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fredfa

02-23-07, 04:49 PM

B] TV Notebook[/B]
The Nielsen Guide To The Academy Awards
(Almost) Everything You Need To Know About Oscar®

Several Nielsen businesses – including Nielsen EDI, Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen BookScan, Nielsen Media Research, Nielsen Monitor-Plus, Nielsen//NetRatings, Nielsen BuzzMetrics, and Scarborough Research – today released a wide range of consumer and media information illustrating the enormous impact that the Academy Awards has on the U.S. (Please see full PDF download for all charts concerning this release.)
As the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences prepares to announce the Oscar winners in Hollywood, California on February 25, Nielsen has combined data on box-office receipts, album sales, television ratings, advertising trends, Internet measurement, and lifestyle information of Academy Award nominees from this year and past years. Among the findings:

• Box Office figures for Best Picture nominees show an impressive increase after their nominations are announced.
• The Academy Awards on ABC Network continues to be one of the highest rated TV events of the year, with last year’s award show attracting more than 39 million U.S. viewers.
• The cost for a 30-second advertisement reached an all-time high in 2006, while traditional advertiser categories continued to dominate the broadcast.
• Academy Award nominees saw a sharp increase in visits to their Web sites in the weeks prior to the award ceremony. Oscar related buzz on the Internet showed Best Actor/Actress nominees Helen Mirren and Forest Whitaker most dominant in online conversations in blogs.
• In many cases, performances during the Oscar telecast will significantly impact album sales. With the “Dreamgirls” soundtrack already standing out as one of this year’s best selling albums, this could be one of those years.
• Fans who tune into the televised broadcast are more likely to be married and female and more ‘news savvy’, according to Scarborough Research.

Box Office Sales (Nielsen EDI)

How much of an impact do Academy Award nominations have on the distribution and ticket sales for the nominated movies? Comparing the number of theatres showing each movie and ticket sales before and after the nominations were announced on January 23rd shows significant increases in most cases.
Having very impressive gross sales are not a requirement for a nominee in the top categories. For example, Letters from Iwo Jima, in movie theaters for 8 weeks, earned only $8 million at the U.S. box office through Feb 11, while fellow nominee The Departed pulled in close to $129 million since its release.
The Best Picture award winner of 2006 Crash saw a 27.3% lift in DVD unit sales in the 7-weeks after it was nominated. Crash also saw a 143% increase in DVD unit sales in the 7-weeks after it won Best Picture (compared to the 7-weeks before its Oscar win). This year, most nominated movies were not available on DVD by the time the Academy announced its nominations.

DVD Sales (Nielsen VideoScan)

The Best Picture award winner of 2006 Crash saw a 27.3% lift in DVD unit sales in the 7-weeks after it was nominated. Crash also saw a 143% increase in DVD unit sales in the 7-weeks after it won Best Picture (compared to the 7-weeks before its Oscar win). This year, most nominated movies were not available on DVD by the time the Academy announced its nominations.

Music Sales (Nielsen SoundScan and Analysis by Billboard’s Geoff Mayfield)

If sales of the single-disc Dreamgirls soundtrack were combined with those of the two-disc deluxe version, it would be the second best selling album of 2007 with 432,000 copies sold since the beginning of the year through Feb. 11, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The single-disc version spent two weeks at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 734,000 copies since its Dec. 5 release, 348,000 of those since the start of this year. The deluxe version has scanned another 162,000 since it reached stores Dec. 5. Three of this year’s Original Song nominees appear on the Dreamgirls albums.

This year nominees, ranked by digital sales to date:

• “Listen” (Dreamgirls): 173,000
• “Love You Like I Do” (Dreamgirls): 30,000
• “I Need to Wake Up” (An Inconvenient Truth): 23,000
• “Our Town” (Cars): 21,000
• “Patience”, three versions (Dreamgirls): 6,000 (most of them Eddie Murphy's version)

The biggest selling film soundtrack of 2006: Curious George by Jack Johnson, selling 1.1 million copies from its Feb. 7, 2006 release through the end of the year. It was the fourth best selling soundtrack of the year, trailing three Disney Channel-related albums.

The best selling soundtrack in Nielsen SoundScan history: The Bodyguard, selling 11.8 million since its release, Nov. 10, 1992.

In some years, the Oscars have a negligible impact on sales. However, if it’s a year when Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young each perform songs from Philadelphia, the impact on that album can be stunning. In 1994, that soundtrack more than doubled after the Oscars (from 32,000 to 77,000 copies), which translated into a 34-12 jump on The Billboard 200.

Last year, after Gustavo Santaolalla won for Original Score, the soundtrack from Brokeback Mountain saw a 61% gain, good for a 148-83 jump on The Billboard 200, while Hustle & Flow, with the winning song by Three 6 Mafia, posted the chart’s largest percentage gain, as a 77% increase took that soundtrack 143-73.

TV Viewership (Nielsen Media Research)

In 2006, an average of 39 million Americans tuned in to the ABC Network to watch the Academy Awards. The event averaged a 23.1% household rating, down slightly from the previous years.

Over the past ten years, the most-watched Academy Award broadcast was in 1998 when Titanic was voted Best Picture, which drew 55 million viewers for an average household rating of 34.9%. The lowest rated in recent years was the 2003 Academy Awards when Chicago was voted Best Picture, with only 20 percent of U.S. homes tuned into the telecast.

In local U.S. markets, the highest overall local rating in 2006 – at nearly 37% -- was in New York. The second largest local TV audience, with an average of 34%, was in Chicago. (See TV Ratings chart at right – note that local TV ratings are based on Live+7).

Advertising Trends (Nielsen Monitor-Plus)

Nielsen Monitor-Plus, the global advertising intelligence service of Nielsen Media Research analyzed ad spending for the movies that have been nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Actor.

Best Motion Picture and Best Director

Over $83 million was spent on advertising in the U.S. for the Best Motion Picture nominees from January – November 2006. Almost half was spent on The Departed, which was also nominated for Best Director. Spending for Little Miss Sunshine, The Queen, and Babel ranged from $11.9 to $16.4 million, while Letters from Iwo Jima had no advertising activity at all in the U.S. Advertising spending for the movies in the Best Director category totaled $94.4 million. Once again, The Departed led the way with over $40 million in advertising dollars spent.

Best Actress and Best Actor

The movies nominated in the Best Actress category collectively spent $40.5 million in advertising dollars in January – November of last year. The Devil Wears Prada had more than half of the spending at $22.3 million. Volver and Notes on a Scandal had smaller ad budgets, each spending under $1 million.

The films in the Best Actor category spent even less on advertising than the Best Actress movies. In total, these films spent $33.5 million, with nearly 60% all ad dollars going to Blood Diamond ($19.9). As in the Best Actress category, two of the five nominated films spent under $1 million in advertising: Half Nelson ($331, 327) and Venus ($241,728).

The 2006 Academy Award ceremony had a total of 24½ commercial minutes during the televised broadcast on ABC Network, with General Motors airing 4 minutes of commercials (spending a total of $13.17 million).

Instead of focusing on Cadillac as it has in years past, in 2006 GM also promoted its Hummer, Saab, and Yukon vehicles. L’Oreal, which became a major advertiser in 2005, aired 3½ minutes of ads in 2006, double the amount than the year before. L’Oreal spent $11.53 million in 2006. The third largest advertiser in 2006 was Coca-Cola, which replaced Pepsi as the exclusive soft drink company. Coca-Cola spent $9.8 million to advertise their Diet Coke and Tab brands for 3 minutes. Total advertising revenue for the event was $80.7 million.

Average Cost for a 30-second Commercial

The cost for a 30-second commercial has increased 27.5% over the five-year period since 2002 ($1.29 million in 2002 to $1.65 million in 2006). Although the cost per commercial varies, total advertising expenditures during the program shows a steady increase.

Lifestyle Characteristics of Academy Award Watcher (Scarborough Research)

Scarborough Research, a media and marketing service which measures lifestyle behaviors of American consumers, found that Academy Award watchers are 16% more likely to be female than the national average, and men are 17% less likely to have watched the Academy Awards last year. More than half (57%) of those who have watched the Awards ceremony on TV last year are married, while nearly one-quarter (24%) are single or never married.

Thirty-five percent of all Academy Award watchers typically watch national/network news, and are 36% more likely to watch news magazines. The fact that they are ‘news savvy’ may further suggest their participation and involvement with voting and politics. 83% of all Academy Award watchers are registered to vote and 76% always vote in presidential elections. The political affiliations of Academy Award watchers is 35% Democrat, 28% Republican, 9% Independent, 9% Independent but feel closer to Democrat, 6% Independent but feel closer to Republican and 14% are not affiliated with any party.

• Source: The Nielsen Company

fredfa

02-23-07, 05:10 PM

Critic’s Notebook
'O.C.' and out
By Rob Owen Pittsburgh Post-Gazette TV Editor in his blog “Tuned In” Friday, February 23, 2007

Goodbye to "The O.C.," word-that-rhymes-with-"witch"-that-they-won't-let-me-use-on-a-PG-site.

The pop culture phenomenon burned bright and fast in its four years on the air, morphing from hip, trend-setting teen drama and inheritor to the "90210" throne to over-the-hill has-been in near-record time. The tastes of young viewers are nothing if not fickle.

"The O.C." started and ended strong and had two lackluster seasons in between. Though most of the audience had abandoned the show, those who stuck around for the final season were treated to a blissfully Marissa (Mischa Barton)-free, reinvigorated series that found new creative blood in the relationship between Ryan (Ben McKenzie) and Taylor (Autumn Reeser) and a newly-socially conscious Summer (Rachel Bilson).

With a (merciful) return to the show's original, more upbeat theme song, creator Josh Schwartz wrote last night's series finale that sent the series off in light, fizzy style -- the show's best tone. It's not an earth-shattering, artful series finale (not a "St. Elsewhere" or "Newhart" of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" or "Six Feet Under"), but it does honor the show's history, its characters and the desires of its fans in terms of couplings.

Six months after an earthquake, the Cohens have to search for a new home, which takes them back to the house Sandy (Peter Gallagher) and Kirsten (Kelly Rowan) lived in in Berkeley, where Kirsten goes into labor and one of the current owners, half of a gay couple, turns out to be a midwife (the other is a wedding planner, which comes in handy later). Sophie Rose Cohen is born; Seth says she looks like "a squished meatball."

Seth (Adam Brody) and Summer have become obsessed with a new TV show called "Briefcase or No Briefcase," a nod to one-time competition, "Deal or No Deal." Summer's also amazed to read that "The Valley," the teen drama within "The O.C.'s" teen drama, got picked up for five more seasons.

"You know, those teen dramas run forever," Summer says in a bit of wishful thinking.

Julie Cooper Nichol Roberts (Melinda Clarke) is about to marry The Bullet, even though she's pregnant with Ryan's father's child. Kaitlin (Willa Holland) contrives to get her mom and Frank back together again. Summer gives Julie a locket with a picture of her dead daughter, Marissa, inside. Frank, Ryan's dad (Kevin Sorbo), interrupts the wedding via cell phone.

"Awww, that woman is like nailing Jell-O to the wall," The Bullet complains.

Julie frets ("Not now, Kaitlin, you're mom's trying to figure out who to marry") and ultimately chooses to stay single and enroll in college.

In the end, Seth and Summer go their separate ways so they can each grow independently. But a future flash forward shows them marrying eventually, suggests Ryan and Taylor remain connected and that Ryan took the lessons Sandy Cohen taught him to heart: He sees a wayward teen, not unlike himself when "The O.C." began, and, concerned, asks, "Hey kid, you need help?"

It's a conclusion that brings the show full circle, not a bad way to end.

• • • • • • • • • • •

'Anatomy' of predictability: Yes, Shonda Rhimes and company are sure doing different TV, if by different you mean the same plot used on "The Sopranos" last season when Tony almost died after getting shot by Uncle Junior (which at least had the virtue of being more of a shock and lacked having an executive producer bragging about the plot twist).

Needless to say, Meredith Grey did not die and didn't even suffer brain damage from being without oxygen for a prolonged period (then again, we are talking about Meredith, so if she did get brain damage, it would be hard to tell). Her mother did pass on but that was probably best for all concerned.

So Meredith lives, the ferry disaster is forgotten (except for Karev's patient) and I'm still out three hours of my life from this three-parter. Seriously.

http://www.post-gazette.com/tv/tunedin/

shuttermaker

02-23-07, 05:36 PM

Nielsen Notebook
ABC's `Lost' can't find way to keep audience
By Phil Rosenthal Chicago Tribune Media Columnist February 23, 2007

The drama that began with a plane crash is plummeting faster than Britney Spears.

ABC's "Lost," once the darling of the television industry, almost as popular as it was impenetrable, has bled viewers since returning from a three-month hiatus. This week's episode was up 110,000 viewers from last week's all-time low of 12.84 million, but it's still a far cry from the days when the cryptic series routinely drew more than 20 million viewers.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/columnists/chi-0702230173feb23,0,7251689,print.column

I think that all these columnists that keep dogging "Lost" for losing viewers and complicated and ever multiplying plot twists should be sent a copy of Matt Roush's last Q&A column.

I think he is right on with his views on this show. Ratings are leveling out and the committed viewers are being identified. So many columnists have commented on the clear downfall of "Lost", it makes you wonder if they read anything more than their own work.

fredfa

02-23-07, 05:57 PM

I think that all these columnists that keep dogging "Lost" for losing viewers and complicated and ever multiplying plot twists should be sent a copy of Matt Roush's last Q&A column.

I think he is right on with his views on this show. Ratings are leveling out and the committed viewers are being identified. So many columnists have commented on the clear downfall of "Lost", it makes you wonder if they read anything more than their own work.

You could be right, but I think a minor increase (well within the mragin of polling error) up from an all-time low is hardly worth saying the ratings are "leveling out".

On a week to week basis there is little reason for ptimism about the total viewer numbers, although the 18-49 demo, which is also slipping, has been staying relatively healthy.

I suspect the critics are simply reacting to the overzealousness of some "Lost" fans who have taken interest in their show to sometimes excessive levels. Not that they are alone -- check out some boards about some of the ratings-challenged CW shows. (Oops, "ratings-challenged" and "The CW" seems to be redundant.)

Personally, I get a little weary of being bombarded by PMs if I dare to post ratings news about a show which sends the email writers into a tizzy (and not just about "Lost", of course).

But to be fair, many critics (and many people on the various "Lost" blogs) do seem unhappy with the overall trend in the show over the past season and a half. And that is in the direction of the story line and the writing itself -- not just the ratings.

But posting Roush, which I love to do, as well as some of the other critics, lets readers get a range of opinions and then judge judge for themselves what seems to make sense.

(And that, in the end, is what this thread is all about. Just as I posted Rob Owen a little earlier -- with a comment about "Grey's" which I disagree with heartily.)

To get back to your comment, shuttermaker, I think there are few critics who don't keep an eye on what Matt writes.

fredfa

02-23-07, 07:04 PM

(I am giving you fair warning!)
TV Notebook
Could Sunday's Oscars Be Longest Ever?
Right Now, Show Cutting, Cutting, Cutting
By Nikki Finke deadlinehollywood.com February 23, 2007

Sunday night's Academy Awards telecast could end up the longest on record. That's the prediction I've been given by one VIP who helps oversee this 79th Oscars and is therefore in a position to know.

Sad but probably true, since this year's producer is Laura Ziskin (Spider-Man) who was responsible for bringing in the 74th show at what was then a record 4 hours and 23 minutes. Yikes, is the Academy trying to drive away TV viewers?

But I've also received a phone call tonight from an insider working on the show assuring me that today’s) rehearsal clocked in at only 3 hours, 41 minutes long.

"Right now, the show is cutting, cutting, cutting. We're chipping away at the package," the insider explained, saying the producers are determined to bring it in at under 4 hours. (Haven't we all heard that before...)

The year of Ziskin's record-setting lengthy telecast, the Academy gave away each of its three testimonial awards: the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, and the Honorary Award for lifetime achievement.

After that fiasco, the Academy decreed that no more than two testimonial awards could be presented in any year. This time around, two of the three testimonials will be handed out: Sherry Lansing, the former chairman of Paramount, will receive the Hersholt, and composer-conductor Ennio Morricone will receive the Honorary.

These ceremonies eat up broadcast time. That is what's leading some to predict a too-long show, along with the very elaborate musical production numbers built around all the Dreamgirls' songs which are nominated.

Today, a few celeb presenters attended the run-through at Hollywood's Kodak Theater. Friday, the musical numbers will be practiced. Saturday, almost all the presenters show up for their rehearsal.

(This was when stars would pick up their swag, thus ensuring their presence. But the Academy canceled its Oscar gift baskets after the IRS demanded unpaid taxes on them. This year, there are retreats and experiences for the glitterati.)

Then Sunday is the show itself.

I'm told that, although ABC would love to snip-snip, the network can't exert any real influence over the length of the show because it already has a long-term contract with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

I think ABC should pay AMPAS more to shorten the telecast. At the very least, the Academy should bring in an actual TV producer to revamp the show. (Imagine what Mr. Reality TV himself, Mark Burnett, would do: Losers leave immediately for Exile Island.)

The Emmys just hired American Idol's producers and directors for its awards show.

Little wonder that in most foreign countries, the Oscars are pared to a one-hour telecast.

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/sundays-oscar-telecast-could-be-longest-ever/

dad1153

02-23-07, 09:05 PM

TV Notebook
Could Sunday's Oscars Be Longest Ever?
Right Now, Show Cutting, Cutting, Cutting
By Nikki Finke deadlinehollywood.com February 23, 2007

Little wonder that in most foreign countries, the Oscars are pared to a one-hour telecast.

When I was growing-up in El Salvador televised American ceremonies like the Oscars, Miss Universe pageants and similar English-only programming were aired a week later with one lone off-camera announcer dubbing everything said by the participants to Spanish. For the longest time I thought that Bob Barker spoke Spanish and had the same voice as the guy hosting the local variety TV show. :rolleyes:

fredfa

02-23-07, 09:06 PM

TV Notebook
My 8 Spoilers On Oscar Telecast;
(Don't Read If You Want To Stay Surprised)
By Nikki Finke deadlinehollywood.com February 23, 2007

WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD: Few things in Hollywood are more fun than revealing the surprises which the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences have planned for the 79th Oscar telecast. Especially because AMPAS is such a bunch of tight-asses. So here come the secrets. But, remember, don't read further if you want to stay unspoiled until Sunday night:

1. This first secret is big. Huge. Gigantic. It's that Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, and George Lucas together will be presenting the Best Director award this too-long telecast. What a gimmick. It'll be interesting for Hollywood to watch the interplay among them. (If I'm murdered overnight, then the Academy did it.)

2. I can reveal another secret which the Academy is keeping -- that Tom Cruise will be presenting the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to ex-Paramount mogul Sherry Lansing. (This year, the Academy took the unusual step of not announcing which awards the celeb presenters will give out. This was done supposedly to heighten the suspense. As if...) Having Tom and Sherry do this together is an inside joke for Hollywood. Because both were shown the door at Paramount by parent company boss, Viacom's Sumner Redstone. Trust me, Hollywood is going to get a kick out of this, even if the folks watching at home may not understand its significance. (Then again, the Oscars are always filled with inside jokes enjoyed by the Industry alone.) Of course, Lansing greenlighted many Cruise films during her years at Paramount, where Tom's production company used to have its home. So the choice makes sense. But it's also a corporate laugh riot.

3. Here's another spoiler: Oscar telecast producer Laura Ziskin and Dreamgirls director Bill Condon have planned that each of the Dreamgirls -- Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson, and Anika Noni Rose -- will sing each others' songs from the movie. That's a cool concept: nothing's more boring than having the person you expect do the singing. Or maybe Beyoncé wants a crack at singing Jennifer's songs. Who knows... (But I can knock down right now one rumor flying around which I'll mention just because it's so assinine: that Michael Jackson will sing one of the songs from Dreamgirls. Thankfully, not even the Academy is that blind to the PR disaster of an MJ appearance on the Academy Awards. It's not happening.) Diana Ross, on whose life the Motown musical is loosely based, was asked to sing one of the Dreamgirls songs on the Oscars. But she said no, telling the producers, "I'm not interested in promoting that movie." She still claims she hasn't seen it.

4. Here's another secret: I'm told that there's a big change in the order that the awards will be presented. The Best Supporting Actor and Actress awards will NOT be presented in the up-front portion of the show, as in previous years. Instead, none of the acting awards will be given out until the last third of the telecast. The Academy is doing this, I understand, because Oscar viewership starts out strong and then wanes. Ziskin is hoping that this will keep the audience glued to the entire broadcast hour after hour. But I understand this decision was hotly disputed because it breaks with tradition. All I can say is that now there's not much reason to watch the beginning of the show, either.

5. I can also report that, after a few years absence, three members of the longstanding Oscars' comedic writing team are back together on the job: Bruce Vilanch, Carrie Fisher and Carol Leifer. This is great news for Sunday's telecast because their quick wits make the show that much more livelier and topical. They'd been individually helping -- for Chris Rock or Jon Stewart -- but not as a trio. FYI, they have not written Ellen DeGeneres' opening monologue.

6. Ellen DeGeneres is writing the opening monologue on her own and with her own team. I hear she has decreed it won't be political or mean-spirited. (But expect Vilanch & Fisher & Leifer to insert plenty of references to politics and pop culture into the rest of the show. Because Hollywood expects them.)

7. Speaking of Ellen, I can provide you with another nugget: the Oscar telecast kicks off with an expensive and "inspired piece of CGI trickery", I'm told. Along with other movie scenes from other studios in which she inserts herself, Ellen DeGeneres will be dancing with the Happy Feet penguins. You see, Ellen dances on her talk show, the birds dance in the movie, so we're supposedly talking synergy. Especially since Warner Bros., which is the producer of both the toon and Ellen's syndicated series, spent an enormous amount of money to make this segment happen and hired Happy Feet director George Miller to do it. (DVD out next month.)

8. And, the Oscar broadcast will feature some clip packages directed by top names in Hollywood. Among them, Michael Mann (Miami Vice, Ali, The Insider) looks at how America is portrayed in the movies, and Nancy Meyers (The Holiday, Something's Gotta Give, What Women Want) examines how writers have been depicted in films. I can tell you about the latter: as ink-stained wretches. (Remember Barton Fink?) Believe me, this is when the Kodak Theater audience will laugh the loudest.

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/

fredfa

02-24-07, 02:10 AM

The Business of Television
Record Fine Expected for Univision
By STEPHEN LABATON The New York Times February 24, 2007

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 — When Univision began broadcasting a show three years ago about the misadventures of 11-year-old identical twin girls who swapped identities after discovering they had been separated at birth, it characterized the episodes as educational programming for children.

That decision is expected to cost Univision, the nation’s largest Hispanic network, $24 million in what would be the largest fine the Federal Communications Commission has ever imposed against any company. The penalty is also expected to send a strong signal to broadcasters that they will be expected to meet their required quota of shows that educate and inform children, after years of permissive oversight in this area.

The commission has decided to impose the heavy fine — disclosed by Kevin J. Martin, the chairman of the commission, in an interview — as a tough rebuke to Univision for claiming to meet its obligations to broadcast educational children’s programs by showing the Latino soap opera “Complices al Rescate” (“Friends to the Rescue”) and other so-called telenovelas.

The penalty, part of a settlement that will allow the company to proceed with a buyout deal, is nearly three times the previous record fine of $9 million, imposed against Qwest Communications for violating telephone interconnection rules in 2004, and significantly more than the largest indecency penalty, $3.5 million, levied against Viacom that same year for remarks by Howard Stern and other so-called shock jocks on the radio.

It also represents an unusually aggressive enforcement of the 1996 regulations that interpreted the Children’s Television Act. Those regulations, adopted after some broadcasters characterized cartoons like “The Flintstones” and “The Jetsons” to be educational programs, imposed more substantive requirements on the networks as they comply with the mandate to broadcast at least three hours a week of programs of intellectual value to young people.

Although some television critics say it is common for stations not to comply, only a handful of complaints have been filed. An even smaller number have resulted in modest penalties of several thousand dollars for stations found to have violated the rules.

Reflecting the views of many policy leaders in Washington who were appointed by President Bush, Mr. Martin said that he was committed to deregulation “and an environment where companies can be investing and competing and driving innovation.” But he also said that he was not driven simply by ideology, and that there remain important areas where thorough regulation plays a valuable social role.

“I generally think consumers are better served by less regulation, not more,” he said in an interview. “But I also think the commission has a key role to play in some areas, such as children’s television, and I take those obligations seriously.”

The agency under Mr. Martin adopted new rules last year to make the children’s television programming requirements apply to new digital television stations.

The $24 million fine, along with a plan to show more programming that would comply with the rules, are part of a consent decree that Univision has tentatively agreed to that would resolve complaints by viewers. It covers violations at 24 Univision stations over a 116-week period from 2004 to early last year.

Mr. Martin has already signed onto the decree. Once the full commission approves it, as expected, Univision will be able to complete its $12 billion sale to a consortium of private equity firms. Those investors include Providence Equity Partners, where a senior executive is Michael K. Powell, the former F.C.C. chairman, and Haim Saban, a wealthy investor who built a major business on the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers action figures.

Lawyers representing Univision before the commission declined to comment about the case.

The fine was applauded by some Democrats in Congress who have long been dissatisfied with the agency for failing to press broadcasters to provide higher- quality programming for children.

“As the prime House author of the Children’s Television Act, I am pleased the commission is pursuing serious and vigorous enforcement of violations,” said Representative Edward J. Markey, the Massachusetts Democrat who heads the House subcommittee on telecommunications and the Internet. “This is a particularly egregious case and the level of the proposed fine reflects it. Rather than giving kids programming that is educationally nourishing, Univision elected to give them the Spanish-language equivalent of a soap opera..”

The case dates to the summer of 2005, when the United Church of Christ raised concerns about Univision’s programming lineup, complaining that it was failing to provide adequate children’s programs. The network claimed it was meeting its obligation by repeatedly rebroadcasting the same episodes of the telenovela. The commission’s staff found that 24 stations had violated the programming guidelines over a two-year period.

Angela J. Campbell, a telecommunications expert at Georgetown University Law Center who represents the church, appeared stunned by the decision.

“Assuming it’s true, I’m pleased to see the commission finally taking action and I hope they will take action soon on other petitions we have filed in this area,” Professor Campbell said. “Broadcasters need to know that they have to take these obligations to children seriously.”

Univision had maintained that it satisfied its programming obligations for children by broadcasting several telenovelas, including “Complices al Rescate”

“A significant purpose and key educational objective of this program is to illustrate how friendship, love and kindness can help overcome life’s adversities,” the network’s lawyers said in their brief before the commission. “ ‘Complices al Rescate’ follows the lives of two 11-year-old girls, Silvana and Mariana, who have both experienced sadness, loss and injustice in their lives. Throughout the shows, the girls learn to appreciate that happiness is not found in popularity and money, but in true friendship, good will towards others and love.”

But Mr. Martin said the commission found little merit to that argument, and critics said the show, with complex subplots and occasional adult themes, had little value for young children.

In an affidavit accompanying the United Church’s complaint, Federico Subervi, a media consultant to such shows as “Dora the Explorer” and “The Misadventures of Maya and Miguel” said that “Complices” contained many adult plots and complex themes that were hardly suitable for young children.

As further evidence that the program did not comply with the rules, Mr. Subervi noted that 80 percent of the advertising during the show was geared toward adults.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/business/24fcc.html?_r=1&hp=&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print

Maestro J

02-24-07, 08:40 AM

archiguy

02-24-07, 10:06 AM

Interesting tidbits. If true, I don't like that they are rearranging the awards order. I always thought it was cool that it started out with supporting actors/actress awards - it just kind of set the tone for the evening. Now the first 2 hours are going to be a bore.

DVR. It's the only way to watch this thing.

fredfa

02-24-07, 10:26 AM

Maybe even set the DVR to start at 9:30 -- if the shows DOES run 4:31, that will still give you plenty of show to see.

Frankly I have little interest this year. But then I am a very parochial guy: no TV, little interest.

fredfa

02-24-07, 11:06 AM

Here is the overview of an excellent and in-depth report on the technological state of a number of major networks.
Technology Notebook
What Networks Want To Buy
By Staff BroadcastingCable.com February 26, 2007

The industry converges at the National Association of Broadcasters Show April 14-19 in Las Vegas. A massive technology bazaar, the NAB Show is where more than 100,000 attendees will pore over the latest technology offered by 1,500 vendors.

That's why Broadcasting & Cable annually asks the top network technology executives to tell us what they will be scouting for on the exhibit floor.

This year, many networks are still trying to fill gaps in their hi-def plans. Others say they will be shopping for new equipment to extend their brands into the broadband field.

That's a sure sign of the industry's migration to new platforms—the buzzword and the reality of the media world in 2007.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6419256

fredfa

02-24-07, 11:08 AM

Technology Notebook
ABC revisits old problems
By Glen Dickson BroadcastingCable.com February 26, 2007

Although it's a new year, ABC will be tackling old problems at NAB: replacing first-generation 720-line-progressive (720p) HDTV playout gear and finding a camcorder format that can take ABC News into the hi-def future.

"Our issues are exactly the same as last year," says Preston Davis, president of ABC Broadcast Operations & Engineering. ABC will canvass the floor with some 55 staffers, he adds.

One outstanding problem is finding an HD program-playout server that can replace aging Panasonic tape decks and interface with ABC's existing Harris automation software.

Although there are numerous options on the market, Davis still finds current products lacking in key areas. "With some of the servers, timecode recognition is still an issue, and reliability is still an issue," he says. "Nothing has met our criteria yet."

ABC uses file-based systems for ingesting and editing content, but Davis isn't ready to leap into fully IT-based operations just yet.

"We're still more in the traditional space of routers and converter technologies," he says. "Part of our issue is that we have a legacy plant with some life in it. So we're not trying to force the obsolescence of our existing facility but, in a limited way, to spend capital to embrace new technologies. I think there's a comfortable marriage we can achieve between the two."

Another technology that needs to interface to existing systems is whatever camera format ABC News chooses to replace aging Sony Betacam SP, SX and IMX gear. Although the Sony cameras and tape decks still work, maintenance costs are rising, and, says Davis, "there's no question the news division is feeling the pressure to move to a later-generation technology."

ABC has evaluated systems from Panasonic, Sony and Grass Valley but still hasn't found a high-definition camcorder available today that interfaces seamlessly with the network's existing Avid editing systems.

"That hasn't moved very far in a year," says Davis. "There's been some progress made by the players, but we have not seen an end-to-end solution for any cameras with Avid. We've seen them take disc and flash memory to it, but we have not seen it working in a way that satisfies us."

He says JVC's ProHD HDV-format camera, which records in native 720p and has been used by Good Morning America and some ABC affiliates for live production, is definitely in the running.

ABC is considering whether to expand its HD news offerings beyond GMA, particularly since NBC plans to launch NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams in HD next month. So ABC will be investigating HD satellite newsgathering and microwave systems, as well as HD graphics.

The network is successfully using Snell & Wilcox Kahuna production switchers to mix SD and HD sources but will still seek new HD switchers and routers at NAB. ABC is also evaluating traffic software, in order to replace an aging, home-grown system, along with content-management tools.

"That's something I think all broadcasters are searching for," says Davis, "a media-asset–management solution from ingest to playout to archiving that tracks the movement of assets through the plant."

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6419256

fredfa

02-24-07, 11:09 AM

Technology Notebook
CNN ramps up for HD launch
By Craig Kuhl BroadcastingCable.com February 26, 2007

The shopping list for CNN's newsgathering production group will be top-heavy with HDTV gear, tapeless cameras and repurposing equipment to meet the growing needs of mobile platforms.

"Each layer of our production process is on our NAB shopping list—from newsgathering to control rooms," says Bob Hesskamp, corporate VP of broadcast engineering and system technology for CNN.

Yet while CNN is continually challenged to acquire equipment for newsgathering and producing news on a global basis, nothing is more important this year than HD-related equipment. CNN intends to launch an all-HD channel this year.

"We are replacing our equipment with HD-capable or HD-ready," says Hesskamp, "and will look at the latest and greatest in HD production equipment at NAB, along with up- and down-stream converters and better tools. Those are big deals for us."

From tapeless field cameras to studio production gear, the migration to an all-HD format is deeply embedded in CNN's long-term production strategy.

It changes the way technologists think. Says John Courtney, VP of CNN's News Division Media Group, "For us, to begin working in the HD space takes lots of planning and training. We have to think long-term. HD forces you to look at everything. For example, switches. You can't just plug in switches in the HD world. The same is true with field and editing environments."

System-monitoring equipment is also on CNN's list, along with advanced monitors. "We're aware that CRTs are going away," Hesskamp says. "We want to see what monitor makers are doing with LCDs to replace CRT technology."

Courtney keeps a close eye on multiple-platform equipment as it repurposes content for mobile phones and the Internet. "The increased complexity of multiple files and codecs is a big issue," he says. "We're looking at products in those areas."

CNN's visit to NAB gives executives a chance to see where the business is headed, and Courtney and Hesskamp say it gives them the opportunity to find a technological diamond in the rough.

"We can't take steps back when moving to HD, and major vendors are offering a variety of products," says Hesskamp, "but we're also looking at new kids on the block, and that will be interesting at NAB.

"Sometimes," he continues, "we find gems within the vendor community at NAB."

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6419256

fredfa

02-24-07, 11:09 AM

Technology Notebook
ESPN Dresses Up Its L.A. Facility
By Craig Kuhl BroadcastingCable.com February 26, 2007

ESPN's new facility in the Los Angeles area, scheduled to be completed by 2009, is prompting the giant sports network to take a close look at emerging technologies and equipment at this year's NAB show, particularly HDTV and graphics.

And although the network already has an HD showplace in at its Bristol, Conn., facility, it views the NAB show as an opportunity to explore new technology trends: IPTV and audio advances that may enhance its new L.A. digs.

"We're looking at HD production gear, routing and switching equipment for the new facility and will keep an eye on trends from manufacturers, especially with the 1080-progressive TV sets," says Chuck Pagano, executive VP of technology for ESPN. "We'll also be looking at production workflow in manufacturing and product processes across the board."

Graphics will be high on Pagano's list of must-see technologies. Says Pagano, "We'll look at those, along with delivering data to fans and customers as HD evolves."

For Pagano, it's as if Book One of the HD saga is complete. There are now enough producers and at-home consumers to have tested hi-def's capacity and acceptance levels. Time for a new story.

"We are very interested to see what manufacturers are coming out with at NAB for HD," Pagano says. "We're intrigued by where the next-generation production gear is headed in HD. The biggest question is where the HD production journey is going to take us."

For ESPN, part of the journey includes audio and the somewhat unheralded advances in that field that were ushered in with hi-def. Says Pagano, "New audio consoles and surround sound are always in the background but are pushing forward."

ESPN will delve further into what Pagano dubs "the age of IPTV." He explains, "We don't know if it affects our production process so there may be some products or solutions at NAB. We're keeping our eyes on IPTV as well."

The sports network will also explore trends in the convergence of computers and television, an area Pagano says should generate buzz at NAB: "This may be the show where there is movement on the convergence of PCs, TVs and the Internet. We want to see if there are production tools that can help us with that set."

Like seemingly everybody going to NAB, Pagano will be looking for the next undiscovered big thing. He says, "You never know when you'll see something tucked away on the floor that really sticks out."

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6419256

fredfa

02-24-07, 11:10 AM

Technology Notebook
Fox hunts for new models
By Glen Dickson BroadcastingCable.com February 26, 2007

Now that construction is under way on a massive new playout facility in Houston that is scheduled to distribute its regional sports networks by late 2007, Fox is turning its attention to gradually upgrading the playout and control systems at its 11-year-old Los Angeles network center.

That means finding a replacement for aging Profile video servers and considering new ways of automating and monitoring content playout. Those will be two big areas of focus heading into NAB, where Fox will bring its usual complement of 50 staffers and break into category-specific teams to work the floor.

"The current plan is to replace some, if not all, of the original Tektronix Profiles," says Richard Friedel, executive VP/general manager, Fox Networks engineering and operations. "Some of them are over 10 years old. I can't complain; we'll probably get 11 or 12 years out of some of them. We had to replace a few drives and do some maintenance, but overall, I have to thank Tektronix." (That Tektronix unit is now part of Grass Valley.)

Fox has looked at server products from Harris, SeaChange, Omneon and Grass Valley. It picked Harris Nexio servers for the Houston facility, and since it already uses Harris Louth automation in its Los Angeles control rooms, going that route again might make sense.

But with so many file-based playout systems and automation vendors to choose from, he is hedging his bets: "I'm torn between, do we just build a traditional [playout] room like we have, versus, is this the ideal time to make a break and do something completely new."

Meanwhile, the automation vendor for the Houston facility, which will span 190,000 square feet with some 35-40 control rooms, is one of the few items that isn't finalized. Fox will be taking another look at those systems in Vegas.

"NAB will be the last shot for that," says Friedel.

With more cable networks, such as Fox's own business-news channel, coming down the pike, compression and multiplexing systems are always on Friedel's list. A particular focus is the overall HD expansion for the sports networks, which are slated to produce 1,000 events in 720-line-progressive (720p) HD this year.

Fox's grand plan is to connect the Los Angeles and Houston facilities via fiber and to use as many common monitoring and content-management tools as possible.

"Our philosophy is, by the time we're done, it will be as if we built one large broadcast facility, sawed it in half, and half went to Houston," says Friedel. "We're not there yet, but that's where we'll be."

With an increasing number of channels to manage, video- and audio-monitoring systems are an ongoing priority. Evertz is one of the big vendors to the Houston facility, and Fox has bought some of its monitoring systems; the network also uses Harris and Grass Valley monitoring products. But Friedel is still looking for better monitoring tools, particularly for digital audio.

"We want something that can go in every desk, but we haven't found that yet," he says. "We're trying to find the optimal thing for operators."

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6419256

fredfa

02-24-07, 11:11 AM

Technology Notebook
HBO has sports on its mind
By Craig Kuhl BroadcastingCable.com February 26, 2007

High-definition equipment for its in-house studio sports productions will be on HBO's shopping list at the NAB show, but the premium channel is also looking to upgrade its HD equipment, period.

And although executives at HBO consider the show primarily a chance to stay current with the technology and equipment learning curves, it also presents the network with an opportunity to see firsthand any new developments in the production and distribution spaces.

"We'll bring people from the production and technology sides and IT people interested in integration systems," says Bob Zitter, CTO/executive VP of technology for HBO. "We use NAB more for getting up the learning curve and seeing things, not necessarily buying."

HBO is currently exploring the expanded use of MPEG-4 encoding systems, and NAB will enable the company to witness some of the new technologies in network origination centers.

Like every other content provider, HBO is also migrating to new platforms, such as cellphones and portable devices. That's prompting a hard look at advancing technologies in transcoding.

"We transcode thousands of different videos a month on various platforms, more than ever before," Zitter says, "and we're creating versions of HBO programming for mobile services, which require lots of transcoding."

The company will also explore new test and measurement equipment for HD, most notably the sync between audio and video in the HD format. And on the studio side, HD camera equipment will be high on Zitter's list of must-see products, along with archival data storage.

"We're looking for systems to store data for longer terms than one year," he says. "We're also developing a mezzanine archival file system and a data rate high enough to do post-production before distribution to help prepare us to do everything in file format."

HBO has two production studios for sports shows and is switching to HD. That requires video switches, HD disc recorders, and a full complement of HD equipment and technology.

"We plan to gradually increase our HD programming as the number of HDTV sets in the U.S. increases. We're also looking to deploy improvements as displays show better [resolution]," Zitter says.

A contingent of software, IT and billing personnel will roam the halls in Las Vegas with Zitter. "We usually operate and deploy our own proprietary systems for billing, sales, etc.," he says. "So NAB offers our IT people a great location to see where the state-of-the-art is in technology."

What Zitter and HBO really want to see at NAB, he stresses, are products and equipment "related to managing digital files, asset management, mezzanine architectures, and how we manage, store, move and change into various video formats. That's a growing part of our business on the equipment and technology sides. We have to be sure we're doing those things right."

NAB's biggest upside for HBO, however, is the valuable face time it offers. Says Zitter, "It gives us the opportunity to meet with suppliers, vendors and associates in a convenient setting and gives our technical people from around the world a place to share information. We don't go to NAB with checks to buy something. That's more of a deliberate process.”

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6419256

fredfa

02-24-07, 11:11 AM

Technology Notebook
NBC: Broadband and broad vision
By Glen Dickson BroadcastingCable.com February 26, 2007

Although NBC Universal will bring the same number of people to NAB as in past years—50 total staffers, about half from its cable and local-broadcast operations—its overall approach to the show will be different.

"We're making it a very targeted trip," says John Wallace, NBC Universal executive VP of television operations and production services. NBC has divided its staff into four distinct teams: the studio group, graphics, editing and distribution.

"In effect, we're looking at our operations and trying to figure out how we can design them with an eye on digital but with traditional production values," says Wallace. "We're really taking an enterprise approach in order to streamline the process for multi-format production. The goal is to have one technology architecture for the entire operation, both for broadcast and cable and for the distribution of content."

For studio production, NBC will examine "virtual-objects" systems from graphics and effects vendors such as VizRT that allow virtual 3D images, achieved through chroma-key (blue-screen) technology. They are variations on virtual sets, introduced in the last decade, which have now grown popular in Europe.

"You can create a whole new look and feel in a fixed studio environment," Wallace says. "It's more of a digital play than anything else."

Mainly for its O&Os, NBC is also evaluating new software-based automation systems for its production- control rooms, such as OverDrive from Ross Video and Ignite from Grass Valley, that can be used to remotely control devices and automate functions previously performed by dedicated operators.

NBC just completed a centralized graphics-production unit, called Artworks, that serves all units, including NBC News, CNBC, the O&Os, NBC Entertainment and the digital group. With Artworks, NBC has taken about 35% of the workload of traditional art departments and "pushed it out to the desktop," says Wallace. Template-based graphics and the Artbox database from Proximity Software (acquired in December by Apple) now allow producers to create "self-service graphics" for everyday needs. In Las Vegas, NBC will be shopping for more—high-end 3D, high-definition graphics systems from such vendors as VizRT, Miranda, Chyron and Pinnacle.

NBC is taking a similar approach to editing, moving basic functions such as voiceovers to desktop editing systems that use commodity-type IT storage while keeping high-end proprietary gear, such as its existing Avid systems, for high-end work. At NAB, it will be evaluating desktop editing systems from Ardendo, Blue Order and Apple and storage solutions from vendors including Isilon and EMC.

The Wallace way means NBC will need more software-based collaboration tools. "We want one enterprise-wide solution for the entire TV group," says Wallace. "We hope to meet somewhere in the middle [between the desktop-based and high-end proprietary systems]. We don't want silos; that's our objective."

On the distribution front, NBC has deferred a project to convert its Skypath high-definition satellite system to MPEG-4 compression. Wallace says the technology "is still too raw for our comfort." Instead, the network is focused on moving from a "master-control, single-source distribution-center mentality" and toward being able to handle multichannel distribution to various platforms, including video-on-demand and mobile-TV platforms.

"When you consider the O&Os and multicasting, you're looking at 300 channels or more of distribution," he says. "So we're looking at software platforms that can add distribution channels and scale. It's the encode-once, deploy-to-many mentality."

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6419256

fredfa

02-24-07, 11:12 AM

Technology Notebook
TBS navigates new platforms
By Craig Kuhl BroadcastingCable.com February 26, 2007

Turner Broadcast Systems' (TBS) trip to the NAB show will be highlighted by an in-depth look at advancing forms of content distribution, such as mobile phones, video-on-demand (VOD) and the Internet.

It will also be inspecting file-transfer equipment that will allow the network to store and distribute content more quickly and efficiently.

"We're built to be a file-transfer facility and pretty advanced," says Ron Tarasoff, VP of broadcast technology and engineering for TBS. "So at NAB, we'll be looking for products from manufacturers to help us with storage files, transcoding, splicing files and repurposing them. In the past, content would just sit on shelves as videotape. Now we're converting it to a file-based format. And we're not just looking at standard- definition but at high-definition, too."

The TBS contingent to the NAB will include staffers from both the broadcast and IT sides of the network, Tarasoff says. "The NAB show is not pure IT or even pure broadcast anymore; it's a hybrid of both. So almost all the people we'll send are from those groups, since we're in the midst of transitioning to all-IT in the next few years."

The other mission is to check out new technologies that can enable TBS to enhance the growing number of ways viewers are getting programming.

"We'll be looking at any new distribution models, like VOD and cellphones," Tarasoff says. "How can our content be used in the most ways, and where will our customers see our content five years from now?"

TBS wants to know what's new in the pipeline. "We hope to meet with several vendors, suppliers and partners to get an impression of what products are coming in the months and years ahead, and we'll try to visit the floor to see the technologies," Tarasoff says. "You never know when a vendor may have just the right technology that's tucked away somewhere on the exhibit floor."

