Hot Off The Press: The Latest TV News and Information - Page 2792

What's interesting with this new 4K push is how Sony is loading up the "loaned" player ( - do you have to give it back after a certain period?) with "free" content from its vast library - with periodic updates of more material - as an incentive (bribe?) to get people to buy the hardware. I must admit that 4K is far more compelling to me than 3-D will ever be (or, at least until they offer true holographic projection). But the prices will have to come waaaay down before I'm sticking my toe into that pool.

NFL week 13 viewing maps are up (including latest changes).

http://www.the506.com/nflmaps/2012/wk13.html

FYI, Bills, Chargers and Raiders locally blacked out. What the heck do I care? I have NFL RedZone!

Agreed on both counts.

3D is fun for some movies, but it's tiresome for most. Probably the most intriguing use of 3D for me is by allowing two gamers to each take on eye and only see their own view on a single screen. That's far better than the split screen. In general, though, 3D has limited appeal for me.

On the other hand, every film can benefit from a better picture, especially those large format movies from the "cast of thousands" era when movies were literally big. Plus, theres a lot of IMAX stuff that would look incredible at 4K. As digital filmmaking movies into a completely 4K workflow, movies are going to look better from camera to theater to home theater than ever before.

As screens at home get larger, the benefits of more resolution will only become more apparent, especially for the projector crowd.

Plus, with more TVs including multi-media features, displaying your 10,12 and 18 Megapixel photos on them will look even better. TVs aren't just for TV any more.

Finally, as the home video experience gets better, it will prompt the theaters to get better to one-up the home experience. That's good all around.

THURSDAY's fast affiliate overnight prime-time ratings -and what they mean- have been posted on Analyst Marc Berman's Media Insight's Blog

Nielsen Overnights (18-49)
‘Men’ ties a season high after controversy
Averages a 4.1 in 18-49s days after Angus T. Jones' video
By Toni Fitzgerald, Media Life Magazine - Nov. 30, 2012

Evidently people didn’t listen to Angus T. Jones, the young co-star of “Two and a Half Men,” when he begged them to stop watching his hit show.

Last night “Men” tied a season high among adults 18-49, days after the video of Jones dissing the program went viral on the internet.

The sitcom averaged a 4.1 adults 18-49 rating, according to Nielsen overnights, tying its previous outing two weeks ago.

It wasn’t quite the same effect as Charlie Sheen’s crazed rantings against “Men” had last year, when the show hit series highs following Sheen’s dismissal.

But for a show whose ratings have been fading since last spring, the 4.1 was pretty good.

Jones, who says he’s found God recently and was giving video testimony for a church in Alabama, called “Men” filth. His appearances have been limited this season after his character joined the Army.

Warner Bros. and CBS have been largely silent on the situation. Jones was not scheduled to appear in the final two episodes shooting before the holiday break.

Elsewhere last night, ABC’s “Scandal” hit a series high at 10 p.m. with a 2.2. Just as notable, that tied CBS’s much-hyped “Elementary” for first place in the timeslot, the best the second-year ABC drama has ever done compared to the Sherlock Holmes-themed show.

Also last night the wedding of Liz Lemon on the soon-to-end “30 Rock” boosted the NBC comedy to a season high among total viewers, but still a pretty low tally at 3.6 million.

And the CW’s “The Vampire Diaries” drew a 1.5 in 18-49s at 8 p.m., up 15 percent over its most recent episode, though that may have been inflated by the Falcons game airing on the Atlanta CW affiliate.

CBS led the night among 18-49s with a 3.3 average overnight rating and a 9 share. Fox was second at 2.5/7, ABC third at 2.1/6, Univision fourth at 1.7/5, NBC fifth at 1.2/3, CW sixth at 1.1/3 and Telemundo seventh at 0.5/1.

As a reminder, all ratings are based on live-plus-same-day DVR playback, which includes shows replayed before 3 a.m. the night before. Seven-day DVR data won't be available for several weeks. Forty-six percent of Nielsen households have DVRs.

