Sep 30 2008
A few days after WTAE realigned its anchor lineup, WPXI announced today that morning and noon anchor Newlin Archinal's last day at the station will be tomorrow.
I hinted that she wasn't long for Channel 11 in a blog post this summer and WPXI news director Corrie Harding said he and Archinal had been in talks about her departure from Channel 11 "for a significant period of time."
Archinal joined WPXI in 1999 as morning and noon anchor. Harding said a replacement will be announced within 24 hours, another sign that this change has been in the works for some time. My guess, and it's only that, is that if someone from inside the station is tapped to replace Archinal, it's likely to be weekend morning anchor Danielle Nottingham.
Harding said in announcing Archinal's departure to the staff that "it is part of a process of taking a strong morning product and evolving it to make it better.
"This television station has a tremendous amount of respect for her, and the efforts she put forth for 9 years," Harding said. "This decision is not specifically about her performance, or any other factor during her time here. It's a decision based on the totality of improving the morning news."
Harding said it was the station's decision to replace Archinal, which would indicate that either WPXI did not renew her contract or Archinal did not agree to terms of a proposed new contract. She is likely under a no-compete, a typical contract clause that doesn't allow TV talent to go to another station immediately. Harding said dropping Archinal was not a matter of cost containment. He said Archinal would like to stay in Pittsburgh.
"She's looking at opportunities here because she loves this city," he said. "She wants to stay in Pittsburgh."
Archinal could not be reached immediately for comment. She is expected to bid farewell to viewers just before 7 a.m. tomorrow.
Harding said the rest of the station's morning team will remain in place, although anchor Bob Bruce has a few previously scheduled vacation days later this week.
Making changes to WPXI's morning news is somewhat surprising given the station's success in that time period. WPXI ranked a competitive No. 2 to No. 1 WTAE at 5 and 6 a.m. in May and July sweeps ratings this year.
"My position and the position of the station is the best way to deal with change you believe will improve the product, the stuff we put on TV, is to start making those changes when you're in a position of strength and not wait until it's gotten to a competitive level where you have to make certain changes," Harding said. "I'm happy where the mornings are but I'm not satisfied."
Although viewers are often put off initially by anchor changes, WPXI's format allows for precious little anchor chatter that reveals their personalities, making Channel 11's anchors more disposable than anchors at KDKA and WTAE.
"Moreseo than any television station in the market, we've made it very clear to the viewers that our mission everyday is content, getting them ready to go," Harding said. "As important as those people we put on the news are, our first and foremost mission is to get you out the door with the best weather, the best traffic and the best overnight news. Folks will not see a change in that mission."
Viewers, it's your turn to weigh in: Will you miss Archinal? What do you think of WPXI's decision? Login (or register to login) to post your comments below.
Sep 30 2008
Not as many viewers watched last week's first presidential candidates debate between U.S. Sen. John McCain and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama as the first debate in the 2004 election cycle. Nielsen has all the details here.
***
The British sitcom "The I.T. Crowd" (10 tonight, IFC) almost made the leap across the pond to America a year ago when NBC developed a series based on this show.
Actually, NBC filmed the pilot of an American version of "The I.T. Crowd," written by David Guarascio and Altoona native Joe Port ("Manhattan, Az."). NBC also ordered a series but then backtracked.
Watching the British original, with its over-ripe BBC laugh track, I can see why.
This story of two computer I.T. guys and their computer illiterate boss is overly obvious and plays on stereotypes in an over-the-top way that may have been au courant in the '80s but feels woefully dated today. Supposedly it's become a "cult classic" in England but I find that difficult to believe.
American TV comedy has been in the doldrums for several years. If "The I.T. Crowd" is representative of the state of British comedy, it looks like our friends across the pond aren't in any better shape.
Agree or disagree after watching? Login (or register to login) to comment.
Sep 29 2008
The perv police over at the Parents Television Council will have a field day with Wednesday's episode of FX's "Sons of Anarchy." The series, which has been growing on me in recent weeks, follows the members of a California biker gang. A guy getting out of prison comes under their protection and he has what one character calls "a tic." The parolee frequently has a hand down his pants and, uh, well, you can guess what he's doing.