A big upside to NAB for TBS is that the one-on-one meetings with vendors, suppliers and partners give Tarasoff a way to measure where certain technologies are in their development. "It's nice because we're all in one place," he says. "It helps us plan for the coming years."

Nonlinear editing gear is also high on TBS' want list. "We're finding that with repurposing programs, editing files is becoming urgent, even byte-stream splicing," Tarasoff says. "But the technology is not very far along, and we need it. We're always interested in seeing how far the technology has come at NAB."

The bottom line is, "we want to find ways to assemble content packages faster than real time, with quality," Tarasoff says. "More and more individualized packages are being put together, so we want to manipulate, assemble and deliver them to different formats, faster than real time, and include logos, labels, promos, breaks, and send it out quickly."

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6419256

fredfa

02-24-07, 11:43 AM

The HD Revolution
Programmers Ramp Up To Meet HD Demand
End of Standard-Resolution TV Is In Sight for Producers, Networks
By Wayne Karrfalt MultiChannel News 2/26/2007

When satellite provider DirecTV announced at last month’s International Consumer Electronics Show that it would use the additional capacity provided by the planned launch of two new satellites to carry 100 national high-definition channels by the end of the year, some high-resolution light was shed on issues that had taken a back seat in recent months.

The multiplatform craze has distracted distributors and programmers from tackling real issues that remain in the HDTV space: capacity, programming and price. But DirecTV’s move has made high-definition the topic du jour once again, and could force the industry to deal with these problems sooner rather than later, analysts said.

Some skeptics said DirecTV’s announcement is premature and overstated. Many cable networks aren’t ready to launch in HD yet, and DirecTV’s current offering — seven national channels and two premium services — pales in comparison to many cable HD lineups. Time Warner Cable actually sued the satellite provider over the language in its ads, claiming DirecTV lied about offering picture quality that is superior to cable and forcing it to amend its TV spots.

FORWARD PROGRESS

Nor is the cable industry standing still. Comcast is adding more linear HD channels to its lineup this year, including National Geographic HD, A&E HD and content from its owned networks, Versus and Golf Channel. It also plans to double the amount of HD content available on its video-on-demand platform to over 200 hours this year.

But the fact remains that satellite could dominate in the HD space until cable operators figure out a way to increase network capacity. Solutions such as reclaiming analog spectrum; deploying switched digital video, in which only the channels customers are watching are passed to their set-top boxes; or migrating to boxes that use the MPEG-4 standard are at least two to three years away.

“There are two different wars being fought, the battle of product, who has the best offering; and the battle of marketing, who has the best sales pitch to the customer. DirecTV is almost certainly going to win the marketing-pitch war by being able to claim they have more HD channels than everyone else, and they’re already building awareness,” said Sanford C. Bernstein senior analyst Craig Moffett.

Meanwhile former “cable cowboy” John Malone, awaiting approval of Liberty Media’s $11 billion acquisition of DirecTV, has tipped his hat that HD will be his main focus going forward.

“This year we plan to put a lot of distance between us and the cable guys and we will primarily be able to do that with HD,” said DirecTV spokesman Robert Mercer.

Until now, high prices and a lack of compelling high-definition programming has slowed adoption in all but the richest homes. (HDTV owners have a mean household income of $89,500, according to a recent Leichtman Research survey). But the paradigm is shifting. Set prices dropped substantially over the holiday buying season. The average price for an HDTV set is expected to fall to $800 this year, according to the Consumer Electronics Association.

And research shows consumer education is also improving. Both developments have led distributors to broaden their HD offerings and cable networks to accelerate their plans to jump to HD.

DirecTV is also using sports as an HD hook. Last season it broadcast 150 National Football League games in HD as part of its “NFL Sunday Ticket” package. “NASCAR HotPass” subscribers with high-definition set-tops can pay $99 for a subscription to see 37 races this year, including multiple HD camera views on a single screen and cameras placed inside the cars of five different drivers each week.

DirecTV took cable programmers by surprise in terms of the announcement’s timing, but executives said they were already moving in this direction. Turner Broadcasting System was the first to go on record about a new HD channel, announcing that CNN HD will be ready from September, followed sometime thereafter by TBS HD and Cartoon Network HD.

Much internal debate has preceded the order of the launches, said Turner Network Sales executive vice president of sales and marketing Coleman Breland, as each channel in the Turner family makes a compelling case to be offered in HD. But given capacity constraints, the market can only support so many new channels at one time.

“The strategy for us, in terms of HD, is to launch the right network at the right time. Given its presence, position and programming, TNT made sense at first. CNN, given its competition with broadcast news, will be next. When you have a family you want everyone to be able to play in this space, but ultimately it’s a capacity issue,” said Breland.

NBC Universal is preparing to launch HD versions of Sci Fi Channel, USA Network and Bravo later this year.

“We’re already in mode,” said USA Network and Sci Fi Channel president Bonnie Hammer.

NBCU’s HD strategy has evolved from trying to launch Bravo HD Plus as a standalone in July 2003 to offering the catch-all Universal HD from December 2004, which airs programming from across the NBCU spectrum. Like most HD networks, the NBCU channels will offer a combination of originals and acquired fare shot both in HD and upconverted from film.

EXPERIMENTAL STAGE

“Much of our content is still shot in film, but we’re experimenting with [HD] more and more,” said Hammer. “We’re even trying to shoot [World Wrestling Entertainment] in HD. That’s kind of challenging. Does a punch hit or does it just go by? You see everything in HD. You’ve got to be very careful.”

However, upconverting is not ideal in terms of image quality, according to Greg Moyer, GM of Rainbow Media’s Voom HD Networks. In Moyer’s view, the next wave of HD networks about to launch will do so as “placeholders” until programmers convert all of their production apparatus to the format.

Conspicuously absent from the DirecTV announcement, and still only distributed in the U.S. via EchoStar Communications’s Dish Network, Voom is sticking to its strategy of expanding its slate of original HD programming to differentiate itself in the marketplace.

“At some point, television will be all-HD, and this is the beginning of that,” said Moyer. “Channels that commit to broadcasting in 100% HD will be a reliable place for the viewer to turn, whereas the other networks will be catch as catch can.”

Channels that have fully committed to producing and broadcasting in HD, such as Voom’s 15 networks, HDNet, Discovery HD Theater and Nat Geo HD, are hoping their head start in terms of programming libraries and consumer loyalty will pay dividends as penetration deepens.

Like DirecTV, ESPN HD is using the format to enhance its coverage of NASCAR races, which return to the network this year after a six-year hiatus. Camera crews are experimenting with multiple point-of-view cameras, robotic cameras and cameras placed inside the cars. The medium has had as much impact on the coverage of sports since the advent of color, said ESPN executive vice president of programming and production Norby Williamson.

“You can look at movies or studio presentations in HD, but the impact of HD is by far and away the greatest on sports television,” said Williamson.

The pioneer in the space, HDNet, continues to invest in original true-HD programming. The weekly investigative news show Dan Rather Reports, which premiered last October, has lent an air of credibility to the network, whose message until now was mostly about the format. HD will soon create a new digital divide in which standard-definition feeds take a back seat to high-definition channels, according to HDNet president and co-founder Mark Cuban.

“I think we will see HD vs. non-HD programming be like FM versus AM. By default, we all go to the FM band and look for music programming, and AM has become the domain for niche and talk/sports stations. Viewers now check the HD range of channels first.

“It still comes down to having great programming or movies, but being part of the 'first 15’ that viewers browse is a huge advantage for us,” Cuban wrote in an e-mail.

Discovery HD Theater is also raising the bar by investing in high-profile original HD fare, such as the ongoing $65 million series Atlas and the 11-hour epic Planet Earth, airing simultaneously in standard and HDTV on consecutive Sundays from March 25 to April 22. Despite being in only 8 million homes, the network is willing to invest in programming that takes advantage of the medium precisely because HD converts go here first, a point not lost on its distributors, said Discovery Communications executive vice president and general manager of HDTV and new-media operations Clint Stinchcomb.

“Studies have shown that once a consumer has committed to HD by buying the HD set and upgrading to an HD set-top box, they will go out of their way to watch programming in HD only,” said Stinchcomb. “And distributors realize that every time someone buys a set, it allows them to reevaluate their video distribution relationship. Therefore, a compelling HD offer is more crucial than ever.”

BACK BURNER FOR SOME

But not every programmer is bullish on HD. Networks that tend to focus more on, say, reality shows spend much less on programming in general and don’t see the benefits of conversion. The consensus is they will have to make the jump eventually, but right now it’s not a priority.

“Long-term, absolutely,” said E! Networks CEO Ted Harbert. “We already produce the [Live from the] Red Carpet show in HD and put it up on-demand. G4 and Style have a lot of programming that would look good in HD. But not right away.”

Program suppliers are also seeing increased demand for HD programming, and market forces are helping them deliver the goods. Networks that have already committed to the format, such as Discovery Channel and HGTV, ask for budgets to be delivered with both standard and high-definition bottom lines.

National Geographic Channel has mandated as far back as February 2005 that all programs must be shot in HD, despite the higher cost. The Fox Cable Networks/National Geographic Society joint venture felt the brand demanded it. The production team of the three-hour special Galápagos, premiering in March, shot some 300 hours of footage.

“Over time, people have learned not to bring us anything unless it’s in HD,” said Nat Geo executive vice president of programming John Ford.

OVERSEAS MOMENTUM

International productions and co-productions are also shifting to HD in order to be able to sell to the U.S. Discovery’s Planet Earth series, a co-production with the BBC, became the British broadcaster’s first foray into the medium when it began production five years ago. The project is as ambitious as anything ever attempted by the channel, with over 2,000 days in the field in more than 200 locations. And despite the fact the network won’t “get credit” for the viewers who tune in to watch in HD (none of the HD channels are yet rated by Nielsen), it plans many more such productions.

“Every year we should have at least one of these tent pole events. These are the kind of shows we’re embracing now more than ever, and HD is a huge impetus to this, because you’re really seeing everything like you’ve never seen it before,” said Maureen Lemire, executive producer for Discovery Channel.

While economies of scale are lowering prices on high-end cameras and new developments — such as Sony’s introduction of a new, more compact and lighter HD camcorder — are offering alternatives, the format is still expensive, tacking on at least an additional 8% to 10% to the budget. So don’t expect producers to shoot everything in HD just yet.

“Right now, we’re still in what I would call the pick-and-choose era,” said Bruce David Klein, president and executive producer of Atlas Media. “Give them 20 shows and as a cable network, they’re going to select which ones really deserve the HD treatment.”

But on the other hand, the moment when everything must be delivered in high definition is not far off, according to Ellis Entertainment president Stephen Ellis, so producers must prepare themselves.

“The real tipping point is when over 50% of homes start receiving HD signals. Then it will shift very, very quickly,” said Ellis. “We’re not there yet, but as a producer, we’re committed to it long-term. We call it future-proofing our catalogue.”

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6419266.html

Maestro J

02-24-07, 12:06 PM

Fred: I never caught the ratings for Amazing Race: All stars premiere last Sunday. What were they and how did it compare to last fall's premiere?

URFloorMatt

02-24-07, 12:31 PM

After reading that, I'm surprised the E! networks aren't preparing a catch-all HD channel. I mean, with all PS3 and X360 games in HD and most all Wii games in 480p, you'd think that their clip reals would be pretty underwhelming in SD. I know my X360 is pretty underwhelming in SD.

I don't know. I don't watch G4 so I don't know how they fill their programming hours.

archiguy

02-24-07, 01:02 PM

Frankly I have little interest this year. But then I am a very parochial guy: no TV, little interest.

Well Fred, most movies do eventually end up on TV you know. ;)

fredfa

02-24-07, 01:08 PM

I have heard that, archiguy. Is it true? :)

archiguy

02-24-07, 01:11 PM

I have heard that, archiguy. Is it true? :)

You bet. Otherwise, I'd never see any. :D

fredfa

02-24-07, 01:14 PM

Yesterday’s fast national over night prime-time ratings have been posted near the top of Ratings News the second post in this thread.

fredfa

02-24-07, 01:15 PM

Fred: I never caught the ratings for Amazing Race: All stars premiere last Sunday. What were they and how did it compare to last fall's premiere?

I am digging through the files now, MJ. I'll have the answer in a couple of minutes.

fredfa

02-24-07, 01:21 PM

Fred: I never caught the ratings for Amazing Race: All stars premiere last Sunday. What were they and how did it compare to last fall's premiere?

CBS The Amazing Race: All-Stars Season 11 Premiere Feb. 18, 2007
Overall rating/share: 7.3/11
Total viewers: 11.74 million
18-49: 3.3 rating

CBS The Amazing Race: Season 10 Premiere Sept 17, 2006
Overall rating/share: 6.3/10
Total viewers: 10.13 million
18-49: 3.7 rating

• Source: Nielsen Media Research data

Maestro J

02-24-07, 01:31 PM

CBS The Amazing Race: All-Stars Season 11 Premiere Feb. 18, 2007
Overall rating/share: 7.3/11
Total viewers: 11.74 million
18-49: 3.3 rating

CBS The Amazing Race: Season 10 Premiere Sept 17, 2006
Overall rating/share: 6.3/10
Total viewers: 10.13 million
18-49: 3.7 rating

• Source: Nielsen Media Research data

Interesting. Total viewers up 1.5 mill but 18-49 was down. I know there was a golf overrun but that didn't affect 1.5 mill extra from showing up.

Thanks for checking that.

TheRatPatrol

02-24-07, 01:53 PM

“NASCAR HotPass” subscribers with high-definition set-tops can pay $99 for a subscription to see 37 races this year, including multiple HD camera views on a single screen and cameras placed inside the cars of five different drivers each week.
Actually, NASCAR HotPass is not in HD this year, but it maybe in HD next year.

choskyigragspa

02-24-07, 01:56 PM

The HD Revolution
Programmers Ramp Up To Meet HD Demand
[B]
And despite the fact the network won’t “get credit” for the viewers who tune in to watch in HD (none of the HD channels are yet rated by Nielsen), it plans many more such productions.

I hope that I'm misinterpreting this. What does it mean to say that "none of the HD channels are rated by Nielsen"? Suppose I am a Nielsen family, and that I decide to watch ESPN Monday Night Football on my cable provider's ESPNHD channel, as opposed to the SD ESPN channel. Does that mean that Nielsen isn't counting my family as having watched MNF? I sure hope they are.

Hopefully, what this means is that HD viewer numbers (for something like MNF, which is simulcast on the regular ESPN channel) are not tabulated as a distinct category, but are instead thrown together with all the regular ESPN numbers.

fredfa

02-24-07, 02:07 PM

Welcome to the thread, choskyigragspa! :)

I spoke with a Nielsen person earlier this week about this very issue. It is true that Nielsen doesn't rate HD networks yet. But your hope is actually been realized: if a Nielsen family watches something in HD it does get measured -- and added to the SD number. Just not broken out separately. I was told the common belief that HD viewers aren't counted is simply untrue -- as long as they are watching a channel with a simultaneous SD feed.

I don't know, for example, how Mark Cuban gets ratings (and I assume he does) for HDNet.
But TiVo has been measuring ratings from some 20,000 HD TiVo boxes for quite a while now, so some HD figures are probably floating around somewhere.

Normally Nielsen doesn't provide ratings for networks with fewer than upwards of 30 million homes. And there is no HD network even close to that "magic" number yet.

I would suspect that HD-specific breakdowns will be made public by Nielsen about the time of the Febraury, 2009 digital deadline. Or when one of the HD-specific networks get carried in 30-40 millions homes.

Recent published reports have said that ESPN HD is available, at the moment, in fewer than 10 million homes, ESPN2 HD about half of that. I have no reason to doubt those numbers, but I haven't checked them either.

homcom

02-24-07, 02:24 PM

I hope that I'm misinterpreting this. What does it mean to say that "none of the HD channels are rated by Nielsen"? Suppose I am a Nielsen family, and that I decide to watch ESPN Monday Night Football on my cable provider's ESPNHD channel, as opposed to the SD ESPN channel. Does that mean that Nielsen isn't counting my family as having watched MNF? I sure hope they are.

Hopefully, what this means is that HD viewer numbers (for something like MNF, which is simulcast on the regular ESPN channel) are not tabulated as a distinct category, but are instead thrown together with all the regular ESPN numbers.
I do believe currently there is no breakdown between HD and SD viewers. It would all be counted as watching ESPN.

fredfa

02-24-07, 03:15 PM

Last night's viewer numbers have been added to the ratings news at the top of the second post in the thread (courtesy of Marc Berman taking a brief break from his sunny beach vacation.)

fredfa

02-24-07, 03:16 PM

I do believe currently there is no breakdown between HD and SD viewers. It would all be counted as watching ESPN.

According to what Nielsen specifically told me, that is correct, homcom.

fredfa

02-24-07, 03:18 PM

Interesting. Total viewers up 1.5 mill but 18-49 was down. I know there was a golf overrun but that didn't affect 1.5 mill extra from showing up.

Thanks for checking that.

There are more people viewing television in February, too, although to be honest I didn't go back and check the total viewership numbers for the two fays in question.

But in general terms, cold weather and shorter daylight hours make for higher viewership in February.

fredfa

02-24-07, 03:20 PM

(And I don't remember if back in September the AR premiere followed "60 Minutes" which does not draw well in the 18-49 demo. I think it did, but I am not sure offhand.)

flint350

02-24-07, 04:42 PM

Welcome to the thread, choskyigragspa! :)

I bet that was a cut and paste.

fredfa

02-24-07, 04:45 PM

Correct, flint350. Otherwise, with my limited typing ability, it could have taken me half an hour.

fredfa

02-24-07, 04:45 PM

The Business of Television
CBS Eyes New Deals
Network Hopes Cash-for-Carriage Pacts Set Precedent
By Linda Moss MultiChannel News 2/26/2007

Crowing about the start of “a new paradigm,” CBS appears to have succeeded in scoring cash payments from nine smaller cable companies for permission to retransmit the signals of its TV stations.

But two other broadcasters will likely face a much tougher time this week, as they try to extract cash compensation for their stations from Comcast and Cox Communications.

Those two large cable operators, ranked Nos. 1 and 4 in size, each have retransmission-consent pacts with TV-station owners that expire later this week. In theory, if new agreements aren’t reached or additional extensions are not granted, Comcast could lose carriage of Sinclair Broadcast Group-owned stations and Cox could lose the right to retransmit a New Orleans station belonging to Belo Corp. Negotiations are ongoing in both cases.

In the past, Comcast and Cox have been vocal about their reluctance to pay cash compensation to carry the signals of TV stations. In 2005, Cox lost carriage of Nexstar Broadcasting Group stations for most of the year over that issue.

NEW PRECEDENT

So it remains to be seen if the new CBS deals, which CEO Les Moonves triumphantly hailed, will set a precedent followed by larger cable operators, with millions of subscribers — or whether the deals will only have a bearing on negotiations with smaller operators, who may have just 100,000 subscribers or fewer to bargain with.

After literally years of Moonves calling for cash for his stations, last week the Tiffany Network finally announced it had new retransmission-consent deals with nine unidentified cable companies. The nine deals covered a total of 1 million cable TV subscribers who can watch CBS owned-and-operated stations.

Moonves has publicly said he would seek the equivalent of a 50 cent per-month, per-subscriber fee from cable operators for CBS stations. But, to date, there is no public confirmation from CBS or any other party of the exact amount of cash being paid by any of the cable operators under the agreements announced Thursday.

That sets the stage for this week’s events. Comcast has a retransmission-consent extension from Sinclair Broadcast Group that expires Thursday (March 1).

“We are continuing to work with Sinclair to reach a fair agreement,” Comcast senior director of corporate communications Jenni Moyer said last Friday.

As a precaution, and in line with federal law, Comcast has already notified its subscribers in Sinclair markets that they may be losing those TV stations. That negotiation involves more than 30 Sinclair TV stations reaching roughly 3 million subscribers in 23 markets, including Pittsburgh, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., Nashville, Tenn., Richmond, Va., and Tampa, Fla.

“These things, a lot of time, come down to the wire,” Sinclair general counsel Barry Faber said. “I like to think about getting deals done and that’s what I’m hoping we’ll be able to accomplish in the next week.”

Like CBS, Sinclair has been vocal about demanding cash for its stations and recently succeeded on that score. The broadcaster just concluded a very nasty, public retransmission-consent fight with Mediacom Communications.

Sinclair pulled 23 stations from Mediacom for a month before reaching a deal on Feb. 2 in which the cable operator is reportedly paying per-subscriber license fees for the broadcaster’s stations.

Cox’s looming retransmission-consent deadline involves just one market. Belo Corp. has granted Cox, with its 183,000 subscribers, an extension until Friday, March 2, to continue carrying its CBS affiliate in New Orleans, WWL-TV. The Belo-Cox retransmission-consent negotiations involve the station’s analog and HD signals, as well as a news channel, NewsWatch 15, which reruns the station’s newscast.

“The issues are consistent with those across cable and broadcast negotiations, and I think they’re going to be resolved,” said WWL president and general manager Bud Brown.

CBS tried to position its deals with the nine cable companies as establishing a template.

“Clearly, there is a new paradigm in the marketplace — one that recognizes the value of the content that we bring to our various audiences,” Moonves said in a prepared statement. “This is a trend that bodes well for us going forward as future retransmission deals are negotiated.”

CBS spokesman Dana McClintock declined to name the operators the company reached agreements with, citing “confidentiality” — a sign of how touchy retransmission-consent payments are within the cable industry.

When asked about the terms and whether cash is involved, McClintock would only say, “We’re receiving value.”

NOT SO FAST

One industry executive familiar with the negotiations said CBS was receiving cash for carriage, much as it did nearly a year ago in a retransmission-consent pact with Verizon. CBS reportedly garnered monthly license fees of 50 cents, per-subscriber, in that agreement.

But several Wall Street analysts and at least one broadcaster were skeptical that CBS was getting just cash from these operators. Part of the compensation, or “value,” could be barter advertising time, for instance.

Assuming a 50-cent license fee, the investment firm Bear Stearns & Co. estimated that will create $6 million in annual revenue for CBS and open the door for a lot more down the line.

“CBS can capture $155 million to $175 million in retrans fees, making CBS one of the broadcasting industry’s greatest retrans beneficiaries,” Bear Stearns analyst Victor Miller wrote last week.

In its report, Bank of America said “the market value for broadcast retransmission rights won’t really be determined until CBS’s agreements with the largest cable operators come up for renewal starting in ’09-’10.”

NOT SO BIG

Some Wall Street analysts believe neither the Sinclair-Mediacom deal, nor last week’s CBS deal with smaller cable companies, will set any kind of precedent for a giant cable operator like Comcast.

For example, Craig Moffett, a Sanford C. Bernstein & Co analyst, stressed that Mediacom’s position with Sinclair is very different than that of Comcast.

“The pain to the broadcasters is felt immediately, in the form of lost advertising revenue, if they’re losing a big piece of the marketplace,” Moffett said. “Mediacom’s problem was it simply didn’t account for enough of Sinclair’s distribution to stand toe to toe with Sinclair at the bargaining table. The negotiation with Comcast is completely different.”

The Sinclair stations involved in the Comcast deal represent one-third of the broadcaster’s ad revenue, according to an individual familiar with negotiations.

Faber declined to comment on what Sinclair is specifically seeking from Comcast.

Cox and WWL reached a retransmission extension Jan. 31, which kept the CBS affiliate — and Super Bowl XLI — on the air for the cable system’s subscribers. Neither Cox nor WWL’s Brown are commenting on details of their talks, but one of the hangups is reportedly the financial terms for WWL’s HD channel, which Cox isn’t currently carrying.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6419389.html?display=Top+Stories

fredfa

02-24-07, 04:47 PM

The Business of Television
Deals to Watch
Retransmisson-consent agreements about to expire:
MultiChannel News 2/26/2007

• March 1
Cable operator: Comcast
Station operator: Sinclair Broadcast Group
What happens: Retransmission-consent extension expires
TV stations involved: More than 30 in 23 markets
Cable subscribers affected: 3 million
Signals under discussion: Analog and digital

• March 2
Cable operator: Cox Communications
Station operator: Belo Corp.
What happens: Retransmission-consent extension expires
Cable subscribers affected: 183,000
Signals: CBS affiliate WWL-TV, WWL-TV HD and NewsWatch 15, a newschannel, all in New Orleans.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6419389.html?display=Top+Stories

choskyigragspa

02-24-07, 05:15 PM

Welcome to the thread, choskyigragspa! :) I bet that was a cut and paste.
What? You mean you guys don't recognize Tibetan transliteration into English when you see it?

dad1153

02-24-07, 05:45 PM

fredfa

02-24-07, 08:16 PM

What? You mean you guys don't recognize Tibetan transliteration into English when you see it?

I am just happy you've joined us.

And I'll be practicing my Tibetan pronunciation for the next few weeks. :)

fredfa

02-24-07, 08:23 PM

Interesting that this year there are alternatives to watching the Academy Awards on ABC rather than just repeats. Following a new 60 Minutes at 7PM ET Amazing Race All-Stars is also new, as will be a live edition of Grease: You're The One That I Want at 8PM ET and an episode of Crossing Jordan at 10PM ET (a repeat of 'Jordan' precedes the new episode at 9PM ET). It will be interesting to see how NBC and CBS' decisions pan out.

Me? I'll be DVR'ing and fast-forwarding like mad the Oscars around 10:30PM, just in time to catch-up to the live Jimmy Kimmel Live Oscar show that will follow around midnight.

Just back from the UCLA-Stanford game, and I have a few more hours of Pac-10 hoops to watch on FSN, so I am a happy camper. I might check out the TiVo and DVR to see if there is anything I should be spending time on.

I can't remember an Academy Awards show which has interested me less than this year's version. And now it is going to run over? Yikes.

dad1153

02-24-07, 08:57 PM

I can't remember an Academy Awards show which has interested me less than this year's version. And now it is going to run over? Yikes.

Would you expect anything less from the woman that produced the Spider-Man movies (one of which was written by her 70+ year-old husband)? :confused:

fredfa

02-24-07, 10:13 PM

I obviously had a brain cramp earlier, dad -- thinking tonight was Sunday.

I'll have to re-examine my possibilitirs for tomorrow during the AAs.

fredfa

02-24-07, 10:21 PM

Critic’s Notebook
"The Black Donnellys":
"EZ Streets" without the odor of instant cancellation?
By Aaron Barnhart Kansas City Star in his blog “TV Barn” February 25, 2007

It's fitting that NBC has cleared out this time slot -- the one occupied by “Studio 60 for the Sunset Strip,” the show that was supposed to mark “West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin's glorious return to prime time -- for “The Black Donnellys.”

For this new show, airing at 9 p.m. CT Monday on NBC, marks what many TV critics of a certain vintage dearly hope is the triumphant return to prime time of Paul Haggis. You may not know who he is, though chances are you saw one of the films he wrote or co-wrote: “Letters from Iwo Jima,” “Million Dollar Baby,” “Crash.”

But before Haggis went off to seek his fame at the movies, he wrote for television. And packed into his otherwise humdrum resume of credits is a show he created called “EZ Streets.” It starred Ken Olin, Joe Pantoliano and Debrah Farentino as a cop, a crook and a moll and most of the time, it was hard to tell who, if anyone, was on the side of the law. It had a dreamy Loreena McKennitt score. It was noir at a time when television wasn't noir.
Critics of a certain vintage, including me, loved it, couldn't get enough of “EZ Streets” and all its complications. (Remember, this was before “Sopranos,” before FX.) CBS gave “EZ Streets” two tries, one in the fall and one in the spring, before giving up. No one but us, it seemed, would watch.

So now we have “The Black Donnellys,” rushed onto the schedule because NBC finally came to Jesus and admitted that “Studio 60” is a failure. Well, nothing to boost a new show's fortunes like a six-day promotional campaign, is there?

Maybe that's why, for many of us, “The Black Donnellys” -- a terrific show, by the way -- isn't our “Studio 60” so much as our “Firefly.” We want it to succeed, but somehow, we fear it won't. Either audiences won't tune in or fourth-place NBC, having given all its get-out-of-jail-free cards to Sorkin, will bail early.

It's about four brothers named Donnelly, growing up in New York's Hell's Kitchen. The brothers are fabulously tight, and what that means, we soon learn, is that when one of them gets in trouble they all get in trouble, epically and tragically. Bobby Moresco, who co-wrote “Crash” with Haggis, really was raised in Hell's Kitchen, and if his teenage years were half as violent as this show is, it's a wonder he's still alive.

Despite the multiple inflictings of pain we're subjected to in the opening hours of “The Black Donnellys,” I'm in completely. It feels like Haggis and Moresco are picking up right where “EZ Streets” left off. It's a do-over, with younger actors and a little less murky storytelling (or so we think, until we realize our narrator is not to be fully trusted -- a nice touch).

Let's hope, 10 years after Haggis' noble failure, the audience has finally caught up to him.

***

Paul Haggis, by the way, is Canadian, which may explain why he wrote the only live-action prime time program ever to air in the United States about a Mountie ("Due South").

Well, turns out there's a Canadian connection here, too, however tangential: The show's title, "The Black Donnellys," is a reference to some sort of notorious event that every Canadian apparently knows by heart. Unfortunately, the information at donnellys.com makes the case sound horribly complicated — like the two-line rule in hockey — so I'll leave it at that.

http://blogs.kansascity.com/tvbarn/2007/02/the_black_donne.html#more

fredfa

02-24-07, 10:25 PM

(And now for a different point of view)
Critic’s Notebook
"The Black Donnellys":
These gangsters wouldn't last long against Tony Soprano
By Tim Goodman San Francisco Chronicle Television Critic

"The Black Donnellys," which premieres Monday (10 PM ET/PT) on NBC, is a likable enough drama about young Irish brothers in New York's Hell's Kitchen who get in a little bit over their heads and accidentally become mobsters. But it has so much going against it that even the presence of creators Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco ("Crash," "Million Dollar Baby") can't save it.

First, it's a mob story. And all mob stories get compared to "The Sopranos." This is no "Sopranos." Secondly, there's a kind of "Irish Sopranos" wannabe feel to "The Black Donnellys," and if any show is going to wear that hat, it's "Brotherhood" on Showtime. This is no "Brotherhood."

Lastly, there's a whiff of the late, lamented "EZ Streets" in this series, which should come as no surprise since Haggis created that show and Moresco wrote for it. Unfortunately, "The Black Donnellys" is no "EZ Streets."

So -- what is it then? It's a decent midseason replacement (the series will take over the "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" slot for 10 weeks, or until NBC kills it) that has a few neat tricks up its sleeve but ultimately succumbs to being an inferior story on a broadcast network that can't even remotely match two far better cable series. And it's not just a matter of looser standards on HBO and Showtime. "The Black Donnellys" wants us to root for what has to be the dumbest -- and youngest -- crime family on television.

This was an egregious oversight by Moresco and Haggis. The duo seem to have spent so much time on a razzle-dazzle, quick-cut look and feel to the storytelling that they forgot something essential about the story (which isn't exactly compelling on its own): Viewers will not buy into this family-first, blood-brothers-forever fable if the brothers in question look and act like they'd be shot dead by Tony Soprano in the first 15 minutes after he met them.

"The Black Donnellys" focuses on four Irish brothers. The eldest is Jimmy (Thomas Guiry), who's supposed to be the "hothead" in the family, the brother who drinks and punches first, then deals with the fallout. But the trouble is that Jimmy is ostensibly the dumbest Donnelly. He won a near-worthless bar in a bet, and now that's the Donnelly hangout. There's also Tommy (Jonathan Tucker), the artistic one who's actually going to college and seems to make level-headed decisions. That comes in handy when you have to oversee brother Kevin (Billy Lush), who's the world's worst gambler, and baby-faced Sean (Michael Stahl-David), who all the girls fall for but who doesn't have a decisive bone in his body. If his brothers fight, he fights. He just goes along. He does what they tell him.

In the first three episodes it's not hard to see what Moresco is going for here. It was his memory of growing up in Hell's Kitchen that inspired this series, so at least in part the story is rooted in real life. But Moresco seems more interested in romanticizing the bonds of brotherhood on the mean streets than actually crafting a hard-knock family that viewers can root for.

Already the Irish may bail on the stereotypical nature of this bunch (fighting, drinking, tamped-down emotions, stoic mom, dead dad), but if that doesn't chase them away the Donnelly ineptitude surely will. If you think Tony Soprano worries about the leadership skills of Christopher, forget about it. Christopher looks smarter than Al Capone compared to these Irish mooks.

First of all, Jimmy's all drunk bluster. Tommy's an art student. Kevin is softer than a lamb's backside and Sean looks like some cute skateboarder. Send this foursome into the Plough & Stars on Clement Street and the locals would boot them out in disgust. If you want a gritty tale of Irish brothers, go rent the first season of "Brotherhood."

It didn't have to be this way for "The Black Donnellys." Moresco weaves in a few surprises you're unlikely to see coming as the Irish and the Italians square off in a turf war. But for every clever twist in the series, two others misfire. Again, part of that may be the heavier hand that broadcast television often demands. There's not much subtlety in "The Black Donnellys" (as there wasn't in "Crash" or "Million Dollar Baby," so if you liked those please-the-masses, severely flawed films you might want to look past the disappointed negativism of this review).

Still, the main point remains: Had the young Donnelly clan appeared to have even a semblance of a clue as to what they were doing in life (and in the mob world), viewers might have a rooting interest. We're Americans -- we like underdog stories. And it's about time network television had some Irish pride back in prime time. But the Donnellys' beef with the Italians in this series comes from their own stupidity. The Italian mob, on the other hand, while not exactly Soprano-esque, seems to be hardened in the ways of living on the wrong side of the law. They seem tough. Organized. Tight. Upset.

The Donnellys seem more like they should have had cameos on FX's comedy "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." At least the guys there know how to turn an Irish bar into a marginal success. The Donnelly brothers, conversely, have troubles in the early episodes even keeping the bar stocked. Seriously. They have like two beers left and they have to go out and steal kosher wine. And no, this is not a comedy.

It may be that what Moresco and Haggis are after here is a coming-of-age story about how the best intentions of life must take a backseat to family loyalty. But there's so much amiss here in the tone it's hard to tell. The series is narrated in flashback form from a friend of the Donnelly clan, "Joey Ice Cream" (Keith Nobbs). We don't know exactly why he's in jail (at least not in the first three episodes), but he's telling the sorrowful tale of "The Black Donnellys" to anyone who will listen. Joey Ice Cream is a fast talker, a court jester, a little weasel whose narration hints at comedy (as does all the stop-and-start freeze-framing), yet there's nothing intentionally funny about the show. Other than Joey, it doesn't want laughs. It wants angst, drama, ethnic tension, familial ties that bond and fray. But it doesn't have the heft to pull that off. Maybe part of the problem is that no one in the Donnelly family looks older than 28. That's bad for mob cred.

It's clear that "The Black Donnellys" doesn't know what it wants to be. It's damning enough that the show isn't "The Sopranos" or "Brotherhood" or even "EZ Streets." But until it figures what play to make -- dumb-luck Irish clan struggles to get out of troubles of its own making or young mob family forced to find its way -- viewers won't know what to make of it. And that didn't work out so well for the show it replaced, now did it?

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/02/23/DDGBIO887M1.DTL&type=printable

dad1153

02-24-07, 11:29 PM

Critic’s Notebook
"The Black Donnellys":
"EZ Streets" without the odor of instant cancellation?
By Aaron Barnhart Kansas City Star in his blog “TV Barn” February 25, 2007

Paul Haggis, by the way, is Canadian, which may explain why he wrote the only live-action prime time program ever to air in the United States about a Mountie ("Due South").

Interesting. I was looking at some episodes of the 80's HBO anthology series The Hitchhiker on DVD, and a J. Paul Haggis is listed as a second-tier producer in the closing credits. The show was shot in Vacouver (says so in the copyright crawl) and Haggis' reputation as a TV veteran that has made it big in Hollywood precedes him. Could the same J. Paul Haggis that worked on 'The Hitchhiker' be this same guy? IMDB.com revealed nothing of use. :confused:

fredfa

02-24-07, 11:51 PM

I am pretty sure he is one and the same, dad.

DoubleDAZ

02-24-07, 11:54 PM

Paul's bio says his middle name is Edward, after his dad, but that doesn't mean he couldn't have gone by J. Paul at some point. It is Hollywoood after all. :)

fredfa

02-24-07, 11:58 PM

Critic’s Notebook
"The Black Donnellys":
Looks aren't enough for The Black Donnellys
Hal Boedeker Orlando Sentinel Television Critic February 24, 2007

'Hunky Gangsters" is a catchier title than The Black Donnellys for NBC's annoying new drama. This tricked-up product, which is basically an old-fashioned story, needs the sales boost.

With The Black Donnellys, which debuts at 10 p.m. Monday, NBC yearns to hold the young viewers who have transformed lead-in Heroes into a hit at 9 o'clock. The Black Donnellys probably will deliver more viewers than Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, which languished in the time slot. No toughie, that one. The bigger question: Will this pretentious mob story entice viewers or put them to sleep?

The four Donnelly brothers pack not only pistols but choirboy pusses and banged-up psyches. Although Ma Donnelly is played by one of the best actresses in this or any universe -- Kate Mulgrew of Star Trek: Voyager -- she is relegated to cooking and kvetching.

Ma deserves better. She won't get it. The sons are lures for young viewers. The second episode forces Tommy Donnelly (Jonathan Tucker) to strip to his skivvies to perform a bloody task. Ultrafit Tommy should be selling exercise machines. But his wayward brothers keep pulling him into the underworld.

The Black Donnellys is not top of the world -- sorry, Ma -- or the second coming of The Sopranos. The new drama is old wine poured into fancy, contemporary bottles.

The pourers are prestigious writers: Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco collected Academy Awards last year for Crash. So it would seem a coup for NBC to have them. TV buffs will recall that Haggis created EZ Streets, a stellar crime drama that had a short run on CBS.

This time, Haggis traces how the Irish Donnellys clash with Italian mobsters on the mean streets of New York. An old man says of the Donnellys, "It's like something in their blood. No matter how hard they try to do good, that blood is always going to seep through, and it pours into whatever it touches."

Oh, Ma, haven't we moved beyond that blarney? The writers rely on a flaky narrator, Joey Ice Cream (Keith Nobbs), to recount the Donnelly saga. Joey Ice Cream -- ha! He is not delicious in any way.

The writers uncork pat surprises to explain their characters' actions. The tone ranges from zany to melancholy. Particularly bleak is Tommy's tortured love for childhood pal Jenny Reilly (Olivia Wilde).

The Donnelly boys would mortify most mamas. Oldest brother Jimmy (Thomas Guiry) has a gimpy leg and a combustible personality. Kevin (Billy Lush) is a dense and hopeless gambler. Sean (Michael Stahl-David) is a ladies' man and a cipher. Tommy hopes to be an artist but feels obligated to save his brothers.

After watching five hours, I feel Tommy's pain. Those brothers aren't worth the trouble.

The same goes for The Black Donnellys. It left me feeling sad. Prime time won't accommodate an older mobster, such as Jack Nicholson's character in The Departed. Thus, crime drama is wasted on the young.

A better path for The Black Donnellys? Keep Tommy in his underwear and help him break into male modeling.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/tv/orl-donnellys07feb24,0,3550775.story?coll=orl-caltvtop

fredfa

02-25-07, 10:48 AM

Critic’s Notebook
She shapes a sitcom, as a superior director
By Jonathan Storm\ Philadelphia Inquirer Columnist February 25, 2007

CENTURY CITY, Calif. - Olive drab is the fashion color of the day, but the atmosphere in the jammed space, about the size of your typical suburban living room, in Building 795 on the huge Fox lot, is more toward fire-engine red.

Waves of laughter - it's infectious - roll through the crowd of roughly 50, crammed on folding chairs around five actors facing one another across two tables, orchestrated by crackerjack comedy director Pam Fryman, who left Villanova 27 years ago and still calls home to her mom every day.

It's the Monday "table read" for the season's 17th episode of How I Met Your Mother, "Arrivederci Fiero," which airs tomorrow at 8 PM ET/PT on CBS. The script is getting life for the first time, under scrutiny of bosses and underlings from the show, the studio and the network.

Fryman, mother of twin 14-year-old girls, has been midwife at the birth of sitcom episodes like this hundreds of times on 40 series from Caroline in the City to King of Queens. James Burrows, who everybody knows is the best sitcom director in the business, has modestly called her the second-best.

The five stars of Mother, TV's fifth-highest-rated comedy, in its second season, are a typical mix of 20s and early-30s sitcom actors. Neil Patrick Harris (Barney) starred 15 years ago as Doogie Howser. Even earlier, in the short-lived Free Spirit, Alyson Hannigan (Lily) had full-time work as a teenager opposite a nanny who was a witch. Later, she spent seven years starring as a witch herself in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Canadian Cobie Smulders (Robin) and Ohioan Josh Radnor (Ted) have never had regular sitcom roles before. On this day in late January, Radnor's mom and dad are in from Columbus to hear him perform. They get a round of applause when introduced.

The actors seem to have made a fetish of dressing down, though it's hard to tell if the tweed overcoat Jason Segel (Marshall) wears over his frayed jeans is from the thrift shop or cost $1,000 in a Melrose Avenue boutique. Hannigan sports an olive hat that looks like something Fidel Castro's niece might wear. Radnor wears olive jeans.

They read the script out loud, together for the first time. They're supposed to have familiarized themselves with it over the weekend, though Smulders comments later that Segel often seems "delighted at what he discovers" at each week's table read.

The actor, whom TV fans might remember from two delightful but short-lived shows about students, NBC's Freaks and Geeks and Fox's Undeclared, mutters something about the importance of "fresh eyes."

It's Hollywood. Everybody has his method.

Prepped or not, the actors breeze through the script at the table read, drawing chuckles, laughs and guffaws from the hangers-on. Sometimes, the critic in the room laughs, too. Sometimes, he wonders if the others aren't just being polite to spare the writers' feelings.

They're not supposed to be. "We don't have an audience," Fryman explains later. "Either we're laughing, or we're not laughing."

Traditional multi-camera sitcoms are shot like little plays, albeit with many fits and starts, before a studio audience. Producers and directors use the real laughter (and lack of it) to make a laugh track and determine how to modify the show, supposedly to make it funnier.

Most single-camera sitcoms, shot like movies, have no laugh track. How I Met Your Mother is an unusual hybrid, with different shooting techniques used for different scenes, and audience sounds added. Sometimes, a rough cut is shown to an audience to see where the laughs are, and modifications are made. But often, the audience at the table read is the only one the show will have before it airs.

"We're listening, going with our gut, and then we trust ourselves in rewriting," Fryman says. They also have to accommodate the geniuses from the studio (Fox makes the show) and the network, who make suggestions after the reading.

While they palaver, the actors hang out on Stage 22, where the show is shot with enormous attention to detail. Notice the mechanic's shop on tomorrow night's episode. It has real parts boxes - six starters, seven alternators - and other authentic automotive paraphernalia decorating a set that will be used only once.

Monday morning begins the weeklong shooting process that will end Friday night, with more than a week of editing to follow. A CBS Web site has a day-by-day feature outlining how one episode progressed: Go to www.cbs.com/innertube and click on the show title and then "behind the scenes."

As the week passes, the days can get very long. "Arrivederci Fiero" arrives with an unheard-of 60 scenes. Seinfeld, considered pretty frenetic, rarely got to 30. Thursdays and Fridays, Fryman often doesn't get home until after 10 p.m.

"If this had happened when my daughters were young, it would never have worked," she says. But now Megan's a basketball star and Katie's the eighth-grade class president, and they can get along alone pretty well, with the help of Fryman's husband, writer-producer Alan Grossbard.

Fryman, 47, started in TV when she was two years older than her daughters, interning in Philadelphia at The Mike Douglas Show while she was still at Harriton High in Lower Merion. After attending Pennsylvania State University, she rode across country for fun with her older brother. By that time, Douglas had moved to L.A.

"I dropped by to say hello. They said, 'Want to work here?' My mother thought I would be back at any moment. She still believes that, 26 years later."

Fryman eventually got into game shows and soaps. A friend and colleague, Peter Noah, thought she might be good at sitcoms. In January 1994, he invited her to direct an episode of his series, Cafe Americain, starring Valerie Bertinelli.

A little 6.7 Richter thing, the Northridge Earthquake, postponed production. "All the sets fell down," Fryman said. "Then, right before we did the show in front of an audience, they announced that the show was not being picked up."

No problem. That spring, Fryman directed three episodes of a summer sitcom, Muddling Through, featuring someone named Jennifer Aniston. Fortunately for her, that one tanked too, because Friends was casting. It was only a coincidence that Friends exec producer David Crane was two years ahead of Fryman at Harriton, but she did get to direct episode four, "The One With the East German Laundry Detergent."

"The word went out," she said. " 'Well, Pam's done Friends.' "

She has been a full-time sitcom director ever since, most notably helming 33 episodes of Frasier.

