TVSquad

A new column here at TV Squad, where we talk about all of the things you're missing when you hit fast forward on your DVRs.

This week, I'd like to talk to you about Cheerios.

Specifically, I'd like to talk to you about the Cheerios commercial that has been running for several months. You know it. It's the one where the dad is going to eat Cheerios for six weeks to lower his cholesterol and his son has six weeks to do a report on Shakespeare. I have a question about this particular ad, which seems to be on 33 times a day right now.

Does the dad hate his son?

Mike Wallace, the semi-retired 60 Minutes correspondent, underwent triple-bypass heart surgery over the weekend at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan.

The 89-year-old Wallace, the oldest of the 60 Minutes correspondents, is recovering nicely, according to a CBS News spokesperson. The spokesperson added that the Correspondent Emeritus was already taking his first steps just two days after undergoing the procedure. Man, this guy is tough! It is unknown at this time if the surgery was planned or done after a checkup revealed an issue.

I got a great letter this week...

"I remember watching a documentary, I believe it was about Rod Serling, & on it was mentioned a Western series the producer had developed, starring Lloyd Bridges & Brock Peters. Any idea what this show was called? Or, was it maybe Gene Roddenberry's show? Thanks for the help! Steve Atwell"

Odd headline over at the Asbury Park Press. It says ""60 Minutes Has No Plans To Replace Bradley," but then in the article there's a quote from the show's executive producer, Jeff Fager, where he says "It's a long-term project to find the next full-time person who can show the abilities that are expected of a 60 Minutes correspondent."

Sounds to me like they do have plans to replace Bradley, but not until next season.

But what's the big deal here? Did we really expect that 60 Minutes can just lose a top reporter and not replace him? And I hate the word "replace" anyway, like he just kept a spot warm and now they're throwing another person in there to take up the spot. Bradley himself won't (and can't) be replaced, he was unique. It's his duties that will be done by someone else.

[via TV Newser]

Katie Couric just broke into CBS programming with the shocking news that longtime 60 Minutes journalist Ed Bradley died this morning of leukemia. He was 65.

I use the word shocking because I don't think there was any public indication that Bradley was sick from leukemia.

At the time of his death, Bradley was still working on 60 Minutes, and stories that he was working on still remain to be aired at a later date. He had been with 60 Minutes for 26 years and won several awards, including an Emmy, a Polk, a Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award, and a duPont citation.

Bradley was married to artist Patricia Blanchet.

• At 7, ABC has the two hour season finale of Extreme Makeover, followed by the two hour season finale of Desperate Housewives.
• CBS has a new 60 Minutes at 7, followed by the season finale of Cold Case, a repeat CSI: Miami and a repeat CSI: NY.
• NBC has a new Dateline, followed by the new disaster sequel, 10.5 Apocalypse.
• Over on FOX at 7, two repeat eps of The Simpsons, then the season finale, then the 90 minute season finale of Family Guy (which is actually just that Family Guy movie that came out on DVD a while back).
• The WB has two repeats of Reba starting at 7, followed by the series finale of Charmed and a repeat Charmed.
• On a new Emeril Live, the chef cooks up some hot dog recipes. It's on Food Network, of course.
• PBS has a new episode of Mystery! Check local listings.
• At 9, HBO has a new ep of The Sopranos, followed by a new ep of Big Love.
• At 9:30, VH-1 has a new ep of Hogan Knows Best, followed by a new reality show, Supergroup.

Most people would agree that venerable newsman Mike Wallace has been an extremely influential force in TV news. Even in his late eighties the man is still well-respected. It seems, though, that his influence has stretched beyond mere journalism. During an in-studio performance and interview, singer Jack White of the White Stripes revealed that he got the name for his new band, The Raconteurs, from an article about Mike Wallace. The article described Wallace as a "raconteur," which means a person skilled at telling anecdotes. White apparently liked how the name sounded, and thus his band had a name. What still remains a mystery is whether Wang Chung got their name from Connie Chung.