At 8 p.m. CBS was first with a 4.7 for "The Big Bang Theory" (5.4) and "Men" (4.1), followed by Fox with a 2.7 for "The X Factor." Univision was third with a 1.8 for "Por Ella Soy Eva," CW fourth with a 1.5 for "Vampire," NBC fifth with a 1.2 for "30 Rock" (1.3) and "Up All Night" (1.2), ABC sixth with a 1.0 for "Last Resort" and Telemundo seventh with a 0.5 for "Rosa Diamante."

ABC took the lead at 9 p.m. with a 3.0 for "Grey's Anatomy," with CBS a close second with a 2.9 for "Person of Interest." Fox was third with a 2.2 for "Glee," Univision fourth with a 1.8 for "Amores Verdaderos," NBC fifth with a 1.6 for "The Office" (1.9) and "Parks and Recreation" (1.4), CW sixth with a 0.8 for "Beauty and the Beast" and Telemundo seventh with a 0.5 for "Corazon Valiente."

At 10 p.m. ABC and CBS tied for first at 2.2, ABC for "Scandal" and CBS for "Elementary." Univision was third with a 1.4 for "Amor Bravio," NBC fourth with a 0.9 for "Rock Center with Brian Williams" and Telemundo fifth with a 0.5 for "Pablo Escobar: El Patron del Mal" (0.6) and "El Rostro de la Venganza" (0.4).

Among households, CBS was first for the night with an 8.3 average overnight rating and a 13 share, with ABC second at 4.6/7, Fox third at 4.3/7, NBC fourth at 2.3/4, Univision fifth at 2.0/3, CW sixth at 1.7/3 and Telemundo seventh at 0.7/1.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/men-ties-a-season-high-after-controversy/

TV Notes
Writers back at work on AMC's 'The Killing'
Series eyes May bow as cabler, digital deals are being hammered out
By Stuart Levine, Variety - Nov. 30, 2012

The mystery of whether "The Killing" will be brought back to life has been solved: The show is returning to AMC.

Though neither the cabler nor producer Fox Television Studios would confirm, showrunner Veena Sud and exec producers Dawn Prestwich and Nicole Yorkin went back to the writers' room this week to begin work on a third season of the moody drama.

The new season will likely launch in late May, with production set to begin in a few months. Earlier reports had the drama also being made available on Netflix following its initial run on AMC, but those negotiations have not yet been finalized. Series, starring Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman as a pair of Seattle cops trying to solve the murder of a high school girl, was canceled in July. However, rumors persisted that the show might be revived on Netflix or another alternative platform. The lingering interest in "Killing" from outside outlets likely helped convince AMC to give the show a second look.

After a series premiere in May 2011 that generated strong ratings, numbers began to fall and there was an uproar from many viewers after the first-season finale failed to solve the show's central murder mystery. The "Killing's" second season ended in June with only 1.9 million viewers tuning in.

At that point, it wasn't looking likely that a third season would ever happen, but in the ensuing months AMC topper Charlie Collier and programming senior VP Joel Stillerman changed their minds, probably swayed in part by the prospect of a partner coming in to help shoulder the cost of licensing the show.

There's no word yet on which cast members will return, although undoubtedly producers aim to retain stars Enos and Kinnaman. Billy Campbell, who ended season two as the newly elected mayor of Seattle, could be a possibility, but Michelle Forbes and Brent Sexton, who played the murder victim's parents, may not be back.

WME, which recently signed Sud, was said to be instrumental in getting "Killing" back on the air.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118062923

TV Notes
Led Zeppelin Will Reunite - for 'Letterman' Interview
By Tim Kenneally, TheWrap.com - Nov. 30, 2012

The surviving members of Led Zeppelin will make a rare appearance together on "Late Show With David Letterman" on Monday, Dec. 3, CBS said Friday.

Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones will drop in on the late-night show for an interview -- which isn't quite the reunion that Zep fans have been patiently waiting for, but it might have to do. With the exception of a one-off tribute concert for Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun at London's O2 Arena in 2007 -- which was released as the DVD "Celebration Day" in October -- Jones has largely been estranged from Page and Plant since the group's 1980 breakup following drummer John Bonham's death.