Fryman will return to Philadelphia in June for a joint high school reunion for the Harriton classes of '76 and '77.

And, in a group that has a professor of neuroscience at Rutgers University and another in immunobiology at Yale, she figures she won't make too many ripples.

"I'll just sneak into the back," she says, a far cry from her center-of-the-universe status on Stage 22.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/television//16767350.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

fredfa

02-25-07, 11:10 AM

Critic’s Notebook
On TV: Is it good to be bad?
BY Doug Elfman Chicago Sun-Times Television Critic February 25, 2007
(Note: All times are Central.)

I occasionally view TV characters as a prosecutor might, probably because I started in journalism as a cops and courts reporter. The other week on "Veronica Mars," Veronica hired a friend to steal and crush the car of a female rival. Bad Veronica!

All I could think was, "Veronica, that's a criminal enterprise. You're gonna get yourself in unnecessary trouble."

Veronica changed her mind (after it was stolen, before it was crushed). Still, the possibility that "Veronica's" main character (a well-meaning private investigator) could join the ranks of the criminal minds on TV got me thinking: There are a lot of main characters on TV who should be in prison.

In some shows, like "The Sopranos," they're half-glorified, half-vilified (the stuff of anti-heroes). In others, criminals are just absurd (like Homer Simpson). But in some, particularly "The Shield" and the awesome "Dexter," murderers are posed as likable protagonists.

More good-guy bad guys are coming soon. Starting Monday, NBC's "The Black Donnellys" follows the chipper but dark lives of young guys in a murderous organized crime group. They deserve to be in prison instead of carousing on the streets of New York. And "The Riches," a good show starting March 12 on FX, stars Minnie Driver and Eddie Izzard as grifters raising their kids in the house of a dead couple. Identity thieves!

So, herewith, are other TV heroes I think Jack McCoy could prosecute in upcoming episodes of "Law & Order: TV Criminals."

'Heroes' (8 p.m. Mondays, NBC)
Claire's dad, the one with the horn-rimmed eyeglasses (producers call him "HRG"), has at the very least falsely imprisoned Sylar, the evil guy. Granted, cops wouldn't know what to do with Sylar's superpowerful ways. But still, this is felonious. Also, Nikki is a killer. She did turn herself in, but the cops let her out.

'The Sopranos' (Returning April 8 to HBO)
Almost every character is a murderer, a mobster or an accomplice to something untoward. The series wraps with nine upcoming episodes. Tony should end up behind bars, as should just about everyone else.

'Prison Break' (7 p.m. Mondays, Fox)
All the fugitives on the run should by law go back to jail, including brothers Michael and Lincoln. They're the good guys, yes, but Michael really did hold up a bank (regardless of good intentions), and they both broke out of prison, which is not legal.

'The Shield' (Returning April 3 on FX)
The main characters are bad cops who kill suspects vigilante-style and who have even killed cops. They are not nice people -- nor law-abiding.

'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' (Returning on FX this summer)
On this absurd comedy, characters have used crack cocaine and torched a guy's business. Actually, the torchers were busted and put on probation. So it takes TV's crassest (and one of its funniest) series to exhibit criminal consequences.

'The Knights of Prosperity' (7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, ABC)
The gang is conspiring to rob Mick Jagger's apartment. They've already broken into and entered Mick's office building, among other things. Crime shouldn't pay. Mick earned that apartment!

'Lost' (9 p.m. Wednesdays, ABC)
Several characters have shot and killed others on bizarro "Gilligan's Island." There's been blackmail and false imprisonment, among many other offenses. They're lucky there's no police department on their deserted isle.

'Shark' (9 p.m. Thursdays, CBS)
James Woods' lawyer character has used unsavory and perhaps illegal methods in court, certainly back when he was a defense attorney, and possibly now that he's a prosecutor. Just because Shark puts away felons doesn't mean he's not one himself.

'My Name Is Earl' (7 p.m. Thursdays, NBC)
Sure, Earl, Randy and Joy are mostly upstanding citizens now, but they used to break laws weekly (if not daily). Once Earl finishes making amends to his prior victims (the reason for the show), he should turn himself in.

'ER' (9:01 p.m. Thursdays, NBC)
At the very least, nurse Samantha Taggart should get locked up for shooting her ex-husband to death. OK, fine, I was rooting for her to kill him. He raped her after kidnapping her and her kid. But legally, she should have continued to escape (she was home free) instead of doubling back to kill him while he slept.

'Desperate Housewives' (8 p.m. Sundays, ABC)
Bree's son Andrew vehicular-homicided Carlos' mom. Edie set fire to Susan's house. And Bree's hubby Orson tried to hit-and-run Mike to death. The sequel can be called "Desperado Housewives."

'The Simpsons' (7 p.m. Sundays, Fox)
Homer has broken so many laws, it's hard to keep count. For starters, he's vandalized a school, stolen half of Ned Flanders' possessions and caused a nuclear meltdown. A judge should order him to a lifetime of rehab and community service.

'Family Guy' (8 p.m. Sundays, Fox)
One-year-old Stewie has shot his dog Brian in the foot to try to get out of the Army, shot down children flying helicopters, operated as a loan shark, attempted to murder his mother, tried to blow up the world and engaged in many other nefarious plans. He could plead to being an insane genius in juvenile court.

'South Park' (New episodes on Comedy Central in spring)
The little rascals have committed a series of petty thefts and conspiracies, not to mention Cartman's various financial plots to trick people out of money. Delinquents.

'Hustle' (Returning to AMC on April 18)
It's about a gang of con artists. Next.

'Big Love' (Returning to HBO this summer)
A guy married to three women. That's called polygamy, a crime even in Utah.

'Weeds' (Returning to Showtime this summer)
Nancy is a single mom ... and a dope dealer! She'd better throw herself at the mercy of the court someday.

'The Wire' (Returning to HBO later this year)
Kids deal drugs, and they're killers and thieves. Who shouldn't go to jail from this bunch?

'Dexter' (Returning to Showtime later this year)
Dexter is a serial killer. The prosecution rests.

http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/elfman/271787,SHO-Sunday-elf25.articleprint

fredfa

02-25-07, 11:45 AM

TV Notebook
NBC rallies behind Reilly's risks
“The Black Donellys” embodies exec's offbeat tastes
By Josef Adalian Variety February 25, 2007

Just when Paul Haggis thought he was out of the TV business, NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly pulled him back in.

The result is "The Black Donnellys," an Irish mob drama Haggis and his "Crash" collaborator Bobby Moresco penned nearly a decade ago. The show had been rejected by CBS, but Reilly resurrected it in late 2005, cast it with a slew of baby-faced unknowns and is now praying it will turn into a much-needed midseason hit.

He's even giving the show the best timeslot on the Peacock: Mondays at 10 p.m. after frosh hit "Heroes" (and in place of the barely breathing "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip".)

Because Reilly has found his footing at NBC -- he's talking to the net about a new deal -- the fate of "Donnellys" won't determine his future. It does, however, say a lot about what kind of exec he is and the type of network he wants NBC to be.

"This is the perfect Kevin Reilly show," says one person who knows the Peacock prexy well. "It's very well-done, but it's also dark, challenging, male-skewing and looks like it could be on cable."

In other words, "Donnellys" is the type of TV show that would send a lot of other network execs running. It doesn't help that while "The Sopranos" worked for HBO, mob dramas, including Haggis' own "EZ Streets," have consistently failed to click with broadcast auds.

Reilly, however, has shown a penchant for rolling the dice on risky fare, from "The Shield" to "The Office." He seems unconcerned that the odds seem stacked against "Donnellys."

"Prior to 'Cheers,' there was a rule that you never set something in a bar," Reilly says. "At the end of the day, you just have to bet on the quality of the work and the talent involved."

Of course, it's easier to gamble when you've got little to lose. When Reilly became interested in "Donnellys," he was barely a year into his job as entertainment prexy and was staring up from the bottom of what appeared to be a bottomless Nielsen abyss.

Reilly figured one way to climb out of that hole was to break out of the usual development cycle. Soon after he got to the network, he let the town know he was looking for scripts and ideas year-round.

One day in late 2005, reps for Haggis contacted Reilly and told him about an old script, then titled "The Truth About Joey Ice Cream."

"We sent it to him on a Friday, and by Sunday, he called us and said, 'Can we do this?' " recalls Haggis, whose previous television work included "Due South" and "Family Law" for CBS. "I never thought anyone in network TV would buy this thing. I thought it was a cable show."

Moresco, whose childhood inspired many of the characters and plots on "Donnellys," says, "Kevin is a throwback to a time when people weren't afraid to make decisions. He trusts his creative partners."

Reilly suggested a change in title and asked the scribes to give it a contemporary setting (rather than 1970s), and make the lead characters several years younger.

"Conceptually, making the characters younger sets it apart (from past mob dramas)," Reilly said. He admits there was another reason: "It makes them more appealing and cute. It doesn't hurt to have cute guys in a show."

Haggis and Moresco turned in the pilot in March 2006. Normally, a net would wait until May before deciding whether to pick up the show to series. Reilly ordered 13 episodes, virtually on the spot. He even brought out Haggis and Moresco to hype the show at a pre-upfront confab in Los Angeles last March.

Reilly opted against putting "Donnellys" on NBC's fall 2006 sked. Some saw this as a sign that "Donnellys" didn't have enough internal support from Reilly's bosses, or that advertisers were concerned with some of the show's darker themes.

Reilly says neither was true.

"Because of its nature, I felt the show needed some support," Reilly says. "It's not a down-the-middle concept like a good lawyer putting bad guys behind bars. And I didn't think we had the right place to program it."

Exec's first plan was to air it in "ER's" timeslot when the show went on temporary hiatus this winter. But then "ER" got off to a surprisingly strong start in the fall.A better timeslot opened up after it became clear that "Heroes" was a hit and "Studio 60" was not.

Reilly doesn't expect "Donnellys" to be an out-of-the-gate blockbuster, and he knows it'll be tough for a gritty crime drama to hold on to the huge aud tuning in for the mass appeal of the comicbook fantasy that is "Heroes."

"But the bar to trade up (over 'Studio 60') isn't that high," Reilly says. "And relative to the competition, it's about as good a slot as we can give it."

As for whether "Donnellys" stands as the quintessential Kevin Reilly show, the exec says that's a no-brainer.

"If it's a big hit, yes," he laughs.

http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=print_story&articleid=VR1117960066&categoryid=14

fredfa

02-25-07, 12:14 PM

TV Notebook
'Shark' sets sights on NBC prey
Medical drama opened season strong
By Rick Kissell Variety February 25, 2007

"ER" hasn't flatlined, but the NBC vet's vulnerabilities have its competitors smelling blood. And a "Shark" appears ready to pounce.

The medical drama opened the season strong, but its sizable ratings advantages have evaporated as the season has progressed. And now the 10 o'clock hour on television's most important night is up for grabs.

James Woods legal/crime drama "Shark" is the leading candidate to topple "ER," closing the demo gap in recent weeks while easily winning the hour in total viewers. It's not in the same league as "Without a Trace," the hit missing-persons drama that vacated the plum post-"CSI" slot six months ago after overtaking "ER" for a few years, but CBS has to feel pretty good about its position.

Through Feb. 18, "Shark" was averaging a 3.8 rating in adults 18-49 and 13.5 million viewers overall, ranking fourth and second, respectively, among all new hourlongs this season, according to Nielsen.

But the most encouraging news for CBS is that it has the hot show: "Shark" is on the rise while "ER," now in its 13th season, is on the decline.

In their first three head-to-head matchups last fall, "ER" dominated "Shark" in adults 18-49 (6.3 to 4.0 on average), but in their first three showdowns in the February sweep, the NBC skein led just 4.9 to 4.2.

"Shark" has retained 56% of its 18-49 lead-in from "CSI" this season, but that number has grown to 61% over its last five airings. It also has achieved a series-best 4.4 rating with three of its last seven firstrun airings.

ABC, too, has begun to cut into "ER's" lead, but its rookie 10 o'clock entry "Men in Trees" remains in third place and retains well less than 50% of its substantial lead-in from "Grey's Anatomy."

The Alphabet is strong both at 8 with "Ugly Betty" and at 9 with "Grey's," so it can afford to nurture its final piece of the Thursday puzzle. For the night, ABC is regularly beating former champ CBS in demos, but it could open up some breathing room if it fared better at 10.

Original episodes of "Men," on average, have retained just 38% of their "Grey's Anatomy" 18-49 lead-in since moving to the time period on Nov. 30. This is the same retention "Six Degrees" exhibited with the five firstrun episodes it aired since its premiere.

But "Men" does have some momentum going, hitting series highs with each of its last two episodes in February and catching "ER" in some young-female demos.

For its part, "ER" remains a key part of NBC's sked -- one of only a handful of timeslot winners for the fourth-place net -- but it's clearly showing its age. Coming out of struggling comedy "30 Rock," it's also at the biggest lead-in disadvantage it's experienced, making do with a fraction of the audience that "Grey's" provides "Men in Trees" or "CSI" supplies to "Shark."

NBC finds itself in something of a no-win situation with the show, too: "ER" will return next season, but it would be of little value to the net anywhere but Thursdays at 10, so it's almost compelled to keep it there.

But that only opens the door for its rivals to take advantage of the potent lead-ins from their 9 o'clock programs. And if it isn't "Shark" that bites "ER," another show on either CBS or ABC eventually will.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117960052.html?categoryid=14&cs=1

SirJW

02-25-07, 01:52 PM

Dad are you going to be watching TV in HD 2nite? I've missed that past few days here and I know Friday was a make or break day for you...

URFloorMatt

02-25-07, 02:09 PM

You know what I think NBC's problem is? The promo monkeys. NBC promos are almost universally cringeworthy in the drama department. They use lame catchphrases, an annoying voiceover, and usually twist and blatantly misrepresent the episode to the viewer.

NBC promos make me embarrased to watch their shows. Compare them to, say, ABC, where no matter how frustrating an episode of Lost is, the promo for next week usually reels me back in.

Heroes is probably the only exception, and perhaps not coincidentally, it's the only drama I watch on NBC. But case in point: those The Black Donnelys promos? Yuck. Could they make it seem any more cliche and sappy? They had this same problem back with The West Wing.

fredfa

02-25-07, 02:55 PM

Dad are you going to be watching TV in HD 2nite? I've missed that past few days here and I know Friday was a make or break day for you...

I have been waiting for an update on dad's HDTV quest, too. :)

dad1153

02-25-07, 03:09 PM

Dad are you going to be watching TV in HD 2nite? I've missed that past few days here and I know Friday was a make or break day for you...

Conan O'Brien said in one of his monologues last week that President Bush called Australian Prime Miniter John Howard by phone. When Howard told the President in his part of the world it was already tomorrow, Bush's head exploded. :D

Friday was my self-imposed decision day and in the end I blinked and couldn't go through with it. I'm just not buying a TV set, I'm marrying the one thing I will be spending most of my free time with for the next five or so years. It's like marriage but without the nagging! I'm basically torn between getting a 46" or a 52" set, but there are a million decisions that have to do with brand, price and performance that are killing me. Basically I can get the Samsung 5296D for the price of the Olevia 747i, but the Sammy's deinterlacer and picture with SD programming are **** compared with the Olevia's IN THEORY because the 747i's haven't been released to the general public. Or I could bite the bullet and get a 52XBR2 for $3,500 at a local Brooklyn shop (yep, one of "those") but then kiss goodbye the PIP feature I've always used to watch two sources at once. Plus if the XBR2 turns out to be "cloudy" then I'm royally screwed! Then there are the new Sharp LCD's with the highest contrast ratios on the market to date (3,000:1/15,000:1 dynamic) but those damn banding reports just keep popping left and right. Some of these I could buy online and save enough money to buy a PS3 for gaming and Blu-ray... or that same amount could help me upgrade from 46" to 52" but then I wouldn't have enough money to buy the PS3 and feed my 1080p beauty something worthy of the high price. Of course I could say "screw LCD" and go plasma, but then I'd have to go hang out on the plasma and learn which models suck and which don't besides the obvious (and expensive) standouts like the high-end Panny and Pioneer plasmas.

(head explodes... again) :confused: :( :confused: :(

keenan

02-25-07, 03:31 PM

Fred, wasn't there an article posted earlier about Liberty Media having interest in buying the Rainbow Media RSNs as well?

Comcast could buy stake in two regional sports networks

Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal - February 23, 2007
by John Ourand

Comcast is in final negotiations to buy out Rainbow Media's stake in two regional sports networks -- FSN Bay Area and FSN New England -- a move that accelerates the cable operator's strategy to develop a footprint of regional sports networks across the United States.

The deal, with on-and-off negotiations going on for more than a year, is still several weeks away from being completed. But both sides have agreed on the move that would have Comcast buying out Rainbow's 60 percent stake in FSN Bay Area and Rainbow's 50 percent stake in the New England RSN. Fox Sports Net owns the remaining 40 percent of the San Francisco-based channel, and Comcast and Rainbow share ownership of the New England RSN.

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2007/02/26/story11.html?hbx=
Comcast could buy stake in two regional sports networks - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

fredfa

02-25-07, 04:01 PM

Yes, Jim, Pittsburgh, Denver and Seattle.

fredfa

02-25-07, 04:57 PM

TV Review
“The Black Donnellys”
By Brian Lowry Variety

An old adage cautions that every successful filmmaker has a highly personal dud in them, just yearning for the industry clout to set it free. Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco enjoyed precisely such leverage after their Oscar-winning "Crash," and the result is this grim, brooding, utterly muddled crime series, which travels the same littered, dangerous roads -- with considerably less panache -- as an earlier Haggis offering that squandered CBS' time and resources, "EZ Streets." NBC might fare better with "Heroes" as a lead-in, but it will take true heroics to win "The Black Donnellys" an extended reprieve from an Irish wake.

Told in not-always-to-be-trusted flashback by the incarcerated Joey Ice Cream (Keith Nobbs), the mishmash of a story involves the four Donnelly brothers, who, if this were "The Godfather," would amount to three Fredos and one Michael. With so many Jimmys and Tommys and Joeys and Jennys running around, it's about three-quarters of the way through the premiere before anybody can tell them apart, which might be just as well.

A ne'er-do-well New York clan that oversees a local bar, the Donnellys are petty thieves with the exception of Tommy (Jonathan Tucker), who yearns to be an artist and pines quietly for neighborhood girl Jenny (Olivia Wilde), who's married to a guy who disappeared and is thus unavailable. Tommy has to look out for his hot-tempered brother Jimmy (Thomas Guiry), simple-minded Kevin (Billy Lush) and ladies man Sean (Michael Stahl-David), even if that means figuring out what to do with a stolen truck or a kidnapped Italian bookmaker.

Jimmy nurses a bum leg from his youth, so he's perhaps to be forgiven for being a twitchy drunk. Still, as constructed by Haggis and Moresco (who claims similar neighborhood roots), Tommy is the only brother who isn't a low-grade moron, and as a bonus -- returning to a "Godfather" analogy that's too good for this show -- his hand doesn't shake in moments of crisis.

Without giving away too much about the serialized five episodes previewed, circumstances risk bringing the wrath of both the Italian and Irish mobsters that occupy the 'hood down on the Donnellys, forcing Tommy to intervene. This strains his long-simmering itch for Jenny and yields lots of prolonged, anguished looks.

"Star Trek: Voyager's" Kate Mulgrew eventually turns up as the boys' mother, without much to do, while the lingering threat of mob violence produces occasional moments of tension (one psychopath struts around with an ax) but precious little that's on a level with the worst episode of "The Sopranos."

None of the characters really pop beyond the halo-encircled Tommy, and even as antiheroes, the brothers aren't particularly likable. More problematic, there's no sense of the stakes or where this is ultimately heading, as each episode opens pretentiously with an onscreen quote and then segues to Joey's hyperactive narration.

"Studio 60" didn't set the ratings standard especially high in this Monday timeslot, but after the curiosity evoked by this new pilot's ending is quenched in the second episode, it isn't a stretch to foresee the "Donnellys" limbo-ing under that bar. Indeed, at various points, it's easy to hope Tommy will think of himself and let Darwinian principles run their course, prompting a title change to "The Lonely Donnelly." As is, it's a dreary stroll along the seedy side, where a woman who crosses the brothers' path can only ask, "What kind of people are you?"

They're the Black Donnellys, dammit. Hear them mumble.

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117932881.html?categoryid=32&cs=1

keenan

02-25-07, 05:28 PM

Yes, Jim, Pittsburgh, Denver and Seattle.
Odd, I thought it involved the one's mentioned above, must have my wires crossed. :)

fredfa

02-25-07, 08:22 PM

TV Review
“The Black Donnellys”
Family first, then blood and gore in Paul Haggis' wannabe Scorsese epic ontract
By Paul Brownfield Los Angeles Times Staff Writer February 26, 2007

"The Black Donnellys" is tripe. Not tripe as in, "I'd recommend a medium-bodied Cab with that," but tripe as in rubbish.

NBC sent out five episodes; I sat through three before throwing the DVD on the Donate to Public Library pile. I would like to apologize in advance to the library.

"The Black Donnellys" is from writer-director Paul Haggis (of "Crash" fame) and writer-producer Bobby Moresco (of lesser "Crash" fame). "Crash," when it won the Oscar for best picture last year, set off its own tripe versus tripe argument.

"The Black Donnellys" is a shorter discussion: It's Haggis and Moresco playing at a Scorsese street epic, with children as the stars and character actors as dramatic guardians.

NBC pushed up the show's debut by a week to replace the low-rated "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," Aaron Sorkin's extremely wrought piece about the showbiz mafia. But "The Black Donnellys" feels about as real as pasta dyed green for St. Patrick's Day.

The show opens with a character named Joey "Ice Cream" (Keith Nobbs), wearing prison orange; two detectives are asking him about the location of certain bodies. Joey feigns ignorance before launching brightly into a spiel: "There's two things that happened to Jimmy Donnelly that made him turn out the way he did."

The way Joey starts in, you half expect a song-and-dance number. Instead he delivers a snappy monologue full of Jimmys and Tommys and Sals, and say, who's the dame? As the pilot unfolds, it's all pretty easy on the eyes, until you realize what you're watching is nothing so palpable as young actors getting their mob-movie GEDs.

On Showtime's fine "Brotherhood," in which Irish mob fealty is presented as the push-pull between a politician and his gangster brother, there's a world that's earned. "The Black Donnellys" (black as in black Irish) is in a familiar-seeming if less tangible place — it might be Hell's Kitchen, but it feels like Scorsese's Creek.

Our hero is Tommy Donnelly (Jonathan Tucker), whose core — both in terms of Pilates and values — is strong, and whose heart belongs to Jenny (Olivia Wilde), who works the counter at her pop's diner (while Tommy, an art student, draws her portrait on a paper placemat). The other Donnelly brothers break down recognizably as Kevin (Billy Lush), the Fredo one; Jimmy (Tom Guiry), the hothead with a bum leg; and Sean (Michael Stahl-David), who, through no fault of his own, is in intensive care after being beaten to a pulp.

On "The Sopranos," kids like the Donnellys get a one- to two-episode arc and are killed off for doing something properly stupid, like holding up the wrong card game. But Haggis and Moresco, both of whom come from the TV world, including Haggis' short-lived "EZ Streets," are in the romanticizing business.

Tommy, who we're told will take over the neighborhood, kills but only in the interest of cleaning up his brothers' messes and assuaging his own, long-fermented guilt. He's so virtuous and regal and forlorn that even when he strips down and takes a sledgehammer to dispose of a body, it looks like an ad for the comeback of briefs over boxers.

Later, he hoses off the blood and his feelings. Haggis and Moresco try to up the resonance factor by kicking off episodes with on-screen, Irish-themed epigrams, quoting from Yeats, for instance: "Too long a sacrifice can make a stone of the heart."

Yes, and too long a scene can make a pebble of the brain. The disposal of the bookie belonging to the Italians in episode two takes forever, and the soundtrack and trip to the local hardware emporium can only dimly echo the genre the producers are violating. On "The Black Donnellys," kids kill — and pummel, and conflagrate — to music by Snow Patrol and Aimee Mann.

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-donnellys26feb26,0,569228,print.story?coll=cl-tv-features

dad1153

02-25-07, 08:44 PM

Based on all these negative reviews and the fact CSI: Miami trounced Studio 60 (and everything else) at 10PM Mondays that Black Donnellys is going to rank a strong #2 and get a 3.5 or higher in the demo. Have you seen the kinds of movies that have been getting the most money at the box office? Usually the one's that critics pan the hardest and hate the most. All this print media hatred of 'Black Donnellys' tells me that, like the neutered Sopranos repeats on A&E, critics don't get than there's an appetite out there in TV land for violence from audiences that are too poor, busy or lazy to pursue it on pay cable or DVD. If its as violent as the reviews say it is 'Black Donnellys' will not just do fine, but prosper as a realistic violence alternative to Caruso's fantasy travelogue of crime.

fredfa

02-25-07, 09:07 PM

The only caveat I would have, dad, is that the critics have actually seen the first episodes, while you are making assumptions.

If it is anywhere near as bad as many say (although Aaron Barnhart, for one, liked it) I can't imagine that it will thrive. And the history of mob-type shows on network TV is not replete with hits.

Then again, as even Kevin Reilly says, the bar has not been set too high by the ratings in NBC's Monday 10 PM slot, so who knows?

fredfa

02-25-07, 09:12 PM

TV Review
“The Black Donnellys”
Will it get enough time to jell?
By Ed Bark former Dallas Morning News TV critic at his website unclebarky.com February 25, 2007

Like a fine Irish stew in the making, The Black Donnellys needs time to find its flavor.

But time isn't on the side of seriously sober serial dramas -- at least not this season. So NBC's Hell's Kitchen-set crime saga likely will have a fight on its hands as the Peacock's Monday night replacement for the audience-rejected Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.

Donnellys' premiere episode is a jumble at times, with swerving narration from the jailed "Joey Ice Cream" (Keith Nobbs) used and sometimes abused as a storytelling technique. Keep watching, though. NBC sent the first five hours for review, giving TV critics ample opportunity to settle in while the show settles down. Stay with it and you'll get to know one of the season's most compelling new characters. He's Tommy Donnelly (Jonathan Tucker), a hurting, harrowing, heart-in-the-right-place anti-hero.

Tommy's lifelong guilt over a childhood mishap has cast him as a protective shield whose lot in life is to keep his three brothers among the living.

It's a lot to ask when your oldest sibling, Jimmy (Thomas Guiry), is a drunken junkie and borderline despot. Younger brother Kevin (Billy Lush) also is addicted -- to gambling. And the baby of the family, heartthrob Sean (Michael Stahl-David), turns out to be an easy mark for thugs with lessons to teach. Their home base is the Donnelly family bar, which is oddly lacking in customers other than the four brothers and an earlier unincarcerated Joey.

When away from a beer tap, the boys aim to please and protect their widowed mother, Helen (Kate Mulgrew from Star Trek: Voyager). She's a pistol herself, particularly with her two younger sons.

Black Donnellys has superior bloodlines. Co-executive producer and creator Paul Haggis directed last year's Crash, which won the Oscar for Best Picture. Sandwiched around that film are his screenplays for Million Dollar Baby and Letters From Iwo Jima.

Haggis' Black Donnellys collaborator, Bobby Moresco, also worked with him on Crash and Million Dollar Baby. And in 1996, the two co-created CBS' EZ Streets, an exemplary crime drama that never found enough viewers to sustain it.

Black Donnellys, inspired by Moresco's formative years in a tough New York neighborhood, is anything but a spoonful of sugar. The series' opening words -- "So where are the bodies?" -- prompt the jailed Joey Ice Cream to weave a back-and-forth tale of hard-won brotherly love mixed with killings, beatings and thievery.

There's also a prototypical bar fight -- at a wake no less. Accompanied by a jaunty Irish tune, the fists start flying after Joey observes, "The Irish have always been victims of negative stereotyping. People think we're all drunks and brawlers. And sometimes that gets you so mad all you want to do is get drunk and punch somebody."

The narrative gets to be too much. It sometimes seems as though Joey is auditioning for Last Comic Standing rather than playing ball with his jail cell interrogaters. But future episodes scale him back, with Joey primarily used to sum up the action from previous episodes. Think of him as a colorful, prison orange substitute for prime-time's standard "Previously on . . ." stage-setters.

We quickly learn there's very bad blood between the Irish and the Italians, and the Irish and the Irish. Everybody wants a cut, and some are willing to cut off the toes and fingers of welshers. Principal among them is the chilling "Dokey" Farrell (Peter Greene), whose constant companion is an ax. Dokey and Tommy Donnelly are going to be antagonists, with matters heating to a boil in Episode 3.

Also in this mix is Jenny Reilly (Olivia Wilde), whose brutalizing husband remains both missing and unseen through the initial five episodes. Jenny's the love of Tommy's life, but can he ever have her? The acts he commits in defense of his brothers have made her afraid to get too close.

The series deftly paints Tommy into corners, prompting a painful series of lies and betrayals. In a sense he's doing what's right, but the cost of living keeps rising. Tommy is a Boy Scout with dried blood on his troop insignia, an amalgam of Michael and Sonny Corleone, hold the Fredo.

Black Donnellys initially was earmarked for ER's Thursday slot, but the venerable medical drama's Nielsen ratings were too good to give way. Plan B finds the show in a much tougher spot. Near the end, hardly anyone was watching Studio 60, which will make it doubly tough for this oft-grim serial to recruit viewers almost from scratch.

In the end, it's all together too likely that Black Donnellys will find it difficult to escape one of its weekly cautionary quotes. Such as this one at the outset of Episode 3: "To be Irish is to know that in the end the world will break your heart."

Hey, whatever happened to the luck of the Irish? That's what this show needs and deserves.

Grade (for the first five episodes): A-

DoubleDAZ

02-25-07, 09:19 PM

If it is anywhere near as bad as many say (although Aaron Barnhart, for one, liked it) I can't imagine that it will thrive. And the history of mob-type shows on network TV is not replete with hits.Add to that the fact that many viewers forego the cable movie channels simply because they believe there is too much violence, etc., in all too many movies and cable shows. What sells on cable doesn't necessarily sell on network TV.

fredfa

02-25-07, 10:22 PM

Critic’s Notebook
Kimmel's late-night edge:
AS THE COMIC GROWS ON HIS AUDIENCE, HE SHEDS D-LIST IMAGE, SEES RATINGS SURGE AND GETS A COVETED POST-OSCARS SPECIAL '
By Charlie McCollum San Jose Mercury News February 25, 2007

When ABC's ``Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' made its debut in January 2003, it was promoted as something really, really different for late-night network television. It was. But, as even its host admits now, not necessarily in the best of ways.

``The first night we did the show -- a show I've never watched, by the way -- I had nothing prepared when I walked out and sat behind the desk,'' says Kimmel, who was 35 at the time and a graduate of Comedy Central's school of testosterone-driven, edgy humor.

``I thought that I was going to do just like'' daytime talk show host Regis Philbin ``does it: Walk out there and just b.s. and, hopefully, it would be funny. And sometimes, it was funny, but most of the time it wasn't.''

A lot has changed on ``Kimmel'' (12:05 a.m. weeknights, Ch. 7) since those early, chaotic days when he was winging it every night on a show televised live in much of the country, the audience being served booze and strictly D-list guests.

Once written off as a sure loser in the late-night wars, the show has not only managed to survive four seasons but also has seen a ratings surge over the past year. Its nightly viewership has jumped to more than 1.8 million, up nearly 15 percent in total viewers and (more importantly to the network) up 17 percent in younger viewers. That still puts it behind the competition -- ``The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,'' the leader, draws 6 million viewers -- but it is a vast improvement over the early days.

Tonight, ``Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' will get another boost with a special Sunday edition (11:30 p.m., Ch. 7) after the heavily watched Academy Awards. Kimmel himself is set to get even more exposure when he hosts the prime-time game show ``Set for Life.''

``The show has gone through a great growth, and people are starting to catch on,'' says ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson. ``It takes time to grow these late-night people, and Jimmy's a real asset for us, and he's going to be part of our network for a long time.''

Kimmel says there are many reasons for the improvement, ``but just like anything, you get better at what you do as you go along. And I've always been a person who always takes a little while to grow on you. It's been that way for me on the radio and on the other TV shows I've done.

``Things never really seem to start out with a bang for me. That's probably why I never had a girlfriend in high school. It takes a good two years before people make their decision on me.''

Still, ``Kimmel'' is a very different show than it was in the early days when the host and the show's production staff tried to bring Kimmel's success and sensibilities on Comedy Central's ``The Man Show'' and ``Win Ben Stein's Money'' to a major network.

It no longer looks like a cable access show, it's no longer live and the experiment with booze lasted only a couple of nights. The behind-the-scenes production staff has gone through numerous changes, most notably the hiring last April of Jill Leiderman as the show's executive producer. An alumna of Letterman's ``Late Show,'' she is credited with boosting the star power of the show's guests.

``Talk shows die so quickly that publicists don't want to commit their clients to something that might not be around for very long. You're really on your own for the first couple of years,'' Kimmel says.

It also didn't help that ``we did everything last-second. We operated like a D student does his homework: You do the whole book report the night before.''

Even more importantly, Kimmel discovered that the traditional trappings of a late-night talk show weren't necessarily bad things.

``When they asked us to do the show, we didn't want to do something crazy, but we did want to do something different,'' he says. ``That was a mistake in retrospect. In a way, doing a talk show is like playing baseball. Essentially, the basics are the basics.''

So, now, ``Kimmel'' follows what has been the tried and true format of late night: a monologue from the host who now wears a coat and tie, a few prepared bits and then the guests. ``We've come closer and closer to doing it the way everyone else does it. You just learn that certain things work, and you shouldn't screw with them,'' the host says.

That doesn't mean the edge has totally gone out of Kimmel's show. ``You never want to walk away from your hard-core fans,'' Kimmel says. ``The show's still edgy compared to most late-night shows, I think.''

Kimmel's humor certainly remains closer to the edge than the more restrained jokes of Jay Leno and David Letterman. The show still has guests and musical acts you won't see elsewhere. And weird things still happen, like a recent hour in which comedian Andy Dick had to be hauled off the stage by the host and security guards after he got a bit too friendly with Ivanka Trump. (``Andy has some problems that I hope he gets help with. That was real,'' Kimmel says.)

As for the show's future, though, late night seems to be more crowded and competitive with each passing year. Not only does Kimmel have to face off with his network rivals, but he also competes for viewers with Comedy Central's Jon Stewart-Stephen Colbert hour and the popular Adult Swim of edgy animation on the Cartoon Network.

And Kimmel knows that even more changes are coming to the late-night scene, most notably the transition of ``The Tonight Show'' from Leno to O'Brien in 2009.

``It's almost like the situation in the Middle East. You don't know what the hell is going to happen,'' Kimmel says.

``I'm anxious to see how it plays out, because it used to be so rare when anything happened in late-night television. For all this stuff to happen at once, it has to be related to global warming.''

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/entertainment/television/16781108.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

fredfa

02-25-07, 10:26 PM

Critic’s Notebook
On the Web, a new life for deleted scenes
By Alan Sepinwall Newark Star-Ledger Sunday, February 25, 2007

Where's Andy?

That's the question fans of NBC's "The Office" have been asking ever since the Jan. 18 episode, titled "The Return," when new Dunder-Mifflin Scranton employee Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) punched a hole in a wall in a fit of rage. He excused himself and hasn't appeared since.

Turns out the answer to that mystery lies within "The Return" itself -- or, rather, in an extended producer's cut that was made available on NBC's Web site and through Apple's iTunes store. An added scene at the end explained that Andy was ordered to attend anger management classes.

"The Office" has been on the leading edge of a new trend involving TV shows that make deleted scenes immediately available on the Web, and producer Greg Daniels wanted to see what happened if he consigned a notable plot development to the show's on-line incarnation.

"It was the most important piece of information that we ever left out of an episode without fixing it in the next episode, and it was sort of an experiment," he says. "We had the idea that the online fans would somehow transmit the information to the fans who just watched the show, and they didn't."

Andy's stint in anger management was alluded to in Thursday night's episode and will be addressed more explicitly on-air when he returns in early April. But Daniels' failed experiment illustrates the value and risk of TV producers having this shiny new toy to play with.

Deleted scenes were one of the earliest bonus features on movie DVDs, and some TV on DVD boxed sets began including them a few years back. But with films, the deleted scenes are coming from closed narratives. You watch a movie, it's done, and maybe the deleted scenes add some nuance to them and maybe they don't. Even in the case of TV show box sets, deleted scenes from season one won't usually impact your view of season five.

But in posting deleted scenes on the official Web sites the morning after each episode airs, the networks and producers are creating two parallel versions of their shows, one for people who only watch on TV, the other for obsessives who watch all the bonus material they can find.

In a recent episode of NBC's "Friday Night Lights," for instance, the high school football team split along racial lines after an assistant coach made some ill-advised public comments about black athletes. In a scene that aired, white fullback Tim Riggins approaches black halfback Smash Williams and suggests that Smash "talk to your boys and settle 'em down so we can focus on the game." In a scene that ended up on NBC.com, we discover that Tim is parroting the words of his estranged father, who has just moved back in with Tim and his brother. Without the deleted scene, Tim is being a knucklehead and maybe even a little bit racist. With it, he's just a confused kid taking bad advice from the dad he probably shouldn't trust.

"The benefit of these deleted scenes is sometimes you get a chance to get a little bit more backstory and a little bit more of the nuance that, unfortunately, doesn't always fit in an episode," says "Lights" producer Jason Katims. "In that particular case, it changes the story point to some degree, but I think that, also with Riggins, one way or the other you're getting a kid who's just a little bit misguided to that point. If you do watch the deleted scene on the Web, it's a little bit more of a window into what was motivating him in that scene, and it could enrich the experience of the show for avid fans."

Last week's "Office" had a subplot about receptionist Pam inviting co-workers to a community art show that would feature her paintings. In a deleted scene, we see Karen -- the new girlfriend of Pam's coulda-woulda-shoulda love interest Jim -- trying to take down an art show flier before Jim can see it. The new scene clarifies why Jim doesn't turn up to support Pam, and it paints Karen in a less flattering light than she's ever been shown on-air.

"I think it's a question of depth of information," says Daniels. "You'll never see anything on the Web that contradicts what you see on the air, but I would put up stuff that deepens your understanding of what is happening."

Katims also won't post clips "that we cut out because we felt we were not going in that direction in future episodes," but not every producer feels that way.

Ronald D. Moore, producer of Sci Fi's "Battlestar Galactica" remake, has made everything short of cast baby photos available for fans to see online at www.SciFi.com: podcast episode commentaries, recordings of story and editing meetings, deleted scenes and more. Because he wants the hardcore fans to understand his process, he's also comfortable letting them see material that goes against what Sci Fi is broadcasting.

"There are things that end up on the deleted scenes on the Web or the DVDs that were dropped and consequently went in radically different directions," he says. In a rough cut of the miniseries that launched the new "Galactica" in 2003, a deleted scene established Commander Adama as the son of a military man. "I'm pretty sure that's on the DVD, but in later years, we decided Adama's father was a lawyer."

Does he worry that the audience might be confused if they see that old scene on DVD?

"As long as it's presented in the proper context, the audience watches it as deleted scenes, they're added treats at home. I take it as a given that the audience watches the aired episode as the episode."

"You're dealing with a very sophisticated fanbase," agrees Katims. "When you see a deleted scene, just like if I were to look at deleted scenes from a movie, I know those are scenes that were taken out. I don't know that you give it as much credence as scenes that were in the show."

Daniels is rare among producers in his belief that the deleted scenes have as much validity as the ones that made it to air, explaining, "For the writers, in our minds, those scenes have happened. We wrote them, we shot them, and at the last minute, I cut them in the editing room, but we're relying on them anyway for the mythology of the show."

An "Office" scene from season two's "Booze Cruise" revealed that Creed Bratton, the creepy, kleptomaniac Dunder-Mifflin quality assurance specialist, was -- like the actor who plays him and shares his name -- once the guitar player for the '60s rock band The Grass Roots. The scene was cut and Creed's rock history has never been mentioned on-air, but throwaway jokes in later episodes have relied on that information, like a scene in this season's Christmas episode where Creed is playing a song from one of his solo albums.

Daniels could have attempted to reintroduce Creed's background in a later episode, but he felt, "when you do a deleted scene and make it available in some form, you can't really reuse that script material in a different context." He calls knowledge of Creed's full background "an extra treat for superfans."

Moore will sometimes hang a story on information cut from a previous episode, but he makes an effort to include a snippet of that scene in the "Previously, on 'Battlestar Galactica'" segment at the top of the new show.

"We're cheating a little when we do that," he admits. "We're letting (viewers) catch up on something we didn't show them. Sometimes it's relaying a plot point that was covered in last week's episode, there may not be a succinct five-second clip that tells you in the episode as aired, but in the deleted scene it was stated in a line. But there are times where we feel you can do that to the audience, tell them, 'Okay, this event happened.'"

The deleted scenes movement is still relatively new (primarily, among scripted shows, on series on NBC or NBC-owned cable channels such as Sci Fi), and thus far, producers say it hasn't changed how they write or edit their shows. For them, it's a safety valve.

The commercial load per hour keeps expanding at the same time that producers are trying to squeeze in more scenes per hour than ever before. On "Galactica," rough cuts can come in 15 or 20 minutes longer than the required 40 minute run-time, and "The Office" frequently comes in 15 minutes over or more. Thanks to the Web, producers know no deleted scene has to be totally wasted.

"There is something satisfying about it," says Katims, "something that makes me feel good. The expression we use is 'killing your babies.' You have to go in and take out a beautiful scene if the cut's too long or it's not serving the episode. There is something satisfying, knowing that even though you have to cut those scenes, they'll be seen by someone."

http://www.nj.com/columns/ledger/sepinwall/index.ssf?/base/columns-0/1172381932166670.xml&coll=1

fredfa

02-25-07, 10:57 PM

Yesterday’s fast national over night prime-time ratings have been posted near the top of Ratings News the second post in this thread.

(They come courtesy of MediaWeek's Marc Berman, who took time out from a Florida vacation to provide them. Thanks, Marc!)

fredfa

02-25-07, 11:20 PM

TV Review
“The Black Donnellys”
Mob tale delivers wit and grit
By Mike Duffy Detroit Free Press TV Critic February 25, 2007

It's not even St. Patrick's Day yet, but the colorful, beer-soaked blarney is pumping freely through "The Black Donnellys."

The fussing, fighting Donnellys in question are four Irish-American brothers with short fuses and working-class New York City roots who always put family first even as they get caught up in a chaotic life of organized crime.

So in case you're tired of waiting for "The Sopranos" to return in April, NBC rolls out an ambitiously gritty gangster chronicle from Academy Award winners Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco ("Crash") when "The Black Donnellys" premieres at 10 p.m. Monday.

It's quite a time slot switch from Aaron Sorkin's lighter, more sophisticated "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," which departed last week for an indefinite visit to Hiatusville because of persistently low ratings.

"The Black Donnellys" -- like "Studio 60" -- is a serialized drama.

But with its dark, pugnacious wit and more visceral storytelling, the young-guns mob odyssey may also pack more of a dramatic, viewer-alluring wallop.

Here's what you need to know.

The story of the Donnellys is humorously narrated by Joey Ice Cream (Keith Nobbs), a childhood pal of the brothers who sets the scene each week with his unreliable recollections, usually while being queried in jail by exasperated cops, psychologists and attorneys.

So what's up?

Believing himself to be luckier than a leprechaun when it comes to betting, Kevin Donnelly (Billy Luch) lands in big trouble when his gambling debts spiral out of control. Then impulsive family hothead Jimmy (Thomas Guiry) comes to the misbegotten sibling rescue, kidnapping the mob-connected bookie Kevin owes money to. Uh-oh.

That leaves the golden child, the smart, reliable brother, Tommy Donnelly (Jonathan Tucker), to try and fix everything. But that won't be easy when crazy Jimmy's kidnap plan goes disastrously wrong and babe magnet youngest brother Sean (Michael Stahl-David) is mercilessly pummeled by members of the rival Italian mob as vicious payback.

Naturally, one bloody thing leads to another.

And Tommy -- he's a sort of Celtic twist on Michael Corleone -- must put his conscience temporarily on hold to exact his own special brand of explosive revenge and uphold the Donnelly family honor.

Haggis and Moresco -- who also produced the intriguing, short-lived mobster drama "EZ Streets" for CBS in the mid-1990s -- have put together a terrific series pilot that gives off little echoes of everything from "GoodFellas" to "The Departed."

They aren't trying to reinvent the mob drama wheel.

Their show's a mix of "loosely based on" inspiration, including Moresco's own life growing up in New York's rough Hell's Kitchen neighborhood as well as an Irish-Canadian crime family also named Donnelly.

Boxed in by the strictures of commercial interruptions on NBC, "The Black Donnellys" clearly pales in comparison to "The Sopranos." And it also fails to match the volatile, rock 'n' roll quality of "Brotherhood," Showtime's exceptional Irish politicians-and-gangsters drama.

