Bowl, matching Miami and Ohio State in 2003 set the Bowl Championship Series ratings standard with a 17.2.

"There is quite a bit more anticipation for this game, so the ratings should come close, if not pass that 2003 game," Matthews said. "Especially if the game is close at the end, we have a chance to post a big number for this game."

The Rose Bowl, which begins at 8 PM ET is the finale of a bowl season that also features the BCS matchups of Notre Dame-Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl (4:30 PM ET Monday), West Virginia-Georgia in the Sugar Bowl (8:30 PM ETMonday) and Penn State-Florida State in the Orange Bowl (8 PM ET Tuesday), all on ABC.

But USC-Texas is for the national title, and there is no question this is the big game.

"We're thrilled with this matchup," Matthews said.

Keith Jackson and Dan Fouts will be in the booth for the Rose Bowl. Todd Harris and Holly Rowe will report from the sidelines.

This is Jackson's 14th Rose Bowl and third BCS title game. Fouts is working his fifth Rose Bowl and second BCS title game.

"The Rose Bowl is the top of the mountain," said Jackson, who also worked the Holiday Bowl with Fouts on Thursday. "There is nothing more you can put on top of this game.

"There has never been more hype for a game. This is going to go down as one of the all-time, all-timers."

In his more than 40 years in broadcasting, 39th on college football for ABC, Jackson said the 1972 USC team and the '95 Nebraska squad are the two best college football teams he has ever seen.

"But if this USC team beats Texas, it will be right there with those two," Jackson said.

There has been talk of the Rose Bowl being Jackson's last game.

"I'm not saying anything about anything," said Jackson, who works Pac-10 games for ABC. "I'm a nonstory. Come spring, I'll address other things. The Pac-10 contract exists through 2011, but I'm pretty sure by 2011, I will have become the shop steward of the International Porch Sitters Union, and I won't worry about it."

More colleges

• Next year, most of the BCS moves from ABC to Fox. ABC, however, keeps the Rose Bowl.

• ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 posted significant ratings increases for college football telecasts in 2005. ABC averaged a 4.1 rating, up 5 percent from last season. ESPN was up 4 percent from last season and ESPN2 was up 7 percent from a year ago.

• Notre Dame's six home football games on NBC pulled a 3.6 rating, up 44 percent from last season.

NFL

• The final "Monday Night Football" telecast on ABC after 36 seasons ---- the New England Patriots against the New York Jets ---- drew a 10.6 rating, ranking it in the top 10 nationally for the week. The final game of the 2004 season ---- Cardinals-Eagles ---- drew an 11.9 rating.

• For the 2005 season, MNF finished with a 10.9 rating, down from 11.0 in 2004 and 11.5 in 2003. MNF's all-time high rating was a 21.7 in 1981. The Monday night games switch to ESPN next season as part of an eight-year, $8 billion deal with the NFL. Al Michaels and Joe Theismann will be the announcers, along with Suzy Kolber on the sidelines. NBC takes over ESPN's Sunday night NFL slot. John Madden will work those games. The play-by-play announcer has not been selected.

• Michaels and Madden aren't finished as a team just yet, though. They will work an NFL first-round playoff game on Jan. 7 and Super Bowl XL from Detroit on Feb. 5.

• ESPN's "Sunday Night Football" ends a 19-year run with games Saturday and Sunday. Mike Tirico and Sterling Sharpe call Giants-Raiders on Saturday. The regular Sunday crew of Mike Patrick, Theismann and Paul Maguire call the final Sunday game, Rams-Cowboys. Patrick, Theismann and Maguire will work one final game together, a first-round playoff game Jan. 7 for ABC.

• Sunday night also marks the final telecast in its current format and time slot for "NFL PrimeTime." Chris Berman has hosted the show since 1987 with Tom Jackson. In 2006, the show moves to Monday night at a time to be determined.

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/12/30/sports/maffei/22_14_4712_29_05.prt

fredfa

12-30-05, 03:45 AM

Sports On Tv
Jackson Wants Focus on Bowl, Not His Future

By Larry Stewart Los Angeles Times Staff Writer December 30, 2005

When a visitor arrived at the two-story hillside home in Sherman Oaks, Keith Jackson had already opened a bottle of his best Sonoma Valley merlot and set out two wine glasses. On the coffee table in the living room was a plate of wife Turi Ann Jackson's homemade cookies.

Jackson, besides being a legendary broadcaster commonly referred to as "Mr. College Football," is also a pretty darn good host.

Over the next two hours, Jackson talked about a variety of topics, including college football and broadcasting.

The only thing he didn't want to talk about was his future.

He and partner Dan Fouts, who announced Thursday night's Holiday Bowl in San Diego on ESPN, next Wednesday will work what truly is the "granddaddy of the them all" — the Rose Bowl game between No. 1 USC and No. 2 Texas on ABC.

It might be Jackson's last game. Then again, it might not.

"My contract is up in May," Jackson said, "and I have an obligation to play that out. My mind is pretty much made up, but I'm not going to say anything at this time, and do you know why?

"I'll be totally blunt with you. l don't want to say anything about anything that will detract from this football game.

"This is a great college football game, and whatever I intend to do — and it doesn't necessarily mean I'm going to quit; that will be determined in March or April — this game should not have any detractions."

On a later conference call with reporters from around the nation, Jackson said even less about any possible retirement.

Jackson retired once before, amid much ballyhoo, after the 1999 Fiesta Bowl, which was the BCS national championship game that year.

Then six months later he decided to come back, after then-new ABC Sports president Howard Katz cut his travel schedule. He would work West Coast games.

Jackson was 70 then. He is now 77, has had both knees replaced and last year had surgery to repair an Achilles tendon he ruptured when he fell in the kitchen at his second home — in Canada, near Garden Bay, British Columbia.

"I've been playing 'old men fall down,' " he quipped. "I fell here in my backyard while picking oranges two years ago and almost killed myself."

Jackson still plays golf, but not as much as he used to. Asked about his game, he smiled and said, "I'm getting shorter and shorter off the tee."

But he added that last April he won his age group, 75 and up, in a tournament on the south course at the L.A. Country Club. He shot a 74 that day.

If Jackson does retire this spring, he will have ended his long career on a high note. He calls the upcoming Rose Bowl game as big as any he has worked.

"How do you get any bigger?" he said. "The answer is, you don't. This is as high as you can go in college football. And it's in the Rose Bowl, which has a great deal to do with it. The venue is very important."

And if favored USC wins, Jackson says he would have to rate this team among the three best ever.

"I always thought that the 1972 USC team was the best I'd ever seen," he said. "I believe something like 16 guys from that team ended up playing on Sundays.

"Then along came the 1995 Nebraska team that went undefeated, beat everyone by an average of just under 39 points and annihilated Florida [62-24] in the Fiesta Bowl."

