Austin360 blogs > TV Blog > Archives > 2006 > September
September 2006
Debate over the gubernatorial debate
Wonder how many voting citizens will actually see the one-and-only televised Texas gubernatorial debate next week …
First of all, the debate is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 6, at 7 p.m. That just happens to be the Friday before the Texas-Oklahoma game in Dallas. And even if it weren’t the evening before a big, out-of-town football game, it’s still airing on a Friday, which is only slightly better than Saturday, the night Nielsen ratings practically disappear.
Second of all, the four candidates — Republican Gov. Rick Perry, Democrat Chris Bell, Republican-turned-independent Carole Keeton Strayhorn and independent Kinky Friedman — gave Belo Corp. exclusivity with a load of limitations.
In Belo markets (Austin, San Antonio, Dallas and Houston), only Belo stations can carry the hourlong debate live. In other markets, TV stations can pluck it off a satellite feed. But here in Austin, only KVUE Channel 24, which is owned by Belo, can carry the debate live. Other stations can use excerpts for their newscasts, but they cannot air the entire debate or stream it on their Web sites.
Why is there exclusivity for a political debate?
“We’re putting on the debate,” says Mike Devlin, station manager for WFAA, the Belo station in Dallas. “I’m spending lots of time on this, we —- the Texas Belo stations and The Dallas Morning News — are putting it on. We’re not going to go through all this time and expense to hand over our work and investment to competitors in the marketplace.”
Devlin points out that any station outside the four Texas Belo markets can air the debate live. And any TV or newspaper can send reporters to cover it and air excerpts from it.
Time Warner’s News 8 Austin is miffed and trying to stir up some opposition to it.
“We’re not allowed to air live, not allowed to tape-delay, not allowed to put it on video-on-demand or in its entirety on the Web site,” fumed News 8 news director Kevin Benz. “It’s our journalistic obligation to make this political discourse available to the largest number of people. I don’t think any of us are well-served by this kind of limitation.”
Devlin dismisses such criticism: “There were lots of proposals from other outlets for debates, and ours prevailed. Maybe it’s sour grapes.”
There is one exception to the rules: PBS stations in Belo markets, such as Austin’s KLRU, have the option of carrying the debate tape-delayed any time within four days of the actual event. But KLRU isn’t sure it wants to carry it.
“We’re still evaluating,” says KLRU President Bill Stotesbery. “It doesn’t really make much sense for us to run it again after KVUE has had it. Plus, we’re doing four ‘Texas Monthly Talks’ featuring hourlong in-depth interviews with the candidates throughout October.”
In other words, if you’re still mulling your choice for Texas governor, and you want to evaluate the candidates in a debate, you’d better get ready to watch or tape it next Friday on KVUE.
Permalink | Comments (7) | Categories: News coverage
Another Thursday battle: ‘Betty’ vs. ‘Earl’ and ‘Office’
Lost in the hoopla over “Grey’s Anatomy” versus “CSI” this fall is the battle about to take place between NBC and ABC in the 7 p.m. Thursday time slot.
In case you missed the results, by the way, “Grey’s” won the first round of the competition last week when the two shows launched their head-to-head competition Thursdays at 8 p.m.
Tonight at 7, the eagerly anticipated and lavishly praised “Ugly Betty” debuts on ABC, and it’s bound to land a body blow to NBC’s very good but modestly rated comedies “My Name Is Earl” and “The Office.”
What’s a quality-minded viewer to do? Record, record, record!
“Earl” and “The Office” are arguably the funniest, most inventive comedies on network television, but “Ugly Betty” is not to be missed. Yes, I’ve written about this show and this remarkable young Latina before, but they’re both worth highlighting on this, the day Miss Betty Suarez actually arrives.
It’s not just America Ferrera’s winning performance that makes “Betty” so much fun. Although, gee, she really is spectacular. It’s also the smart writing, the clever supporting characters and the overall look and feel of the show.
Obviously the premise is similar to “The Devil Wears Prada,” with Betty bumbling around a high-fashion magazine office where everybody but her is a size 2 and have fangs instead of teeth. (She has braces!) She’s hired to work for the editor because she’s the only applicant the flirtatious fellow is not likely to hit on.
Bright colors, cartoonish decor (think “Down with Love,” the stylish Doris Day-Rock Hudson rip-off starring Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor) and over-the-top characters — such as dragon-lady Wilhelmina, portrayed with drooling evil by Vanessa L. Williams, and her uber-fey assistant Marc, played to prissy perfection by Michael Urie.
But it’s Betty’s indomitable spirit and charm that will either keep viewers tuning in — or diving for the TiVo every Thursday at 7.
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My cheap thrill: ‘Dancing with the Stars’
My name is Diane, and I watch “Dancing with the Stars” There. I said it. Clearly I need counseling and support. We all have our dirty little secrets and guilty pleasures. ABC’s “Dancing” is mine.
I like the dancing, the music and the really cheesy comments from the hosts and judges. It’s like watching “The Gong Show,” except the contestants develop genuine talent.
Plus, I’ve always longed to twirl around a dance floor, preferably without falling down. Dancers have long legs and fabulous bodies. Let’s just say I don’t. My dancing is more like Elaine on “Seinfeld.” But I’d love to be able to two-step, tango, fox trot, etc. Chances of that happening are slim, so I watch other people strain muscles, sweat profusely and accomplish what I never will.
