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December 2006
November sweeps: KVUE leads local news and ABC tops prime-time favorites
The full results of the November sweeps are in — total TV households and demographic information.
What’s new and earth-shaking? Well, not really very much.
KVUE, Austin’s ABC affiliate owned by Belo Corp., maintained its crown as the local news leader weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.
KXAN, the NBC affiliate owned by LIN television (and the station that has seen more comings and goings than a liquor store before New Year’s Eve), kept its strong second place at 6 p.m.
But KXAN came within a fraction of a rating point of getting nipped for No. 2 at 10 p.m., where CBS-owned KEYE surged on the strength of CBS’s prime-time lineup.
The numbers weren’t so happy for KEYE elsewhere. At 5 p.m., KEYE, anchored by Austin vets Judy Maggio and Ron Oliveira, was thumped by “Jeopardy” on KXAN and by “The Simpsons” on KTBC at 6 p.m. Ouch!
On the network news front, Austin still puts ABC’s news at No. 1, followed by NBC and CBS.
Among prime-time shows, we were just like everybody else, boosting ABC series such as “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Dancing with the Stars” and “Desperate Housewives” to the top of the ratings chart. Only one NBC show topped our charts — “Deal or No Deal.”
Check out rating details below, provided by Nielsen Media Research.
NOVEMBER NIELSENS
Note: HH= ratings for total households; DM= ratings in the 25-54 age demographic
5 p.m. Local news
KVUE — 6.8 HH/2.7 DM
KXAN (“Jeopardy”) — 4.1 HH/1.2 DM
KEYE — 3.0 HH/1.3 DM
KTBC — 2.5 HH/1.00 DM
5:30 Network news
ABC 6.7 HH (KVUE)
NBC 5.4 HH (KXAN)
CBS 2.9 HH (KEYE)
6 p.m. Local news
KVUE — 7.2 HH/3.3 DM
KXAN — 6.1 HH/2.2 DM
KTBC (“The Simpsons”) — 4.1 HH/3.2DM
KEYE — 3.0 HH/1.6DM
10 p.m. Local news
KVUE — 8.3 HH/5.3 DM
KXAN — 6.4 HH/4.2 DM
KEYE — 6.3 HH/3.6 DM
KTBC (“The Simpsons”) — 4.0 HH/ 2.8 DM
[KTBC’s late news is 9-10 p.m. — 4.5 HH/3.0 DM]
Top 15 prime-time shows in Central Texas for November
“Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC)
“Dancing with the Stars,” performance (ABC)
“Desperate Housewives” (ABC)
“Dancing with the Stars,” results (ABC)
“Lost” (ABC)
“Saturday Night Football” (ABC)
“House” (FOX)
“CSI” (CBS)
“CSI: Miami” (CBS)
“Country Music Awards” (ABC)
“Ugly Betty” (ABC)
“Two and a Half Men” (CBS)
“Deal or No Deal” (NBC)
“Barbara Walters Special” (ABC)
“Criminal Minds” (CBS)
According to Nielsen, there are 602,340 TV Households in the Austin television market, so one rating point equals 6,023 households.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Ratings
2006: A weird year for TV
In a nutshell, 2006 was a weird year for TV.
Proof?
One of the most innovative and amusing dramas featured a family of 12-inch tall critters named Whiskers. In case you missed it, that was “Meerkat Manor”, which airs Fridays at 7 p.m. on Animal Planet. Check it out and you’ll get my drift.
The most overhyped fall debut was not “Ugly Betty” but Katie Couric’s arrival as The First Solo Female Anchor of a Network Evening Newscast. If you were orbiting Mars and missed it, that was Sept. 5 on the “CBS Evening News.” Despite all the flash of legs and grins, Couric’s newscast remains solidly in third place, as it was when Dan Rather anchored it.
The most nonshocking moment billed as shocking? Stephen Colbert’s keynote speech to the White House Correspondents Association dinner in Washington, D.C. Yes, he ridiculed President Bush, and, yes, President Bush was in attendance. That’s the way these events always go. If you can’t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen. According to eyewitness accounts, Bush laughed heartily, but his staff squirmed and later complained to Colbert and the folks who invited him.