But, hey, it's tough to say no to a freewheeling show that has a narrator named Joey Ice Cream. Three scoops of blarney, please.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070225/ENT03/702250505/1038

fredfa

02-26-07, 12:26 AM

TV Notebook
3-parter gooses 'Grey's' rating
ABC drama continues hot streak
By Rick Kissell Variety February 25, 2007

There's nothing quite like the "death" of a titular character to juice the ratings.

ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" continued its hot streak Thursday, as the culmination of a three-part February sweeps storyline produced the best Nielsens for a scripted program on any network this season.

Television's No. 1 drama averaged an 11.6 rating/27 share in adults 18-49 and 27.39 million viewers overall -- its second-best numbers to date in most categories, behind its post-Super Bowl airing a year ago. In women 18-34, it matched that post-football airing as its best ever (17.0/37).

In the timeslot, perf was ABC's strongest in adults 18-49 since at least 1991 (the start of Nielsen's electronic demo database) and its largest overall aud there since a celeb seg of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" in May 2000.

The 18-49 rating for this seg of "Grey's Anatomy," in which intern Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) made a miracle recovery after a short visit to the afterlife, topped the previous season-best 11.2 demo rating that Fox's "House" earned two nights earlier.

ABC also did well at 10 with its inaugural "Oprah Winfrey Oscar Special" (first-place 6.0/16 in 18-49, 15.45m), seeing the net's best nonsports delivery in the time period in four years.

Fox's first results-show edition of "American Idol" (on a special night) won easily at 8 o'clock (9.1/23 in 18-49, 24.44m) although the numbers repped a season low and were down vs. the same night a year ago.

CBS' "Survivor: Fiji" (4.6/12, 13.47m) took a hit opposite the tough reality competish, but NBC laffers "My Name Is Earl" (3.6/10 in 18-49, 8.71m) and "The Office" (4.2/10, 8.25m) held up well, with the latter pulling to within 2 shares of "Idol" in men 18-34.

Following "Idol" on Fox, the series finale of "The OC" (2.8/6 in 18-49, 6.59m) hit season highs but was trounced by "Grey's Anatomy" and CBS' "CSI" (6.8/16, 21.78m).

Also of note Thursday was Univision's annual awards show "Premio Lo Nuestro" (2.8/7 in 18-49, 6.34m), which was up vs. last year by about 5%. Univision was the No. 1 primetime network in adults 18-49 in Los Angeles and No. 2 in New York.

Net notes that the Hispanic aud for the kudocast was more than the combined delivery of Hispanics for last year's Academy Awards on ABC and this year's Golden Globe Awards on NBC and Grammy Awards on CBS.

http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=print_story&articleid=VR1117960122&categoryid=14

fredfa

02-26-07, 12:31 AM

TV Notebook
NBC Grooms 'Must See TV' Heir
'Comedy Night Done Right' Takes Place of Famous Motto
By James Hibberd Television Week February 26, 2007

NBC is rolling out a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign to re-brand its Thursday night lineup as "Comedy Night Done Right."

The promotion is the network's first nightly branding effort since the famous 1990s Thursday tagline "Must See TV," which may be the best-known and longest-running broadcast slogan in television history. The new slogan comes at a time when the broadcast networks have largely abandoned national campaign mottos, which once were grandly unveiled every fall season.

"We still have campaigns for individual shows, like 'Save the Cheerleader, Save the World' for 'Heroes,' but this is the first one we've done for a whole night since 'Must See,'" said Vince Manze, president and creative director of The NBC Agency, the network's in-house marketing company. "It has all the great ingredients: It says there's a night of comedy and, of course, it rhymes."

NBC hopes the slogan will help drive viewers to its Thursday comedy block, which was reconstructed in November after several years of cycling reality shows into the 9 p.m. hour. Though NBC is currently in fourth place for the season, the network has been on an upswing this year and executives see the current Thursday lineup as a chance to reclaim some of the "Must See"-era glory. For two decades, the two-hour comedy block on Thursdays (the most lucrative night for advertising) was a staple on NBC's schedule. When "Seinfeld" went off the air in 1998, the 5-year-old "Must See TV" slogan was largely retired, although Mr. Manze said NBC still occasionally uses the moniker to help protect its trademark.

When NBC entered a ratings recession in 2004, the network broke up its Thursday-night comedies, programming reality fare such as "The Apprentice" at 9 p.m. NBC attempted to revive its comedy block in January 2006, then retreated when ABC's powerhouse "Grey's Anatomy" moved to Thursdays in the fall.

After freshman NBC series "30 Rock" emerged as a critical favorite earlier this season, the network decided to rebuild the block by moving "Deal or No Deal" out of Thursday's 9 p.m. slot to make room for "Scrubs" and "Rock," along with Thursday mainstays "My Name Is Earl" and "The Office."

Since the new lineup debuted Nov. 30, all four shows have hit season highs. Season to date, NBC is tied for second place with ABC in the 8 p.m. hour, and is in third place for the 9 p.m. hour going up against "Grey's" and CBS's "CSI." Although "30 Rock" continues to lag behind the other three shows, critics maintain that the program is gaining creative steam.

So NBC decided to create a Thursday night slogan to tell viewers the network once again has a comedy block, but it was wary of drawing comparisons to the top-rated "Friends"/"Seinfeld" era.

"We wanted a new identity for the night, and we didn't want to compare the current shows to what came before," Mr. Manze said.

Before deciding on "Comedy Night Done Right," the NBC Agency rejected slogans including "Thursday Night: The Joke's on Us," "Comedy Night With a Guy Named Dwight" and "Comedy Is a Funny Thing," he said.

Tim Brooks, executive VP of research at Lifetime, said the verdict is mixed on whether nightly slogans can be effective. In NBC's case, delivering on the new slogan's promise could be a challenge.

"If you can brand a night and deliver on it, you might co-opt some of that strict branding that cable does so well," he said. "But if NBC adopts a slogan like this, they have to stay with comedies on Thursday night, and that can be tough if they decide to put in an 'Apprentice.'"

Mr. Manze agreed that consistency is key for the new slogan to be effective.

"Whether a slogan is good, bad or irrelevant, the big thing is sticking with it," he said. "We're in this for the long haul."

http://www.tvweek.com/article.cms?articleId=31556

fredfa

02-26-07, 01:07 AM

Critic’s Notebook
"The Black Donnellys":
Violent, unappealing 'The Black Donnellys' revels in stereotypes
USA Today

Some series are simply far more work than they're worth.

Created by Crash Oscar winners Bobby Moresco and Paul Haggis, The Black Donnellys is a failed, frustrating attempt to build a weekly hour around four young thugs staking out their criminal ground between New York's Irish and Italian Mobs.

For Haggis, who has had more success in film than in TV, Donnellys seems to be an attempt to revisit territory he explored more effectively in EZ Streets, a CBS flop that was adored by critics and ignored by viewers. If nothing else, Donnellys is likely to put viewers and critics back on the same page.

As bleak as it is hard to follow, tonight's premiere introduces us to the "Black Irish" Donnelly brothers. Tommy (Jonathan Tucker) goes to art school and gets his brothers out of trouble; Jimmy (Thomas Guiry) limps, snarls and runs a bar; Kevin (Billy Lush) gambles; and Sean (Michael Stahl-David) attracts the ladies. Their story is told in flashback by an imprisoned Joey Ice Cream (Keith Nobbs), who serves as an unreliable narrator and insufficient comic relief — and who, like everyone else in the show, feels like he has been dropped into present-day New York from another decade.

It won't be long before you're asking yourself two main questions: Is the plot ever going to sort itself out? And is Joey ever going to shut up? The answers are "in time" and, sadly, "no." You'll eventually be able to tell one gun-toting, ax-wielding character from another. You're just not likely to develop a desire to spend time with them.

Yes, The Sopranos features equally reprehensible characters and even more bloodshed — though the scenes of a blood-drenched, near-naked Tommy pounding away at a dead body certainly take the show to the outer edge of broadcast TV's violence limits. But where Sopranos forces us to keep our distance from these characters, continually reminding us of the conflict between Tony's seemingly stable upper-middle-class family existence and the evil that funds it, Donnellys revels in and romanticizes its freeze-dried Irish bad-boy stereotypes. Thick-witted and thickly muscled, the Donnellys are like the Bowery Boys with guns and a gym membership

To its minimal credit, Donnellys does a fine job of showing that most crimes are improvised and most criminals are incompetent and stupid, which is why so many of them get caught. But we got that from NYPD Blue, with heroes and better actors.

All you're likely to get from Donnellys is a headache, and possibly a new appreciation for the show it replaces, Studio 60. Networks — they work in mysterious ways.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/reviews/2007-02-25-black-donnellys_x.htm

fredfa

02-26-07, 01:10 AM

Critic’s Notebook
"The Black Donnellys":
Dark-Star Irish Boys Spell Trouble
By Virginia Heffernan The New York Times February 26, 2007

Paul Haggis’s much-celebrated 2004 film, “Crash,” used shortcuts — clichés in the score, camerawork and color mix — to induce emotional responses. The same methods inform his latest television series, “The Black Donnellys.” Actually the show lays bare his form of aesthetic condescension so baldly that it may cause viewers to rethink his earlier achievement.

To begin with, the “black” in Paul Haggis’s “Black Donnellys” on NBC refers to the enigmatic brunet coloring of some Irishmen: evidence of “Gypsy blood, or Spanish,” as one character puts it on the premiere episode tonight, offering the usual folklore. Predictably the word also works like “black” in blackguard. (“People think we’re all drunks and brawlers. And sometimes that gets you so mad all you want to do is get drunk and punch somebody.”)

But “black” also seems to describe the gloom of the broadcast itself, an overcast New York City series shot largely in bars, cars, basements and interrogation rooms. In voice-over by a blarney-peddler named Joey Ice Cream (Keith Nobbs), the series describes the nefarious rise of four good-looking Irish-American crooks who grew up in Hell’s Kitchen. For a show about color, “The Black Donnellys” defaults inexplicably on its palette, like a nervous Manhattanite who determines that he can’t go wrong in black.

Eking out light from neon beer signs, 40-watt bulbs and pool-table lamps, to say nothing of the rays of the sun, might have made for subtler tableaus, but the screen looks sooty. It’s hard to care what happens to these strutting petty criminals — Tommy (Jonathan Tucker), Jimmy (Tom Guiry), Kevin (Billy Lush) and Sean (Michael Stahl-David) — when you can hardly see them.

You don’t need to get involved, though, because, like “Crash,” “The Black Donnellys” is more of a lecture than a drama. Mr. Haggis will tell you what he’ll tell you, and then he’ll tell you what he told you. His strengths are mannered dialogue, heavily telegraphed action and allegorical characters. A sentimental Irish story doesn’t need much to hit the spot, but this one rings false. Sure, Mr. Haggis knows his sociological buttons: nostalgia for prejudice and Five Points scrappiness runs deep in the broad Irish-American middle class. And a line like “Too long a sacrifice can make a stone of the heart,” from Yeats, is beautiful, even when you don’t know why it’s an epigraph to a show like this one.

The gloom here is just lazy thinking. Truly original Irish-American shows and movies, including “Road to Perdition,” “Mystic River,” “Brotherhood” and the brilliant, flaming “Rescue Me,” have defined themselves visually against rococo, gilded Italian-American productions by using modernist starkness and austerity. The best of them have used white: sunless complexions, priests’ collars and expanses of ice and snow. With “Rescue Me” Denis Leary and Peter Tolan added the childish red of fire engines and lapping flames; their show is pervaded by gallows humor, but the darkness is in the script, not because the lights are off. The sun still comes up in the morning.

Not so here. To set the mood Mr. Haggis not only turns his dimmer all the way down, he also presses his camera in on pensive faces while synthesizer chords tell you when and how to tear up. He even cranks up the opera when he wants the violence to seem cinematic. Opera for the Irish? Yeah. It doesn’t matter. He’s just hoping you’re feeling vaguely Coppola, or whatever, as if something momentous and tragic is going on.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/26/arts/television/26heff.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&ref=television&pagewanted=print

fredfa

02-26-07, 02:28 AM

TV Review
The Broadcast: Long and Longer
By Tom Shales The Washington Post Monday, February 26, 2007

Alternately (and sometimes simultaneously) a bore and a horror, the 79th annual Academy Awards, televised live from Los Angeles on ABC, had a few bright spots to keep weary viewers propping their eyes open as midnight approached -- even if they had never heard of, much less seen, many of the nominated films.

The number of big, emotionally rewarding moments was infinitesimal -- but one had real oomph: Jennifer Hudson winning for Best Supporting Actress for her acting and singing in the hit musical "Dreamgirls." The Oscar had to be especially satisfying for Hudson because she lost out in the "American Idol" competition on Fox and had to endure insults from judge Simon Cowell.

Ellen DeGeneres, doing a crisp and unpretentious job in her first gig as an Oscar host, said at the outset that this would be "the most international Oscars ever," and that prediction seemed to come true. But it meant that many of the films cited were largely obscure to the national audience. Weren't the Oscars invented to honor American films? Apparently not anymore.

The acclaimed Mexican film "Pan's Labyrinth" won prizes for art direction, makeup and cinematography -- but also lost for Best Foreign Language Film.

Al Gore, looking larger than life, took to the stage twice, once to chew the fat with Leonardo DiCaprio (who told Gore, "You are a true champion for the cause," meaning, of course, the cause of environmental issues). Gore returned later to share in the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, "An Inconvenient Truth," essentially an illustrated lecture by the former vice president on the subject of global warming.

Jerry Seinfeld, introducing the nominees for documentary feature, referred to them as "five incredibly depressing movies," but in fairness to Gore, "An Inconvenient Truth" is more rallying than depressing. Davis Guggenheim, the film's director, said as he grabbed Gore's arm, "We were moved to act by this man."

Virtually everything about the Oscarcast, except for a few mercifully brief features, was entirely, punishingly too long. The award for Best Foreign Language Film was preceded by a montage of famous foreign movies going back to "La Strada," presumably for people who had no idea what a foreign film is.

Later, the Academy voted a special honorary award to Ennio Morricone, the innovative Italian composer whose work distinguished and enlivened films from Clint Eastwood's debut, "A Fistful of Dollars," to Brian DePalma's "The Untouchables," and many more. Eastwood presented the Oscar, richly deserved -- but then Morricone gave his arduously lengthy acceptance speech in his native Italian, which meant that Eastwood, squinting to read the prompting device, then had to translate, sentence by sentence.

Then Celine Dion sang the "world premiere" of a Morricone-penned song called "I Knew I Loved You." Unfortunately it sounded like the theme from "Titanic" and every other song she ever sang.

Time was wasted throughout the evening on a number of cutesy gimmicks that laid enormous eggs -- among them the avant-garde Pilobolus Dance Theatre, whose members posed behind a white screen and acted out the titles of films, or something. DeGeneres joined them at one point and the film they seemed to be interpreting was "Snakes on a Plane," although it was not nominated for any major awards.

As the third hour of the show approached, the stage was taken over by the cast of "Dreamgirls" for a medley of songs from the film. It was fine, but like everything else, and the Oscarcast itself, it went on and on and on. And on. It might still be going on now, for all we know.

DeGeneres reprised a bit from when she hosted the Emmy Awards a few years ago, wandering out into the audience and making small talk with such luminaries as Martin Scorsese (who won Best Director for "The Departed"); she presented Scorsese with a script she said she'd written. Later, she got Steven Spielberg, the world's most successful director, to take a snapshot of her and Eastwood, who occupied an aisle seat in the Kodak Theatre.

It was cute, but DeGeneres didn't seem to have quite the stature of the legendary Oscar hosts of the distant past -- namely Johnny Carson and Bob Hope. Of course, that was a long time ago, and Hollywood has changed hugely.

In past years, impatient viewers of the Academy Awards were teased with a couple of major Oscars awarded early in the show so as to encourage them to stick around. But for the first time in years, the Oscars for Best Supporting Actor and Actress were not given out in the first half-hour. Instead the first awards presented were for art direction and makeup.

More time was wasted with a lame piece of "special material" -- a song about how comics don't win Oscars, performed by the usually hilarious Will Ferrell, the semi-talented John C. Reilly and hack Jack Black. The song wasn't funny and went on, yes, too long.

The awards show was preceded on ABC by the traditional Barbara Walters special -- a very entertaining hour that featured, as the final guest, Eddie Murphy. Meanwhile, the E! Entertainment network offered a red-carpet show that was arguably more watchable, if also more ridiculous, than the Oscar show itself.

An E! innovation this year: The Glam-O-Strator, a modified version of the "telestrator" used for football games, except this time it was used for designers and other interested parties to comment upon, and circle key elements of, glamorous dresses worn by women attending the show.

Next year: the 80th annual Academy Awards. Imagine how long that one will be.

After this year's ratings come in, though, maybe it will move to cable.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/26/AR2007022600027_pf.html

fredfa

02-26-07, 02:30 AM

TV Review
Bringing a Touch of Daytime to Hollywood’s Biggest Night
By Alessandra Stanley The New York Times February 26, 2007

“Aim lower,” Ellen DeGeneres joked about her unexalted childhood ambitions, and last night the Oscars did. She was dressed semiformally in an open collar and red velvet suit on a night that usually commands black tie or white. As she sometimes does on her daytime talk show, Ms. DeGeneres cruised the aisle with a microphone, chatting idly with Martin Scorsese and Clint Eastwood — bringing a casual Friday mood to Fancy Sunday.

Ms. DeGeneres quipped that Judi Dench couldn’t be there because she was having her breasts done. But mostly she was cheeky but good- natured, far less barbed and sardonic than Jon Stewart last year or Chris Rock in 2005. And for all the red carpet gowns and glitter, inside the Kodak Theater the evening was molded to Ms. DeGeneres’s low-key comic style, starting with the opening short by Errol Morris, a montage of the nominees talking off the cuff against a stark white backdrop. The film was supposed to look pared down and avant-garde, but mostly it looked like a dot-com ad.

The Academy Awards are the one night when Hollywood struts and preens as if nothing is bigger or more powerful than the movie business. Yet the selection of Ms. DeGeneres, the first daytime talk-show host to serve as the master of ceremonies, was a reaffirmation of television as the dominant water-cooler medium — for the moment. The Internet is breathing down its neck, with red-carpet blogger coverage and sites that whittled down the evening into 30-second nuggets. (Though David Spade’s live blog on the Web site of “The Showbiz Show” was proof that professional comedy writers need not panic. “This song is funny,” he blogged about Will Ferrell’s number with Jack Black. “I’m jealous.” )

The advertising industry was also flexing its muscle last night. TiVo and DVDs are endangering the survival of conventional commercials; advertisers are fighting back, and not just through product placement or sponsoring official Internet sites like Oscar.com.

People used to complain that the networks blurred news and entertainment. Last night the entertainment and the ads were almost impossible to distinguish. The category of best adapted screenplay was introduced by a charming montage of movie scenes that featured writers as characters, from Jimmy Stewart in “The Philadelphia Story” to Jack Nicholson in “The Shining.” J. C. Penney and Apple followed with ads that also showcased famous movie scenes. To plug the new iPhone, Apple put together clips of actors in famous movies saying, “Hello.”

It took quite a while to get to the meatier categories, and Ms. DeGeneres’s aisle routine got a little old. Martin Scorsese received a standing ovation for winning his Oscar, but there were few surprises among the winners. Helen Mirren predictably showed sang-froid; Jennifer Hudson managed to look surprised and tearful, naming her grandmother as her inspiration.

Al Gore, whose star turn in the documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” won the film an Oscar, took the stage early in the evening to announce that, for the first time, the Oscars were “green,” and pretended to announce his candidacy for the Democratic nomination, only to be cut off by the wrap-it-up music that rings out when acceptance speeches go long. (When Melissa Etheridge’s acceptance speech thanking Mr. Gore went long, she was cut off for real.)

And like the Democratic Party the night was notable for its diversity: not just race or gender or sexual preference, but nationality. Ms. DeGeneres noted how many foreigners were nominated. “I see a few Americans,” she said. “Of course I’m talking about the seat fillers.”

Perhaps in the spirit of populism, technical awards were dutifully given plenty of time — too much time — early in the broadcast. All that democracy was belied by the transparent seating hierarchy, however. When the camera panned to the winners for best animated short, “The Danish Poet,” they were seated all the way back in Reseda; their journey to the stage took three times as long as their acceptance speech.

The letdown began long before the evening wrapped up, but that was to be expected. Oscar night is the new Christmas, a commercialized tinsel-and-treacle holiday for adults. The ceremony is wrapped in the same extravagance, hype and 12 days of buildup, but viewers are spared the stress of holiday shopping, cooking and entertaining relatives. The closest thing to viewer participation is the office Oscar pool, the bettor’s Advent calendar.

The ritual is so universal that even rival networks festoon the event with lavish coverage. But by the time the event finally begins, viewers and even participants seem a little jaded and tired. On ABC’s preview show, which followed Barbara Walters’s special in the East and preceded the actual awards ceremony, Andre Leon Talley of Vogue chatted up the arriving stars.

He wished Ms. Hudson well and godspeed, but mostly speed. “Make sure your speech isn’t too long and too boring, “ he instructed. “And we love you.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/26/arts/television/26watc.html?pagewanted=print

fredfa

02-26-07, 02:39 AM

Critic’s Notebook
"The Black Donnellys":
A pretentious mishmash of cliches
From Maureen Ryan’s Chicago Tribune blog “The Watcher” February 26, 2007

Let me be clear at the outset: I have no problem with a TV show depicting Irish-Americans as drunks, drug-takers, murderers and criminals.

“The Sopranos,” a series that could have been a laundry list of clichés about Italian-Americans, is one of the most profound meditations on morality and greed in any artistic medium. So an ambitious show that depicts my fellow Irish-Americans as complicated, interesting drunks, drug-takers, murderers and criminals is fine by me.

“The Black Donnellys” (9 p.m. Monday, WMAQ-Ch. 5) is not that show.
This pretentious mishmash is a paint-by-numbers Irish-American “Sopranos” ripoff that chronicles the misdeeds of four brothers on the mean streets of New York City.

How many means streets, one might inquire, does New York have left? Aren’t they often lined with rehabbed brownstones and condo conversions these days?

But this series asks us to believe that an Irish-American gangster would, in the shadow of Greenwich Village’s Washington Square Park, muse about his troubles with the local Italian mobsters. “Hughie took over the neighborhood from Old Man Mulligan,” the show’s narrator, Joey Ice Cream, helpfully explains. (That’s neighborhood as in “nay-bah-hood,” ya know?)

Joey Ice Cream? An Irish mob boss within spitting distance of multiple Starbucks? A bookie named Louie Downtown? Perhaps that’s all meant to be “colorful,” but most of the details on “The Black Donnellys” feel too retro and ring false. This show is more artificial than a bowl of Lucky Charms.

There are yet more lazy clichés: The saga of this clan also includes a raven-haired lass, Jenny Reilly (Olivia Wilde) who not only pines for Tommy Donnelly but cleans blood off the steps of his downmarket bar for him. And there’s Tommy’s (and Sean’s and Jimmy’s and Kevin’s) tough-talking Irish mama and more fights (and wakes) at that Donnelly’s bar than you will have the energy to count.

Honestly, all this series is missing is Bing Crosby as a sad-eyed local priest and Jimmy Cagney shouting, “Top of the world, Ma!”

If only. Instead, we’re stuck with the four Donnelly brothers, who are nearly interchangeable (they could have stuck a Declan or a Paddy in there and I would have hardly noticed). Jonathan Tucker manages to give the lead brother, Tommy, a compellingly mournful aura despite the show’s thin writing, but it’s uphill work.

After all, this is a show that puts a Yeats quote on the opening credits of one episode, but then has a character utter a line such as this about the title family: “It’s like something is in their blood … it poisons whatever it touches.”

Though the plots are complicated, they’re not involving. Very little happens in this show that isn’t easy to predict, and the occasional energetic sequences are offset by ponderously long scenes that go nowhere.

This series also employs one of my TV pet peeves: A shocking lack of lighting. It’s actually difficult to see what’s going on in some scenes, there’s so little light. My response to this “cinematic” trend on TV: Turn a freaking light on!

What’s most surprising is that writers with such prestigious credits would come up with something so sodden and meandering. Creators Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco won Oscars for “Crash,” but as we learned from Aaron Sorkin’s “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” (the NBC show that has gone on hiatus so that “The Black Donnellys” could have its trial run), all the glamorous credits in the world can’t prevent a show from becoming a misguided train wreck.

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

VisionOn

02-26-07, 03:43 AM

NBC promos make me embarrased to watch their shows. Compare them to, say, ABC, where no matter how frustrating an episode of Lost is, the promo for next week usually reels me back in.

Although the Lost promos are flat out misleading or comprise the only 30 seconds of actual drama in the show.

Maestro J

02-26-07, 10:05 AM

fredfa

02-26-07, 10:12 AM

TV Notebook
NBC Shuffles Sunday Prime Lineup
By A.J. Frutkin MediaWeek February 26, 2007

No one expected NBC’s midseason Sunday night lineup to outperform its fall football offerings. But the underperformance of Grease: You’re the One That I Want, The Apprentice and Crossing Jordan suggests the network may need a course correction by next season.

For the time being, NBC hopes to give the night a boost with a schedule change. Beginning March, 4, it moves Crossing Jordan to Wednesdays at 9 p.m., placing Deal or No Deal in the 9 p.m. slot on Sundays and pushing The Apprentice to 10 p.m.

“Frankly, Sunday is not where we want it to be,” said Mitch Metcalf, executive vp of programming, planning and scheduling for NBC Entertainment. While the network faces tough competition from other broadcasters on that night, Metcalf said the recent run of special events—the Grammy Awards, the Super Bowl and 24’s two-hour premiere—proved even more daunting. “We knew it would be a tough night, but I think we underestimated the overall situation,” he added. (The 79th Academy Awards telecast on ABC was expected to draw huge audiences last night, as well.)

In such a competitive landscape, several advertisers said the shortcomings of the shows themselves also may have contributed to their underperformance. The Apprentice, for example, launched to phenomenal ratings in January 2004. But subsequent cycles have continued to decline in popularity. Now in its sixth cycle, the series is averaging 7.6 million viewers and a 3.2/7 among adults 18-49, according to Nielsen Media Research’s live-plus-seven-day ratings.

Along with CBS’ Survivor, The Apprentice remains a benchmark series for reality guru Mark Burnett. But whereas Survivor looks to an ever-changing cast for its cycle-to-cycle strength, The Apprentice relies on Donald Trump to draw eyeballs. And after a divisive public spat with Rosie O’Donnell, not to mention media saturation with all things Trump, the real-estate mogul may have become a drag on the series. “Something that is so personality-driven and tied to Donald Trump may not have the longevity of Survivor,” said John Swift, managing director, PHD US.

Grease, too, has failed to meet expectations. Based on a hit U.K. format in which viewers chose a new star for The Sound of Music, Grease was designed to lure young demos. But even older viewers don’t seem interested. Season-to-date, the series is averaging 8 million viewers, and a paltry 2.7/7 among adults 18-49, according to Nielsen live-plus-seven data.

Although Grease launched prior to American Idol’s current season, it’s hard to avoid comparisons to Fox’s blockbuster. In fact, playing in Idol’s shadow may only have served to reinforce the niche draw of Grease’s music. “When you focus on show tunes, it does tend to limit your target audience,” Swift said. “Broadway is not something that appeals to the whole country.”

Whether or not NBC can salvage Sunday this season, Metcalf said Deal or No Deal should help. Most media agency execs agreed. “I think it’s their best option,” said Lisa Quan, vp, director of audience analysis at Magna Global USA. “It could even bring people in to sample The Apprentice, who otherwise might not.”

If buyers expressed any concerns about Deal’s move to Sundays, they pointed to issues of overextending the program. Having learned from ABC’s mistakes with Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Metcalf said he is determined to limit the number of weekly runs to two. He also noted that maintaining Mondays as Deal’s “base,” allows the network to move the second weekly installment to “another night as needed, without doing a lot of damage to the show.”

In advance of the upfronts this spring, Metcalf said NBC is rethinking its scheduling strategy for Sundays by approaching next season as one split into three separate acts. Not surprisingly, the first act is football. March, April, and May define the third act, where Metcalf said it makes sense to premiere new shows, and create a solid repeat-free schedule.

However, Metcalf seemed most concerned about Act Two, which he described as “that difficult January-February period,” during which events like the Super Bowl air and Fox launches its midseason ratings attack of American Idol and 24. “We can’t out-stunt the other guys,” he said. “But we have to figure out what to put on that night that’s a short-term bridge.” What that will be, Metcalf added, “we just don’t know.”

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003549953

shuttermaker

02-26-07, 10:24 AM

TV Notebook
NBC Shuffles Sunday Prime Lineup
By A.J. Frutkin MediaWeek February 26, 2007

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003549953

I think "The Apprentice" has run its course.

fredfa

02-26-07, 10:25 AM

Critic’s Notebook
Ellen's humor was bright spot
By Robert Bianco USA Today Feb. 26, 2007

Sometimes with the Oscars, you have to be satisfied with a little sunshine.

Granted, anyone seeking excitement or anything resembling speed from Sunday's exceedingly pokey Academy Awards probably came away disappointed — and probably went away long before the evening ended. It may have been the most perversely paced Oscars in memory; there were times when the stretch between awards grew so lengthy, it was almost possible to forget exactly why we were watching in the first place.

Still, if it was largely thrill-free, it was also free of the open contentions and snide condescension that often mars the event. A general aura of good feeling pervaded the evening, and much of it stemmed from the night's unfailingly sunny host, Ellen DeGeneres.

Despite her fondly remembered hosting stint at the Emmys in 2001, the concern beforehand was that she might be dwarfed by the outsized scale of the Oscars — and she did seem a bit overwhelmed at the start. But you don't hire DeGeneres for movie-star glamour (as her opening outfit proved). You hire her for a joyful, deceptively innocent style that lets her get away with saying things a harsher comic wouldn't dare — like, for example, mocking Peter O'Toole's losing streak or forcing Steven Spielberg to take her picture with Clint Eastwood.

Many of the routines were silly and none was exactly cutting-edge — though that's probably for the best, considering how poorly "edgy" has gone over at Oscar in the past. But most of them were funny, and on a slow Oscar night, funny was incredibly welcome.

As with most recent hosts, DeGeneres seemed to make herself scarce as the evening wore on, but the night's let's-all-be-pleasant tone seldom wavered. You could feel it right from the start, with a change-of-pace opening that put the focus on the nominees themselves, especially those nominees few of us know. Think of it as a belated apology for the year when the show made some of the short-subject winners accept their Oscars in the aisle.

The tone carried through in an amusing number from Jack Black, Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly expressing their yearning for an Oscar and for Helen Mirren, who seemed delighted. It continued with the marvelous Meryl Streep, who got a laugh just by giving her co-stars a mock dirty look, and with the emotional and clearly popular win by the long-deserving Martin Scorsese.

OK, not every idea worked. Pilobolus was a one-trick act that really should have been relegated to one trick. And the last thing a show already past the three-hour mark needed was an oddly assembled collection of clips, from Michael Mann or anyone. By that point, folks, we just want to get the name of the best movie and get to bed.

It's great to be sunny. Just try not to make us think you're determined to stay on the air until the sun rises.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/movieawards/oscars/2007-02-26-bianco-review_x.htm

fredfa

02-26-07, 10:41 AM

TV Notebook
Angry "Lost" Fans Claim False Advertising
By Staff Broadcasting & Cable 2/26/2007

It’s no secret that fans of ABC’s Lost have grown increasingly impatient with the show’s creators for ladling mystery upon mystery while tossing them mere scraps of revelation. Now Losties are blaming ABC’s promotions department for stoking those frustrations.

After last week’s installment, angry fans lit up message boards at ABC.com and other online forums complaining that a promo spot for the episode had over-promised when it trumpeted that "answers to three of Lost’s biggest mysteries are finally revealed."

Many agreed that the three "mysteries" alluded to in the promo were hardly central to the supernatural drama about plane-crash survivors that has unfolded ever so slowly over 2½ seasons.

To be sure, ABC and Lost’s creators have attempted to reassure impatient viewers that their questions will be answered—particularly now that ratings have been off since the show returned in a new time slot after a grueling three-month midseason hiatus.

But at The Fuselage, the site sponsored by Lost creator J.J. Abrams, one poster fumed that ABC had "lied to the audience" by promising what the episode failed to deliver and likely alienated many viewers.

In an e-mail statement, ABC Entertainment’s marketing chiefs Mike Benson and Marla Provencio maintained that the "show delivered the answers to the three questions that were posed in the promo, which we believe are questions on our viewers minds.

"We have the utmost respect for Lost viewers," they added. "Our intention is never to alienate, only to entice."

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6419182

fredfa

02-26-07, 10:44 AM

TV Sports
NHL Tests Center Ice Broadband Package
By R. Thomas Umstead MultiChannel News 2/26/2007

The National Hockey League is close to skating its live games to broadband.

The league is currently testing distribution of its cable and satellite NHL Center Ice out-of-market game package on the Web, and it could make it available to any hockey fan with a high-speed-Internet connection before the end of the season, according to Keith Ritter, president of NHL Interactive Cyber Enterprises.

Ritter said the league is currently beta testing a broadband version of the $169 package, which offers around 40 out-of-market games per week. He added that the NHL wants to make sure its broadband package is secure in order to protect its broadcast partners: NBC, Versus and the regional sports networks.

“We’ve been testing it, but our primary concern is the security of the gating and the ability to make sure our broadcast partners are protected,” Ritter said. “So far, the test is going very well, and I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to offer it in the not-too-distant future.”

The NHL would join the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball and ESPN in offering a companion broadband package to their respective television-based, live-game out-of-market services.

Like MLB.TV and ESPN’s out-of-market college-basketball and college-football packages, Ritter said the NHL would charge a fee for its broadband service, although a specific price has yet to be established.

Baseball -- which is close to securing a seven-year, exclusive DirecTV distribution deal for its MLB Extra Innings television out-of-market package -- charges $89 for that package’s broadband companion.

ESPN charges $109 for its GamePlan college-football broadband package. The network only offers a half-year broadband package for its Full Court college-hoops service, which retails for $75.

The NBA provides its NBA League Pass broadband service free-of-charge to subscribers to its $179 cable and satellite service.

Ritter said the league is making its package available on broadband to better serve its fans, who are heavy broadband users. He added that 80% of the traffic on NHL.com is accessed via a broadband connection.

“Given the high level of technical literacy that hockey fans enjoy, we want to be in as many platforms as we can be,” he said. “I think that this is yet another place that [our fans] are and it’s another place we need to be.”

http://www.multichannel.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleid=CA6419382

Maestro J

02-26-07, 10:45 AM

I thought Ellen did okay. I agree that she is not in the class of Hope and Carson but she's 10x better than Chris Rock. I thought the best host over the last several years was Steve Martin and I'm surprised that he hasn't been invited back since.
As for the show itself, to my surprise, the show started off strong even without major awards being given out until halfway through. I enjoyed the subdued opening (with the exception of the chorus coming out and going through the aisles) and the "shadow dancers" were interesting. The highlight for me was Ferrell, Black and Reilly's number. Hilarious. Jack Black will be a future host of the Oscars.
There was only one mild surprise - Arkin's win for Supporting Actor. With favorites winning the other categories, the last half of the show was ho-hum for me. Ellen got weaker towards the end too. Too much stuff in the aisles. Vacumning? C'mon. That was dumb.
All in all, not the worst telecast but far from the best.
(HD picture looked great though!)

I forgot one comment (not that anyone cares ;) ) I don't listen to or care for Melissa Etheridge so I FF'd through her song but the PSA running in the background of her performance was over the top. Really, was that necessary?

Iteki

02-26-07, 10:54 AM

I forgot one comment (not that anyone cares ;) ) I don't listen to or care for Melissa Etheridge so I FF'd through her song but the PSA running in the background of her performance was over the top. Really, was that necessary?

My only complaint about the show was it's length...my fiance was complaining that we were letting too much DVR time pile up, but I told her "These things always run long" and I was right. We started when the show was almost 2 hours in (including the 30 minute red carpet show)...and we still caught up by skipping commericals.

WilliamR

02-26-07, 11:06 AM

TV Notebook
Angry "Lost" Fans Claim False Advertising
After last week’s installment, angry fans lit up message boards at ABC.com and other online forums complaining that a promo spot for the episode had over-promised when it trumpeted that "answers to three of Lost’s biggest mysteries are finally revealed."

I think this is the problem. They said three of Losts's BIGGEST mysteries. Their idea of biggest left a lot to be desired.

fredfa

02-26-07, 11:19 AM

TV Review
“The Black Donnellys”
“Donnellys” debuts, feeling dated
By Ellen Gray Philadelphia Daily News Feb. 26, 2007

Maybe it’s those long, long breaks between fresh episodes of "The Sopranos," but the Irish mob seems lately to be experiencing a resurgence in Hollywood, from Martin Scorsese's "The Departed" and Clint Eastwood's "Mystic River" to Showtime's tale of extreme sibling rivalry, "Brotherhood."

"Crash" 's Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco get into the act tonight with NBC's "The Black Donnellys," a story about four young brothers that's meant to be contemporary and yet somehow feels as old as "The Godfather."

If not older.

It can't just be that Tommy (Jonathan Tucker), the Donnelly most likely to succeed at something other than petty crime, is as doomed as Michael Corleone, saddled not only with being his brothers' keeper, but also with a secret that's only going to lead to many more secrets.

Or that "Joey Ice Cream" (Keith Nobbs), the "Donnellys'" absurdly unreliable narrator, spouts the kind of nonsense that Irish-Americans of my parents and grandparents' generations might have had imprinted on tea towels, or repeated to one another, ad nauseam, at weddings and funerals.

Maybe it's simply that the show grew, according to Haggis and Moresco, from Haggis' desire to make a show about both Moresco's youth in New York's Hell's Kitchen - a youth that, to put it politely, might have predated the Donnellys' by more than a year or two - and to make use of an incident that occurred not far from where he grew up in Canada.

"It was something that I talked to Bobby about early on, this story, this tragedy that occurred very close to my hometown in Canada and how this black Irish family of your low-life and criminals, purportedly where they're murdered by a community of good Protestant folks and everyone covered it up," Haggis told reporters last month.

And you thought "Crash" was confusing.

"The Black Donnellys," by the way, makes a stab at explaining where the term "black Irish" comes from but never really explains why anyone would apply it to the Donnellys, most of whom don't fit the description, anyway.

As one of the people who considers Haggis' best work to be not "Crash" or "Million Dollar Baby," but a short-lived 1996 drama called "EZ Streets" that CBS murdered in its crib, I'd have been happy to have been swept away by "The Black Donnellys," with its Mark Isham music and quirky characters.

But I just couldn't buy in.

Sure, I laughed in places. (When an interrogator corrects Joey Ice Cream on the number of people who have to be dead for a secret to remain one, Joey suggests that they must have grown up in different neighborhoods.)

And while it took longer than it should have to tell the Donnelly brothers apart, Tucker's Tommy isn't just another pretty face.

Plus, there's genuine chemistry between him and Olivia Wilde ("The O.C."), who plays Jenny Reilly, a young widow who doesn't know she is one but nevertheless has a yen for Tommy.

"The Black Donnellys," though, requires more than a willingness to go along for joy ride with some guys from the old neighborhood.

By the end of tonight's pilot, there'll be blood spilled - in cinematic slow motion, with the music turned up loud - and if you're not on board with the "Donnellys" by then, you probably never will be.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/television//16785276.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

fredfa

02-26-07, 11:45 AM

TV Sports
ESPN to ride college football wave with daily 'Live' show
By Michael McCarthy USA Today

College football has produced some of sports TV's most memorable, dramatic moments of recent vintage. Recall Boise State's wild 43-42 overtime victory against Oklahoma during last month's Fiesta Bowl or Vince Young and Texas upsetting Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and Southern California in the national title game in 2006.

Looking to capitalize on college football's growing popularity, ESPN plans to launch this summer a weekday series, College Football Live. The 30-minute show will kick off July 23 and run through bowl season in January, says David Berson, ESPN senior vice president of programming.

Modeled after the network's daily NFL Live, the new show will be hosted mostly by Rece Davis and feature breaking news, features and analysis. Davis will be joined by a rotating mix of ESPN's college football talent, including Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit from College GameDay, Lou Holtz, Mark May, Bob Griese, Doug Flutie, Todd Blackledge, Craig James and Ed Cunningham.

The show will come on at 3:30 p.m. ET Monday-Friday on ESPN. When Monday Night Football starts, the Monday edition will shift to 2 p.m. on ESPN2. To make room for the new show, the first half of ESPN's afternoon programming block, including Outside the Lines First Report, 1st and 10 and Best of Mike and Mike, will start 30 minutes earlier.

Why now? Berson says ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC posted record TV ratings for college football programming in 2006. College GameDay posted its highest ratings in 20 years, and ABC successfully launched Saturday Night Football.

"College football fans want more content," Berson says. "This has been a long time coming. It's a natural extension for us. We expect it to become a staple of our programming, like NFL Live and Baseball Tonight."

Where's College GameDay host Chris Fowler in the plan?

"He's got a lot of other responsibilities," Berson says. "Chris Berman hosts our Sunday morning NFL show (Sunday NFL Countdown), but he doesn't host our daily show" NFL Live, mostly hosted by Trey Wingo.

Top quotes: "When I was in the car, we raced for checkered flags, not caution flags." — Fox's Darrell Waltrip criticizing NASCAR for issuing too many caution flags during Sunday's Auto Club 500. … "Seeding is going to be as difficult as selection this year." — Gary Walters, chairman of the NCAA Division I men's basketball committee, to CBS' Greg Gumbel on Sunday on why the group is meeting a day earlier this year.

Fighting is allowed in hockey, folks: Clips of Thursday's brawl between the NHL's Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators — even the goalies duked it out — were shown non-stop this weekend. The fight is generating declarations by TV pundits about an alleged media double standard. A similar brawl by NBA players, it's suggested, would be covered like Armageddon, while battling goalies waddling around the ice draws chuckles. Fair enough. I wish, however, they would add context and recognize the difference between the rules of the NHL and NBA.

Pro hockey players are allowed to fight; pro basketball players are not. NHL players usually get five minutes in the penalty box, then return to the game; NBA players are automatically ejected and face fines and suspensions. The result: Hockey brawls occur far more frequently.

Dickie V remembers his firing: How's this for coincidence? ESPN's Dick Vitale is nominated to the Basketball Hall of Fame this year with Detroit Pistons owner William Davidson, the same Davidson who unintentionally launched Vitale's TV career by canning him as coach in 1979. Vitale soon got a call from start-up cable network ESPN, and the rest is history.

"I cried like a baby," Vitale says. "My career was on such a high. All of a sudden, BAM! I thought it was the end of the world. … I sat home watching Luke and Laura" on ABC's daytime soap opera General Hospital.

ESPN President George Bodenheimer hopes Vitale's third nomination in four years will be the charm. "Dick Vitale has defined and popularized college basketball for 28 years, and no one has been a greater ambassador for their sport," he said in a statement.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/mccarthy/2007-02-25-mccarthy-weekend_x.htm

fredfa

02-26-07, 11:47 AM

NOTE:
Over the weekend, there were a number of reviews posted of "The Black Donnellys" which preimieres tonight at 10 PM ET/PT on NBC. If you scroll back a bit you'll find them all.

fredfa

02-26-07, 11:52 AM

Nielsen Overnights
Early word: A slight uptick for Oscars
By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Feb 26, 2007

ABC’s telecast of the Academy Awards ran long last night, but it still looks like it will better last year’s much-shorter broadcast.

The show averaged a 27.7 household rating and 42 share from 8:30 p.m. to midnight, according to Nielsen metered market ratings, up from last year’s 27.1/40. The 2006 awards ended at 11:28 p.m. while last night’s ran past midnight.

This year’s average was down from 2005’s 30.1/43 and 2004’s 29.8/43 but much better than 2003’s 25.5/37, when the awards hit a record low rating.

Final ratings will be out tomorrow. These numbers are based on ratings from 55 U.S. markets and will adjust significantly when the final ratings are issued.

But they are sometimes useful for seeing trends, and it looks like this year’s telecast will be above last year, which finished with a 23.1 final household rating.

The show peaked with a 29.0 rating at 10 p.m., building from a 25.6 in its first half hour at 8:30 p.m.

It then fell off in rating, though not share, from 10:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., when it averaged a 25.6 rating and a night-best 46 share.

Unlike in past years, the Academy did not hand out the best supporting actor and actress awards early. That meant that viewers had to stay tuned in later to see those prizes given out. The last award, for best picture, was not handed out until after midnight.

Chicago had the top rating for the awards show, according metered market results. There the show averaged a 37.3/54, followed by New York (35.2/52), San Francisco (35.0/57), Boston (32.3/51) and Kansas City (30.4/44).

