Both the World Series and the start of the NBA season brought in big numbers for their respective networks this week. The MLB faceoff between the Yankees and the Phillies score Fox a 6.3 rating share or 19.3 million viewers in their timeslot. The NBA's doubleheader opener on Tuesday helped TNT score a record-breaking 3.7 million viewers.
Stories like these make me long for the Yoda-like wisdom of baseball's Yogi Berra. Just think of the grammatically incorrect gems he could conjure.
"People watch sports because it's easier than playing it."
"Sports has a big following because so few people follow it."
As in years past during the World Series, FOX has started up the marketing machine for the new season of 24 and this year is no different. The official trailer for Jack Bauer's eighth very bad day (which has 24's traditional 2-night 4-hour premiere on January 17th and 18th) aired last night.
While it doesn't shed too much light on the new season (which takes place in NYC), one thing is for certain -- despite how we last saw Jack, sick as a dog with Kim by his side, the guy seems pretty healthy now. And a healthy Jack Bauer means an ass-kicking Jack Bauer, retired or not.
It's been revealed that the new season will focus on the assassination attempt of a Middle Eastern political figure played by Slumdog Millionaire's Anil Kapoor. He gets a little bit of play here in the trailer as well as a quick glimpse of the resurrected CTU. But let's be honest -- all we care about seeing is Jack, even though he is a grandpa now. Check it and tell us what you think!
TV Guide has released their list of shows that are safe for the rest of the season and those that are "on the bubble," the shows that are in danger of being canceled. There are a lot of shows on the latter list that aren't a surprise, such as Hank, Gary Unmarried, Cold Case, and The Forgotten (I'm surprised Cold Case even made it to another season).
But among the list of shows are a few that I didn't think were in danger, including Gossip Girl and Fringe. I know that Gossip Girl isn't a show that gets incredible ratings, but that describes The CW in general, and I figure that even if it gets low ratings it's sort of the network's signature show. As for Fringe, the ratings are a lot worse this season than last season, but it would still surprise me if the show went away, especially since it has its fan base and it's produced by JJ Abrams.
I have to admit that, when the Yankees are in the playoffs, most of my regular TV watching gets obliterated. Thankfully, DVRs and online TV sites (and, in the mid-'90s, VCRs) help me catch up. For instance, even though I have to review Cougar Town, I'll likely won't watch it until tomorrow morning, on either ABC.com or Hulu. Why? World Series game one, of course. Nothing, not even the Yankees being behind 22-0, is going to tear me away from FOX at 9:30, when I should be watching Cougar Town on ABC.
Which leads me to something that I've been wondering lately: Didn't networks used to program more reruns against the World Series? Tonight, NBC has a lineup of new episodes, as does ABC (except for Charlie Brown in Hank's slot, for understandable reasons). Tomorrow, all three of FOX's competitors have new episodes.
(S02E05) "It's always the popular ones who think they can get away with murder." - Loker
Easily the best episode of Lie to Me to date, I have to wonder -- I can't be the only out there who's just dying to know more about Cal's past, right? Lennie James guest-starred as Terry Marsh, one of Cal's old crime pals and his arrival created so many questions that have just pushed aside anything else going on at The Lightman Group. Unless Gillian or Loker turn out to be serial killers from past lives, nothing else really matters right now besides Cal's history.
The upcoming A-Team movie has released its first cast photo (a larger version can be seen here), and I'll give credit where credit is due. Not only has Fox cast the movie perfectly, but they've gone out of their way to make the cast look like their 80's television equivalents. Okay, Rampage Jackson isn't wearing gold chains, but that's about it.
They even made Liam Neeson look like George Peppard. How cool is that? And of course that's the classic van in the background. Even if this movie ends up being a mindless action flick, then it's still following in the footsteps of its originator and will likely make $100 million that weekend.
I just wonder if anybody is actually going to be shot and killed in the movie. It never seemed to happen during the television show. More importantly, will any of the original cast members make a cameo?
So, let's say TV Squad wanted to have a 30-second ad on CBS' highest-rated show, NCIS. It would cost us $133,304. It would actually cost more, because we'd hire scantily-clad dancers, include a 35 pound bag of Doritios, fireworks in the shape of each writer, guest appearances from people like Tina Fey and JJ Abrams, and would have special effects because some of the commercial would be set in outer space for some reason, but I mean CBS would charge us $133,304.
To give you an idea of how that stacks up against other shows on CBS and shows on other networks, here's a quick list.
It's always interesting when you've been hearing about a series for years and then finally sit down to watch it. All the little pieces and pop references of Ally McBeal are starting to come together, like Fishisms, The Biscuit, dancing babies and Vonda Shepard. I have seen the light. Well, at least season one of the light.
Molly Dodd because Ally is funny, desperate, strong and cute. My World because of all her fantasies, though not always in cartoon form as was the case with John Monroe / James Thurber.
