Hot Off The Press: The Latest TV News and Information - Page 2801

Business/DVR Notes
CBS Would Be The Only Winner If TV Ad Ratings Include 7-Day Viewing: Analyst
By David Lieberman, Deadline.com - Dec. 12, 2012

Here’s the dirty little secret behind broadcasters’ campaign to change the way ads are sold — to include people who watch them up to seven days after they air (called C7), up from three (C3): It wouldn’t increase advertiser spending on TV. It would just change the proportion of sales that go to broadcast vs cable. That’s the main reason why Bernstein Research’s Todd Juenger says this morning that a new arrangement “would be largely a wash” for Big Media companies that have broadcast and cable networks.

The exception is CBS, which collects relatively little from cable ads. “Broadcast programming, especially primetime, is timeshifted more than cable network programming,” he says. TiVo data show that broadcast network commercial ratings would rise 6% in DVR homes while cable would be +4% if the sales period is expanded to seven days. (That includes ad zapping: Overall program ratings would rise 11% for broadcast and 8% for cable.) Since about half of all households have a DVR, that might translate into an overall increase in counted ad viewing of 3% for broadcasters and 2% for cable.

If you assume that advertisers wouldn’t increase their TV budgets, then a change that largely affects DVR homes would move about 0.5% of the $40B in national TV ad spending to broadcast from cable — about $115M. That’s “worth fighting for,” Juenger says. But not so much for companies that sell lots of ads on cable networks. No wonder “we will once again see CBS leading the charge in this fight on behalf of the broadcast networks.”

http://www.deadline.com/2012/12/cbs-tv-ad-sales-change-c7/

For "Take It All", the final round is similar to a defunct game show on GSN - Friend or Foe.

NFL released their playoff schedule....cbs/fox generally alternate timeslots each year so this years breakout is:

saturday jan 5 -- 4:30 nbc - afc or nfc / 8:00 nbc - opposite conference
sunday jan 6 -- 1:00 cbs / 4:30 fox

saturday jan 12 -- 4:30 cbs / 8:00 fox
sunday jan 13 -- 1:00 fox / 4:30 cbs

sunday jan 20 -- 3:00 fox / 6:30 cbs

Also dan hicks & mike mayock will do the nbc saturday 4:30 game.

TV Notes
Golden Globes TV Nominees: 'Game Change' 'Homeland' Score Most Nods
By Tim Molloy, TheWrap.com - Dec. 13, 2012

HBO's Sarah Palin-focused campaign movie "Game Change" scored the most TV Golden Globes nominations Thursday with five, followed by four for Showtime's "Homeland," this year's Emmy winner for best drama.

"Big Bang Theory," "Episodes," "Girls," "Modern Family" and "Smash" earned nominations for best TV comedy or musical, while "Breaking Bad," "Boardwalk Empire," "Downton Abbey," "Homeland" and "The Newsroom" scored nods in the drama category.

"Modern Family" and "Homeland" won in the categories last year.

This year's nominees in the main drama and comedy categories were similar to those of the Emmy Awards with some notable exceptions: While both the Emmys and Globes recognized "Big Bang Theory," "Modern Family" and "Girls," the Globes went with "Smash" and "Episodes," skipping Emmy picks "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "30 Rock" and "Veep." Showtime's "Episodes" aired this year after the Emmy eligibility period.

The Globes and Emmys had the same drama nominees, except that the Globes passed over Emmy nominee "Game of Thrones" for another HBO series, "The Newsroom," and also skipped "Mad Men."

The drama decisions are likely to bring head-scratching, but that's often the case with the unpredictable Globes. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which hands out the awards, is often accused of prizing celebrity over quality.

HBO was the most nominated network with 17 nods, followed by Showtime with seven. ABC followed with seven.

Among first-season shows, HBO's "Girls" and "The Newsroom" and ABC's "Nashville" seemed to impress voters the most. All scored two nominations each.

Besides the best drama nomination, "The Newsroom" earned a best dramatic actor notice for Jeff Daniels. "Girls" also scored a lead comedic actress nomination for star and creator Lena Dunham, as well as the best comedy nod.

"Nashville," meanwhile, scored nominations for lead actress Connie Britton and supporting actress Hayden Panettiere.

Here are all of the television nominees:

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

BREAKING BAD
Sony Pictures Television

BOARDWALK EMPIRE
HBO
Leverage, Closest to the Hole Productions, Sikelia Productions and Cold Front
Productions in association with HBO Entertainment

DOWNTON ABBEY: SEASON 2
A Carnival / Masterpiece Co-Production

HOMELAND
SHOWTIME
SHOWTIME, Teakwood Lane Productions, Cherry Pie Productions, Keshet,
Fox 21

THE NEWSROOM
HBO Entertainment

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES –
DRAMA

CONNIE BRITTON, "NASHVILLE"

GLENN CLOSE, "DAMAGES"

CLAIRE DANES, "HOMELAND"

MICHELLE DOCKERY, "DOWNTON ABBEY"

JULIANNA MARGULIES, "THE GOOD WIFE"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

STEVE BUSCEMI, "BOARDWALK EMPIRE"

BRYAN CRANSTON, "BREAKING BAD"

JEFF DANIELS, "THE NEWSROOM"

JON HAMM, "MAD MEN"

DAMIAN LEWIS, "HOMELAND"

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

THE BIG BANG THEORY
CBS
Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television

EPISODES
SHOWTIME
SHOWTIME, Hat Trick Productions, Crane Klarik Productions

GIRLS
HBO
Apatow Productions and I am Jenni Konner Productions in association with HBO
Entertainment

MODERN FAMILY
ABC
Levitan-Lloyd Productions in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television

SMASH
NBC
Universal Television in association with DreamWorks Television

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES –
COMEDY OR MUSICAL

ZOOEY DESCHANEL, "THE NEW GIRL"

JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS, "VEEP"

LENA DUNHAM, "GIRLS"

TINA FEY, "30 ROCK"

AMY POEHLER, "PARKS & RECREATION"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES –
COMEDY OR MUSICAL

ALEC BALDWIN, "30 ROCK"

DON CHEADLE, "HOUSE OF LIES"

LOUIS C.K., "LOUIE"

MATT LEBLANC, "EPISODES"

JIM PARSONS, " THE BIG BANG THEORY"

BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

GAME CHANGE
HBO
Playtone and Everyman Pictures in association with HBO Films

THE GIRL
HBO
A Wall to Wall, Warner Bros Entertainment GmbH, Moonlighting and BBC
Production in association with HBO Films

HATFIELDS & MCCOYS
Thinkfactory Media in association with History

THE HOUR
Kudos Film and Television/BBC America co-production

POLITICAL ANIMALS
USA NETWORK
Berlanti Productions and Laurence Mark Productions in association with Warner
Horizon Television

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION
PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

a. NICOLE KIDMAN

b. JESSICA LANGE

c. SIENNA MILLER

d. JULIANNE MOORE

e. SIGOURNEY WEAVER

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION
PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

a. KEVIN COSTNER

b. BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH

c. WOODY HARRELSON

d. TOBY JONES

e. CLIVE OWEN

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A
SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

a. HAYDEN PANETTIERE

b. ARCHIE PANJABI

c. SARAH PAULSON

d. MAGGIE SMITH

e. SOFIA VERGARA

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES,
MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

a. MAX GREENFIELD

b. ED HARRIS

c. DANNY HUSTON

d. MANDY PATINKIN

e. ERIC STONESTREET

http://www.thewrap.com/tv/column-post/first-golden-globe-nominees-announced-69131
Edited by dad1153 - 12/13/12 at 6:19pm

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)
CBS wins a down night for broadcast
'Criminal Minds' is one of few programs seeing gains, up 3 percent
By Toni Fitzgerald, Media Life Magazine - Dec. 13, 2012

On a night when a number of shows saw steep week-to-week or, in the case of NBC’s new game show “Take It All,” night-to-night declines, CBS pulled out a narrow victory over Fox.

CBS averaged a 2.7 adults 18-49 rating and 7 share for the night, with Fox right behind at 2.6/7. ABC wasn’t too far back with a 2.4/7 to take third place.

CBS’s top show, “Criminal Minds,” was one of the night’s few programs seeing gains, up 3 percent week to week to a 3.1. Earlier in the night the last “Survivor” before Sunday night’s finale drew a 2.8, off 3 percent from the previous week.

ABC had the night’s top show, “Modern Family,” with a 4.2, but that was down 11 percent from its most recent original two weeks ago.

Earlier in the night, ABC’s “The Middle” and “The Neighbors” fell to season lows of 2.1 and 1.6, respectively.

The 9:30 p.m. special “Barbara Walters Presents: 10 Most Fascinating People of 2012″ also slid, down 9 percent from last year to a 2.1. For the second time in three years, Walters named Gen. David Petraeus most fascinating.

On NBC, the new game show “Take” saw its average drop sharply following two nights of decent ratings behind the network’s top program, “The Voice.”

“Take” managed just a 1.1, half of what it drew Tuesday, but that was no surprise. Last night “Take’s” lead-in was a repeat of “Guys with Kids,” which average a mere 1.0 rating. Tuesday night “Take’s” lead-in was “Voice,” which averaged a 3.6.

Earlier in the night NBC’s “Whitney” grew 8 percent from last week to tie a season high at 1.4.

On Fox, “The X Factor” slid 7 percent to a 2.6.

With CBS, Fox and ABC out ahead, Univision finished in fourth in primetime at 1.5/4, NBC fifth at 1.2/3, CW sixth at 0.8/2 and Telemundo seventh at 0.6/2.

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 2.8 for “Survivor,” followed by Fox with a 2.6 for “Factor.” ABC was third with a 1.9 for “Middle” (2.2) and “Neighbors” (1.6), Univision fourth with a 1.5 for “Por Ella Soy Eva,” NBC fifth with a 1.2 for “Whitney” (1.4) and a repeat of “Guys” (1.0), CW sixth with a 1.0 for “Arrow” and Telemundo seventh with a 0.5 for “Rosa Diamante.”

ABC moved to first at 9 p.m. with a 3.2 for “Family” (4.2) and the start of its Barbara Walters special (2.3), followed closely by CBS with a 3.1 for “Minds.” Fox was third with a 2.7 for more “Factor,” Univision fourth with a 1.7 for “Amores Verdaderos,” NBC fifth with a 1.1 for “Take,” CW sixth with a 0.7 for a repeat of the “Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show” and Telemundo seventh with a 0.6 for “Corazon Valiente.”

CBS regained the lead at 10 p.m. with a 2.2 for “CSI,” with ABC second with a 2.1 for the conclusion of its Barbara Walters special. NBC was third with a 1.4 for “Chicago Fire,” Univision fourth with a 1.3 for “Amor Bravio” and Telemundo fifth with a 0.7 for “Pablo Escobar: El Patron del Mal” (0.8) and “El Rostro de la Venganza” (0.5).

Among households, CBS was first for the night with a 6.6 average overnight rating and a 10 share. ABC was second at 5.0/8, Fox third at 4.6/7, NBC fourth at 2.5/4, Univision fifth at 1.9/3, CW sixth at 1.5/2 and Telemundo seventh at 0.8/1.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/cbs-wins-a-down-night-for-broadcast/

* * * *

Nielsen Notes
Much talk, less walk for ‘The X Factor’

Next week “The X Factor” will declare its second-season winner. But creator and judge Simon Cowell is clearly the second-season loser.

The show, which airs an elimination episode cutting the finalists to three tonight at 8 p.m., once again failed to live up to preseason expectations.

“Factor” is not a disaster. It’s still Fox’s top-rated show in a limp fall season.

But “Factor” is a disappointment. It’s clear now that the show will never achieve the numbers Cowell promised based on the hype that surrounded its launch last year and its subsequent overhaul going into season two.

Cowell booted judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger along with host Steve Jones. Then he tried to amp up viewer interest by adding to the judging panel Britney Spears and Demi Lovato, both better known for their personal problems than their singing.

The strategy backfired. Ratings fell.

“Factor” has averaged a 3.1 in adults 18-49 on Wednesdays, according to Nielsen, down 18 percent from a 3.8 last fall. The Thursday episode is off even more, 24 percent, from a 3.7 to a 2.8.

