Slow news week for The Reporters Who Cover Celebrity Gossip? Dovetails nicely with Demi Moore whip-it seizures/hospitalization? Tim Gunn's "no sex for 30 years" headline didn't generate hoped-for Web traffic? I give up, why?
It seems like just a goofy story from an old game-show guy in the biz, so far as I can tell. And of course, it's a nice simple concept:
1)Beloved show host
2)Wildly popular syndicated game show
3)DRINKING!!!!
I'm wondering why anyone's shocked by the story. I always assumed the dinner-break drinking rate among people who make their living helping people spin a big game-show wheel, or walking across a stage to turn over letters on a board, is very high. Surely someone's done a study....
Not at all. If you were really old, you'd think "whip it" is what you do to egg whites when making an angelfood cake...
Has Lifetime done ANYTHING good with this franchise since it took it over from Bravo? This is just more of same...
My money's always on the scruffiest terrier -- in much the same way my grandmother, a horserace enthusiast, always advised me to bet on the grey mare....So, this year I'm guessing the star will be Leroy Brown, the chihuahua/terrier mix....Emily, on the other hand, is going with terrier Delilah, because she's "so cute." Emily clearly is an amateur.
Are you saying your ABC station tape-delayed SOTU on West Coast? The address started at 6 p.m. West Coast time and ABC network said they were airing it at 6 on the West Coast and ABC is listed by Nielsen as having aired it on the West Coast at that time. What the heck market are you in? Oh, and many trophy shows telecasts are no longer delayed for West Coast. That started a few years back with the Golden Globes, I think it was. Anyway, what you do often see is that, on the West Coast, a network will air the trophy show live and then immediately rerun it in its old timeslot, so as to grab those viewers who don't know the play pattern has changed. ABC's upcoming broadcast of the Academy Awards, for instance, is set to air live in all time zones...
Hi Lisa, I've been trying to get into Alcatraz and the main mystery is compelling, however the actual shows week to week are not great. What is the general feedback on this show? Is it doing well?
This week's episode clocked 9 million viewers, building on "House's" 8.7 million.. It's good -- not a monster hit or anything, but good....The biggest story coming out of this show's debut is that the parks department that runs Alcatraz now and puts on tours, has had to post signs on site telling JJ Abrams cult members that the show is fictitious and there is no control room underneath, because nutjobs -- I mean "fans" -- are breaking away from the guided tours to go find the secret control room that's in the show....If I'm an advertiser, I'm doing a happy dance to learn that fans of the show are so crazy they'll eat anything, so to speak....
Pookie, you're trying to have a rational discussion about a Tim Kring series. It simply can't be done....The kid gets the numbers from The Magic Script -- it comes each week from the giant underground control room under Alcatraz.....
When, in real life, Mandy Patinkin wide-eyed, brilliant, and a lunatic...and while he has a reputation of bailing on shows after the second-ish season -- and has done it twice to CBS (which operates Showtime) I think chances are better he'll stick with this show, because it's on Showtime and so does not have the same rigid production schedule as a broadcast drama series -- and they don't make as many episodes. And, he's not the lead.. So, if ever there was (were?) a series on which Patinkin might stick around, this one's it...I think. Maybe.
This is when it pays to be Reporter Who Covers Television. I get the DVDs and I watch the DVD's.. I will now watch the actual televised version, based on your comments, and report back. If this is the case, it's a shame...
Terra Nova is on the fence because it was not a ratings blockbuster and it's an expensive show. On the other hand, it sold well internationally, blah, blah, blah. Fox suits said at Press Tour they would make the decision about whether to return the show in a few weeks, which, loosely translated, means "we want to see how our midseason dramas do." "Alcatraz" is one of those shows...Notice how, even though it's a JJ Abrams drama, it's not heavily serialized. Fox wants to see if they can do a better business with a CBS like series (close-ended episodes, etc) with a JJ sensibilty and one of the actors from the JJ Repertory Theater to try to bring in all those rabid "Lost" fans... It's pretty cynical programming, frankly. And, ironically, it's EXACTLY CBS is doing over on their schedule: "Person of Interest" -- close-ended episodes, JJ sensibility, and lead actor from the JJ Repertory Theater (Michael Emerson of "Lost").