It's not clear what the creative intent of this tic is beyond getting some cheap laughs (and it does). Maybe it's just there to enrage the PTC folks who should be sending out an enraged press release right about... now.
***
Fox has canceled "Do Not Disturb" after three episodes. The low-rated, critically-reviled sitcom was created by Washington, Pa., native Abraham Higginbotham.
In an unusual move, Abraham sent some critics (not yours truly) a note days before the cancellation acknowledging their criticisms and asking these critics to give "Disturb" another chance. Doesn't look like Fox will allow those second looks to happen.
Sep 29 2008
At WQED Multimedia's annual board meeting last week, the PBS station's board of directors approved a $21.1 million budget for its 2008-09 fiscal year that begins Wednesday with a projected $76,000 in revenue over expenses.
That's on par with the current fiscal year's break-even budget. The current fiscal year is expected to end closer to $22.5 million in revenues/expenses with a positive $100,000 in revenue over expenses in the operating unrestricted budget line.
WQED president George Miles made note of the fact that, despite the current economic climate hitting media companies particularly hard, WQED will finish 2008 without any layoffs, although he noted that the staff has been charged with "hunkering down" to cut costs.
Miles himself will be sticking around WQED through 2011; the board gave him a two-year extension on his contract.
WQED executives reported their strategy for the company in recent years lines up identically with the pillars of PBS's plans for next year to emphasize local content, education and interactivity.
Upcoming locally-produced programs include:
"A Ride Along the Lincoln Highway" (8 p.m. Oct. 29): Rick Sebak's latest national production and his first show to have an original score (by local recording artist Buddy Nutt).
"On Q" (7:30 weeknights): A new season begins tonight with "Off Q" returning Friday.
"Black Horizons" (2 p.m. Sunday): A new season begins this weekend.
"Pittsburgh N'at with Dave & Dave... and Friends" (8 p.m. Nov. 6): A new Dave & Dave special themed to Pittsburgh's 250th anniversary.
"Gettysburg's New Battle: Saving the Stone Soldiers" (8 p.m. Nov. 13): An expanded version of a 2007 WQED documentary.
"Right Beside the River" (April 2009): Rick Sebak's latest local special will focus on river towns.
"Peter Matthiessen: No Boundaries" (2009): A one-hour documentary about the writer and environmental activist that will be narrated by actress Glenn Close.
WQED general manager Deb Acklin said no decision has been made on what to do with digital sub-channels for WQEX, which is being leased to Shop NBC through at least September 2009. She said WQED has the right to program digital sub-channels for WQEX, but because the license was changed from educational to commercial a few years ago, there's no provision that insures local cable companies will carry those digital subchannels. She's more eager to first add sub-channels to WQED-FM's HD radio.
Outgoing board chairman Jim Abraham bid farewell and was named a trustee emeritus. The board elected a new chairman, WQED board veteran Dick Stover, managing princpal of Birchmere Capital. Debra Caplan, senior vice president of Allegheny General Hospital, was elected vice chair.
New Board members elected to a three-year term are:
- Carole E. Bailey, Executive Services Consultant
- Neil Barclay, President and CEO, August Wilson Center for African American Culture
- Gregg Behr, President, The Grable Foundation
- Yvonne Campos, President, Campos, Inc.
- Alex Johnson, Ph.D., President, Community College of Allegheny County
- Dana E. Malin, Director, Benefits, American Eagle Outfitters
- Mickey McManus, President, CEO and Principal, MAYA Design
- Dee Jay Oshry, CFRE, Consultant in Fundraising
- Donna C. Peterman, Chief Communications Officer, The PNC Financial Series Group
- Tom R. Tabor, Senior Vice President and CIO, Information Services Group, Highmark, Inc
New Community Advisory Board members elected to a three-year term are:
· Heather Arnet, Executive Director, Women and Girls Foundation
· Jon E. Graf, Vice President and Part Owner, The Priory
· Lisa Hoitsma, Director, Gateway to the Arts
· McCrae M. Martino, Senior Program Officer, The Forbes Funds
· Evans Moore
· Rev. Kyoki Roberts, Buddhist Priest, Pittsburgh Zen Center
· Sylvia Rhor Samaniego, Assistant Professor of Art History, Carlow University
· Katherine Seelman, Associate Dean, Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehab Science
· Ambassador Dan Simpson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Sep 26 2008
Live blogging the debate:
So I've just tuned into the presidential candidates debate between U.S. Sen John McCain and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama and On CNN there appears to be an "ER" chart on the bottom of the screen that appears like it will track the responses of Republicans, Democrats and independents in the same way networks test their pilot episodes before small audiences. Wow.
