Amid controversy and the threat of certain world leaders boycotting the upcoming Beijing Olympics, the word came out yesterday that President George W. Bush would attend the opening ceremonies. According to the Hollywood Reporter, this is good news for NBC, and the companies that have bought advertising for the Games.
While I can see how a boycott based on human rights abuses in China and Tibet would be a serious problem for the network -- and it still may lose viewers who choose to individually tune out rather than give positive sanction to China's misdeeds by watching -- I don't see how NBC can think a Bush appearance will bolster ratings.
According to Time magazine, there are various organizational problems occurring that could lead to the Olympics not being broadcast on television. A series of unworkable conditions are being created for networks including limits on live coverage in Tiananmen Square and allegations that freight shipments of TV broadcasting equipment are being held up in Chinese ports.
The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing are scheduled to begin on August 8th. According to the minutes of a May 29th meeting, procedures which have been used by broadcasters in other Olympics are conflicting with China's authoritarian government. Some plans are months behind schedule, which could force broadcasters to compromise coverage plans.
Posted Apr 24th 2008 1:03PM by Joel Keller Filed under: News
Jack Cafferty, aka CNN's Grumpy Old Man, has been known to spout off from time to time and go on rants, but they were nothing more harmful than the news equivalent of "damn kids and their rock music these days." But it looks like one of his ramblings ticked off a couple of people enough that they found some creative lawyers and sued the heck out of Cafferty and his bosses.
According to Reuters, a beautician and a Beijing-based primary schoolteacher are suing Cafferty and CNN $1.3 billion for, the article says, "violating the dignity and reputation of the Chinese people." The lawsuit is being filed in New York. According to one of the suit's lawyers,"The $1.3 billion averages out to $1 per Chinese person, so it isn't much." He apparently said that with a completely straight face.
(S15E10) Now, you can tell this episode of Survivor China is yet another one named for a James saying. He seems to have an Adam and Eve obsession, as well as a fixation on the apple.
I realize he's hungry and I'm not all that sure apples are indigenous to China. He could nibble on some bamboo. After all, that keeps those cool panda bears looking all that fat and healthy.
Maybe I'd call this episode, "We Don't Need No Steenkin' Apples, Give Us Bamboo!" Yeah, that's it.
(S15E9A) And, if you read the title of tonight's Survivor China episode, you know the ending of it -- "It's been real and it's been fun, but it hasn't been really fun." If memory serves, that's how the saying goes. It was very apt for tonight's show, the mid-season repeat clips and previously un-aired bits they think might interest or amuse us.
I toyed with the idea of not reviewing tonight's episode, but there were a few interesting bits and pieces amongst the retreaded clips that I'd like to mention, plus it's a good time for me to reflect back on the season so far. Oh, and CBS is counting this as a new episode, silly network.
(S15E04) "Flavor has never tasted so good. This is the delicatist thing I've ever put in my mouth." - Denise
Hmm ... I believe she was going for a variation of delicacy, but who knows? Unlike some of the castaways, I find this season of Survivor China is stepping up more each week. That is, despite the slaughter of the English language at times, it is.
It's hard to believe, but next month marks the 15th installment of Survivor. This season, they're in China and the producers are getting all literary and stuff. The teams will begin in Shanghai and then go to a Buddhist temple where they will be stripped of all "worldly possessions" except the clothes on their backs. They will split into two teams and be given a copy of Sun Tzu's The Art of War, which will apparently come in handy this season.
Today, CBS introduced the new 16-member cast. You can't tell much about their personalities from the general biographical information given out, but there are a few stand-outs already. For instance, there's a grave digger, a chicken farmer (whose name is 'Chicken'), a Christian talk radio host, a professional wrestler (Ashley Massaro), and a hiking guide from Kalispell, Montana. Okay, that last one is only interesting to me because she comes from my hometown. You can read more about the castaways here.
Survivor: China debuts on CBS at 8 pm on September 20th.