The victory over Florida gave the Cornhuskers their second consecutive national championship — and it would have been three in a row had it not been for an 18-16 Orange Bowl loss to Florida State following the 1993 season.

"If this USC team beats Texas," Jackson said, "it will be right there with the other two."

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-sp-tvcol30dec30,0,4365508,print.story?coll=cl-tvent

steverobertson

12-30-05, 07:20 AM

Keith Jackson=Perfection. I really hope he comes back

fredfa

12-30-05, 09:24 AM

ESPN at the Rose Parade

(Los Angeles Times---)For the first time, ESPN will have a float in (Monday's) Rose Parade. The float's theme is the "Magic of Sports in High Definition."

fredfa

12-30-05, 09:39 AM

A Critical View:
” The Book of Daniel”

Bottom line: Looking to watch something not too serious? Your prayers have been answered.

By Barry Garron The Hollywood Reporter

There's a temptation to praise "The Book of Daniel" (9-11 PM ET/PT Friday, Jan. 6 on NB)C because it is a skillfully produced family drama about an Episcopal minister and his family and it comes along just as WB Network's "7th Heaven" reaches the end of its long run. In the premiere, Rev. Daniel Webster (Aidan Quinn) sermonizes that we should forgive ourselves if we give in to temptation, but I'm not going to do it. Give in, that is. I'm going to call this a well-intentioned drama with a few comedic quirks but without depth or greater purpose.

When it comes to troubles, Daniel's sacramental cup runneth over. Eldest son Peter (Christian Campbell), 23, has come out of the closet to the family but to no one else. Meanwhile, Webster's father (James Rebhorn), a church bishop, can't let two minutes pass without encouraging Peter to settle down with a girl.

Sixteen-year-old daughter Grace (Alison Pill) is a reincarnation of Claire on "Six Feet Under." She's busted for selling pot and wears a perpetual scowl. Adopted teenage son Adam (Ivan Shaw) has more hormones than Pfizer and constantly breaks the rules. Supportive wife Judith (Susanna Thompson) is increasingly frustrated with staying at home and maybe a little too free with the alcohol. Meanwhile, Daniel's mother has Alzheimer's, and his brother-in-law has absconded with millions in church funds. Daniel is fighting -- and losing -- a battle with Vicodin addiction.

Add to this the death of a son (Peter's twin) a couple years earlier, and you'd expect anyone -- especially a religious leader -- to be tormented by a giant crisis of faith. Why is all this happening? What does it mean? How are we to face this? But this is the Book of Daniel, not Job, and the minister here scarcely prays or questions. Instead, Daniel just muddles through one situation after the next, trying to comfort where he can, sort of like "Father Knows Best" with a collar. If you're looking for someone to wrestle with difficult questions of life and what it all means, buy the boxed DVD sets of "Joan of Arcadia" or wait for the release of "Nothing Sacred" (but don't hold your breath).

The closest Daniel comes to a higher plane of thought is his frequent conversations with Jesus (Garret Dillahunt), whom no else can see. And what would Jesus do? Who knows? All Daniel gets from Jesus are insipid platitudes ("Life is hard, Daniel, for everyone. That's why you get a nice reward at the end of it.") At the very least, Jesus should be telling the reverend to stop lying to his father about Peter's sexual orientation. Then again, that's something that should be obvious to the minister to begin with.

Creator-writer Jack Kenny throws issues into the air like confetti and is content merely to see them swirl in the air without consequence. There needs to be more gravitas about Daniel, something not in evidence from Quinn's take on the role or director James Frawley's perspective. The series is limited, but the vision of those involved with it shouldn't be.

Following the two-hour premiere, filmed in Los Angeles, the series moves to hourlong episodes, shot in New York and scheduled for 10 p.m. Fridays.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/reviews/review_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001772136

fredfa

12-30-05, 09:44 AM

Critic’s Notebook
TV networks tone up for new year

Networks take a look in the mirror and pump up their midseason programming
By Hal Boedeker Orlando Sentinel Television Critic December 30, 2005

Thursday night belongs to CBS and top-rated CSI. The other broadcast networks hope to ease the country's forensics fixation as midseason begins next week.

ABC will overhaul a weak night by plugging in Dancing With the Stars, the sensation of last summer. NBC will reinstitute a four-comedy block, headlined by My Name Is Earl. In February and March, Fox even will toss in episodes of American Idol.

"American Idol will get its audience, no matter what's going on, even if you put a public execution against it," says Preston Beckman, an executive vice president at Fox.

Thursday reflects the overall season, with CBS drawing the most viewers 14 weeks in a row. Yet the competition will turn more brisk in the next few weeks.

Fox can count on 24 (returning Jan. 15) and American Idol (back Jan. 17) to ignite a ratings surge. ABC will use the Super Bowl Feb. 5 to promote steamy medical drama Grey's Anatomy. Struggling NBC will receive a thunderous boost from the Winter Olympics, airing Feb. 10-26 from Turin, Italy.

All the networks will roll out new series and hope for the next Desperate Housewives or Lost. So far this season, no new series has approached the success of those ABC newcomers from last year.

"Those were unusual shows," says Jeff Bader, an executive vice president at ABC Entertainment. "They became national phenomena. This season there's a greater volume of good shows. There's maybe not the big breakout hit, but there are solid shows."

Bader lists Fox's Prison Break and Bones, NBC's My Name Is Earl, ABC's Commander in Chief and Invasion, and three CBS hours: Criminal Minds, Close to Home and Ghost Whisperer.

Romance and religion

With the midseason offerings, the networks will branch out. CBS, long the home of crime drama, will turn to romantic comedy. The search for Mr. or Ms. Right propels characters in Love Monkey with Tom Cavanagh, starting Jan. 17; Courting Alex with Jenna Elfman, debuting Jan. 23; and The New Adventures of Old Christine, with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, premiering in March.

Nina Tassler, president of CBS Entertainment, calls Love Monkey "very much the male Sex and the City" and sees promise in the young-adults-in-love trend.

"There is great appeal in romantic story lines, wish fulfillment," Tassler says. "There's something for virtually everybody."

ABC will carry the romantic theme to Mondays, starting Jan. 9. The network will air Emily's Reasons Why Not, a comedy with Heather Graham; Jake in Progress, a returning sitcom with John Stamos; and The Bachelor, its reality series, which will move to Paris.

Disney-owned ABC hopes to pull in young women and use high-rated Sundays to promote its Monday lineup. But Bader dismisses the notion of a Sex an the City trend.

"There are so many shows coming on," he says. "I think you'll see every type of show."

ABC will offer two wacky comedies about fractured families. Crumbs, starting Jan. 12, features Jane Curtin and Fred Savage as part of a warring clan. Sons & Daughters delighted critics when ABC previewed it last summer. No premiere date has been announced.