The "Late Show" appearance won't be the only time that Letterman hangs out with the rock legends -- the group, along with Letterman, will be lauded at the 35th Annual Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C., which will take place Dec. 2 and air Dec. 26 on CBS.

http://www.thewrap.com/tv/article/led-zeppelin-will-reunite-letterman-interview-67336

TV Notes
NBC Sets ’30 Rock’ Finale, ‘Do No Harm’ Premiere Date
‘Do No Harm’ Gets Thursday 10 PM Slot, ‘Rock Center’ Moves To Fridays
By Nellie Andreeva, Deadline.com - Nov. 30, 2012

NBC‘s experiment with a newsmagazine in the iconic Thursday 10 PM time slot is over. The network just announced that midseason drama Do No Harm will move into the time period on January 31, following the hourlong series finale of 30 Rock, which will air the same night from 8-9 PM, The Office and newbie 1600 Penn. The low-rated Rock Center With Brian Williams will move to Fridays beginning February 8 and air in the “newsmagazine” 10 PM slot, bumping Dateline to 9 PM. Dateline will take over Grimm‘s slot while the supernatural drama is on a hiatus. When Grimm returns to its 9 PM berth March 8, I hear Dateline will either get off Fridays (by then the Sunday edition will already have launched post-football), or replace Rock Center if the show does not get any traction on its new night. “January 31 will be a special night as one classic series will mark its finale with a great hour-long sendoff episode while a promising new drama will make its debut on Thursdays,” said NBC chairman Bob Greenblatt.

Do No Harm faces long odds as NBC’s Thursday lineup is a far cry from the glory days of Must See TV. Both new drama series the network launched in the time period last season, Prime Suspect and Awake, fizzled. In Do No Harm, Dr. Jason Cole (Steven Pasquale) is a highly respected neurosurgeon who has a deep, dark secret. Every night at the same hour, something inside Jason changes, leaving him almost unrecognizable — seductive, devious, borderline sociopathic. Do No Harm is produced by Universal Television and Traugott Company. The executive producer-writer is David Schulner.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118062923

Tech/Business Notes
Key pricing and launch details of Redbox Instant revealed
By Janko Roettgers, GiGaOm.com - Nov. 30, 2012

The online video joint venture Redbox Instant by Verizon is set to launch sometime before the end of the year. The service is currently being tested in private beta, and Verizon and Redbox have kept mum on some key details. However, after a bit of digging, I discovered that the service’s closed test is accompanied by an exhaustive help section that is publicly available on the web. From those help pages, I was able to gather a number of interesting details about the service, as well as get a first look at numerous screenshots.

It’s worth pointing out that services like these can adjust key details last-minute before a public launch. After all, that’s what closed testing is about: figuring out what is working and changing what isn’t. With that in mind, here’s what I was able to uncover about Redbox Instant by Verizon’s current offering:

◦Subscriptions start at $6 a month, which gives users unlimited access to the service’s subscription video catalog. That catalog is expected to be much smaller than Netflix’s, but it includes some titles also offered by the competitor, including Killers, Rango, Iron Man 2 and Thor.

◦An $8 a month membership adds four Redbox credits to the streaming package that can be redeemed for Redbox DVD rentals. Users will be able to reserve their DVDs from the Instant website and mobile apps. Credits won’t roll-over but expire at the end of each month.

◦Redbox Instant also offers VOD rentals and sales of newer titles, which can be downloaded to some devices for offline access. Rentals and sales start at $0.99, and offer access to titles like The Lorax, which will presumably cost a bit more than that.

◦Redbox Instant will initially be available on the web, Android and iOS devices, the Xbox 360 and select Samsung TVs and Blu-ray players. Customers will be able to register up to five devices to access the service.

◦Just like Netflix, Redbox Instant is using Silverlight for streaming on the web.

◦The help section also includes a hint regarding the launch date of the service: Beta testers are being told that they won’t be able to access the DVDs included in their subscriptions at some kiosks until December 17.

Update: It looks like the support site mentioned isn’t publicly accessible anymore. However, we got an emailed comment from Redbox Instant by Verizon CEO Shawn Strickland:

“We appreciate the enthusiasm for Redbox Instant by Verizon and we look forward to sharing the full details of the service soon.”