"Great Recall of China": In some not very surprising news, there has been a massive recall of certain toys from China. Lead was discovered in a disturbingly large number of Mattel toys from the country and now everyone's running around, trying to cover themselves. Senior Plaything Analyst John Oliver, wearing a lot of brown, reported from his parents' toy-filled basement to elaborate. That Photoshopped picture of young Oliver made me laugh for an obscenely long time. It was yet another sign that I desperately needed sleep.
I told you not long ago that Wordplay, the documentary about New York Times Crossword editor Will Shortz and his annual crossword competition would air as part of the PBS series Independent Lens on October 16. It turns out it's also the very first documentary of the series' sixth season.
Other documentaries will include An Unreasonable Man, the popular 2006 documentary about presidential candidate and consumer advocate Ralph Nader; Banished, which tells the story of how some small towns expelled their black communities; King Corn, about two college students who grow their own food to challenge big agri-business; Miss Navajo, which centers on a unique Native American beauty pageant; Iron Ladies of Liberia focuses on the first head of state in Africa; Mapping Stem Cell Research: Terra Incognita, about a neurologist trying to find a cure for his paralyzed daughter; and Please Vote for Me, a documentary from China about three eight year old students running for "class monitor."
"Hearing Problems": More fun Alberto Gonzalez stuff, this time involving Joshua Bolten and Harriet Miers as well. Apparently, Mr. Gonzalez has changed his favorite phrase from "I don't recall" to "I can't answer that question". Those slip-ups, including the one about how some of the causes were legitimate, were so huge and awful, I don't understand how Gonzalez can go on. Actually, I can't understand how Jon goes on either. He may be out of the job soon... This Gonzalez nonsense writes itself.
TiVo already had a limited presence in Taiwan, but PacificNet iMobile will distribute TiVo PVRs in major cities including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. If we're lucky, that means more hyper-kinetic Chinese TiVo promotional videos like this one, released last year:
No word on when TiVo will roll out its expansion or what models will be available.
Remember all that talk about Survivor moving to a colder climate, such as Canada? Never mind.
The long-running CBS show is actually going to China for its next season. The 15th season will feature the castaways in a non-island setting for the first time since the 11th season. Though I'm not sure if you can call them "castaways" if its not an island, but whatever. China is more open to other countries filming there now, and such a location may help Survivor catch on outside of the U.S. The new season starts in September.
I still want to see a cold climate Survivor though. Moving around to different warm parts of the globe (and I'm not sure exactly what the weather will be like in China, so maybe I'm off here) might be interesting on paper, but once you get into the game it's still the same old thing. Changing the climate would change the whole show.
Amid controversy and the threat of certain world leaders boycotting the upcoming Beijing Olympics, the word came out yesterday that President George W. Bush would attend the opening ceremonies. According to the Hollywood Reporter, this is good news for NBC, and the companies that have bought advertising for the Games. 
According to Time magazine, there are various organizational problems occurring that could lead to the 
Jack Cafferty, aka CNN's Grumpy Old Man, has been known to spout off from time to time and go on rants, but they were nothing more harmful than the news equivalent of "damn kids and their rock music these days." But it looks like one of his ramblings ticked off a couple of people enough that they found some creative lawyers and sued the heck out of Cafferty and his bosses.
(S15E10) Now, you can tell this episode of 
(S15E9A) And, if you read the title of tonight's 
It's hard to believe, but next month marks the 15th installment of Survivor. This season, they're in China and the producers are getting all literary and stuff. The teams will begin in Shanghai and then go to a Buddhist temple where they will be stripped of all "worldly possessions" except the clothes on their backs. They will split into two teams and be given a copy of Sun Tzu's The Art of War, which will apparently come in handy this season.
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Doctor Who panel - Comic-Con Report
NBC's Kings panel - Comic-Con Report
The Dharma Initiative wants you - VIDEO - Comic-Con Report