“24” enjoyed its best season ever, in large part due to the riveting, bone-chilling performance of Gregory Itzin as creepily corrupt President Logan.
An equally chilling turn was taken by Forest Whitaker as the bent and twisted internal affairs cop out to nab Vic Mackey on “The Shield.” Anyone who saw the transformation of Whitaker, from shlubby-tubby guy to taut-muscular crusader hellbent on destroying Mackey now knows why “Shield” fans were riveted.
The biggest disappointment? “Lost.” The multilayered sci-fi mystery ended last season in May with a confusing and not-very-compelling cliffhanger. By the time it returned in the fall, “Lost” had to dig itself out of the previous season’s mess, which it almost did but then went off the air for an interminable “winter break.” At this point, who cares? That cat can find another mouse to toy with, as far as I’m concerned.
Perhaps TV’s most powerful offering was Spike Lee’s slow-moving but deeply affecting documentary “When the Levees Broke,” about the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Survivors gave their first-hand accounts of the tragedy — before, during and after the storm. Their sorrow and anger were palpable, but so was their determination to rebound. Who knew music could be so naturally incorporated into a film about a natural (and subsequent unnatural) disaster.
One final observation: Can the national cooing over “Grey’s Anatomy” continue much longer? I don’t think so. The show is amusing but hardly ground-breaking, and it has never warranted the kind of hysteria that surrounds it. Too much whining. The New Year just might see this shooting star cool to a minor asteroid status.
What are your memories, good and bad, of TV in 2006?
Permalink | | Categories: Entertainment
Big ‘Lights’ tonight!!
Question: When is a mini-marathon a mega-marathon?
Answer: When it’s one night with three back-to-back episodes of “Friday Night Lights.”
Even though I’ve already seen every single episode of the Austin-made drama, I’m planning to wallow in “Lights” tonight, from 7 to 10 p.m. on NBC. One cannot get enough of “Lights,” can one?
NBC gave a full-season order to the low-rated but critically raved show several weeks ago, which means it’s safe through the current 2006-07 season that wraps in May.
The vote of confidence for a show that hasn’t yet won its time period (of course it did have to go up against “Dancing with the Stars” for the first part of the season) is an encouraging sign. But now “Lights” needs viewers and lots of them if it is to earn a spot on next fall’s schedule.
Tonight’s reruns start at 7 p.m. with the one in which “Smash” makes a dumb decision about how to improve his performance, continues at 8 p.m. with the one in which Coach’s daughter Julie ponders a date with super-shy quarterback Matt and concludes at 9 p.m. with the one in which mean-spirited rumors spread through Dillon’s high school about the romance between Lyla and Tim.
The mini-marathon is an excellent chance for new viewers to catch up and loyal viewers to renew their commitment as the show heads to its new 7 p.m. Wednesday time slot with new episodes on Jan. 10.
Remember, clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose!
‘Kennedy Center Honors’ minus Jessica’s blooper
Tonight’s “Kennedy Center Honors” was going to be must-see TV so we could witness Jessica Simpson’s meltdown. Haven’t heard about this particular collapse?
In an attempt to pay tribute to honoree Dolly Parton with a rendition of “9 to 5,” Simpson forgot the words, burst into tears and fled the stage. That was during the show’s original taping on Dec. 3.
Later, CBS persuaded Simpson to return (minus the audience) for a do-over, but Simpson flubbed the song again. As of right now, however, CBS has edited out the meltdown at Simpson’s request.
So we’re left with Reba McEntire, Reese Witherspoon, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Rogers, Alison Krauss, Shania Twain and Vince Gill to pay tribute to Dolly.
Also being honored in the 29th Kennedy Center program (8 to 10 p.m. tonight) are Smokey Robinson, Steven Spielberg, Zubin Mehta and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Caroline Kennedy hosts the special, which was attended by President and Mrs. Bush, Vice President and Mrs. Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Entertainment
Holloway is back … and while I was gone …
Yoo hoo! I’m ba-a-a-a-ck! Vacation’s over, I’m in the daily blog saddle again.
And not a minute too soon. December is supposed to be the dead month for television, with most series taking a winter snooze in reruns.
But this was a month that proved to be anything but quiet.