Fox has already renewed “Factor” for a third season next fall. With this one losing steam (last week’s episodes managed just a 2.8 and 2.5), one has to wonder what Cowell will do to gin up interest next year.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/much-talk-less-walk-for-the-x-factor/

Critic's Notes
Silliness reigns with 2013 Golden Globe TV nominations that include 'Smash' & 'The Newsroom'
No 'Mad Men'? Hayden Panettiere?
By Alan Sepinwall, HitFix.com - Dec. 13, 2012

I ordinarily like to begin my analysis of the Golden Globe TV nominations by going on at length about the sketchiness of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and their complete disinterest in and lack of qualification for making any kind of judgment of American television.

This year, though, I think all I need to tell you is the following:

1)The HFPA didn't think "Mad Men" was one of the five best dramas on television in 2012.

2)The HFPA thinks "The Newsroom" was one of the five best dramas on television in 2012.

3)The HFPA thinks "Smash" was a better show than "Parks and Recreation" and "Louie."

4)The HFPA thinks Hayden Panettiere is giving one of the five best performances by a supporting actress in all of television.

So, yeah. The Golden Globes!

Do not attempt to find any kind of logic in their decision-making. Just enjoy the massive amounts of unintentional comedy they provide us, year after year after silly year.

For the sake of amusement, though, let's take a category-by-category look at their ongoing series nominations:

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Hayden Panettiere, "Nashville"
Archie Panjabi, "The Good Wife"
Sarah Paulson, "Game Change"
Maggie Smith, "Downton Abbey"
Sofia Vergara, "Modern Family"

Because the HFPA only cares about the TV nominations as an excuse to get more actors into the ballroom, and to help fill out the middle section of the awards show, they don't even bother with separate supporting categories by genre. Instead, you have a sitcom actress like Vergara competing against a dramatic actress like Panjabi and an actress in a TV-movie like Paulson. And you have them all competing against Panettiere, who isn't terrible on "Nashville," by any means, but fits the Piper Perabo/Keri Russell/Pia Zadora tradition of the Golden Globes being drawn to attractive young starlets whenever possible.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Max Greenfield, "New Girl"
Ed Harris, "Game Change"
Danny Huston, "Magic City"
Mandy Patinkin, "Homeland"
Eric Stonestreet, "Modern Family"

Nice as it may be to see Patinkin recognized by the HFPA when the Emmys didn't, this is a category that for some reason features Danny Huston — there entirely because he's part of a showbiz dynasty — over Aaron Paul, Jonathan Banks, Jared Harris, John Slattery and Peter Dinklage, to name just a few potential superior nominees from the world of drama.

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical

Zooey Deschanel, "New Girl"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "Veep"
Lena Dunham, "Girls"
Tina Fey, "30 Rock"
Amy Poehler, "Parks and Recreation"

This is an almost shockingly reasonable collection of nominees, particularly since this would have been a very easy place for HFPA to include Katharine McPhee, who fits their young beauty requirements and is part of a show they approved of otherwise.

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical

Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"
Don Cheadle, "House of Lies"
Louis C.K., "Louis"
Matt LeBlanc, "Episodes"
Jim Parsons, "The Big Bang Theory"

The HFPA loves movie stars doing TV (hence Cheadle), and they love inside-showbiz stories, particularly one like "Episodes" that's told from the point of view of foreigners struggling to understand the mysterious ways of Hollywood (hence LeBlanc). That Louis C.K. was nominated is, frankly, far more stunning than any of the year's goofier nominations, as his show is the exact opposite (small, cheap, intentionally grubby) of the sort of thing HFPA tends to go for.

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Drama

Connie Britton, "Nashville"
Glenn Close, "Damages"
Claire Danes, "Homeland"
Michelle Dockery, "Downton Abbey"
Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife"

HFPA never knew that "Friday Night Lights" existed, but now that Britton's in an inside-showbiz show? Come on down, y'all! Besides Mrs. Coach, it's a pretty straightforward collection of nominees, including Globe perennial Close for the final "Damages" season.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama

Steve Buscemi, "Boardwalk Empire"
Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad"
Jeff Daniels, "The Newsroom"
Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"
Damian Lewis, "Homeland"

This is the exact same list that the Screen Actors Guild gave us on Wednesday with their nominations.

Best Television Series - Comedy Or Musical

"The Big Bang Theory"
"Episodes"
"Girls"
"Modern Family"
"Smash"

Again, "Episodes" was practically designed to get Golden Globe nominations. and while the presence of "Smash" here over "Parks," "Louie," "New Girl" (which was nominated last year) and a host of other shows is dumb, you can take a positive spin on things by assuming it just took the slot that last year went to "Glee," and that it was the excellent "Girls" that kept any other comedies from crashing the party.

Best Television Series - Drama

"Breaking Bad"
"Boardwalk Empire"
"Downton Abbey"
"Homeland"
"The Newsroom"

And here we have it. The HFPA giveth, by finally acknowledging the overall excellence of "Breaking Bad" (until now, Cranston was the show's only nominee). And it taketh away, by elbowing "Mad Men" out of the category in favor of "The Newsroom," which gets in entirely because of its movie pedigree (Aaron Sorkin creating, Scott Rudin producing, Daniels starring, etc.). And "Game of Thrones" was also bumped after being nominated last year, while "American Horror Story" was shifted over to the movies & minis categories but still wasn't nominated there. (Only Jessica Lange.)

What did everybody else think? What was the most ridiculous omission or inclusion with these nominations?

http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/silliness-reigns-with-2013-golden-globe-tv-nominations-that-include-smash-the-newsroom

TV Notes
TLC orders 'Best Funeral Ever' reality show
By James Hibberd, EW.com's 'Inside TV' Blog - Dec. 13, 2012

EXCLUSIVE: TLC is ready to put the “fun” back into funeral.

The network has ordered a special/backdoor pilot, Best Funeral Ever, that goes behind-the-scenes of a unconventional funeral parlor.

At the Golden Gate Funeral Home, Dallas-based funeral director John Beckwith, Jr.works with the families to create a central theme for a memorial and then throws a wild party.

Examples include a Christmas-inspired funeral complete with reindeer, elves and snow, and a singer known for his famous rib sauce jingle remembered at a BBQ-themed funeral — including live pigs, praise dancers, and a BBQ sauce fountain where loved ones dip a ceremonious rib to say goodbye. “We’re going to make these families extremely happy at the worst moments of their lives,” Beckman says.

The special airs the day after Christmas, Dec. 26, and is produced by Park Slope Productions.

