View Full Version : Hot Off The Press! The Latest Television News and Info
The 2006-2007 Season
Affiliates Assess Fall Fare
Thursdays, evening news up for grabs; football gets passed around
By Allison Romano Broadcasting & Cable 5/29/2006
With the networks' major changes for the fall made public—Grey's Anatomy moving to Thursdays, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip to Mondays—local affiliates are plotting out ways to capitalize on freshman programs and new lineups.
Most affiliate groups are banking on significant changes come September. NBC stations are hoping for a revival, while ABC outlets, despite enjoying a recent resurgence, continue to look for growth in the 10 p.m. slot. After months of anticipation, CW affiliates finally know their lineup. Only CBS and Fox outlets, meanwhile, can expect anything resembling consistency.
Here are four fall moves sure to impact local ratings races:
Thursday-night tussle
For years, NBC and CBS battled for TV's most lucrative night. Now ABC stations are in the game. With Grey's relocating and promising drama Six Degrees as its lead-out, ABC general managers have visions of automotive and retail dollars.
But the move is bittersweet: On Sunday nights, the monster duo of Desperate Housewives and Grey's made many ABC affiliates top-rated in that night's late news and provided a huge promotional platform for the week.
“We're going to miss that,” says David Boylan, general manager for WPLG Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, “but we understand Grey's needs to be used to pollinate a new 10 p.m. show.”
CBS stations will see a change, too, when James Woods drama Shark takes the 10 p.m. spot on Thursdays. Survivor and CSI stay put.
Against such competition, NBC will move the much anticipated Aaron Sorkin program Studio 60 from its Thursday slot to Mondays.
NFL's New Player
After a nine-year drought, the NFL returns to NBC with Sunday Night Football. Games start at 8:15 p.m. ET, which should keep late local news running close to on time. And huge audiences mean ripe opportunity to plug news.
ABC affiliates are ambivalent about Monday Night Football's moving to ESPN. Despite huge ratings, those games often delayed late news, hampering ABC stations for 16 weeks and, most important, during November sweeps.
While it won't mean MNF-size ratings, the network is adding Saturday-night college games.
“It still allows us a prime time platform to reach men,” says Joel Vilmenay, general manager of KETV Omaha, Neb.
UPN + WB = Successful Network?
The CW is playing it safe scheduling the best-of The WB and UPN and only one new drama and comedy. That will allow stations to focus on marketing their new identity, rather than introducing new shows. And a well-known lineup helps hook advertisers, too.
“Buyers say we need two to four books to see trends with new programs,” says Steve Shanks, general manager for WIWB Green Bay, Wis., “but we have shows with proven track records.”
Moving Everybody Hates Chris to 7 p.m. Sundays is getting mixed reviews. “There is some merit in kicking off the night with a good, solid show,” says WTVK Ft. Myers, Fla., General Manager Bill Scaffide, although several execs predict Chris will be moved to 8 p.m.
New Faces at Evening News
For the first time in almost two years, ABC, NBC and CBS will have permanent evening-news anchors. The newscasts are still big draws and provide a critical bridge between stations' own evening news and syndicated blocks.
NBC stations should feel secure with Brian Williams in first place, but second is up for grabs. CBS stations are eager to see Katie Couric's performance. ABC named Charlie Gibson as its new solo anchor last week. He starts this week; Couric doesn't take her seat until September. After that, the sampling begins.
Says WPLG's Boylan, “CBS has done a good job getting some buzz behind a daypart with very little buzz.”
TV Notebook
Good Night, Sweet Syd
By Nathan Alderman teevee.org
You’ve got to really think back to recall it, but once upon a time, Alias was the most preposterously thrilling show on television. Sprinting onto screens in the soul-rattling aftermath of the September 11 attacks, J.J. Abrams’ superspy adventure — pitch-style premise: Felicity in the CIA — yanked viewers headfirst into a thrilling world of chases, fights, doublecrosses, and narrow escapes. It was desperately needed escapism, and by God, it worked.
Alias was young, it was hungry, and it had something to prove. As apple-cheeked badass Sydney Bristow, Jennifer Garner did many of her own stunts, and the sheer energy, sincerity, and hustle she brought to the role shone through onscreen. Abrams, then best-known for a cult-hit melodrama nearly derailed by one disastrous haircut, staged inventive action sequences that wrung every last dime from the show’s budget, and somehow never let the show collapse under the weight of its increasingly improbable premise. Best of all, nearly every episode ended with a breathtaking cliffhanger, doled out with a regularity and a malicious glee that even Joss Whedon would envy.
The Alias that lurched a close last Monday was scarcely recognizable from its initial self. The cliffhangers and action scenes were mostly gone, trimmed away along with a hefty chunk of the show’s budget in a previous cancellation-averting compromise. The scenes of Sydney’s ordinary life with her ordinary friends, so essential to the show’s original premise (without them, Felicity in the CIA just becomes, um, The CIA) had dried up and blown away years before. (At least when they left, they took away the Felicity-style sappy Lilith Fair soundtrack with them.) Garner, post-baby, -Elektra, and -Affleck, looked visibly bored and tired, while a long-gone Abrams had already begun and abandoned another series for the cold embrace of Hollywood. Alias had shifted from a show where things happened to a series in which people stood in various small rooms and talked to one another.
So it’s impressive that the show seemed to regain at least a flicker of its former glory in its final two hours. It didn’t get everything right, but at this point even doing things half-right was the equivalent of giving the show a good Viking funeral.
As Agent Tom Grace, Balthazar Getty — hey, Bathazar, when is “Feast” coming out? — has been a cypher all season long, a mumbly pseudo-Vaughn sustained largely by sporadic flashes of charisma and whatever clever lines the writers deigned to toss him. Yet I got seriously choked up by his final quiet moments, talking to Sydney-in-training Rachel (a rapidly improving Rachel Nichols) while waiting out the timer on a bomb he could neither defuse nor escape. The sweetly relieved smile on Tom’s face when he heard Rachel say she would have gone out with him did more to develop his character than the entire preceding season had.
Rachel herself didn’t fare too badly — bonus points for a truly excellent use of an underwire — though I wish she’d had more of a showdown with her deliciously nasty rival, Kelly Peyton (the wondrous Amy Acker). After a season full of superlative villainy, it was a bit anticlimactic to see Acker reduced to a whimpering coward by a single serpent. At least they both came out better than poor Carl Lumbly as Dixon. He was, well, there, as he’d been since the writers completely stopped trying to find anything to do with him. Except this time, he was there in dreadlocks, which was a bad idea for all concerned.
Ubergeek Marshall Flinkman (Kevin Weisman), one of only two characters on the show who never jumped the shark, got some of his best moments in the entire series. TeeVee readers may already know that I love me some Flinkman, but he never seemed braver, more mature, or less twitchy than he did in his final staredown with the evil Arvin Sloane.
And then, of course, there was Jack Bristow. The One True Jack. The Jack Before Whom All Others Must Bow. Victor Garber never stopped being a consummate badass from the moment the series began, and one of the only bright spots in Alias’ later seasons was Garber and the writers’ increasing willingness to have fun with Jack’s gift for flinty, humorless mayhem. Though I initially rooted for Jack to come out of the episode alive — the man is simply too mean to die — the fantastic, entirely-in-character end he met was too good not to cheer for. Oh, sure, 24’s Jack Bauer is a handy man with a set of alligator clips and a car battery, but would he take three shots to the chest, haul himself upright, secure a bandolier of high explosives, give an offer of guaranteed life everlasting the finger, and blow himself right the hell up just to screw over the man who done his little girl wrong? I think not. Jack Bristow, rest in peace. You’ve got a posse.
Even Ron Rifkin’s Arvin Sloane, who’d been a curiously sympathetic and shaded villain since the series began, met what I considered a fitting end. I’ve seen other fans complain about Sloane’s seemingly inconsistent characterization as he yo-yo’d from bad to good and back again, but I somehow bought the gray areas Rifkin operated in. Bringing back his freshly killed daughter Nadia (perpetually hot Mia Maestro) as the ghostly representative of his conscience could have been cheesy, but I liked it nonetheless.
And hey, as a cherry on top, they brought back slippery, sleepy-eyed Sark (David Anders). Sark is always, always awesome. Sark has been awesome since his very first scene in season one. Sark needs his own spinoff series.
So what did Alias’ finale get wrong? Well, it would have been nice for Garner to at least try to come back to life onscreen, or demonstrate any kind of chemistry with Michael Vartan as the back-from-the-dead Michael Vaughn. The former offscreen couple still seemed to have some kind of spark in this season’s first episode, and again when Vartan resurfaced in a clever midseason episode, but that rapport seemed well and truly snuffed by the time Vartan returned a few episodes back.
And most egregiously, the Alias finale did Spy Mommy a serious disservice. In the second season, Lena Olin’s Irina Derevko was a sinuous marvel, never entirely good or evil, but always clearly devoted to her daughter. The series’ dismal third season might have fared better if Olin hadn’t pitched a salary hissyfit and refused to come back. (Yeah, “Hollywood Homicide” was a really smart career alternative, wasn’t it?) Her return at the end of the fourth season helped greatly improve that entire year, and it seemed like she was firmly encamped on the side of the angels. But… uh… no. The writers, desperately casting about for a series-capping archvillain, seized on Irina, shearing off all of the character’s delightful ambiguity in the process. Goodbye, established character development! Hello, unsatisfying end cribbed directly from “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade!”
TV won’t be quite the same without Alias. I’ll miss the thrills, the wigs, the head-kicks, and the persistent, effervescent sense of fun. Then again, I’ve been missing them for years, and the series has soldiered on nonetheless. It’s a mercy that Alias is dead, really — especially since it went out on a relatively high note. The miracle’s not that it stayed alive as long as it did after losing its spark, but that it stayed as good as it was for as long as it did.
Sayonara, Sydney. Kick a few heads for me on your way out.
http://www.teevee.org/
The 2006-2007 Season
Serialized dramas are the hot concept among TV networks this fall
By Gail Pennington St. Louis Post-]Dispatch Television Critic Sunday, May. 28 2006
Get some rest this summer. Next fall, you'll have to work even harder to keep
up with network TV.
Serialized dramas are all the rage in the new season, with programmers
apparently mistaking us for people with too much time on our hands. Blame Fox's
"24" and "Prison Break," HBO's "The Sopranos" and ABC's "Lost," the most-copied
show since "Friends."
Last fall, competitors who tried to clone "Lost" mistook it for a
science-fiction series. Thus we got NBC's "Surface," CBS' "Threshold" and ABC's
own "Invasion."
All failed and, for fall, the great minds of television have decided that
"Lost" is actually a thriller that roped in viewers with its mysteries and
cliffhangers.
Until recently, the broadcast networks tried to avoid serialized dramas because
- in a 200-channel TV universe - they don't repeat well, and repeats are needed
to avoid busting the budget. It's still true that viewers with a multitude of
choices aren't drawn to network repeats of serials such as "Lost" or "ER," and
both those shows have gone so far as to promise repeat-free seasons.
But serialized shows, in which fans want to see every episode, are particularly
popular on DVD, a booming business for television, pegged at $2.6 billion in
2005. Fans of a thriller such as "24" line up to rent or, better still, buy the
DVD boxed set as soon as it comes out, and episodes of "Lost" are among the top
sellers on the download site iTunes.