So I'm watching this on my non-HD TV. It's 27 inches. But I'm having a hard time following the lines in the chart. I'm switching to the HD TV upstairs.
McCain says U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy is in the hospital but I just read on Politico.com that Kennedy is already out of the hospital.
9:09 p.m.: Moderator Jim Lehrer chastises the candidates for not answering his question and tries again.
9:10 p.m.: Watching on my 42" TV now and the CNN chart is still sort of tough to follow. Let's try HD ... Holy cow, there are even more graphics on CNN-HD! There's the graph on the bottom of the screen, which so far is telling me nothing, and there's some sort of analyst scorecard on either side of the screen. It looks like six analysts can give positive or negative points to each of the candidates. But what do these mean?
9:12 p.m.: Checking the other channels now. ABC-HD has no extra doo-dads on screen. Nothing special on NBC or CBS. Fox Business Network is still scrolling stock quotes, Fox News Channel isn't in HD and has nothing special. MSNBC has nothing unusual either. back to CNN-HD.
9:16: Whoever Castellanos is on CNN, they're going crazy with their scorecard. Now I'm curious? Who is Castellanos?
9:18: You can tell I'm not a political junkie. It appear this is Castellanos.
9:19: Gloria Borger has not yet weighed in. Did she fall asleep already?
9:20: First "SNL" moment: McCain gives a long, loud sigh into his microphone while Obama is speaking. That could turn out to be the equivalent of Al Gore's eye-rolling. Uh-oh, CNN's audience appears to have flat-lined! They're bored.
9:25: The audience reaction seems to flatline a lot more when McCain speaks. The lines are more separated when Obama talks.
9:27: Interestingly, independents seem to like Obama's energy plan more than Democrats at some moments. OK, now I'll admit, I'm fascinated by CNN's audience reaction graphic.
9:28: Someone needs to check Gloria Borger for a pulse. She still hasn't voted.
9:29: I take that back. She just rang in!
9:30: I wonder if some viewers here Charlie Brown's teacher when McCain speaks. You know, the one that goes "wha wha wha wha." The lines on the CNN graph just really stick together. Although now they're doing that with Obama speaking. Oh, now they're separating but it's independents on top, then Republicans, then Democrats.Oh, a Bush slam, now the lines are back to normal with the Democrats most approving, followed by independents and then Republicans.
9:32: Kudos to Jim Lehrer to trying to pin down the candidates to answer his questions.
9:34: The Republicans are loving McCain's pro-off-shore drilling stance. The independents, not so much.
9:36: CNN's independents are tracking with the Democrats when McCain bashes Obama's health care plan.
9:38: McCain's second use of, "I have not been elected Miss Congeniality" in this debate.
9:43: Just discovered CNN's audience graphic is shown with video streaming at CNN.com.
9:48: Regardless of which presidential candidate you prefer, they both are far more comfortable and successful in discussing the issues and their differences than Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was in her interview with CBS's Katie Couric this week.
9:52: McCain owes up to a mistake in Afghanistan. Good for him.
9:58: I'm getting bored.
9:59: TMZ.com is reporting that Tina Fey will play Sarah Palin again on "Saturday Night Live" tomorrow. I wonder if they're parody the interview with Couric...
10:00: Obama: "I've got a bracelet too..." Sincere or sarcastic? I couldn't tell.
10:02: On the CNN analyst scorecard, Obama generally has more positive points and McCain generally has more negative points, although it's not entirely clear what that means.
10:04: McCain brings up "exestential threat." I heard that for the first time recently and it's still not clear to me what it means. McCain wants to form a League of Democracies. Will Superman be a member? How about Aquaman?
10:08: I can't blame McCain for mangling the name of a foreign leader because I can't begin to spell it.
10:12: What did McCain say when Obama was talking about McCain not meeting with Spain? Was he guffawing or were there words?
10:15: McCain: "Oh, please." His famous temper is showing.