A company spokesperson wasn’t able to comment on any specifics mentioned in our report.

Check out some screenshots of the service published by Redbox Instant: [CLICK LINK BELOW]

http://gigaom.com/video/redbox-instant-pricing-device-support-launch-date/

Critic's Notes
Bianculli's Best Bets
By David Bianculli, TVWorthWatching.com - Dec. 1, 2012

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE
NBC, 8:00 p.m. ET
Few Christmas TV traditions remain, but here’s one of them. This 1946 Frank Capra holiday classic used to be shown by a ridiculous number of local stations and cable networks each year – until the film’s rights were rescued from public domain, and NBC landed a contract to televise the film exclusively, twice each year. This is the first of this month’s two prime-time NBC telecasts, with James Stewart and Donna Reed starring in a story of a small-town banker. Events of recent years have made its story of risky mortgages even more potent – and poignant.

ELF
ABC Family, 8:00 p.m. ET
When this 2003 comedy was released in theaters, Will Ferrell, as a human raised by elves, was the big star. His female co-star, Zooey Deschanel, was relatively unknown at the time – as was the strength of her singing voice, now on fine display as the distaff half of She & Him. But in this movie, Ferrell hears her singing in the shower, and is enchanted. Understandably, and, in retrospect, a few years ahead of the national curve.

A FEW GOOD MAN
Bravo, 8:00 p.m. ET
Aaron Sorkin wrote the play on which this 1992 movie was made, and wrote the screenplay, too. Presto: Before the decade was out, he was writing The West Wing. But here’s his big starting break, a little movie starring Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson. I guess everyone has to start somewhere.

SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS
TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET
Preston Sturges is the man behind this inspired satire and love letter to Hollywood moviemaking, a 1941 film that somehow seems more modern all the time. Joel McCrea stars as a movie director who decides to make more meaningful films, and Veronica Lake plays the woman who accompanies him on his journeys to experience hardship firsthand.

APOLLO 13
Bravo, 10:00 p.m. ET
Tom Hanks stars in this 1995 movie, directed by Ron Howard, that manages to be a real thriller, even though the outcome of the 1970 lunar mission is well known. Fabulous supporting cast, and a fantastic story – which, in this case, is true.

http://www.tvworthwatching.com/

FRIDAY's fast affiliate overnight prime-time ratings -and what they mean- have been posted on Analyst Marc Berman's Media Insight's Blog

Nielsen Overnights
'Nikita' hits season high in new time slot
By James Hibberd, EW.com's 'Inside TV' Blog - Dec. 1, 2012

The CW’s Nikita hit a season high Friday night in its new time period.

The action-drama delivered 1.2 million viewers and a 0.4 rating among adults 18-49. Sure, those aren’t numbers you brag to your friends about, but it’s still the show’s best performance this season. The CW shifted the series from 9 to 8 p.m. this week (normally that’s considered the tougher slot, but not when it means Nikita can avoid airing directly against NBC’s Grimm and Fox’s Fringe). A repeat of Arrow actually matched Nikta‘s typical previous performance at 9.

Also Friday, ABC’s Last Man Standing (6.8 million, 1.6) and Malibu Country (6.3 million, 1.5) both improved from last week (and recently received orders for five more episodes this season).

CBS’ lineup, including Undercover Boss (8.7 million, 1.8) and CSI: NY (9.8 million, 1.5), was pretty steady. Fox had college football. NBC and ABC also aired repeats and news.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/12/01/nikita-hits-season-high-in-new-time-slot/

Project X is on cinemax tonite....really brings back memories of those high school house parties Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) + Alexis Knapp is in it too.

TV Notes
Carrie Underwood Cast as Maria in NBC's 'Sound of Music'
By Tim Molloy, TheWrap.com - Nov. 30, 2012

NBC entertainment chief Bob Greenblatt said last week that a big casting announcement was coming for the network's live "Sound of Music" adaptation, and here is it: Carrie Underwood will play Maria.

Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, executive producers of NBC's "Smash," are producing the new, three-hour live adaptation, which is expected to air around Christmas next year.