The most unusual new series is NBC's The Book of Daniel, debuting Jan. 6. The comedy-drama presents a stressed Episcopal priest (Aidan Quinn) who discusses his family and congregation with Jesus (Garret Dillahunt).

"Any show that has Jesus Christ as a character will raise some questions," says Mitch Metcalf, an executive vice president at NBC. "The only thing I can say is, watch the show and decide for yourself. It's handled very respectfully."

Go figure: Skaters, imitators

The new dramas range widely in topics. ABC will start In Justice, a legal drama, on New Year's night. Playwright David Mamet has created CBS' The Unit, a drama about special-force operatives and their families.

The serial storytelling style of 24 and Lost will continue in NBC's Kidnapped, about a boy's abduction, and NBC's Windfall, about lottery winners.

"The first half of the season, Surface, Invasion and Threshold tried to rip off Lost," says Fox's Beckman. "I don't think any of those shows has succeeded. They're marginal or canceled. The show that most grasps what Lost is, is Prison Break."

Fox will bring back that prison drama in March. Even so, Fox has done a bit of ripping off with Skating With Celebrities, a reality series that transfers Dancing With the Stars to ice. It starts Jan. 18 and enlists sitcom veteran Todd Bridges to make quite different strokes.

Dancing With the Stars begins its second season Thursday, and a results show will debut the next evening. The Thursday installment, which will usually run 90 minutes, could help ABC cut into Survivor and CSI. (All the networks can take some hope from the WB, which has enjoyed improved ratings this season by moving Smallville and Everwood to Thursdays.)

"The place where we needed help most was Thursday," ABC's Bader says. "We're hoping to fix two nights with the show. Thursday and Friday are two of our lower-rated nights."

Thursday battleground

NBC points to the revamped Thursday as its biggest change at midseason. Will & Grace will lead off the night, followed by Four Kings, a new comedy about four young male pals. NBC has shifted My Name Is Earl and The Office from Tuesdays to Thursdays to set up a four-comedy lineup, which bolstered NBC in the heyday of Cheers and Seinfeld.

"We're so encouraged by Earl," Metcalf says. "It would be really risky and crazy of us to put a drama up against CSI. The fact that we have great comedies and the network has a tradition of great comedies from 8 to 10 p.m. works in our favor."

Fox revamps its Thursday, starting Jan. 12. Back-to-back episodes of That '70s Show will lead into The O.C. Episodes of American Idol will air on Thursdays on Feb. 23, March 2 and 9.

Fox scheduled Thursday episodes of Idol last season when President Bush spoke and a problem arose over call-in numbers. "We had to run the results show with virtually no promotion, and we did fine," Beckman says.

CBS sounds ready for the scheduling changes that will target Survivor, CSI and Without a Trace on Thursdays.

"We are not complacent," Tassler says. "We know that competition is coming at us. Our plan is to fortify the shows. We never turn a blind eye."

That's a wise policy for a broadcaster known as the Eye Network.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/tv/orl-midseason05dec30,0,4633993,print.story?coll=orl-caltvtop

fredfa

12-30-05, 09:49 AM

Sports On TV
Say bye to ESPN's show

Dave Darling Orlando Sentinel December 30, 2005

Sadly, there are no catch phrases like, "Turn out the lights," or "The party's over," to celebrate this finale.

After 239 games, Sunday Night Football ends its run on ESPN this weekend with much less fanfare than last week's Monday Night Football send-off.

It's likely that this Rams-Cowboys game will be like many others on Sunday night: meaningless. But should a bunch of other teams lose or tie Saturday and Sunday, Dallas could be playing for a playoff berth in the 512th and final game of the NFL season.

And you fantasy geeks think Week 17 doesn't matter . . .

Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann and Paul Maguire along with sideline reporter Suzy Kolber will call their final regular-season game on New Year's Day at 8:30. The four will return in the playoffs for a Jan. 7 game.

Next season, ESPN slides to Monday night while the NFL returns to NBC in Sunday night slot.

ESPN's Sunday Night Football has been the highest-rated show on cable television since its inception in 1987. But it always has taken a back seat to Monday Night Football on ABC.

That could change next season for two reasons: First, NBC is available in about 30 million more households than ESPN. Second, starting in Week 11, the network will have the ability to change the Sunday night game to a better matchup. That's right, no more New Orleans at Houston in Week 16.

Still, there are some who believe the "Monday night allure" will continue to appeal to football fans and eclipse Sunday nights.

"For me, Monday night still is the big night for football in the NFL," Theismann said Thursday. "It's the last football game of the week and it's a showcase for all the players."

True, there is nothing better than extending the football weekend a day into the work week. But you might be underestimating the extended reach of network television and that new flex schedule, Joe.

Theismann, by the way, will stay with ESPN and team with play-by-play announcer Al Michaels on Monday nights. Some will call this blasphemy, but I think the former Redskins quarterback will be better than John Madden in this role.

"It's really bittersweet," Theismann said. "It's been such a privilege to work with Mike and Paul all these years, but I'm really looking forward to working with Al, too."

Next year Patrick and Maguire move to ESPN's college football broadcast team.

Madden moves to NBC. The network has not named a play-by-play voice.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/columnists/orl-darling3005dec30,0,2665472,print.column?coll=orl-sports-col

fredfa

12-30-05, 10:22 AM

TV 2005:
A look back at some of the events, fads and flops

By Kay McFadden Seattle Times TV Critic

Two trends marked TV's tumultuous year, but only one drew headlines. 'Twas ever thus in a business where the art of the deal often buries the deal of the art.

The story that got everybody's attention was television's move off the scheduling grid and at your disposal. A series of agreements — ABC and Apple, CBS and Verizon, NBC and DirecTV — put shows like "Lost" on iPods, cellphones and laptops at the local cafe. Cable carriers upped their on-demand offerings.

This is hot stuff, to be sure. Networks frantic over losing advertisers to the Internet have found a short-term solution. More programs and related product will be developed exclusively for the Web and cable: dig the online seances that cbs.com hosts for "Ghost Whisperer" and the dating personals on Comcast.

The other driving factor in 2005 wasn't as sexy to Wall Street or as digestible to business editors. This was the backstory, if you will; a good word, since it looks behind the characters and programs that we liked.

What we liked, overwhelmingly, was feeling. Emotion spiked across all formats, from the weeperoo reality series "Extreme Makeover: Home" to psyche-stripping dramas like "Grey's Anatomy" and "House" to that memorable August week when Katrina forced reporters to abandon objectivity and voice outrage.

Why the passion for passion? It could be a cyclical shift, a reaction to the arch, Seinfeldian '90s. Or perhaps 9/11 uncorked our bottled-up sentiments, just as coverage of the tsunami and hurricanes and war in Iraq subsequently did.