The show stretches out waaaaay too long — 90 minutes on Tuesdays for the actual dancing and another 60 minutes tonight (at 7 p.m.) for voting results. But, again, I can’t help myself. It’s one of those shows you can watch while doing almost anything else — and with TiVo you can zap through silly spots and commercials to winnow the whole thing down to about 15 minutes each night.
The new season’s contestants are already impressive, and we’re only a few weeks into the show. Who knew former Cowboy Emmitt Smith could be graceful? He didn’t have his best night last night with the tango, but, really, the guy’s got a great smile and some pretty good moves.
This season’s geezer/joke entry, Jerry Springer, is surprising everybody — including himself. He really did book a return flight for the first night of the competition. But viewers love his goofy attempts and so do the judges. What he lacks in skill he makes up for with an endearing grin and perpetual shrug. Last night he conceded he now hopes to make it to next week so he can learn to waltz for his daughter’s upcoming wedding. Awwwww.
Mario Lopez and Joey Lawrence are clearly the best male dancers, but their show-boating (Lopez broke every rule in the book in last night’s tango) have knocked their judges’ scores way down. They’ve got to be praying that voting viewers love them enough to compensate.
The hottest female hoofer is Vivica A. Fox, who bursts into tears every time she gets praise from the judges. When all that work pays off, she just can’t help herself … and that’s sweet to see.
The others? Monique Coleman does a pretty mean jive but has no chemistry with her uptight partner Louis Van Amstel, Harry Hamlin is so robotic he doesn’t even look human (smile, Harry!) and Willa Ford is, well, forgettable.
And then there’s country crooner Sara Evans, who has improved dramatically but has the unfortunate support of disgraced Texas politico Tom DeLay. Apparently with nothing else to do since leaving office, the Republican from Sugar Land sends out mass e-mails urging people to vote for Evans. The Hammer says:
“Sara Evans has been a strong supporter of the Republican Party and represents good American values in the media. From singing at the 2004 Republican Convention to appearing with candidates in the last several election cycles, we have always been able to count on Sara for her support of the things we all believe in. … One of her opponents on the show is ultra liberal talk show host Jerry Springer. We need to send a message to Hollywood and the media that smut has no place on television by supporting good people like Sara Evans.”
Jerry Springer can probably thank DeLay for keeping him around.
Permalink | | Categories: Reality TV
Austin’s Lone Star Emmy nominations
The regional Emmys, dubbed the Lone Star Emmys, announced their 2006 nominations this week, and Austin stations fared pretty well.
The station with the most regional Emmy noms? KLRU, our swell public television station that has been churning out more fine original programming than ever.
“Downtown,” the magazine show produced by KLRU and the Downtown Austin Alliance, picked up five Lone Star Emmy nods in various arts and entertainment categories, as well as the magazine category.
Two of KLRU’s public affairs series, “Texas Monthly Talks” and “Austin Now,” received nominations, and the original children’s show “The Biscuit Brothers” earned a nomination in the children’s programming category.
KLRU also received two nominations for “Texas Parks & Wildlife TV” and one for its station promos.
KVUE was nominated for best newscast among TV stations in the 26 to 60 market size. (We’re No. 51, by the way.) KVUE also picked up nominations for a feature news report by Kevin Peters, a political report by Lee McGuire, for news editing and photography.
Nanci Wilson of KEYE got a nomination for a health-science story, and KEYE’s Kim Miller was nominated for a human-interest story.
News 8 Austin picked up one for its dependable and comprehensive weather programming and another one for community service.
And Fox’s KTBC was recognized for graphics.
All in all, a good haul for Austin stations. The awards will be handed out in Houston on Oct. 21.
Permalink | | Categories: Local news
Good match! Fox News vs. Bill Clinton
The best thing on TV over the weekend was Chris Wallace’s combative, fiery and deeply compelling interview with former President Clinton.
Reactions to the exchange have ranged from shame-shame on Clinton for blowing his top to pooh-pooh on Wallace for ambushing his guest and grilling him disrespectfully.
Hogwash. This Sunday morning explosion that aired on Fox News was raw, honest and thrilling. There ought to be more of it on TV news — exchanges between reporters and politicians that are free-wheeling, passionate and unconcerned about careful scripting.
In case you missed it, Clinton dropped by Wallace’s show Sunday morning ostensibly to talk mostly about his Global Initiative Conference. What he got — which was entirely within Wallace’s purview to ask — was a heated grilling about the war on terror and whether the former president had done enough to try to capture Osama bin Laden.
Clinton forcefully defended his policies and actions; Wallace pressed for details. Wallace also pressed for an emotional reaction from Clinton and got one. Clinton got angry, really angry and asked Wallace why the same questions haven’t been asked of the current Bush administration. The two men leaned forward, poked at each other, raised their voices and really let go of the usual restraint.
President Bush had a similarly heated exchange with “Today” host Matt Lauer a couple of weeks ago.
What’s wrong with a little anger and passion from our leaders? And from the journalists who cover them? As long as it doesn’t descend into a shouting match where nothing is communicated (as happens all too frequently among so-called pundits), I think it’s good for viewers and good for political discourse.
Two new series arrive; only one is worth seeing
It’s Week II of the new TV season, and two more new series debut. In a nutshell, one sings and the other doesn’t.
On the singing side is the new CW network’s “Runaway” (8 p.m. tonight), a family version of “The Fugitive” that looks more like an independent film than a TV series.