No sooner had I written the glowing please-watch-this-fab-new-show piece about “Day Break” then ABC axed it. No more Taye Diggs waking up to a new day of murder and betrayal.
ABC’s Ted Danson sitcom “Help Me Help You” got a pink slip for Christmas, too.
And “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” blew into town, built a house and left.
Our local stations, which should have been taking it easy during the holidays, got busy as well.
NBC affiliate KXAN hired a new news director, Michael Fabac, who replaced Bill Seitzler, the guy who stirred things up, oversaw the departure of several familiar faces (including weatherman Dan Robertson and weekend anchor Jim Bergamo, now at KVUE) and then left after less than a year on the job.
Fabac, who starts in January, comes to Austin from the Fox station in Little Rock, Ark.
KXAN reporter and former weekend co-anchor R.J. DeSilva turned in his resignation a couple of weeks ago. This is a big loss to the station and Austin’s local TV news. He was a terrific reporter and solid anchor.
KTBC’s Fox7 News hired a new co-anchor for Mike Warren, who had been flying solo on the weeknight 5 and 9 p.m. newscasts since Linda Stratton left in July.
The Fox 7 newcomer is Lori Ana Hernandez, previously of the NBC station in Dallas where she anchored the weekend morning news. She settles into her new anchor desk here on Jan. 8.
Now that I’m back, probably nothing new will happen for months.
Looking for some meaty TV?
Tom Brokaw puts a human face on the slippery topic of immigration in his latest NBC investigation, “In the Shadow of the American Dream,” at 7 p.m. tonight.
Focusing on a construction company in ski-resort heaven Colorado, Brokaw pays a personal visit to the company owner and immigrant workers who enable the building boom but are not legally allowed to be there.
The issue is looked at from several angles but is clearly sympathetic to the hard-working immigrants and the employers who skirt the law to hire them.
Permalink | | Categories: Local news
Finally! A funny episode of ‘SNL’
Even Lorne Michaels is on the record calling the 2006-2007 season a “rebuilding year” for “Saturday Night Live,” but the Dec. 16 episode was easily as funny as anything that’s been on the show since “Lazy Sunday” or that Natalie Portman rap thing.
After last summer’s bloodletting (Chris Parnell, we’ll never forget you), expectations were not exactly high for this go round, especially with former head writer Tina Fey off defying expectations at “30 Rock” and taking SNL go-to host Alec Baldwin with her.
But the new cast has proved at least decent and, like many a cast before them, seem weirdly energized when a host actually has decent comic timing. They get even more juiced when that host happens to be a musical guest.
Like his ex-girlfriend Britney Spears before him, Justin Timberlake displayed surprisingly sharp timing and pro-grade pipes that made the musical sketches snap and pop.
The obvious highlight was “A Special Box,” also available in uncensored form as, “(Beep) in a Box.” An “SNL Digital Short” written and shot by the Lonely Island crew (not surprisingly, also responsible for “Lazy Sunday” and the Natalie Portman thing), “A Special Box” featured Timberlake and Adam Samberg, decked out in their Color Me Badd finery, laying out a slow jam about how to make a special gift for that special lady.
“Step one/Cut a hole in the box/Step two, put your junk in the box/Step three, let her open the box.” Pretty much perfect and killer YouTube fodder, largely because, as these things go, it’s a pretty well-written song. Or at least an accurately written one — I’d say that R. Kelly could make it a hit, except he already sort of has.
In fact, the whole ep felt like a keeper, from Jimmy “Gee, maybe leaving wasn’t such a hot idea” Fallon and Timberlake’s close harmonies and white suits on the “Barry Gibb Talk Show” to Timberlake’s genuinely bizarre appearance as a stoned Target stock boy.
Only complaint: Wouldn’t “(Beep) in a Box,” featuring a word that rhymes with box, scan better than “(Beep) in a Box?” Just a thought.
Permalink | | Categories: Entertainment
‘Survivor’ hunka-munkas
It came down to one vote Sunday on the “Survivor: Cook Islands” finale, but Yul Kwon, one of the most strategic survivors, won. And rightly so: He had dominated the game since the first day when he showed off his rock-hard abs, brilliant mind and calm demeanor.