That's good enough for the networks, so look for serialized thrillers including:
• "The Nine," on ABC, about bank-robbery hostages (including Chi McBride, Tim
Daly, Kim Raver and Scott Wolf) who bond in captivity.
• "Smith," on CBS, in which criminals led by Ray Liotta plot a big heist while
tracked by FBI agents.
• "Vanished," on Fox, about the search for a senator's kidnapped wife, and
"Kidnapped," on NBC, about a businessman's abducted son.
Serialized dramas, both those loaded with action and soapier ones driven by
characters, are among the most satisfying fare on television. That's the good
news. The bad is that a serial canceled prematurely can leave fans - such as
those still mourning Fox's "Reunion" - frustrated and angry, and so less likely
to invest time in a new serial.
What's more, viewers already have plenty of prime-time plots to keep up with,
from "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy" on ABC to "The O.C." on Fox to
"Gilmore Girls," "One Tree Hill" and "Veronica Mars" on the CW. And that's not
even counting cable. Digital video recorders, which keep recorded episodes in
order and serve them back up on a menu, help a lot - but hard drives are only
so big, and a week is only so long.
Prediction: Only one new serialized drama, at most, will succeed.
The five broadcast networks (down from six, thanks to the merger of UPN and the
WB into the CW) announced their fall schedules during the week of May 15,
unveiling their new shows for advertisers with great hoopla. Here's a
network-by-network look at fall, with sight-unseen evaluations of some of the
new fare.
N B C
No longer the must-see network, NBC began tinkering with its fall schedule
almost as soon as it was announced. The network had pinned its hopes for
rebuilding Thursday night on the new Aaron Sorkin drama "Studio 60 on the
Sunset Strip." Then ABC coldly moved "Grey's Anatomy" into the same 8 p.m.
Thursday slot, already home to TV's top-rated drama, "CSI."
On Thursday, NBC blinked, rearranging five of the seven nights of its fall
lineup. The changes included shifting "Studio 60" to 9 p.m. Monday and bumping
"Medium" to midseason. The problematic 8 p.m. Thursday slot now will be filled
by "Deal or No Deal."
"Crossing Jordan," originally set for midseason, now leads off Friday, with the
original "Law & Order" leaving Wednesday for the 9 p.m. Friday slot.
In addition to "Studio 60," set backstage at a late-night comedy show, NBC also
has Tina Fey's "30 Rock," a sitcom with the same setting. The two series may
sound similar, but they also sound potentially terrific. Together, they're
drawing a lot of the early buzz for fall.
NBC enters the realm of the supernatural with "Heroes," in which ordinary
people across the world learn that they have extraordinary powers. The premise
is fascinating but difficult to grasp, and "Heroes" could be a phenomenon or a
fast flop.
"Friday Night Lights," with Kyle Chandler as a high school football coach, is
like nothing else on the networks and plays to NBC's acquisition of "Sunday
Night Football."
A B C
The worst-to-first network has the most adventurous and interesting new shows
for fall. They include dramas with plenty of quirks and humor: "Brothers &
Sisters," with Calista Flockhart and Rachel Griffiths as sisters; "Men in
Trees," from "Sex and the City" writer Jenny Bicks and starring Anne Heche as a
relationship expert who moves to Alaska; and "Six Degrees," from J.J. Abrams
and Bryan Burk ("Lost"), about "five people with intertwined destinies."
ABC plays with time for fall. In "Daybreak," murder suspect Taye Diggs will
live the fateful day over and over. The sitcom "Big Day" will take place on a
single day: Maria Sokoloff's wedding day.
In addition, ABC has the high-concept comedy "Let's Rob...," about crooks
planning to rob Mick Jagger, and "Betty the Ugly," a one-hour comedy adapted
from Spanish-language telenovela about a plain Jane who goes to work for a
fashion magazine.
ABC left "Primetime" off the schedule, and the venerable news magazine will air
only as specials. In fact, news magazines as a whole are out, earning just
three hours on the five networks' fall schedules.
C B S
The last network to drop its Sunday night movie, CBS finally gave the franchise
the ax, with movies, including "Hallmark Hall of Fame," to air only as
specials. Instead, "Without a Trace" moves to Sunday.
With lots of successful shows, including the "CSI" franchise, CBS had few needs
for fall, ordering just one comedy ("The Class," from "Friends" co-creator
David Crane) and three dramas.
The network is most excited about "Shark," with James Woods as a colorful
lawyer, but potentially the most interesting is "Jericho," starring Skeet
Ulrich and Gerald McRaney, about chaos in a small Kansas town cut off by a
nuclear disaster.
Fox
With a season's success built on "American Idol," Fox goes into fall with just
five new series, two comedies and three dramas. But viewers will find something
new on four nights of the week.
"Vanished" is paired with "Prison Break" on Monday; "Standoff," about FBI
crisis negotiators (Ron Livingston and Rosemarie DeWitt) who are ex-spouses,
leads into "House" on Tuesday.
The new Wednesday companion to "Bones" is "Justice," a legal drama from Jerry
Bruckheimer. Two new comedies, including a starring vehicle for Brad Garrett
(Robert on "Everybody Loves Raymond"), lead into "The O.C." on Thursday.
None of the premises for the new Fox shows is particularly exciting, so the
execution will be everything. And speaking of execution: The second season of
"Prison Break" follows the escapees as they flee and scatter.
CW
The new network, created from UPN and the WB, had far more shows than could fit
into its 10-hour weekly schedule, not counting repeats or "Smackdown." As a
result, the lineup looks strong, with "Gilmore Girls" paired nicely with
"Veronica Mars," and "7th Heaven" - resurrected from the dead - getting a new
companion in the potentially interesting "Runaway," from "Sex and the City"
creator Darren Star, in which an innocent man takes his family on the run after
being convicted of murder.
The only new CW comedy is "The Game," a spin-off of "Girlfriends" that makes up
a Sunday night block of "urban comedies," TV-speak for shows with primarily
African-American casts. The demise of many former UPN shows, plus Fox's
cancellation of "Bernie Mac," leaves a real dearth of black characters in prime
time.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/emaf.nsf/Popup?ReadForm&db=stltoday%5Centertainment%5Ccolumnists.nsf&docid=62FA889A2CC0A7368625717A003201B6
TV Notebook
Gary Sinise, a Trouper for the Troops
By Kathy Blumenstock Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, May 28, 2006
He stars in a weekly prime-time crime drama, has directed on Broadway and has appeared in major theatrical films. But it's Gary Sinise's signature role in "Forrest Gump" that sparks recognition wherever he goes.
"A lot of people see my face and don't know my name, but they all know Lieutenant Dan," Sinise said, referring to his role as an embittered Vietnam veteran in the 1994 movie.
Sinise, the new co-host of PBS's National Memorial Day Concert on the Mall, (Monday, PBS, check your local listings) even adopted the character's name for the group of musicians he jams with.
"I had been going on USO tours and I asked if it might be a good idea to take a band with me sometime, and that's how the Lieutenant Dan Band got started," he said.
The band of 12 musicians plays country, rock and blues covers, both contemporary and classic. "We jump around a lot, keep the audience going," Sinise said.
Last year, fresh from a tour overseas, the band arrived in Washington in time to play at the Memorial Day concert. "I think that not enough people really think about Memorial Day, but they need to realize it's there for a reason," Sinise said.
This year, Sinise and co-host Joe Mantegna will be joined by Lee Ann Womack, Colin Powell, Dianne Wiest, Big & Rich, Charles Durning, Frederica von Stade, Daniel Rodriguez, and Erich Kunzel and the National Symphony Orchestra.
The concert will salute pilots who flew during World War II as the Air Force prepares to mark its 60th anniversary next year. Durning, a World War II veteran, will tell the story of Corbin Willis Jr., who flew nearly 80 missions in World War II and Korea and was held in a Berlin prison camp. The concert also salute members of the National Guard and their families at home.
Although he has long been active behind the scenes with disabled veterans' and Vietnam veterans' issues, Sinise said his involvement with the military increased after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He fits his travels around the shooting schedule for "CSI: NY," visiting stateside military bases during the show's run and touring overseas during its hiatus.
"I basically tell the USO my availability and say, 'Where do you need me to go?' I've been to Singapore, Korea, the Netherlands," Sinise said. "Those aren't war zones, but we still have people there. If I can pat someone on the back, sign some autographs, that means a whole lot to an average American who's volunteered to serve his country and whose family is back home, trying to figure out how to pay the bills while they worry about their loved one who's away."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/23/AR2006052300984_pf.html
The 2006-2007 Season
Serialized dramas are the hot concept among TV networks this fall
In other words, be careful about getting too invested in these serialized shows as they may be dumped before anything resembling answers are provided by the writers, how many tanked this season, 5, 6, 7, more..? It's makes me pretty wary about following any of these types of shows in the future.
The 2006-2007 Season
Fall TV sneak preview
By Kevin D. Thompson Palm Beach Post Television Writer Sunday, May 28, 2006
The mercury may be rising, but fall is in the air.
Fall TV, that is.
I know ... summer isn't even here yet. You're probably thinking it's way too early to be writing about new and returning fall shows. Well, it's not. The networks recently rolled out their new lineups to deep-pocketed advertisers in the traditional dog-and-pony show simply known as "The Upfronts."
Now it's time for me to upfront with the 15 things I'm looking forward to this fall.
1. 'Grey's Anatomy' moves to Thursdays: The soapy medical drama is one of ABC's most popular and buzzed-about shows. So, what does the network do? Throw Dr. McDreamy up against those crime-solving fools on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, the universe's top-rated drama. Go figure. It's all about the money, people. The mano-a-mano battle should be one of the season's most hotly contested — and watched.
2. James Woods' scary intensity: I'm sorry, but Woods looks nuts. But that's a good thing. Looking crazy is what makes Woods such a top-shelf character actor I can watch over and over. If anyone was born to play a sleazy attorney who decides to become a sleazy prosecutor in CBS' drama, Shark, it's the nutty-looking Woods. Should be fun.
3. Brad Garrett stars in his own sitcom: We all know the hulking funnyman can play second banana to perfection as evidenced by Garrett's brilliant stint as Ray Barone's dopey cop-brother on Everybody Loves Raymond. Now we'll find out if the Emmy-winning actor can carry his own show in 'Til Death, a Fox comedy in which Garrett costars with Joely Fisher as part of an old married couple living next door to horny newlyweds. Hmmm . . . kinda sounds like Garrett is playing a character the crotchety Frank Barone could relate to.
4. Is Calista Flockhart eating? We'll find out soon enough. The last time we saw the former Ally McBeal on TV, she was a well dressed No. 2 pencil who looked as if a light breeze could blow her all the way to Mars. Here's hoping Calista has downed a few cheeseburgers for her new role as a radio-talk-show host with some family problems in the ABC drama Brothers & Sisters. Big question: Will Harrison Ford guest star?
5. Will the 'Friends' curse continue? The Comeback, Lisa Kudrow's awful HBO show, bombed and was quickly canceled after one season. Jennifer Aniston has yet to prove she's a movie star. Matt LeBlanc's Joey crashed and burned. Now it's Matthew Perry's turn to confront The Curse in Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, an NBC drama about the behind-the-scenes doings on a Saturday Night Live-like sketch show. At least Perry's in good hands. Studio 60's creator is Aaron Sorkin. You know Sorkin, though. Burnout is always one script away.