Falsely accused of murder, patriarch Paul Rader (Donnie Wahlberg) uproots his family and hits the road, hoping to prove his innocence while he’s in hiding. The cast — including Leslie Hope as wife Lily, Dustin Milligan as brooding teen son Henry and Sarah Ramos and spunky daughter Hannah — are uniformly first-rate.
There are genuine twists and turns in this mystery-adventure, and the characters are so well-crafted you’ll actually care about what happens to them.
“Heroes,” on the other hand, couldn’t carry a tune if it tried. A cartoon starring real people, this NBC show — which bills itself as the season’s “most eagerly anticipated” (by whom?) and also airs tonight at 8 — is a major mess.
There are too many characters too sloppily presented, and the result is a hodge-podge of silly sci-fi with no dramatic thread.
There’s a too-cute cheerleader in Texas ticked off because she can’t hurt herself — by leaping off a bridge to the ground or by running into a burning building. She’s indestructible and miffed about it.
And there’s a New York artist who paints gruesome scenes from the future, a Las Vegas woman who exists with a mirror image of herself, a Tokyo office drone who realizes (to his great delight) that he can make time stand still and a man who thinks he can fly.
Adrian Pasdar is the only recognizable name in the cast, which wouldn’t be a bad thing if the newcomers were remotely interesting. They’re not.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Entertainment
Infighting with ‘Brothers & Sisters’ can be felt
The only major new series missing a review when our fall preview was ABC’s “troubled” new drama “Brothers & Sisters,” which premieres Sunday at 9.
The trouble began when the network decided to recast the role of the family matriarch, which was played by Betty Buckley in an early incarnation of the pilot — which was, inexplicably, only sent out to TV critics in Canada.
During the summer, network and studio execs decided Buckley’s aura was wrong for the show’s chemical mix, so Sally Field was brought in. Who doesn’t love Sally Field, right?
But the result of recasting meant lots of re-shooting, and while they were at it, the creative producers, including Ken Olin, decided to fiddle with a few other plot and character developments. And there were changes in the producing and writing team as well.
“Brothers & Sisters,” in case you’ve missed the saga of the “troubled series,” has perhaps the most stellar cast on the schedule this fall. Sally Field, Calista Flockhart, Rachel Griffiths, Ron Rifkin, Tom Skerritt and Balthazar Getty.
Flockhart, who plays a conservative radio talk show host, is the focal point. The others sort of orbit around her in a dysfunctional family business.
Given the cast and the producing pedigree, “Brothers & Sisters” has lots of promise. But the pilot, which was finally sent out last week, was a huge disappointment. It looks like it was edited in a blender, although there are individual scenes that are magnificent. Field and Flockhart are a dramatic duo, but overall, the pilot feels disjointed and poorly thought-out.
Nevertheless, it’s a testimony to the strength of the original premise and the incredible cast that I probably will watch at least a few subsequent episodes. If it still feels jumbled after a couple of weeks, that’s a wrap for me … and to think ABC moved “Grey’s Anatomy” for this.
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Docs (‘Grey’s Anatomy’) or bods (‘CSI’)? What’s your pleasure
Which will YOU choose? Sexy docs or gooey corpses?
Tonight’s the night when ABC’s newly relocated “Grey’s Anatomy” takes on CBS’s top-rated crime drama “CSI” with new episodes. The season openers for both air at 8 p.m.
ABC’s bold move of “Grey’s” from Sunday to Thursday was the big news of the fall schedule announcements in May. Forget cancellations, forget new series. “Greys’” versus “CSI” was the story.
The alphabet networks hopes to establish a hot new night of hits on Thursdays when the entire lineup is in place — starting next week with “Ugly Betty,” followed by “Grey’s” and wrapping up prime time with another newcomer, “Six Degrees.”
CBS claims to be the underdog in this competition even though “CSI” has been the No. 1 drama for years. When the challenge was first made by ABC, CBS seemed to have the edge, but the new season of “Survivor,” which launches Thursday nights has seen its once-huge ratings slip, and James Woods’ new legal drama “Shark” has not yet generated the hoped-for buzz.
Lurking in the background of the ABC-CBS duel is NBC, which has a surprisingly strong hit in “Deal or No Deal” at 8 p.m. and the eagerly anticipated return of the Emmy-winning comedy “The Office” at 7:30 p.m. And, although many of us are bored to death with “ER” after all these years, it has shown remarkable strength even in its dotage.
I predict “Grey’s” will win the first round tonight. The show has been all over the entertainment news all summer with speculations about Meredith and McDreamy’s impromptu romp in the operating room in last season’s cliffhanger and questions surrounding the future of Izzie’s medical career.
But in the long run, it’s going to be a real horse race between “Grey’s” and powerhouse “CSI.” One of those two shows just might emerge as the most consistently recorded show on network TV. We’ll keep tabs on that for you.
Permalink | Comments (6) | Categories: Entertainment
Mushroom cloud or kidnapping? Two good shows debut.
Nuclear holocaust or kidnapping? Take your pick or pick ‘em both in tonight’s new-season debuts.
First up (at 7 p.m.) is “Jericho,” CBS’ promising drama that begins with a mushroom cloud on the horizon near tiny Jericho, Kan. It’s oddly beautiful, rising above the horizon in a rainbow of light and color. It’s terrifying, haunting and strangely compelling.