10:30: Obama: "Restore America's standing in the world." Gives McCain credit on torture issue. Obama tends to be more deferential than a lot of political figures. It was true in the primaries and it's true now. McCain is more likely to say, "Sen. Obama still doesn't get it..." Obama also stays cool. He tends to laugh off McCain's dings.
10:35: Obama: "My father came from Kenya, that's where I get my name..." just so all the lunatics who think he's a Muslim are clear on that.
10:37: Done. Let the spin begins!
Sep 26 2008
UPDATED THROUGHOUT: So after the shock wore off and and after scrambling to find previous articles about past Channel 4 changes (thanks to Barb Vancheri for her assistance) - and let's face it, there have been far more anchor configurations at WTAE than at any other station in my 10 years in Pittsburgh - I realized that I shouldn't have been all that surprised. I'd forgotten until I looked it up that I actually predicted a portion of today's changes two years ago, specifically the pairing of Wendy Bell and Andrew Stockey. (Some local TV insiders expected this, too.)
The decision to shrink the anchoring air time of Sally Wiggin, sad though it is, was sort of expected. Of course, WTAE news director Bob Longo denied this is an instance of a TV station downgrading an older female anchor. Even though, um, Wiggin is older. Wiggin is a woman. Wiggin will be seen on the air less beginning next week.
"Absolutely false. Absolutely, positively false," Longo said vehemently about how viewers are likely to see Wiggin's lighter anchor schedule. "Other TV stations in this town in the past and other TV stations in other markets in the present, people are dinged, but that is not happening here. Our folks have new assignments and everybody is accepting that."
Riiiiight.
But let's recall: The last time Wiggin lost an anchor slot - when she was moved from 11 p.m. to noon in 2004 - she said she wanted a schedule change. She was more than happy to discuss it. This time, my calls to Wiggin were not returned. Calls to Mike Clark were not returned. (I actually didn't make any calls to Michelle Wright because, one, I didn't realize at first that she was down to one newscast and, two, when I did realize it I had about 20 minutes to write a story for Friday's paper and then rush to WQED's annual board meeting. A report on WQED's board meeting will be posted here in the next few days.)
Longo is right when he says Wiggin is well-suited to "get" interviews because of her connections in the community. She's probably one of the most involved anchors locally, particularly when it comes to volunteering with charities. But another reason Wiggin can land the big interviews is because the people she wants to talk to are accustomed to seeing her on the news every night. Noon is the lowest-rated newscast so she won't be getting the same sort of exposure in the future.
Longo wouldn't answer my question when I asked how long these changes have been planned, which makes me think it's been a long time in the making (maybe about two years?).
So why make these changes and why now? I'm sure there are multiple factors but I suspect positive research on Stockey, who gains prominence in the new configuration, is part of it.
"There are a number of factors that come into play on any decision on lineups on TV," Longo said. "We take the totality of all of that and we decided all our people, where do they fit? This amounts to a lineup change. It's a simple lineup change.
"We're exposing as many viewers as possible to as many of our people as possible. These are terrific, personable, smart individuals. We want to get them in front of as many eyeballs as possible. We're getting sampling with our HD broadcasts and we think in a town like Pittsburgh where it's hard to change habits we think viewers will watch these pairings and make up their minds to change their habits. We see that as a very likely outcome."
I was tracking with him on "it's hard to change habits" thanks to the viewers who constantly bleat into my voice mail anytime there's a slight change to the Post-Gazette's TV Week. Pittsburghers HATE change. I'm also convinced it's the reason the other Pittsburgh stations have had so few changes to their anchor lineups.
Some other observations on the changes:
Moving Clark to mornings seems less like a demotion than what's happening to Wright and especially Wiggin. Granted, he started in mornings, but mornings, a growth area, are arguably more important now than they were when he started on the morning news in 1995. And he still gets to anchor twice a day.
Wright at least gets a plum spot at 6 p.m. And, let's be honest, coming off the noon news, the lowest-rated and lowest profile newscast, is no great loss for her.
Obviously the big winner in all of this is Stockey, who transitioned from sports to news just two years ago. I suspect research on Stockey is hugely positive, which would help explain his quick ascendency.
