Live Q&As

First thing you need to understand is that "The Voice" is THE most important franchise NBC has on its schedule, because, unlike football, it's year round. Okay, it's a toss-up whether it's "Voice" or football, but it's a toss-up for sure. "The Voice" has put NBC into first place this season to date, much to the surprise of everyone -- including NBC suits and Comcast ones too... on Monday, "The Voice," like a lot of other programming, experieenced massive pre-emptions in key markets (like New York which is the country's biggest tv market and accounts for a huge percentage of the country's TV audience considering it's just one market, and Boston, and Philly, and Washington, etc). Meanwhile, you and I may be big fans of "30 Rock" but its audience is teensy and it's a terminal show. So NBC is looking for someplace to rerun "The Voice" episode, and Thursday gets elected... Meanwhiel, the Post's TV Week is printed a couple weeks in advance, I'm told, and the online TV listings in the paper are updated by Emily Yahre constantly, but her TV listings are not the listings you see online. The grid you see online is provided by Tribune and I'm told is updated daily. Let me know if they did not have "The Voice" listed for Thursday -- did they still show that it was going to be "30 Rock"? -- because, if so, I will speak to the people here who have the contact with the provider. NBC announced that change well in advance of Thursday, so it's hard to think of an excuse for not having it updated. Please let me know.. thanks.

I'm told networks are trying to work this out as we chat... I don't have answers but the networks are very aware of the issue and, in this age of so much audience fragmentation, does not want to alienate loyal viewers... will keep you posted.

I bet someone  "Community" fans would find a way to complain about the show being brought back to Thursday nights -- the biggest night of the week in all of TV -- instead of being shoved on to Friday nights. So, thank you! I know it's hard to wait until February, when NBC has said they're bringing back "Community" on Thursday nights --  but honestly, NBC didn't order enough episodes to get it through a whole season, so if they brought it back now, you'd be complaining about NBC taking it off the schedule in, oh, say early March.... I agree, "Whitney's" not that funny. But, "Whitney" is a new show -- read: the future. "Community" is a show winding its way up to enough episodes to have a full syndication library -- read: not the future....Also -- and this is important: "Community" is from Sony (with a cut going to NBCUniversal). "Whitney" is produced by NBCUniversal, only.  This is a business.

She said she shaved her head in support of a friend who was diagnosed with breast cancer...

Letterman has a unique relationship with CBS since he actually owns his show, and Ferguson's... Unlike Jay Leno, for instance, who is a hired gun -- employed by NBC to star in the NBC-owned "Tonight" show... Letterman's Worldwide Pants has control over CBS late night shows, so I don't think CBS is in a position to tell Dave he can't do the other network's show, in the same way, say NBC could tell Leno it would rather he did not show up. That said -- did you notice Jay Leno showed up on CBS's Worldwide Pants-prouced Craig Ferguson late night show? And did you notice that Comedy Central's Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert showed up on Kimmel's show last night.. It's like somebody declared this Crossing Network Lines Week in late night....

Ah, but guess what? It wasn't preempted in Washington, for instance, and did the biggest number in the timeslot in this market... Apparently after a day sitting at home watching Sandy coverage, people in Washington were desperate for some good old fashioned TV entertainment and ABC was happy to provide it.. I think it was smart counter programming, though I'm sure there are some who think that heretical...

CBS is winning Thursdays with its comedies and NBC once upon a time ruled Thursday with comedies and would like to do so again... NBC does well enough to keep it up, because they have focused on very nichy shows that have well educated, $125K+ home viewers and advertisers pay a premium for those viewers. That said, NBC is making a fraction of what it used to make on Thursdays in its glory days, relatively speaking.... So, in answer to your question: don't hold your breath...And, I don't know if you consider "Vampire Diaries" and "Beauty and the Beast" to be comedies, like I do, but technically, they're dramas...

I think there are just fewer ads for erectile dysfuction medications, cars, local show promos, etc....I didn't think anything could make me miss Viagra ads featuring old folks nekked in side by side bathtubs planted in their back yard -- is that for Viagra or some other ED drug -- but the political ads have done just that...

"Community" fans have a persecution complex that rivals Bristol Palin's whenever she's on "Dancing with the Stars."  I can't explain it, since they, you know -- WON, and their show is surviving, despite its ratings, and has been put on the biggest night of TV on the schedule... And, to your point, that Louis CK bit was called "Everything's amazing and nobody's happy." I think that perfectly describes the "Community" story and its fans.

thank goodness...

..."The Voice" has the stench of desperation this season, doesn't it? And what's up with Simon and his new double chin?

Leno is much better as a guest than as a host -- I agree... loved that he dissed Geoff, ignoring him entirely, which is the only way to handle that tiresome gag... love Craig's show, but not the gadget

The Cheers finale was so much fun to watch because, covering TV, I knew many of the people sitting at the bar, including former NBC programming chief Brandon Tartikoff and the great Grant Tinker...I remember it fondly... sorry, I got distracted...yes, I think there should be drinking involved... and, not to change the subject, but I have finally figured out the X Factor drinking game.  Britney Spears has been sooo disappointing this season -- no meltdowns, and, in fact, no shred of spontaneity at all. In fact, she's so programmed she's like Geoff....But, one of the things she has been brainwashed to say -- over and over -- is "I was pleasantly surprised." ....New Game is Born

Given that CBS is now struggling on Mondays -- getting the air punched out of it by "The Voice" -- my guess is CBS will try to squeeze at least another season out of "HIMYM" because a new show is going to have a very hard time launching on the night, even surrounded by CBS comedies... The good thing about competition reality shows that are so overplayed -- as NBC has done -- and  if your a competing network, is that they tend to collapse from exhaustion fairly quickly, "Idol" being a notable exception because Fox carefully did NOT run it two and three times a year, as NBC has done with "The Voice." ...Nobody's saying it, but "X Factor" in addition to being a gaudy mess, has contributed mightily to the ratings decline of "Idol" and whereas Fox suits once said they had no choice but to take "X" because if they didn't, another network would and that would have really hurt the network and "Idol," I think we can now conclude based on this season's ratings that they actually had nothing to worry about.."X" -- in its first live elimination episode last night, clocked a lousy 6 million viewers....that's terrible.

yes, I meant "X" -- thanks for clarifying.....