More numbers will be posted when the fast nationals are released later today.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_10411.asp

fredfa

02-26-07, 11:57 AM

Critic’s Notebook
The 79th Annual Academy Awards
By Brian Lowry Variety Feb. 26, 2007

The most prominent award shows have been undergoing a kind of collective nervous breakdown, wondering what concessions to decorum must be undertaken to stem declining ratings and stand out amid the kudocast glut and "American Idol" era. Against that backdrop, this year's Academy Awards ultimately proved a stately if unspectacular-bordering-on-dull affair, with host Ellen DeGeneres' traditional shtick feeling a trifle small for the industry's biggest stage. As is so often true, the show also exhibited a peculiar sense of time management -- rushing through certain promising elements and awkwardly lingering on others.

Oscars LXXIX, to cast the 79th edition in Super Bowl-like grandeur, did start on an elegant note, showcasing the nominees in a taped segment and then panning the room to find them all standing, basking in the warm adulation of their peers. It was a feeling, alas, that couldn't and didn't last.

At times, the Oscarcast vaguely resembled a middle-aged guy trying to squeeze into hipster clothes -- working to drive traffic to its Oscar.com web site, for example, where winners could address a "thank you cam" without the threat of play-off music. When pre-show host Chris Connelly bumped into Tom Hanks backstage and said there was "more fun to come," Hanks assumed a properly mocking tone by gushing, "You bet, Chris, more fun!"

For the most part, though, the Oscars have trumped efforts to innovate, and the 2007 telecast was generally no exception.

Initially wearing a peculiar western-looking suit, DeGeneres' monologue riffed predictably on the nominees, and her impromptu strolls through the audience -- pitching a script to Martin Scorsese and cozying up to Clint Eastwood -- had a been-there, seen-that sense for anyone familiar with her work at the Emmys or in daytime. Unlike Jon Stewart or Chris Rock, DeGeneres' comedy is perfectly non-threatening, making her a safe choice, if a bland guide through the night's festivities.

DeGeneres' introductory remarks underscored this effect. Only a passing reference to Al Gore drew much reaction, and the most pointed joke proved half-assed: She celebrated the night's international and ethnic diversity in light of negative remarks but left the stars responsible for those regrettable outbursts, Mel Gibson and Michael Richards, unmentioned. "If there weren't blacks, Jews and gays, there would be no Oscars," she said.

When Jerry Seinfeld presented best documentary -- referring to the five "incredibly depressing" nominees -- he instantly made you wish he was hanging around a little longer.

Other aspects of the show didn't translate well to TV, from a dance troupe reenacting nominees against a screen to a tedious bit featuring a "sound-effects choir," which fell as flat as the gospel choir that punctuated DeGeneres' opening.

Nor did it help in terms of getting the evening rolling that the first 50 minutes were devoted strictly to lower-profile categories (art direction, makeup, animated and live-action shorts, sound editing, sound mixing) before viewers saw their first recognizable winner, Alan Arkin for "Little Miss Sunshine."

On the plus side, Arkin's surprise win -- quickly followed by "Happy Feet" as animated feature -- suggested that this year's awards might not adhere to a preordained script, even if Arkin did precisely that by reading his speech verbatim.

Among other acceptance speeches, hastening Jennifer Hudson's exit as she tearfully claimed her prize for "Dreamgirls" seemed misguided -- especially after her dazzling duet with Beyonce -- and the scads of praise heaped on Gore for "An Inconvenient Truth's" environmental message will doubtless give the rabid right plenty to rail against regarding Hollywood's left-wing sensibilities.

Spontaneity, however -- the precious hallmark of any good awards show -- remained in short supply, beyond Martin Scorsese's overdue coronation as best director and his embrace of Jack Nicholson. Granted, that's through no fault of the big winners: Helen Mirren and Forest Whitaker oozed class and charm, but they have garnered too many honors for "The Queen" and "The Last King of Scotland" to convincingly feign shock.

Most of the themed film sequences were too broad in scope, so perhaps the strongest produced moment came early, when Will Ferrell, Jack Black and John C. Reilly teamed on a sprightly song about being "a comedian at the Oscars." The sentiment cleverly summed up criticism that relatively few recent nominees enjoy widespread, crowd-pleasing appeal.

ABC's half-hour arrival show delivered the traditional mix of breathless fawning and hyperventilating fashion nitwits, though nothing within it rivaled the E! net's Glam-a-Strator, allowing style mavens to scribble on attendees' outfits as if this were a football game.

On that score, the Oscars moved the ball downfield and eventually reached the end zone. Too bad they went overtime, and viewed solely as a TV event, to paraphrase "The Magnificent Seven," only the filmmakers won.

http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=print_review&reviewid=VE1117932915&categoryid=32

fredfa

02-26-07, 12:02 PM

Critic’s Notebook
The spirit was willing
Ellen DeGeneres proves a genial cheerleader, while Oscar becomes a green machine.
By Paul Brownfield Los Angeles Times Staff Writer February 26, 2007

Watching the Oscars was like going to a museum and plunking down an extra 20 bucks for the audio tour.

The emphasis was on experiential enhancement through the miracle of knowledge. Or, failing that, apocryphal-sounding factoids.

"Martin Scorsese calls 'The Departed' the first movie he's ever made with a plot!" said the announcer when the film won best picture.

The nominee for best supporting actor was not just Mark Wahlberg, it was "Mark Wahlberg, [who] had to find it in him to play the kind of Boston cop who arrested him 25 times" when he was a miscreant youth, while the winner in that category was Alan Arkin for "Little Miss Sunshine," who'd initially "been considered too virile" for the part.

Back story about the filmmaking art is interesting, sometimes, and the Oscars is usually at least half-successful at conflating it all. The screenplay nominees — whose work was read by presenters — benefited most from producer Laura Ziskin's curator-like equanimity.

She didn't give us a taste of celebrity at the show's top — best supporting actor and actress awards were pushed into the belly of the show, where she apparently thinks they belong.

Ziskin otherwise produced like a traditionalist. Ellen DeGeneres' obligatory monologue didn't touch on either Britney's head or the paternity of the late Anna Nicole's baby, though her routine marked the first in a series of jokes and triumphs that would crown Al Gore the night's official mascot.

The only line of DeGeneres' opening that stuck out was: "If there weren't blacks, gays or Jews, there would be no Oscars."

Was it a joke, like Travolta's hair piece? Chris Rock and Jon Stewart, the last two experimental hosts, came with a little danger, armed with male writers who hate Hollywood; Ellen comes bearing tolerance and yuks, trailing a whiff of patchouli. She's not a mean spirit, she's America's lesbian — a uniter where Rosie O'Donnell (Was she asked to host? Just wondering) is a divider.

Give her credit: DeGeneres was hounded off ABC a decade ago amid hard feelings all around that her sexuality had blocked out her comedy, and now here she was back on the network, on its biggest ratings platform of the year.

During the dreaded on-air mingling with the A-listers in the first rows, DeGeneres knelt down to talk to Clint Eastwood, and it was genuinely sweet, like a niece going to visit her uncle to learn bigger facts about life.

And yet that moment was emblematic of the evening — Hollywood reinventing itself, before your eyes, as the company that cares.

This was, I think, the most political Oscars in recent memory — and not by the usual means of attacking the guy in charge. The tone, instead, was one of secular humanist caring.

Oscar goes green! Ellen gave out a website address for recycling tips, the best picture nominees were rendered in dance — a series of human forms coming together as one.

Then Sherry Lansing, the former Paramount chief, was honored for humanitarian work, and two awards were given to "An Inconvenient Truth," including best documentary.

This seemed one of the night's glaring instances of celebrity-hugging. No offense to global warming and the makers of "An Inconvenient Truth," but it wasn't a movie, it was big TV. Even in the year that justice for Scorsese was finally served, Gore stole the election.

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-ostvreview26feb26,0,7269976,print.story?coll=cl-tvent

fredfa

02-26-07, 12:07 PM

Critic’s Notebook
The Incredible Invisible Ellen
By Adam Buckman New York Post Feb. 26, 2007

It was almost as if there were no host at all.

Ellen DeGeneres' role last night in her first outing as host of the Academy Awards was so infinitesimal, it makes you wonder why they even have a host. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but it was clear that Ellen, 49 - the first lesbian (that we know of) to host the telecast - came to the Oscars planning to play it safe.

In an ABC telecast that will likely be remembered as the dullest, most bloated, Academy Awards ever, she offered no edgy insults of nominees and almost no political commentary (for a change), except for a line about Al Gore (who won for "An Inconvenient Truth") and the close presidential election in 2000.

Dressed in a mannish velour tuxedo with open-collar shirt and white patent-leather shoes, Ellen did not participate in any production numbers.

She made her first appearance ambling onstage after an overlong filmed opening in which dozens of nominated nobodies took turns spouting nonsense and making funny faces.

She then delivered a monologue whose topics included her childhood dream of hosting the Oscars and the pressures the nominees must be feeling about their nominations.

It was bland, predictable stuff. Her best line: "If there were not blacks, Jews and gays, there would be no Oscars [pause for applause] or anyone named Oscar, when you think about that."

I almost never think this, much less write it or say it, but, at the risk of sounding smug, I have to say I could have written a better monologue.

I also would have chosen to use Ellen in the only comedy production number of the whole evening - a winning performance by comedic stars Jack Black, Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly singing, "A comedian at the Oscars, the saddest man of all . . . ," a song lamenting that comedies rarely get nominated.

Ellen can sing and dance. And she's a comedian. So why didn't anyone think to include her in this bit?

As the evening wore on, Ellen returned, sometimes strolling the aisles trolling for celebrities. She handed Martin Scorsese a script and made him promise to read it. Later, she encountered Clint Eastwood and persuaded Steven Spielberg to take their picture.

These guys might be great directors, but as comic foils, they're stiffs.

Ellen's no stiff, however. And last night, she was as charming as ever.

It was her role as host that seemed irrelevant.

The critics today will note she offended nobody. For that alone, she will likely be asked back.

http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/print.php?url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/02262007/entertainment/oscars/the_incredible___invisible_ellen_oscars_adam_buckman.htm

fredfa

02-26-07, 12:24 PM

Critic’s Notebook
A Likable Host for a Long, Low-Key Oscars
By Matt Roush TV Guide Feb. 26, 2007

The one thing I realized as Oscar night droned on and on for nearly four hours: If I ever had to choose someone to be stranded with for hours on end (say, like those poor Jet Blue passengers a few weeks ago), it would have to be Ellen DeGeneres.

Keeping her cool, and her genuine aura of chipper goodwill, throughout three costume changes (in suits from red velvet to all-white to royal blue) and what seemed once again like an overindulgent excess of movie montages (we definitely could have done without Michael Mann’s fuzzy survey of cinematic American history), Ellen was welcome nearly every time she popped up. Offering a spec script to Martin Scorsese, directing Steven Spielberg on how to take her photo with Clint Eastwood, asking the megastars in the front row to lift their legs as she vacuumed the Kodak past midnight (ET), while informing us that Helen Mirren had just asked for a rum and coke (sounded pretty good to me at the time), Ellen did her darndest to deflate the bloat and pomposity that infects nearly every Oscar telecast.

She’s not a showstopper like Billy Crystal (who probably is the host with the most in our modern era). She’s more likely to beguile than wow you. But she’s never vulgar, and is well suited to this classy venue, more inclined to celebrate (with a tambourine and gospel choir) than to mock, as has been the recent example set by hosts like Jon Stewart and Chris Rock. Ellen’s few political barbs were gentle, not strident. (Loved how she compared Jennifer Hudson to Al Gore in terms of persevering after controversial votes.) Given the refreshing diversity of this year’s nominees, Ellen was also a very appropriate and historic choice. As she noted: “If there weren’t blacks, Jews and gays, there would be no Oscars. Or anyone named Oscar, if you think about it.” (It’s that sort of last little absurd aside that Ellen does better than anyone.)

There’s no question this year’s show went on way too long, but that’s nothing new. This was still a classier event than most, and at least there were many creative moments to capture our fancy, from the shadow art of the Pilobolus dance troupe to the choir that sang in sound effects. The sensational “Comedian at the Oscars” number (co-written by the reliable Marc Shaiman), featuring Will Farrell, Jack Black and John C. Reilly, helped elevate the first hour, which was heavy on the “boring” awards we usually are forced to sit through during the show’s middle portion.

Besides Scorsese, who finally won his long-overdue Oscar (so what if it wasn’t for his best movie?), the star of the night was probably Al Gore, whose An Inconvenient Truth won two Oscars (including an upset in the Best Song category against three tunes from the largely snubbed Dreamgirls). Has a documentary ever won a musical award as well? Gore and his influential documentary got plenty of props from the crowd, and one of the best gags was when the orchestra played him off as he began to issue (jokingly) the big presidential announcement Leonardo DiCaprio was urging him to make.

The night's most stirring acceptance speech was a bit of a surprise, coming from Forest Whitaker, who in every televised awards show up to this had mumbled and stumbled each time at the podium. Goes to show you: Everything else is just a warm-up for the Oscars. Well done, Mr. Whitaker. (I still regret him being passed over last season for his work on The Shield.)

Still, the undisputed big moment of the night, a major snapshot of cinema history, was Scorsese’s win, which notably occurred after all the acting awards (all but one, Alan Arkin’s, a no-brainer) were handed out. Everyone knew he was the star of the night, and rightly so. How very cool for the “three amigos” of 70s cinema (Coppola, Lucas, Spielberg) to be there to bestow the Oscar on their contemporary and friend. Scorsese understandably was overjoyed: “Could you double-check the envelope?” Seriously. When you think he was denied Oscars for Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, upstaged by more populist hits like Rocky and Ordinary People, you can understand his sheepish glee.

But in a year without a front-runner best-picture favorite, this was Scorsese’s time to shine. And with a bald Jack Nicholson in the wings to help cheer him on, it did feel like a 70s coronation. All that was missing was Robert De Niro.

Finally, if this year’s Oscars was good for anything, it may be to shine a spotlight on the film that got the second most trophies of the night (behind The Departed). That would be the brilliant dark fantasy Pan’s Labyrinth, which in many ways may have been the actual best picture of 2006. (I’m hoping to see the German best-picture winner, The Lives of Others, very soon, which emerged late in the game as the front-runner in that category, despite Labyrinth’s multiple nominations and dominance in certain creative arenas like art direction and cinematography.)

Pan’s Labyrinth is every bit as good as it looks, way more satisfying than the overrated Babel. And best yet, it’s only half as long as the Oscar ceremony.

http://community.tvguide.com/thread.jspa?threadID=800009791

fredfa

02-26-07, 12:34 PM

Yesterday’s fast national over night prime-time ratings have been posted near the top of Ratings News the second post in this thread.

fredfa

02-26-07, 12:37 PM

TV Q&A
Ask Matt
(from the Ask Matt column at TVGuide.com
By Matt Roush: TV Guide Critic Monday, February 26, 2007

Question: I just watched the pilot episode of The Black Donnellys, and I have mixed feelings about this new drama. Overall, I liked it, and I am willing to give the show a chance. I love family crime shows like this, but it seems like a kiddie version Showtime's Brotherhood. I feel like the characters are way too young and innocent-looking to be such bad "Irish thugs," out for revenge with a do-or-die mentality. All the main characters have these baby faces that just don't match their attitudes and lifestyles. The one huge character that I feel is missing is the matriarch. Where is she? There is no way that an Irish family of four boys doesn't have a strong, overbearing mother in the picture. Maybe the mother will be introduced later, but I felt she needed to be introduced in the pilot. I understand that a show like this has to be a little watered down because it is on NBC, but I just don't think the premise is that believable with the actors they have chosen to play these characters, especially considering the ending of the pilot, which I won't spoil for those who haven't seen it yet. Have you had a chance to view it, and if so, what did you think? What do you think its chances are? Do you think it's fair to compare this show to Brotherhood? — Tiffany J.

Have you reviewed The Black Donnellys yet? We rented it from Netflix to "test drive" the show and turned it off halfway through. The narrative style was confusing, and it introduced too many characters. By the time we turned it off, we had met the Donnellys, the narrator, Jenny, Louie from Downtown, his uncle Sal, some generic Italian goons a and college student named Bonnie. It was so hard for us to keep track of who was who and how they related to each other. By forcing these introductions with the narration rather than letting them naturally interact so the audience could learn about them, it seemed too much. In contrast, Heroes has a large cast, but each character's story has developed, and I don't find it difficult to keep track of any of the characters. I am curious if you had the same reaction. I was excited about the premise of the show, but I am afraid we might have to pass on this one. Should we reconsider?— Amy

Matt Roush: This is a first for me, dissecting a show in detail even before its premiere. This may be a case in which NBC's experiment in exposing some of its pilots via Netflix backfires. My official review won't appear until later this week, because NBC at the last minute moved up the premiere of The Black Donnellys to tonight, a week earlier than scheduled, missing my deadline. (Look for it midweek online and in the magazine.) But let me share my headline: "Mob Drama for Dummies." I'm not saying anyone who likes The Black Donnellys is a dummy (some of the mail I've received so far from early viewers has been positive, but most has been ambivalent to negative). But the show itself takes such a broad, cartoonish look at clichéd Irish hooligans in Hell's Kitchen (or some such neighborhood) that I can't begin to take it seriously. I screened five episodes and grew more exasperated by the hour. By comparison, for all of its disappointments, Studio 60 looks like a classic. It's hard to believe Paul Haggis, who gave us the nuanced and complex EZ Streets (a fondly remembered commercial dud) is partly responsible for this one.

Now, to address the specific questions. Yes, the casting is weird, as if NBC were attempting a CW version of a crime show. Comparing it to Showtime's Brotherhood is more than fair, and Donnellys comes out a loser, no question. About the mother: In Episode 2, Kate Mulgrew is introduced as the matriarch, and she's as bossy and domineering as you'd expect, given that the show milks every trite characterization imaginable (from the brother who gambles to the limping hophead to the cute ladies' man baby of the family). I figure they hadn't cast the role when they filmed the pilot, or recast it afterward, which is why Mom doesn't show up in the first hour. The absence is very noticeable, as Tiffany says. As for Amy's point about there being too many characters introduced too quickly, that didn't bother me so much. In part because all of the characters are so paper-thin I felt I'd seen them (and what they were doing and saying) all before. And almost always done better.

Question: Before the current TV season began, two of the most talked-about shows were Studio 60 and Brothers & Sisters, both shows with all-star casts and great teams of producers and writers. Studio 60 was expected to do well and was a preseason favorite, while Brothers & Sisters was getting bashed before it began because of on-set problems and reshoots. Now it seems like the tables have turned, with Brothers & Sisters getting all the praise while Studio 60 has yet to live up to its potential. Why do you think two shows with so many great people working on them have taken such divergent paths? What has Brothers & Sisters done right that Studio 60 hasn't?— David

Matt Roush: What great timing for this fascinating question, given that Studio 60 just slinked away into early hiatus while Brothers & Sisters currently graces the cover of TV Guide (on stands now, everybody). Just goes to show you how unpredictable the TV business is. I do not apologize for gushing over Studio 60's dazzling pilot while expressing skepticism over Brothers' much drearier beginnings, with a gloomy pilot that was delivered late, after many false starts. This is a case where one show ultimately jelled, and the other didn't. This is possibly a case where Brothers improved because of the unexpectedly winning collaboration between Jon Robin Baitz, a seasoned playwright relatively new to the TV biz, and Greg Berlanti, a TV vet fresh from Everwood who helped establish and sustain the show's lighter, more entertaining tone. Whereas Studio 60 is much more of a single auteur's vision, for better or worse. Studio 60 may be a mess, but you would never mistake it for a negligible or boring mess, and it is clearly a Sorkin show, with moments throughout that hint at the promise of what might have been. The fact that, in creative terms, Studio 60 collapsed while Brothers & Sisters soared is something of a double-barreled surprise.

Question: I know I am in the minority when I say that I like Studio 60. I know it doesn't hit the mark 100 percent of the time, but no show does, and I still find it to be entertaining. I really hope the most recent episode wasn't its last. It is hard for me to believe that a show with so many amazing people working on it, both in front of and behind the camera, can't become a great show if given enough time. My question is: Do you think this show is being judged more harshly by both critics and viewers because it comes from someone responsible for two beloved shows, The West Wing and Sports Night? If Aaron Sorkin had done this show before those, would it still be considered such a huge failure without the comparison? If this show were to return, do you think there is anything that could be done to save it?— David

Matt Roush: As I noted in Friday's column, I don't see how this show could be salvaged at this point. People didn't cotton to it as a backstage show, and they seemed less inclined to embrace it as a romantic comedy. A pity, really. But the fact is that no show in today's media environment lives in a cocoon, and if Sorkin hadn't had his previous successes, he would never have been given this opportunity with such a great cast on such a grand scale. Especially considering the lousy track record for TV shows set in the world of TV (including Sports Night, which at least merited a second season). But taking a big swing was the only way to do a project like this: succeed magnificently or fail disastrously.

Question: My biggest fear concerning Prison Break is that it will start out its third and final season and end up getting the Reunion or Vanished treatment. That somehow the audience will continue to decline, and the show will be forced to wrap up early next season. Any thoughts?— Zack

Matt Roush: Funny, my biggest fear is that Prison Break will be renewed for a third season at all. (Which is disingenuous, because I know that's already a slam dunk.) Really, how much lower can one show descend down the ladder of idiocy before giving up the ghost? And yet the numbers stay solid, so clearly fans are still enjoying the fugitive aspect of this chase adventure, although I find it too silly to stay engaged in. The one exception: T-Bag. If Prison Break had evolved into a Southern Gothic about this demented creature's misadventures, I'd probably be glued. As it is, I'm still watching out of some sense of perverted duty, but I'm not enjoying it. Regardless, I don't see Fox abandoning the show or its fans in the long run, despite the network's spotty history with serialized mysteries. Prison Break is a modest hit, a franchise with legs, and even if the show does take a dip in the third season (I keep expecting it to happen), I still can't imagine the network won't work it out with the producers to give loyal viewers an end to the story at some point. Let it be sooner than later.

Question: Why would ABC ruin the best new show in years? Men in Trees has been the favorite new show of most of my friends. We loved the beautiful setting, the "macho" men, the whole dynamic. The show was successful as it was, so why do they need to introduce a new "gay" element? I, for one, and probably a vast majority of viewers, do not want to see a show about gays. While the Hollywood liberals think that the gay lifestyle is acceptable, to most of us it is not. If the show is going to continue with this type of format, I will not be watching. If they want a show about gays, then let them have their own show that I can choose not to watch. They've already ruined Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters, and now Men in Trees. Hollywood, get a clue!!!— Michele

Matt Roush: Did you really think a show as charming as Men in Trees would not extend its benevolent worldview to the few gay characters in Elmo's midst? My dear, let me introduce you to the 21st century. Also: If you think all gays are liberals, you're in for a rude surprise. And if you truly think gay and "macho" are somehow mutually exclusive concepts, I invite you to spend an hour at my gym.

Question: Do you think if Veronica Mars doesn't get a fourth season that there is a chance a cable network will pick it up, like maybe Lifetime or USA? It's too bad networks aren't more interested in quality than ratings, but I guess they have to pay the bills. I just can't envision a TV world without Veronica.— Camille

Matt Roush: I almost always answer questions like this in the negative, and this is no exception. If the CW cancels Veronica, which I imagine is a distinct possibility, I find it hard to believe that a cable network would fork out a license fee adequate to keep this show alive and produced at the same level of quality. But of all of the network shows currently on the bubble, Veronica Mars seems to me the perfect candidate for an aggressive, progressive cable outlet to embrace, should the CW abandon it. Even if it were just for a 13-episode run, Veronica could serve as a new signature show for a cable network. Lifetime would be a great fit. But I'd still bet that's a long shot.

Question: I have enjoyed the episodes I've seen of The Knights of Prosperity. Since it probably won't last on ABC because there's no good show to pair it with, what would be the chances of it ending up on CBS? I know usually shows don't successfully jump networks, but with David Letterman as a producer, maybe it would have a chance. Wouldn't it be great? I think Knights would fit in nicely with CBS' Monday comedies.— Deb

Matt Roush: Do you? CBS tends to have its best comedy success with more traditionally produced half hours, with studio audiences, laugh tracks, etc. Knights, being serialized and filmed in single-camera, is way more offbeat than the CBS norm, and seems to me a better fit with what NBC is doing on Thursdays. The Letterman connection certainly worked when it came to Everybody Loves Raymond, but it's worth remembering that when Knights' creators developed Ed (also from Worldwide Pants) it was for CBS (then called Stuckeyville), which passed, and the final version ended up on NBC. All of which is a roundabout way of saying that if Knights fails on ABC, it's unlikely any "white knight" will come to its rescue. That is, of course, a shame.

Question: I admit it: Heroes intrigues me because it moves so quickly, and it has superpowers. Things are resolved quickly and we move on. The problem is that I have not been nearly as intrigued since the conclusion of the "Save the Cheerleader, Save the World" arc. This was made clear to me by the return of Lost. I found that knowing the backstory of the characters is vital, because it shows why they make the decisions they do. We know why Jack is trying to save Kate and understand Locke's and Eko's search for spirituality, Kate's choice of Sawyer, etc. We now even know part of Juliet's motivation (she is doing a fabulous job). That is missing on Heroes: Who are these people? A few lines of exposition does not characterization make. I do not mean to offend Heroes fans and I will probably continue to watch it, but I think the Heroes' writers can learn something from Lost (not only the importance of advancing the plot). I know you have incurred the wrath of Heroes fans, so I wanted to offer my support to you. Do you think the lack of characterization in Heroes will cause it problems down the line, or will the fact that it moves quickly keep it on solid ground ratings-wise?— Kelly S.

Matt Roush: I have incurred the wrath of Heroes fans? How very alarming — not. Every show is entitled to some criticism, and Heroes is hardly an exception. But where you see a problem, I see an opportunity. One of the coolest things about Heroes is the fact that its characters are just now coming to grips with their new abilities and destinies, and as they do, we may get more of a chance to see what really makes them tick. Will we ever go as deep into their psyches as Lost does with its cast? Doubtful. For me, Lost will probably always be a richer and more rewarding experience, although I know it's frustrating for many others. (It helps that I find Lost across the board better written, better produced, better acted.) But as I've said before, I think Heroes has nowhere to go but up in terms of quality. Lately, I've been liking it more, as the focus gets tighter and the narrative gets more suspenseful. (Plus, killing dead wood like Simone can only help.) But its fans don't seem much troubled at this point by the comic-book shallowness of the execution. I don't see it becoming a problem in the short or long run. Heroes has clicked with its fan base, and that's OK by me.

On the other hand, here's a lament from Michael M.: "Please help me understand one of this season's biggest mysteries. I enjoy Heroes. I really do. It's a fun show with some clever cliff-hangers, but it's nowhere near being one of the best shows on television. Most of the characters are one-dimensional, some of the actors are cringe-inducing, and the dialogue is more wooden than a rocking chair. Yet a lot of high-profile critics are labeling the show the next Lost. Seriously? Am I missing something? Maybe the dissatisfaction with Lost's recent batch of episodes has cooked people's brains so that they're willing to accept a lesser show with faster plot development. Usually, I'm on the front lines supporting genre entertainment, but for the first time, I feel like I'm on the outside. Heck, Heroes can't even match up to 24 in its uneven state. Though on that front, 24 showed tremendous improvement this week. Logan's back, baby! (Err, sorry for the tangent.) Your thoughts?

I admit, I'm also puzzled by how eagerly some critics embraced Heroes, glossing over its problems in execution and coherence just because the premise is so intriguing. I like the show much more than I did at the start, but am still mostly ambivalent, not nearly as caught up in the story as I was with (for example) Invasion a year ago — although Heroes is certainly an improvement over last season's insipid Surface. Not all genre shows are created equal, to be sure, but one thing I've learned is that every genre show has passionate-to-obsessive followers who treat any criticism as a personal attack. It's very possible that the critics championing Heroes truly love it. I hope that's the case. But it's also possible that some are riding the bandwagon, afraid of looking out of the loop if they call the show on even its more glaring flaws.

Question: Why is the media inundating us with this Anna Nicole Smith story? What did Smith ever do to deserve the publicity but marry a rich old guy? And maybe only deserved five minutes of that fame, if that much. TV Guide is as guilty as the rest of the media, and it makes me so sad. We should be seeing headlines and reading stories about people who do constructive things and live inspirational lives. Not bombarded with the latest jerk who declares he could be the father of Smith's baby. I'm not talking about censoring anything here; I'm talking about the media making a choice. I just want to be able to turn on the TV, open a paper or magazine or surf the Web without inane stories such as this hitting me over the head! Do you think it will ever happen? Thanks for letting me rant.— Kathleen

Matt Roush: You're hardly alone. I could happily live the rest of my life without hearing another peep from the likes of Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, the list goes on ad nauseum. But there's no hiding from the fact that we live in a tabloid-driven culture. And in the case of Anna Nicole Smith, while I had little use for her as a famous-for-being-famous pseudo-celebrity, and her E! show is on my list of all-time worst shows ever (truly depressing), the circumstances of her death and the mess she left behind involving her child and the issues of paternity all pretty much define the word "sensational." There may not have been much substance to her life, but to her death? Plenty. When I was on vacation earlier this month, every time I turned on the TV to check the headlines or the weather, there was some bizarre new development, or live coverage of some hearing or another. I wasn't pleased, but for a few minutes at least I was glued. Ridiculous? Pathetic? Absolutely. But this is one of those situations where you can't help but go, "You can't make stuff like this up," and while the attention has been disproportionate, it's hardly surprising.

Question: I know it's coming up to that time of year again when you tell the public about shows they should be watching and shows networks need to keep. I wanted to make sure, this year, that Supernatural is on that list. One of the smartest and funniest hours on television, it delivers wrenchingly authentic emotional drama without pandering to its audience or coming off contrived, so I think it deserves more than three million viewers a week. A lot of people haven't given it a chance because of its Thursday time slot, smack in the middle of the toughest night on TV, and the fact that the CW is still new and finding its legs. Because of a lack of advertising funds, many people simply haven't heard of it. So please draw attention to Supernatural! The crew is one of the hardest-working in television, and the two leads, with the most natural chemistry I've seen since Newman and Redford, break their backs (in the case of Jared Padalecki, his wrist!) to provide quality television. I want to see those boys finally get the returns they deserve, because they're both incredible talents. On that note, I have a question for you: Supernatural is the sixth or seventh highest-rated program on the CW, but it's a long jump down from No. 5 to No. 6. This show's a cult favorite, with a dedicated fan base. Can we comfortably expect renewal, or do we need to turn up our efforts to fight for more viewers while we still have a few months of leeway?— Meredith M.

Matt Roush: Thanks for at least attaching a question to your plea, which is more than I got in most of the seemingly hundreds of Supernatural e-mails that popped up in a blitz over the last week or so. Please, Supernatural-ists. I beg you. Enough already. (I'm not sure where everyone got the idea I was about to publish a list of shows worth saving. That may well happen, but I certainly haven't planned for it or been assigned it yet.) Word of advice to the world of fandom: Blitzing a columnist with a tonnage of similar messages is not the way to someone's heart or mind. It's annoying and just looks desperate, which I guess is fair when it comes to a show that flies under the radar the way Supernatural does. (And this time, I guess it paid off, since I've devoted another item to it.) Look, I respect this show (although I don't love it the way I did Buffy or The X-Files), I respect the passion of its fans, and I truly hope the CW gives it a third season. (I'm still working my way slowly through the last part of last season, by the way.) How likely is its renewal? I haven't a clue. Looking at the CW's development slate for new drama contenders for next season, there is at least one horror/genre project (Reaper, described as a "comedic drama about a 21-year-old slacker who becomes the devil's bounty hunter, retrieving souls escaped from hell"), which makes me wonder if the network is shopping for a new companion to Smallville. Personally, I think Supernatural is a great fit in quality and tone with Smallville, and it doesn't hurt that both come from Warner Bros. TV, a partner in the CW. The studio no doubt would like to keep Supernatural going for syndication purposes. But can you "comfortably expect renewal"? Probably not. My advice is to keep beating the drums (I'm already in the loop, so leave me out of it) and hope for the best.

http://www.tvguide.com/News-Views/Columnists/Ask-Matt/Default.aspx#03studio60again

fredfa

02-26-07, 12:45 PM

TV Sports
ESPN, Fox Pitch Different MLB Avails
By John Consoli MediaWeek Feb. 26, 2007

ESPN ad sales executives—following a solid 2006 Major League Baseball regular telecast season, that saw household ratings grow 20 percent overall—say the network is pacing slightly ahead of last year in units sold. They have fewer avails to sell, but the sales team is pulling it off without the lure of postseason games, which the net will not run this year.

Overall, ESPN will televise 90 MLB games in 2007—73 on ESPN and 17 on ESPN2, compared to 160 last season (121 on ESPN and 39 on ESPN2). But less saturation could keep viewer interest higher during the season. Last year, ESPN’s exclusive Sunday Night Baseball national telecast produced a 2.0 household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research data, up 18 percent from a 1.7 in 2005. Its Monday Night Baseball ratings increased even more, rising 50 percent to a 1.2 from a 0.8. Ratings on ESPN2 grew 33 percent to a 0.8 from a 0.6. Combined, the regular season ratings on both ESPN and ESPN2 grew to a 1.2 from a 1.0.

“We will still have the postseason games on ESPN Radio, and overall still have a tremendous amount of valuable inventory to sell,” said Mike Rooney, executive vp of ESPN/ABC customer marketing and sales. “The baseball marketplace is very strong—we started off with a lot of deals that were done in the upfront.”

Media buyers said the shorter ad breaks between innings make the games an attractive buy, and MLB’s willingness to let the networks offer virtual home-plate signage during the games also adds an enhancement to the baseball telecast buys. Plus, ESPN has the ability to package MLB ad sales with all of its other sports programming on the network.

“While regular-season baseball, particularly early in the season, could be a tough sell, ESPN is helped by its exclusive Sunday night national window and its ability to sell baseball with all of its dayparts,” said Larry Novenstern, director of NewCast at Optimedia. “Plus, ESPN did not have that many postseason games [between 8 and 10], so the bulk of its selling in past years was based on regular season.”

ESPN is also working with MLB officials to sell an entitled sponsor to its coverage of the Home Run Derby event, which is televised on ESPN the night before the MLB All-Star game in July (on Fox). Last season the Derby recorded a solid 5.4 household rating, up 10 percent over the previous year.

The network will also commemorate the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball with the then-Brooklyn Dodgers, with a special Sunday Night Baseball national telecast on April 15 from Dodger Stadium where the Los Angeles Dodgers will face the San Diego Padres. To promote that event, ESPN on March 27 will begin televising ad-sponsored vignettes highlighting Robinson’s career across all the ESPN networks through the April 15 game.

Over at Fox, which also gave up some early round postseason telecasts, eight weeks of Saturday afternoon, regular-season baseball will be added to its schedule, airing its first game on April 7 instead of the end of May. That will enable Fox to package some Saturday baseball sales with Sunday Nascar telecast sales earlier than it had in the past.

Fox earned a 2.4 rating for Saturday telecasts last season, down from a 2.6 the year before. But Fox plans to move its Saturday start times back a few hours to 4 p.m., which network execs believe should prove to be more viewer-friendly.

Fox is also trying to lock in advertisers, not only for this season’s MLB All-Star game from San Francisco, but also into the 2008 game, which will be played at New York’s Yankee Stadium (the legendary Bronx Cathedral’s last season before it is replaced with a new ballpark). Advertisers are being offered prime locations in next year’s All-Star game telecast if they commit to certain ad levels this season.

Turner, which has postseason games for the first time this season on TBS, but which will also begin airing Sunday games during 2008, is not as far along because it has no national regular-season games to sell (aside from its coverage of the Braves).

MLB will have 20 national ad partners on opening day this season and all will have in-game units on ESPN and Fox. Among them are Taco Bell, Anhueser-Busch, General Motors, DHL and MasterCard.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003549961

dad1153

02-26-07, 12:57 PM

TV Q&A
Ask Matt
(from the Ask Matt column at TVGuide.com
By Matt Roush: TV Guide. Critic Monday, February 26. 2007

Question: I know I am in the minority when I say that I like Studio 60. I know it doesn't hit the mark 100 percent of the time, but no show does, and I still find it to be entertaining. I really hope the most recent episode wasn't its last. It is hard for me to believe that a show with so many amazing people working on it, both in front of and behind the camera, can't become a great show if given enough time. My question is: Do you think this show is being judged more harshly by both critics and viewers because it comes from someone responsible for two beloved shows, The West Wing and Sports Night? If Aaron Sorkin had done this show before those, would it still be considered such a huge failure without the comparison? If this show were to return, do you think there is anything that could be done to save it?— David

Matt Roush: As I noted in Friday's column, I don't see how this show could be salvaged at this point. People didn't cotton to it as a backstage show, and they seemed less inclined to embrace it as a romantic comedy. A pity, really. But the fact is that no show in today's media environment lives in a cocoon, and if Sorkin hadn't had his previous successes, he would never have been given this opportunity with such a great cast on such a grand scale. Especially considering the lousy track record for TV shows set in the world of TV (including Sports Night, which at least merited a second season). But taking a big swing was the only way to do a project like this: succeed magnificently or fail disastrously.

Thanks for reminding me yet again that my weekly date with Studio 60 Mondays at 10PM has been permanently left hangin'. So lonely!

fredfa

02-26-07, 01:06 PM

Critic’s Notebook
I Bear The Scars Of Oscars
By Nikki Finke LA Weekly in her deadlinehollywooddaily blog February 26, 2007

I'll remember this 79th Academy Awards show as a mostly black-and-white amateur hour shot in the style of the 1950s. I feel compelled to ask whether the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences is aware that the world now has color television? Where James Taylor singing Randy Newman's song "Our Town" from Cars performed on a bare black stage with just a piano and a guitar. (At the very least, Sweet Baby James could have taken off his shirt and shown some middle-aged eye candy.) Where Ellen was performing shadow puppets behind a white screen to simulate a lame joke about Lobsters On A Plane. (I'll be seeing those shadow-puppets in my nightmares tonight.) Where the monologue and the commentary ignored topical jokes ranging from Bald Britney to that other dead blonde bimbo, Anna Nicole Smith. As a friend emailed me, "this was like a Reagan era show." That was the low-tech level of this year's broadcast. Which makes me wonder in disbelief why the very rich Oscar telecast seriously stinted on tonight's production values. Did Bernie The Accountant abscond with the show's hefty budget? It was lacking in razzle-dazzle. It had no trash and flash. Halfway through this snore-fest, ABC was about to voluntarily pay the FCC $500,000 just to make Beyoncé's boob pop out.

Nor did Sacha Baron Cohen appear. Asked to be a presenter, he said he would do it only if he could be in character as Borat. But the Powers-That-Be said, "No way," thus eliminating what surely might have been an oasis of humor in a desert of mediocrity. Morons. (Click here for my live-blogging of the Oscar telecast.)

In summary, it was the night that the Academy finally killed off what used to be its show-stopper of a movie awards. The problem is that I and the rest of America are the ones who bear the scars of Oscars tonight, while Hollywood skips out the next morning to the doctor's office for an emergency round of Botox. (Will someone please send me the name of Sherry Lansing's plastic surgeon? He did a fab job. Or maybe people just look great when they're no longer brow-beaten by Viacom's Sumner Redstone.) Well, I say enough is enough. Who isn't sick of getting stuck sitting through an ass-killing show that runs on and on beyond reason with no entertainment within it to speak of? As a comedian friend told me: "If this goes on any longer, they're going to be reporting next weekend's Friday night box office, the obituary package is going to be out of date, and the ballots will be going out for next years' awards." Frustration echoed by this emailer: "If they show another montage, I think it should be of people killing themselves while watching the Oscars."

Erroll Morris' interviews of the nominees kicked off the show. And it laid a huge egg. The package was way too "inside the Industry". The TV viewing audience had no idea who most of these people were on screen. And the opening wasn't even original: I'm told Morris did the same thing for the Oscar telecast a few years ago. What was this: The Sequel? Thus began what is supposed to be an international broadcast reaching out to 1 billion peopole, and instead comes off like Hollywood's really boring home movie.

About Ellen, I thought she'd make a great host. I thought that -- and I was wrong. Dressed in her maroon velvet pantsuit and white wingtips, she looked like she was in a smoking outfit worthier of Joan Crawford. (Now, Joannie would have gashed someone with a wire hangar to get this party started!) I kept waiting and waiting for DeGeneres to crack a few jokes, or at least any jokes. But none came out. Instead she stood in center stage and did her "I'm cute and lovable" impression. Criticizing her when she's like that is like kicking a dear but retarded puppy. But she's also piddling in millions of living rooms.

Her lone attempt at a political joke was toothless. She pointed out that "Al Gore is here. America did vote for him and...[HUGE APPLAUSE] ...it's very complicated". By my calculations, Gore needs to reimburse the Academy and ABC for close to $3 million for this night's free and over-the-top political advertising. Just send the check directly to Obama, Al, since I know you and Tipper can't stand Bill and Hillary. By trying not to be controversial, Ellen delivered a truly forgettable performance. And that's far worse than being Chris Rock- or Jon Stewart-type awful.

At least Ellen won't have to worry about hosting here again. Clearly, Jerry Seinfeld was auditioning for the gig. Seinfeld now has motion picture bonafides: he was the subject of a documentary about comedy and is making the animated Bee movie for DreamWorks. (Exactly whose idea was it to let Jerry insult the theater owners who already are going out of business because of the lousy films Hollywood produces? What, you guys have a death wish?)

Will Ferrell singing, "A comedian at the Oscars, the saddest man of all; your movies make millions, but your name they'll never call," was at least a way for the Academy to get a few comedians into the Oscars act. Jack Black joined him on stage and threatened all the nominees. ("I'm going to beat you down with my Nickolodeon award. Mark Wahlberg, I'm not going to beat you down. You're actually kind of bad-ass.") But, again, this segment had no production values. Are we sure this is the Academy Awards and not Friday night at the Friar's Club? The last anyone knows, accountant Bernie was seen living in Panama.

When Will Smith's son (and who acted with him in The Pursuit of Happyness) and Abigal Breslin introduced the two "Short Film" categories, it was hard not to picture them in campus sweatshirts years from now: Class of 2015, Drug Rehab University.

I kept thinking: what do the Oscars need most? And I realized: less white men in tuxedos accepting awards and thanking their lawyers and loved ones. At least this Oscars was more international than ever before. But where are the streakers and David Niven's wit? Where are the actors posing as Indians and accepting awards for Marlon Brando? Where is Cher? There's a whole generation out there that can't remember a good Oscarcast. It used to be that Supporting Actor got a great reaction from the winner. Remember Jack Palance and his push-ups? Tonight, Jack was in the downer obits.

I kept hearing all weekend how the show was being cut, cut, cut. Well, congrats, Laura Ziskin: you produced a show that was NO FUN whatsoever. Is this the Oscars, or is it the last race at Santa Anita being called by a rapid-fire announcer? Hey, where's the entertainment? Where's the excitement? I've had a better time watching my clothes in the laundromat dryer. This show was officially painful. I lost the will to live watching it. Does the Academy realize they've got four hours-plus to remind audiences around the world that going to the movies is fun and not a chore like sitting through this show? Not even a newly svelte Tom Cruise, after looking chunky when he got married to Katie, could have fun with his new diet. SlimFast? Jennie Craig? The "I've-been-thrown-out-of-Paramount diet"? The "PR-people-claim-I'm-the-head-of-United-Artists" regimen? Why didn't Scientology lay claim to a wonder cure for fat and let Tom do the infomercial tonight?

Ellen could have made a joke about where Gwyneth Paltrow has been hiding these months and years. Or even name what bad movies she's disappeared into. (Now there's a career gone downhill.) There wasn't one remark that, apparently, the audience saw too much of Gwyneth tonight. The Internet said there was visible nipple. (I was blissfully unaware of that. Besides, how could anyone notice since she's so flat up top.) Then John Travolta (whom I thought he perished in a tragic boating accident... he was harpooned in his bathtub) blurts out, "I love a full-figured woman who can stand in front of a camera and sing her heart out. But that's enough about me." Why, Travolta finally outed himself! But did anybody remark on it? No. Because everyone was clearly terrified -- the presenters, the actors, the writers, and obviously Ellen -- of doing anything that might make the Oscar gods (i.e. the Academy) angry at them. Which is why I say, free the Oscars ... free the Oscars!

Attica. Attica...

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/finke-final-i-bare-the-scars-of-oscars/

VisionOn

02-26-07, 01:14 PM

I think this is the problem. They said three of Losts's BIGGEST mysteries. Their idea of biggest left a lot to be desired.

This isn't new. ABC have been doing this since Season 2, although it's nice that it's finally been commented on. I learned long ago not to even bother watching the promos to avoid building false expectations.

The promo three weeks ago showed all the cast reunited and a plan to rescue Jack in action.