“Speaking for everyone at NBC, we couldn't be happier to have the gifted Carrie Underwood take up the mantle of the great Maria von Trapp,” said Greenblatt. “She was an iconic woman who will now be played by an iconic artist.”

"We're thrilled to be presenting the Broadway version of ‘The Sound of Music’ live,” said Zadan and Meron, “and having Carrie Underwood as the star brings it to a new generation who will fall in love with it for the first time as many millions of people already have. It's a particular joy to us as producers to see this amazing artist stretch into new territory with this classic musical."

The casting of Underwood, the season 4 "American Idol" winner, will only add to the Fox show's complaints that other networks are borrowing its stars. Underwood is perhaps the biggest to emerge from the show. "Smash" stars another "Idol" vet, Katharine McPhee.

Underwood has sold 15 million albums sold worldwide and won three female vocalist awards from both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.

Zadan and Meron are also producing the Oscars telecast. They have a first-look development deal with Universal Television and NBC Universal International.

The Rodgers & Hammerstein musical "The Sound of Music," set in pre-World War II Austria, is based on the true story of Maria von Trapp, an aspiring nun who leaves the abbey to become a governess for the widower Captain von Trapp's seven children. She finds herself falling in love with von Trapp. It premiered on Broadway in 1959, broke box-office records and won the Tony Award for Best Musical. The 1965 film version won the Oscar for best picture.

http://www.thewrap.com/tv/column-post/carrie-underwood-cast-maria-nbcs-sound-music-67296

TV Review
‘Be the Boss,’ and fire this one
A&E competition pits workers against each other for a promotion
By Tom Conroy, Media Life Magazine

Reality competition shows usually try to portray every candidate as arguably unfit to win so that we can't guess the outcome, while also making us dislike at least one candidate so that we care who wins and loses.

A&E's new reality competition show "Be the Boss" achieves both of those goals, but too well. Setting two employees at a company against each other, it makes both of them appear not only underqualified for the job for which they're competing but also slightly unlikable.

Therefore few viewers will root hard for either contestant. Moreover, the competition itself is too close to the process in "The Apprentice." While inoffensive, "Be the Boss" is something we've already seen done better.

In the premiere episode, which airs this Sunday, Dec. 2, at 10 p.m., two young employees of the nutritional-supplement chain Complete Nutrition are taken to company headquarters, in Omaha, Neb., under the pretext that they're interviewing for an executive position. In fact, after a series of competitions, one of them will become the boss of one of the company's franchises.

Although the narrator says the winner will be "given the keys" to the store, it's unclear whether he or she can immediately sell the business and retire.

The contestants are satisfyingly different: Ashley is a former beauty-pageant competitor from Oregon. Jason is a former Marine from Texas who likes to compose and sing country music.

Each one has a background story that is probably meant to win our sympathy. Jason says he's competing for his wife and child. Ashley says that she had co-owned a business with her ex-boyfriend but lost it when they split up.

The company's president and its CEO tell them that their first assignment in the job audition is to take turns creating and leading a fitness class at which they will promote the company's products. Each contestant has to serve as the other's assistant during the class. As on "The Apprentice," a midlevel company employee watches the competition to report on it to the top executives later.

Ashley seems disorganized, neglecting to mention the products. Jason may be trying too hard but talks up the products throughout. He also manages during his class to make Ashley look unprepared.

Their next assignment is to prepare a pop-up store in a park in Omaha. As the two promote their stores on a local radio station, Jason takes charge but then, prompted by his interviewer, starts singing a song he wrote. Cut to the company's executives, looking dismayed.

When, later, Jason can't help singing at an inappropriate moment, Ashley mocks him to the camera. She continues to treat him like a fool; he continues to treat her dismissively.

One of the contestants concentrates on setting up the pop-up store; the other one concentrates on promotion. One of them takes in a lot more money, but it's never clear why.

By the end, we don't really like either Ashley or Jason, and we wouldn't trust either to run a business. But neither is obnoxious enough for us to hate or incompetent enough to for us to laugh at. If this were "The Apprentice," both contestants would have been fired early in the season, either for fecklessness or, more likely, for blandness.