6. 'Alias' Spy Daddy is back!: OK, so Victor Garber isn't playing silky smooth, nattily dressed killer agent Jack Bristow anymore. So what? I'm just tickled Garber's in another series so soon after Alias signed off. In Fox's Justice —- the 475th Jerry Bruckheimer TV production — Garber is one of four dream-team attorneys who take on high-profile and controversial cases. Those clients had better be straight with Garber's Ron Turk. We all know Spy Daddy can cut ya — and you won't even know you're bleeding.
7. Tina Fey does more than read the fake news: 30 Rock, Fey's new NBC comedy in which she plays the head writer of a late-night variety show (wonder where they got that idea from?), is getting all sorts of good buzz. That's no surprise. Fey has always been a hoot on SNL's "Weekend Update." She deserves more than five minutes of screen time. Now let's hope viewers won't confuse 30 Rock with the similarly themed Studio 60.
8. 'Kidnapped' may steal viewers: NBC's new drama could have 24 potential. I said could. A rich kid is snatched and everyone becomes a suspect. I like that premise already. The show promises to focus on the cat-and-mouse game between the kidnappers, law enforcement, the FBI and the "seemingly" perfect family we all know won't turn out to be so perfect. Timothy Hutton and China Beach's Dana Delaney play the parents who may or may not know more than they're letting on.
9. Meredith Viera joins 'Today': Unlike it's-all-about-me Katie, Viera will actually listen to the people she interviews. And the move should give nice guy Matt Lauer a chance to shine and step out of Katie's sizable shadow.
10. No more Applewhites on 'Desperate Housewives': The plot that had the loopy Betty Applewhite (Alfre Woodard) locking her mentally disturbed son in the basement was just plain dumb. And uninteresting. Too bad the writers wasted such a talent in Woodard. Sad to say, she won't be missed next season.
11. I want to learn more about 'Brian': I'm talking about that forever single Brian dude (7th Heaven's Barry Watson) on ABC's instantly likable drama, What About Brian. Low ratings could've sunk this show. But wisely ABC decided to nurture it for a second season. Watch it, people. It's not a by-the-numbers cop show. It's not a generic law show. It's not a routine medical drama. It's not a silly sitcom. It's not a dumb reality show. Brian is a well-written, achingly realistic drama with three-dimensional characters you want to spend time with.
12. 'Veronica Mars' returns: Cheers to The CW — the new hybrid network thingie resulting from The WB-UPN merger — for picking up this little-watched, but thoroughly entertaining detective series for a third season. Clearly the low-rated Mars has friends in high programming places. Either that or the male suits at The CW just like watching the fetching Kristen Bell.
13. Taye Diggs gets another series shot: I still haven't forgiven the now dead UPN for canceling Kevin Hill after only one season. But the hunky bald Diggs is back in Day Break, a midseason, 24-inspired series in which he plays a detective wrongly accused of killing an assistant D.A. The gimmick? Diggs' detective character lives the same day over and over like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. At least he has plenty of time to prove he was framed.
14. Jeffrey Tambor and John Lithgow should make a good comedic pair: Tambor was a scream on Arrested Development and The Larry Sanders Show. Lithgow was over-the-top hilarious all those years as a crazy alien on 3rd Rock from the Sun. As odd couple buddies on the NBC comedy 20 Good Years, Tambor and Lithgow should make us laugh all over again.
15. No more Marissa on 'The O.C.': The annoying rich chick died in a car crash on the show's season finale. Boo-hoo! Mischa Barton, who played Marissa, said she's happy her character was killed. Not as happy as viewers, I'm sure. Barton's one-note acting was always stiffer than a redwood.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/tv/content/entertainment/arts_entertainment/epaper/2006/05/28/a1j_FEATV_FALLTV_0528.html
In other words, be careful about getting too invested in these serialized shows as they may be dumped before anything resembling answers are provided by the writers, how many tanked this season, 5, 6, 7, more..? It's makes me pretty wary about following any of these types of shows in the future.
Bullseye!
Suggestion: TiVo them for the first few weeks to see how the ratings are holding up....
RussTC3
05-27-06, 09:36 PM
11. I want to learn more about 'Brian': I'm talking about that forever single Brian dude (7th Heaven's Barry Watson) on ABC's instantly likable drama, What About Brian. Low ratings could've sunk this show. But wisely ABC decided to nurture it for a second season. Watch it, people. It's not a by-the-numbers cop show. It's not a generic law show. It's not a routine medical drama. It's not a silly sitcom. It's not a dumb reality show. Brian is a well-written, achingly realistic drama with three-dimensional characters you want to spend time with.
It's great to see a few critics have actually seen this show. Hopefully some good word of mouth will help the show. I also hope ABC decides to release the shortened 1st season on DVD, sort of like what they did with Grey's Anatomy.
I like What About Brian as well, I'm a little ticked that ABC dropped Invasion and kept Brian but I imagine cost of production may have played into the decision as Brian looks like it's very cheap to make, especially when compared to Invasion.
DoubleDAZ
05-27-06, 11:36 PM
I liked Invasion and would have kept watching it, but IMHO it lacked a compelling plot each week, espeically for it's later timeslot. It just seemed like there were a lot of episodes where nothing of any real significance happened. That is okay for a soap opera, but I kind of expected more sub-plots each week to give one the feeling that something had actually happened. It also seemed like there was a lack of suspense, something else I was expecting more of.
Actually, I TiVo'd What About Brian and after the disastrous ratings of the first few weeks, I deleted the shows before ever seeing any.
That shows what I know.
I am looking forward to either seeing the shows in repeats this summer, or perhaps getting a DVD.
RussTC3
05-28-06, 01:26 AM
Actually, I TiVo'd What About Brian and after the disastrous ratings of the first few weeks, I deleted the shows before ever seeing any.
That shows what I know.
I am looking forward to either seeing the shows in repeats this summer, or perhaps getting a DVD.
With so many shows introduced each new season, who could blame you?
It's difficult to get attached to a show and then all of a sudden it gets cancelled and you feel like you've wasted your time watching a show that will never get completed.
I think this is what happened with Brian. Or perhaps many critics only snuck a peak at the first 1 or 2 episodes, figured it was toast so they didn't figure it was worth their time watching what would become a failed show.
Personally, I think the 5 episodes are wonderful, and they are still on my DVR. I'm actually watching them over again.
And about Invasion. It most definitely must be because of cost. Isn't that one of the reasons The CW passed on picking it up (way too expensive to produce)?
I liked Invasion and would have kept watching it, but IMHO it lacked a compelling plot each week, espeically for it's later timeslot. It just seemed like there were a lot of episodes where nothing of any real significance happened. That is okay for a soap opera, but I kind of expected more sub-plots each week to give one the feeling that something had actually happened. It also seemed like there was a lack of suspense, something else I was expecting more of.
Invasion was very serialized in nature and one of the things that contributed to it's downfall was that it took a little too long for the average viewer to stay attentive to it. Once it got going about about 7-9 eps in, it moved along very quickly, but by then, the ratings had already tanked. Invasion had a lot of symbolism and topical relevance going for it much like Battlestar Galactica but high concept and serialism is a tough nut to crack in today's instant gratification-wanting TV audiences.
That's why it's hard to imagine the fall season is coming with more serialized type dramas, like Fred said, this time I'll TiVo them and if it looks like they have a chance I'll watch them, but I'm not going to invest the time I did this season in these types of shows, just to be disappointed when they get cancelled.
...I think this is what happened with Brian. Or perhaps many critics only snuck a peak at the first 1 or 2 episodes, figured it was toast so they didn't figure it was worth their time watching what would become a failed show.
Personally, I think the 5 episodes are wonderful, and they are still on my DVR. I'm actually watching them over again....
I think this happens a lot, Russ, and to be fair, who can blame the critics? They have to watch so many shows.
I thought a good example of such reviews was "Related" last season., It started out as a terrible program, but quickly -- at least in my mind -- got some good writing and became a very solid and entertaining program.
Dana Delany's appearances, especially in her Thanksgiving week episode, was one of the best hours of TV I saw all year. But by then almost all critics had written the show off, and the viewers were never encouraged to give it another try.
That is one reason I post many reviews of shows here, so that readers can get some different opinions. It doesn't really matter if we all share the same tastes. There are plenty of quality TV shows available, and hopefully we can all find enough to satisfy us.
The 2006-2007 Season
Networks jockey for top fall spot
Webs shift hit shows to tough timeslots
By Michael Schneider, Josef Adalian Variety.com Sun., May 28, 2006
The pendulum just swung the other way.
After years of preaching stability, several broadcast networks are taking big chances this fall.
To wit: Hit shows are moving into tough timeslots. New sitcoms and dramas are being scheduled back-to-back, as execs cross their fingers that viewers somehow stumble into them. And serialized skeins are back in a big way --even though the genre flatlines when episodes are repeated.
The chiefs at NBC and ABC, in particular, say they had no choice. As the new digital revolution continues to rewrite how viewers get their entertainment, there's no room for complacency.
In the 1970s, programmer Fred Silverman was revered for his "golden gut." These days, webheads are chugging Mylanta to soothe their queasy bellies.
Here's a first network-by-network look at the moves that are calming nerves -- and those that are already triggering dyspepsia:
A B C
Best move: Shifting "Grey's Anatomy" to 9 p.m. Thursdays. In one gutsy stroke, Alphabet execs made the net a player on TV's most financially lucrative night and forced NBC to re-evaluate its strategy. What's more, with CBS shifting "Without a Trace" out of the 10 p.m. Thursday slot, ABC's got a chance to grow a new hit with "Six Degrees."
Riskiest move: Slotting promising laffers "Big Day" and "Notes From the Underbelly" Thursdays from 8 to 9 p.m. Both shows elicited laughs from advertisers at ABC's upfront, and both have a shot to work. But ABC has no history of successful comedies on Thursdays, while rivals NBC and Fox have been programming laffers on the night for years. Still, there's no blockbuster comedy hit on the night, so maybe the Alphabet will be able to break out.
Bottom line: No net is adding shows or shaking up more timeslots. That said, ABC's rookies also have the most buzz coming out of the upfronts. If just one newcomer breaks out, the shuffling will be worth it. Look for ABC to once again be in the hunt for the adults 18-49 crown.
C B S
Best move: Making as few changes as possible. There's nothing sexy about the Eye's fall lineup, but that's a good thing. There aren't any real gaping holes in the CBS sked and, by remaining stable, the net increases its odds of doing well next year. Plus, with NBC and ABC making tons of changes, being the calm anchor in turbulent seas is a good thing.
Riskiest move: Shifting "Without a Trace" to 10 p.m. Sunday, away from its protected Thursday slot. While it was definitely time for the Eye to use "CSI" to grow a new hit, it remains to be seen just how loyal "Trace" viewers are. If they don't follow the show to Sunday, CBS may end up damaging a solid asset and weakening its numbers on Thursdays. If James Woods starrer "Shark" has bite, however, any decline for "Trace" will be worth it.
Bottom line: CBS will once again dominate in total viewers and, thanks to the Super Bowl, it's even got a shot at first in demos.
