Mar 11 2010
This week, long-time Chicago broadcasting critic Robert Feder wrote about a memo issued by Tribune Co. CEO Randy Michaels about "newsspeak" words and phrases reporters and anchors for talk/radio station WGN should never use, including "after the break," "best kept secret," "icon" and "you folks," among 115 others.
Which words and phrases get over-used on Pittsburgh TV news? Visit this Post-Gazette forum to share your thoughts.
And for a laugh, watch the clean six seconds from an otherwise NSFW (lots of profanity) Onion.com video mocking cable news.
Mar 11 2010
TheWrap.com reports that former "Tonight Show" host Conan O'Brien will barnstorm the country in a multi-date stage tour while waiting out his non-compete before embarking on his next TV venture.
O'Brien won't be coming to Pittsburgh -- his closest dates are in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia -- but there are a lot of dates and locations in the event any local Coco fans are traveling this spring and summer.
Mar 11 2010
This is one of the more unusual science programs to turn up: National Geographic Channel's "Sizing Up Sperm" (9 p.m. Sunday) features human actors, dressed in white, who represent sperm making the "epic journey" where only one will survive. They run along beaches and trudge up hills, facing off with black-clad sperm-killers.
Among the gems in the narration:
"From a sperm's point of view, landing in Emily's vagina is like D-day..."
"For each individual sperm, [ejaculation] is a wet and wild, high-speed ticket to oblivion..."
I'm sure the show will make some viewers blush or laugh. Or blush and laugh.
Who knows if skittish school boards will make the show available for a sex-ed teacher but it seems to strike an appropriate balance between science and goofy entertainment, just the sort of thing that might make kids pay attention when they'd otherwise daydream.
Here's a clip:
Mar 10 2010
This week I've been reading comments from participants in the Post-Gazette's annual Keep or Cancel? poll, and everyone is lamenting the amount of reality TV, which seemingly every respondent claims to hate and not watch.
Of course, that's baloney. People are watching reality shows because if they were not, the networks would stop putting them on TV post-haste.
I suspect what's happening is that people may watch just one or two reality shows and because they watch them, those shows can't be bad but the same viewers continue to rail against all reality. Watching a few shows here or there starts to add up and ultimately it's just a matter of harping on the reality shows other viewers are watching while ignoring your own reality TV transgressions.
That said, I can completely sympathize with the blanket "I hate reality TV" crowd when it comes to a show like The CW's "High Society" (9:30 tonight, WPCW), an awful show about awful people.
This docu-series centers on a Manhattan socialite/handbag designer named Tinsley Mortimer who is in the midst of a divorce, the reasons for which the show does not make clear (his family supposedly hated her being in the public eye but is that really grounds for divorce?). Frankly, Mortimer seems a little long-in-the-tooth for The CW crowd but her friends/hangers-on are in the CW target demo. And they're way more objectionable than Mortimer.
Jules Kirby is depicted as an unrepentant racist: "I think people are jealous of me because I'm smart, I'm pretty and I don't have a censor button. ... I use the N-word sometimes and I really think it should be OK to say."
This, along with her stated preference for white guys, is followed by a declaration that does not square with her previous statements: "My dream job is to work for the United Nations." Uh-huh.
Then there's Paul Johnson Calderone, a bratty, cowardly substance abuser who has been to rehab twice and continues to drink alcohol. Maybe he was in rehab for an addiction to other peoples' attention, which he sure seems to crave.
Yes, I understand the appeal of this type of show is that it allows the viewer to feel superior to the people on screen. But is our collective self-esteem really so low to warrant giving these horrible people air time? Simply put, they do not deserve a TV platform to showcase their boorish behavior and they're certainly not worthy of viewers' attention.
Mar 09 2010
This is just one of those weird Hollywood coincidences: Actor Kyle Bornheimer, who starred last season in CBS's "Worst Week," has no connection to Pittsburgh but he's starring in three Pittsburgh-set projects.
First, he's one of the stars of the filmed-and-set-in-Pittsburgh movie "She's Out of My League," which arrives in theaters Friday.
Then he's in ABC's Pittsburgh-set sitcom "Romantically Challenged," which does not have a premiere date but is expected to join the primetime lineup in mid-April.
Finally, he's been cast in CBS's fall Pittsburgh-set pilot "Livin' on a Prayer," written, in part, by a former Pittsburgher and starring Mt. Lebanon native/Carnegie Mellon University grad Joe Manganiello.
How, you may wonder, can Bornheimer star in two sitcoms almost simultaneously? The "Prayer" producers are playing the odds that "Romantically Challenged," like 80 percent of all shows, will fail, which would make him available for "Prayer" this fall.Technically, he's in "second position" on "Prayer," meaning his first allegiance is to "Romantically Challenged."