This gigantic puff occurs just as Jake (Skeet Ulrich), our mysterious hero, returns home after being away for some reason that seems to require apologies and a bit of skulking. Before we get a chance to find out, all hell breaks loose.
Thus begins the unraveling of this “Lost”-inspired drama that also has a whiff of “Invasion” in its bloodstream. Paranoia and fear are rampant in Jericho, as we might imagine.
A lot is going on in the pilot — maybe too much — but subsequent episodes calm down and burrow into the mystery nicely. Gerald McRaney and Pamela Reed play Jake’s parents and prominent citizens of Jericho. Dad is the town leader and faces a near-riot of panic when the angry villagers begin lashing out at each other in the face of the apocalypse.
Who dropped this bomb and why? Where exactly did it fall? Is Jericho the lone surviving community in the country? With all power and communication gone, the folks of Jericho — and viewers at home — can only wonder. And wait until next week …
“Kidnapped” will grab you!
If it’s a dark and chilling crime serial you’re after, check out “Kidnapped,” one of my favorite new series this season. The NBC drama debuts tonight at 9, and if you watch the pilot, I guarantee you’ll be back for more.
Echoing the pace and single-theme notion of “24,” “Kidnapped” is about the abduction of a wealthy Manhattan prep school boy. His powerful socialite parents, Conrad and Ellie Cain, suddenly find themselves sinking into a mysterious netherworld as the abductors make demands and yank hard on their heartstrings.
Timothy Hutton and Dana Delany are spellbinding as the parents, and young Will Denton is terrific as their son, Leopold.
Jeremy Sisto, formerly of “Six Feet Under,” plays a rogue former FBI agent hired by the Cains. This lone crusader prefers to work alone, and the kidnappers insist on no involvement from law enforcement. Nevertheless, the FBI barges into the case, and Sisto’s character is unhappily reunited with his former FBI partner, played with startling intensity by Delroy Lindo.
Intriguing subplots involve the Cain’s troubled marriage and Leopold’s slightly wilder and older sister. And, of course, the true motive for the kidnapping seems much deeper than a mere ransom request. It’s too early to really know, but I smell a conspiracy in the highest corporate and political circles.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Entertainment
‘Smith’ — killers for heroes?
CBS’s new crime saga “Smith,” which debuts tonight at 9, isn’t about someone named Smith. The name, it is finally explained in the pilot, is what cops call anonymous suspects. Fine.
Thus Smith really is a guy named Bobby Stevens, played by Ray Liotta. He’s a mercenary thief who specializes in complicated, top-dollar heists. His lovely wife Hope, played by Oscar nominee Virginia Madsen, allegedly has no idea what he does for a living. But they have a happy marriage anyway.
As I said in our annual fall TV preview, the premise for this show seems old. In recent months we’ve had “Heist” and “Thief,” both about high-end criminals and the secret lives they lead.
But I will say this: “Smith” is a slick, glorious-looking production with a phenomenal cast. The camera work is innovative, and there are lots of really pretty cars. Maybe I’ll get over the been-there-done-that feeling I had watching the pilot.
Besides Liotta and Madsen, the show co-stars Shohreh Aghdashloo, an Oscar nominee for “House of Sand and Fog” but better known as a terrorist’s wife on “24,” plays the mysterious woman who sends Bobby on his jobs.
The heist crew also includes Amy Smart, Simon Baker, Franky G and Jonny Lee Miller.
The big question is whether viewers will embrace a bunch of murderous crooks as lead characters. Sure, Jack Bauer has his attacks of cold-bloodedness on “24,” but these guys are different. There’s no greater good that can justify their actions; they are, after all, simply thieves and killers.
In the pilot, they raid an art museum on Pittsburgh at the behest of a wealthy client. Along the way, our “hero” shoots an innocent museum guard in cold blood. In another scene, a main character kills two beach bums for touching his surfboard.
Are we ready to cheer for these heroes? I’m not so sure. Maybe … “The Sopranos” made a success of this type of heroism.
All rise! Denny Crane is back!
On a happier note, “Boston Legal” is back with a vengeance, at 9 tonight on ABC. Denny Crane is up to his old tricks, making inside jokes in the first two minutes of the opening episode and making a pass at a new member of the firm’s legal team.
In keeping with creator David E. Kelley’s love of the bizarre, the episode also features a cross-dressing man, a beautiful little person and a twisting murder case. It’s nice to see some things never change.
Permalink | | Categories: Entertainment
‘Studio 60’ really is Must-See TV!!
This week marks the official start of the fall TV season, and there’s plenty of new stuff to like. There’s a good deal to ignore as well, but let’s focus on the good news, shall we?
I liked so many new shows during my marathon summer preview that I began to worry that my standards had slipped.
One of my favorite newcomers is NBC’s “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” which debuts tonight at 9. From “West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin, it is fast-paced, smart, funny and pretty darn close to brilliant. I was hooked after the first five minutes, and it got better from there.
The focus of the show is a TV writing-directing duo, played by Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford, who are brought in to save a troubled late-night comedy show that’s the spitting image of “Saturday Night Live.”
In tonight’s opener, the show’s executive producer, played by guest star Judd Hirsch, goes to war with a network executive over a sketch the network wants gutted. The producer puts himself on the air and, in a rant reminiscent of “Network,” tells viewers the show is going to be awful, so “Turn off your sets!”