Regardless, TV swiftly responded to this need. Unlike the film industry, it did not lose touch with fans — the Nielsen audience grew. Putting content on wireless and hand-held devices could reach neglected slivers such as 18- to 34-year-old men.

Yet the new multi-platform world may kill the days when TV commanded regal ad rates for delivering a concentrated viewership at a certain time. And nobody knows how big an audience really exists for a Tiny Town version of Pamela Lee.

It has implications for us, too. Will water-cooler gossip thrive exclusively online, killing office conversations? And what happens to random curiosity and a sense of community when we individually tailor our news and entertainment?

Those issues are waiting to be explored. Meanwhile, here's a look back at some of the events, fads and flops that made TV the best beat to cover in 2005:

January

CBS issues its report on Memogate, and "Evening News" anchor Dan Rather and CBS News chief Andrew Heyward later step down. CBS allegedly is courting Katie Couric, whose contract with NBC's "Today" ends in May 2006.

Hmm. While this might bring curiosity seekers to CBS, it's not clear how much hard-news credibility the chirpy, decidedly daytime-ish Couric possesses. Meanwhile, "temporary" replacement Bob Schieffer has lifted CBS's ratings 4 percent above last season. Go, Bob!

Elsewhere, Johnny Carson signs off for good on Jan. 23 but lives forever in every late-night talk show we watch. Although best-known and best-loved for his persona — dry, graceful and boyishly self-deprecating — he's the man who invented the format that rocks us from monologue to beddy-bye.

February

Kiddie cartoon "Postcards from Buster" draws wrath from the U.S. Department of Education for an episode briefly featuring two lesbian parents. Then PBS succumbs to a mounting indecency crusade by bleeping expletives uttered by U.S. soldiers in a "Frontline" piece on Iraq. Thankfully, Seattle's KCTS-TV airs the original, unexpurgated version. But more is to come.

March

The Mariners get a dismal season started on the appropriate note by abandoning their quirky, Northwest-skewing ads of the past for a new series of commercials based on a cheesy home shopping network. Quick, what's the marked-down price for a Bret Boone bobblehead?

April

Cable news completely disgraces itself by airing nonstop footage of a comatose, brain-dead Terry Schiavo under the dubious guise of "analysis."

Cable news hastily tries to redeem itself with worshipful coverage of Pope John Paul II's funeral. The late Pontiff is hailed for his work with young Catholics, his international diplomacy and his Reaganesque stand against Communism. Largely omitted are his rejection of gay Catholics, birth control and women serving as priests, and his failure to grasp the plight of Catholics in Latin America.

May

It's official, network TV has become the Fallopian Tube. The 2004-2005 season ends with conclusive evidence that female viewers now dominate tastes on every broadcaster except Fox. The networks try to close this gap by announcing a 2005-2006 season full of sci-fi entries. Oh well.

Speaking of which, the "Star Trek" skein reaches its 18-year conclusion with the finale of "Enterprise." But you can invent your own episodes on www.newvoyages.com.

June

Public broadcasting becomes a full-fledged political football. Amid evidence that Corporation for Public Broadcasting chair Tommy Tomlinson secretly hired someone to analyze the political leanings of Bill Moyers' guests, Republicans in Congress announce they want to yank a chunk of CPB funding from PBS and NPR.

July

Congress backs off. Following a rousing awareness campaign by PBS and NPR stations and appeals directly to the House and Senate by shrewd PBS president Pat Mitchell, almost all of the funding cuts are restored. Later, Tomlinson resigns.

Also this month, Steve Bochco's Iraq-set war series "Over There" debuts. Despite a lot of thoughtful chewing in the press (including this column), the series proves surprisingly uneven and viewers lose interest.

August

Al Gore debuts Current TV, a mixture of news and information packaged in trendy graphics and short attention spans designed to draw all those upscale, well-educated 18- to 34-year-olds that have nothing else to watch on TV.

The legacies of Hurricane Katrina will be with us for years. On television, two results were immediately notable:

Anderson Cooper's diatribe against the slow rescue effort resonated with viewers and made him a young man on the rise — a rise that eventually displaced the cool and dispassionate Aaron Brown as CNN's star anchor. Whether empathy can substitute for shrewd contextual analysis in the long run is an open question.

Second, anchor Brian Williams earned his NBC anchor stripes by blogging and reporting (on cable sister MSNBC) from the New Orleans Convention Center before anyone else. He proved he was more than just a tan-some guy in French cuffs. That said, coverage by NBC and its network brethren was disgracefully scant — c'mon folks, you couldn't tear yourselves away from those riveting August repeats for an epic disaster involving real people?

Finally this month, ABC's gloriously gifted anchor Peter Jennings died after a short struggle with cancer. His successors, named in December, are Bob Woodruff and Elizabeth Vargas, who start their "World News Tonight" gig Tuesday.

September

Amid much enthusiasm from markets like Seattle and Portland, the fall TV season debuts with an unprecedented eight sci-fi shows on the network schedule. Unfortunately, it turns out viewers are more interested in the ghosts and monsters end of the genre; futuristic fancies "Threshold" and "Invasion" quickly fizzle while "Supernatural" and "Surface" stick.

Meanwhile, rapper Kanye West says on a nationally televised benefit for Katrina victims that George Bush doesn't care about black people. NBC bleeps him on the West Coast feed because that so plainly constitutes obscenity — at General Electric-owned companies.

October

Nothing happened in October, other than the resounding failure of Martha Stewart's "Apprentice" on NBC. Hey! How about giving a show to Kanye West? His CD sales and fame shot through the roof after his Katrina remarks.

November

CNN issues a press release announcing its new schedule and some of us can't help noticing there's a certain Aaron Brown missing from it. Classy way to go, CNN.

December

But let us leave recriminations behind. In the spirit of the season — and surely one of the most ridiculously overhyped nonevents — Oprah Winfrey and Dave Letterman end their feud. Bill Gates appears on NBC's "Three Wishes" to fulfill the dreams of a young California boy. And ABC's woman-as-president soap opera, "Commander In Chief" emerges as the No. 1 new show of the 2005-2006 season, proving TV is indeed a place for dreaming.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/PrintStory.pl?document_id=2002710807&zsection_id=2002119662&slug=kay30&date=20051230

fredfa

12-30-05, 11:09 AM

A Critical View:
“In Justice”

Sparing the innocent, but not the audience
By Tim Goodman San Francisco Chronicle Friday, December 30, 2005

If a network doesn't know what it's selling you, should you buy it?

On Sunday night right after a juicy recap of "Desperate Housewives" and in the plum "Grey's Anatomy" slot (that show would have been a rerun anyway), ABC will try to pawn off a drama called "In Justice," which not only has a silly title but a split personality.