CW
Best move: Leaving "Smallville" and "Supernatural" together on Thursday nights. Every other net will be tweaking at least an hour of its Thursday lineup, leaving the new CW as the only web with a stable programming block on the night (even if it's from the soon-to-be-dead WB network). If "Superman Returns" is a big hit at the multiplex, that could increase interest in "Smallville," while "Supernatural" is the only spooky show to survive from the frosh class of 2005.
Worst move: Moving signature comedy "Everybody Hates Chris" to 7 p.m. Sundays. Sure, it'll be the only firstrun comedy in the slot during the fall (when Fox airs either football overruns or repeats). But it will be hard for "Chris" to break out into a mainstream hit in a marginalized timeslot surrounded by niche laffers such as "Girlfriends."
Bottom line: The familiar feel of the CW's lineup -- an almost even mash-up of WB and UPN skeins -- could be the ultimate in comfort food for fans of the old netlets. It also could induce giant yawns from folks looking for something exciting from a new player.
Fox
Best move: Keeping its drama darlings in place. Coming off a stellar year, there was no reason for Fox to mess with what's working -- and the net wisely didn't. That means powerhouse "House" sticks with Tuesdays at 9, "Prison Break" remains Monday at 8 and "24" returns once again in January. There's a time to take risks and a time to remain stable -- and Fox execs know it.
Riskiest move: Fox has tried for years to get into the game on Thursday nights -- and next year it will probably be just as difficult, even with broader-appeal laffers. The Brad Garrett comedy "'Til Death" and buddy laffer "Happy Hour" face an uphill battle vs. time period champ "Survivor" and NBC's critically adored half-hours. "'Til Death" and "Happy Hour" also aren't really compatible with "The OC," which continues to perform decently but unspectacularly at 9.
Bottom line: "American Idol." "American Idol." "American Idol." Does it even pay to handicap Fox's fall schedule, when "Idol" will come on in January and blow away the competish anyway?
N B C
Best move: It wasn't a surprise, but landing "Sunday Night Football" helped solve NBC's problems on a night that had become a black eye for the Peacock. Also, by filling four hours of NBC's 22-hour sked, the NFL franchise helped mask the net's holes throughout the week -- and allowed it to hold several vet players ("Crossing Jordan," "Scrubs") back for midseason.
Riskiest move: Originally "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip's" Thursday-at-9 berth, where the show faced certain death against powerhouses "CSI" and "Grey's Anatomy." The Peacock quickly nixed the idea, however - reshuffling a huge chunk of its fall sked in the process. Peacock now takes more of a risk in the 10 p.m. slot where it had traditionally dominated. With new shows on Monday ("Studio 60") and Wednesday ("Kidnapped"), not to mention Thursday come midseason ("The Black Donnelleys") and "Law & Order" moving to Friday, NBC may be ceding more of its local news lead-in.
Bottom line: NBC originally touted a strategy of airing new shows in the 9 p.m. tentpole slot, but scrapped it after watching the competish's sked. Placing safer reality skeins like "Biggest Loser" and "Deal or No Deal" there may help limit the bleeding. But NBC's two new comedies will have to self-start on Wednesday. And once football ends in January, the Peacock may be in for a tougher game.
Critic’s Notebook
Star-spangled salutes light up holiday weekend
By Hal Boedeker Orlando Sentinel Television Critic May 28, 2006
Washington, the man and the city, take center screen this Memorial Day Weekend. The History Channel profiles George Washington as a military figure, and PBS delivers a concert from the nation's capital.
One program sings, the other doesn't. But the nonsinging one should put you in a patriotic mood.
Washington the Warrior deserves praise for treating the father of our country in human terms. This George W. too often recedes so far into legend that we fail to appreciate his accomplishments as a man.
This two-hour portrait, premiering at 9 PM ET Monday, rounds up enthusiastic speakers. Joseph J. Ellis, author of His Excellency: George Washington, is the standout. Ellis explains how Washington resigned as commander in chief of the Continental Army after defeating Great Britain.
"The most amazing feature of Washington, I think, is his capacity to surrender power," Ellis says. "Napoleon wouldn't do that. Cromwell didn't do it. Caesar didn't do it. Stalin didn't do it. Mao didn't do it. This is an unusual man who comes to embody the revolution but is willing to walk away from power. Washington understands that in America, in a republic, no matter how indispensable, all leaders are disposable. Even him."
The experts include authors Edward Lengel, Bruce Chadwick and Caroline Cox. What they're saying is usually more interesting than what we're seeing. The stumbling block is the program's reliance on re-enactments. These scenes, though elaborate and classy, turn monotonous.
This history lesson looks like a fancy TV movie with commentary instead of dialogue. If you can accept that style, you'll have no problem with Washington the Warrior.
The documentary explains how Washington's mistakes brought him ridicule during the French and Indian War, but he rebounded with heroic and unexpected leadership in the 1755 battle at the Monongahela River.
In tracing the Revolutionary War, the program notes Washington's triumphs and setbacks, celebrates his devotion to his men and salutes his leadership. At its most stirring, Washington the Warrior honors a commander who led from the front and learned from his mistakes.
In the city named for Washington, PBS will offer the National Memorial Day Concert, a live broadcast tonight (check local PBS listings). This year's program will pay tribute to the National Guard as well as Air Force pilots of World War II.
The co-hosts will be Gary Sinise of CSI: NY and Joe Mantegna of Joan of Arcadia. The concert on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol will mix music, dramatic readings and documentary footage.
The lineup is subject to last-minute changes. But the scheduled performers range from opera singer Frederica von Stade to country favorites Lee Ann Womack and Big & Rich. Conductor Erich Kunzel will lead the National Symphony Orchestra.
World War II veteran Charles Durning will share the story of an Air Force pilot who was a prisoner of war in Germany. Sinise and Oscar-winner Dianne Wiest will speak in honor of National Guardsmen from a hurricane-stricken community near New Orleans. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell will talk about the meaning of Memorial Day.
Perhaps someone will invoke the memory of George Washington. He should be remembered for showing the way for his countrymen.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/tv/orl-haltv052806may28,0,5526070,print.story?coll=orl-caltvtop
DoubleDAZ
05-28-06, 10:33 AM
keenan,
I'm not an instant gratification kind of guy (but I get your point), I just thought Invasion moved too slow in too many episodes without a decent "hook" from one episode to the next and oftentimes left me wondering just what a given episode had accomplished. For that reason, it was placed on my DVR schedule and viewed whenever I got to it. I was ready to give it another season to see where it was going, it was good enough for that, but I can see why it didn't make the cut. IMHO, you simply can't wait for 7-8 episodes before you pick up the pace and make things happen. By then, you've already lost half your audience.
The problem for "Invasion" was pretty simple, and evident just about from its first week: it kept far too little of the "Lost" audience.
Often fewer than 50 per cent of the 9 PM 18-49 viewers stayed around for "Invasion". That was a killer, and to be frank, I was a little surprised that ABC stuck with "Invasion" for the entire season.
I suspect if it had a suitable replacement available, it wouldn't have hesitated to make have a quicker hook.
cajieboy
05-28-06, 01:00 PM
Now that Invasion just started to get its act together, the networks pull it. Darn! Personally, I preferred "Threshold" as the best of the network's alien shows, but then CBS yanked it too soon as well.
Welcome to the thread, cajieboy :)
The 2006-2007 Season
What's the preseason buzz?
By Charlie McCollum San Jose Mercury News Sun, May. 28, 2006
(Note: All times ET/PT)
At this time last year, three new shows were the consensus picks to be big hits when the fall TV season got under way. The consensus was wrong.
One of the three -- ``E-Ring,'' NBC's Pentagon drama -- didn't even last a full season. ABC's ``Commander in Chief'' went down in the flames of behind-the-scenes turmoil. CBS's ``Out of Practice,'' which was so well-regarded that it got the cushy spot behind ``Two and a Half Men,'' lasted a whole season. But it won't be around for a second.
The new series that had an impact: CBS's ``Criminal Minds,'' which had been dismissed as just another crime procedural; Fox's ``Prison Break'' (``interesting show but it won't last six episodes''); CBS's ``The Unit,'' a midseason series that flew well under the radar; and ``Deal or No Deal,'' the game show that NBC first threw on in December with no great hopes that it would find an audience.
In other words, the parlor game played in TV world this time every year -- call it ``What's the Buzz?'' -- can be an exercise in futility. What looks great in May when the networks announce their fall seasons can be in the recycling bin before Thanksgiving.
Still, as soon as the last network makes its glitzy presentation to advertisers in New York, we play on, trying to figure out what's going to be hot from clips, pilot episodes, scripts and the assessments of media experts who are paid big bucks by advertisers for their advice on where to put their money.
So, let's play!
ABC
`Betty the Ugly' 8 p.m. Friday
The premise: A plain young Latina tries to make it in the world of high fashion, where good looks are everything.
The buzz: Based on ``Yo Soy Betty la Fea,'' one of the most popular and engaging telenovelas of all time, the show comes with a built-in audience and has a charming lead in America Ferrera as Betty Suarez. The issue: Can a show aimed at young women find an audience on Friday nights?
`Let's Rob . . .' 9 p.m. Tuesday
The premise: A guy working a dead-end job comes up with the idea of robbing a celebrity's posh apartment. The celebrity: Mick Jagger.
The buzz: There are four new sitcoms attracting interest, and this one got the biggest laughs of any when shown to advertisers. (The others are CBS's ``The Class,'' NBC's ``30 Rock'' and Fox's `` 'Til Death.'') The clips for the show, created by Jon Beckerman and Rob Burnett of ``Ed,'' are smart and nicely offbeat.
`The Nine' 10 p.m. Wednesday
The premise: The drama follows the lives of nine people who survive a hostage crisis triggered by a botched bank holdup.
The buzz: The show -- from Hank Steinberg, who created ``Without a Trace'' -- looks intriguing, particularly in the way it integrates flashbacks with what happens after the holdup. The cast -- headed by Chi McBride (``Boston Public''), Kim Raver (`'24'') and Tim Daly (``Eyes'') -- is impressive.
CBS
`Jericho' 8 p.m. Wednesday
The premise: The residents of a farm town in Kansas believe they are the only survivors of a nuclear holocaust.
The buzz: The people who have seen the full pilot love this show, most often described as a cross between ``Lost'' and ``Desperate Housewives'' with a mix of soap opera, high drama and a ``Twilight Zone''-style sensibility. But that may make it a tough sell, and CBS didn't have any luck last season trying to build an audience for ``Threshold.''
`Shark' 10 p.m. Thursday
The premise: A slick, hotshot defense lawyer takes his game to the district attorney's office.
The buzz: This drama starring James Woods had the highest scores of any new CBS show from test audiences -- which triggered the network's decision to give it the Thursday slot behind ``CSI.'' It looks a bit like ``House'' in a legal setting, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
`The Class' 8:30 p.m. Monday
The premise: A group of twentysomethings who haven't seen each other since the third grade reunite.
The buzz: You want a sure comedy hit? This may be it. It comes from David Crane (``Friends'') and Jeffrey Klarik (``Mad About You'') and features a huge (for a sitcom) cast headed by Jason Ritter (``Joan of Arcadia'') and the very funny Jesse Tyler Ferguson, one of the stars of Broadway's ``Putnam County Spelling Bee.''