What they didn't say was that it was a preview for the season. The next episode was based around a single flashback character with 90% of promo events not even glimpsed.

VisionOn

02-26-07, 01:20 PM

TV Q&A
Ask Matt
(from the Ask Matt column at TVGuide.com
By Matt Roush: TV Guide Critic Monday, February 26, 2007

Question: Why would ABC ruin the best new show in years? Men in Trees has been the favorite new show of most of my friends. We loved the beautiful setting, the "macho" men, the whole dynamic. The show was successful as it was, so why do they need to introduce a new "gay" element? I, for one, and probably a vast majority of viewers, do not want to see a show about gays. While the Hollywood liberals think that the gay lifestyle is acceptable, to most of us it is not. If the show is going to continue with this type of format, I will not be watching. If they want a show about gays, then let them have their own show that I can choose not to watch. They've already ruined Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters, and now Men in Trees. Hollywood, get a clue!!!— Michele

Always good to see the tolerance of the public in action and complete ignorance of the central theme. I'm surprised she wasn't disgusted at the mixed race relationships on show. :rolleyes:

Ironically, the gay storyline of that episode I thought made one of the best and most amusing episodes to date. Especially the reactions from the townsfolk.

HDTVChallenged

02-26-07, 01:21 PM

This isn't new. ABC have been doing this since Season 2, although it's nice that it's finally been commented on.

Yep ... much like their "See the devestating conclusion to" the Grey's Anat. three-parter promo ... blech, this is why TiVo's were invented. ;)

PJO1966

02-26-07, 01:28 PM

Always good to see the tolerance of the public in action and complete ignorance of the central theme. I'm surprised she wasn't disgusted at the mixed race relationships on show. :rolleyes:

Ironically, the gay storyline of that episode I thought made one of the best and most amusing episodes to date. Especially the reactions from the townsfolk.

I have a feeling Matt lost "Michele" as a reader.

I don't watch "Men in Trees". What is the storyline she referenced?

VisionOn

02-26-07, 02:26 PM

I have a feeling Matt lost "Michele" as a reader.

I don't watch "Men in Trees". What is the storyline she referenced?

The long lost gay son (Orlando Jones) of Buzz (John Amos) returns to town. He announces he's gay, his father is a bit uncomfortable with it at first (although none of the other macho guys in the town really are). Buzz's other recently-discovered-son Patrick (Derek Richardson) sets Orlando Jones up on a surprise date with the only other gay character within 50 miles. They go bowling.

That was it! Terrible. :rolleyes:

Buzz is a tough black man, married to a Chinese woman, has a sensitive white son from an earlier affair with his best friend's wife, and his existing son returns to town and announces he's gay. John Amos has a complicated backstory in that show.

fredfa

02-26-07, 02:52 PM

Thanks, VO.

I was trying to figure out how to do a synopsis of "MIT" -- and never would have come up with as good a one as you did.

fredfa

02-26-07, 05:44 PM

Critic’s Notebook
Summing Up This Whole Academy Awards Thing
By Ray Richmond The Hollywood Reporter in his blog “Past Deadline”

Now that I've had, like, 16 hours or so to digest last night's Oscar telecast, some reflective thoughts:

• Ellen DeGeneres is getting panned all over the place for her job as host, and I think it unfair. She did fine keeping the show moving along and had some legitimately funny moments interspersed. Her rug-vacuuming comes to mind. She was low-key and funny. Not-ha-ha funny, but, you know, just fine. Where I'll agree with the critics is that her monologue was unusually restrained and without teeth. Ellen seemed so determined to make nice and be liked that she was too nice, too respectful, too affable. A little mean is okay. There was zero mean last night. Put another way, she appeared a bit intimidated by the room. Not nervous. Just intimidated. A talk show host somewhat out of here element. But again, this was not a bomb. Ellen fulfilled her commitment with smoothness and charisma. And it was admirable to watch a host who had so clearly checked her ego at the door. She made sure it wasn't all about her. There is something admirable about that, even if it could be rightly argued that she blended in too much.

• I think someone needs to sit Clint Eastwood down and inform Mr. Oscar-Winning Filmmaker that it wouldn't hurt next time he has to read a TelePrompTer in front of hundreds of millions of people to 1. Bring his glasses, or, failing that, 2. Memorize his script in advance. It wouldn't have been that tough. It was only about a minute or so of material. He's an actor. He could manage it. Instead, by failing even to put forth the minimum effort in preparing for such a high-profile gig, he showed a measure of contempt for the very institution that's been the most kind and generous to him. And how does he pay the Film Academy back? By impersonating a wannabe struggling to survive his first gig on public access,

• What was the deal with composer Ennio Morricone's giving his acceptance solely in Italian? The telecast, and Eastwood himself, seemed to be caught offguard to gauge the reaction. And then to have the guy blather on for so long was simply weird, particularly with Eastwood struggling to translate. Perhaps we need to redefine that whole concept of "When in Rome...". It sounded like Rome, but I believe it was really still Hollywood.

• Sorry, but 3 hours and 50 minutes is way too long to have to stomach in the MTV Age (or, frankly, during any age). Speaking of age, you could actually feel yourself doing it as this Oscarcast ground forward. Sorry, Laura Ziskin, but you need to trim back omn the production numbers and particularly the tributes. This is still supposed to be an awards show, not song-and-dance revue or industry retrospective.

• I didn't mind the four-minute opening film from Errol Morris that featured more than 100 of the year's nominees. It was the only opportunity most of them would have to utter a word during what may have been the biggest night of their lives. Yes, it felt a tad repetitive and the music may not have been the best choice. One critic called it "The world's longest Gap commercial." But I thought the spirit in which it was crafted was sound (honoring the people being honored), and to my mind it proved a simple, elegant touch that felt entirely appropriate.

• Along those same lines, I will never understand the need to play winners off by striking up the orchestra after 45 seconds, a practice applied inconsistently but often militantly on Sunday. Let's say that all 24 winners went 1:15 over their allotted time and went for two full minutes (not really all that long for someone enjoying his or her greatest-ever professional moment). That's 32 minutes. That could easily be compensated for by cutting out the lame presenter banter and slicing back on the incessant clip packages. I'm often dumbfounded by the notion that an awards show isn't supposed to be about hearing the people who just won awards. If they're so obsessed with saving time, why not just flint the trophies into the audience via catapult and dispense with the speech thing altogether?

http://www.pastdeadline.com/

DoubleDAZ

02-26-07, 06:59 PM

fredfa

02-26-07, 07:14 PM

Agreed, Dave.

I think it has been handled in a caring and responsible manner on both "Men In Trees" and on "Brothers & Sisters" -- where it is far more central to the storyline.

fredfa

02-26-07, 07:18 PM

ABC spins the Hollywood gala numbers…..
TV Notebook
2007 "Academy Awards"
(ABC News Release)

ABC's telecast of the "79th Annual Academy Awards" attracted an average audience of 39.9 million viewers and posted a 14.0 rating among Adults 18-49, based on Nielsen's "fast national" ratings.

• The 2007 "Academy Awards" telecast was up over last year in both Total Viewers (39.9 million vs. 38.9 million) and Adults 18-49 (14.0 rating vs. 13.9 rating). The "Oscars" telecast was also up 8% over last year in Adults 18-34 (12.9 vs. 12.0), while delivering ratings increases across the key women demographics: Women 18-34 +15% (16.2 vs. 14.1), Women 18-49 +6% (17.1 vs. 16.2) and Women 25-54 + 3% (19.1 vs. 18.5). In fact the Ellen DeGeneres-hosted "Oscars" posted the annual awards show's highest Adult 18-34 rating in 5 years - since 2002.

• TV's most-watched entertainment telecast of the 2006-07 TV Season, the average audience for ABC's "79th Annual Academy Awards" (39.9 million) far surpassed other awards shows this season, including the 2006 "Emmy Awards" (16.2 million), the 2007 "Golden Globes" (20.0 million) and the 2007 "Grammy Awards" (20.1 million).

• The "79th Annual Academy Awards" reached an estimated 74.84 million television viewers across the U.S. - unduplicated viewers watching 6 minutes or more during the 3-1/2 hour telecast. Nielsen reports that 87.03 million watched at least 1 minute or more of the broadcast.

fredfa

02-26-07, 07:22 PM

TV Notebook
MNTV to Exclusively Air Elton John Concert
By John Consoli MediaWeek Feb 26, 2007

MyNetworkTV has gotten the exclusive rights to broadcast Elton John’s 60th birthday concert. The concert will be recorded live from Madison Square Garden as part of a two-hour special MNTV will air on April 5th in prime time. The special will also include interviews with celebrities who attend the concert. The deal was made between MNTV and Elton John and Whizz Kid Entertainment, which is co-producing the concert with HST Management.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/networktv/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003550503

VisionOn

02-26-07, 07:35 PM

Michelle needs to get a life, a real one. The gay lifestyle is all around us and as long as TV does a decent job presenting it, I couldn't care less. And, no, I'm not gay and I don't know anyone who is. I just happen to like TV that mimics real life as best it can given censors, advertisers, etc. If you don't want to see it, FF through it like you do commercials and quit whining already.

It wouldn't have been such a ridiculous comment if the scenes on Men in Trees hadn't be so inoffensive. It was literally the two guys looking uncomfortable on a blind date, then sympathizing with each other for being chubby kids and a comedy butt cheek squeeze.

Unlike Will and Grace the comedy never fell into gay camp cliches, rather the characters on the show commented about gay stereotypes and that made it more amusing. I noticed Michele made no mention of the earlier appearance of the gay hairdresser several episodes ago, so I suppose she's fine when gay characters adopt stereotyped roles.

It's lucky she never stumbled across Queer as Folk!

rebkell

02-26-07, 08:15 PM

I recently got hold of the first two seasons of Veronica Mars, I'm totally hooked, I saw it, but can't find it, how long is VM going on hiatus for?

It would also figure that I would get totally hooked on VM just when my cable is adding our local CW in HD this Friday. :(

fredfa

02-26-07, 08:50 PM

There is a new episode tomorrow night, then Veronica is, according to word from the CW at the TCA Winter bTour, coming back for four or maybe five final episodes in mid-April.

The word is that those episodes will all be self-contained, and if the ratings don't improve VM could be in deep trouble. (And against "Dancing With The Stars" and "House" a hiatus might be a good idea.)

rebkell

02-26-07, 08:56 PM

There is a new episode tomorrow night, then Veronica is, according to word from the CW at the TCA Winter bTour, coming back for four or maybe five final episodes in mid-April.

The word is that those episodes will all be self-contained, and if the ratings don't improve VM could be in deep trouble.

No doubt it's in deep trouble, it would appear nearly every show on The CW is in trouble. I hope it survives, don't know how, but nothing seems to really be working on the CW.

fredfa

02-26-07, 09:04 PM

I wouldn't be surprised to see a change at the top of the network.

There really isn't a signature show. The CW desperately needs something which would draw viewers and enable it to promotoe its otjher shows.

fredfa

02-26-07, 09:16 PM

Critic’s Notebook
The Academy Awards
Departed evening of bloated, boring Hollywood babble
By Tim Goodman San Francisco Chronicle Television Critic Monday, February 26, 2007

It was long. It was flat. And it was bloated. Worst of all, it was boring. In the time it could have taken to see two of the five best picture nominees, the 79th annual Academy Awards managed to become one of the least interesting television shows of the entire season.

Below is a kind of timeline of the time suck that was the Oscars:

• Why is the preshow red carpet stuff so inherently bad? Yes, yes, you people who love it just love it so. But for the rest of us, it's just unbearable fawning and loads of bad questions, which, come to think of it, are probably related.

• Errol Morris did the opening film. The simplicity of it was a nice touch. Although much of the world might have been helped if a name and film title had been put below the faces. Just a thought.

• The odd thing about the Oscars is that after about 18 hours of buildup it starts with such a whimper. At least the Emmys -- one of the most boring of all awards shows -- starts with major categories. At the Oscars, it starts with someone from food services, segues into some kind of strange interpretive dance, trots out some kids and a slew of tech awards and hopes that you'll still be glued to your seat. You know you're in trouble when the best thing in the first 10 minutes is a commercial for the new iPhone.

• Will Ferrell, Jack Black and John C. Reilly temporarily brought it back, though. If you're going to do a musical, it should be done like that.

• Host Ellen DeGeneres is normally wonderful and has a quirky, low-key charm to her, but it seems that any host -- save for Billy Crystal and the late Johnny Carson -- has a tough time making a positive impression. "It's a dream come true," DeGeneres said of hosting. "Let that be a lesson to you kids out there. Aim lower."

• Those moments were nice, but it was difficult for Ellen's subtle rambling to translate because people want pop and humor and declarative sentences in their Academy Awards. Which they didn't exactly get.

• Ellen: "If there were no blacks, Jews or gays, there'd be no Oscars." Good line, but next time -- no tambourine. No walking down the aisles nonchalantly.

• Was that the worst-looking stage ever? As a matter of fact, it was. At least in the past 20 years.

• Is Nicole Kidman actually a cat?

• Jessica Biel may not yet have a great role under her arms, but she's sure got great arms.

• Loved the Diet Coke commercials. They should be a reminder to the Dove people that amateur ads look amateurish.

• Wait, wait, wait. These awards are deadly dull, and now they bring out James Taylor? What next, a lecture from Melissa Etheridge?

Oh.

• "This show has officially gone green." -- Leonardo DiCaprio. Well, yeah, but it went boring about an hour ago.

• Apparently Al Gore has eaten the world's excess carbons.

• "Well, Valium does work." -- William Monahan, winner of the best adapted screenplay. So does 75 minutes of Oscar tedium.

• Wes Anderson's American Express commercial was witty and weird and oddly riveting. Maybe next year he can direct the Oscars?

• Is 90 minutes in too early to ask this question: Are you going to give out an award people care about? OK, that's cruel. A lot of deserving winners. It's true. But you just know it's going to run long and all the actors and directors people most want to see will be played off the stage because the show is hitting the eight-hour mark. The Oscars have always been a time-management blunder filmed for our alleged pleasure.

• Someone tell the movers and shakers in "the movie industry" to stop thanking themselves for changing and/or saving the world. Whether or not it's true, it's just unseemly.

• Robert Downey Jr. Love that guy. More self-effacing drug jokes make even the driest of affairs seem more pleasant.

• Let's get this thing worked out for when four people -- say, special-effects guys -- come onstage: History tells us, time and time again, that only two of you will be able to thank anyone; the other two will get cut off, rudely. And if the first guy stumbles over his words, the camera will cut away to Beyonci.

• Thank God the guy from Germany, who sounded as if he was from the San Fernando Valley, won for "The Lives of Others" because at least he hadn't taken his Valium.

• Jennifer Hudson won. Do you think that annoyed Peter O'Toole somehow?

• The appearance of Jerry Seinfeld and his softly acceptable topical comedy was more welcome than ever.

• Hey, Al Gore, we've found a cure for global warming -- glacial pacing!

• In all seriousness, here is one major problem with the Academy Awards: By taking themselves so seriously, by wanting to separate themselves from the awards pack by being Very Important, the entire affair develops a fustian air that sucks the joy out of the room. Nobody can have much fun. Human blunders seem like being bad in church. An informal host like DeGeneres seems wrong. The expectations are absurd. Lighten up, Oscars.

• Oh, Lord, please don't be Celine Dion. Don't forsake us now!

• Was Clint Eastwood really translating for Ennio Morricone or making it up? And are they still talking?

• Reading the screenplays did not add drama. It just seemed awkward. "Olive stands next to the phone booth."

• Michael Arndt's acceptance speech for "Little Miss Sunshine" was short, sweet and pleasantly devoid of faux pauses.

• If Al Gore is as "inspiring" as everyone said, can he host next year? Direct?

• Michael Mann did a montage somewhere in the past six hours that was essentially your life passing by.

• Three hours, 12 minutes later -- best film editing. Yes! All right! Can sound effects be next?

• At the 3:20 mark, the score was Ellen three outfits, Oscars, two awards anyone cared about.

• Helen Mirren -- a true gold star.

• Oh, for God's sake, more interpretive dancing. We're out of here. And perfect! One of the backstage suck-ups just said, "Now it gets interesting."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/02/26/DDGL0OB5VF1.DTL&type=printable

Oscars: More boring than History Channel documentary

Seriously, that was stupefying in all its boringness. It was like time-lapse photography with Al Gore. It went on so long that I couldn't even write about the last three awards in my column for Monday because our deadline had passed. I'm happy for Martin Scorsese. I'm sad for Peter O'Toole. I'm angry because I just wasted 28 hours watching it. No, scratch that. I'm too bored to be angry.

Oh, and by the way: Even though I've known this for years (and therefore avoided her), Barbara Walters is god-awful. I watched parts of the Ellen DeGeneres and Helen Mirren "interviews." It's not just as bad as I've always thought. It's worse. She's the female Larry King, only with a better reputation. Which now seems somehow unfair to Larry.

Yes, you're right. Particularly sour tonight. Sorry.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/indexn?blogid=24

fredfa

02-26-07, 09:18 PM

Critic’s Notebook
Why people hate critics who hate the Oscar telecast
By Tim Goodman San Francisco Chronicle in his TV blog “The Bastard Machine” Monday, February 26, 2007

Hell hath no fury...well, you know what I'm going to get at. I've learned today (again) that People Who Love the Oscars (PWLO) really, really love it in a kind of scary Sally Fieldian way and if you (meaning me) get all pissy and snarky and unhappy about the telecast, they will descend on you like crack fiends and tear your heart out. Or try to. I've got a ton of e-mail. A lot of people are trying to hurt my feelings.

The only problem with that - aside from me not having feelings - is that you need to bring the high heat to get me. Don't bring the weak stuff. Like, "I hate your Oscar story." Or, "You need to get another job." Or, "Go (whoa there) yourself." I figure if you're THAT angry then something else has gone wrong in your life that I'm not responsible for. I prefer reasonable people who can disagree. Because often we find common ground. Like this: I didn't mean to suggest Ellen wasn't a good host. I love Ellen. I don't think she's a great fit becasue she's unfussy and the Oscars are World Class Fussy. So, a little dialogue often ends in agreement. Also, I think that the interpretive dance stuff was inoffensive and sometimes cool and it maybe took too much heat from me because in the course of waiting for something to happen against all odds, they came back to pad and pad again. It really wasn't them so much. But neither am I going to run out and buy tickets for more shadow puppetry.

Normally I'm lucky. My e-mail runs mostly positive, even on controversial issues. Today - not so much. Probably 60 percent negative, 40 percent in agreement with my column. And that 60 percent - they are not happy. They are really and truly outraged. Something in my snark was too vicious, too negative, too jaded. But I've learned that PWLO will watch anything. They don't think the telecast is too long. They like interpretive dancing. They like fluffy interviews. They can tolerate, say, 110 minutes of technical awards without having their heads blow off their shoulders. This is not true of me.

Luckily, the 40 percent (and shrinking?) were really with me on the boring thing. And they don't just naturally assume that I hate the world and hate movies and kittens and stuff. So I thank you, dwindling minority!

Now, as for everybody else, let's separate those who said "You write this every year." Not true. For proof, I give you last year's review and ask that you note the kinder, gentler tone therein. I may have written something snarky about the boredom that is the Emmys, sure. Maybe a lot. But wait - I didn't this year, as you can see here.

So, some people may think that I'm knee-jerk bitter and can't be pleased, but that's not true. What I don't understand are all the other people in the 60 percent who say "It always runs long - get used to it." First, that's not true. And second - it's unacceptable. The Oscars can be shorter, they can be more entertaining. It's perfectly justified to want the telecast to come in at 3 hours, give us some front-loaded major awards and not bore us to tears with filler. Your standards are too low if you think this can't be accomplished. Even if you're one of the PWLO, tighter and brighter can't be a bad goal, can it?

Lastly, for everyone who suggested that the best way to watch the Oscars is with a DVR, I totally agree. That wouldn't necessarily have made me love this year's Oscars because my initial review stands. But it would have made the whole thing less annoying - I could have stopped and watched the iPhone ads and the Wes Anderson American Express ad and skipped, well, HOURS of content. But I have to watch the Oscars live in order to make deadline. No time shifting. And my gripe is not that running long messed up my deadline. It's that running long and being boring and backloading all the good categories was unacceptable.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/indexn?blogid=24

DoubleDAZ

02-26-07, 09:22 PM

fredfa

02-26-07, 09:33 PM

Critic’s Notebook
How to Fix the Oscars (Yeah, Right)
Posted by James Poniewozik Time TV and media critic in the “tuned In” blog Feb. 26, 2007

The premise of this post is flawed. Because it's pretty clear that the Academy doesn't want to fix the Oscars, isn't it? It wants them to run for three hours and 52 minutes. It wants them to be dull and self-indulgent. And it wants you to shut up and sit there and remember how much you love the movies, dammit, before rushing out the next day and paying $27.50 or whatever they charge for a ticket nowadays to see one of the winning pictures.

But let's pretend, shall we? After all, the how-to-fix-Oscar postmortem is as hallowed a tradition as the death reel and the ceremonial waxing of Jack Nicholson's forehead. Herewith, a few lessons to take (or not) from last night's fiasco:

1. Yes, It's About You. But It's Not For You. This is really the rule from which all others follow. All the crap about Oscar night being "a celebration of people who make movie magic" goes out the window when you claim a night of network primetime. What the Academy wants to celebrate, or what makes the crowd of movie folk feel stroked is irrelevant. No one at home wants to hear the President of the Academy speak about anything. We don't like the clip reels. And when you're getting played off in mid-speech? We're cheering for the orchestra.

2. Don't Try to Make People Love the Movies. Try to Make People Like the Movies. Too much of the Oscar show, from the speeches to the honorary awards to the clip reels, is shot through a rose-colored lens, full of corny sentiments about how the movies express our deepest emotions and reveal the human struggle and chronicle the history of our nation and world. This probably appeals to movie-industry people, and probably Leonard Maltin, but to the folks at home it just makes the movies seem incredibly boring. You want to make a better world? Just make sure Spiderman 3 doesn't suck, and let us worry about the rest.

3. Stop Telling Us How Wonderful You Are. There was an especially high sanctimony quotient at this year's Oscars because of the award parade for Al Gore, but there seems to be a recurring belief that people will see more movies if they just realized how caring, generous, humanitarian, committed this group of people is, as they sit wearing enough jewelry to erase Africa's debt. The crowing about the "green" Oscars, the humanitarian awards--you must have to do a lot of yoga to pat yourself on the back that well.

4. It's Not the Tonys. Seriously, dudes--Pilobolus? What, was Mummenschanz already booked?

5. Fewer Oscars in the Oscars. I joked about this in the liveblog last night, but what Oscar really probably needs is a radical Oscar-ectomy. In the digital-cable era, fewer and fewer people are willing to sit through two hours of filler to get to the awards they actually care about. For the art directors, sound editors and so forth--hey, I'm sure there's a wonderful home on E! network or something. Should people care about the hard-working professionals who make the movies possible? Sure. They should also care about African wars that don't involve Leonardo DiCaprio. What are you gonna do?

In the end, if the Academy wants to save the Oscars, it needs to rid itself of every scrap of sentimentality and coldly, soullessly do whatever it needs to do to produce an entertaining product that will please the masses. That shouldn't be so hard to do. Just pretend it's a movie.

http://time-blog.com/tuned_in/

fredfa

02-26-07, 09:37 PM

Critic’s Notebook
Oscar, Oscar, Oscar
By John Eggerton Broadcasting&Cable in the “BC Beat” blog Feb. 26, 2007

I felt like the Odd Couple's Felix Unger as I tut-tutted the Oscar telecast while safely planted in my couch potato spot last night.

The show was too long by 45 minutes at least (was Michael Cimino in the booth?) and probably an hour, and as entertainment it was uneven at best, though there were several high points.

I'm sorry most people had probably gone to bed by the time Martin Scorsese finally got the best director Oscar, only decades overdue.

Ellen Degeneres's laconic pace matched the pace of the show, which was not a good thing. Degeneres suggested Johnny Carson had been her favorite past host, and it showed, but Billy Crystal's frenetic pace and skewering of the audience works better in an age where reverence for Hollywood gets a little cloying if not annoying. Carson was clearly in awe of the stars, and Degeneres hasd a sort of aw shucks deference. Some gentle mocking--and at least one reference to Mel Gibson--should have been the order of the day.

For instance, DeGeneres, on the subject of tolerance, said somewhat earnestly that: "Without Jews, blacks and gays, there would be no Oscar." I would have added. "Well, maybe you could get Mel Gibson to host," or something like that, only funnier.

The point is for the coasts to show middle America that they can be self deprecating and laugh at themselves at what is unquestionably a big night, but also unquestionable an orgy of fancy dresses and shoes and borrowed jewels and penguin suits. Nice touch, by the way, for that animation winner for Happy Feet to wear a white tie that made his tuxedo look even more like a penguin costume.

I loved the sort of "Wicked Stepsisters Lament" take on comedy as Oscar-stepchild from Jack Black, Will Ferrell and, I'm told, John C. Reilly (any kin to Jeannie C. Reilly?). Sadly for the comic crowd, it proved prophetic for one former TV comedian, Eddie Murphy, who was upset for best supporting actor honors by old pro Alan Arkin.

I wonder what the American Idol folks will say Tuesday about Jennifer Hudson's triumph after being voted off the show and dissed by Simon. She gave no shout-outs to the show during the ceremony, though she did say in the Barbara Walters special beforehand that she would probably thank the show in general, recognizing it had been her ticket to the big time, which is pretty huge for her these days with the SAG, Golden Globe and Oscar awards in rapid succession.

Al Gore's presidential candidacy feint was cute, too, if telegraphed. His somewhat halting faux announcement was cut short by the orchestra per Academy policy for overly long acceptance speeches. He seemed more wooden and less funny than I have seen him elsewhere.

Gore's Inconventient Truth won, though Gore didn't actually get the prize, which, sadly, sounds like another competition in the not-do-distant past. Actually, it won two awards, including for best song, a choice that ranks right up there with Keith Carradine's "I'm Easy" for "what were they thinking" honors. My choice was Randy Newman, but then again my choice is always Randy Newman.

That troupe of dancing shadows that formed tributes to the best movie nominees--and a couple of others--were arresting, though ABC or somebody seemed to be having some technical glitches.

I noticed that even though it was after 10 p.m., a couple of single-finger salutes were blurred during a movie clip reel for fear of offending.

I wonder if I was the only one to note this. It was in a montage of Hollywood portrayals of writers, so maybe that was why I was paying close attention, but it seemed to be that just as the music changed to the theme from Mission: Impossible, they were showing a clip from Ed Wood with Martin Laundau in the background. Landau won the Oscar for supporting actor as Bela Lugosi in tha film, but he was also in the original Mission: Impossible TV series.

Even with Inconvenient Truth on the agenda and the Bush administration under the gun in Washington for allegedly trying to manipulate media coverage of global warming, there was nothing in the way of administration bashing to speak of, or any politics for that matter.

Hollywood gave Gore a warm reception and several shout-outs, and there was a joke about his actually having won the election, but there were no water cooler moments to speak of.

For the second year in a row, and for whatever it means, L.A. was not one of the top-five markets for Oscar telecast viewing. Maybe they were all at the show or jockeying for space along the red carpet.

http://broadcastingcable.com/blog/1380000138.html

fredfa

02-27-07, 01:22 AM

TV Notebook
NBC welcomes 'God' to lineup
Show replaces 'Friday Night Lights' in April
By Josef Adalian Variety

NBC will roll out its new improv laffer "Thank God You're Here" on Wednesday nights starting in April.

Skein will air Wednesdays at 8 starting April 18. It replaces "Friday Night Lights," which will have aired the last of its 22 episodes on April 11.

Peacock is giving "You're Here" a promo boost by previewing its first two episodes on Monday nights, April 9 and 16. Skein will air immediately following "Deal or No Deal" and in place of "Heroes" on those nights.

Oz format, from FremantleMedia North America, features rotating celebs being thrown into improv sketches. Among the thesps set to appear: Jennifer Coolidge, Fred Willard, Alanis Morrisette, Bryan Cranston, Tom Arnold, Fran Drescher, Tom Green, George Takei, Paul Rodriguez, Mo'Nique, Jason Alexander, Wayne Knight and Ana Gasteyer.

Meanwhile, ABC has slotted a new installment of its Dick Clark-produced "Bloopers" franchise. John O'Hurley will host "Celebrity A-List Bloopers" on Saturday, March 17, at 8 p.m.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117960171.html?categoryid=14&cs=1

fredfa

02-27-07, 01:35 AM

TV Notebook
Viewer Numbers Increase a Bit for Oscars Show
By Bill Carter The New York Times February 27, 2007

Sunday night’s telecast of the 79th annual Academy Awards on ABC posted some modest gains in ratings and audience totals over last year’s numbers, though the special continued to lag well behind the highest-rated editions of the ceremony.

This year’s show, which featured Ellen DeGeneres as its host and “The Departed” as the year’s best movie, attracted an average audience of 39.9 million viewers, according to Nielsen, up one million from the 38.9 million who watched last year’s show. This year’s edition started a half-hour later, however, eliminating the lowest-rated 30 minutes of last year’s telecast.

The viewer numbers were still well below the totals for two years ago, when the show drew 42.1 million viewers. A decade ago the Oscar broadcast of 1998, when “Titanic” swept the awards, attracted 55.3 million viewers, the biggest since Nielsen went to its “people meter” measuring system in 1983.

ABC noted that this year’s show proved to be stronger among certain audience groups, including all female viewers and especially younger viewers between the ages of 18 and 34, with whom the show had its best numbers since 2002.

The Oscar special remained the dominant show for Sunday evening and towered over the results for the year’s other big awards shows as well. The Grammys on CBS attracted 20.1 million viewers earlier this month; the Golden Globes on NBC took in 20 million viewers in January; and the Emmy Awards had only an average of 16.2 million viewers for NBC last August.

The Oscar show also became the most-watched entertainment show of the current television season, surpassing this year’s premiere of “American Idol,” which had a viewer total of 37.4 million.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/27/arts/television/27rati.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&ref=television&pagewanted=print

steverobertson

02-27-07, 08:05 AM

fredfa

02-27-07, 10:11 AM

To some extent I think it depends on the ratings the next few weeks, steve.

"FNL" had a very good showing two weeks ago, but then sank to about its worst ratings of the year last week.

My sense is that if there appears to be any reason to save the show, Kevin Reilly will.

That being said, I'd put the chances of a renewal at about 40 per cent.

fredfa

02-27-07, 10:27 AM

The Business of Television
CBS Corp. Reports Profits Up
By Garth Johnston Broadcasting & Cable 2/27/2007

In a morning conference call, CBS Corp. reported a net income of $335 million, or $.43 per share, and a 14% increase is operating income for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2006. "CBS' first year out of the gate was a great one," Redstone said during the call.

CBS also announced plans to buy back $1.5 billion in shares and raised its dividend 10% to $.22 a share.

Adjusted net earnings from continuing operations for the fourth quarter 2006 increased 44% to $464 million, or $.60 per share, from $321.5 last year, or $.42 per share. Fourth quarter last year the company posted a loss of $9.23 billion, or $12.12 per share, after writing down its broadcasting and radio assets from its separation from Viacom.

The company also reported an operating income of $759.3, up 14% from the previous year.

"CBS' fourth quarter results capped off a strong first year as a stand-alone company," said Leslie Moonves, President and CEO, in a statement.

Thanks to a strong second-cycle cable syndication of Star Trek: Voyager CBS television revenue rose 3% to $2.6 billion. The company also saw a 10% growth in sales of outdoor advertising. Publishing revenues also increased by 7%. CBS Radio, however, saw a decrease 8% from the previous year to $498.2 million.

For the full year of 2006 CBS saw revenues rise 1% to $14.3 billion.

CBS predicted that revenue and operating income in 2007, thanks to the sale of 39 radio stations and nine television stations as well as the shutdown of UPN, will be comparable to UPN.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6419771

steverobertson

02-27-07, 10:33 AM

fredfa

02-27-07, 10:34 AM

If you want all the specifics from the CBS earnings report, you can find them here:

http://www.cbscorporation.com/assets/documents/Q406.pdf

fredfa

02-27-07, 10:42 AM

TV Sports
Gammons stays positive in game of life
ESPN baseball analyst appreciates job more after brain aneurysm
By Terry Pluto Akron Beacon Journal February 27, 2007

WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - We stood just beyond third base in the stands at Chain of Lakes Park.

Peter Gammons was talking about his days covering the Boston Red Sox, how he stayed in Room 421 at the Winter Haven Holiday Inn during spring training for 10 consecutive years. It was a little bigger than most of the rooms in what was then the town's lone motel even medium in size.

I was telling Gammons how he helped nurse me through the 1979 baseball season. I was a 24-year-old rookie reporter with the Baltimore Evening Sun, assigned to cover the Orioles.

At 34, Gammons already was a legend among baseball writers. No one had more front-office contacts or more respect from players and managers. Yet, Gammons had time for me and many other young baseball writers of that era. You needed a phone number, Gammons had it. You needed to track down a rumor on your team, Gammons helped -- even though he was the Red Sox beat reporter for the Boston Globe. You needed some encouragement, Gammons was one of most positive people you ever would meet in any profession.

``I always loved my job,'' Gammons said, ``but I appreciate it now more than ever.''

Gammons then talked about June 27, 2006. He was in the parking lot of his health club on Cape Cod. The hall of fame sportswriter and ESPN baseball analyst was in his car and had a sudden urge to take a nap.

``I remember calling my wife to say I had a headache,'' he said.

Next thing he knew, he was in a hospital.

Brain aneurysm.

``I don't remember much from the month after I called my wife,'' Gammons said. ``I just know that they were telling me it would be eight to 12 months before I could work again.''

That's assuming the 61-year-old would work at all.

Brain aneurysms not only can kill, but they can destroy your ability to think, to talk, to walk. According to some medical research, about two-thirds of all people who have this type of brain aneurysm either die or have some permanent disability.

Ten weeks after his brain surgery -- only two weeks after he was released from a rehabilitation center -- Gammons was back on the air.

``People kept asking me if I was nervous,'' he said. ``I felt good. I was talking baseball.''

Gammons was in Winter Haven on Sunday to check out the Indians, one of his favorite teams. Everywhere he went, people kept saying, ``Peter, great to have you back.''

Coaches, players, fans, writers, clubhouse guys.

Gammons is known to them all and had a kind word for everyone.

``I'm still overwhelmed by the reaction from so many people,'' he said. ``When I was in the hospital, (Chicago White Sox) manager Ozzie Guillen called my wife's cell phone for 50 straight days to check on me. So many people wrote cards, letters, e-mails.''

Gammons stopped, staring at the empty field.

``Milton Bradley started writing me cards when I was in the hospital,'' he said. ``He kept it up. He sent me a card for Thanksgiving. He sent me a Christmas card. Just notes to encourage me.''

Gammons said he has to take things a little slower, go to bed a little earlier, but that he's pretty much back to normal.

``One of the things this taught me was to really stay with the positive,'' he said. ``When I was coming back from surgery, I watched a lot of TV. So much was negative. So much was what people are against. I want to be known for what I'm for.''

His passion for baseball and those in the game has always burned bright.

``What does it really matter if I dislike someone, or if something the vice president or someone did bothers me,'' he said. ``I'm not going to let that get to me. I never was in the hospital until this. I've seen how good people can be, from doctors to nurses to players to fans to everyone. That's really what matters, not the other stuff.''

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/sports/16792522.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

taz291819

02-27-07, 11:02 AM

Me thinks there is still just too much on the other networks for anything on The CW to even get a start, let alone draw viewers to other shows. They haven't even promoted VM much and there is absolutely no industry buzz for anything on The CW. I think VM had a real chance, but I'm afraid it may be too darned late to rescue it, assuming they even want to. Almost any other network could have taken VM from cult status to a top 20/25 program IMHO. Unfortunately, The CW isn't any other network.

I totally agree. They've dropped the ball big-time, with Supernatural also.

I remember seeing the Up-Front trailer for VM and thought, wow, UPN may have something here. But what show did they heavily promote? Kevin Hill (yay Taye Diggs!). Even after Kevin Hill's numbers continued to drop, did they switch and start promoting VM? Nope, they decided to promote Secret Lives (or whatever the show was called).

Freakin' MTV could have done a better job at promoting VM, and really could have promoted Supernatural. Honestly, when I think of what OTA network these two shows fit in with, I think of Fox, possibly NBC.

Don't forget, UPN were the first geniuses to pass up on a little show called "American Idol". I believe it was Dawn O that personally passed that one up. And who's running the show at The CW now?

fredfa

02-27-07, 11:04 AM

Nielsen Notebook
ABC's big Oscar win: Viewers 18 to 34
By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Feb 27, 2007

The 79th Annual Academy Awards didn’t deliver many surprises. Most of the winners were predictable, the show dragged on and on, and total viewership was up just 1.3 million over last year’s show.

But there was one area where ABC had some good news, and that was its adults 18-34 rating. While the show’s average for 18-49s was essentially flat to last year at up 2 percent, in 18-34s the Oscars had their best rating in five years.

The show averaged a 12.9 rating in 18-34s, up 8 percent over last year’s 12.0. That was the best rating since the 2002 Academy Awards, when “A Beautiful Mind” took best picture.

Ratings also increased among women 18-34, up 15 percent from a 14.1 to a 16.2; women 18-49, up 6 percent from a 16.2 to a 17.1; and women 25-54, up 3 percent from an 18.5 to a 19.1. These are all according to Nielsen fast national estimates released yesterday by ABC.

There are several likely explanations for the rise in 18-34s. The first is that the recent addition of college dorm viewers to Nielsen’s sample gave the awards a spike in the adults 18-24 demographic that lifted 18-34s as well.

Up till last month, Nielsen had not accounted for viewership among college kids who live in dormitories.

Another possibility is that the “American Idol” factor gave the Oscars a boost, which may also have helped the Grammys on CBS earlier this month.

Best supporting actress winner Jennifer Hudson (“Dreamgirls”) is a former “Idol” contestant who gained a large and young-skewing fan base during her run on the show several years ago. Many of them may have tuned into the Oscar telecast for the first time simply to watch her win, as she was favored to take home the trophy.

“Idol” alumna have fared quite well of late: Winner Carrie Underwood won a Grammy a few weeks ago.

Another factor that may have boosted the Oscars is simply the vast amount of pre-ceremony gossip devoted to the Awards on sites popular with young adults such as TMZ.com and Usmagazine.com. All that speculation, which a few years ago was not found in that volume, may have helped boost viewership for all the awards shows thus far this year. In addition to the Grammys, the Golden Globes were also up.

The Oscars averaged 40.2 million total viewers Sunday, according to final numbers released this morning, bettering last year’s 38.9 million. In adults 18-49, they averaged a 14.1 rating, up 0.2 over last year’s 13.9 rating.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_10449.asp

fredfa

02-27-07, 11:10 AM

I totally agree. They've dropped the ball big-time, with Supernatural also.

I remember seeing the Up-Front trailer for VM and thought, wow, UPN may have something here. But what show did they heavily promote? Kevin Hill (yay Taye Diggs!). Even after Kevin Hill's numbers continued to drop, did they switch and start promoting VM? Nope, they decided to promote Secret Lives (or whatever the show was called).

Freakin' MTV could have done a better job at promoting VM, and really could have promoted Supernatural. Honestly, when I think of what OTA network these two shows fit in with, I think of Fox, possibly NBC.

Don't forget, UPN were the first geniuses to pass up on a little show called "American Idol". I believe it was Dawn O that personally passed that one up. And who's running the show at The CW now?

The only problem with blaming promotion is that no one tunes into the CW to see any of the promotional spots.

And to be fair, if you listed all the major hits that TV executives have passed on, you would have a long, long list. Everyone passed on "Idol" (and "Desperate Housewives", etc.)

Now that all of that is out of the way, I'd bet someone else gives the CW's pitch at the May upfronts. For whatever reasons, Ms Ostroff has overseen nothing short of a disaster thusfar.

CPanther95

02-27-07, 11:35 AM

mike_somd

02-27-07, 11:56 AM

I was going to point out the same thing. Every network passed on Idol, including FOX. If it weren't for Rupert's daughter making the case to Rupert, and him telling FOX do do what was necessary to "get it done" - it may have never made it on the air.

And wouldn't that have been nice. I just don't get the appeal of Idol.

Thanks fredfa for all the hard work in this here thred.

fredfa

02-27-07, 11:56 AM

Right, CP95.

And NewsCorp stockholders should say a prayer of thanks to Elisabeth Murdoch every morning.

fredfa

02-27-07, 12:17 PM

Nielsen Notebook
"The Black Donnellys"

It seesm the ratings for the first night of the new NBC 10 PM Monday show fall exactly at the level of the average for "Studio 60".

I'l have the night's complete fast national overnights posted in just a few minutes at the top of the thread.

fredfa

02-27-07, 12:31 PM

fredfa

02-27-07, 12:33 PM

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
A decent drive-by for 'Black Donnellys'
New NBC drama pulls a 3.5 in 18-49s, up 35 percent
By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Feb 27, 2007

NBC saw mixed results for the premiere of “The Black Donnellys” last night. On the one hand, the show bettered last week’s rating for former timeslot occupant “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” by 35 percent. On the other, “Donnellys” showed an alarming dip in its second half and was nowhere near the rating “Studio 60” drew in its premiere last September.

“Donnellys” averaged a 3.5 adults 18-49 rating last night at 10 p.m., according to Nielsen overnights, up 35 percent over last week’s series-low 2.6 for “Studio 60.”

But that debut rating was partially inflated by runover from “Donnellys’” lead-in, “Heroes,” which ran to 10:03 p.m. last night. In its second half hour, the Irish mob drama dipped from a 4.1 to a 2.8, a decline of 32 percent.

Also, “Donnellys” was nowhere near the 5.0 that “Studio 60” averaged in its September debut, despite having a stronger lead-in. (“Heroes” debuted a week later.)

The big question now is how “Donnellys” will perform in its second week. It never bodes well for a show to see a big decline in its second half hour, no matter how strong its lead-in. But if “Donnellys” can continue to outrate “Studio 60,” NBC may be satisfied with that, at least for a bit.

The network did manage to win the night, something that “Studio 60’s” low numbers had been preventing the past few weeks.

NBC averaged a 4.9 average rating and a 12 share in 18-49s on a close night. CBS was second at 4.7/12, Fox third at 4.4/11, ABC fourth at 3.8/10, Univision fifth at 1.6/4 and CW sixth at 1.1/3.

As usual, NBC led the first two hours of the night, starting with a 4.9 rating at 8 p.m. for “Deal or No Deal.” ABC and Fox tied for second that hour at 3.9, ABC for “Wife Swap,” in a season high, and Fox for “Prison Break,” with CBS fourth with a 3.6 average for “How I Met Your Mother” (3.6) and “The Class” (3.5). Univision was fifth with a 2.2 for “La Fea Mas Bella” and CW sixth with a 1.0 average for “Everybody Hates Chris” (1.1) and “All of Us” (1.0).

At 9 p.m. NBC led again with a 6.4 for “Heroes,” followed by a 5.1 for CBS for “Two and a Half Men” (5.5) and “Rules of Engagement” (4.8). Fox was third with a 4.8 for “24,” ABC fourth with a 4.1 for “Supernanny,” Univision fifth with a 1.5 for “Mundo de Fieras” and CW sixth with a 1.1 average for “Girlfriends” (1.1) and “The Game” (1.1).

CBS took over at 10 p.m. with a 5.5 for “CSI: Miami,” while ABC and NBC tied for second at 3.5, ABC for a “Building a Dream” Oprah Winfrey special and NBC for the premiere of “Donnellys.” Univision was fourth that hour with a 1.1 for “Cristina.”

CBS was first for the night among households, averaging an 8.8 rating and posting a 14 share. NBC was second at 8.2/13, Fox third at 6.9/10, ABC fourth at 6.2/10, Univision fifth at 2.0/3 and CW sixth at 1.7/3.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_10450.asp

michaelk

02-27-07, 12:38 PM

And wouldn't that have been nice. I just don't get the appeal of Idol.

Thanks fredfa for all the hard work in this here thred.

I never watched a signal episode of it till this year. Now it's on our Tivo.

I have a 6 year old and an 8 year old. And the mother of one of their friends said they watch it together as a family so we started watching it too. My wife pointed out that there really aren't many shows (besides game shows) that you can watch with your kids anymore. No more love boat or happy days or who's the boss, the show with Michael J Fox, etc. All the sitcoms now are full of sex.

So you can sit down at night and watch idol with your kids and spend a few minutes of time together watching the same show. We do have to explain all the time about Simon's behavior but beyond that it's a family show.

CPanther95

02-27-07, 12:44 PM

It's a good show to watch with the family. As adults (with adult ears), you picked a rough year to start watching though - at least for the Guy-only nights.

michaelk

02-27-07, 12:51 PM

The only problem with blaming promotion is that no one tunes into the CW to see any of the promotional spots.