The pilot episode, which is primarily what a network bases its decision on when it gives a show the green light, is not what you'll see on Sunday. Instead, ABC will air an episode from somewhere else in the run, elevating it to the lead-off slot. Why would the network do this? If your answer is, "To confuse us," that's correct. But not as correct as, "It doesn't like the pilot anymore."

Well, let's just say ABC may not like the tone of the pilot, which you can watch the following Friday in the regularly scheduled slot for "In Justice." Having seen both episodes, you can compare star Kyle MacLachlan's two very different acting styles and decide which you like best. Chances are, like ABC did on second thought, you'll probably like him on Sunday, then wonder why he became someone else on Friday.

What we have here, folks, is a slight tweak of the series, a change of direction. And while this change significantly improves "In Justice," it will no doubt confuse viewers. Pilots are made a certain way for a reason -- in one hour, the audience learns what the premise is, who the major players are and how all the pieces fit together.

Unfortunately, Sunday's episode just tosses you into the action with no explanation, no back story. It's like you came to the series late, even though you were there from the start. Then, with the second episode actually being the pilot, you'll see different actors, characters behaving completely differently than they did on the previous Sunday, and a premise that may or may not recur.

In other words, "In Justice" is a mess -- and it will take at least two additional episodes to find out which direction the show is going and whether that direction is an improvement.

Who's got a spare month?

MacLachlan plays David Swain, a high-rolling attorney with some quirks and ethics issues (less so Sunday, more so Friday), who starts the National Justice Project, which seeks to "overturn wrongful convictions, liberate the falsely accused and discover the identity of those really to blame," according to ABC. But who knows, maybe it'll change that, too.

The network says the National Justice Project is "a high-profile, nonprofit," and we are to assume based on the first episode that Swain, who's fronting all the money, is just a rich, do-gooder with eccentric angles in his personality. Then, in the original pilot, we learn he may be turning over all these wrongful convictions so he can become attorney general. So what is he? Defender of the people or power-mad lawyer?

The guess here is that ABC wants MacLachlan to play Swain as a misunderstood visionary, a wealthy lawyer empowering the powerless. It certainly plays better. The first two episodes play heavy on the tearful release of the wrongfully imprisoned (oh, come on, you didn't think they were going to stay behind bars, did you? Not with all that swelling music and those sad, dedicated family members).

ABC probably took a second look at the joke-heavy (but not funny) pilot, with MacLachlan as a kind of creepy cad, and thought, "Hmmm, maybe we should tone that down and ramp up the heroism."

In the series, Swain is joined by his partner Charles Conti (Jason O'Mara), an ex-cop and now lead investigator for the Project. Conti runs a team of -- what else? -- young, aggressive, tireless and good-looking investigators with heart. Wait a few weeks before you try to figure out who they are and what their characters are like.

All of this plays out in Oakland. Yeah for Oakland! Somewhere in all those murders, someone must be falsely accused. There's hope for the city yet. Meanwhile, your very own San Francisco Chronicle is featured as Swain's paper of choice. He's even shown on the front page. Something about paying too much rent for his law offices in San Francisco. Maybe later, as his quirky character is fleshed out, he'll be seen laughing uproariously at Don Asmussen's Bad Reporter.

In the meantime, there's no telling where "In Justice" will end up. Ultimately, the direction may not matter. The first two episodes feature story lines that are mostly boring, with acting that is unmemorable outside of MacLachlan. Sunday night, there's a murder in Berkeley. Then on Friday, a robbery goes bad in Oakland. One would think that the National Justice Project would get out of the East Bay fairly soon, but who knows -- you take your wrongful lockups where you find them. (We'll know this series is really confused if it switches over to San Francisco, where almost no murders are solved -- rightfully or wrongfully.)

But as a viewer, you might be wary of the message that ABC programmers are sending. Either they bought something they shouldn't have and are keen on fixing it (but still too cheap to burn the original), or they think you're not going to notice that huge tonal shift from one episode to the next -- and that's just plain condescending.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/12/30/DDGF0GEFCH1.DTL&type=printable

fredfa

12-30-05, 11:22 AM

Thursday night’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.

fredfa

12-30-05, 11:26 AM

'Lost' stars split paths in Hawaii DUI cases
One admits guilt while another gets her trial postponed

By Rod Antone Honolulu Star-Bulletin

A star of the television show "Lost" has opted to admit her guilt, while another had her trial postponed until next spring for separate drunken-driving arrests in Kailua earlier this month.

Attorney Lanson Kupau told a Kaneohe District Court judge that actress Cynthia Watros would like to "take full responsibility" for her actions. He said that on Jan. 12 she will either enter a plea of no contest or guilty to driving under the influence.

The attorney for actress Michelle Rodriguez asked for a continuance at yesterday's hearing in Kaneohe District Court and received a trial date of March 30.

"Basically, Cynthia realizes that she made a mistake," Kupau said. "She's very sorry for what happened, and she wants to get this over. ... She wants to take responsibility for it, and she's not going to duck it."

Rodriguez and Watros were arrested separately for operating motor vehicles while under the influence of an intoxicant just after midnight on Dec. 1 along Kalanianaole Highway after they began to "weave all over the right lane and into the bicycle lane," according to police reports.

Police said Rodriguez, who had been driving a black Mercedes sedan, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.145 percent while Watros, who was driving a white Lexus sport utility vehicle, had a 0.1 percent blood-alcohol level -- both above the state's legal limit of 0.08 percent.

According to police reports, when Watros was pulled over, she told officers she was heading back home to Lanikai, until police pointed out to her that she was heading in the wrong direction.

The police reports also stated Rodriguez was "very argumentative" with arresting officers and said, "I don't (expletive) belong here! Why don't you just put a gun to my head and shoot me? You've already taken my freedom! You might as well take my life, too! This is (expletive) bull--, baby! I don't (expletive) belong here!"

The reports also state that after being fingerprinted, Rodriguez said, "I was only drinking, baby. I can understand taking away my car for drinking and driving, but I didn't hurt nobody, so why do I have to wear these things? I feel like a slave, man. This takes away my freedom," and grabbed at the leg irons she was wearing.

Rodriguez's attorney Steven Barta had no comment about yesterday's proceedings or how his client would plead in March. However, city prosecutors point out that this is Rodriguez's second drunken-driving arrest because she was already on probation in California for pleading no contest to driving drunk, leaving the scene of an accident and driving without a license in June 2004.

"We are counting the one that occurred in L.A.," said Deputy Prosecutor Sean Sanada. "Mr. Barta wanted additional time to speak with the state about this case.

"Until that time happens ... we don't know what her decision is going to be in this case."