Pookie, I love it when Jorge Garcia is on, but I lose interest with the blonde girl. Are the ratings any good?
Everyone on this chat seems to be of the same mind -- badly miscast blonde.....
Why, oh why did Lifetime do this? The best thing they did to the original concept was to lengthen episodes to 90min so we saw more sewing room action. I never thought I'd say this - I miss Heidi!
Seal? Is that you?
This reference is to the Jack Russell who stole the otherwise disappointing Golden Globe Awards the other night. At age 10, he deserves the right to retire and chase squirrels the rest of his hopefully long life...
She is a border collie mixed with I say pit bull terrier. So she is smart like a border collie and has the terrier to win it. Plus she looks like my dog.
Border collies are tenacious...but don't they tend to get disqualified by the referees a lot because they mistake the chihuahua puppies for footballs?
I don't think the Piggy Pep Squad precludes a Kitten half-time show, does it? That would be wrong...
Apparently not, if she needed Fox to purchase her a ticket to Hollywood where, um, Daddy lives.....
I believe you are right... This getting knicker knotted over the Sajak "revelation" is pretty Ladies of River City-ish.....and, how I wish Paul Lynde had been around to host "The X Factor"....
I remember him...that was cute....
My Very Last "Chuck" Question -- hooray! The series is ending tonight and, so far as I know, Adam Baldwin is not signed for any other greenlit series. Not that I follow his career that closely...
Give it a couple more seasons. I think this is just the compromise until America gets the hang of it that they can watch a trophy show when it's actually happening -- not three hours later, on the West Coast....baby steps...
You noticed too?
The pressure on the casting people must be huge this time around, because "Idol" is down in the ratings a lot and, with the right cast, "Dancing" could beat it....I'm talking Bristol Palin-right -- someone people can't stop watching and talking about....So far, none of the names that have been tossed around are remotely interesting. Ryan O'Neal was rumored, since he had to drop out last time (due to "injury"). Also there was a report about the Kardashion's mom Cruella de Vil...BTW, the cast will be announced on Feb. 28 and this year ABC is NOT announcing the cast on "The Bachelor" but will instead announce on "Good Morning America"...that's because "GMA" is now, season to date, in its closest competitive position in 16 years to NBC's "Today" show.
Assuming Craig does take over when Dave decides to retire, it will hopefully not be to the same degree NBC neutered Conan O'Brien when he took over "Tonight Show" -- although it's unclear how much was NBC neutering Conan and how much was Conan neutering himself because he was so in awe of the franchise and Johnny Carson, etc.. It helps that Letterman's Worldwide Pants owns and produces CBS's "Late Show" unlike "Tonight" which is owned by NBC.
.
I dont' know. Signing autographs for squirrels, I hope....
Fox is watching this very closely. Yes, it's still a big show, but it's down significantly and you'll see the network look for ways to bolster its ratings this season -- like airing a "special" episode right after the NFC championship game, etc... Fox will do whatever it takes to not lose Ryan Seacrest, whose contract is up at the end of this season. It's just like those Nat Geo wildlife specials -- "Idol" is the ageing lion who's still head of his pride, but now has to keep an eye out for the younger males because he's not the stud he once was...
No, it's doing well and ABC is pleased... But, as we all know from watching the ratings trajectory on "Modern Family," "The Middle," etc.. it's all about the sophomore season these days...
Well, that is a very good question. Oprah says she's only now focusing her full attention on the network -- hence the exit of several suits in recent weeks -- and I'm guessing investors are buying that. Didn't someone at Discovery -- Harpo's partner in the network -- say the other day that it takes a few years for a new network to gain ratings traction. Or, maybe it was Oprah who said that. Anyone, someone said that...Of course, none of those other new networks had Oprah.
Yes indeedie (indeedy?)! Many TV critics had this show at the top of their First To Be Canceled lists ...but that dates back to the press conference at which ABC programming chief Paul Lee unveiled the show to TV critics and reporters last May, hours before he unveiled it to advertisers in New York.... I wrote about it then -- and some execs at ABC are still mad about that.