She's either the most adorable little spokesperson for those of us watching swing-state political ads on TV -- or the best little actress in the world. Either way -- give her a show!

I think everyone is.. And, if you can't watch via cable because you're swamped in New York, BOTH ABC and Comedy Central are going to have their live coverage that night on their respective Times Square jumbotrons....

Honestly, even diehard fans of shows -- and network execs --  are confused as to what was slapped where... and some of these changes were made too late, I'm told by network suits, for them to have been picked up by "season passes," etc... It's a total mess...

I love both your ideas and think we should come up with other ideas for alternate election night viewing.. If only we could get TLC and Bravo and History to play....

I think you've just laid out next season... especially now that Disney's buying Lucas's operation...

They do care passionately, and the networks continue to be frustrated that they can't monetize you the way they can people watching on TV sets...it's the counting of you that lags so far behind...hopefully, the head-counters will catch up sometime soon

NBC's marketing department is notoriously creative/maddening, in re "gotcha" promos that mislead...

I'm with you -- we need normalcy!

"Elementary" is a procedural, with a Sherlock-ian twist. And JJ Abrams' "Person of Interst" is also a procedural, but with a JJ twist... I'd recommend both, if you're a fan of procedurals... Oh, and, do you like Dick Wolf shows? There's always new "Chicago Fire"....

Or, maybe it's the show that makes me want to stab my eyes with sharp objects whenever the great Lily Tomlin pops up, playing demented-and-yet-somehow-wise Granny. I'm going with the third option...Did Tomlin really need the money that badly? I weep for Tomlin whenever I see her on this show... 

First: there is absolutely no way to ever be too cynical when discussing the TV industry.

Second: you are spot on.

Third: 'viewership' is a word.

If Simon said that, there was no follow-up. Wednesday night, I was having trouble actually FINDING the singer on the stage for all the colors, light shows, backup dancers, etc... Interesting that sing for survival night, aka Thursday, was a much more interesting night because there were no light shows, less color and NO DANCERS and you could actually focus on the singing... The Wednesday night "X" show is such a horror and such a mess, it makes "American Idol" look like "Kennedy Center Honors." Oh, and I respectfully disagree in re Emblem3 and Cece.. Britney's group WAS the most interesting because those three 13-year-old chicks are all great singers: Carly Rose, Beatrice and Diamond White.. Sadly, Britney send Diamond home last night so she could hang on to the utterly mediocre Arin, because, as she's said several times, she thinks he's a hottie...

You can watch the "Nashville" episode online -- ABC's site... and yes, "Mob Doctor" is back...

There is no "besides"... She is the next generation's Kate Hudson....

Absolutely! And, for those of you who have not seen the little girl crying over the presidential race -- mentioned earlier, here is the video.

The show is "Up All Night." It was a single-cam show and it's taking a break to turn into a multi-cam... Here's what that means: A single-cam show is one that is shot like a film, without a studio audience. This means you can have lots of exteriors, etc... A multi-camera show is one that's shot in a studio, with an audience and doesnt' go outside much, etc... Think "Two and a Half Men" and how many scenes are shot in that living room/kitchen...."Up All Night" is not doing well, ratings-wise... my guess is that by making it a multi-cam, they're hoping to make itmore "SNL"-ish....NBC has long wanted to get back into the multi-cam game.. CBS is very very successful with multi-cam comedies and ABC has been making a big push to get back into that game with shows like Tim Allen's "Last Man Standing."

You are welcome!

She's perfect for the Disney stable of Princesses? You're hot holding her up as some beacon of feminism or something, are you?

I cant' remember too many categories... crunchy gravel is a state of mind, anyway...

Thank you for remembering. You made me laugh out loud -- even after watching two consecutive nights of "X Factor" ....

I think I love it though, I confess, I don't even know what's in some of these drinks...so many interesting new drinks since my cocktail waitress days!

I'm sure she has a good agent, but she also has a huge fanbase... She's what you call a "pre-sold commodity" and in an age where the TV audience is so split up among networks, a "pre-sold" is a very very big plus....

amen.

no comparison...

Yes, we don't want to overload the local hospital ER's with alcohol poisoning cases....

so not going to happen.. but funny and I'd watch that...

I could not agree more....

sounds that way, doesn't it?

Did Dave Letterman really tweet with regularity and by that I mean anytime other than then Justin Bieber was on his show?

No, that's Military Channel programming now.. You'd have to do something about pawning or picking for History Channel..

You mean like Benny Hill? That would  be wonderful....

I can't explain it... the woman is brilliant...

Too Dick Wolf...

yes, but I'm sticking with crunchy gravel... it's such a lovely image...

I'm sure they're tossing around ideas of this nature right now...

I think we would have heard about it by now... was one announced while we've been chatting?

 Thanks for clarifying. We do strive for accuracy....

everyone's obsessed with her... why haven't we seen her on Today show yet?

You mean it's like the professor husband who swears this time he's really going to stop shagging the co-eds and be monogamous? You have a hard time believing? I now get it -- thank you for explaining...

That does seem to be the goal of many on this chat for their election night viewing...

you betcha! I'm so out of time... Thanks for joining me... I'll find out what's up with our online listings and report back next week... have a great weekend!