Yul Kown
But I have to admit I was secretly hoping for “Survivor” runner-up Oscar ‘‘Ozzy’’ Lusth to win. I have a thing for underdogs; they always get my votes.
Don’t tell me you didn’t cry, just a little, when you heard Lusth, during the final tribal council talk, about the hardest thing he had to overcome was not having a relationship with his dad. And don’t tell me your heart didn’t go out to him one more time during the finale when when he pointed to the man who raised him and said that this is the man he considered to be his father.
Yul and Ozzy
Lusth swam like a fish, climbed trees like a monkey and had a charming smile and big puppy-dog eyes. I even agreed with him when he persuaded his tribe to scheme to evict Billy Garcia. Lusth was right: Garcia was just weighing the team down. I loved that Jeff Probst said Lusth probably was the most physically dominating survivor in 13 seasons.
And then my friend Allan, who fought with me about Lusth, sent me an article detailing Lusth’s past involvement with another reality TV show called “Foursome,” which aired on Playboy TV. We can’t link to it here, but let’s just say the show calls itself “the only TV dating program that shows everything,” and that’s an understatement. It intimately combines elements of Playboy with elements of reality TV star.
I wonder what CBS would have done if Lusth had won the million dollars? Good thing he just got the car, and, of course, all of our attention.
‘Colbert’ in Bikinis
Tonight, a segment of “The Colbert Report” is scheduled to be taped at 7 at Bikinis Bar & Grill, 6901 N. Interstate 35.
The tantalizing subject is “Guys Night Out” for a “Stay-At-Home Dads” theme.
“I’m a big fan of the show,” says Doug Guller, owner of Bikinis, who approves of the political satire on “Colbert.” “Our new concept here is a fun and casual. We don’t take our selves too seriously.”
Good thing. The Comedy Central show can puncture anyone’s self-importance.
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Makes our head spin
If anyone out there is keeping track of the personnel changes at Austin TV stations, good luck.
The latest arrival: Lori Ana Hernandez was drafted by Fox 7’s news gang as co-anchor of “FOX 7 NewsEdge at 5” and “FOX 7 NewsEdge at 9.” She makes her entrance on Jan. 8.
Hernandez recently left KXAS NBC 5 in Dallas, where she anchored that station’s weekend morning news program. She also served as a reporter and anchor for KSEE NBC 24 in Fresno, Cal., CNN Headline News and CNN Airport Network.
At the on-air desk, Hernandez joins co-anchor Mike Warren, meteorologist Scott Fisher and sports director Dave Cody.
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Calling all culture vultures …
Wanna be famous? Wanna win $250,000? Yeah, we thought so.
If pop culture is your specialty, we’re about to make your day. VH1 and Entertainment Weekly will be in town Feb. 9-10 casting for the second season of “The World Series of Pop Culture.”
Put together a team of three, then log on to the VH1 Web site to sign up. Slots are limited, so don’t delay.
The Austin teams will duke it out Feb. 11 — Quick: On their self-titled sitcom, Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney work as bottle-cappers at what Milwaukee brewery? — and the winners will be guaranteed a slot on the show. Taping is set for March in New York City, so clear your calendars. Runners-up will also have a shot at advancing.
Not sure what you’re getting yourself into? You can check out a mini-marathon of shows from the first season starting at 3 p.m. Christmas Eve on VH1.
And, in case you’re wondering, Laverne and Shirley worked at the Schotz brewery … but you already knew that, right?
Permalink | | Categories: Reality TV
1 in, 1 out at KXAN
The revolving door at Austin’s NBC affiliate continues to spin.
This time around, a new news director is entering the building and a veteran reporter is exiting.
Michael Fabac, currently news director at KLRT, Little Rock’s Fox station, will lead the KXAN news team beginning in early January.
“I think it’s an amazing opportunity for me,” Fabac said. “I can’t wait to get there. The city obviously is a big draw.”
Fabac, 33, assembled Clear Channel-owned KLRT’s news operation from scratch, launching a nightly 9 p.m. newscast in 2004. Prior to Little Rock, he served as a news director at WNEM in Saginaw, Mich. His first paying TV gig was as a producer at KKTV in Colorado Springs, Colo., followed by stints as a producer at KTVI in St. Louis and WDIV in Detroit. He also served as executive news producer at CBS-owned WWJ and WKBD, both in the Motor City.