I'm sorry they've retired the Kitty Halftime show since I think all the animals used in their Super Bowl counterprograming were rescues...Other networks mostly roll over and play dead during the game... All I can suggest is you amuse yourself with I Can Has Cheezburger cats during the Puppy Bowl's halftime.
You betcha! And I hope it's wildly successful. NBC needs to get its act together and get back into the game...
Lisa: Welcome to our humble chat, Prince Charming! I'm glad you find Snow White amazing. Some say she's an angel.
Grumpy: Angel, ha! She's a female! And all females is poison! They're full of wicked wiles!
Bashful: What are wicked wiles?
Grumpy: I don't know, but I'm agin' 'em.
Guys, guys and guys are the target audience, but you knew that. Yes, the original Sparticus actor died of cancer and the guy who took over and some other cast were at the Press Tour and when someone asked them about his death, the new Sparticus answered, putting on his sad face to say that when the death was announced on the set it was so hard to take, but then they all decided the best thing they could do in his honor was the best darned show ever - and then they all took off their sad faces and continued to talk up the new season . It was a very Hollywood moment.
I wish I could take credit, but it's a line from the original animated flick...I'm a walking compendium of lines from old flicks...kind of like Peter Sellers' Chance character in "Being There" with his TV shows....
I don't think Lifetime is deliberatly killing it in stages. I think they just don't know better...
Apparently it's not in the plans this year....
HBO can't seem to get enough of shows set in Washington. they've got "Veep" coming up, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as POTUS, and the TV movie "Game Change" starring Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin....and yes, "NCIS" and "Bones" are both set in Washington, though you don't see much of Washington in either...and both are very successful...but your point is a good one -- so good, I wrote about it this week...
Boo indeed -- she adds nothing. And, most certainly she doesn't add 30 minutes which someone has noted here, is the difference between each episode on Netflix and each episode on PBS....did I post that question? If not, I'll find it and post...
Here it is.....
No, because "Playboy Club" was on NBC...and it's far more likely that a cop drama -- which, let's face it, this would be -- would work on CBS. CBS viewers love crime dramas. And, millions of CBS viewers were in their prime in the 60s.. sounds like a slam dunk to me...
Yes and the February sweep starts on Feb. 2...rev up your DVR....
When Sheldon runs CBS....not any time soon, alas....
The number of ads in primetime has been climbing for ages. As a rule of thumb: when a show starts, it has fewer ads, unless it's some sure-thing hit and even then the network exercises some caution... When a show becomes a hit -- look out, here come the ads... Sometimes a hit show is even "supersized" to get an additional ad break in which might be a good trade off -- more programming in return for watching another ad break -- except usually what's added, programming-wise, is material that would have been (and should have been) left on the editing room floor...."House" has been a hit, though its ratings have tumbled... "Harry's Law" is one of the few programs on NBC that's getting broadcast tonnage in terms of actual people watching. That said I think it's also NBC's oldest skewing entertainment series...
Pookie: Were you as surprised as me that Male Pattern Optimism has made a glorious return in the form of "!Rob!", or should I say "?Rob?" (sorry, can't find the upside-down "!" and "?" on my keyboard) I just don't see how one of the weakest SNL cast members since Melanie Hutsell (go ahead, Wiki it, I'll wait....) could ever land a wife that hot. (And speaking of which, have we figured out which network executive actually thought that a TV sitcom version of that Matthew Perry-Selma Hayek movie "Fools Rush In" would be a good idea?) Anyway,just wanted to point out that, apparently, male patern optimism isn't just for overweight blue collar schlubs anymore. I think, somewhere, Kevin James is crying.
Male Pattern Optimism never went away on CBS...
Then you'll be happy to know it did not do particularly well in its opening...
Feb. 19...
2011 was Teachable Year for Winfrey and Harpo Productions. They seem to be still figuring out the many ways in which producing a talk show, TV movies, etc. uses a different skill set than running and programming a network. But Winfrey's a bright woman and is clearly very focused now. Let's see where the network is at the end of '12...I'm out of time. Thanks for joining me -- have a great weekend.
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