Here’s TLC’s trailer for Best Funeral Ever: [CLICK LINK BELOW]

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/12/13/tlc-best-funeral-ever/

BARF!

TV Notes
Campbell departs 'The Killing'
Actor off AMC show that is readying for third season
By Stuart Levine, Variety - Dec. 12, 2012

Though "The Killing" is returning to AMC next year, Billy Campbell will not be rejoining the moody drama.

During the first two seasons, Campbell played a Seattle city councilman who was elected mayor after being paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. His character, Darren Richmond, was thought to be involved in the murder of a high school student.

Although "The Killing" was originally canceled by the cabler in late May, the Fox Television Studios-produced show received a new life and now is readying for its third season. Showrunner Veena Sud and exec producers Dawn Prestwich and Nicole Yorkin are currently in the writers room working out the storyline for the new episodes.

Stars Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman, as a pair of Seattle cops, are very likely to return. Brent Sexton and Michelle Forbes, the grieving parents of the murdered girl, will not return.

There has been talk that Netflix will play a part in helping pay a portion of production costs and will stream the series following the initial run on AMC. Those talks are still underway.

Next up for Campbell is starring as the 16th president in "Killing Lincoln." The TV pic, to be aired by Nat Geo Channel in February, is based on Bill O'Reilly's bestselling book.

http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/silliness-reigns-with-2013-golden-globe-tv-nominations-that-include-smash-the-newsroom

Critic's Notes
I Pity ‘The Fool on the Hill’ Who Misses PBS’s ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ Double Feature
By David Bianculli, TVWorthWatching.com - Dec. 13, 2012

Friday on Great Performances, PBS presents a fab Fab Four double bill: Magical Mystery Tour, preceded by a making-of documentary. There’s also a new boxed set…

Put them all together, and it’s a feast for Beatles fans.

I’ve written about this before, but since then I’ve spoken with Jonathan Clyde, who runs Apple Films and produced the Magical Mystery Tour Revisited documentary that has its U.S. premiere Friday night at 9 ET on PBS' Great Performances, just before the 10 p.m. ET national premiere of the 1967 Beatles TV special itself.

“I’ve always loved Mystery Tour,” Clyde told me by telephone last week, “and I knew it was time that it was brought out of the attic, as it were, and rehabilitated… It’s always had this curious reputation. And I understand it — if you look at it, just on its own, you go, ‘How? What? What were they trying to do? How did this come together?’

“And we really felt there was a story to be told, which has never been told. No one’s ever taken that much interest in Mystery Tour... There aren’t many aspects of the Beatles’ career that haven’t been sort of gone over with a fine-tooth comb. And Mystery Tour has never really been examined.

“It’s a bit like the crazy uncle in the attic that’s kept locked up there.”

Its eccentric reputation came about, initially, because the 53-minute TV Magical Mystery Tour was broadcast by England’s BBC-1 on Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, as a major holiday special — but the BBC had no idea what was coming. The Beatles had delivered a free-form, experimental comedy with music — more trip than tour — complete with dream sequences and colorful hallucinogenic effects.

Unfortunately, BBC-1 broadcast only in black and white in those days, and the film’s general craziness, along with its monochromatic pallor, made it seem positively underwhelming in 1967, despite the inclusion of such songs as “I Am the Walrus” and the title song.

But look at Magical Mystery Tour anew — with a newly restored print and soundtrack — and it’s magical indeed. So is the Revisited documentary, produced by Clyde and directed by Francis Hanly, which goes into delicious detail. So much so that the one-hour Magical Mystery Tour Revisited achieves something unusual, if not unique: it’s a documentary about a film that ends up being longer than the film it’s about.

“That’s true,” Clyde admitted, laughing. “But we could have made a much longer film... As we dug deep into the Mystery Tour film archive, we kept finding more and more outtakes. There was a wealth.”

Clyde added, “There was so much we left out. But it would have been wrong to make a longer film.”

Especially since the decision was made to complement, rather than duplicate, things when it came to presenting extras for the Magical Mystery Tour deluxe box set. The documentary will gave you tastes — but only the boxed set presents, in their entirety, scenes cut from Magical Mystery Tour, including the jaw-dropping, fascinating, eerily entertaining “I’m Going in a Field,” performed by Ivor Cutler. (“I love ‘Going in a Field,’” Clyde said, adding, “It was wonderful to discover that.”) And a John Lennon-directed sequence which Clyde likens to Benny Hill.

And wait, there’s more.

Paul McCartney, who conceived and directed the original Magical Mystery Tour TV special, provides audio commentary on the Blu-Ray and DVD track, remarking on the movie he hadn’t seen since its original telecast.

“His memory was triggered by what he was seeing,” Clyde said. “Very natural.”

The box set also includes a double vinyl EP duplicating the original British mini-album release, and a deluxe picture book. The extras are great, and the movie itself is wild. But the documentary is a much shorter version than what you see on PBS — so, by all means, see it on PBS as well.

What could be better? I asked Clyde that question, put another way: What’s next?

“We’re not really sure what’s next,” he said of the next projects to be released in remastered form out of the Apple archives. “Let it Be will come one day,” he promised, referring to the long out-of-print 1969 movie documentary.

“One day, Let it Be will come. I know it’s the one everybody wants.”

http://www.tvworthwatching.com/BlogPostDetails.aspx?postId=3849

NFL news, a little belated.

1) Week 15 maps are up - http://the506.com/nflmaps/2012/wk15.html
2) San Diego Chargers game vs. Carolina Panthers blacked out locally in San Diego.
3) As I expected, Chargers@Jets on SNF in week 16 flexed out, replaced with 49ers@Seahawks.

Critic's Notes
Bianculli's Best Bets
By David Bianculli, TVWorthWatching.com - Dec. 14, 2012

WHITE CHRISTMAS
AMC, 8:00 p.m. ET
AMC continues its multiple showings of classic Christmas movies, by scheduling this 1954 Bing Crosby film in prime time both tonight and tomorrow night. The film is loaded with Irving Berlin songs, including the already famous title tune – and also is loaded with top-notch musical stars, including not only Crosby, but Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye and Vera-Ellen.

RAGING BULL
NBC Sports Network, 8:00 p.m. ET
Joe Pesci stands toe to toe with Robert De Niro in this fabulous 1980 Martin Scorsese drama – not in the ring, but out of it, in this story of boxer Jake LaMotta and the people around him, on both sides of the ropes. What a brilliantly acted, stunningly photographed movie.