“I think Michael will bring a lot of positive energy to the newsroom,” KXAN General Manager Eric Lassberg said. “He comes across as a very passionate leader with a lot of integrity.”
Fabac’s hiring comes at a tumultuous time for the station. KXAN’s previous news director, Bill Seitzler, departed last month after less than a year on the job. Lassberg has been on the job for less than six months. An executive producer position remains open. And a number of familiar faces — avuncular weatherman Dan Robertson, weekend newscaster Julie Shields, and reporters Jim Bergamo and Silva Harapetian — also have disappeared from the station’s newscasts in recent months. Some were forced out; others left by choice.
Next out the door, according to Lassberg, will be longtime reporter R.J. DeSilva. The one-time co-anchor of the station’s morning and weekend newscasts has resigned and will leave later this month to work as a spokesman for a state agency.
Despite the well-publicized turmoil, Lassberg said the news director opening still drew a large number of applicants.
“Magid & Associates, our consultants, told us they had never seen so much interest in a news director position,” Lassberg said. He spoke with 15 hopefuls before inviting three finalists to meet with the station’s news team.
“Everyone’s very excited,” Lassberg said. “When I brought Michael in, I had him spend a lot of time in the newsroom. Everyone really liked his enthusiasm.”
Permalink | Comments (10) | Categories: Local news
Life imitates HBO
Fans of the dearly departed series ”Six Feet Under” will recognize the Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM for short) as the congenital condition afflicting main character Nate Fisher through much of the series — and now as the cause of the recent health problems of Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.).
Spoiler alert for those still watching the series via Netflix or on Bravo: Amid wild speculation that control of the Senate could pass back into the hands of the GOP in the event Johnson fails to recover from today’s emergency surgery, fans of the mortician-family drama will recall that Nate, portrayed by Peter Krause, survived almost six seasons with the condition before blissfully succumbing in the penultimate episode.
According to South Dakota rules, even if the newly-elected senator is physically incapacitated, South Dakota has no provision for his replacement by an appointee of Republican Gov. Mike Rounds unless Johnson resigns.
Globes leave ‘Lights’ in dark
The best drama on television, “Friday Night Lights,” was snubbed by the foreign critics for Golden Globe nominations, announced earlier today.
’Grey’s Anatomy’’ will be hard to beat for best TV drama, although ’’Heroes’’ could make a strong showing, since serials “24” and “Lost” have run out of steam.
’’Ugly Betty” is my hands-down favorite for TV comedy, since “Desperate Housewives” and “The Office” turned inconsistent.
Here are this year’s TV nominations.
TELEVISION
Best Drama Series
’’24’’
’’Big Love’’
’’Grey’s Anatomy’’
’’Heroes’’
’’Lost’’
Best Comedy Series
’’Desperate Housewives’’
’’Entourage’’
’’The Office’’
’’Ugly Betty’’
’’Weeds’’
Best Miniseries or Movie
’’Bleak House’’
’’Broken Trail’’
’’Elizabeth I’’
’’Mrs. Harris’’
’’Prime Suspect The Final Act’’
Best Actor Drama Series
Patrick Dempsey, ‘‘Grey’s Anatomy’’
Michael C. Hall, ‘‘Dexter’’
Hugh Laurie, ‘‘House’’
Bill Paxton, ‘‘Big Love’’
Kiefer Sutherland, ‘‘24’’
Best Actress Drama Series
Patricia Arquette, ‘‘Medium’’
Edie Falco, ‘‘The Sopranos’’
Evangeline Lilly, ‘‘Lost’’
Ellen Pompeo, ‘‘Grey’s Anatomy’’
Kyra Sedgwick, ‘‘The Closer’’
Best Actor Comedy Series
Zach Braff, ‘‘Scrubs’’
Alec Baldwin, ‘‘30 Rock’’
Steve Carell, ‘‘The Office’’
Jason Lee, ‘‘My Name Is Earl’’
Tony Shalhoub, ‘‘Monk’’
Best Actress Comedy Series
Marcia Cross, ‘‘Desperate Housewives’’
America Ferrera, ‘‘Ugly Betty’’
Felicity Huffman, ‘‘Desperate Housewives’’
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, ‘‘New Adventures of Old Christine’’
Mary-Louise Parker, ‘‘Weeds’’
Best Supporting Actor Series, Miniseries or Movie
Thomas Haden Church, ‘‘Broken Trail’’
Jeremy Irons, ‘‘Elizabeth I’’
Justin Kirk, ‘‘Weeds’’
Masi Oka, ‘‘Heroes’’
Jeremy Piven, ‘‘Entourage’’
Best Supporting Actress Series, Miniseries or Movie
Emily Blunt, ‘‘Gideon’s Daughter’’
Toni Collette, ‘‘Tsunami, The Aftermath’’
Katherine Heigl, ‘‘Grey’s Anatomy’’
Sarah Paulson, ‘‘Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip’’
Elizabeth Perkins, ‘‘Weeds’’
TiVo housecleaning time
Clear out that TiVo: ‘Idol’ is coming
“American Idol” arrives sooner than you think and even if you pretend to despise the show, the ever-growing ratings suggest that you’re probably watching.