I don't think the changes in the weather lineup are done. This new configuration doesn't make a lot of sense. Longo says Demetrius Ivory's split shift - working mornings and then again at 5 p.m. - is becoming "more and more common in the industry." He also noted this configuration would be in play "for the foreseeable future." Hmmm.
Weirder still is the new schedule for Erin Kienzle, who will work mornings and evenings on Sunday and then at noon Monday through Thursday. For the time being, freelancer Michael Haynes will work at noon Friday and in the morning and evening on Saturday.
Longo said he's still looking to fill another weather position. He said the whole weather situation is less about shifts and more about "round the clock protection." Like deodorant!
And yet, I'm sure some viewers are likely to conclude these changes stink.
Channel 4's new anchor configuration:
Channel 4 Action News This Morning (5-7 a.m. weekdays)
Kelly Frey
Mike Clark
Demetrius Ivory (Weather)
Scott Stiller (Traffic)
Channel 4 Action News At Noon (12-12:30 p.m. weekdays)
Sally Wiggin
Mike Clark
Erin Kienzle (Weather)
Channel 4 Action News At 5 (5-6 p.m. weekdays)
Wendy Bell
Andrew Stockey
Demetrius Ivory (Weather)
Channel 4 Action News At 6 (6-6:30 p.m. weekdays)
Michelle Wright
Andrew Stockey
Stephen Cropper (Weather)
Jon Burton (Sports)
Channel 4 Action News At 11 (11-11:30 p.m. weekdays)
Wendy Bell
Andrew Stockey
Stephen Cropper (Weather)
Jon Burton (Sports)
So what do you think? Do you like these changes? Will you miss Sally Wiggin and Mike Clark at 6 p.m.? Will you continue to watch WTAE or will you try another station? Login (or register to login) to comment.
Sep 25 2008
ABC's "Desperate Housewives" (9 p.m. Sunday, WTAE) confused a fair number of viewers when it flash forwarded five years in its May season finale. I heard from some viewers who thought that meant the show was over. Not quite.
As creator Marc Cherry explained this summer, he wanted to re-set the series and get the stories back to something more closely resembling reality.
Sunday's season premiere does that pretty well with some of the women's stories, especially Lynette (Felicty Huffman), whose twins are now terrible teens.
Viewers will learn the fate of Mike Delfino (James Denton), the husband of Susan (Teri Hatcher, above right) who wasn't seen in the flash forward. Instead, she was kissing a new guy (Gale Harold, above left).
Bree (Marica Cross) has gone into business with Katherine (Dana Delany) and, of course, the two are butting heads with Bree attempting to take credit for everything.
Gabby (Eva Longoria Parker) now has two children who aren't following in her model's figure footsteps. And Edie (Nicollette Sheridan) moves back to Wisteria Lane with a new husband (Neal McDonough), who appears to be up to no good.
"I have a husband now," Edie tells her neighbors.
"Really? Whose?" Susan asks.
Those sort of quips in Cherry's script are the reason I continue to tune in. Hopefully with a return to semi-normalcy plot-wise, "Desperate" will have more room for this sort of comedy.
***
ABC's "Brothers & Sisters" (10 p.m. Sunday, WTAE) returns with the Walker clan bickering and spilling secrets at the most inopportune moments possible.
Much as I have enjoyed the series, I think I threw up in my mouth a little when I heard Justin (Dave Annable) tell no-longer-half-sister/new love interest Rebecca (Emily VanCamp), "I should have been more sensitive to what you were feeling."
This hour of "Brothers" is overflowing with touchy-feely sap as Sarah (Rachel Griffiths) tries to compose a letter to an adoption agency on behalf of her sister, Kitty (Calista Flockhart).
And when it's not sickeningly sentimental, there's conflict galore involving family members and business decisions.
I generally like this show it's beginning to feel like an abusive relationship. Conflict is a necessary part of prime-time drama but could the writers maybe spread it out a little? I've never felt quite so assaulted by "Brothers & Sisters" as I did this week. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come.
Sep 25 2008
In addition to tonight's season premieres of "The Office" (not sent for review) and "My Name Is Earl" (back to its roots with a winning Seth Green guest spot), ABC's "Ugly Betty" is back at at 8 tonight for the start of a new season produced in a new city.
The "Ugly Betty" pilot was filmed in New York, then production moved to Los Angeles for the first two seasons. Now the production base has returned to New York and "Betty" is showcasing its setting with many more exterior, shot-on-location scenes.