If "Romantically Challenged" is a hit and "Prayer" gets picked up, too, "Prayer" will have to re-cast the role with a different actor and re-shoot its pilot episode.
I chatted with Bornheimer at press tour in July 2008 after he filmed "League" and as he was promoting "Worst Week." I did not get the sense he had any connection to Pittsburgh beyond filming "League" locally -- he's from Indiana and has no relatives here -- so I think it's fair to assume that his casting in Pittsburgh-set programs is coincidence and not intentional.
"There were, like, three movies being made when we were there," Bornheimer told me. He was excited to see locations used in movie favorites like "Deer Hunter" and "Silence of the Lambs." "We were Downtown staying at a hotel and there's a lot of great architecture. They maintain their old buildings really nicely, like the old city hall and the old city prison. I checked out a couple of Pirates games and the new stadium is beautiful. We had a big cast and were able to go out a lot and have a lot of fun."
Mar 09 2010
USA Network's "White Collar" (10 tonight) ends its first season with an episode that concentrates more on the characters and the arc that's been threaded through the season rather than the usual stand-alone caper-of-the-week.
Con man-turned-FBI helper Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer) thinks he's found a way to reunite with AWOL love interest Kate and escape the gaze of the FBI.
Also, FBI agent Diana Lancing (Marsha Thomason), who disappeared after the pilot episode, returns tonight to assist FBI pal Peter Burke (Tim DeKay). Caffrey's handler.
In January, Bomer promised the first season would end with a cliffhanger, and indeed it does.
But in the screener I was sent, that cliffhanger was telegraphed a few seconds in advance due to some shoddy green screen work that's just about as obvious as the bad green screening in "Eli Stone."
Mar 08 2010
Tonight's episode of NBC's "Chuck" (8 p.m., WPXI) is a game-changer. Show runners and networks say that all the time but tonight's it's really true.
Chuck himself, actor Zachary Levi, directed tonight's installment that marks a real step forward in the story of unexpected spy Chuck Bartowski, who has had all the goverment's secrets downloaded into his head from the Intersect computer.
The episode begins with Chuck not "flashing," seeing images in his head that allow him to become a martial arts master or expert shooter. Because of this Intersect impotence, Chuck gets benched from his spy duties.
He's also in trouble at Buy More, his cover job at a big box store, where best friend/assistant manager Morgan (Josh Gomez) feels left out of Chuck's life and fires him as his best friend. At the same time, potential buyers consider purchasing the Buy More store, which doesn't make a lot of sense since we know it's part of a corporate chain. No matter, it's a contrivance that leads to more interesting plot developments.
If you're a fan of "Chuck," this episode is a must-see.
Mar 07 2010
In reverse chronological order, my Oscar tweets and re-tweets:
- RT @franklinavenue Thanks to Tom Hanks for
looking at his watch, taking control and DIRECTING this awards show. Seriously,
SOMEONE had to. half a minute ago
via web
-
RT @goodyk "The show is so long that 'Avatar' now takes
place in the past." Good Steve Martin line to end on. Wish it weren't so
true.... 1
minutes ago via web
-
The
Na'Avi are bluer than usual tonight. 6
minutes ago via web
-
RT @franklinavenue The Oscars, now close to 30 minutes
in OT. Cablevision subscribers manually re-unplugging ABC from their
systems. 11
minutes ago via web
-
Awww,
I was hoping Gaby would get to give a speech. Liked her on the red
carpet. 15
minutes ago via web
-
I
hated this ego stroking blather last year and I still hate it this year.
22
minutes ago via web
-
I'm
not sure making "SWAT" was all that fortunate for anyone involved...
35
minutes ago via web
-
RT @marymcnamara sigh. the Oscar ego stroking is really
getting tedious... 36 minutes ago
via web
-
RT @goodyk Kind of wish they'd speed things up. You
know, deadlines and all... 36
minutes ago via web
-
RT @TVBarn Martin and Baldwin should make a sitcom for
Fox. They've been up there at least half an hour. And they're still not
funny. 37
minutes ago via web
-
Ah, a
"Modern Family" promo. Now that's entertainment. about
1 hours ago via web
-
They can't pronounce his name, but a local guy wins
another FX Oscar http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10064/1040384-60.stm
about
1 hours ago via web
-
RT @TVWithoutPity Will next year's In Memoriam montage
include tonight's telecast and the audience in attendance? Both have been
lifeless. about
1 hours ago via web
-
RT @sepinwall Okay, so they cut the Best Song
performances but kept room for this? about
1 hours ago via web
-
RT @ChrisSerico The #Oscars present So You
Think You Can Yawn? about 1 hours ago
via web
- LOL RT@BorowitzReport It's sad about the Hollywood
people who died this year, but at least they didn't have to watch the #Oscars. about
1 hours ago via web
-
RT @franklinavenue Steve Martin, Alec
Baldwin, James Taylor... wow, this is a strong 1979 episode of "Saturday Night
Live." Wait, what? about 1 hours ago
via web
-
Glad they brought back the performance during In Memoriam.