FOX
`Justice' 9 p.m. Wednesday
The premise: Life inside a law firm that only takes on high-profile cases.
The buzz: There's a fair amount of love out there for this drama that has a smart writer-producer (Jonathan Shapiro of ``Just Legal''), a terrific lead (Victor Garber of ``Alias'') and a slick, sophisticated feel to it. The ``but'' -- and it's a big one -- is a time period where it will go up against two established hits: ``Lost'' and ``Criminal Minds.''
` 'Til Death' 8 p.m. Thursday
The premise: A young couple, married for all of 12 days, moves in next door to a husband and wife who have been battling for 8,743 days.
The buzz: A more traditional sitcom than Fox usually goes for, this may be the perfect match of material and leading man -- Brad Garrett of ``Everybody Loves Raymond'' as a dour, cynical husband. The pilot isn't a gut-buster, but it has some very funny moments.
NBC
`30 Rock' 8:30 p.m. Wednesday
The premise: Life behind the scenes of a television comedy.
The buzz: Created by Tina Fey, the head writer and ``Weekend Update'' anchor on ``Saturday Night Live,'' this insider comedy got a big response from some very funny clips. As she proved in the film ``Mean Girls,'' Fey has a way with snappy dialogue and the cast, including Alec Baldwin and Rachel Dratch from ``SNL,'' can crack wise with the best of them.
`Friday Night Lights' 8 p.m. Tuesday
The premise: The culture of high school football as played in the small towns of Texas.
The buzz: There are some folks who think this series -- based on the hit film and created by the film's director, Peter Berg -- could be the stealth hit of next season. The pilot suggests a family drama with a bit of bite.
`Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip' 10 p.m. Monday
The premise: Life behind the scenes of a late-night television sketch comedy show. (Gee, didn't we just say that?)
The buzz: Hard to believe that NBC is putting two shows with almost the same underlying premise on the air at the same time, but it is. ``Studio 60,'' though, may be the most discussed and dissected new show of the season, and it's NBC's biggest hope for a hit. It marks Aaron Sorkin's return to TV after leaving ``The West Wing'' three seasons ago, and his script for the pilot is intelligent and funny in a ``Sports Night'' kind of way. No new series has a stronger cast: Matthew Perry (``Friends''), Amanda Peet (``Syriana''), Bradley Whitford (``The West Wing''), Sarah Paulson (``Deadwood'') and comedian D.L. Hughley, just for starters.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/entertainment/television/14688234.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp
TV Notebook
The Coming Katie Couric News Deluge
If your perky meter starts registering off the chart readings this week, don’t be surprised.
Katie Couric ends her tenure at NBC’s “Today” on Wednesday.
And beginning Thursday – when Katie officially begins working for Les Moonves & company -- CBS executives will contractually be able to talk about their new “CBS Evening News” anchor as much as they would like.
So be prepared for story after story about Katie and how she will tip the balance of power in network newscasts. Or not.
And how her absence next to Matt Lauer will tip the balance of power in network morning shows. Or not.
Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.
From now until July, when the networks greet TV journalists for three weeks in Los Angeles, the news can get pretty dull. At least Katie/CBS/the future of morning network shows should give those folks something to write about for a week or so.
TV Notebook
New Idol ponders the road
By Mike Brantley Mobile Register Sunday, May 28, 2006
So, is your new American Idol -- Alabama singer Taylor Hicks, who has held the title for only a few days now -- going to move to Hollywood?
For a time, after all, when he previously made a major stab at breaking into the recording business, he left Birmingham and moved to Nashville. His big break didn't come while he was in Nashville, but he did catch the biggest possible break by going to Hollywood for a TV show called "American Idol."
Perhaps you've heard of it.
Likely you've seen it, as Wednesday's season finale attracted an audience of 35.4 million viewers on average, according to Nielsen Media Research. Nearly 43 million viewers were tuned in during that broadcast's final half-hour, in which Hicks was named winner.
Back to the question: Where will he call his home? "I probably will live on my tour bus," responded Hicks a few days before the "Idol" finale, during a conference call with journalists.
As a struggling musician before "Idol," the 29-year-old, gray-haired singer said, he stayed on the road quite a bit. He performed in Gulf Coast venues such as the Flora-Bama, Lester's and Monsoons, among others, for example. During his travels criss-crossing the region to small bars and pretty much any venue that would let him perform, Hicks would always spot the buses.
He always wanted to be on one of them, he said.
"I might have some little lake place somewhere, where I can sit on a porch and stare at a tree and some water," Hicks said. "But as far as what I have always wanted to do, I've always wanted to be on a bus."
He'll be on the road quite a bit this next year, that's for sure. Hicks and other fifth-season "Idol" finalists are hitting the highways to take their songs to concert venues across the nation.
The "Idol" tour comes to Alabama Aug. 8, when Hicks and his former competitors will perform at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center. At this writing, some isolated $36.50 tickets (plus $2 facility charge and a $7.35 "convenience charge") for the 7 p.m. show were still available via www.ticketmaster.com. The trick to getting them seemed to be speficying single tickets and not groups of two or more.
Meanwhile, Hicks is thinking hard about his next album. He's released a couple of independent CDs, but this next one will be his first for a major label.
"It's just going to have to be a really good representation of myself as an artist," Hicks said. "There are some things I want to do creatively that I have never been able to get to do before American Idol.'...There are some things in my mind that I think would be cutting edge musically."
While he has recorded his own songs before, he's not married to putting out a collection of all-original songs next.
"A song is a song," he said. "If I can feel a song, it doesn't matter if I write it or somebody else does."
http://www.al.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/entertainment/114880833044810.xml&coll=3
keenan,
I'm not an instant gratification kind of guy (but I get your point), I just thought Invasion moved too slow in too many episodes without a decent "hook" from one episode to the next and oftentimes left me wondering just what a given episode had accomplished. For that reason, it was placed on my DVR schedule and viewed whenever I got to it. I was ready to give it another season to see where it was going, it was good enough for that, but I can see why it didn't make the cut. IMHO, you simply can't wait for 7-8 episodes before you pick up the pace and make things happen. By then, you've already lost half your audience.
I wasn't implying that you personally were that "kind of guy". :)
Just that for the general TV audience, the one that counts in the ratings, most are that type.
Plus, I think having Invasion right after Lost actually hurt it as 2 hours in a row of serialized and in many cases slow moving TV is far too much for the average viewer to absorb.
Regarding Threshold, that's one of the reasons why I disliked it, it was basically a crime procedural only it was the alien-problem-of-the-week format, that pretended to be serialized. Too bad as I liked some of the actors.
BTW, anyone know if Carla Gugino is coming back to TV in the fall...?
......BTW, anyone know if Carla Gugino is coming back to TV in the fall...?
Not that I have heard -- yet.
As we await the Katie Couric deluge, here's another Charlie Gibson story....
TV Notebook
Sunrise, sunset
By Doug Elfman Chicago Sun-Times Television Critic May 28, 2006
When Charlie Gibson -- ABC's new evening news anchor -- was 9, he'd take the bus to the Howard L station, then ride to Wrigley and watch the Cubs in the bleachers for a buck. He was one of those baseball fans some Chicagoans find suspicious, rooting for both the Sox and the Cubs.
"Unlike so many people in Chicago who have to choose one or the other, I liked them both. When I was there, there were great Sox players," Gibson says, then he starts rattling off the names Eddie Robinson, Nellie Fox and a roster of others.
And Gibson's daughter wasn't born here, but she graduated at Northwestern in 1998; Kate's now a TV producer at the Food Network. ("She's a foodie," he says.) Here's where their environmental upbringings differed, he says: He was born in Evanston and grew up in this pleasantville, while she was raised on the edgier East Coast, then found softer environs here.
"Her first boyfriend was an Eagle Scout, and she called and said, 'Dad, he really takes this stuff seriously,' " Gibson says. "She goes [to Chicago] and she finds that cynicism is de rigueur in the East, and it doesn't play in the Midwest."
Of course, that "cynicism" is also attributed to journalists, though "skeptical" is a more accurate, open-minded description of journos like Gibson.
In signing up Gibson to replace Elizabeth Vargas and the wounded-in-action Bob Woodruff for "World News Tonight" -- he begins Monday -- ABC has chosen wisely. Gibson, 63, is objective in interviews. He's smart. And like the late taskmaster Peter Jennings, Gibson seems most capable of cultivating reporters and demanding solid, hard-news stories.
The anchor post is slated to be his until at least the 2008 elections. After that, who knows?
"I'm not a young spring chicken," Gibson says. "At some point, the actuary tables come into play."
Gibson's competitors are springier chickens. NBC's ratings winner Brian Williams is 47. Katie Couric, who takes over for CBS's Bob Schieffer in the fall, is 49. But Gibson believes whichever news operation does the best reporting, not anchoring, will win the day. On this point, Gibson brings up Schieffer, 69, who has boosted CBS' ratings since replacing Dan Rather.
"I ran into Bob at a baseball game Saturday night," Gibson says. "I told him I thought he'd done a remarkable thing. He said, 'All I did was feature the reporters. I tried to get it away from me. I wanted it to be about the news organization.'
"And that's what I want to do," Gibson says, "to try to bring solidity" to the newscast.
The anchor job has been a long time coming for Gibson -- and it's arrived at a crazy time. In a year's span, ABC has seen the lung cancer death of Jennings ("He didn't quit [smoking]; Peter was something of a closet smoker," Gibson says); the bombing in Iraq of co-anchor Woodruff, who's recuperating; and the pregnancy-resignation of co-anchor Vargas.
Gibson's veteran experience and familiarity with news teams is meant to stabilize ABC.
"I've worked for the same company 30-plus years, and I know the crews, and the tape editors, and the reporters. And I've been in bureaus around the world," Gibson says. "I know all these people."
One unfortunate byproduct is ABC losing a chance to have a solo woman anchor in either Vargas or Diane Sawyer, Gibson's "Good Morning America" co-host.
Vargas, 43, has been saying it was her choice to step aside, based on her doctor's orders to take it easier on her second pregnancy. She has not mentioned recent media criticism that suggested she was a goner.
"Every other newspaper she picked up said her job was shot," he says. "Boy, there was a drumbeat about that," but she was making progress, Gibson says.
As for Sawyer, she and Gibson supported each other in their potential to be anchor. Before the Gibson decision was made, he had asked her if she would take the job if she were offered, but she wouldn't commit to him on an answer.
"Even when it was in a discussion stage, I went to her and said, 'What do you think? And she said, 'Oh, do it,' " Gibson says. "That was truly important to me ... to have her blessing in effect, to have her say, 'This is something you should do.' "
"Good Morning America" could suffer when Gibson says goodbye there at the end of June. It's been suggested previously the show could take over first place in the ratings from NBC's "Today," since Couric is splitting. The two-hour "Good Morning America" is one of ABC's most profitable properties, certainly more so than "World News Tonight."
But, like "Today," "GMA" has become a breeding ground for evening anchors. The morning show can't hold onto everyone forever.
