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Thursday, February 12, 2009
2/13: A look at TV ratings
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I used to do a lot more with TV ratings. I decided to look at the top 30 shows from a year ago and the top 30 this past week.
“American Idol” was the top show each year but there was a falloff in ratings year over year.
Last year, “Idol” drew 830,000 and 748,000 viewers respectively. This year, the numbers were 693,000 (-16%) and 710,000 (-5.1%).
“House” took an even bigger drop though, from 624,000 to 402,000 on the new night, a 36% drop. (In other words, “House” did not have the “Idol” lead in this year.)
The Grammys did see a big jump, from 396,000 viewers to 496,000.
“Lost” took a major dive, from 311,000 to 225,000.
A year ago also had a writers’ strike so shows such as Grey’s Anatomy (367K) and Desperate Housewives (348K) were in repeats. Interestingly, this year, one scripted cable show made the top 30 in Atlanta: USA’s Burn Notice drew 174,000 viewers, more than NBC’s “ER” or CBS’s “Without a Trace.”
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2/13: Tahmoh Penikett (Battlestar Galactica, Dollhouse) interview
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tahmoh Penikett, who plays Helo on “Battlestar Galactica,” came into Atlanta yesterday to promote the upcoming scifi show on Fox “Dollhouse,” created by “Buffy” guru Joss Whedon.
Penikett plays Paul Ballard, a loner FBI agent seeking the truth about the “Dollhouse.” The “Dollhouse” is a place where people are “wiped” of their memories and implanted with new ones for specific missions for rich and powerful people. Elisha Dishku is the main star.
I spoke with Penikett with only minimal knowledge of BSG but it’s clear from a TV Guide interview he wouldn’t have spilled any beans about the final four episodes of that show anyway. He told me he was a Canadian actor trying out for a smaller role when BSG started but they liked him and he became a regular. All he would say is it’s a “proper ending,” which will also include a straight-to-DVD movie.
Whedon is a fan of BSG and targeted Penikett for the FBI agent role. “That’s the reason I got the job,” he said. “He saw some similar qualities between Helo and Paul. They’re both really driven, motivated guys. With Paul, there is some inner darkness. I was the right guy to explore that.”
His character Paul faces resistance from the top to investigate the “Dollhouse,” but he continues to do so. He figures it has something to do with the Russian mob and human trafficking. In the first episode, we see the FBI brass mocking his desire to work on the case. Plus, we see him kickboxing in what appears to be a dream sequence. He also sticks a gun to the head of a Russian mobster in a club bathroom (nobody ever comes in during these scenes!) while the mobster is at the urinal. “He’s a little rule breaker,” Penikett said. “He’s a little bit of a lone wolf.”
He will eventually cross paths with Echo, the main dollhouse “active” who every episode gets implanted with a new persona.
I had to naturally ask if he’d been to Atlanta before. Indeed, he had been to Dragoncon twice as part of the BSG crew. “It’s surreal seeing 50,000 people all dressed up from Little Bo Peep to Superman,” he said. He also hung out with a couple of friends, actors Chris and Miracle Burns.
“Dollhouse” debuts on Fox at 9 p.m. Friday. For sci-fi fans, this clearly has potential though it’s not my cup of tea.