Besides Rodriguez's drunken-driving arrest, she has also been cited three times for speeding on Oahu and was fined $357 for going 83 mph in a 55 mph zone on Nov. 19.

Officials for the Los Angeles City Attorney's office have filed a motion in California courts to revoke Rodriguez's probation because she violated the terms of her release when she was arrested for drunken driving in Hawaii, and said she could face jail time on the mainland.

http://starbulletin.com/2005/12/30/news/story03.html

fredfa

12-30-05, 11:34 AM

Critic’s Notebook
Stare into my eyes .... As we gaze into the future ...

By Chase Squires St. Petersburg Times television critic

What will 2006 bring in TV Land? A look back at 2005 may hold the clue.

Variety reports today a couple of interesting trends that should have those in Hollywood paying attention. Box office returns at movie theaters were down. Not just a little bit, but a lot. Eleven percent down from last year. That's more than the quality of movies talkin', folks. That's people staying home.

Doing what, you ask?

Variety also reports today that "spending on all DVDs was up nearly 10% to more than $22 billion."

"Beyond focusing the content, Hollywood is hoping 2006 will be the year it draws more people into theaters by improving the moviegoing experience," Variety reports.

The only way Hollywood can "improve the moviegoing experience" for me is to move it into my living room. Hey, I downloaded music last night from the Internet for the first time (Okay, I downloaded music from the Internet and PAID for it for the first time) ... Can movies be far behind? Nope.

In 10 years, people will be talking about going to the movie theater the way we talk about going to the Drive In ... "When I was a kid, we used to go to a movie theater to see the talkies ... "

Next Week ...

Starts the "new" TV season, sort of. Throughout January we'll say good riddance to some of the crappier old fare (cough, cough, Hot Properties) and get some crappy new fare (cough, cough, South Beach). In the weeks ahead, look for a decent new sitcom Four Kings (NBC); a couple of mediocre sitcoms, Emily's Reasons Why Not (ABC) and Courting Alex (CBS); a pretty nifty new dramedy, The Book of Daniel (NBC); a pretty weak new dramedy, Love Monkey (CBS); and a truly awful, awful pretty people drama, South Beach (UPN). And maybe, just maybe, some new episodes of Lost, Desperate Housewives, Invasion and (insert your favorite here ... Unless it was Hot Properties).

Should Old Acquaintance be forgotten?

Probably. Especially if you owe him money.

If you're sad and kind of creepy and without friends, like me, you'll be toasting the new year tomorrow in front of the tube with a glass of warm ginger ale and a bag of nacho chips.

Regis does the deed on Fox; Dick Clark is back on ABC; Carson Daly is on NBC; Kanye West and Shakira are on MTV; ESPN will have something with somebody; And Univision presents Feliz 2006 while Telemundo has Feliz Ano Nuevo.

I'm going to bed early. Buenos Nachos.

http://www.sptimes.com/blogs/tv/

fredfa

12-30-05, 12:12 PM

Sports On TV
TV to present college football's big-league clash

By Michael McCarthy USA Today

It's Armageddon on a football field, the gridiron war to end all wars, the big one.

If you don't know No. 1 Southern California and No. 2 Texas will meet for the Bowl Championship Series national title in the Rose Bowl on ABC at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday, it won't be from lack of trying by ABC and ESPN, both units of Disney.

ABC announcers Keith Jackson and Dan Fouts said during a conference call this week that they have never seen so much hype and hysteria for one college football game.

"It's the top of the mountain," Jackson said. "There's nothing else you can put on a college football game."

Fouts said expectations are "off the charts" because of marquee players Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush of Southern California and Vince Young of Texas.

How big is the game?

Loren Matthews, senior vice president of programming for ABC Sports, predicted it could attract more viewers than any BCS game since the series' inception for the 1998-99 season. The three most-watched BCS games are Miami vs. Ohio State in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl (18.4 million homes), Florida State vs. Oklahoma in the 2001 Orange Bowl (18.2 million) and Florida State vs. Virginia Tech in the 2000 Sugar Bowl (17.7 million).

ESPN will offer virtually 24/7 coverage across TV, radio and the Internet leading up to the game. For fans of Short Attention Span Theater, the ESPN360 broadband service will offer condensed, 15- to 20-minute versions of all four BCS games within 24 hours of their airing.

USC alum Will Ferrell and Texas graduate Matthew McConaughey are taping segments from their former campuses to air during the pregame show. (Rutgers alum James Gandolfini of HBO's The Sopranos taped an opening for ESPN's telecast of the Insight Bowl, in which Rutgers met Arizona State, and served as honorary captain of the Scarlet Knights.)

The game is expected to drive a sellout of commercial time for all four BCS games, which are sold as a package. ABC is collecting prices of up to $1.7 million per 30-second commercial.

ESPN's ratings for the five bowl games it telecast through Monday are up 11% to a 2.1 average rating vs. 1.9 last year. The publicity push for the BCS games by the different divisions of the Mouse House will border on overkill, if not comic.

Two of the stars from ABC's Desperate Housewives, Teri Hatcher and James Denton, will appear as commentators on ABC's broadcast of the Rose Parade on Monday.

And ESPN will enter a float in the parade for the first time. The theme is "The Magic of Sports in High Definition."

Does Fouts have any predictions for the game? "I think ABC will win," the former quarterback-turned analyst says.

Now there's a man who knows the value of corporate synergy.

Time is up for current version of 'Primetime'

While the spotlight early this week focused on the end of ABC's Monday Night Football after 36 years, two other TV streaks end Sunday. ESPN will say goodbye to Sunday night football after 19 years and 239 games. The arrival of live NFL games on ESPN in 1987 helped put the all-sports cable channel at a whole new level.

With NBC taking over the NFL's Sunday night package, ESPN will take over MNF in 2006. Analyst Joe Theismann will move to Monday from Sunday night. Play-by-play man Mike Patrick will continue with ESPN in various capacities; analyst Paul Maguire's future is unclear.

This weekend also will see the final regular-season telecast of NFL PrimeTime in its current time and format. During 19 seasons and nearly 300 shows with host Chris Berman and analyst Tom Jackson, PrimeTime has emerged as must-see-TV for football fans, coaches and players. It annually ranks as cable TV's highest-rated studio show.

But NBC will get the rights to PrimeTime's Sunday night time slot for its pregame show.

ESPN says a reconfigured PrimeTime will shift to Mondays. But Berman makes it clear that his favorite professional hour is about to be history — even if a version of the show lives next year.

"I've been walking around all week singing Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me by Elton John," Berman says.

As one of the first NFL postgame highlight shows, PrimeTime was the idea of then-NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle and then-ESPN President Steve Bornstein, Berman says.

Whatever happens, Berman wants PrimeTime at the top of his professional tombstone. "Tommy and I have been together 19 years," he says. "In TV, that's almost like Carson and McMahon."