Media critics have deemed Gibson to be a potential ratings savior for ABC. Gibson knows that, but I remind him. I tell him many of us are raising expectations for his performance. In a voice made quiet from talking all day on TV, he asks in a calm, Midwesterny way, "Don't do that."
http://www.suntimes.com/cgi-bin/print.cgi?getReferrer=http://www.suntimes.com/output/television/sho-sunday-elf28.html
DoubleDAZ
05-28-06, 02:39 PM
I wasn't implying that you personally were that "kind of guy". :)
I didn't think you were, just making my point clear.
Plus, I think having Invasion right after Lost actually hurt it as 2 hours in a row of serialized and in many cases slow moving TV is far too much for the average viewer to absorb.I totally agree. Problem was that high production costs probably kept them from trying a different night where higher ratings wouldn't have been expected.
Sorry Fred, didn't mean to turn this into an Invasion thread. That's my last $.02 on the subject anyway. :)
Just about any topic is fair game, Dave.
Q&A With Mike Duffy
Networks leave us hanging
By Mike Duffy( Disguised as his alter ego “Captain Video”) Detroit Free Press TV Critic
Posted by Doug: "Forget all the implausible plot lines and cool gadgets, '24' ROCKS!! I can't believe I have to wait until January for a new season."
Captain Video says: You're on my killer thriller wavelength, Doug. The sensational fifth season finale of crazy cliffhanger life on the Planet Jack Bauer was the best yet. And how dizzily delightful was it to shockingly discover Chloe O'Brian was once married, and that her ex-hubby Morris sells women's shoes in Beverly Hills?!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-mailed by Ed Arbogast, Cadillac: "Sure am gonna hate to see the end of 'Everwood.' I get emotionally involved in these things and hate unhappy endings. I hope Bright and Hanna and Ephram and Amy get back together. But I have to remind myself, it's just a story."
CV says: The bittersweet good news about that cancellation is that the producers had time to film a second ending that will now serve as a two-hour "Everwood" show June 5 on the soon-to-be defunct WB.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-mailed by Bloom Taliercio, Troy: "After the nice e-mail I sent you last week about Taylor Hicks, you still don't get it! I'm thinking you are not a native Detroiter, thus you have little appreciation for music that makes you feel good."
CV says: You got me, Bloom. I grew up in Ohio. But all kinds of music that makes me feel good -- Aretha, Bob Seger, Marvin Gaye, the Stooges, the White Stripes and the Dirtbombs -- has a magical Motor City beat that "American Idol" winner Taylor Hicks couldn't approximate in his wildest karaoke dreams.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-mailed by Kevin S. McMahon, Brighton: "Do you think it was a coincidence that when President Logan, the personification of Evil, was getting on the helicopter that the time on the digital was 06:06:06? I'll bet not, especially in Jack's World."
CV says: Double whammy Satanic whoa! Good catch, Kevin, on that sly little digital clock giggle from the "24" season finale. Oh, those sneaky producers. Maybe the Devil made 'em do it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-mailed by Dennis Blake, Plymouth: "What's up with 'NCIS'?? Is Mark Harmon finished with the show? Is 'NCIS' returning next season? I was caught off guard by the season finale."
CV says: Calm down, Dennis. "NCIS" was renewed long ago for next season and Mark Harmon isn't going anywhere. It was just another of those season finale cliffhanger surprises -- with Harmon's Jethro Gibbs quitting the NCIS team -- to keep viewers guessing until fall. Just another cheap storytelling trick.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-mailed by Dick and Joan Rohr, Indian River: "On the 'Desperate Housewives' season finale, we recognized the psychiatrist as someone we had seen before on TV some time ago. Could you refresh our memory?"
CV says: Bree's snide shrink was played by longtime character actor William Atherton ("Ghostbusters," "Die Hard"), who has carved out a special performance niche portraying sniveling twits. Sort of like Captain Video!
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060527/ENT03/605270321/1038&template=printart
TV Notebook
Katie Couric farewell party seems endless
Ratings figure in long NBC goodbye
By David Zurawik Baltimore Sun Television Critic May 28, 2006
"They say, Katie, you're like a flame/into our lives you came." - lyric from Stone Phillips' "Goodbye to Katie"
The network season ended last week, but there is one very important and public bit of business yet to be taken care of Wednesday morning on NBC: the final farewell to Katie Couric after 15 years as co-anchor of the Today show.
The 49-year-old Couric is not going away forever. She will return to television in September as anchor of the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric. But that has not stopped NBC from making mornings during the past few weeks of May sweeps into one long goodbye to Couric.
In terms of ratings, the strategy has worked.
Today finished the last full week of sweeps, May 15-21, with an average daily audience of 5.8 million viewers - 700,000 more than are watching archrival Good Morning America on ABC. Today earns more than $225 million for the network annually in the most lucrative news period of the day. It gained 179,000 viewers over the same week last year, while Good Morning America lost 493,000 viewers.
Today is the only network morning news show to have year-to-year growth in overall viewership and key demographics. The farewell-Katie factor has added to that advantage.
But what about the nature of the programming itself? Analysts say there is more involved than just ratings and money. While some media experts see such TV farewells as symptoms of a narcissistic TV culture featuring self-absorbed celebrities, others say the video goodbyes speak to an authentic need in audience members for closure in a long-term relationship that is ending against their will.
"There is something very ritualistic about such television farewells," said Abe Novick, a senior vice president at Eisner Communications, one of the largest independent advertising agencies on the East Coast.
"These patterns of behavior - waking up with Katie Couric on Today and signing off with Ted Koppel on Nightline - infiltrate our lives, becoming a daily ritual, and then, suddenly, we hear that they are going to end. It's bittersweet, but still there is something nice about a congratulatory farewell that speaks to the fondness she's built up - except when TV goes overboard, of course, which TV has been known to do."
Parade of valentines
Despite being called news programs, the morning shows seem to be more about self-help, gossip, celebrity, promotion, time, chitchat and weather than anything else on days when there is not major breaking news. But even by that relaxed standard, the parade of video valentines featuring celebrities saying goodbye to Couric, coupled with the seemingly endless reel of "Katie's Memorable Moments," might be judged excessive by the second or third week.
They're sometimes clever: "Congratulations, Katie, on your 15 years of great reporting on Today. You have taken us to the Olympics and your colon; hardly anyone can say that," U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a New York Democrat, says in one video salute that references a memorable moment in 2000 during which Couric underwent a colonoscopy live on television. "You have been the subject of great media scrutiny for your hair; I can only imagine what that's like," said Clinton, a victim of similar hairdo harassment.
They're sometimes surreal: One clip features Couric interviewing Nancy Reagan, and the next has her chatting up Mr. Rogers - or a Muppet.
And sometimes, the farewell moment is just so over the top that it stops one cold - such as the segment last Monday at 8:53 a.m. headlined "Stone's Goodbye to Katie."
The segment, filmed in Phillips' home, showed the Dateline anchorman at a piano - decked out in a shirt that defines "lounge lizard" - singing and playing: "They say, Katie, you're like a dream/not always what you seem." Even Couric looked as though she might gag when the camera returned to the Today show dais.
Jim Bell, executive producer of Today, chuckled during a phone interview last week when asked about Phillips' ode to Couric.
"Wasn't that fun?" Bell said, explaining that Phillips had made the tape for a "private cocktail party" for Couric and her NBC News colleagues.
"I said, 'There's no way we're not putting that on the air,' when I saw it. And I did call Phillips up just to make sure he was OK with it. And to his credit, he said, 'Absolutely, but one condition: You have to run the entire thing - not just a little clip.'
"And I said, 'Oh, don't worry, Stone, we'll run the whole darn thing.'"
Celebrating her time
Such "fun" moments aside, the farewell is serious business - especially with the shift in fortune that could accompany Couric's departure. Meredith Vieira, formerly of ABC's The View, will replace her starting in September. Good Morning America, meanwhile, is also looking for a new morning co-host with Charles Gibson taking over tomorrow as solo anchorman of ABC's World News Tonight after almost two decades of morning duty.
"The driving force behind this [on-air send-off] is that the institution - the franchise of the Today show - is really the thing that matters here," Bell said.
"She is, of course, a dear, valued member of the family who has decided to move on. And everybody here owes her so much for what she's done for the show, for NBC News, for the company. And everybody wishes her only good things.
"We're not petty. We're not going to sit there and say, 'Well, get out.' We're going to celebrate her time at Today. We're going to throw her a nice party - and invite the viewers to participate. ... I think it feels right for our viewers, it feels right around the halls of NBC, and I'm absolutely certain it feels right to Katie."
'Taking the high road'
One reason NBC has so much Couric-career-related programming ready to air is that the network started preparing in January for a show to mark her 15th anniversary in April. "But about the time we were getting ready to air it, we discovered that she was going to be moving on," Bell said.
What to do now?
"We decided that the effort didn't have to be lost - we could just make it part of an even bigger day that would be her final day on May 31," he said.
"There's no question this could have gone differently, you know," Bell said. "And I'm pleased we're taking the high road. It feels right for the show."
The seemingly endless farewell has become its own kind of television institution - a way of celebrating itself, says University of Maryland media economist and historian Douglas Gomery.
"It's as old as TV. When [Walter] Cronkite retired - same thing. When M*A*S*H had its last episode - same thing. And so on. And so on. ... I'm only surprised that Phillips wasn't crying when he sang about Katie being like a flame or a dream or whatever."
http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/tv/bal-ae.eye28may28,0,688856.story?coll=bal-artslife-tv
TV Notebook
'Rescue Me': Life as a five-alarm blaze
By Mark McGuire Albany Times Union staff writer Sunday, May 28, 2006
Tommy Gavin is a drunk, prone to outbursts of anger and extreme violence, a chain-smoking skirt hound who's also a failed husband and wobbly father. He's hostage to his multiple weaknesses, and he knows it.
I still root for this dysfunctional "hero" among heroes, and the rest of the firefighters who populate the world of "Rescue Me" (third season premiere at 10 PM ET Tuesday, FX).
As played by convincing everyman comic Denis Leary, Gavin isn't a great man, but he is a decent one. At least he recognizes his shortcomings.
If you haven't noticed, we're living in the golden age of antiheroes; rooting for the bad guy isn't just tolerated, it's expected. Think of Detective Vic Mackey of "The Shield" (FX), Tony Soprano of "The Sopranos" or Al Swearengen on "Deadwood" (both HBO), or Dr. Gregory House on "House" (Fox).
In a universe John Wayne wouldn't recognize, the villains often get the prettiest gals in town. But that kind of devotion comes with a price: We expect the bad guys, even the ones we root for, to get what's coming to them. Mackey can't walk away with his family and his pension and his stolen loot. Tony Soprano can't depart HBO before he pays for his murderous ways. And Al, the brutal barkeep, can't ride idyllically off into the sunset. (House, who hasn't killed anybody -- at least not yet -- can continue to be a merry jerk, although brief glimpses of humanity are always welcome.)
Tommy Gavin is different: There's flickering hope for him, even as his family turns on him, the pressure of his job threaten to consume him, and his frailty allows him to do what he knows is wrong. The promos for this season of "Rescue Me" features Gavin walking around on fire. As noted in the title of the series, the guy needs help.
Last season, Gavin fared worse than any of the other TV bad boys. Just as Gavin was tentatively stepping into sobriety and reunification with his wife, his son Connor was killed by a drunken driver. So much for the good life.