In tandem with moving the show's Mode set across the country, the Mode offices get a makeover, explained as an effort by Wilhelmina (Vanessa Williams) to makeover Mode now that she's in charge. Former editor Daniel (Eric Maibus) is now editing a lad mag called Player.
The episode also resolves, seemingly once and for all, Betty's choice between Henry (Christopher Gorham) and Gio (Freddy Rodriguez). I didn't find that altogether satisfying. The episode as a whole is OK, but not as funny as the best "Betty" hours. It seems like the writers tried to cram in so much story that there wasn't time for snarly Marc (Michael Urie) and Amanda (Becki Newton) to do their thing.
For fans of this dastardly duo, ABC now has six "Mode After Hours" webisodes starring the pair at ABC.com. The first episode, written by the writers who know Marc and Amanda best, is a lot of fun and offers exactly the kind of humor somewhat missing from the season premiere.
***
On this week's Tuned In Podcast, Post-Gazette entertainment editor Sharon Eberson and I discuss the horror that was the Emmys telecast, the season premiere of "Heroes" and the upcoming second season of "Chuck." Listen or subscribe at post-gazette.com/podcast.
***
I had the same initial reaction to Showtime's "Californication" (10 p.m. Sunday) last season as I do this season: I really don't like any of these characters or their hedonistic lifestyles. And yet I kept watching last year and I'll probably keep watching this year, although I think the show is already starting to repeat itself.
Last year writer Hank Moody (David Duchovny) unwittingly had sex with the daughter of his ex's new guy. In this year's season premiere there's another sexual "oops" that has consequences that are likely to continue for some time.
As the new season starts, Hank is back with Karen (Natascha McElhone) but many of the issues between them continue to exist.
The first two episode of the new season also have a lot of scenes of characters doing cocaine, completely out of their minds, that are played for laughs. I don't mean to be a squeamish prude but I found much of this more pathetic and sad than funny.
This season the real world also intrudes on "Californication." Knowing that Duchovny's an admitted sex addict (playing a guy who has a lot of sex and addiction issues) and that McElhone faced a real-life relationship tragedy during filming can't help but color the way in-the-know viewers receive the show this season.
Sep 24 2008
A couple of notes on politics on TV:
First, NBC's Luke Russert put his foot in his mouth on NBC's "Today."
Second, I'm not a Katie Couric hater, but I have to say her interviews today with U.S. Sen. John McCain and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin had an unfair exchange.
While chatting with Palin, there was this discussion about the proposed government bail out plan:
COURIC: If this doesn't pass, do you think there's a risk of another Great Depression?
PALIN: Unfortunately, that is the road that America may find itself on. Not necessarily this as it's been proposed has to pass or we're going to find ourselves in another Great Depression. There has got to be action--bipartisan effort--Congress not pointing fingers at one another but finding the solution to this, taking action, and being serious about the reforms on Wall Street that are needed.
Then in chatting later with McCain, Couric asked:
COURIC: Earlier today, Senator, I spoke with your running mate, Sarah Palin, and she told me that if action is not taken a Great Depression is, quote, "The road that America may find itself on." Do you agree with that assessment?
MCCAIN: I-- I don't know if-- if-- if it's exactly-- the depression. But every respected economist in this country is saying, "You better address this problem, and you better do it now, or the consequences, obviously, of inaction are of the utmost seriousness." So-- I agree with-- with Governor Palin. There's so much at stake here. That's why I am confident that we'll sit down and work together on this thing.
COURIC: But isn't so much of this, Senator McCain, about consumer confidence?
MCCAIN: Sure.
COURIC: And using rhetoric like the Great Depression, is that the kind of language Americans need to hear right now?
MCCAIN: Well, listen, I've heard language from respected people who are staring at the abyss. I've-- I've heard all kinds of-- of things from people. I don't think we need to scare people. But I certainly think we need to tell them the truth. And tell them what's at stake here.
And everyone says, and I say, this is the greatest crisis since the end of World War II. You cannot-- I-- I mean, to-- to tell it-- American citizens that everything's fine, I-- I think just would be-- that would be outright deception. I think it's of the utmost serious-- seriousness. And this is a crisis of enormous proportions. But we can fix it. And America's best days are still ahead of us.