FRINGE
Fox, 9:00 p.m. ET
To jog his impaired memory about his ridiculously complex plan to defeat the Observers, Walter does something else ridiculous: He takes LSD as a memory tool. Yeah, because that worked so well for people in the Sixties. And it doesn’t help that, under the influence, Walter looks out in the distance and thinks he sees… Emerald City. As in Oz.

GREAT PERFORMANCES: "MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR REVISITED"
PBS, 9:00 p.m. ET
Clear room on your DVRs. Here comes a double feature, both parts of which you’ll want to snag as part of your permanent video collections. First up is this one-hour documentary on the making, and the context, of Magical Mystery Tour, the 1967 Beatles TV special that was never shown nationally in the United States. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr offer new insights, and the filmmakers are generous with outtakes and other materials that make sense of it all. For my full review, and an interview with the documentary’s producer, see Bianculli’s Blog. And for a review of this documentary and of the Magical Mystery Tour special, check out Friday’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross on NPR. Check local listings.

GREAT PERFORMANCES: "MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR"
PBS, 10:00 p.m. ET
It’s restored, it’s vivid and, for Beatles fans, it’s Must-See TV: Magical Mystery Tour, the 1967 TV special filmed by and starring the Beatles, right on the heels of the Sgt. Pepper album. See John Lennon shovel spaghetti onto a woman’s plate in a restaurant – with an actual shovel. See George Harrison play the pavement – as a musical instrument – on “Blue Jay Way.” And again: For my full review, and an interview with the documentary’s producer, see Bianculli’s Blog. And for a review of this documentary and of the Magical Mystery Tour special, check out Friday’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross on NPR. Check local listings.

http://www.tvworthwatching.com/

TV Sports
HBO's Larry Merchant ending 35-year HBO run
By Michael Hiestand, USA Today - Dec. 14, 2012

HBO boxing analyst Larry Merchant, 81, will be ending his 35 year commentary run on HBO.

Merchant, whose contract is expiring, will make his last appearance on HBO's boxing season finale Saturday (9:30 p.m. ET).

But he insists he's not retiring.

Merchant, in a statement, says he'll "become a Tom Brokaw-like senior kibbitzer on major news and events in boxing. ... I'm looking forward to my new role and to new adventures in television, writing and the expanding media universe."

HBO Sports president Ken Hershman says, "We've been honored to have him as a colleague and he'll always be a member of the HBO family."

Merchant's colorful career includes telling boxer Floyd Mayweather on HBO last year that "if I was 50 years younger I'd kick your ass."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/boxing/2012/12/13/hbo-boxing-larry-merchant/1767611/

TV Notes
'Portlandia' returns in advance of third season
By Rob Owen, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Dec. 14, 2012

PORTLAND, Ore. -- When Fred Armisen stands before you dressed as a woman -- specifically, Nina, one of his characters from IFC's "Portlandia" -- it's difficult to conduct a serious interview.

Wearing a red wig, lipstick and a leopard print jacket, Mr. Armisen ("Saturday Night Live") didn't think twice about conducting an interview on the sidewalk in front of a suburban Portland strip mall in mid-September between filming scenes of the third season of "Portlandia."

The new season debuts with back-to-back episodes at 10 p.m. Jan. 4, but in advance of that, a new, bonus episode, "Winter in Portlandia," premieres tonight at 10:30 on IFC.

"I like wigs, I like these outfits," Mr. Armisen said. "Whichever way it goes gender-wise, it doesn't matter. Wigs, they really can transform you. If I put this wig on you, your whole personality changes with the wig. It immediately changes everything. Also, when I'm 90, I want to look back on my life and see pictures of myself in all kinds of wigs and know I enjoyed my life."

Mr. Armisen may be best known for his roles on "Saturday Night Live," but in the past three years "Portlandia" has developed a solid cult following as it skewers hipster-geek-liberal-Pacific Northwest culture. Mr. Armisen and his co-conspirators, co-star Carrie Brownstein and executive producer/director Jonathan Krisel, have initiated new catchphrases ("Put a bird on it!") and created a whole roster full of characters.

The sketch being filmed this warm September day is from the new season's third episode (airing Jan. 11) that tells a single story about Nina wanting her boyfriend, Lance (Ms. Brownstein), to celebrate her birthday.

Mr. Armisen filmed scenes in a salon at this strip mall, and he's preparing for another scene at a tuxedo shop where mustachioed biker Lance is getting fitted for what Nina considers appropriate party attire.

"You look so great, you look so elegant," Nina tells Lance, who objects.

"That's not a term you compliment a guy with," Lance says.

Although "Portlandia" episodes are outlined and even have what Mr. Armisen calls "a fake script" so network executives have some idea of where the show is going, individual scenes are largely improvised with multiple takes as the actors try different bits of dialogue.

This scene in the tux shop gets filmed eight times over the course of 90 minutes; only a small portion of what's filmed makes it into the actual episode.

"Nina's Birthday" is one of two in the third season of "Portlandia" to feature a single story, similar to the season two finale, "Brunch Village." In addition, the new season will for the first time feature some serialized story lines.

"We have this balancing act, which is we don't want to repeat ourselves, we don't want to do exactly the same format, but we still want to do the things people like about the show," Mr. Armisen says. "So we thought, what can we do to make it exciting for ourselves this year? We've never done a storyline that goes throughout the season. It's like a little challenge. It helps us. We don't go experimental; we just change it around enough that it feels like we're going somewhere. I think otherwise we're just sleepwalking, and we don't want to do that."

One of the stories involves the most grounded characters, Fred (Mr. Armisen) and Carrie (Ms. Brownstein), getting a new roommate, played by actress Chloe Sevigny, who is now in Pittsburgh filming the A&E pilot "Those Who Kill."

Mr. Armisen and Ms. Brownstein said they're able to poke fun at hipster-liberal culture in a way that's not mean because it's a subculture they know well.

"We come from those communities," Mr. Armisen said.

"One thing that keeps the show from being cynical or mean-spirited is we're not on the outside looking in and targeting people," Ms. Brownstein said. "We are these people. It's a world we love but also one we know parts of it can seem ridiculous. ... The DJ thing, for instance. For a while, every invitation I was given was from every one of my friends when they were DJing and even in my mind I thought, I could DJ. But then I'd stop and think, why is that a desirable thing to do? We know the ways these worlds can seem overly precious or obnoxious, but we're very fond of them."