"You know the only good thing to come out of this is?" asks his soon-to-be-ex-wife Janet (Andrea Roth, "CSI"). "Now I don't have to watch Connor grow up and turn out exactly like you." Ouch.
The first season of "Rescue Me" spun around firefighters dealing with anguish and survivor's guilt following 9/11. (Albany native James McCaffrey plays the ghost of Tommy's cousin, who was killed at the twin towers but periodically drops in to offer Gavin harsh counsel.) The scars linger even as the attacks recede into history, but Gavin's colleagues have developed new issues.
Chief Jerry Reilly (Jack McGee, a former real-life NYFD firefighter) is dealing with his wife's Alzheimer's and financial woes. Meanwhile, single dad and serial dater Franco (Daniel Sunjata) may have found a good mate and mom to his daughter -- except she's much older (needless to say, she's played by Susan Sarandon).
Firefighter Sean Garrity (Steven Pasquale) fears for his life if Tommy finds out he's dating Gavin's sister (Tatum O'Neal). Tommy's cop brother Johnny (Dean Winters) has his own volatile love life issues to deal with.
But challenging Tommy's decline is Lt. "Lou" Shea (John Scurti), who is becoming a drunk (big difference from a drinker) and embittered after losing his wife and being swindled by a prostitute. When a concerned Gavin confronts Lou after he explodes on probie Mike Silletti (Michael Lombardi), the result is one of the finest scenes of the television season:
"What, what are you going to do, Tommy?" Shea says. "You want to help me? Is that it it? You -- who (threw) away his beautiful wife and three kids by crawling into a bottle for three years? You are going to help me?"
If Shea is looking for someone with an exemplary life to save him from himself, he's not going to find him in the universe of "Rescue Me." Gavin's concern is valid; so is Shea's skepticism.
These are men who have great difficulty verbalizing strong emotions, especially fear. Cloaked in guy-speak, the confrontation between Gavin and Shea crystallizes the truth of this series: When someone close to you unravels, you're often powerless to help. And when you're the one unraveling, reaching out can be even more difficult.
"Rescue Me" inhabits a hyper-masculine world that feels genuine. There's much to admire about its denizens, even if their individual and collective shortcomings leave them markedly flawed.
These aren't heroes, merely decent men struggling and bumbling through the day. I root for them, for Tommy and Lou and Franco and the rest, much like I root for Tony and Al and Vic. But it's different.
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/storyprint.asp?StoryID=486321
TV Notebook
Where will networks take us from here?
Mark Dawidziak Cleveland Plain Dealer Television Critic Sunday, May 28, 2006
It's that time of the year when we reach the prime-time crossroads. It's a moment to get our bearings, pausing to look both in the rearview mirror and at the crowded intersection in front of us.
First, a brief glance at what is now behind us: the 2005-06 television season. That came to an official ratings end Wednesday night with the much-hyped season finales of Fox's "American Idol" and ABC's "Lost."
The clear heavyweight champion in terms of total viewership is, as expected, CBS. No other network is even close in this category.
But Fox, closing very strong this month, edged past ABC in the neck-and-neck race for viewers 18 to 49 years old. That's the group most sought by advertisers.
ABC can claim a victory of sorts, however, since it was the only network to make gains over last season in the 18-49 category. And CBS finished an extremely competitive third in the so-called primary demographic, so three networks have earned a share of bragging rights.
By process of elimination, that makes the name of the biggest loser as easy as A-B-C -- and it's not ABC. But it is the network that airs "The Biggest Loser." Yes, it was another disastrous year for NBC, the fourth-place network in terms of total viewers and in the 18-49 department.
It was only four short years ago that the Peacock Network was flying high as the top network in almost all significant prime-time ratings categories. That was when NBC had five of the nation's Top-10 shows. This season, NBC had no Top-10 finishers, and only one, "Deal or No Deal" in the Top 20.
By comparison, CBS claimed nine of the Top 20 spots, ABC had seven, and Fox had three (including the top two spots with the Tuesday and Wednesday editions of "American Idol" finishing No. 1 and 2).
So much for looking backward. With the five broadcast networks having announced their fall lineups this month, the quick rundown for the new season looks like this: 26 new shows (15 dramas and 11 comedies).
There were 31 rookie shows introduced last fall. We're down a little bit because of the merger of struggling smaller networks UPN and the WB into the CW, which will be seen in this area on WBNX Channel 55.
Of those 31 freshman series, only 10 will see a sophomore year: four for CBS ("How I Met Your Mother," "Ghost Whisperer," "Close to Home" and "Criminal Minds"), three for Fox ("Prison Break," "Bones" and "The War at Home"), one for NBC ("My Name Is Earl") and one apiece for the WB and UPN on the combined CW schedule (the WB's "Supernatural" and UPN's "Everybody Hates Chris").
This is where ABC had the worst year. None of the five shows debuted last fall by the Alphabet Network will return. That's why ABC will be adding the most number of new shows this fall: nine, as compared to six for ABC, five for Fox, four for CBS and two for the CW.
More trends? Look for:
Serialized suspense dramas influenced by Fox's "24" and "Prison Break." That includes NBC's "Kidnapped," which starts with the kidnapping of a wealthy Manhattan couple's teenage son; ABC's "The Nine," following a group of people caught up in a bank robbery; Fox's "Vanished," with Joanne Kelly as the missing wife of a Georgia senator; and the CW's "Runaway," about a family on the run after the father is wrongly accused of a crime.
Quirky and mysterious dramas influenced by ABC's "Lost." Including "Jericho," a CBS newcomer about a small Kansas town left standing after a nuclear exchange; NBC's "Heroes," about ordinary people who discover they have superhero powers; and ABC's "Six Degrees," which focuses on six New Yorkers drawn together by a disturbing web of coincidences.
NBC series taking viewers behind the scenes at late-night sketch comedy shows. Yes, NBC liked this idea so much, they're trying it as a drama, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," and a comedy, writer-producer-star Tina Fey's "30 Rock."
Shows with numbers in the title. Never mind those "Lost" numbers. How about the sequence 6, 9, 20, 30, 60. They stand for "Six Degrees," "The Nine," NBC's "20 Good Years," "30 Rock" and "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip."
Familiar faces from TV seasons past. Riddled throughout the 26 new shows, including "20 Good Years" (John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambor), "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" (Matthew Perry, Bradley Whitford, Steven Weber, Timothy Busfield), "The Nine" (Chi McBride, Kim Raver, Tim Daly, Scott Wolf), "Jericho" (Gerald McRaney and Pamela Reed), the ABC drama "Brothers & Sisters" (Calista Flockhart), the ABC comedy "Help Me Help You" (Ted Danson and Jane Kaczmarek), the Fox comedy "'Til Death" (Brad Garrett), the CBS comedy "The Class" (Jason Ritter) and the NBC drama "Friday Night Lights" (Kyle Chandler).
Legal dramas. James Woods in CBS' "Shark" and Victor Garber in Fox's "Justice."
And, finally, reality shows produced by "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell. ABC renewed his "American Inventor" for a second edition; NBC premieres his "America's Got Talent," with Regis Philbin as host, on Wednesday, June 21; and Fox has a four-week order for "Duets," his series teaming celebrities not known for singing with actual singers.
http://www.cleveland.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/entertainment/114871882512310.xml&coll=2
Critic’s Notebook
Grades are posted for season finales
By Chuck Barney Contra Costa Times TV critic
The 2005-06 TV season is now in the books, having finished with a flurry of finales that left us suffering from plot-twist whiplash and hanging from cliffs.
Did your favorite show make the grade? Here's a rundown:
"Lost"
• WHAT HAPPENED: Desmond returns. The Others abduct Jack's posse. Locke destroys the hatch computer, unleashing a storm of electromagnetic energy. Desmond realizes this has happened before and might have caused the crash of Flight 815. The Others, led by Henry Gale, reunite Michael with his son, Walt, and free them. But Jack, Kate and Sawyer are kept in custody. Finally, the electromagnetic disturbance may have alerted outside people to the island's existence.
• HIGH POINTS: An intense and absolutely magnetic finale that answered many key questions and punctured a lot of theories.
• LOW POINTS: Also an exasperating experience that provoked even more questions.
• LOOKING AHEAD: Will Season 3 bring help to the island? Will we still care?
• GRADE: A-
"24"
• WHAT HAPPENED: Jack saves the day again and icky President Logan is arrested. But, alas, our hero is captured and beaten to a pulp by Chinese thugs seeking payback for last season when Jack killed one of their own.
• HIGH POINTS: Another taut "24" finale with some hair-raising surprises. The tense scenes between Logan (Gregory Itzin) and his wrung-out wife (Jean Smart), who helped to bring him down, were superb.
• LOW POINTS: What crackpot writer decided to suddenly give Chloe an ex-husband?
• LOOKING AHEAD: Jack's abduction provides an intriguing set-up for next season. Still, "24" may be hard-pressed to keep topping itself.
• GRADE: A-
"Prison Break"
• WHAT HAPPENED: Our inmates get over the wall, but -- wait -- there's dissension in the ranks and the getaway plane leaves without them.
• HIGH POINTS: A fast-paced hour with shockers galore (The president dies! Sara overdoses! Abruzzi chops off T-Bag's hand!).
• LOW POINTS: The episode was more bloated than Bellick's stomach.
• LOOKING AHEAD: The show now shifts into a "Fugitive"-like mode, but will the characters be as captivating on the other side of prison bars?
• GRADE: B-
"Grey's Anatomy"
• WHAT HAPPENED: Denny dies of a broken heart and Izzie quits. Burke survives a gunshot wound. Meredith and McDreamy stop bickering long enough to have torrid sex (in slow motion, no less).
• HIGH POINTS: Emotionally powerful moments delivered by a skillful cast that knows how to wring the most out of them.
• LOW POINTS: The Izzie-Denny story dragged on way too long. By the time he died, we were more relieved than sad.
• LOOKING AHEAD: Are we fed up with Meredith and McDreamy yet?
• GRADE: B-
"The O.C."
• WHAT HAPPENED: The gang graduates. Seth's arrest for arson is swept under the rug. The evil Volchok runs Ryan and Marissa off the road. Ryan emerges scratch-free, but Marissa dies in his arms.
• HIGH POINTS: No sappy grad-day speeches (Yippee!) and the finale lasted only an hour (but felt longer).
• LOW POINTS: Knowing in advance that Marissa was going to die because actress Mischa Barton couldn't keep her big mouth shut.
• LOOKING AHEAD: Can this once-addictive show emerge from its slump? At least we won't miss the wooden performances of Barton.
• GRADE: C+
"Desperate Housewives"
• WHAT HAPPENED: Lynette learns that Tom has a kid from a long-ago one-night stand. Gabby discovers Carlos is sleeping with the maid. Mike buys Susan a wedding ring but withholds it because he thinks she still has a thing for Karl. Zach shuts off Noah's respirator and watches him die. Bree flees the mental institution in order to save Danielle from Matthew, who pulls a gun on Bree, but gets shot by the cops. And -- whew! -- Mike gets run down in the street by Orson.
• HIGH POINTS: Lots of wonderfully over-the-top moments, and Marcia Cross puts the capper on an Emmy-worthy season.