Not surprisingly, the producer guy is fired the minute the cameras are off. Against corporate wishes, the new network entertainment chief, played by Amanda Peet, hires the Perry-Whitford team to save the show. Steven Weber plays the cold-eyed, bottom line corporate guy to steely perfection.
“Studio 60,” I’m sure you’ve heard, is one of two new NBC series inspired by “SNL.” The other is Tina Fey’s comedy “30 Rock.” One is a comedy-drama; the other is a rather standard sitcom. The two really are nothing alike. One is really exceptional (“Studio 60”); the other is a slightly better-than-average comedy. You won’t be confused.
“I’m gonna take Tina’s show and write twice as many words,” Sorkin joked last summer when asked how his show would be distinguished from Fey’s.
But seriously, Sorkin continued, “At its heart, our show is the same thing as ‘The West Wing.’ It’s about a group of people committed to professionalism and to each other. We’ve just tooled it up to deal with issues of the culture wars instead of political wars.”
There is some concern that a Sorkin-written, behind-the-scenes series about a TV show might be “too inside” for the mass audience. But Sorkin insists it’s no different than the realistic dramas about cops, doctors and, yes, politicians. I think he’s right on that score.
Sorkin famously got himself in hot water at NBC with late-arriving “West Wing” scripts and left the show several seasons before its end. He has hired a large writing staff this time around, and instead of trying to write every script himself, he plans to share the burden.
“Hopefully that will prolong the time it takes for the wheels to fall off the wagon,” Sorkin said. “Doing a TV series is like running until you die. There’s really nothing you can do to make it easy that won’t make it bad, and the schedule ferocious.”
But when the end result is something like “Studio 60,” the effort is worth the pain. Check it out.
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More fun and sex on ‘Desperate Housewives’
If you were one of the millions of “Desperate Housewives” fans who found last season woefully inadequate, I’ve got good news.
The new season, which begins Sept. 24 at 8 on ABC, marks a return to the dark comedy and outrageous plot twists that made the show a hit in the first place. The opening episode offered up for preview is resplendent with shocks, guffaws and good-old fun.
Creator Marc Cherry spent the summer apologizing for last season, which skidded off track on a number of levels. The worst development was bringing in the mysterious Applewhite family. Alfre Woodard’s enormous talent was wasted on that son-in-the-basement mess, and Austin’s own Mehcad Brooks as the hunky son not in the basement never got a chance to shine. The writers did a big disservice to the cast and the fans in that basement.
The Applewhites are gone now, and all is right on Wisteria Lane. The saga begins six months after we left them.
Mary Alice’s suicide is no longer a mystery, although she continues to narrate the neighborhood melodrama. The new mystery is an apparent murder (is anything really certain on Wisteria Lane) that threatens to unravel a new romance.
Bree, brilliantly played by Marcia Cross, is the light and dark of this particular installment. She has a new love now, the oddly creepy dentist played by Kyle MacLachlan. One hilarious scene finds Bree overcome by lust after seeing her new guy work some miracle cure on her spotted crystal glasses. When he begins a romantic, uh, interlude that she finds shocking, Bree sits bolt upright and announces, “I don’t do that! I’m a Republican.” He forges ahead and Bree is, shall we say, overcome by the result. So much so that she races to her doctor to find out what happened.
Meanwhile, Gabriella is forced to take care for her former housekeeper-turned-surrogate Xiao Mei as her marriage to Carlos collapses. Susan meets a new guy who, like her, is tending to a comatose lover in the hospital. Mike, you may recall, was run down in last season’s cliffhanger.
And Lynette goes to war with the mother of her husband’s illegitimate daughter. You’d scream the battle cry, too, if your spouse’s lover squirmed her way into the family Christmas photo.
Laurie Metcalfe joins the cast as a nosy neighbor who threatens to ruin Bree’s new happiness.
There are equal parts hilarity and mystery … in other words, “Desperate Housewives” has recovered from last season’s malaise.
Fox 7 kicks off ‘Hometown Fridays’
All our local stations do a fine job of covering high-school football on Friday nights, but KTBC Fox 7 has decided to stretch the Friday games into an all-day affair.
Morning, noon and nighttime news on Fridays will feature coverage of events leading up a featured game between two local high-school communities. Today the focus is on the game between San Marcos High and Pflugerville High. Next week the light will shine on Llano versus Taylor. A complete schedule is posted on Fox 7’s Web site.
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New ‘24’ — let the countdown begin!
We’re still months away from the next horrendous day in the life of Jack Bauer, but Fox is already seeping out a few juicy tidbits about the next season of “24.”
When last we saw Jack, he was on a slow boat to China being roughed up by Chinese agents. When the new season begins in January, Jack will have survived all that nonsense, and we’ll be 20 months removed from last season’s finale.
Here’s the stunner: Wayne Palmer, brother of assassinated former President David Palmer, is the new commander in chief! It was either a quick election after the disastrous presidency of treacherous President Logan or a remarkable coup.
Anyway, yet another terrorist crisis will emerge requiring the services of CTU, which President Palmer The Second calls to action. In the early going, Jack is a wild card but eventually will be brought back into the fold with the returning team — minus Edgar, of course. I’m still not over his death.
Joining the cast in January will be James Cromwell as Jack’s long-lost father. The estranged dad no doubt will have dark secrets. Also joining “24” in the sixth season will be British comic Eddie Izzard (as an evil-evil villain), Peter MacNicol and Regina King.
