TVSquad

While I love all of the stations and choices we have now, I sometimes wish we could go back to just having a handful of channels to choose from. It was so much easier back then: shows started in September and ended in May, and the summer was for reruns, specials, and going outside. But now it's hard to keep track of it all. We have 300 networks and 1000 shows that start, well, basically anytime they want to.

Like The Showbiz Show. The Comedy Central celeb/gossip/news satire hosted by David Spade returns on March 15. Head on over to TV Filter to check out some video with Spade talking about Britney Spears.

Also note that not only is this show returning for its third season, Spade also has a Top 20 show over on CBS, Rules of Engagement. Not a good time to be a David Spade hater. I've always liked the guy. (And if you didn't see it, he live blogged the Oscars last night.)

Here's an odd thought: Larry King celebrates 50 years in the news biz this year, the same year Katie Couric celebrates her 50th birthday.

King and CNN will mark the anniversary with a 3 disc DVD set (I'm talking about King's 50th anniversary, not Couric's birthday - no idea is CBS will release something for her) of his Larry King Live stuff. The set will be released on April 17, and each disc will focus on a different theme. Disc one will be "Hollywood Film Stars and Legends," Disc two will be "Presidents and First Ladies, News and Scandals," and Disc 3 will be "Stars and Broadcast Icons, Comedians and Unforgettable Moments."

I hope that these are complete interviews and not just edited "greatest hits" package. King fans will want to see the entire interview with each person, even the phone calls he takes from viewers in the second half of the show.

So I'm watching AMC's Sunday Morning Shootout this morning (a show I try not to miss even though Peter Bart often infuriates me), and I notice that they've completely changed their set. It used to be a real-looking coffeehouse set, with tables and booths and customers in the background and a counter where they would make coffee for the guests and serve them. Now, the set is different. It still seems to have the same colors as the old set and the movie posters, but it's a lot smaller, there are no other customers or tables in the background, and even the counter is gone, replaced with a wall and some coffee urns and a rack. It now looks like the far corner of some Border's cafe, or maybe someone's house. Why the change?

It's too bad we won't get anymore moments like the time Vince Vaughn was on the show. He not only picked up his coffee from the "clerk" at the counter, but he actually paid for it! That was pretty funny.