A little switcheroo at the end makes the finish more engrossing than we would expect. The winner emotes satisfyingly.

The people who created "Be the Boss" don't deserve to be fired, but they're not ready for a promotion either.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/be-the-boss-and-fire-this-one/

Nielsen/Technology Notes
Hit Record: 52% of U.S. Pay TV Subs Now Have a DVR
Just 2% of TV Households Have a TiVo: Leichtman Research
By Todd Spangler, Multichannel News - Nov. 30, 2012

More than half of all pay TV households (52%) now have a digital video recorder -- up from 49% a year ago and roughly double over the last five years -- with higher DVR penetration among telco and satellite subscribers than cable, according to Leichtman Research Group.

The LRG survey found that 42% of cable subscribers have a DVR, compared with 63% of satellite subscribers and 71% of telco TV subscribers. Meanwhile, 4% of TV households that do not subscribe to a multichannel video service said they have a DVR.

In addition, 43% of all DVR households now have DVR on more than one TV set. Overall, about 20% of all TV households now have DVR on more than one TV set, an increase from 6% five years ago.

According to LRG’s survey, just 2% of all TV households have a TiVo DVR, which is consistent with TiVo’s market share in recent years. The survey did not cover other manufacturers, but Cisco Systems and Google’s Motorola Solutions are the dominant providers of DVRs to service providers in the U.S.

Multi-DVR customers are more satisfied than single-DVR owners, according to LRG: 81% with DVRs on more than one TV set rate the service 8-10 (on a 1-10 scale with 10 being excellent) versus 73% with DVR on one TV set.

LRG’s “On-Demand TV 2012” study, based on a survey conducted in September, also covered video-on-demand and Netflix subscription trends.

More than half of Netflix subscribers (51%) with pay TV service also subscribe to a premium service such as HBO, Showtime or Starz, LRG found. That’s up from 43% last year and 40% in 2010. At the same time, the survey showed a decrease in those who would consider dropping a premium service because of Netflix (20% this year vs. 36% last year, and 32% in 2010).

About 70% of all digital cable subscribers have used VOD, compared with 58% in 2007. Overall, 59% of digital cable subscribers and 64% of telco TV subscribers used VOD in the past month, according to LRG. Of VOD users who also have a DVR, 68% agree that their TV service is better because they have both VOD and DVR.

LRG’s “On-Demand TV 2012” study is based on a telephone survey conducted in September 2012 of 1,304 adults 18 and older in TV homes in the continental U.S. The study has a statistical margin of error of 2.7%.

http://www.multichannel.com/distribution/hit-record-52-us-pay-tv-subs-now-have-dvr/140477

Business Notes
Gannett, DirecTV Reach Retrans Renewal
By Michael Malone, Broadcasting & Cable - Dec. 1, 2012

The broadcaster Gannett and satellite TV operator DirecTV have ironed out a retransmission agreement, keeping the Gannett stations' signals in place for DirecTV subscribers.

The two parties negotiated up until their midnight Nov. 30 deadline, and struck a deal the morning after, avoiding a service interruption.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

Gannett owns 23 TV stations.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/490626-Gannett_DirecTV_Reach_Retrans_Renewal.php

Critic's Notes
Bianculli's Best Bets
By David Bianculli, TVWorthWatching.com - Dec. 2, 2012

THE WALKING DEAD
AMC, 9:00 p.m. ET
MID-SEASON FINALE Last week’s episode was harrowing, ending with a rescue party from the prison out to free their captured group members from the Governor’s fenced-in compound. Tonight, it all comes to a head – just as The Walking Dead comes to a temporary end. This is the series’ midseason finale. But if you can’t get enough, or want to catch up on episodes you missed, AMC is preceding tonight’s new episode with the complete run of Season 3 episodes to date, beginning at 2 p.m. ET.

BOARDWALK EMPIRE
HBO, 9:00 p.m. ET
SEASON FINALE: This is the 12th and final episode of Season 3, with Nucky (Steve Buscemi) fighting for his life, and everyone around him forced to choose sides. Last week’s episode was violent and unpredictable; tonight, expect more of the same.