Not buying ‘Survivor’s’ race war
When is a red-hot controversy really just a stone-cold publicity stunt? When it’s “Survivor” toying with racism.
The long-running reality show begins its 13th edition tonight at 7 on CBS with the tribes divided along racial and ethnic lines. Much has been written about how groundbreaking and bold this is and how the sparks are gonna fly.
What will happen, the breathless promos wonder? Well, since these shows are all filmed months before they air, creator-producer Rob Burnett knows exactly what happens. And trust me, if all hell really did break loose, the show wouldn’t air.
Oh, there’ll be some tension and maybe even a little name-calling. But don’t look for any major dramatics or meltdowns. Which is a good thing, but dangling the possibility of a race war to get ratings is just plain tacky. Not to mention irresponsible.
New Spanish-language package … for a price
Time Warner Austin is launching a new “suite” of Spanish-language networks today that includes 12 channels previously available on the TV Internacional tier plus a dozen new channels.
Dubbed Nuestra Tele, the service is available to digital customers for an extra fee ranging from $6.95 to $9.95, depending on your existing cable service.
The new channels include Toon Disney en Español, Boomerang en Español, SiTV, Canal 24 Horas and DocuTVE. The total package includes movies, telenovelas, music, sports, news and children’s programming.
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Vieira Era arrives on ‘Today’
Meredith Vieira debuted this morning on “Today,” stepping into the physically petite but symbolically enormous designer shoes of Katie Couric.
If you’re just coming out of a coma, Couric left “Today” at the end of May and began anchoring the “CBS Evening News” on Sept. 5.
As soon as the hysteria and effusive promotions die down, Vieira will be fine. She’s smart, earthy, comfortable on the air and has the advantage of a solid reporting background thanks to her many years on CBS News.
While Couric is the perky next-door neighbor, Vieira is the good-ol-gal you’d like to have a beer and a chat with. Maybe share an off-color joke with.
“I’m going to be ‘the broad’ in broadcasting,” she told viewers with a throaty chuckle.
The introductions and praise this morning were lavish … over-the-top, really. It’s hard to imagine the down-to-earth Vieira found it enjoyable.
“Nightly News” anchor Brian Williams presented Matt Lauer’s new partner with a bouquet of flowers. There was a tribute from her former “View” mate Barbara Walters and a fuzzy profile of Vieira that included clips from her early days as a reporter in Providence, R.I.
Vieira told viewers she felt as if “it’s the first day of school, and I’m sitting next to the cutest guy.” Not long after batting her eyes at Lauer, she smeared cake icing on his nose.
Television’s most popular and profitable morning show unveiled its new HD-ready studio for the occasion — a blindingly white decor that, really, needs a little brown or yellow to tone it down. Sunglasses should have been handed out.
Between the tributes and jokes, Vieira de-briefed NBC Washington bureau chief Tim Russert about President Bush’s speech on Sept. 11 and the political outburst that followed from the Democrats.
Vieira, whose daily schedule will begin around 3 a.m. and end around 8 p.m., plans to continue hosting the syndicated game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” Hard to imagine that’ll continue, however. A married mom of three, she’s got to have some down-time somewhere. There’s not enough coffee in the world to make that plan work.
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Anne Heche finds ‘Men in Trees’ tonight
“Men in Trees” stars Anne Heche as Marin, a jilted relationship expert who moves from chic New York to rural Alaska where there are, as the title implies, men everywhere.
It debuts tonight at 9 and then moves to its regular time slot Fridays at 8 p.m.
She decides to study their curious behavior as the basis for a new self-help book. It’s a fish-out-of-water story with obvious similarities to another sweet little series set in Alaska more than a decade ago.
Think of “Men in Trees” as “Northern Exposure” from a woman’s point of view. And that’s a good thing. I see nothing wrong with echoing something that was enjoyable — as long as the copycat has its own soul and personality. Which this one does.
Heche’s Marin has shades of Rob Morrow’s Dr. Joel Fleischman. She’s a city girl plopped down in the relative wilderness where people might not be sophisticated from a martini perspective but who have a lot more going on beneath the surface than they appear. She’s more innocent and less cynical and snobby than Fleischman.
In tonight’s opener, Marin is introduced as a wildly successful self-help author and romance coach who is the toast of Manhattan. She is engaged to a handsome man and living the city-life dream.
But on a trip to the tiny town of Elmo, Alaska, to deliver a lecture, she finds out that her man is cheating. Crushed, she decides she’s no longer qualified to give advice. After doing battle with a raccoon that insists on living in her hotel closet, Marin takes a deep breath, wobbles around on a bicycle and falls in love with Elmo.
If you’re a relationship coach in a romantic crisis, what better place to escape to than a town with 10 men for every woman? Of course the men are quirky, cute and bearlike. One of them is destined to become Marin’s new love, but we’re not sure which one — although she does wind up skin-to-skin with a super-handsome guy played by James Tupper. This night-long hug is ostensibly to stay warm after plummeting through the ice on a lake. No sex … just the possibility.
Heche is a phenomenally likeable and talented actor whose skills have been overshadowed by her personal problems. She came clean in her autobiography, “Call Me Crazy,” which chronicled her dalliances with alien abduction, multiple personalities and lesbianism.
Interviewed in Los Angeles last summer, Heche seemed happy and grounded — and anxious to put to rest the craziness that nearly de-railed her career. If “Men in Trees” succeeds, it will be because her talent has indeed trumped her troubles. Personally, I’m pulling for her — and for the show.