One problem with keeping up with every single episode like my wife does (I tend to watch the auditions then tune out until the final 12), is that you’re talking about dozens upon dozens of hours of programming, seemingly every week.
If you’re a TiVo/PVR person, that’s a lot of space that “AI” is taking up, especially if you’re able to record the show in high-definition.
The holidays are a great time to catch up on your recorded shows. There are lots of reruns on now and for about two weeks, there’s barely anything worth watching.
For whatever’s left after you’ve binged on TV, here’s some tips for clearing out that TiVo before January when you might need every bit of video recorder space to catch all of Paula’s craziness and Simon’s snark.
- Do you really need all those episodes of “City of Men” you recorded on the Sundance Channel thinking you were definitely going to sit and watch them all at some point? The show is on DVD now, so just erase the episodes and buy the discs. It’s worth the price and looks good in your DVD collection.
- Talk shows don’t age well. Delete any old “Conan” or “Letterman” episodes you’ve been meaning to get around to. For Conan, you can just watch the monlogue and the opening bit, then delete the rest. You can also skip past most “Daily Show” interview segments. Also delete any old sporting events. You can keep the last Rose Bowl.
- Get rid of any miniseries and movies that are more than two-and-half-hours long. See ya, “Into the West.” G’bye, “English Patient.” If you haven’t bothered to watch them by now, you probably never will. And you can always rent the DVD later.
- If you record animated shows from “Adult Swim,” just watch a bunch of them at once. Most are only about 11 minutes long anyway. You can get through a whole set of “Harvey Birdman” episodes in about an hour.
- Watch “Gilmore Girls” on fast forward if you can still read the Closed Captioning while doing so. Alexis Bledel especially is better read than heard.
- The tattoo’d guy won “Project Runway.” Now you can erase all those episodes you never watched.
- If you’ve been storing up episodes of “Studio 60” to watch, don’t. It’s awful. Seriously.
- It just occurred to me that “24” is coming back in January, too, and that’ll be 24 straight episodes. Quick! Start deleting stuff now!
Rudolph arrives, ‘Lights’ still looks for wattage
Kids love ‘em, but most parents would rather have hot cider poured in their laps than to watch them.
Yes, we’re talking Christmas specials. Two ancient veterans air tonight on CBS: “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (7to 8) and “Frosty the Snowman” (8 to 8:30). “Frosty Returns” follows that one, but it’s a sequel, so it’s not exactly a classic.
CBS has had a lock on these cartoon specials for years. “Rudolph” debuted in 1964; “Frosty” arrived a few years later. Kids have loved the ‘toons and the music ever since. Parents muddle through them. At least they don’t star some country singer who falls in love and battles a fatal disease on Christmas Eve. Seems like we have one of those just about every season.
’Lights’ still slogging in the ratings
This week’s “Friday Night Lights” episode was, as usual, stellar. But once again, CBS’ “NCIS” beat the NBC drama in the 7 to 8 p.m. hour. So did ABC’s syrupy Christmas special “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town.”