(S02E04) It's somewhat ironic that upon news that Dollhouse is going on something of a hiatus and will likely not be back next year that it delivers one of the best episodes of its run. Co-written by Joss' brother Jed (and it wouldn't surprise me if he wrote the music to the episode as well) and Maurissa Tancharoen (both of Doctor Horrible fame), we got the backstory of Sierra and received a major view of how dark the underbelly of the Dollhouse really is.
In another surprise, they redid the graphics for the opening credits and they're better. Does anybody else make up lyrics while listening to the theme or is it just me? If so, what are your lyrics? Mine begins with "This is the Dollhouse. We're in the Dollhouse. This is the Dollhouse song."
I thought it was a rule that TV stations covering sporting events (at least in baseball) didn't show drunks, streakers, and other morons who jump on the playing field in the middle of a game? Last night FOX happily showed a guy at the Yankees/Angels game who somehow got into the waterfall area of the outfield and went for a swim. Well, he laid down in the water.
I think we can assume the guy got at least one beer from the concession stand.
So, tell me why you're watching Glee.Entertainment Weekly put the Fox musical/drama/comedy on it's cover this week, calling it "TV's Happiest Hour." With around 8 million people tuning in each week and iTunes sales of songs featured on the show going through the roof, there's no denying that Glee has turned into a barely contained phenomenon.
EW says it's "snarky, theatrical and totally addictive." All very true, but I watch for one reason: this show makes me happy. Nothing I've seen on TV in the past few years, much less this season, puts a grin on my face like these high school kids earnestly singing and dancing. I mean, come on. Did you see Puck's rendition of "Sweet Caroline"?
The World Series is just around the corner and Fox has done something to make the coverage a bit more interesting. No, they have dictated that the umpires be replaced with androids, although after the screw-ups from Game Four of the ALCS, that might not be a bad suggestion. Fox Sports has added White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen to the pre and post-game analysis.
Aside from being a World Series winner, Ozzie is a character. He's funny, audacious, occasionally inappropriate, but highly knowledgeable about baseball and entertaining. He won't hold back what he thinks and if you want to hear real inside baseball talk, that's what Ozzie will deliver.
Last night's Glee -- "Mash-Up" -- was one of the best of the season, but it may be that it was merely an appetizer and that next week's show is going to be the big enchilada (hmm... I must be hungry). Anyway, the show won't be back until November -- after the World Series --- and based on Fox's previews, it looks like a lot is going to happen.
When you want to up the ante on a drama, create a great villain. To this day, the best James Bond movies have always been the ones with great villains. Fox's sci-fi drama Fringe is buying into that theory, because they've gone out and hired an actor who excels at playing evil. Fringe has cast Sebastian Roche in a recurring role as a new nemesis.If you saw Roche on General Hospital, you know he's brilliant.
His Fringe character doesn't have a name yet -- and least not one that they've released -- but the storyline is that he's from another dimension, not entirely human or android, and he's on a mission. He's a soldier who's supposed to collect data to open a "stable door to the other side."
Could it be an alternate universe? A parallel dimension? Some kind of time warp? The possibilities are wide open when it comes to Fringe.
(S01E08) In what might be one of the best episodes of Glee since the premiere, Matthew Morrison was given a true showcase. There was also no Will family drama. Hmm ... is that a coincidence? I don't think so. I clearly have more interest in what Will's doing at McKinley High with the singing and dancing then his marriage.
Mash-ups were on the top of the to-do list. Emma and Ken asked Will for a wedding song mash-up, which was easier said than done when the two songs they wanted were "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady and Sisqo's "The Thong Song." Fortunately, Will didn't sing the former, just the latter.
Both the World Series and the start of the NBA season brought in big numbers for their respective networks this week. The MLB faceoff between the Yankees and the Phillies score Fox a 6.3 rating share or 19.3 million viewers in their timeslot. The NBA's doubleheader opener on Tuesday helped TNT score a record-breaking 3.7 million viewers. 
The upcoming A-Team movie has released its first cast photo (a larger version can be seen 
It's always interesting when you've been hearing about a series for years and then finally sit down to watch it. All the little pieces and pop references of Ally McBeal are starting to come together, like Fishisms, The Biscuit, dancing babies and Vonda Shepard. I have seen the light. Well, at least season one of the light. 
(S02E04) It's somewhat ironic that upon news that Dollhouse is going on 
So, tell me why you're watching 
The World Series is just around the corner and Fox has done something to make the coverage a bit more interesting. No, they have dictated that the umpires be replaced with androids, although after the screw-ups from Game Four of the ALCS, that might not be a bad suggestion. 
When you want to up the ante on a drama, create a great villain. To this day, the best James Bond movies have always been the ones with great villains. Fox's sci-fi drama Fringe is buying into that theory, because they've gone out and hired an actor who excels at playing evil. 
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