ABC's Jim McKay remembers Munich

ABC Sports broadcaster Jim McKay says the attack on the 1972 Israeli Olympic team at the Munich Games was the "beginning of terrorism." And with moviemaker Steven Spielberg's Munich hitting the silver screen and the 2006 Winter Olympics just weeks away, McKay says the time was right for ESPN Home Entertainment and ABC Sports to release ABC's 2002 documentary The Tragedy of the Munich Games on DVD.

McKay is the emotional heart of the Emmy Award-winning program, which hit stores Dec. 20. It drops viewers into the middle of the 22-hour standoff that ended with the murder of 11 Israeli athletes and coaches. As Sept. 5, 1972, dawns, the terrorists storm the Olympic Village, killing two Israelis. McKay, the award-winning host of ABC's Wide World of Sports and anchor of the network's Olympic coverage gets an urgent call: You're on the air in 45 minutes.

Over 16 hours on the air, McKay used what was then new satellite TV technology to narrate the crisis in real time for millions. After a botched night rescue mission by German police results in the shooting of the nine remaining hostages, McKay softly and memorably tells viewers, "They're all gone."

Along the way, we meet a Who's Who of ABC Sports/News executives from Munich who have since passed away: Roone Arledge, Peter Jennings, Howard Cosell and Chris Schenkel.

As the terrorists and their captives fly in helicopters toward their destiny at a military airport, the full bungling of the crisis by authorities becomes clear.

According to the program, the five German snipers assigned to confront them have no telescopic sights, no night-vision gear, no bulletproof vests, no helmets, no walkie-talkies, no experience in a firefight. The 16 police officers assigned to rescue the hostages on the waiting jet decide they're on a "suicide mission" — and desert their posts.

McKay reports "all hell has broken loose." But he doesn't buy rumors the hostages are saved and, finally, confirms their death. As McKay warns, sometimes our worst fears are realized.

SportsCenter's leading stories

The top stories of 2005, as offered by Linda Cohn and Rece Davis on ESPN:

• 1. Rafael Palmeiro is suspended for steroids only five months after wagging his finger at Congress and declaring, "I have never used steroids, period."

• 2. The soap opera between Terrell Owens and the Philadelphia Eagles, punctuated by agent Drew Rosenhaus' "Next Question" news conference.

• 3. Lance Armstrong rides off into retirement by winning his seventh consecutive Tour de France.

• 4. The Chicago White Sox sweep the Houston Astros in the World Series, winning their first title in 88 years.

• 5. Tiger Woods holes out a miracle chip shot in The Masters.

• 6. The NHL returns after a 310-day lockout with new rules, a new TV deal with OLN and new stars such as Sidney Crosby.

• 7. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots win their second consecutive Super Bowl and third in four years.

• 8. Southern California wins its second consecutive college football national championship.

• 9. Coach Roy Williams wins his first NCAA men's basketball championship with the University of North Carolina.

• 10. Rookie Danica Patrick briefly leads the Indianapolis 500 before finishing fourth and becoming a breakout star. In an interview with Cohn, Patrick said she knew her world would never be the same after exiting her vehicle. "I noticed a bunch of people staring at me, so I guess it was a big day," she said.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/mccarthy/2005-12-29-mccarthy-title-game_x.htm

YoungC55

12-30-05, 12:37 PM

Man, TNT wins the Cable Ratings With Original Series.
I wish i had TNT-HD
Funny though, i have never watched TNT's original series before.

fredfa

12-30-05, 12:57 PM

"The Closer" was, in my mind, very, very good, and its summer run is being repeated for the next couple of months on TNT. Its ratings were among the best in cable TV history.

"Wanted" was far better than average series, and it has some new episodes being played on TNT currently.

cdp1276

12-30-05, 01:08 PM

TNT, USA Win 2005 Cable Ratings With Original Series

This is good to see as I've enjoyed many of the TNT HD shows they have. Fred have you heard anything on their show Wanted? Was that picked up or now that they showed the remaining new episodes as of last week Monday is the show done?

I also wonder have you seen any good TV grids that show all the upcoming new shows? The Futon Critic just redid the site and I don't like how they no longer show a complete grid to print out.

fredfa

12-30-05, 01:39 PM

The Digital Revolution
Digital confusion frustrates TV buyers

By Paul DavidsonUSA TODAY 12/30/2005

Consumers snapped up millions of high-definition TV sets this holiday season. Now if they can only figure out how to use the darn things. More than half of HDTV owners lack the knowledge or gear to actually watch digital high-definition on their new sets, recent surveys show.

Others are dismayed by the sometimes-poor picture quality of analog shows on sleek digital screens.

Given the dent in their wallets from shelling out $2,000 or more for a TV, it can lead to "buyer's remorse," says Mike Vitelli, senior vice president of consumer electronics at Best Buy. HDTV returns are "notably higher" than for analog sets, he says.

The good news: HDTV should take off its training wheels in 2006. Cable companies and retailers plan to ramp up consumer education and fix the analog picture problem.

HDTV sets with crisper pictures and clearer sound are estimated to be in 16 million, or 15%, of U.S. homes, up from 7% a year ago, Leichtman Research Group says. Another 2.5 million or so households have digital sets that are not HD, but still are sharper than analog sets.

Meanwhile, leading cable channels and most TV network affiliates offer at least their prime-time lineups in HD.

But up to 56% of HD-equipped homes haven't obtained extra gear needed to watch in HD: a special set-top box from their cable or satellite service, a cable card or an over-the-air digital tuner, surveys by Leichtman and gear maker Scientific-Atlanta say.

Why? About 28% say the picture already is better on an HD set; 23% think the logo labeling broadcasts "available in HD" means they're watching HD. "It's like buying a sports car and never driving more than 50 miles an hour," Leichtman President Bruce Leichtman says.

The cost of extra HD gear can range from $5 a month for a set-top box to $200 for a new satellite dish.

Experts say stores and cable companies need to better inform buyers. "(Retailers) just want to make a quick sale," Parks Associates analyst Deepa Iyer says.

Circuit City CEO Alan McCollough disagrees. "It's important for us that you have a great experience when you get home," he says. He concedes some sales representatives make mistakes.

McCollough and Vitelli say proposed legislation to end analog broadcasts on Feb. 17, 2009, will help them more emphatically steer customers to digital TVs.

Time Warner Cable is among services planning TV and print ads next year to tell subscribers how to get HD, spokesman Keith Cocozza says.

It's also among those working to fix poor analog display on HDTVs. Much of cable and local broadcasting still is transmitted in analog only. Stretching that picture onto a digital screen often blurs it, TeleChoice analyst Pat Hurley says.

"The HD picture is wonderful, but the analog channels look much worse than on your regular TV," says HDTV owner Jerry Schoenburg, 60, of Moorpark, Calif.