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Readers ticked about ‘The Path to 9/11’ … and me!
I’ve been accused of a lot of things in the 27 years that I’ve been a TV critic at the American-Statesman, but “right-wing fanatic” has never been on the list. Now, apparently, it is. And my Yellow-Dog Democrat dad is going to be sooooo ashamed.
It’s interesting that my positive review of ABC’s “The Path to 9/11” stirred such a response. Knee-jerk reactions come from the right and the left — in case there was ever any doubt.
One irate reader/viewer called my office phone seven times before and during last night’s Part 1 of the two-part docudrama about events leading to the terrorist attacks. Happily I was home and did not receive the calls. Another woman called twice to accuse me of being a “Clinton hater” and insisted that I must be “on Bush’s payroll.”
I’ve now seen the entire production twice — once before ABC’s quick-turn re-edits on Friday and once after. I tend to disregard criticism from people who have not seen the film at all before they have a fit about it. I will take more seriously the comments that come my way today and tomorrow — assuming the callers have actually watched the program. I always ask, by the way.
I still think the overall message of the film is that the U.S. government, through two administrations, failed to protect the United States from known terrorist plots. I still think it is a phenomenally powerful film, a cautionary tale that should be required viewing for one and all.
Oh, and by the way … I am not now, nor have I ever been, on Bush’s payroll.” I get my weekly allowance from the American-Statesman and no one else.
Bush talks to America tonight at 8
At the risk of once again being accused of flaking for the prez, I feel compelled to remind you that President Bush is making a prime-time address tonight at 8 from the Oval Office. If nothing else, the political interruption may mess up your pre-set TiVo for other programming.
Bush will no doubt tell us we are much safer now than we were five years ago, and he will tell us that he is committed to continuing the war in Iraq. Big surprise.
White House press secretary Tony Snow said the address is expected to run 16 to 18 minutes and will not be political. When was the last time a president gave a speech that wasn’t political? Can’t remember. Anyway, adjust your viewing schedule accordingly.
A bumpy road on ‘The Path to 9/11’
So much for liberal bias in the media, huh?
ABC’s spectacular two-part docudrama, “The Path to 9/11,” is embroiled in controversy stirred up by Democrats who claim the Clinton administration is unfairly portrayed.
Republicans had a fit in 2003 over perceived negativity in the CBS bio-pic “The Reagans,” which was pulled from the network and shipped off to cable’s Showtime.
This time around, aides to former President Clinton are miffed that they come off as soft on terrorism. The film implies they didn’t take the threat of al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden seriously enough when they had the chance.
The movie is based on the official report of the bipartisan 9/11 Commission, headed by Republican Thomas Kean, former governor of New Jersey. Kean also served as a script consultant for the film project.
The film even includes Clinton’s infamous “I did not have sex with that woman” press conference clip — not once, but twice. The point? To make the case that the Democrats were so distracted by the pending impeachment during the Monica Lewinsky scandal that they didn’t pay close enough attention to bin Laden.
But it should be noted — and viewers will surely see — that the Bush administration also comes off in the movie as ill-informed and inept. There’s plenty of blame to go around. The point that’s being made is that our government’s failures leading up to the terrorist attacks (from 1993 to 2001) were both bipartisan and horrendous.
“The Path to 9/11” is a docudrama, with some scenes created for dramatic effect. That’s standard procedure with docudramas. The goal is to have the scenes reflect a general situation, if not a specific person or comment.
ABC today is said to be re-evaluating and in some cases re-editing a couple of the offensive — and possibly inaccurate scenes. One scene being reviewed has then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright apparently obstructing efforts to capture bin Laden by insisting that Pakistan be informed of the plot.
Kean promoted the film when he met with TV critics in Los Angeles in July. As the controversy bubbled up Thursday, Kean said he stood by the “essence” of the film because he hopes it will draw attention to the commission’s security recommendations that still have not been implemented.
The whole kerfuffel is sure to call attention to the five-hour movie, which is scheduled to air Sunday and Monday nights. And maybe that’s a good thing. At this late date, it is highly unlikely that ABC will pull the film — especially now that it’s practically guaranteed an even bigger audience.
(Check out my review/preview of “The Path to 9/11” in Sunday’s Life & Arts section.)
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A baby for Bree on ‘Desperate Housewives?’
Here’s a real-life situation that’s almost certain to turn up on TV as a sweeps-worthy plotline:
Marcia Cross, who married stockbroker Tom Mahoney in June, is pregnant. On “Desperate Housewives,” she plays uptight Bree Van De Kamp, who was heading toward a romance with creepy Orson, played by Kyle MacLachlan, when last we saw her in May.
The buzz on the set this summer is that creator Marc Cherry plans to have Bree and Orson tie the knot soon. Ergo, Bree will get pregnant and undoubtedly have a baby in the February or May sweeps. Cross, 44, is due in April, and since she’s so incredibly svelte, it seems impossible to imagine that her pregnancy will be “hidden” with careful staging and camera work.
Paris drunk? How can you tell?
So. professional celebrity Paris Hilton was arrested early this morning in Los Angeles for DUI. Her agent claims she had but one margarita at the end of a long day; the LAPD says otherwise.