NBC already has picked up “Lights” for the rest of this season, but the show is going to have to pick up considerable steam in ‘07 to be invited back for a sophomore year.
Another beauty joins Betty
To make sure allegedly unattractive Betty Suarez is surrounded by unattainable beauty, the producers of ABC’s freshman hit “Ugly Betty” have cast Rebecca Romijn to play the mystery woman who conspires with Wilhelmina to take over Mode magazine.
This sweet comedy-drama gets better and better. It just started a string of reruns, so if you’ve missed the season so far, now is a good time to catch up.
** NOTE:
Diane Holloway’s TV blog will be taking a two-week hiatus starting next week. Holloway’s entries will return Dec. 26.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Entertainment
Gun-toting celebs: reality TV or really stupid TV?
If I lived in Muncie, Ind., I would be terrified right now — for any number of reasons, but mostly because …
CBS is filming a new reality show there called “Armed and Famous” that will feature B- and C-list celebrities “enforcing the law” in Muncie. And they’ll be carrying guns when they do it! Let this sink in, please.
Erik Estrada, formerly of the 1970’s cop drama “CHiPs,” is among the faux law-enforcers. His comrades in blue include LaToya Jackson (mostly famous for being one of Michael Jackson’s weirder sisters), rocker Ozzy’s son Jack Osbourne, Wee Man (a diminutive skate-boarder best-known for crashing around on “Jackass”) and former pro wrestler Trish Stratus.
These folks were sworn in as reserve officers in Muncie this week. They have badges and guns, which makes them even more dangerous than when they were simply exhibiting their “talent.”
The series, which does not yet have an airdate, will follow the faux cops working alongside the real cops as they bust criminals and otherwise keep the mean streets safe for Muncie residents.
TV is well-known for its copycat practices, so it will be just a matter of time before a reality show pops up featuring celebs in the operating rooms and courthouses across America. Be very afraid. Do you really want a former “Brady Bunch” star delivering your first-born? Or arguing your case in a nasty divorce settlement? I think not.
Permalink | | Categories: Reality TV
This just in … Big Foot
You know news is in short supply when “Austin’s news station” (that would be the self-proclaimed title of KVUE) features a big story on Big Foot. It happened Tuesday night at 10. I am NOT making this up.
I thought I was having some kind of horrible hallucination when anchor Tyler Sieswerda introduced the story, dubbed “the history of Big Foot in Texas.”
The piece appeared to come from Dallas (the reporter was not a recognizable staffer of KVUE), where a sad-looking fellow named Craig claimed to have seen Big Foot — the mythological creature believed by some to roam various woods and swamps in America.
Also interviewed were a couple of guys making a film about Big Foot in Texas.
As if to add authenticity, the report showed a clay mold of what was claimed to be a footprint of Big Foot. It was a big foot, alright.
To his credit, KVUE’s Sieswerda chuckled at the end of the report, but what the heck was it doing on the 10 p.m. news to begin with?
‘The King’ is back … do you care?
What does it say about the current state of sitcoms that CBS’ “The King of Queens”, which landed an Emmy nomination for star Kevin James last time around, is only now having its season premiere?
Not that I’m complaining about the show’s late arrival tonight (at 7 p.m.).
This is one of those lackluster shows, heading into its ninth — yes ninth season — that has always escaped me. The scripts are pedestrian at best and James is, well, NOT FUNNY. He tries hard but accomplishes nothing. Leah Remini, who plays his wife, is to be pitied. She is talented and deserves better.
The fact that “The King of Queens” is arriving at all is surprising. When CBS announced its fall schedule last spring, the show was nowhere to be seen. Execs vaguely hinted that it would return midseason. But after the Emmy nominations came out in July, the hurry-up-and-get-it-back plan was established.
We’ll see if anyone cares. Maybe it will help that most shows are in reruns this month, so competition won’t be terribly stiff.
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More ‘Heroes’ mysteries to be pondered
Last night’s mini-finale for “Heroes” was chock full of interesting if fairly confusing tidbits to keep us guessing until the NBC serial sci-fi drama returns in January.
For those who have not yet seen the episode, consider this your SPOILER ALERT!!