And to be fair, if you listed all the major hits that TV executives have passed on, you would have a long, long list. Everyone passed on "Idol" (and "Desperate Housewives", etc.)

Now that all of that is out of the way, I'd bet someone else gives the CW's pitch at the May upfronts. For whatever reasons, Ms Ostroff has overseen nothing short of a disaster thusfar.

About 50 pages ago (lol) we talked about My/CW/UPN/WB and the publics perception that they contain nothing worth watching. They have a MAJOR MAJOR brand issue. In fact- totally true- as I just wrote that I got stuck on WB and had to think for about 20 seconds what the hec the name of that network was- how long did it exist and i couldn't even remember it 6 months after it died? I remember the end of the Honey Mooners says something about the Dumont network but i cant recall the WB?

The powers that be at the CW and My blew an oppurtunity to reinvent themselves. MY kind of got stuck with it's hand. But the CW is pathetic. THey should have tried to create a new brand instead of the stupid "best of the 2 crappy networks" that they played up. My initial reaction is "oh boy twice the amount of garbadge". For My my intial reaction is "of goodness they have less then thegarbadge on the CW".

THey need to hire someone who knows how to make a brand.

My really should try to play up it's association to fox (there is one right?). Call themselves FOX II or FN2 or Fsomething. do anything to make people think you aren't just crap.

I think they come up with a serious plan to create a new brand and implement it. I'd throw out the name CW and MY as those are already tainted. If they aren't ready to do that now or in 6 months or a year then keep the old crappy names until they are ready but when you are ready to reinvent throw those names out and start something new with a bang. CW might was well be CFNW (crappy fifth network wannabe).

michaelk

02-27-07, 12:58 PM

fredfa

02-27-07, 01:00 PM

HDTVChallenged

02-27-07, 01:06 PM

The gay lifestyle is all around us and as long as TV does a decent job presenting it,

I doubt that the majority of "TV presentations" on this subject are anything more than stereotype. :eek:

fredfa

02-27-07, 01:08 PM

HDTVC, I think you are right for the main part.

But the characterizations on "brothers & Sisters" seems a bit more than that.

And now that I think of it, I suspect the characterizations of cops, lawyers, doctors, mobsters, etc., on network TV generally tend to be pretty stereotypical.

fredfa

02-27-07, 01:18 PM

An added note on "The Black Donnelly's" ratings performance:

The Oprah special gained a few hundred viewres in its second hald hour, whicl "TBD" was losing almost 2.2 million. And Oprah won the final half hour by 2.14 million viewers over TBD, while whacking it badly in both households and Adults 18-49.

There may be examples in network TV history (but certainly none I can think of off hand) where a show lost that kind of viewership in its premiere second half hour and survived. That kind of tune out makes an obvious point: the viewers just don't like the show.

The only plus I can see is that "Studio 60" was dloing so poorly the ratings bar has not been set very high.

HDTVChallenged

02-27-07, 01:20 PM

HDTVC, I think you are right for the main part.

But the characterizations on "brothers & Sisters" seems a bit more than that.al.

Perhaps ... but why is that seemingly *every* gay character on TV is flaming-over-the-top a/o self-loathing/angst-ridden and/or "militant" ... including B&S, SixFeetUnder, etc, etc ... Then again, perhaps it's just the sight of guys talking on and on about "feelings" that bugs me, it ain't "natural." ;) :D

oh well, like someone said earlier, 'at least there wasn't any griping about the interracial relationships' on MiT. ... progress, in baby steps.

VisionOn

02-27-07, 01:25 PM

"The Black Donnellys" story may be very grim -- and not just on your TV screen. The fast national ratings show a massive dropoff in viewers from the first to the second half hour.

Yesterday’s fast national over night prime-time ratings have been posted near the top of Ratings News the second post in this thread, and you can see the catastrophic ratings details on the premiere of "TBD" there.

I noticed that it's repeated later in the week which should give it a second chance to build an audience for next week. I haven't watched it yet, so I can't say if I thought it lived up to the promo hype. After that I can't see any reason why it would improve outside of it all of a sudden becoming must-see TV.

Last night Heroes was an extremely good episode and after that finished I didn't even remember Donnelly was on, I was still talking about Heroes. I think those who commented on the bad pairing may have been very accurate.

taz291819

02-27-07, 01:25 PM

I think Michael, the CW is what you get when a lot of big corporations need programming for their stations, yet there is no crying need from the public for that programming.

Given the quality of shows already available on the Big Four (not to mention cable) it is very difficult to figure out any reasonable rationale for the CW -- aside from the fact that there are a couple of hundred stations with nothing to show six nights a week from 8-10 PM ET/PT.

I totally agree. With the few quality shows The CW has to offer, those same shows could have made it on another network. It's basically a filler network, as is MNTV (even more so for MNTV).

Promos do work, but you really have to pound them. I'll give Dawn O credit for one thing, at least she's kept VM on the air for three seasons. Well, 2 and 3/4 of a season.

Now, if The CW ever ceases to exist, at least Fox has the ability to pick up some of the shows, since they currently only have a 2-hour prime schedule during the week. (If my boss heard me say that, he wouldn't be too happy, since the local Fox affiliate is our main rival)

fredfa

02-27-07, 01:34 PM

I think it is almost impossible for Fox to go to a normal 22-hour weekly schedule.

The O&O stations make loads of money with their 10 PM ET/PT local newscasts.

And beyond that, Fox has been "winning" the key 18=49 demo for the past few years by tiny margins. But ABC, NVC and CBS have to average in all 22 of their network hours into the 18-49 numbers, while Fox just has 15 hours. So incredible ratings for "American Idol" and "House" (and NFL overrruns have a dispprortionate effect on the Fox averages.

fredfa

02-27-07, 01:36 PM

Perhaps ... but why is that seemingly *every* gay character on TV is flaming-over-the-top a/o self-loathing/angst-ridden and/or "militant" ... including B&S, SixFeetUnder, etc, etc ... Then again, perhaps it's just the sight of guys talking on and on about "feelings" that bugs me, it ain't "natural." ;) :D

oh well, like someone said earlier, 'at least there wasn't any griping about the interracial relationships' on MiT. ... progress, in baby steps.

And clearly the interracial relationships on "Grey's Anatomy" don't seem to be hurting the numbers.

fredfa

02-27-07, 01:47 PM

Last week’s complete network average prime-time results (with demographic and season-to-date averages) are now at the bottom of RATINGS NEWS the second post in this thread.

archiguy

02-27-07, 01:53 PM

And clearly the interracial relationships on "Grey's Anatomy" don't seem to be hurting the numbers.

On 'Heroes', just about every relationship is bi-racial, and I haven't seen it commented on once. It's almost like they're trying to make a point, but I don't know what that might be. At any rate, these types of relationships do seem to be more prevalent on TV than in real life strictly from a statistical standpoint.

fredfa

02-27-07, 02:02 PM

Last week’s updated top 10 prime-time program ratings are now toward the bottom of RATINGS NEWS -- the second post in this thread.

dad1153

02-27-07, 02:03 PM

An added note on "The Black Donnelly's" ratings performance:

The only plus I can see is that "Studio 60" was dloing so poorly the ratings bar has not been set very high.

Could it help "Studio 60's" cause that "Donnelly's" bombed out of the gate? I mean, unlike other shows (like 'Friday Night Lights') Sorkin's show has remained stuck at 10PM Mondays since it premiered. Ratings clearly indicate people prefer "CSI: Miami" at that time, and everything else will come a distant second or third at best. How about airing the remaining episodes of 'Studio 60' on a different time slot (10PM Wednesday, 9PM Fridays, 7PM Sunday, etc.) and see if there's any audience follow-up or increase in a new time? The "Heroes" lead-in is wasted on "Studio 60" since they've always been wholy incompatible (and apparently on "Black Donnellys" as well), so why not give the expensive investment in Sorkin's latest one more shot before abandoning it for good like everyone else in the industry seems to have already done? I'm grasping at straws here, I know, but at least "Black Donnelly's" bombing means there's an increased chance "Studio 60" will return... I hope! :(

fredfa

02-27-07, 02:10 PM

Highest Rated Prime-time Shows By Network
Week of February 19-25
(Listed by viewers in millions; overall rank is at left)

A B C
1 ACADEMY AWARDS(S) 40.17
4 GREY'S ANATOMY-THU 9PM 27.39
5 ROAD TO OSCARS 2007(S) 27.10
11 OPRAH WINFREY OSCAR SPEC(S) 15.45
13 BARBARA WALTERS SP-2/25(S) 14.54

C B S
7 CSI 21.78
8 CSI: MIAMI 19.23
10 TWO AND A HALF MEN 16.56
12 NCIS 15.41
14 SHARK 14.19

Fox
2 AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY 30.46
3 AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY 29.53
6 AMERICAN IDOL THU SP-2/22(S) 24.44
20 24 13.05
25 FOX NEXTEL CUP WNNRS CIRC 10.86

N B C
9 DEAL OR NO DEAL-MON 17.62
15 HEROES 14.06
22 LAW AND ORDER:SVU 11.94
27 E.R. 10.00
32 LAW AND ORDER:CRIM INTENT 9.39

CW
77 FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN 5.42
94 GILMORE GIRLS 4.05
99 REBA 3.22
104 BEAUTY AND THE GEEK 2.99
105 EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS 2.97

• Source: Nielsen Media Research data

fredfa

02-27-07, 02:14 PM

Lowest Rated Shows By Network
Week of February 19-25

These are the lowest-rated programs, excluding repeats, by network for last week.
(Shows are listed by overall rank and viewers in millions.)

A B C
66 GEORGE LOPEZ 5.83
72 WHAT ABOUT BRIAN 5.65
74 AMER FUNN HOME VIDEOS-TUE 5.54
83 PRIMETIME:THE OUTSIDERS 5.02
91 KNIGHTS OF PROSPERITY 4.12

C B S
36 HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER 8.95
39 CLASS, THE 8.68
44 JERICHO 8.30
46 AMAZING RACE 11 8.17
53 48 HOURS MYSTERY 7.81

Fox
60 O.C. 6.59
62 AMW: AMERICA FIGHTS BACK 6.26
76 COPS 5.44
85 NANNY 911 4.56
89 TRADING SPOUSES 4.30

N B C
71 SCRUBS 5.66
81 FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS 5.16
82 DATELINE SUN-7PM 5.04
84 30 ROCK 4.61
86 GREASE:ONE THAT I WANT 4.53

CW
112 7TH HEAVEN 2.45
115 GAME, THE 2.28
116 VERONICA MARS 2.27
117 GIRLFRIENDS 2.24
118 SUPERNATURAL 1.72

• Source: Nielsen Media Research data

fredfa

02-27-07, 02:18 PM

... I'm grasping at straws here, I know, but at least "Black Donnelly's" bombing means there's an increased chance "Studio 60" will return... I hope! :(

Sorry, but I think "Studio 60" is done.

No matter how badly things do for NBC at 10 PM Monday, people have apparently made up their minds about it and, as you have noted in the past, "Studio 60" is a very expensive show to produce.

Sadly, you are grasping at straws. We should just be happy if we ever get to see the remainder of the "Studio 60" programs on NBC at all. This ratings tank by "TBD" may well make that more likely.

fredfa

02-27-07, 02:27 PM

The Business of Television
Moonves: We’ll Talk with Large MSOs
CBS CEO Would Negotiate with Comcast, Time Warner Before Retransmission-Consent Pacts Expire
By Mike Farrell MultiChannel News 2/27/2007

Hot off a retransmission-consent deal with nine small cable operators, CBS CEO Les Moonves said Tuesday that agreements with larger operators like Comcast and Time Warner Cable could be negotiated before their existing pacts expire.

CBS announced last week that it had reached retransmission consent deals with nine unnamed cable companies, representing more than 1 million subscribers. While the broadcaster did not reveal terms of the agreements, it is believed that CBS received cash for retransmission consent in the deals.

While CBS has pushed for cash for retrans for years and has been successful in getting paid in several smaller deals, there has been some skepticism that the broadcaster will be able to extract cash payments from larger operators, which represent a larger portion of the network’s advertising revenues. CBS’ deals with Comcast and Time Warner expire in the 2009-10 time frame.

On a conference call with analysts to discuss its fourth-quarter results, Moonves said it is possible that CBS could head to the negotiating table with the country’s two largest cable operators before then.

“We are certainly open and willing to talk with them at any point in time,” he added. “I guess it’s very possible that negotiations can begin much earlier than when the contracts are up.”

Moonves didn’t reveal any further details on the broadcaster’s retransmission-consent pact with the nine cable operators, but he said the lack of acrimony in the negotiations perhaps signals an attitude shift on behalf of operators.

“These nine MSO deals were done without a whole lot of noise -- there weren’t big newspaper ads, there weren’t big fights, there [wasn’t] anything pulled off the air,” he added. “I think the MSOs are realizing that it is better to get along than to fight. Yes, the big ones are up in 2009 and 2010, but you’ll see us do a number of deals before then.”

Moonves also said CBS’ huge television library has not found its way to video-on-demand mainly because it hasn’t been offered the right price. That could change in the relatively near future.

“Our TV library is unbelievably valuable and it has been relatively undermined,” Moonves added. “And the main reason is that we want to get paid appropriately for it. We will eventually have our library out there -- it will be on-demand either through advertising subscription or pay-per-view. It is inevitable that our library is going to be on the Internet and downloaded -- we will be making deals for this content … Look for more things in the fairly near future.”

For the quarter, revenue at CBS was up 2% to $3.9 billion and cash flow rose 11% to $872.7 million, driven by strong growth at its television and outdoor divisions.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6419809.html?display=Breaking+News

fredfa

02-27-07, 02:51 PM

Critic’s Notebook
News anchor has story to tell
By Hal Boedeker Orlando Sentinel Television Critic February 27, 2007

Former ABC anchor Bob Woodruff, who was nearly killed in Iraq, returns to the public spotlight today in miraculously fit shape. In a special tonight, he explains that the nation's war injuries are more widespread and devastating than the public understands.

The Defense Department lists nearly 25,000 wounded from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. But 205,000 veterans have sought treatment, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

At least 10 percent of the 1.5 million veterans have suffered a brain injury, and the condition may be undiagnosed for many, according to the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center.

Woodruff talks about his own brain injuries in To Iraq and Back: Bob Woodruff Reports, which airs at 10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.

"I've been given a chance to tell about something that I lived through and [have] seen so many soldiers and Marines live through that I think perhaps that was designed in some way, for the same reason perhaps that I didn't die of this," he said.

He was injured Jan. 29, 2006, by a roadside bomb. In the special, he says, "I am standing here tonight because I got the best military and civilian medical care in the world."

Woodruff will appear today on Good Morning America and The Oprah Winfrey Show. A book that he and his wife, Lee, wrote about the ordeal will be released today. It is titled In an Instant: A Family's Journey of Love and Healing.

His TV special turns to the treatment that veterans are receiving. The program explains that many brain-injured veterans do not have access to the best care in their communities.

"Those of us who've served in Iraq face kind of a second fight coming home," says Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. "The VA [Veterans Affairs] is coming apart at the seams. And everybody sees it who deals with the VA on a daily basis."

Rieckhoff adds that the country isn't prepared to care for its veterans, and most Americans don't know about the issue. "I don't even think it's on most people's radar," he says.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Nicholson agrees that the public doesn't understand the soldiers' sacrifices. Of the 205,000 seeking treatment, he says, "A lot of them come in for dental problems. Others come in for a lot of the normal things that people have."

But the Defense Department has told staffers not to talk to the media, says Paul Sullivan of Veterans for America. He says the information might influence recruiting, retention and the public's perception of the war.

"I think this is something that people in this country need to know about," Woodruff told reporters. "I think that is now being learned by the government that that information needs to be shared."

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/tv/orl-a2story2707feb27,0,447644,print.story?coll=orl-caltvtop

fredfa

02-27-07, 02:59 PM

humdinger70

02-27-07, 03:34 PM

Movie Notebook
New “Star Trek” movie
By Nikki Finke LA Weekly in her deadlinehollywooddaily blog Feb. 27, 2007

Star Trek will return to the big screen under J.J. Abrams.

The team behind the film will include Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci (Mission Impossible III) who wrote the screenplay and will executive produce with Bryan Burk.

Abrams and Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof will produce. The film will begin shooting this fall for a Christmas Day 2008 release.

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/

Nice going, fredfa! :eek:

You just opened Pandora's box and have now subjected us to 22 months of speculation, conjecture, spoofing, lies, and whatever from now until Christmas 2008.

And of course, the inevitable wailing that will occur once the movie actually does open, when it doesn't meet the expectations of the extreme hard core trekkies.

Sheesh, you'd think 40 years would be enough! :D

fredfa

02-27-07, 03:36 PM

(Not to mention all the whining over J.J.'s absence from "Lost".) :)

maitak

02-27-07, 03:58 PM

Nice going, fredfa! :eek:

You just opened Pandora's box and have now subjected us to 22 months of speculation, conjecture, spoofing, lies, and whatever from now until Christmas 2008.

And of course, the inevitable wailing that will occur once the movie actually does open, when it doesn't meet the expectations of the extreme hard core trekkies.

Sheesh, you'd think 40 years would be enough! :D

I heard Matt Damon will play a young Kirk and Ben Affleck will play a young Spock.

That's the word on the streets...

;)

Iteki

02-27-07, 04:05 PM

Nice going, fredfa! :eek:

You just opened Pandora's box and have now subjected us to 22 months of speculation, conjecture, spoofing, lies, and whatever from now until Christmas 2008.

And of course, the inevitable wailing that will occur once the movie actually does open, when it doesn't meet the expectations of the extreme hard core trekkies.

Sheesh, you'd think 40 years would be enough! :D

The whole prequel idea is a disaster waiting to happen....see Enterprise and The Phantom Menace. Of course I'll see it, but I have LOW expectations.

FSugino

02-27-07, 04:18 PM

The whole prequel idea is a disaster waiting to happen....see Enterprise and The Phantom Menace.
Then again, you have happy cases like Casino Royale, so there may be hope...

fredfa

02-27-07, 04:23 PM

I heard Matt Damon will play a young Kirk and Ben Affleck will play a young Spock.

That's the word on the streets...

;)

So it'll be "Good Will: Star Trek"?

Iteki

02-27-07, 04:26 PM

Then again, you have happy cases like Casino Royale, so there may be hope...

Yeah, but that's not a prequel, it's a series reboot/remake. The movie is supposedly going back to when they were still in the Academy. More of a WB series "Tiberius Creek" than Star Trek :-)

Kirk: "Spock, I totally think Chapel digs me...did she say anything to you?"
Spock (having slept with her the night before): "Illogical dude!"

Like...totally.

fredfa

02-27-07, 04:28 PM

TV Notebook
NBC Renews “Las Vegas”
NBC News Release February 27, 2007

BURBANK, Calif.– NBC has renewed its veteran drama series "Las Vegas" (Fridays, 9-10 p.m. ET) for a fifth high-rolling season through 2007-08, it was announced today by Kevin Reilly, President, NBC Entertainment.

"The cast and producers have consistently given us what we want from 'Las Vegas' – pure entertainment – and we're looking forward to another fun ride next season with the show," said Reilly.

This season, "Las Vegas" is averaging a 2.8 rating, 8 share in adults 18-49 and 9.0 million viewers, to rank #1 in the Friday 9-10 p.m. (ET) hour in 18-49. "Las Vegas" has generated an 8 percent gain versus NBC's year-ago non-sports rating in the time period.

From Gary Scott Thompson -- the writer of the hit film "The Fast and the Furious" -- "Las Vegas" is a fast-paced, sexy drama that follows an elite Las Vegas surveillance team charged with maintaining the security of one of "Sin City's" largest resorts and casinos.

"Las Vegas," currently in it's fourth season, stars James Caan ("The Godfather," "Misery"), Josh Duhamel ("All My Children"), Molly Sims (MTV's "Starsky and Hutch"), Nikki Cox ("Nikki"), James Lesure ("For Your Love") and Vanessa Marcil ("Beverly Hills, 90210").

Iteki

02-27-07, 04:31 PM

fredfa

02-27-07, 04:47 PM

Critic’s Notebook
“To Iraq and Back”
Shattered
By Adam Buckman New York Post February 27, 2007

February 27, 2007 -- AFTER learning the de tails of what happened to him, it is almost inconceivable that Bob Woodruff is alive, much less in good enough shape to address a roomful of reporters.

However, there he was yesterday at ABC News headquarters on West 66th Street at a screening of a new special called "To Iraq and Back" (premiering tonight at 10 on Ch. 7) and looking pretty much how he looked before he was nearly killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq 13 months ago.

Sure, if you looked closely, you could detect some scarring on his face and below his right ear.

But his hair was his own, and the shape of his head seemed perfectly normal - a far cry from the way it looked in the months following the blast, when the top left side of his head looked as flat as a tire with the air let out of it.

You'll see how Woodruff looked then if you watch tonight's special - subtitled "Bob Woodruff Reports" and timed to coincide with the publication of "In an Instant: A Family's Journey of Love and Healing," a new book he co-authored with his wife, Lee.

The explosion crushed a portion of the left side of his skull and smashed his left shoulder. His other injuries included a neck wound caused by a "half-dollar sized" rock.

The details of Woodruff's battle to regain his physical strength and mental acuity are revealed in tonight's special, which also reports on Iraq War vets who have sustained grievous traumatic brain injuries, known as TBIs.

Many of them are not nearly as lucky as Woodruff, who estimates he has regained "90 percent" of his faculties in the wake of his injuries, which put him in a coma for 36 days.

"I still have difficulty remembering a lot of words," Woodruff, 45, told reporters. "I'm unable to remember a lot of names."

But, he said, he's in a far better position than he was after he awoke from his coma in March 2006. Back then, he recalled, "I couldn't name a single state in this country. I couldn't even remember, when I woke up, my two youngest daughters - not even just their names, but their existence."

Back in May, Woodruff's head regained its original shape after surgeons installed a prosthetic cover on the hole where a part of his skull used to be.

Yesterday, Woodruff was asked if he would ever return to Iraq and he didn't exactly rule it out.

Instead, ABC News President David Westin did that for him. Citing Woodruff's vulnerability to re-injuring his head, Westin said flatly, "I will not send him."

http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/print.php?url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/02272007/tv/shattered_tv_adam_buckman.htm

RockyF

02-27-07, 04:51 PM

Good news on Las Vegas, considering they shuffled it to Friday last season, and then gave it a shortened season this year, I was honestly expecting them to shut LV down after this season. My wife and I enjoy it, although it's not exactly like Heroes or Lost or a few others that we have to watch right away though. In fact, we let all of last fall's episodes pile up on the DVR and watched them all in a 3 or 4 day period in mid-January, and all the episodes since then are piling up again.

fredfa

02-27-07, 04:52 PM

Critic’s Notebook
“To Iraq and Back”
On the mend, with a mission
By Matea Gold Los Angeles Times Staff Writer February 27, 2007

NEW YORK — He occasionally searches for a word and has limited vision in the right corners of his eyes. But aside from some red scars that pocket his face, there are few outward signs that 13 months ago part of Bob Woodruff's skull was blown off by a roadside bomb in Iraq.

"I feel so lucky in so many ways," the ABC correspondent said Monday, seated in an airy conference room in the network's Manhattan headquarters. "I see what my family has gone through and I realize how difficult it has been."

In "To Iraq and Back: Bob Woodruff Reports," an hourlong documentary airing at 10 tonight on ABC, Woodruff tells the story of his recovery from the explosion that seriously wounded him and cameraman Doug Vogt. It's his first time on the air since an improvised explosive device hit the Iraqi personnel carrier they were riding in north of Baghdad in January 2006, just weeks after he and colleague Elizabeth Vargas had begun their short-lived pairing as co-anchors of the evening news.

The bomb shattered Woodruff's left shoulder and pelted his body with shrapnel, including a half-dollar-sized rock that pierced his neck, barely missing a key artery. In the immediate days after the explosion, he came close to death several times. The 45-year-old father of four was in a medically induced coma for 36 days.

When he woke up at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., Woodruff didn't remember his brothers' names — or even the existence of his two youngest daughters. He couldn't read or write or recall basic vocabulary. In one scene in the documentary, his three daughters huddle next to him on his bed, coaching him how to say "belt buckle."

A year later, it's difficult to believe he's the same man whose skull was flattened on one side. (Doctors have since replaced the missing portion with a synthetic one.) On Monday, he easily rattled off statistics about the number of Americans who suffer from traumatic brain injuries and showed flashes of his impish humor, asking one reporter if he wanted to touch his fake skull.

Woodruff's recovery has amazed doctors, some of whom doubted whether he would be able to speak again. But in the documentary, he does not dwell on his story. Much of the piece is devoted to the prevalence of traumatic brain injuries among U.S. troops and the limited rehabilitation care available for them when they return.

"It was very important to me that this story … be about the other ones who went through this same kind of thing," he said. "So many I've met have been in so much worst situations. They need a lot more help."

For the piece, Woodruff obtained Department of Defense data indicating that at least 10% of the 1.5 million soldiers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan could have an undiagnosed brain injury. Veterans Affairs has limited rehabilitation programs available for servicemen with such injuries.

When asked Monday if he believes the government is falling short in helping veterans, Woodruff offered a blunt assessment: "Yes."

Tom Yellin, executive producer of the documentary, said he was struck by the reportorial approach Woodruff took. "Bob's soul is of a journalist," Yellin said. "His interest from the beginning was following the story with others and looking into the care that soldiers were getting, and he wasn't dwelling on his own circumstances."

One issue that producers immediately investigated: whether Woodruff, a high-profile television anchor, got better treatment from the military than the troops. "We checked pretty carefully and that's not the case," Yellin said. "The care he got from the moment the IED went off until he was released from Bethesda is standard operating procedure for the military."

Woodruff has just a few memories from the day of the explosion. He remembers riding in the hatch of the Iraqi army vehicle right before the bomb went off, but he doesn't recall the attack. "I do remember immediately at that moment that I saw my body floating below me and kind of a whiteness," he said.

The force of the explosion threw him back into the tank. Woodruff's producer, Vinnie Malhotra, saw a gaping wound in his neck and put his hand over it. The newsman's only words: "Am I alive?" One of his first questions when he woke up was about Vogt's condition. (The cameraman's injuries were less severe and he has largely recuperated.)

"One of the other parts of guilt that I felt was what happened to others there with me," Woodruff said. "Somewhere down at the bottom of me, I blame myself for being where we were." He said he does not regret going to Iraq, his seventh trip there since 2002. "But this time around, that it caused so much trouble for my family, is hard," he said. "You think through your head, 'God, if I had done this a little differently, what if I had done a story in India instead of in Iraq, maybe I would be in a better position.' But you know I could walk out of this building today and get hit by a truck. Who knows what's going to happen?"

Woodruff and his wife, Lee, wrote a book, being released today, about his recuperation. He continues rehabilitation once a week and is working on other pieces about returning soldiers that will air in the coming weeks.

"Will I get back 100%? Probably unlikely," he said, adding that he would be happy if he could "hit somewhere in the 90s."

He wants to return to reporting overseas, although ABC News President David Westin has said he won't send Woodruff back to Iraq because his head injury makes him more vulnerable in another attack. As for going back to the anchor desk, "It's a possibility," Woodruff said. "One thing just I can't even believe I'm able to do right now is return to reporting," he said. "That to me is plenty."

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-woodruff27feb27,0,4307031,print.story?coll=cl-tvent

fredfa

02-27-07, 04:55 PM

Critic’s Notebook
“To Iraq and Back”
A Firsthand Report on the Wounds of War
By Howard Kurtz Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, February 27, 2007

NEW YORK, Feb. 26 -- At the moment of impact, when the roadside bomb sent shrapnel and rocks hurtling into his face, Bob Woodruff says, "I saw my body floating below me, kind of a whiteness."

"Am I alive?" the ABC anchor asked the crew accompanying him in the Iraqi tank 13 months ago.

He was, but just barely.

When Woodruff awoke from a 36-day coma, he couldn't remember his brothers' names, couldn't even remember that he had twin 6-year-old daughters. The top of the right side of his head was missing, after surgeons were forced to remove part of his skull.

By contrast, the man who met reporters here Monday was upbeat, lucid and funny, if still unable to fully comprehend what happened. "In so many ways it's a miracle," Woodruff said.

He was, like any journalist, determined to tell his story. But in an hour-long special that airs Tuesday night at 10, Woodruff does more than that. He visits with Iraq veterans who also suffered traumatic brain injuries, documents their painfully slow progress and accuses the Pentagon of withholding information about how widespread these debilitating wounds have become.

Woodruff's reporting packs an emotional punch because he is, quite simply, a man who cheated death. Never before had an anchor for an American broadcast network been injured in war. Woodruff instantly became a symbol of the dangers that journalists face in Iraq, and is trying to use his higher profile to illuminate the plight of soldiers who struggle with these injuries far from the spotlight.

When he talks to these men, when he calls them "brother," when he hugs their loved ones, the bond is unmistakable.

Woodruff, 45, is launching a multimedia campaign that includes appearances Tuesday with Oprah Winfrey and on "Good Morning America," and the release of a book ("In an Instant") written with his wife, Lee, about their ordeal.

Lee Woodruff is the emotional heart of the television special as she recalls, in a narrative punctuated by home video, talking to doctors about her husband's condition. "I remember asking if he was going to be blind or deaf, and they didn't know," she says.

Each day, she says, she tried to "calibrate how much hope I was going to have that day." Before Bob came out of the coma, she worried that he would not recognize her. "Will he still love me?" Lee recalls asking a doctor.

After a screening of the program Monday, Bob Woodruff said: "Every time I see my wife crying, it kills me a little bit."

In January 2006, Woodruff, a lawyer who had switched to journalism in hopes of becoming a foreign correspondent, had just begun as co-anchor, with Elizabeth Vargas, of ABC's "World News." The plan was for them to alternate on the road.

"Bob was on top of the world," Jon Banner, executive producer of "World News," says on the program. "He was riding this wave."

When Woodruff arrived in Baghdad for his seventh visit since 2002, he and three crew members embedded themselves with an Iraqi unit to examine whether the country's soldiers were ready to assume more of the burden from the U.S. military.

Woodruff was taping part of his report Jan. 29, standing in the turret of a tank, when an improvised explosive device, or IED, went off. He and cameraman Doug Vogt, who was less seriously injured, were airlifted to a field hospital in Balad. Woodruff was in surgery 37 minutes after the explosion.

A CT scan of Woodruff's skull taken two days later showed rocks and debris lodged in his face and neck. One half-dollar-size rock narrowly missed severing a key artery. The explosion damaged the part of the brain that controls speech.

Woodruff continued his recuperation at Bethesda Naval Medical Center. In the documentary, he begins to cry when he returns to the hospital months later to thank the staff, and his wife shows him the bed where he was confined.

Woodruff is seen with his four children, struggling in the early months of his recovery to relearn everyday words. Looking at flash cards, he cannot remember what a hammer is called until prompted with the letter H. He struggles, with the children's help, to pronounce "belt buckle." At first he could not lift his left arm.

When physicians gave Lee a pessimistic prognosis, she recalled saying: "You don't know my Bob. He's a fighter."

His progress, which stunned his doctors, contrasts sharply with that of the other brain-damaged veterans who struggle to speak when Woodruff interviews them and their families. Some of that footage is hard to watch.

The ABC program says the veterans receive good care at the Veterans Administration's regional medical centers but that local VA hospitals are often ill-prepared to deal with traumatic brain injuries. The patients have, in the bureaucratic language of an inspector general's report, "sub-optimal access to care." One young man, who had been making progress at a larger VA facility, is seen losing some speech and motor skills as a paperwork snafu blocks his admission to a hospital back home.

VA Secretary Jim Nicholson tells Woodruff that his agency is devoting considerable resources to brain-injured patients. But the program charges that military officials are withholding information on the extent of such injuries among Iraq veterans, and that many soldiers also suffer from "invisible" brain injuries that go undiagnosed for long periods. A veterans' advocate accuses the Pentagon of issuing "gag orders" on discussing traumatic brain injuries, and Woodruff reports that the department declined to release some information for "operational security reasons."

Woodruff, for his part, still fumbles occasionally for the right word. At Monday's press briefing, he said he had "news" when he meant "knowledge," then stopped and corrected himself.

Woodruff said he did not regret having gone to Iraq, but that he would "have to be an idiot" not to think about what he could have done differently.

Asked if he would return to Baghdad, Woodruff refused to rule it out, but ABC News President David Westin did it for him. Given Woodruff's brain injury, Westin said, "it would be the height of recklessness. . . . It would be insane." Westin praised Woodruff's "resilience and strength of character."

Woodruff's facial scars are no longer visible; doctors glued a synthetic piece of skull where the missing piece had been. He plays tennis, swims and skis -- limited by blindness in the upper-right corner of both eyes -- but his wife has barred him from basketball and soccer.

While he may try to return to anchoring one day, Woodruff said, "I love reporting, and that is plenty for me." He plans to keep focusing on the problems of veterans.

"Will I get back to 100 percent? Probably not," Woodruff said. "But if I get in the 90s, that's pretty good."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/26/AR2007022601478_pf.html

fredfa

02-27-07, 04:56 PM

Critic’s Notebook
“To Iraq and Back”
An amazing recovery story that almost wasn't
Verne Gay Newsday February 27, 2007

Under the circumstances, these questions are neither crass nor unreasonable: How does he look? Or sound? Or act? Is his gait unsteady? His speech slurred? How does Bob Woodruff seem?

Thirteen months after the "World News Tonight" anchor was nearly killed in a bomb blast in Iraq that left the side of his skull shattered, the answers are almost inconceivable: He seems fine. His voice is clear and strong, his memory mostly intact, his gait perfectly normal. The left side of his head still bears scars from multiple brain operations, but they are barely noticeable.

In a wide-ranging interview with reporters yesterday at ABC News headquarters as well as during the opening moments of "To Iraq and Back: Bob Woodruff Reports" (tonight on ABC at 10 ET/PT), Woodruff calls himself "very, very lucky."

The observation is redundant.

It is also probably redundant to observe that there has never been a news conference quite like yesterday's nor a documentary quite like tonight's. Woodruff had been co-anchor and Peter Jennings' replacement for less than a month when the Iraqi convoy he was riding with came under attack in Taji. Woodruff fell back into the armored vehicle he was riding in, "convulsing" and "vomiting blood," according to a colleague with him. Of the attack, Woodruff recalls nothing, but he does "remember immediately at that moment that I saw my body floating below me." A half-hour later surgeons removed 14 centimeters of his skull (a prosthesis was inserted four months later).

"I still have difficulty remembering a lot of words, remembering names," he says. When he awoke from a coma, he says "I couldn't name a single state in this country, couldn't name my brothers, couldn't remember my two youngest daughters - not only their names but their existence.

"Will I get back a hundred percent? Probably not, but maybe if I get back somewhere in the 90s, it'll be pretty damned good."

Yes, he'd like to get back to anchoring someday, and no, he will not return to Iraq. He wants to continue reporting.

"When I first had long conversations with my family, there were long moments of tears, crying, and when I met so many others who were injured [in Iraq], I had tears about that as well."

"To Iraq and Back" is about Woodruff's recovery but also about a few of the 1,835 soldiers and Marines also suffering from traumatic brain injuries. Of his own injury, Woodruff said yesterday "something will come out of this, for the more people know about it, the more people will want to help" the soldiers.

http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/ny-etoff275110430feb27,0,5976646,print.column

fredfa

02-27-07, 04:58 PM

Critic’s Notebook
“To Iraq and Back”
One Man’s Survival Story Becomes a Rallying Cry
By Alessandra Stanley The New York Times February 27, 2007

It was many weeks before ABC’s Bob Woodruff realized how lucky he was to survive a roadside bomb explosion in Iraq in January 2006. It took months for him to understand how lucky he was to recover as fully as he did.

Few do. And that is one of the more sobering lessons of “To Iraq and Back,” Mr. Woodruff’s account of his ordeal on ABC tonight. Many veterans with similar traumatic brain injuries may never fully regain their ability to speak, walk or pick up a glass of water.

“I’ve seen probably less than five that have actually been able to walk back into the I.C.U. and thank us for what we did,” Alison Bischoff, one of the nurses who treated Mr. Woodruff at the Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland, says in this documentary. “So, to me, he’s a miracle.”

Mr. Woodruff, who makes a point of saying he was privileged to receive the “best civilian and military care in the world,” wants viewers to know that veterans with traumatic brain injuries who rely solely on Veterans Affairs medical centers do not always receive the same quality of care.

“To Iraq and Back” is remarkably compelling, mostly because the documentary, while moving, is not just a heart-wrenching portrait of one man’s courageous struggle. Mr. Woodruff and his wife, Lee, have published a book about their experience, “In an Instant: A Family’s Journey of Love and Healing,” and will soon be telling their inspiring tale to Diane Sawyer, Oprah Winfrey and others.

On this ABC News special, Mr. Woodruff tells his story with candor and restraint, then turns the focus to the men and women who return badly wounded from Iraq and Afghanistan and do not heal as thoroughly.

Mr. Woodruff was named co-anchor of “World News Tonight” less than a month before he went to Iraq. His injury was a huge story and a milestone in the public’s perception of the war; it was already all too obvious that soldiers, American and Iraqi, were wounded and killed by roadside bombs and ambushes every day. But the explosion that injured Mr. Woodruff and, to a lesser extent, Doug Vogt, a cameraman, dramatically brought home how vulnerable all Americans, even visiting anchors, are over there.

Like celebrities who battle cancer, H.I.V. or Parkinson’s disease, Mr. Woodruff decided to put his fame and experience to public use. And like so many people fueled by a sense of mission, he seeks government accountability.

The film notes that the Department of Defense puts the number of men and women wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan at about 23,000, while the Department of Veterans Affairs has recorded treating more than 200,000 veterans of those two wars. Paul Sullivan, the director of programs at the advocacy group Veterans for America, says, “What you have are two sets of books.”

Mr. Woodruff politely asks the secretary of veterans affairs, R. James Nicholson, to explain the discrepancy. Citing department reports that list 73,000 mental disorders, 61,000 diseases of the nervous system and others, Mr. Woodruff says, “These are huge numbers beyond the 23,000.”

Mr. Nicholson, a Vietnam veteran and a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, replies, “A lot of them come in for, for dental problems.”

Mr. Woodruff illustrates quite graphically that some veterans are sent home to recuperate in smaller cities that do not have veterans’ hospitals equipped to handle the growing number of those returning with severe traumatic injuries. He interviews a young soldier who is slowly but steadily recovering at a state-of-the-art veterans’ polytrauma rehabilitation center in Tampa, Fla., then checks in on him weeks later in his hometown in Texas, where he has noticeably regressed.

Mr. Woodruff’s own recovery took time, hard work and the best medical care Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City could provide.

The earliest images of Mr. Woodruff on a hospital bed, filmed with a home video camera by family members, are alarming: he lies in the intensive care unit at Bethesda with the left side of his skull bashed in like a dented car. Even after the doctors send him home in a helmet, Mr. Woodruff has trouble identifying a pair of scissors or recalling the word Iraq. He says he still has trouble retrieving words and remembering names. He has almost no memory of the explosion itself.

On even the most serious network news programs, a correspondent’s conversations with wounded veterans or disaster victims are almost always hard to watch; the interviewer’s cloying displays of compassion grate. Mr. Woodruff speaks to wounded soldiers not as a visiting celebrity but as a peer and, perhaps most important, one whose mere appearance lends hope.

When asked by Mr. Woodruff how he is doing, Sgt. William Glass, a 23-year-old from Eugene, Ore., who suffered a traumatic brain injury during his second deployment in Iraq, replies, “Pretty well.” Actually, he looks terrible: his face is as swollen and his head as squashed as Mr. Woodruff’s were a year earlier.

Mr. Woodruff asks the soldier if he remembers what happened to him in Iraq, but Sergeant Glass is staring at Mr. Woodruff’s smooth cheek and unscarred brow. “You look great,” he says wonderingly.

It’s impossible not to hope that Sergeant Glass will also be as lucky. “To Iraq and Back” makes it clear that the odds are against him — and that the government should do more to improve them.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/27/arts/television/27watc.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print

fredfa

02-27-07, 05:00 PM

fredfa

02-27-07, 05:37 PM

The Business of Television
Reverse Comp? Moonves doesn’t say no
By Harry A. Jessell TV NewsDay Feb. 27, 2007

Perhaps TV stations should get not too excited about finally extracting retransmission consent fees from cable operators. They might have to hand it over to their networks.

CBS CEO Les Moonves raised the possibility of reverse compensation, for CBS affiliates at least, by declining to rule it out during a conference call with securities analysts this morning after the release of CBS’s 2006 fourth quarter and full year earnings.

Asked about reverse compensation, Moonves said the network’s relationship with its affiliates “continues to evolve.”

“They like the idea of getting paid for retrans as do we,” Moonves said. “It’s an ongoing dialog in terms of the content that we supply them as well as our relationship with them.”

Moonves also reminded the analysts of the network compensation CBS used to pay the affiliates. “When I first got here, we were paying out hundreds of millions of dollars, which is virtually down to zero right now.”

The analysts did not ask Moonves to clarify or elaborate on his remarks. Reporters are not allowed to ask questions on the calls.

Moonves did not provide any details on the retrans deals CBS announced last week with nine MSO’s covering more than one million households, but strongly implied that CBS had gotten the cash payments it was seeking.

“We are extremely pleased by the nine MSOs that have jumped on board,” Moonves said. “More and more of these smaller operators and some of the not-so-small operators are coming around.”

Moonves admonished CFO Fred Reynolds, also on the conference call, not to reveal “what we are getting per sub.”

Moonves said that CBS’s major retrans contracts with Comcast, Time Warner and others don’t expire for a few years, but that they could be renewed earlier—with a cash element, of course.

“MSOs are already paying for [broadcast] networks,” Moonves said. “You can disguise it under other things. If you are paying $3 for ESPN, you’re really paying $2.50 for ESPN and 50 cents for ABC.”

“We see more and more of the MSOs getting on board,” he said. “Have you noticed that these nine MSO deals were done without a whole lot of noise? There weren’t big newspaper ads. There weren’t big fights. There wasn’t anything pulled off the air. So, the MSOs are realizing that it’s better to get along than to fight. Yes, the big ones are up in ’09 and ’10, but you’ll see us doing a number of deals before then.”

Moonves and CFO Fred Reynolds said the company decided to sell nine small-market TV stations to Liberty Media and Cerberus Capital because they were not as profitable as the major market stations and were pulling down the corporate margins.

Moonves and Reynolds were also enticed by the prices—15 times after-tax cash flow. Even when you factor in potential retrans revenue, Moonves said, “the economics still make much, much better sense to do a sale.”

According to Moonves, there is “little chance” that CBS would part with any of its major market stations in the light of the coming retrans windfall.

http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2007/02/27/daily.6/

fredfa

02-27-07, 06:08 PM

Critic’s Notebook
Kyle Chandler on his suprising return to “Grey's Anatomy”
From Maureen Ryan’s Chicago Tribune blog “The Watcher” February 27, 2007

Kyle Chandler sure knows how to make an entrance.

On the Feb. 15 episode of “Grey’s Anatomy,” Meredith Grey woke up in the what appeared to be the afterlife. She immediately spotted two of Seattle Grace Hospital’s most famous former patients: Izzie’s dead fiancé Denny (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Dylan (Kyle Chandler), a bomb-squad guy who a year ago exploded into “pink mist."

An hour or two before the highly rated Feb. 22 episode of “Grey’s” finished off the surprising Denny-Dylan story line, a helmeted figure roared up to the set of “Friday Night Lights” on a motorcycle.

Tucked into the biker’s black leather jacket was an adorable white-and-tan terrier. Even before the motorcycle guy took off his helmet, he had already scored major coolness points.

It was Chandler, arriving for a night shoot outside Austin, Texas, for the NBC show, on which he stars as Coach Eric Taylor.

Taylor and “Friday Night Lights” may be the darling of the TV press at the moment -- as I’ve said in this space, “FNL” is my favorite network drama. But Chandler said in an interview the next day that despite his great love for “Friday Night Lights” (“It’s the best experience of my life by far in television,” the actor said), Dylan is still is the character that garners him the most recognition.

“That show’s got so many viewers -- it was interesting, even after the first episode [on Feb. 15], where I just said, `Hey’ at the very end of it, I had more people coming up to me, going `You’re back, you’re back!,’ Chandler said. Or, according to the actor, they’d just say, as Dylan did, “Hey.”

Before that episode aired, news had leaked that Denny would be back on “Grey’s” in some capacity, but Chandler’s appearance on the show took viewers by surprise - you could almost hear a collective gasp when he reappeared on the hit medical drama.

As for where those Meredith-Denny-Dylan scenes took place, well, maybe “afterlife” isn’t the right word. “This … wasn’t a typical Grey’s,” Marti Noxon, who co-wrote the Feb. 22 episode, said on the GreysWriters.com blog. “Half of it takes place… where? In Meredith’s head? In heaven? We decided, for obvious reasons, not to get too specific.”