Before the show's new season begins in earnest, tonight there's the "Winter in Portlandia" episode.

"We never really show Portland as the rainy city it can sometimes be with clouds overhead and raininess," Ms. Brownstein said in a teleconference with reporters this week. "We did deliberately write that episode and came up with ways of having the characters deal with the darkness and the dreariness of winter. It was an interesting way to make that episode distinct from the rest of the season."

Would the "Portlandia" characters ever be up for a visit to another city?

"We've thought about it a little bit," Mr. Armisen said. "For some reason I feel like it might be something to explore in Pittsburgh. I don't know what my backup is for this. Detroit seems like a weird, interesting city. So much great stuff comes from there. Minneapolis for some reason might be fun. Milwaukee is, like, a major city but just personally I'd like to explore what that would be about."

'Curiosity' blows up again

Earlier this year Discovery Channel's "Curiosity" (9 p.m. Sunday) crashed a jetliner in the Mexican desert. Now the show is crashing blimps in an effort to explain how the Hindenburg disaster actually happened.

Three replicas are built -- and destroyed -- testing three different theories of what brought the airship down.

Channel surfing

TNT's "Dallas" has continued in production and will debut on Jan. 28 as scheduled despite last month's death of star Larry Hagman, who played J.R. Ewing. TVLine.com reports the show's March 11 episode will feature J.R.'s funeral with guest appearances by "Dallas" regulars from the 1980s series. ... AMC's "Hell on Wheels" has a new showrunner, John Wirth ("V," "Fallen Skies," "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles"), and will air a 10-episode third season in the third quarter of 2013. ... The upcoming Netflix revival of "Arrested Development" has grown from 10 episodes to 12-15 episodes, according to Deadline.com. ... Don't blame the networks -- they only put on shows viewers will watch, like A&E's "Duck Dynasty," which drew 6.5 million viewers to its second-season finale earlier this month, breaking network viewership records. ... TLC has scheduled four new "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" holiday specials: Halloween (9 p.m. Jan. 6), Thanksgiving (9 p.m. Jan. 13), a new clip show (8 p.m. Feb. 10) and Christmas (8 p.m. Feb. 17). ... Comcast's Xfinity now offers more on demand choices with the addition of Streampix, a new content storage and distribution system, for former Adelphia customers. The service has been available for traditional Comcast customers since earlier this year. Details at xfinity.com. ... MTV's Jersey Shore" will have its series finale at 10 p.m. Thursday, and ABC's "Private Practice" will sign off for good on Jan. 22. ... TV Land has renewed "The Exes" for a third season and "The Soul Man" for a second season. ... Verizon's FiOS TV has added NFL Network and NFL RedZone to its online lineup, allowing subscribers to view programming online. ... WTAE-TV's 27th annual "Project Bundle-Up Telethon" raised $572,763, exceeding last year's total. ... WTAE weekend news anchor Shannon Perrine is expected to return from maternity leave next week.

Tuned In online

Today's TV Q&A column responds to questions about "Parenthood," Hulu Plus and "Great Performances" on WQED. This week's Tuned In Journal includes posts on "American Horror Story," "Downton Abbey" and "Amish Mafia." Read online-only TV content at post-gazette.com/tv.

This week's podcast includes conversation about SAG Award nominations, 20 years of Syfy and "Mel Brooks Strikes Back!" Subscribe or listen at http://old.post-gazette.com/podcast.

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/ae/tv-radio/tuned-in-portlandia-returns-in-advance-of-third-season-666310/
Edited by dad1153 - 12/13/12 at 10:17pm

TV Notes
Hatfields & McCoys Reality Show in Development at History Channel
By Tim Kenneally, TheWrap.com - Dec. 13, 2012

The History Channel is hoping it can strike gold twice with the famous feud between the Hatfield and McCoy families.

The channel is developing a Hatfields & McCoys reality series, which will revolve around modern-day descendants of the feud, a History spokeswoman confirmed to TheWrap on Thursday. Further details on the project were not immediately available.

It's hard to fault History for pursuing the project; its "Hatfields & McCoys" miniseries, which starred Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton as the patriarchs of the feuding families, premiered in May with 13.9 million total viewers, setting a new record for non-sports, ad-supported cable programs, and improved from there.

Also read: Charlize Theron Sells Hatfields & McCoys Project to NBC

The miniseries also scored a couple of Golden Globes nominations this week, in the Best Mini-Series or Movie Made for Television category, and also for Kevin Costner's portrayal of "Devil" Anse Hatfield.

History isn't the only network mining the Hatfields & McCoys vein; NBC is working on a project focusing on a modern-day version of the famous feud, with "Snow White and the Huntsman" actress Charlize Theron producing.

http://www.thewrap.com/tv/article/hatfields-mccoys-reality-show-development-history-69246

TV Notes
L.A. Reid Will Not Return for 'X Factor' Season 3
By Sophie A. Schillaci, The Hollywood Reporter - Dec. 13, 2012

L.A. Reid is leaving The X Factor.

The Hollywood Reporter has learned that the reality TV judge will not be returning to the Fox series for season three. The Epic Records chairman will return to his full-time gig of running the Sony music label, with plans to invest renewed energy and vigor into developing new and signed artists.

"I have the utmost respect for Simon Cowell," Reid said Thursday. "He is the very best, and I have had the opportunity to learn so much from him. Working with him on X Factor has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I'm honored to have sat on the panel with such incredible talent."

Reid was the first judge hired by Cowell for season one last year. He was also the only judge to survive a brutal X Factor bloodbath that saw fellow panelists Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger, as well as host Steve Jones, fired prior to season two.

After mentoring the boys during season one, Reid was placed in charge of the over-25s for season two. Although he initially was unhappy with the assignment, his mentee Tate Stevens has proved to be one of two front-runners to win the $5 million prize during next week’s finale.

"Of course, I will miss the show," Reid added. "In my opinion Simon attracts the best talent but I'm looking forward to getting back to my core business and the responsibility of running Epic Records."

It is not yet known whether current judges Britney Spears or Demi Lovato will remain on board for season three, which already had been given the green light by Fox.