It sounds as if Couric is questioning Palin's use of "the Great Depression" when it was Couric who first used the term. That doesn't seem particularly fair.
***
More politics on TV: Tonight David Letterman talks poltics after McCain cancels an appearance on "The Late Show," saying, among other things, that suspending his campaign and wanting to postpone a presidential debate, "This just doesn't smell right. This is not the way a tested hero behaves. Somebody's putting something in his Metamucil."
He also unveiled this Top 10 list:
The Top Ten Questions People are Asking The John McCain Campaign
#10 "I just contributed to your campaign - how do I get a refund?
#9 "It's Sarah Palin - does this mean I'm pars'dent?"
#8 "Can't you solve this by selling some of your houses?"
#7 "This is Clay Aiken. Is McCain single?"
#6 "Do you still think the fundamentals of our economy are strong, Genius?"
#5 "Are you doing all of this just to get out of going on Letterman?"
#4 "What would Matlock do?"
#3 "Hillary here - my schedule is free Friday night."
#2 "Is this just an excuse to catch up on napping?"
#1 "This is President Bush - what's all this trouble with the economy?"
Sep 24 2008
UPDATE: Due to a presidential address tonight at 9, CBS will air the "Criminal Minds" season premiere following the address.
CBS's "Criminal Minds" ended its season in May with a bang as a black SUV exploded. Because most of the characters were in separate black SUVs at the time, the cliffhanger was which one went boom.
The season premiere (9 tonight, KDKA) answers that question pretty quickly and then rachets up the tension as the siege by a small group of terrorists continued.
There are some graphic scenes -- more implied than shown -- and that SUV explosion gets milked for all its worth.
Most of the twists you can see coming a mile away -- keep an eye on the guy from the new "90210" -- so the mounting tension begins to dissipate once the audience gets as far ahead of the characters as it seems like they will on this episode.
***
NBC's "Friday Night Lights" returns next Wednesday - but you probably won't be able to see it. In a deal that allowed the show to live but delays access to new episodes for most fans, NBC partnered with satellite provider DIRECTV to film a 13-episode third season. As part of the deal, the episodes air exclusively on DIRECTV's Channel 101 (9 p.m. Oct. 1) until February 2009 when NBC will get a crack at airing them.
The low-rated but critically-adored "FNL" was another victim of the writers' strike story-wise, unable to complete its sophomore season story. The new season picks up months later with allusions to what viewers missed: Smash (Carnegie Mellon Univeristy alum Gaius Charles) was injured and the Dillon Panthers collapsed.
On the personal front, Landry (Jesse Plemons) and Tyra (Adrienne Palicki) are taking a break or broke up, depending on which of them is telling the story, while Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch) is having sleepovers with Lila Garrity (Minka Kelly).
The seeds of professional disagreement between Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) and wife Tami (Connie Britton) are sown in the season premiere as Tami, a former guidance counselor, becomes the high school principal and starts making decisions that don't always favor the school's football franchise.
In the current entertainment economy, I don't begrudge NBC for the deal with DIRECTV. It just means viewers will need to show some patience. "FNL" has certainly proven itself to be worth the wait in the past and there's no reason to doubt it won't continue to be. But the show has changed since its first season. The visual style, once herky jerky, is now more fluid. And the emphasis on the teenagers and their relationships has come at the expense of creating the rich tapestry of the town of Dillon.
But "FNL" remains, at heart, the story of flawed people doing their best, especially well-meaning Coach Taylor, who continues to work with the recovering Smash, even though he's graduated from high school. Taylor also continues to dodge disaster in the form of football boosters and parents, particularly the dad of new hot shot quarterback J.D. McCoy (Jeremy Sumpter, "Clubhouse"), who's salivating for the position held by current QB1 Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford).
On DIRECTV, the season premiere runs 50 minutes, not the usual 42 minutes allotted on a broadcast network. That freedom doesn't necessarily work in the show's favor: It results in a somewhat fatty episode and it's easy to guess which scenes will be trimmed before "FNL" airs on NBC next year.
For those who do have DIRECTV, "FNL" will be followed (beginning Oct. 15) by "Live from Dillon," featuring "FNL" cast members discussing the series and taking phone calls from fans.
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