And looks like they're doing a better job IDing the people being
remembered. about 1 hours ago
via web
-
RT @BastardMachine
The only thing left out of that horror montage was NBC's fall schedule.
about
2 hours ago via web
- Delete
Finally something funny: Tina Fey + Robert Downey
Jr. about
3 hours ago via web
-
-
So
far, Oscar pace is S-L-O-W. about 3 hours ago
via web
-
RT @thesurfreport Kathy Ireland makes Sherri Shepherd
look like Edward R. Murrow about 4 hours ago
via web
-
RT @TheWrap Tina Fey: "You can tell it's not the Emmys
because everyone is taller and better looking." about
4 hours ago via web
-
On
Oscar pre-show, what is with Kathy Ireland? It's like she's over-annunciating
while being obsequious.
Mar 05 2010
WQED Multimedia chief operating officer Deborah Acklin sent an e-mail to WQED members on Wednesday informing them that the non-profit media company's state funding was even less than expected:
The news is even worse than we thought. The state's original 88% reduction in
funding to WQED was further reduced to a total 93% cut in operating support. In
dollar terms, WQED's operating funding from the state was reduced to $74,000
almost overnight. This is not a misprint. Funding to WQED was almost totally
eliminated.
As you know, WQED has drastically reduced expenses over the
last two years. We cannot cut any further without impacting the PBS lineup, NPR
programming, the local programs that you enjoy on WQED-TV and Classical WQED-FM, and our educational and community engagement efforts.
The letter went on to pitch for donations during the station's March pledge drive.
WQED's state funding had already been cut dramatically and the station planned for it in the current fiscal year budget that began Oct. 1. State funding went from $8 million for public stations (split among eight entities state-wide) to around $1 million split eight ways.
Yesterday, Acklin said since the eConnection newsletter was prepared, some of the state money has been restored to the tune of about $133,000 of a previously anticipated $148,000 in state funding.
"This situation is so fluid, it's astounding," Acklin said. "We had it, then it was held back and we don't have it."
Acklin attributed some confusion to the fact that PPTN (Pennsylvania Public Television Network) is no longer an active agency that could be relied upon to provide information on the state of state funding to public stations.
In the end, Acklin said that makes the annual cut from $1 million in annual fundng a little less painful.
"Most of this was antcipated and absorbed in the last budget round for us," she said. "We always tell you we're very conservative in budget estimates and put in a really conservative number. Even at $133,000 it's a slight uptick from what our budget projections were."
The state's contribution for the next fiscal year currently stands at zero.
"The line item is still in the budget," Acklin said. "Our job and all of public television in Pennsylvania's job is to get a number in there. How much of a number, I couldn't tell you at this point."
Acklin said she's feeling both optimistic and realistic about March pledge given the charity fatigue that could set in among donors after the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile and the current economic climate. But she's bolstered by numbers that favor WQED.
"Over the last two years, PBS stations in general lost 5 percent of their members and our membership over this period is up 3 percent," she said. "Individuals have really stepped forward."
Mar 04 2010
The CW announced "Smallville" will be back for another season:
"SMALLVILLE" TO
RETURN FOR A TENTH SEASON ON THE CW
March 4, 2010
(Burbank, California) ─ The CW Network has announced
that its hit series "Smallville" will return in the fall of 2010 for a momentous
tenth season.
"Smallville," a
modern retelling of the Superman legend, stars Tom Welling as Clark Kent.
The series moved to Friday nights this season, where it currently ranks as
network television's #1 show in its time period among men 18-34 and men 18-49.
Additionally, "Smallville" has dramatically improved The CW's ratings
performance in its Friday 8:00-9:00p.m.time period by 67% among adults 18-34
(1.5/6), 200% in men 18-34 (1.8/7), 75% in adults 18-49 (1.4/5), 183% in men
18-49 (1.7/6) and 74% in total viewers
(3.12million).
"Smallville" joins the five previously
announced series - "The Vampire Diaries," "Gossip Girl," "90210," "Supernatural"
and "America's Next Top Model" - which
will all return for another season on The CW.
"Smallville" was
developed for television by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar ("Shanghai Noon,"
"The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor"), based on the DC Comics characters.
Kelly Souders & Brian Peterson serve as executive producers, along with
James Marshall, Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins and Joe Davola. The series is
produced by Tollin/Robbins Productions, Millar/Gough Ink and Warner Bros.
Television. SUPERMAN was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe
Shuster.
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