Wednesday's semifinals episode of X Factor averaged 7.8 million viewers and a 2.8 rating among adults 18-49. Overall, the series' second season is down in the key demo of adults 18-49, dropping nearly 25 percent. This time last year, Live+7 numbers showed X Factor netting 4.6 on Wednesdays and 4.4 on Thursdays (4.5 overall), while the latest have it delivering just a 3.8 on Wednesdays and 3.4 on Thursdays (3.6 overall).

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/x-factor-la-reid-not-402231

I hope everybody's families are OK in the elementary school massacre in Connecticut. The media is having a frenzy right now, but they claim 27 dead including 18 children.

Edit: Off topic. My emotions are high right now. I just can not fathom this.

Sigh. Some people are just plain crazy.

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)
CBS logs another Thursday night victory
'Big Bang Theory' finishes as night's top show with a 5.4
By Toni Fitzgerald, Media Life Magazine - Dec. 14, 2012

CBS has seized the momentum on Thursday nights over the past month, earning another easy victory last night with all four of its shows growing week to week.

Also last night ABC’s surging “Scandal” set a series high for the third straight week.

CBS drew a 3.4 adults 18-49 rating and 10 share during primetime, according to Nielsen overnights, 48 percent ahead of No. 2 ABC.

“The Big Bang Theory” was once again the night’s top show with a 5.4 at 8 p.m., up 4 percent from last week and well ahead of the night’s No. 2 show, lead-out “Two and a Half Men” (4.2).

“Person of Interest” (3.0) and “Elementary” (2.3) also grew week to week, 3 percent and 10 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, ABC’s “Scandal” hit an all-time best of 2.7 at 10 p.m., winning its timeslot for the third straight week. ABC’s numbers may have been boosted by a football preemption in Philadelphia, one of the country’s largest TV markets, but the record will stand even if that rating falls a couple tenths.

On NBC, the new game show “Take It All” grew 9 percent over Wednesday’s dismal outing, to a still-low 1.2.

Both of Fox’s shows (“The X Factor” and “Glee”) were down 4 percent and 9 percent, respectively, from last week.

The CW’s “The Vampire Diaries” and “Beauty and the Beast” grew 13 percent and 14 percent, respectively, week to week among total viewers, to 2.74 million and 1.6 million.

For the night, ABC finished second to CBS with a 2.3/6, just ahead of No. 3 Fox with a 2.2/6. Univision was fourth with a 1.8/4, NBC fifth with a 1.0/3, the CW sixth with a 0.9/3, and Telemundo seventh with a 0.7/2.

At 8 p.m. CBS was well out ahead with a 4.8 for “Bang” (5.4) and “Men” (4.2). Fox’s “Factor” was second with a 2.4, followed by Univision’s “Por Ella Soy Eva” in third with a 1.7. ABC’s “Last Resort” and the CW’s “Vampire” tied for fourth with a 1.2 apiece. NBC’s back-to-back episodes of “Up All Night” took sixth with a 1.0, and Telemundo’s “Rosa Diamonte” was seventh with a 0.5.

At 9 p.m. ABC took the lead with a 3.1 for “Grey’s,” followed by CBS with a 3.0 for “Interest.” Univision was third with a 2.1 “Amores Verdaderos,” Fox fourth with a 2.0 for “Glee,” NBC fifth with a 1.2 for “Take,” and CW and Telemundo tied for sixth at 0.6, CW for “Beast” and Telemundo for “Corazon Valiente.”

ABC was first again at 10 p.m. with a 2.7 for “Scandal,” with CBS second with a 2.3 for “Elementary.” Univision was third with a 1.6 for “Amor Bravio,” NBC fourth with a 0.9 for “Rock Center with Brian Williams” and Telemundo fifth with a 0.6 for “Pablo Escobar: El Patron del Mal” (0.7) and “El Rostro de la Venganza” (0.5).

CBS was also first for the night among households with an 8.3 average overnight rating and a 13 share. ABC was second at 4.8/8, Fox third at 3.9/6, NBC fourth at 2.2/4, Univision fifth at 2.1/3, CW sixth at 1.4/2 and Telemundo seventh at 0.7/1.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/cbs-logs-another-thursday-night-victory/

TV Notes
Network anchors head to Newtown Conn. to cover school shooting
By Erin Stecker, EW.com's 'Inside TV' Blog - Dec. 14, 2012

After the tragic shooting in Connecticut today, the networks are readjusting their Friday night television plans.

EW has confirmed that ABC, NBC and CBS news’ broadcasts will anchor live from Newtown, Connecticut tonight.

CBS’ Evening News with Scott Pelley will expand to one hour, from 6:30-7:30, and be broadcast from Newtown. In addition, Pelley will anchor a primetime report also from Newtown from 10:00-11:00 p.m. ET.

Diane Sawyer will anchor a special one-hour ABC World News from Newtown, and Sawyer and Chris Cuomo will co-anchor a special edition of 20/20 at 10:00 p.m. ET, followed by an hour-long edition of Nightline at 11:35 p.m. ET.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/12/14/newtown-school-shooting-broadcast-anchors/

TV Notes
TV Land Renews ‘The Soul Man’ And ‘The Exes’, Taps Yvette Lee Bowser As ‘Soul Man’ Showrunner
By Nellie Andreeva, Deadline.com - Dec. 13, 2012

EXCLUSIVE: TV Land has closed the deal for a second season pickup of The Soul Man starring Cedric “The Entertainer” and Niecy Nash and has ordered a third season of The Exes. As part of The Soul Man renewal, the Hot In Cleveland spinoff is changing showrunners, with Yvette Lee Bowser (Living Single) replacing Phoef Sutton. The deal had been in the works for awhile, with Cedric pulling the trigger on the renewal news prematurely a month ago.

The Soul Man premiered in June as TV Land’s second highest rated series debut behind Hot In Cleveland among Adults 25-54 (1.0 rating) and Women 25-54. In total viewers, the series debuted to 1.9 million, behind Cleveland (4.8 million) and Happily Divorced (2.4 million). By the end of its 12-episode freshman run, The Soul Man lost its ratings momentum from the premiere but has done well among African Americans, posting a 3.6 rating in Adults 25-54 and averaging 1.4 million total viewers per week (in Live+7). The Exes, which averaged 1.2 million total viewers per week in Season 2, stars Donald Faison, Wayne Knight, David Alan Basche, Kelly Stables and Kristen Johnston. Both shows will return in June 2013 with 10 new episodes each. “We are so proud of these series and passionate about the characters,” said Larry W. Jones, president of TV Land.