In a world of constant online spoilers (which even I can't resist sharing sometimes), it was cool that nobody saw Dylan’s appearance coming. Chandler said at first, even his own “FNL” crew members didn’t believe he’d been on “Grey’s” again.

“A lot of people here are ticked off” that they didn’t know in advance, Chandler said. (Though given the general laid-back nature of the show’s Austin crew, “ticked off” probably meant “gave him some gentle ribbing while eating Skittles.”)

One crew member said, “Why didn’t you tell me, I got into an argument” with someone saying Chandler had been on “Grey’s,” Chandler said with a slightly bashful grin. “I just never said anything. I guess you don’t talk about stuff like that.”

Chandler filmed his scenes for the Feb. 15 and Feb. 22 episodes of the show over a long weekend in Los Angeles, he said.

And “Grey’s” creator Shonda Rhimes was grateful he could make it back to the show: “I was glad to see Kyle Chandler, who was gracious enough to fly out here and film on one of his very few days off from the very well-written `Friday Night Lights,’” she wrote on the “Grey’s” writers' blog.

It’s partly thanks to “Grey’s,” in a way, that Chandler got his role as Taylor on “Friday Night Lights.” He was shooting the post-Super Bowl episodes on the same lot where executive producer Peter Berg was casting “FNL,” and he met with Berg around that time. The rest is history.

“It surprised me when [Grey’s] said they wanted me back on the show,” Chandler said.

But it was certainly time well spent. Meredith’s conversations with Dylan, Denny and other former Seattle Grace patients made for reasonably compelling drama (though I could do without a Major “Grey’s’ Event until at least May sweeps).

Still, truth be told, my favorite scene, aside from the argumentative moments between Denny and Dylan, was the scene in which Dr. Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) said goodbye to Meredith’s deceased mother. He really knocked that scene out of the park, as Pickens quietly does on a regular basis.

"I am not relieved." Wow.

I’ll have much more from the set of “Friday Night Lights” in upcoming weeks. But for now, back to “Grey’s”: The show airs a repeat on Thursday, but there’s some casting news about upcoming episodes. Taye Diggs will appear in an upcoming two-hour episode of the show, and Shohreh Aghdashloo (“24,” “House of Sand and Fog”) will guest on the March 15 episode of the show. And Hector Elizondo will appear soon as Dr. Callie Torres’ dad.

One final “Grey’s” note: Fans of “Buffy” will no doubt recognize Noxon’s name from the writing credits of that late, lamented show (which is currently getting an eighth season from creator Joss Whedon - via comic books). And speaking of “Buffy,” I’ve been digging Kali Rocha, “Buffy’s” Halfrek, as Dr. Heron, a perkily competitive doctor at Seattle Grace. Don’t you sometimes half expect her to summon a Halfrek-style spell and get her way in that manner?

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

Ladd

02-27-07, 06:35 PM

And speaking of “Buffy,” I’ve been digging Kali Rocha, “Buffy’s” Halfrek, as Dr. Heron, a perkily competitive doctor at Seattle Grace. Ahhh, THAT'S why she looks familiar! :)

srw1000

02-27-07, 07:29 PM

Lowest Rated Shows By Network
Week of February 19-25

These are the lowest-rated programs, excluding repeats, by network for last week.

CW

118 SUPERNATURAL 1.72

• Source: Nielsen Media Research dataSupernatural was a rerun last week. Is that the same as a repeat, or is a repeat a rebroadcast within the same week as the original airing?

(Just trying to help a good show out.)

Scott

fredfa

02-27-07, 07:43 PM

I should have made myself a bit more clear.

I just eliminated the same-week repeats (CSIs, L&Os, Grey's, etc.). But repeats in regular time slots I do count.

srw1000

02-27-07, 07:45 PM

I should have made myself a bit more clear.

I just eliminated the same-week repeats (CSIs, L&Os, Grey's, etc.). But repeats in regular time slots I do count.OK, thanks for clearing that up.

Scott

foxeng

02-27-07, 08:35 PM

I heard Matt Damon will play a young Kirk and Ben Affleck will play a young Spock.

That's the word on the streets...

;)

That has been around the Star Trek boards for over 6 months. The thought is now that is a rouse to keep the fans off balance.

CPanther95

02-27-07, 08:46 PM

Ben Affleck doesn't have the range necessary to portray Spock. Maybe a Tribble.

Davinleeds

02-27-07, 08:57 PM

Here's what I saw, and Matt and Ben better get serious for real acting. http://trekmovie.com/trek-xi-movie-info/ The ears won't fit.

dad1153

02-27-07, 09:31 PM

Movie Notebook
New “Star Trek” movie
By Nikki Finke LA Weekly in her deadlinehollywooddaily blog Feb. 27, 2007

Star Trek will return to the big screen under J.J. Abrams.

Abrams and Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof will produce. The film will begin shooting this fall for a Christmas Day 2008 release.

So not only has Lost lost (no pun intended) JJ's creative input for good, but also the creative input of its other co-creator. The clearest signal yet that "Lost" is not long of this world after this season (a fourth one to tie it all up at the most).

fredfa

02-27-07, 09:37 PM

Agreed, dad, which is one of the major reasons I posted the story.

fredfa

02-27-07, 10:01 PM

The Business of TV
Analysts: CBS Cable Deals Not Likely To Be Repeated
By Peter Lauria New York Post February 27, 2007

Ole! Les CBS boss Les Moonves may find Time Warner Cable and Comcast will be all he can handle in the network's next content deal.

CBS might have been able to bully nine tiny cable operators into paying the media company to carry its broadcast signal, but when it comes time to negotiate with Comcast and Time Warner, the Tiffany network may find that it is the one being shoved around.

While CBS CEO Les Moonves is likely to boast about the 50-cent per subscriber monthly fee CBS received for its broadcast signal on today's fourth-quarter and full-year 2006 conference call, a source said the news was literally a nonevent at Comcast and Time Warner.

That's because the deal CBS struck last week with nine unnamed cable operators covers a miniscule 1 million subscribers in total. By contrast, Comcast alone has 24.1 million subscribers and Time Warner Cable has 13.5 million customers.

Neither Comcast and Time Warner is scheduled to renew their respective contracts with CBS until 2009, but already both companies are maintaining the position that they won't pay CBS or any network to carry a broadcast signal.

"Clearly, Comcast and Time Warner have a lot of leverage in any negotiation," said Miller Tabak analyst David Joyce.

Part of the cable companies' leverage comes from CBS making its TV shows available through Web sites like YouTube and CBS' own Internet site, InnerTube.

"It's going to be pretty difficult to argue with a straight face that Comcast or Time Warner should pay for what anyone who has a television antenna or an Internet connection can get for free," said Sanford Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett.

The cable operators also have the advantage of being able to inflict serious damage on CBS' advertising revenue in the event of a standoff.

According to Moffett, 34 percent of CBS' advertising revenue is derived from Comcast and 13 percent from Time Warner.

That said, CBS will not exactly be in a position of weakness, either.

Comcast and Time Warner are under increasing pressure from video competitors including satellite companies EchoStar and DirecTV, telecom giants Verizon and AT&T and, yes, YouTube. With both sides able to inflict considerable pain on the other, UBS analyst Aryeh Bourkoff said any discussion CBS has with the cable companies will include video-on-demand rights and carriage of CBS' College Sports Television.

Bourkoff pointed to Comcast's recent deal with Walt Disney Co. as a possible framework for CBS talks. In that deal, Comcast didn't pay a retransmission fee for Disney's ABC network but agreed to distribute its suite of cable networks including ESPN and got the rights to put Disney shows and movies on its VOD platform.

CBS, Comcast and Time Warner all declined to comment.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/02272007/business/cbs_recent_cable_deals_are_unlikely_to_be_repeated_business_ peter_lauria.htm

fredfa

02-27-07, 11:29 PM

TV Notebook
NBC reups 'Vegas'
Actors Caan, Cox leave show
By Josef Adalian Variety February 27, 2007
NBC isn't leaving "Las Vegas" any time soon -- but James Caan and Nikki Cox are.

Peacock has picked up the slots-and-sex sudser for a fifth season. But shortly after the net's announcement, word leaked out that Caan and Cox -- two original denizens of "Vegas" -- have opted not to return.

Caan, who's appeared in 76 features and snagged an Oscar nom, said he wanted to get back to films.

"I've had a wonderful four years, worked with great people and made friends for life working on 'Las Vegas,'" he said. "But I'm eager to return to where my heart is, which is film, and due to the show's schedule, I've missed some great opportunities to do that."

Season-to-date, "Las Vegas" is averaging a 2.8/8 in adults 18-49 and about 9 million viewers. Nonetheless, skein regularly wins its 9 p.m. timeslot opposite weak competish.

Because NBC has an ownership stake in "Las Vegas," company has an incentive to ensure that the skein amasses the 100 episodes usually preferred for syndication. Only 17 episodes are being produced this season; the Peacock didn't say how may it will produce next season.

http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=print_story&articleid=VR1117960256&categoryid=14

fredfa

02-27-07, 11:34 PM

TV Notebook
NBC adds spice with Beckham
By Kimberly Nordyke The Hollywood Reporter Feb 28, 2007

NBC is in negotiations with Victoria Beckham for a reality show that would star the former Spice Girl, sources said.

The Beckham project was first reported by a British newspaper, which valued the deal with the former pop singer, aka Posh Spice, at £10 million ($19.6 million).

The project reportedly would follow Beckham's move to the U.S. with husband David, the international soccer star who made headlines last month when he announced that he had signed a five-year deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy. David Beckham, who has played with Real Madrid in Spain for the past 3 1/2 years, is expected to join the Galaxy in the summer after he and his wife, along with their three kids, move to Los Angeles.

Simon Fuller, who managed the Spice Girls and now reps the Beckhams, told the British paper that there was a lot of interest from U.S. networks about the reality project, which he said will show Victoria Beckham's sense of humor.

NBC declined comment on the news.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i493706f428d24608b03b66bc5bc3f42f

GeorgeLV

02-27-07, 11:48 PM

I think Michael, the CW is what you get when a lot of big corporations need programming for their stations, yet there is no crying need from the public for that programming.

Given the quality of shows already available on the Big Four (not to mention cable) it is very difficult to figure out any reasonable rationale for the CW -- aside from the fact that there are a couple of hundred stations with nothing to show six nights a week from 8-10 PM ET/PT.

I disagree. Given the quality of shows already available on the Big Four is exactly why we need a fifth network. There are only so many crime procedurals, medical dramas, and reality shows I care to watch. There needs to be a place for shows like Buffy/Angel, Gilmore Girls, Smallville, and Veronica Mars. (And even ill-conceive Star Trek spin-offs.)

fredfa

02-28-07, 12:01 AM

TV Notebook
ABC, Kimmel extend deal
Latenight host inks through 2010
By Michael Learmonth Variety

ABC has inked a deal with Jimmy Kimmel that will keep the comic as its latenight host through 2010, according to sources close to the talks.

Pact keeps Kimmel at the Alphabet one year past NBC's scheduled hand-off from Jay Leno to Conan O'Brien in 2009, positioning ABC to capitalize on the upheaval when Leno retires. Alphabet reps declined comment.

CBS followed a similar strategy when it reupped with David Letterman in a deal that ends in 2010.

Some have speculated that Leno, as the ratings leader, would switch networks, or that NBC would pull out of the deal, triggering a payout to O'Brien.

According to insiders, the deal includes neither a guarantee that Kimmel will eventually get the coveted 11:35 p.m. slot nor a provision for primetime specials.

Pact comes a week after "Jimmy Kimmel Live" attracted its largest aud ever -- 2.04 million viewers. Season to date, "Kimmel" is up 12% vs. last year in total viewers and up 17% in adults 18-49 -- making it the only latenight talker to post gains in that demo.

"Jimmy Kimmel Live" debuted on Jan. 26, 2003. Kimmel and Jill Leiderman exec produce.

http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=print_story&articleid=VR1117960250&categoryid=14

fredfa

02-28-07, 12:57 AM

Washington Notebook
Dingell Blasts Delays to Digital Transition
Could Digital Deadline be Postponed?
By Ira Teinowitz Television Week

Increasingly unhappy with the pace of the transition to digital, and promising that if it isn't righted soon "a scapegoat will be found" and "people will be voted off the island," Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., hinted the scheduled Feb. 17, 2009, switchover date may need delaying.

Dingell, the House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman, on Tuesday addressed the National Association of Broadcasters' state leadership conference. He said he's concerned that with 10 months to go before consumers start requesting $40-off coupons for converters that let their analog TVs see digital signals, the Federal Communications Commission has yet to set standards for those converter boxes; the National Telecommunications and Information Administration has yet to provide firm guidelines for allocating coupons; and broadcasters have not fully launched their transition information campaign.

"The average American will be annoyed to buy a $50 converter to keep a $100 television working," he said.

He called informing viewers about the conversion "no small task" and said the progress so far is "regrettably not sufficient to avoid raising Americans' ire."

During the speech, Dingell also accused the Bush administration of a "limited appreciation" of the complexity and sensitivity of the transition."

A delay in the date of the digital switchover would have major effects, potentially costing the government millions of dollars-some of the bandwidth offered by analog channels has already been sold in auctions-to say nothing of the impact on cable providers and broadcasters.

Rep. Dingell told reporters after the speech that he hasn't made a firm decision on pushing back the date, but he's growing increasingly restless about the transition's handling.

"I think we are going to have to see," he said. "I think we are going to have to fix a date that makes sense and [reflects]l that the other things that have to take place in order to make that date work are being done."

Rep. Dingell also questioned in his speech whether the FCC had done enough to outline the public-interest obligations of broadcasters on new multicasting channels. He said the committee would be closely watching the outcome of broadcasters' negotiations with cable providers for retransmission rights.

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=11618

fredfa

02-28-07, 01:02 AM

I disagree. Given the quality of shows already available on the Big Four is exactly why we need a fifth network. There are only so many crime procedurals, medical dramas, and reality shows I care to watch. There needs to be a place for shows like Buffy/Angel, Gilmore Girls, Smallville, and Veronica Mars. (And even ill-conceive Star Trek spin-offs.)

George, disagreements are welcome here.

But I would simply respond by saying there already are places for alternative shows: TNT, FX, USA and other cable networks exist as a platform for "different" shows.

(And if the CW were a cable network -- assuming, of course, it could get the same viewership numbers -- it would be a major, major cable player. As it is, the CW is, at best, an afterthought, with much of its programming regularly finishing behind Univision shows. And in perhaps the the ultimate indignity, this week a Televisa show finished ahead of one of the CW's efforts.)

Ouch.

rebkell

02-28-07, 01:09 AM

I disagree. Given the quality of shows already available on the Big Four is exactly why we need a fifth network. There are only so many crime procedurals, medical dramas, and reality shows I care to watch. There needs to be a place for shows like Buffy/Angel, Gilmore Girls, Smallville, and Veronica Mars. (And even ill-conceive Star Trek spin-offs.)

I never understood the abrupt(at least to me) ending of Angel. It was in my mind the best show on WB when it got canceled. It was left on a cliff hanger, I thought there was talk about some two hour shows to wrap it up the next season, but that never came to pass.

At one time, I watched the WB more than all the other major nets combined. I didn't even have a local UPN affiliate, I did have it on satellite though, thank goodness, I had to have some way to watch Buffy when she moved from the WB to UPN.

TheRock

02-28-07, 01:45 AM

It will be interesting to see if Kimmel goes HD by 2010. They sure don't seem to be in any hurry. :rolleyes:

dad1153

02-28-07, 01:52 AM

And in perhaps the the ultimate indignity, this week a Televisa show finished ahead of one of the CW's efforts.)

Fred, Televisa is a Mexican TV network. Would that be Telemundo or Telefutura you're talking about? Check your numbers for the specific program that beat the CW show and get back to me. Later! :)

fredfa

02-28-07, 01:52 AM

I'd be very, very surpirsed if he isn't in HD a lot sooner than that.

fredfa

02-28-07, 02:46 AM

Nielsen Notebook
Oscar glitters; 'The OC' goes
By Gary Levin USA TODAY

•Oscar glow. The 79th annual Academy Awards drew 40.2 million viewers Sunday, improving over last year by 1.3 million, but hitting its third-lowest total in 10 years. The Oscarcast is the most-watched entertainment program this season. ABC's half-hour Oscar pre-show drew 27.1 million.

•More hoopla. Barbara Walters' traditional celebrity-interview special, back on Sunday, claimed 14.5 million, its best in five years. And Oprah Winfrey's Oscar special Thursday drew 15.4 million.

•Idol dip. American Idol took its first year-to-year dip as the initial semifinal performance episodes averaged 30 million viewers Tuesday and Wednesday, down by 1 million from the comparable episodes last season. The first of three Thursday results shows averaged 24.4 million.

•Crushing the competition. Idol continues to steamroller rivals: Jericho returned Wednesday after a three-month rest and hit a series low of 8.3 million, while Friday Night Lights (5.2 million) set its own record low in the same hour.

•Grey's grows. The capper of a three-parter on Meredith's ferry-rescue injury drew 27.4 million fans to Grey's Anatomy Thursday, up 1.6 million from last week and its biggest audience apart from last year's post-Super Bowl episode.

•OC is done. The series finale of Fox's The OC drew 6.6 million viewers Thursday following Idol, the series' best numbers since last March but little more than half its 12.7 million peak set in 2004.

•Muy buen. o Univision's annual Premio lo Nuestro music awards Thursday averaged a record 6.3 million viewers, and, the network says, drew more Hispanics than five major awards shows combined.

•News wars. ABC World News (9.4 million) won its second week since July, beating NBC (9.1 million) and CBS (6.9 million).

•Sweeps results. CBS will wrest the February sweeps crown from 2006 winner NBC, which was buoyed by the Winter Olympics. Idol-fueled Fox is expected to eke out a win among ages 18 to 49 over CBS, despite that network's huge Super Bowl boost.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2007-02-27-nielsens-analysis_x.htm

SirJW

02-28-07, 03:09 AM

Costco Ends Liberal Return Policy

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-costco28feb28,0,7973536.story?track=mostviewed-sectionfront

Not programing news but it is about televisions. I'm sure word will spread fast to the other forums.

foxeng

02-28-07, 07:48 AM

DoubleDAZ

02-28-07, 09:07 AM

George, disagreements are welcome here.

But I would simply respond by saying there already are places for alternative shows: TNT, FX, USA and other cable networks exist as a platform for "different" shows.I don't disagree, but I think the comment was mostly about an OTA network. There are still a lot of OTA-only viewers out there and something like The CW at least attempts to fill a void with some "fluff" programming. Heck, I still miss Dawson's Creek and will surely be disappointed if Smallville bites the dust like I think VM might. ;)

CPanther95

02-28-07, 09:20 AM

Costco Ends Liberal Return Policy

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-costco28feb28,0,7973536.story?track=mostviewed-sectionfront

.........................Others were annoyed. Glendale resident Ofelia Ayvazyan said Tuesday that Costco staff made her wait more than 20 minutes before letting her return a 42-inch flat-screen television she bought three years ago.

She said she would shop for electronics elsewhere from now on — after she spent the store credit worth $2,932.72............

So because she had to wait 20 minutes to get her $3k refund on a three year old plasma - she's going to take her business elsewhere. :rolleyes:

It's no wonder businesses spend less and less resources to promote customer loyalty. It just isn't worth it.

fredfa

02-28-07, 10:14 AM

And the reality is that Costco still doubles the manufacturers warranty.

If so many people hadn't been greedy and so obviously misused the system, it would still be offered -- as it is for everything but computers and electronics.

Thanks for the post, SirJW.

fredfa

02-28-07, 10:20 AM

I didn’t post this yesterday because I thought everyone was burned out on Academy Award stofries. But on reflction, that was a mistake -- at least in regards to this item.
It tells you something about Nielsen and the TV ratings which you might not realize: the networks can (and often do) easily manipulate how the numbers are counted, and announced. So here – a day late – is Lisa de Moraes from Tuesday morning.
The TV Column
39.9 Mil, but Who's Counting?
By Lisa de Moraes Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, February 27, 2007; C01

An average of 39.9 million viewers watched ABC's broadcast of the Academy Awards Sunday night, the network said yesterday.

Only the thing is, the trophy show ran well into Monday morning.

About 22 minutes into Monday morning, in fact. And that included most of the big glam categories: Best Actor, Best Director and Best Picture.

Only ABC suits know how many people watched that part of the show, and they're not talking. Ditto Nielsen. Because the last national ad break in the Academy Awards telecast aired at 11:59 p.m., the network can instruct Nielsen to stop counting there for the record books.

And it did.

In the real world, after midnight, film history was made when Martin Scorsese finally snagged a Best Director Oscar, Forest Whitaker gave a killer speech when he was named Best Actor, and "The Departed" was crowned the year's Best Picture.

Just not in Nielsen's world, or ABC's world, where the broadcast stopped at 11:59 p.m. because when the show runs past midnight, ABC knows, viewers give up and turn in for the night, even if they suspect film history is about to be made and Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton are about to take the stage.

So, in the real world, the show certainly averaged fewer than 39.9 million people. But not enough to put it in any danger of being eclipsed by the second-most-watched entertainment broadcast of this season to date, the "American Idol" season debut on Jan. 16, which clocked 37.4 million viewers.

The "Idol" debut, however, did eclipse the Oscar-cast among younger viewers, even when you whack off the bits of the trophy show that ran in the wee hours of Monday morning.

According to Nielsen and ABC, Sunday's ceremony show averaged about 1 million more viewers than last year's Academy Awards program.

And while you and I might think the show seemed interminable, in ABC and Nielsen's accounting, it came in only about a minute longer than last year's, at 3 hours 29 minutes.

Its real running length was closer to four hours, which makes it one of the longer Academy Awards shows, but not the longest.

In Nielsen's reality, the longest Oscar-cast was 2002's, which ran from 8:30 p.m. to 12:34 a.m. Coincidentally, that year, like this, the trophy show was produced by Laura Ziskin, leading to a certain amount of discussion yesterday as to what the heck ABC and the motion picture academy were thinking when they brought her back.

But 2002 may not in fact be the longest Oscar-cast ever, as some have suggested. If that show ended at 12:34 a.m. it would be shorter than the 2000 broadcast, which Nielsen lists as running from 8:30 p.m. to 12:18 a.m. but which, in real life, ran until 12:41 a.m.

Besides, by ABC and Nielsen's reckoning, the audience for this year's show was up compared with last year, and among 18-to-34-year-olds it was the highest rated in five years -- since Ziskin's 2002 telecast.

Which means ABC is probably pleased with the show.

And with Ziskin.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/26/AR2007022601690_pf.html

fredfa

02-28-07, 10:55 AM

Weekly Nielsen Notebook
The five TV shows most hurt by 'Idol'
They range from 'Veronica Mars' to 'Survivor'
By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Feb 28, 2007

Each winter when Fox's "American Idol" returns to the schedule, a whole slew of competing shows take hits in the ratings, and in latter February the hurt worsened when Fox doubled up "Idol" on Tuesday and Wednesdays and adds a third Thursday show.

A few programs seem immune to "Idol's" wrath. One is CBS’s “NCIS,” which targets older viewers, and there's Univision’s “La Fea Mas Bella,” which targets Hispanics.

But the majority are left hurting, and that hurt deepened last week, the week ended Feb. 25, the first with doubled up Tuesday and Wednesday shows and a Thursday "Idol" edition at 8 p.m. NBC's “The Office” and “My Name is Earl” both took slight hits--down 8 and 5 percent from the previous week--and ABC wisely chose to air a “Grey’s Anatomy” repeat in the timeslot.

Here’s a look at the five shows most hurt by “Idol” and their chances of recovering. There seems to be no common thread among them. Some are strong shows, while others were already hurting.

ABC’s “Knights of Prosperity (Wednesday 8:30 p.m.)

Last week’s episode nearly matched a series low, averaging a 1.6 in adults 18-49. ABC already moved the sitcom from 9 to 8:30 last month to get it out of the way of “Idol,” which usually airs at 9.

Considering that “Knights” also lost 27 percent from its “George Lopez” lead-in, it’s just awaiting the axe.

NBC’s “Deal or No Deal” (Wednesday 9 p.m.)

The network’s popular game show has held up against tough competition before, such as ABC’s “Grey’s” and CBS’s “CSI” on Thursdays, but last week it hit a series-low 2.1 airing opposite “Idol.”

Its Monday edition remains strong, so it’s no surprise NBC is moving “Deal” from Wednesday to Sunday next week and replacing it with “Crossing Jordan.”

CBS’s “Jericho” (Wednesday 8 p.m.)

Last fall’s pleasant surprise proved quite vulnerable to “Idol” in its winter return after a three-month hiatus, averaging a series-low 2.3. That’s a full point behind its season average.

CBS will have patience with it because “Idol” usually airs in a later timeslot. But if the low ratings continue, “Jericho” may move, possibly to Tuesdays at 10 p.m. where the network currently airs reruns.

CW’s “Veronica Mars” (Tuesday 9 p.m.)

“Veronica’s” future was already looking dim before last week’s dismal 2.3 million total viewers and retention of barely 50 percent out of lead-in “Gilmore Girls” among the network’s target 18-34s.

Now things look worse.

CBS’s “Survivor” (Thursday 8 p.m.)

Opposite a rare Thursday “Idol,” “Survivor” dipped to one of its lowest ratings ever, a 4.6, and fell 19 percent from its previous season average of 5.7.

Once “Idol” retracts back to Tuesdays and Wednesdays, “Survivor” will bounce back, but it looks increasingly vulnerable.

Meanwhile, in broadcast ratings for the week ended Feb. 25:

Among adults 18-49, Fox was first with a 6.0 average rating and a 16 share, followed by ABC at 4.7/12, CBS at 3.2/8, NBC at 2.6/7, Univision at 1.8/5, CW at 1.2/3, Telemundo at 0.4/1, Telefutura at 0.3/1 and Azteca at 0.1/0.

Among adults 18-34, Fox led at 5.6/16, with ABC at 4.2/12, NBC at 2.1/6, CBS at 2.0/6, CW at 1.3/4, Telemundo at 0.4/1, Telefutura at 0.3/1 and Azteca at 0.1/0.

Among adults 25-54, Fox was first at 6.4/15, with ABC at 5.3/13, CBS at 4.1/10, NBC at 3.1/7, CW at 1.1/3, Telemundo at 0.4/1, Telefutura at 0.3/1 and Azteca at 0.1/0.

Top five (18-49s): 1. ABC’s “Academy Awards” 14.1; 2. Fox’s “American Idol - Wednesday” 12.3; 3. Fox’s “American Idol - Tuesday” 11.8; 4. ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” 11.6; 5. Fox’s “American Idol - Thursday” 9.1.

Top five (total viewers): 1. ABC’s “Academy Awards” 40.2 million; 2. Fox’s “American Idol - Wednesday” 30.5 million; 3. Fox’s “American Idol - Tuesday” 29.5 million; 4. ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” 27.4 million; 5. ABC’s “Road to the Oscars” 27.1 million.

Bottom five (18-49s): Tie-94. CW’s “Reba” and “Veronica Mars,” CBS’s “Crimetime Saturday” 0.9; 97. CW’s “7th Heaven” 0.8; 98. CW’s “Supernatural” 0.7; 99. CW’s “Beauty and the Geek Encore” 0.5.

Bottom five (total viewers): 95. CW’s “The Game” 2.28 million; 96. CW’s “Veronica Mars” 2.27 million; 97. CW’s “Girlfriends” 2.24 million; 98. CW’s “Supernatural” 1.72 million; 99. CW’s “Beauty and the Geek Encore” 1.25 million.

Show on the rise: “Friday Night Smackdown,” CW, Friday 8 p.m. CW’s weekend wrestle-fest posted a 1.8 rating among viewers 18-49 last week, a 13 percent jump versus a 1.6 the previous week.

Show on the decline: “Friday Night Lights,” NBC, Wednesday 8 p.m. NBC’s high school football drama had to deal with both the return of CBS’s “Jericho” and the first half of a two-hour “American Idol” last week in the 8 p.m. timeslot, and it suffered, to say the least. The show posted a 1.7 rating among 18-49s, off 32 percent from a 2.5 the previous week.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_10453.asp

fredfa

02-28-07, 11:38 AM

Critic’s Notebook
NBC right to boast about its comedies on Thursday nights
By Tim Goodman San Francisco Chronicle Television Critic February 28, 2007

You could say -- and you'd be right in saying it -- that NBC now has a "must see" lineup on Thursday night. Four outstanding comedies on a night that is otherwise slipping into the goo of crime-scene mediocrity and soapy stupidity on the rival networks. Oh, and Fox, which apparently still programs the night. Or at least that's the rumor.

Of course, "must see TV" -- one of those annoyingly successful campaigns that worked so well in the 1990s that it was almost as if NBC had subliminally controlled your mouth to say the words -- is now a relic. Meaning it only slips out occasionally, even when you don't mean it to. Perhaps that's why NBC has very cleverly employed some re-branding to its new Thursday night lineup, which it will now call "Comedy Night Done Right."

Never mind that as much as branding is necessary, it's still passe. That's not the point. And never mind that "Comedy Night Done Right" is alarmingly simply and accurate. That's not the point, either.

The only point worth mentioning is that a broadcast network has taken a chance with the allegedly dead sitcom genre, made it work when no one said it could and boldly programs two hours of laughs on the most popular (and profitable) night of the week in the face of such powerhouse series as "CSI" and "Grey's Anatomy." And it has done so with a rag-tag band of misfit comedies that together are like a little gift to viewers. ("A little gift to viewers" apparently didn't make the cut in the re-branding focus groups.)

For this, NBC deserves praise. Better yet, it deserves your attention and support. Because, true to the new slogan, it has managed to create a comedy night done right, albeit by a series of seemingly odd decisions and apparent missteps that ultimately worked out.

For two hours each Thursday it delivers "My Name Is Earl," "The Office," "Scrubs" and "30 Rock." A couple of things to consider: No broadcast network has four better comedies in a row. And though an argument can be made that "Scrubs" is showing its age (and through years of previous benign neglect from NBC it no longer has much chance to add new viewers), that's a damned fine two hours. It comes complete with two of the best sitcoms on television from 8 to 9 p.m. and -- listen closely here, those of you who may not have checked back recently -- has, in "30 Rock," the funniest sitcom of the new season and a show that has made a startling creative growth from its pilot to where it is now. It's not every day that a series is the best freshman sitcom and the comeback show of the year in the same season.

But "30 Rock" is that good. And Alec Baldwin is delivering a masterful comic performance every week, as creator and writer Tina Fey simultaneously finds her own groove while making the rest of the cast more nuanced and funny. "30 Rock" alone is worth its own branding.

What's particularly interesting is how NBC crafted this package. When "The Office" premiered, almost no one thought it would survive, much less live up to the lofty comedic heights of its British inspiration. And though the ratings dictated that it would likely be canceled, NBC and its entertainment president, Kevin Reilly, believed that the shortened freshman season had promise and that with the right push the series would catch on. Few shared that belief despite the quality that emerged in those first six episodes. But Reilly and NBC were right, and the second season established it as the rightful successor to Fox's "Arrested Development" as the best and funniest broadcast network comedy, a title it has solidified this season.

"My Name Is Earl" followed and had a lot of people in the TV business predicting a comeback for the sitcom, based on its breakout freshman success. Of course, that was rich, since nobody wanted "Earl" when it was originally pitched. Now in its second season, "Earl" has had to battle against the weekly familiarity of its own unique premise, but has managed to retain its sharp sense of humor, and the one-two punch of it and "The Office" is a transcendent kick for Thursdays.

"Scrubs," is in its sixth season, has long been one of those shows you either loved or ignored, and NBC deserves some blame for failing to turn the originality and charm of the show into a bigger hit. Though many expected this to be the last season, creator Bill Lawrence and the cast seemed rejuvenated by the acclaimed musical episode in January and are likely to return for a seventh and final season. (Whether star Zach Braff comes back is another matter, and an important one that has yet to be decided). But "Scrubs" went from cult favorite to ignored stepchild (NBC brought it back in November of this season) to a reincarnated hot property (Emmy nominations and "Garden State" and the buzz-heavy musical episode helped).

The last piece of the Thursday night puzzle was "30 Rock," a series with a dubious beginning but a very understanding network that nurtured it while Fey found her rhythm. And to think most of the critics had their money on "Studio 60 from the Sunset Strip." Though Fey is getting -- deservedly -- the last laugh on us, the original pilot to the series was such a mess that it was almost completely overhauled (Rachel Dratch out as the star of the show-within-a-show that Fey's character runs at the less-than-fictional representation of NBC; Jane Krakowski in, a move that made the revamped pilot seem forced, unnatural and doomed).

"30 Rock" began getting better after the first couple of episodes -- but that's more time than most casual fans generally allow, and they moved on to sample other new fall fare. But when NBC decided to put the show on Thursday nights on Nov. 16 -- bringing back "Scrubs" a few weeks later -- everything gelled. (The bonus to this was also the expulsion of tacky reality fare from Thursdays at 9 p.m., long the domain of hit comedies at NBC).

Even though NBC has a dream team lineup, Thursdays still needed a push because two of television biggest series air in the 9 p.m. hour on rival networks. Hence the new slogan you will no doubt begin seeing everywhere.

Here's hoping it will be as feverishly embraced as the last one, because there's no question NBC has the go-to block on Thursdays now, ratings be damned. And, just to reiterate for all the late comers, "30 Rock" is not to be missed. From Baldwin to Tracy Morgan to Dratch finding a niche in rotating characters to life being breathed into the minor characters -- this could be the beginning of the next great sitcom.

Maybe that should have been the slogan.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/02/28/DDGDEOBS0H17.DTL&type=printable

fredfa

02-28-07, 11:55 AM

I am hearing some rumblings that the premiere last night of Fox's "Are Your Smarter Than A Fifth Grader" held onto a giant percenatge of its massive "Amercian Idol" lead-in.

But apparently the fast national overnights have been a delayed just a bit -- so the hard numbers will be here (hopefully) soon.

CPanther95

02-28-07, 12:02 PM

fredfa

02-28-07, 12:06 PM

Agreed, CP95.

And if they can't get people who can even answer the first question (at a first grade level!) why bother?

I enjoyed Foxworthy, but the show's glacial pace was a killer.

(And as a UCLA fan, it was most painful to watch a UCLA grad, a history major no less, not even know that Andrew Johnson was the first president to be impeached.)

fredfa

02-28-07, 12:09 PM

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
School daze: Huge debut for '5th Grader'
Fox game show pulls an amazing 11.2 in 18-49s
By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Feb 28, 2007

By questioning the intelligence of the American viewing public, Fox just may have found another perfect “American Idol” lead-out.

The premiere of “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader” at 9:30 p.m. last night averaged an impressive 11.2 adults 18-49 rating last night, according to Nielsen overnights, retaining 83 percent of “Idol’s” lead-in.

“Smarter” also drew 26.6 million total viewers. Though that may adjust downward when final numbers are released later today, to account for “Idol” running a bit over its 9:30 p.m. end time, that’s still impressive retention for a new show airing out of “Idol.” It’s well above several recent premieres.

Last March, the debut of “The Loop” in the Wednesday 9:30 p.m. post-“Idol” timeslot retained just 57 percent of its lead-in, averaging a 6.5.

Another sitcom, “Free Ride,” retained just 48 percent of “Idol’s” audience in the same timeslot last year.

“Smarter” is now the top-rated premiere for any new program this year among adults 18-49 and total viewers. It also matched Fox’s best numbers this season for any non-“Idol” program, tying a rating for usual Tuesday 9 p.m. occupant “House” earlier this season.

Certainly part of “Smarter’s” strength can be attributed to weak competition. While “Free” and “Loop” had to face CBS’s “Criminal Minds” and ABC’s “Lost,” “Smarter’s” top competition was CBS’s “The Unit,” which averaged a 3.4 in its final half hour. The other three Big Five programs were at a 3.0 or under.

The premise of smarter is simple. It asks contestants to compete in elementary school subjects like math, social studies and art while giving them a chance to cheat with real grade school kids. It’s hosted by Jeff Foxworthy, the popular “Blue Collar TV” comedian, which may have also contributed to its success.

“Smarter” will have ample chance to show if it’s just a one-night phenomenon or a blossoming hit as the week progresses. It airs after “Idol” tonight and tomorrow as well.

Fox was first for the night among 18-49s with an 11.9 average rating and a 29 share. CBS was second at 3.4/9, NBC third at 3.0/8, ABC fourth at 2.2/6, Univision fifth at 1.8/4 and CW sixth at 1.5/4.

Fox and “Idol” started the night in the lead with an 11.4 rating at 8 p.m., followed distantly by a 3.7 for CBS for “NCIS.” NBC and Univision tied for third that hour at 2.2, NBC for “Dateline” and Univision for “La Fea Mas Bella,” with ABC and CW tied for fifth at 1.8, ABC for a repeat of “America’s Funniest Home Videos” and CW for “Gilmore Girls.”

At 9 p.m. Fox extended its lead as “Idol” (13.5) and “Smarter” combined for a 12.4 rating. CBS was second with a 3.4 for “The Unit,” NBC third with a 2.8 for “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and ABC fourth with a 2.1 for “Primetime.” Univision was fifth with a 1.6 for “Mundo de Fieras” and CW sixth with a 1.1 for “Veronica Mars.”

With Fox out at 10 p.m., NBC took the lead with a 4.2 for “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” CBS was second with a 3.1 for a repeat of “Criminal Minds,” ABC third with a 2.8 for “To Iraq and Back: Bob Woodruff Reports” and Univision fourth with a 1.4 for “Lo Que No Vio de ‘Premio lo Nuestro.’”

Among households, Fox led the night with a 16.6 average rating and a 25 share. CBS was second at 8.4/13, NBC third at 6.2/10, ABC fourth at 2.7/7, and CW and Univision tied for fifth at 2.2/3.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_10479.asp

archiguy

02-28-07, 12:09 PM

It won't last. If they continue to try and painfully drag out the game (5 elementary school questions & answers in a half hour), the ratings will drop like a rock. It's not like they are giving away big money like Millionaire or DOND - they gave away $5k in the premiere :rolleyes:

Oh, I think you might just be underestimating the American public. There seems to be an insatiable appetite for dreck like this amongst the masses. :(

JimsArcade

02-28-07, 12:15 PM

Critic’s Notebook
NBC right to boast about its comedies on Thursday nights
By Tim Goodman San Francisco Chronicle Television Critic February 28, 2007
...
It comes complete with two of the best sitcoms on television from 8 to 9 p.m. and -- listen closely here, those of you who may not have checked back recently -- has, in "30 Rock," the funniest sitcom of the new season and a show that has made a startling creative growth from its pilot to where it is now. It's not every day that a series is the best freshman sitcom and the comeback show of the year in the same season.
...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/02/28/DDGDEOBS0H17.DTL&type=printable I'm glad to see this deserved good press for 30 Rock. The latest batch of new episodes have been absolutely hilarious and they're getting better week by week. Hopefully NBC will see the potential for this show like they did for The Office and stick with it despite its less-than-stellar ratings.

fredfa

02-28-07, 12:25 PM

Fred, Televisa is a Mexican TV network. Would that be Telemundo or Telefutura you're talking about? Check your numbers for the specific program that beat the CW show and get back to me. Later! :)

It was Telemundo’s (I think -- Nielsen just lists it as Tel) “Viuda De Blanco” (Friday) which had a few thousand more viewers than the CW’s repeat of “Beauty and the Geek”.

Thanks for the heads up.

PJO1966

02-28-07, 12:31 PM

As far as casting news for the next Trek film, I had heard the following:

Kirk - Matt Damon
Spock - Adrien Brody
McCoy - Gary Sinese

http://movies.ign.com/articles/767/767783p1.html

dad1153

02-28-07, 12:32 PM

Telefutura doesn't have telenovelas in primetime (only gameshows, sports or dubbed-in-Spanish theatrical movies) so it must be Telemundo. Thanks for the info.

fredfa

02-28-07, 12:35 PM

Tuesday’s fast national over night prime-time ratings have been posted near the top of Ratings News the second post in this thread.

fredfa

02-28-07, 12:36 PM

And here are the Fox numbers:

8 pm - American Idol
12.1/30 A18-49
30.443 million viewers

9:30pm - Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? (series premiere)
11.2/27 A18-49
26.569 million viewers

fredfa

02-28-07, 12:38 PM

Thanks for the info PJO1966 -- and the help, dad.

WilliamR

02-28-07, 01:07 PM

As far as casting news for the next Trek film, I had heard the following:

Kirk - Matt Damon
Spock - Adrien Brody
McCoy - Gary Sinese

http://movies.ign.com/articles/767/767783p1.html

Why are they casting new people? Oh dear God, my beloved Trek is over. I feel like crawling into the fetus position now.

fredfa

02-28-07, 01:21 PM

Cable Nielsen Ratings Notebook
USA Wraps February Atop Cable Hill
By Anthony Crupi MediaWeek Feb. 28, 2007

USA Network wrapped February as cable’s most-watched network in prime time, averaging 2.69 million total viewers between Jan. 29 and Feb. 25, according to Nielsen Media Research data.

The net also claimed two top demos, winning adults 18-49 (1.15 million) and adults 25-54 (1.17 million), while taking second in the A18-34 category (534,000).

All told, USA upped its total viewership 6 percent versus the numbers it generated in February 2006 and marked its greatest gain in the A18-34 demo, growing 8 percent year-over-year. The network also racked up seven of the month’s top 10 programs with five installments of WWE programming and two episodes of Monk.

In the entire basic cable universe, non-ad-supported Disney Channel took second place with 2.39 million viewers, an increase of 5 percent year-over-year. The Mouse also upped its prime-time delivery of Kids 6-11 10 percent to 1.02 million and raised its delivery of ‘Tweens 9-14 by 15 percent, to 916,000.

TNT nailed down second place among ad-supported cable nets, averaging 2.11 million total viewers in prime, a 14 percent drop versus the same period a year ago. The Turner net was once again runner-up among adults 25-54 (949,000), an 18 percent decline year-over-year, and took third in the A18-49 demo (936,000, off 17 percent).

TNT’s coverage of the NBA All-Star Game remains the year’s most-watched program on cable, delivering 6.84 million viewers on Feb. 18. The pro hoops showcase also took all three demos, serving up 3.62 million adults 18-49, 3.28 million adults 25-54 and 1.94 million adults 18-34.

TBS took the bronze in prime with 1.71 million viewers, an increase of 6 percent. The net also claimed the top spot in the A18-34 demo, delivering 559,000 viewers, an increase of 14 percent, while taking second among adults 18-49 (1.02 million, up 5 percent) and third adults 25-54 (888,000, up 1 percent versus a year ago.

Lifetime rode into fourth place on the strength of its suite of four adaptations of Nora Roberts potboilers, averaging 1.65 million viewers in prime, a jump of 14 percent year-over-year. The network also finished fifth among adults 25-54 (636,000, up 2 percent), while placing third among women 25-54 (466,000) and fourth among women 18-49 (495,000).

Fox News Channel moved into fifth place on the ad-supported cable charts, thanks to a news cycle that was a veritable Janus head of celebrity pathos and farcical misbehavior. Between the death of Anna Nicole Smith and its aftermath, the revolving-door rehab regimen of Britney Spears and the pathological misadventures of a diaper-clad Astronut, FNC had viewers pouring in throughout the month, averaging 1.61 million in prime, an increase of 9 percent year-over–year. FNC also pumped up its take of the crucial A25-54 demo by 20 percent (413,000), while boasting nine of the top 10 cable news shows and 14 of the top 20.

February was kind to all of the cable news nets, which rode the Blondes in Crisis wave––not to mention the ongoing Iraq war crisis and the Clinton/Obama skirmish––to across-the-board ratings increases. Through Feb. 25, CNN grew its total audience by 19 percent to 783,000, while raising its news demo by 29 percent (246,000). Meanwhile, MSNBC was up 33 percent in total viewers (475,000), and raised its standing among adults 25-54 by 25 percent (191,000). Headline News upped its audience by 22 percent, averaging 422,000 prime time viewers, while raising its share of the demo by 39 percent to 170,000, and CNBC soared 66 percent to 272,000, while elevating its A25-54 number by 44 percent (117,000).

FNC’s On the Record with Greta Van Susteren showed the highest rate of growth among individual news programs through last Friday, upping its delivery of adults 25-54 by 48 percent to 438,000.

Looking back at the rest of the general entertainment nets, A&E finished the month in sixth place (1.54 million, up a whopping 52 percent year-over-year), while Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block was seventh (1.32 million, down 14 percent). Nick-at-Nite fell 23 percent (1.22 million), while ninth-place FX dipped 5 percent with 1.18 million viewers. ESPN squeezed back into the top 10 with 1.17 viewers (off 12 percent form a year ago), statistically edging out Court TV for the final slot. With just under 1.17 million viewers, Court grew 33 percent.

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