DEXTER
Showtime, 9:00 p.m. ET
Last week’s episode was bloody even by Dexter standards, and claimed the life of one of this season’s significant antagonists. But Yvonne Strahovski, as Hannah, is still around – though what she’ll do next, with Dexter hovering protectively, is anyone’s guess. And what George (Jason Gedrick) will do next, now that he’s taken a shot at his own boss, is anyone’s guess too.

THE GOOD WIFE
CBS, 9:30 p.m. ET
Last week’s episode provided the most drama-packed Thanksgiving TV dinner of the season, with the respective mothers of Alicia (Julianna Margulies) and Peter (Chris Noth) going at it – while ironically, in an adjoining room, their children did the same thing. Wow. Can’t wait to see the after-effects of that impulsive liaison.

HOMELAND
Showtime, 10:00 p.m. ET
Last week’s episode revealed this show’s 24 lineage, as the investigative agency was discovered to have someone working on the inside who actually was a double agent against the CIA. On 24, the CTU had more moles than my own backyard – and now, on Homeland, the CIA may be following suit. But we can trust Carrie (Claire Danes), even though few of her colleagues do.

http://www.tvworthwatching.com/

Wonder what that works out to as a percentage of the population as a whole? Depending on the cable and satellite penetration figures one uses, I'd guesstimate that means around 40% of Americans have a DVR. I can't find the figures, now, but I seem to remember VCRs shot past 50% of all Americans at some point. I would toss mine, but all of my talkradio shows were archived on VHS (audio only) and - given the lengths - I haven't and probably won't get around to converting those.

Huh? Because Amanda Seyfried, one of the most beautiful women currenty alive on the planet, an A-list actress, and who has more than demonstrated her musical chops already, was busy? Good grief, I like Carrie, but did they ever drop the casting ball on this one!

You never heard of Maria from Kentucky? Or is it Tennessee?

Carrie is from Oklahoma, of course. True fans would know that.

And Oklahoma is even closer to Texas, home of the original Maria, Mary Martin.

During rehearsals for "The Sound of Music," Martin flubbed a line, introducing herself as Luise Rainer instead of Maria Rainer, and as she told the story, she apologized in full Texas twang, so upset over her mistake that she couldn't get the words out any other way.  Where do you think her late son learned the accent he would use for J. R. Ewing?

Rezzy, unless the cast are performing in German with Austrian accents, anything else is equally suitable or unsuitable.

According to Nielsen; Forty-six percent of Nielsen households have DVRs.

For decades HD was thought to be little more than an interesting experiment, and the public would have no interest. Home 4K has less technical hurdles. Faster internet, h.265, large existing base of 4k material and seemingly inevitable consumer 4k display and acquisition would seem to point to a not so distant presence in the home. Price should come down dramatically. How soon till we have 4k in phone cameras? It seems the optics are more of a barrier now.

Sony subsidizing consumer hardware with content is reminiscent of RCA's approach with selling color TVs and providing color content on NBC.

If 4k does become common in the home, will it finally kill theatrical presentation? Or will the desire for a communal experience persist? I think it will force theaters to up the ante for quality.

I'd say processing power, memory speed and imager size are just as much of a barrier. That's a lot of data to process in such a little device and those little imagers will get quite noisy trying to process all that data at full frame rates. There's a reason why 4K cameras are still big shoulder cams.

I think we'll see 4K in DSLRs at least a few years before cell phones - and we're still a few years off before the first DSLR, mainly due to the memory cards. Even the fastest SD cards still have occasional buffering issues at 1080p. Unless compact card technology gets dramitcally better, cameras are going to need a lot of memory to buffer into.
Very true. It's likely that trend will continue and increase.

Of course, the CE manufacturers were all in on 3D, too...sometimes you win, sometimes you go off the cliff like Wiley E. Coyote.
Maybe Cinerama will make a comeback...

...or at least maybe we'll get "real" IMAX instead of "I-Min"...

FRIDAY's fast affiliate overnight prime-time ratings -and what they mean- have been posted on Analyst Marc Berman's Media Insight's Blog