Bowser will executive produce Soul Man alongside Cedric, creator Suzanne Martin, Eric C. Rhone, Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner and Lynda Obst. Bowser most recently served as a consulting producer on two other TV Land series, Happily Divorced and The Exes. The Exes is executive produced by creator Mark Reisman, along with Michael Hanel and Mindy Schultheis.

http://www.deadline.com/2012/12/tv-land-renews-the-soul-man-and-the-exes-taps-yvette-lee-bowser-as-soul-man-showrunner/

* * * *

TV Notes
‘Retired At 35′ Cancelled After Two Seasons

EXCLUSIVE: It is the end of the road for TV Land‘s comedy series Retired At 35. I’ve learned that the cable network has opted not to order more episodes of the series starring George Segal. Retired At 35 marks the first TV Land original series to get a cancellation. Its pilot was part of the network’s first pair of scripted pilots, ordered along with Hot In Cleveland. Cleveland was subsequently put on a fast track and is now airing its fourth season, with Seasons 2,3 and 4 in the 22- to 24-episode range after a 10-episode freshman cycle. Meanwhile, Retired At 35 aired a 10-episode second and final season this past summer for a total of 20 episodes over two cycles. It underwent creative changes between the first and second season, but ratings still dropped significantly as Retired at 35 lost its Hot In Cleveland lead-in during Season 2.

Airing behind the season premiere of Cleveland, Retired at 35‘s series debut drew 2 million viewers. Tasked with opening a new night of original programming for TV Land this past summer on Tuesday, where it was paired with Cleveland repeats, Retired logged 606,000 viewers for its second-season premiere in June. The other TV Land series have been renewed — most recently The Exes for a second season and The Soul Man for second earlier today.

http://www.deadline.com/2012/12/retired-at-35-cancelled-after-two-seasons/

TV Notes
‘Six Little McGhees,’ too too cute
The six babies in this OWN reality series are adorable, for sure
By Tom Conroy, Media Life Magazine - Dec. 14, 2012



In the internet era, we keep hearing of people who have achieved fame and wealth by posting a video. It's rarer for this to happen when people merely post a photo.

But when Mia and Rozonno McGhee posted a portrait of themselves with their infant sextuplets on Facebook, the photo went viral, leading to an appearance on "Oprah" and, now, OWN's reality series "Six Little McGhees."

Like the photo, the show takes full advantage of the kids' adorableness. As one of the few functional couples on either scripted or unscripted TV, Mia and Rozonno are pleasant to be with. But after watching the premiere, viewers may think they've seen enough cuteness and coping. Sadly, a family that seems built to last in real life may not have legs on TV.

The premiere episode, airing this Saturday, Dec. 15, at 10 p.m., opens with the family's story, which is inspiring. She was raised by a single mother; his parents were divorced; and both say they were poor growing up. They met in high school and were married before they were 20.

When the McGhees decided to have children, they had to use fertility drugs, Mia's first pregnancy ended with the loss of twins. The next time she was pregnant, they were shocked when the sonogram showed six little heartbeats.

"It was like 'Did I pray too much?' " says Rozonno.

The sextuplets had to spend time in the neonatal intensive care unit. The home video of the tiny babies wearing oxygen masks in their incubators is touching.

Now that they're home, the kids remain charming. We see all six of them sleeping in their cribs and bouncing off each other while playing in the living room.

Other shots convey what Mia and Rozonno are up against: The kids eat together at a big table with six highchair-like holes cut in the top. Sometimes all of them are crying at once. In a shot we see twice, one of the boys has a frightening runny nose.

Much of the first episode recaps the family's life as the children approach two years of age. After all the local news coverage and the "Oprah" appearance, they received donations from well-wishers, and they have four volunteers — three of them family members — who come in regularly to help.

Most of the volunteers have strong personalities: Rozonno's mother, Charmayne, calls herself Cilky Smooth. In the premiere episode, the focus shifts to them only briefly, but long enough to give us that sinking feeling that future episodes might include strained, purportedly comic subplots featuring the helpers.

The credit sequence also contains a slightly ominous note: Mia says in voice-over, "You just have to make up your mind that this is my life and I'm just gonna live it. This is our family."

Viewers might hear a faint echo of the opening sequence of another show about a family containing sextuplets, "Jon & Kate Plus Eight," in which the title couple said, "It may be a crazy life, but it's our life."

Like Jon and Kate, Mia and Rozonno are often interviewed while sitting together on a couch. Like Jon, Rozonno makes slightly sarcastic comments, and like Kate, Mia keeps her husband in line.

As far as verbal sparring goes, the McGhees are amateurs compared with the Gosselins, whose constant bickering was funny until it wasn't but remained compulsively watchable till they announced they were divorcing.

This show relies far more on the sextuplets. Every shot of them is arresting, even if none of the shots in the first episode has the impact of that Facebook portrait.

A weekly dose of cuteness and mild chaos might be appealing to some viewers, but most will need a little drama. Since what is good for the show will probably be bad for the family, it might be better if "Six Little McGhees" has a short run.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/six-little-mcghees-too-too-cute/

I was wondering where I had seen that before.

Maybe I'm weird, but I don't need the media to go wall-to-wall every time there is a multi killing. Today, not only did the cable news folks go 100%, but I read the OTA networks sent their anchors to CT for tonight's newscasts. Which I won't watch for that reason.

Sheesh. It's a a big story, but it's not the only news. And for the 99.9% of the population who don't know anybody affected, there is much other news. The local stations can do wall-to-wall coverage.

I'm really disappointed in the TV news media.

Which is why I won't watch any of this. My prayers are out for those who were involved, and I'm Turning off my Christmas decorations until Monday in reverence for them.

Yeah, you'd think they'd be bored with it by now. I mean, it's just 20 ~8 year olds gunned to death, what's the big deal?

.....and 24/7 of everything but the actual incident itself.

What they have on the actual story so far only takes up no more than five minute's time.

I'm watching and recording that "Magical Mystery Tour" special on PBS right now myself.
Edited by Rammitinski - 12/14/12 at 7:16pm