To fix that, many Comcast and Time Warner systems now transmit digital versions of analog channels, and all will by the end of 2006, the companies say.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2005-12-29-hdtv-confusion_x.htm

fredfa

12-30-05, 02:36 PM

Dick Clark “won’t be 100 per cent”

By Michael Starr The New York Post

Ryan Seacrest says his "New Years' Rockin' Eve" co-host Dick Clark won't be in a wheelchair Saturday night.

It will be the first time America sees Clark, 76, since he suffered a stroke last December.

"I'm not a doctor and I'm not his wife so I don't see him on a daily basis, but he will not be in a wheelchair on the telecast," Seacrest told AP Radio.

Clark missed last year's "New Year's Rockin' Eve" show after the stroke — which was described at the time as "minor" — and was replaced by Regis Philbin (who's hosting Fox's New Year's Eve telecast).

But the "American Bandstand" legend vowed to return to Time's Square for this year's telecast and will, indeed, be here with Seacrest tomorrow night.

ABC's "New Year's Rockin' Eve" kicks off at 10 p.m. tomorrow and then breaks from 11 p.m. to 11:30 for local news.

Clark is scheduled to appear on-camera around 11:35 p.m. and will be seen through the telecast, which runs until 1:05 a.m., said an ABC spokeswoman.

Clark arrived in New York yesterday, according to his spokesman.

Seacrest, who's in line to inherit the hosting job from Clark, also said that Clark "has gotten better and better each day. I don't think he is a hundred percent but I think he's better than he was last week . . . "

Since the stroke, Clark hasn't been seen in public, save for one photograph published in yesterday's Post. In the photo, he was using a walker and his normally black hair was grey.

But Seacrest says it's still the same old Clark — including his familiar voice.

"It's not exactly as it probably sounded when he was his healthiest and before the stroke, but it definitely sounds like Dick," he said of Clark's voice.

http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/pfriendly_new.php

fredfa

12-30-05, 02:41 PM

This is good to see as I've enjoyed many of the TNT HD shows they have. Fred have you heard anything on their show Wanted? Was that picked up or now that they showed the remaining new episodes as of last week Monday is the show done?

I also wonder have you seen any good TV grids that show all the upcoming new shows? The Futon Critic just redid the site and I don't like how they no longer show a complete grid to print out.

There are still a few unaired original episoldes of "Wanted" being run by TNT.

It has been picked up for a new season starting this summer.

I don't have grids posted but I do have the complete network schedules for January posted in the second item of this thread.

(If I could simply figure out how to post an Excel spreadsheet, I'd post a grid. But since you have followed this thread a while, you already know that I am, to put it charitably, very computer-challenged.)

I used to be a big futoncritic fan, but they seem to have reverted to simply posting press releases (and taking long holidays off) so I don't find them anywhere near as dependable as I would like.

I think zap2it is far more reliable these days. Though I don't know if they have any grids.

fredfa

12-30-05, 03:29 PM

Best of 2005
The best and worst of 2005: Television

By Scott D. Pierce Salt Lake City Deseret Morning News

Ah, television. All you need is a remote control and you can bounce from channel to channel, getting a disjointed view of the world as you immerse yourself in laughs, tears, reality, fantasy, astonishing beauty and horrendous garbage.

And 2005 had plenty of every category.

Here follows a disjointed, non-comprehensive view of some of the best of the worst of the year in television:

Best cop show: "The Shield"

Best TV teen: Veronica Mars

Best sci fi show: "Battlestar Galactica"

Best late-night show: "Late Show with David Letterman." (Honorable mention: "The Daily Show")

Best sitcom nobody watches: "Arrested Development." Darn.

Most underrated sitcom: "Two and a Half Men"

Dumbest controversy: Allegations of vote-fixing on "Dancing With the Stars."

Best farewell (drama): "Six Feet Under" which not only wrapped up its storylines but let us see decades into the future.

Best farewell (comedy): "Everybody Loves Raymond" signed off with an episode that was just a good, half-hour episode.

Biggest TV news news: CBS anchorman Dan Rather rather suddenly, ahem, retired. And ABC's Peter Jennings passed away, succeeded by Elizabeth Vargas and Bob Woodruff.

Dumbest TV news news: The report on how Rather & Co. screwed up their "60 Minutes" report on George W. Bush's military service.

Best TV news images: When The Powers That Be told us that recovery efforts were going great in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, our own eyes told us differently.

Worst TV news moments: Excessive, exploitative coverage of Natalee Holloway's disappearance in Aruba. Leading the charge into the slime were the Fox News Channel's Greta Van Susteren, MSNBC's Rita Cosby and CNN's Nancy Grace.

Worst investigation: Fox's look into the "American Idol" judging scandal — determining that, even though Paula Abdul slept with a contestant, it didn't matter.

Least credible reality/competition show: "American Idol"

Most annoying reality show: MTV'S "Laguna Beach" — and it's quite an accomplishment to beat out Paris Hilton and Britney Spears.

Weirdest movie-star moment (tie): Tom Cruise jumping on Oprah's couch; Tom Cruise arguing with Matt Lauer.

Most surprisingly good new sitcom: "My Name is Earl"

Most annoying cancellation: "Reunion" wasn't the greatest show on TV, but Fox took us 13 episodes into a seasonlong murder mystery and then murdered the show without a resolution.

Second-most annoying cancellation: We were left hanging about our friends on "American Dreams" when NBC axed that show, although part of the blame goes to the show's executive producer, who (despite clear evidence his show was doomed) left us cliffhanging.

Third-most annoying cancellation: The WB didn't stick with "Jack & Bobby" despite the fact that it was one of TV's best shows.

Weirdest TV news moment: Passengers on board a JetBlue airliner with faulty landing gear watching their own drama on the plane's TV sets.

Dumbest financial move: Dave Chappelle suddenly disappearing from his Comedy Central show and ditching his $50 million contract.

Dumbest politicking: The head of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (which is designed to shield PBS from political pressure) exerting political pressure and misusing funds to make PBS less "liberal." Turns out he committed a crime in doing so.

Biggest ex-con miscalculation: Thinking that America wanted to see Martha Stewart make like Donald Trump on "The Apprentice." (Although Martha's daytime show is doing OK.)

Most desperate housewife (tie): Bree, Susan, Gabrielle, Lynette and Edie

Best medical show: "Grey's Anatomy"

Most overrated medical show: "House"

Best reality show: "The Amazing Race" (the misguided "Family Edition" notwithstanding)

Reality contestants you most love to hate: "Amazing Racers" the Weaver family

Weirdest wave of the future: Paying to download shows you can watch for free so you can watch them on teeny-tiny screens on your iPod.

Best TV comeback: "The West Wing," which once