My question is this: How can anyone possibly tell if Paris Hilton is under the influence? She always seems unsteady on her spikey-heeled feet to me, and she slurs her words because of all that lip gloss. Driving erratically, walking erratically … how is that different from when she’s sober? Or do we know what Paris looks like when she’s sober?
Hilton, 25, allegedly failed a field sobriety test and a Breathalyzer. Her spokesman insists she was at the legal limit for blood-alcohol at 0.08 and that she showed no signs of intoxication.
“Entertainment Tonight” will have a field day with this, and we can all look forward to seeing that definitive police video.
Surprise! Katie’s debut was No. 1!
Katie Couric’s obsessively ballyhooed debut as anchor of the “CBS Evening News” scored boffo ratings on Tuesday night, catapulting the usual third-place news network into No. 1 — for the night.
CBS says 13.59 million people watched Couric in her solo debut. Not since CBS had the Winter Olympics in 1998 has the network attracted that big an audience to its news.
NBC News, which is usually the top-rated network news, was second with 7.76 million viewers, followed oh-so-closely by ABC with 7.58 million.
We won’t know until next week, however, whether Couric will be able to hold onto No. 1. It’s safe to assume at least a couple of million tuned in just to see how she would do and will return to their regularly favorite newscast pretty soon.
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Katie’s debut: one last look …
The launch of Katie Couric as the First Female Anchor of a Network Newscast last night is still buzzing around the watercooler. Maybe once people see she’s going to be doing this every night, they’ll stop yammering about her. Or not … The Katie craze is relentless.
Judging by our readers, Couric’s arrival on the “CBS Evening News” last night was not exactly a slam dunk.
“It pained me,” wrote MJL of Austin. “I felt like I was watching one of those chatty morning news shows. What was with her sitting cross-legged in front of her desk while she talked to that reporter? It all seemed so lame. What about that ‘Free Speech’ segment? Yuck!”
A local academic ripped off a lengthy diatribe, beginning with: “Never did I think I would feel embarrassment for a network, but never in my decades of media consumption have I seen anything so shameful and silly than the Couric version of the CBS ‘news’ this evening.”
More than a few folks commented on Couric’s daytime talk-show style, mentioning that she couldn’t seem to decide whether to stand, sit, wander or lean.
Others took the sexist route — which, of course, I lunged into myself — and lambasted her fashion sense. I’m a short person myself, and even as a relatively anonymous newspaper writer, I know enough about what the TV camera can do to you. Wearing a short white jacket just cuts you in half. Seriously. Plus, as one of my colleagues snipped, “White after Labor Day … really.”
Beyond the totally superficial, however, there was the sense that CBS News has indeed turned the corner from straight hard news to curvy soft stuff. Baby pictures, extraneous rants, casual seating and chatting, leg flashing. It really did look more like “Today” or “The View” than the “CBS Evening News.”
According to behind-the-scenes folks, Couric downed a martini after her debut — handed to her the minute the cameras cut away. Relief? Celebration? Drowning her sorrows?
Judging Couric on her opening night performance probably isn’t fair. After all, she was just reading the TelePrompTer and doing what had been rehearsed for weeks.
The true test of her anchoring chops will come when big breaking news happens. Then we’ll know if Couric is up to the job.
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‘Nip/Tuck’ slices back to life
“Nip/Tuck” opens its fourth season tonight with gruesome plastic surgery, the birth of Sean and Julia’s handicapped baby, Christian (who’s beginning to wonder if he’s gay) getting liposuction on his lunch hour and terrific guest stints by Larry Hagman, Kathleen Turner and Brooke Shields.
The episode airs at 9 tonight on FX. Next week’s (yes, good old FX sent out two for preview) equally fabulous features turns by Richard Chamberlain (who is no stranger to a bit of nip-and-tucking) and Jacqueline Bisset (who hasn’t had “work” but looks terrific nonetheless).
Some fans felt that last season was a bit of a dud, what with all the family melodrama, shocking transgender stuff and revolting murders going on. Some episodes were indeed a tad over the top.
But “Nip/Tuck” is shocking by definition, and tonight the series returns with a bang. Yes, it’s still a lavishly filmed and scored soap opera, but at least there’s nobody slashing women from stem to stern. That’s a relief.
Hagman plays a billionaire who has had prostate cancer and now wants to have testicle implants “the size of kiwis.” Shields plays Christian’s therapist, who is prompting to wonder about ‘the gay thing.” And Turner plays a phone sex mistress who wants a “voice lift” because she’s starting to sound like a man.
The big story this season is bound to be Sean’s brand-new, imperfect baby boy, who was born with disfigured hands. A plastic surgeon who lusts after physical perfection is not going to take this little problem well.
Is ‘The View’ going to be Rosie now?
Rosie O’Donnell, dubbed the Queen of Nice when she hosted her own talk show in the ’90s, joined the ranks of Barbara Walters’ daytime show “The View” this morning.
Rosie, you may recall, turned not-so-nice over the Star Jones Reynolds mess, when she told the former chubby that she should admit to having gastric bypass surgery to lose all those pounds. Rosie, herself a chubby, was offended that Star made her slimness sound so easy with mere diet and exercise.
But that’s all fat under the bridge. Star’s contract was not renewed, so she left in a well-publicized huff, and today Rosie joins Walters, Joy Behar and altogether annoying Elisabeth Hasselbeck. The other star, Meredith Vieira, has left and joins “Today,” as Katie Couric’s replacement, on Wednesday, Sept. 13.
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