• LOW POINTS: Talk about plot-line overload!
• LOOKING AHEAD: This show needs to regain its Season 1 rhythm and get back to its core group of women.
• GRADE: B
QUICK TAKES:
• "Gilmore Girls" -- Lorelai and Luke in Splitsville? Ugh. (C+)
• "The Office" -- Pam and Jim finally kiss! (A)
• "Veronica Mars" -- One mystery solved and another beckons (B+)
• "CSI" -- Grissom and Sara hook up, How weird is that? (C+)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/entertainment/columnists/chuck_barney/14682406.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp
Critic’s Notebook
Unforgettable 'Everwood,' where character matters
By Maureen Ryan from the Chicago Tribune TV blog May 28, 2006
The people on "Everwood" are real to me.
They're not, obviously. They're fictional creations. I get that.
But over four seasons, the writers for this WB drama, which has been canceled by the new CW network and only airs two more Mondays, have managed the trickiest feat in television: They've created characters who are consistent and compelling, yet capable of real change.
Too often on television, the "changes" that characters go through aren't really changes. The characters aren't really evolving -- the writers just alter a show's inhabitants to suit the plot of the week.
Even some often-excellent shows have been incredibly inconsistent in this regard. One week, Lorelai Gilmore of "Gilmore Girls" is sane and wise, the next week, she's spouting the most pathetic, selfish drivel. One week Nate Fisher of "Six Feet Under" is a caring, empathic guy, the next week he's a thoughtless jerk. Don't even start me on "Nip/Tuck"; those poor actors were given such wildly different parts to play each week of Season 3 that it's a wonder the leads didn't suffer from whiplash.
Contrast those people with characters such as Commander Adama on "Battlestar Galactica," Al Swearengen on "Deadwood," Chloe O'Brian on "24" or Pam Beesley on "The Office." If you watch those shows consistently, you come to feel you know who those people are, down to the root of their souls. They're fictional but absolutely real, because the people who create and act these roles are meticulous in their attention to detail and disciplined about every gesture, every nuance, every step the character takes.
Of course, in real life, people don't act consistently. People will surprise you with the good and bad things they're capable of. But it's really tiresome to hear TV writers defend their sloppy writing and erratic characterizations as signs of "growth" and "change."
Characters exhibiting new facets of themselves, and struggling with new issues each week -- that can make for great TV. But characters acting like they've had a personality transplant each week -- that's just weak writing, and it drives me nuts when writers whine that viewers won't accept it when characters evolve. Too often viewers are asked to accept inconsistency and expediency born of bad planning as "evolution."
It's not as though characters have to be likable to keep our interest, either. The writers of "The Shield" have made Vic Mackey into the most compelling character on television partly because many of his actions are so wrong. Some weeks you want to write Mackey off as the murderer, adulterer and out-of-control vigilante that he can be. But then Mackey will do something selfless, something tender. And you can't look away from his struggle to be a better man.
"Everwood" has been refreshing thanks to a similar (though much less violent, obviously) commitment to showing the real messiness of change -- warts, epiphanies and all. In a lot of ways, Andy Brown, the lead character, is the same guy who first brought his family to the small Colorado town. He's often meddling, arrogant, clueless about how he comes off to others and a bit of a control freak. He's frequently made a mess of his dealings with his kids.
And he's also loving, compassionate and willing to forgo his own personal pride and comfort to help someone else out of a tough spot. In other words, he's a completely realistic mixture of good and bad qualities, with the good, as it usually does, outweighing the bad.
Over the past four seasons, Brown's remained that guy -- self-absorbed, clueless, caring and wonderfully sweet -- but he has evolved as well, in ways that make sense. He still spars with his kids, but at least he's willing to admit how wrong he can be. He's seen how being a control freak -- for example, he refused to tell his son Ephram that his girlfriend had given birth to Ephram's child -- rarely works out as planned. And he's opened up the heart that had been adamantly shut when his wife died.
His growth, and that of the other characters on the show, is priceless because every single bit of it has been earned. We've seen it. The writers haven't cheated; suddenly, guarded Andy Brown didn't wake up one morning, ready for an epic love affair to bloom. He is, though, ready to make that leap. Since day one, as creator Greg Berlanti has said, the story of "Everwood" has been, in large part, the story of Andy Brown learning to love again.
The loss of his wife is what made Brown re-examine his life and move his whole family to the mountain town of Everwood. In measured, complicated steps, the writers have moved Brown to the point where he could truly open up his heart once more. It'd be hard to imagine "Everwood" going off the air without Brown settled into a relationship with his next-door neighbor and great, if so far mostly unrequited, love, Nina Feeney.
When that does happen -- when Brown and Feeney do finally make it official -- I'll be watching, and quite probably crying. "Everwood" has made me cry more than just about any other show I've ever watched, aside from the first few years of "Six Feet Under."
But I don't regret a single tear; it's all been cathartic weeping. People (and I know I'm not the only one) cry while watching "Everwood" because the show depicts real people, in really tough situations. It doesn't give these people easy solutions to their problems, and when they triumph, even in a small way, it means something.
It would be easy to rail against the new CW network for not rewarding the complex, detailed and often funny people and stories of "Everwood" with another season. But that would go against the spirit of the show, which is, after all, about forgiveness. Brown learned to forgive his wife for dying, to forgive himself for making huge mistakes, and even the formerly angry Ephram has forgiven his dad for being a dolt at times.
So I choose to forgive the CW (though it's really hard to do so). But I won't forget "Everwood." And I sincerely hope that every new crop of writers in Hollywood rents DVDs of this series to see how quality television drama and compelling character development are created.
http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2006/05/unforgettable_e.html#more
TV Notebook
Reality TV, Ripening In the Heat of Summer
By Bill Carter The New York Times May 29, 2006
Memorial Day means the unofficial start of summer (white shoes permitted). But it also means the official start of another season: reality television season.
The kickoff was last Thursday, when Fox presented the first reality show of the summer, "So You Think You Can Dance," a talent competition for hoofers. That series jump-started the summer reality show monsoon one week early in a successful effort to grab some of the huge audience glued to the latest "American Idol" lollapalooza.
Reality shows play summer after summer because they provide two advantages: higher ratings than repeats and lower costs than new scripted shows. But the real standard for summer reality shows, of course, is making it into the regular season, and here their record is impressive.
Except for the summer of 2004, the four big networks have managed to find at least one reality show every summer since 1999 that could transfer to the more economically meaningful regular season. Some of those have been among the biggest discoveries of recent vintage, including "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" on ABC in 1999, "Survivor" on CBS in 2000, and the Godzilla of the genre, "American Idol" on Fox in 2002.
"We're all looking for the next megahit," said Craig Plestis, the senior vice president in charge of reality programming at NBC, which introduced "Fear Factor" during the summer of 2001. "I just don't want a megahit on the competition again."
ABC had the closest show of that stature last summer with "Dancing With the Stars,"which moved to the regular season and maintained strong ratings. That move turned out to be a masterstroke for Andrea Wong, ABC's top reality programming executive, who was alone in believing that a show about ballroom dancing could be a smash.
Summer is also the season where the networks experiment with unconventional ideas. Perhaps for that reason, the brief history of the summer reality show is dense with offerings that seemed too strange in concept, too narrow in appeal or plain goofy in execution. "It's the time when you can take some quirky shots with shows," said Kelly Kahl, the chief scheduling executive for CBS.
He might have been speaking of "Tuesday Night Book Club," certainly CBS's most offbeat idea for a reality show since "Big Brother." In this one, a group of real-life women from Scottsdale, Ariz. — all members of the same book club — let down their hair on all kinds of intimate topics, from marital problems to extramarital affairs. They even hold a Botox party. Mr. Kahl described it as "something like a real-life 'Desperate Housewives.' "
CBS's book club idea borrows from the segment of the reality genre that turns on real-life relationships, lately exemplified by "Laguna Beach" on MTV. ABC has a couple of shows along the same lines. "How to Get the Guy" follows four single women on a search for romance in San Francisco. Another series, "One Ocean View," will chronicle the adventures of single New Yorkers who leave the city each weekend for a house at the shore.
At NBC, which, Mr. Plestis acknowledged, has an aching need for a hit, the biggest summer hope is "America's Got Talent," not so much for its conventional premise (it is basically another talent show) as for who is behind it. The show is the latest brainstorm of Simon Cowell of "American Idol," except this one celebrates talents that go far beyond singing.
That's the offbeat angle. Mr. Plestis said the show would include conventional performers, like bands and comedians, but also acts like "Johnny Fast Fingers," who plays songs on his hands, and "a pirate act that involves a horse." The winner will get $1 million.
NBC is so confident of "America's Got Talent" — or perhaps in Mr. Cowell — that it has already announced that the show will return in January on Sunday nights. Mr. Plestis, noting that Regis Philbin has signed on as host, said NBC simply believes the show "has a certain magic to it."
Of course if "America's Got Talent" falters, NBC's commitment to bring the show back will evaporate. In that case the network hopes its other new entry, a show called "Treasure Hunters," breaks through. This reality series will send teams of three people around the world, picking up clues to a central mystery. If it does succeed, it will most likely be because of the overt connection NBC is making between the show and a certain popular book.
"It's 'The Da Vinci Code' more than anything else," Mr. Plestis said of the marketing approach.
NBC's other summer reality series is "Last Comic Standing," which had been evolving into a summer staple until the network tried to move it into the regular season. It flopped. Now it is back in the summer.
CBS has always tempered its expectations for "Big Brother," which has remained purely a summer success. According to Mr. Kahl, "it is very profitable."
After finding a breakout hit, making money off summer shows is the second-biggest goal. Reality series still have lower costs than scripted shows, though they no longer qualify as dirt-cheap programming. Most reality series approach a production cost of $1 million an hour, about a third less than a scripted hour.
Networks must shelve summer repeats of scripted series to make room for the reality shows. Since the repeats of scripted shows do not incur additional costs, reality shows that replace them need to generate enough advertising revenue to cover their price tag.
The added benefit of solid summer reality shows is that they increase a network's audience. That allows a network to promote its coming fall shows to more people. CBS, for example, welcomes the steady ratings for the three plays a week of "Big Brother" even though they often displace a series that would repeat well.
The network was also pleased last summer with "Rock Star," a new addition from the "Survivor" producer, Mark Burnett. Although that show did not explode into a hit that could jump to the regular season, it did pull in younger viewers whom CBS does not usually attract.
Mr. Burnett is bringing "Rock Star" back this summer, which holds a weekly audition for a lead singer in a new band made up of artists from big acts like Mötley Crüe (Tommy Lee) and Metallica (Jason Newsted).
That series and "America's Got Talent" fit into an expanding reality category, the talent show. ABC has two summer talent series. One is "The One: Making a Music Star," containing most of the familiar elements of "Idol" except that the contestants will also live together (an element that "Rock Star" added last year).
The other ABC talent series is "Masters and Champions," which sets up weird contests (like interpretive pizza tossing) among professional stunt people.
The fifth ABC summer series falls into a category that the network pioneered, principally with "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" — the "feel-good show." In "Buy It Now," needy families will chase a dream by putting some prized heirloom up for auction on eBay. Others in their extended family or community will also put up valuable possessions, and if enough money is raised on the Web auction, the needy family's drea