Is Peter really going to succumb to other folks’ powers? Will all the superheroes explode if they’re in the same room? And is that the whole point of the series? Too much power, super or otherwise, will make us all sick?
NBC hyped this installment as if it were the Super Bowl of Serial Dramas. As some of you probably know, I wasn’t initially a fan of “Heroes,” but it’s starting to grow on me — and at least I see what others see in it. And the mini-finale was pretty intense.
What did you think?
Fashion show stripped
Is it just me, or does the “Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show” seem like a misnomer to you too? CBS has this annual cheese-festival tonight at 9, so if you want to see lots of wings, legs and cleavage, this is your show.
Gorgeous models with perfect figures strut the stage in the latest Victoria’s Secret push-up bras. It’s underwear, folks, not fashion, and I’m going to guess the audience is about 98 percent male.
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Up-side of December reruns
It’s December, and many prime-time series, exhausted from running “all-new” episodes during the November sweeps, have fainted away into reruns.
But there’s an up-side to repeats, especially on nights when too many good shows are scheduled opposite each other.
Last night, with ABC shows taking a little holiday break, I checked in on a couple of former favorites on CBS — “Cold Case” and “Without a Trace.” OK, they’re old-fashioned procedural dramas, but they’re both first-rate shows with terrific actors. If you’ve never seen them, take a mini-break from “Desperate Housewives” and “Brothers & Sisters” and check ‘em out.
“Cold Case” is possibly the most underrated show on TV. It’s incredibly ambitious — going back in time every week to show an original crime and flashing back and forth to the present. Some of these old crime scenes are fantastic period pieces, set in the 1930s or ’40s, with costumes and sets to fit. And how they find all those look-alike actors to play “then-and-now” roles is nothing short of unbelievable.
The other thing “Cold Case” has going for it is Kathryn Morris. Why hasn’t she ever been nominated for an Emmy? Because neither she nor the show is cool or edgy.
“Without a Trace,” starring Anthony LaPaglia, has gotten a bit more attention. He’s been in lots of movies and is perceived as semi-cool. Reruns of this show are all over cable, so more people have probably seen it. I was pleasantly surprised that the new episodes — about missing persons cases dealt with by the FBI — still hold up well. The only negative? The swooping aerial shots of New York from a helicopter can give you motion sickness!
So as December wears on — and all those Santa specials start to grate on your nerves — take a look at shows you meant to watch in the fall but never got around to. You might find something new to like in a rerun.
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CBS removes its brain
Turns out “3 Lbs.” is a no-brainer — as in canceled after only three episodes.
While CBS hastens to point out that the drama, starring Stanley Tucci as an offbeat brain surgeon, is not officially canceled, it’s certainly been yanked off the schedule (9 p.m. Tuesdays) with no return date announced.
We can probably assume we’ve seen the last of “3 Lbs.” No big loss, in my opinion. The show was mediocre, and the title made me cringe … the weight of a body part is unappealing.
Drunk DeVito
Isn’t it interesting: One person’s obnoxious drunk is another person’s tipsy cute guy.
Danny DeVito dropped by “The View” on Wednesday drunk as a skunk.
He admitted as much right off the bat, said he had been out on the town with pal George Clooney. Night turned into morning and apparently the beverages hadn’t worn off when DeVito staggered onto Barbara Walters’ daytime talker.
“I think it was those last seven Limoncellos that did me in,” he said with a goofy grin.
During his loopy appearance, DeVito discussed a raucous night he and wife Rhea Perlman spent in the Lincoln Bedroom at the White House during the Clinton administration. He also gleefully made fun of President Bush (variously portrayed as one of the Three Stooges and a monkey) with language that was bleeped out.
The women of “The View” defended DeVito. Rosie O’Donnell kissed him on the cheek, and Elisabeth Hasselbeck pronounced the diminutive actor a “fun drunk.”
Walters hasn’t commented on the appearance, but she certainly didn’t seem to be ticked off about it on the air.
It probably helped that DeVito wasn’t completely obnoxious or hurling racial epithets or behind the wheel of a car. He was sitting in a chair slurring his speech and smiling, looking a little bit like an elf that had indulged in too much Christmas cheer.
No matter how inoffensive the overall performance turned out, DeVito probably wishes he had sobered up before going on national TV.
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