TVSquad

This one just struck me as a bit odd. HBO has signed long time NY Times columnist Frank Rich on as a creative consultant. The two are tight-lipped about what projects he may or may not be working on already, but his new position is described as contributing to original program development. Apparently there will also be the opportunity for Rich to become a producer of projects that he helps with.

He's going to keep his gig at the Times while working with HBO, although he will avoid writing about the network, or their corporate overlords (and ours), Time Warner. Hiring creative consultants isn't the usual modus operandi for HBO, and programming group president Richard Plepler added that "it is not something the network is looking to do on a regular basis." Odd as it sounds on the surface, Rich did spend 13 years as the Times' chief theater critic, so he has some background for the gig. And anything that gets us closer to Jay Black, creative consultant to The CW, has to be a good thing, right?

David Pogue of the New York Times is throwing some love TiVo's way, with a writeup of some of the new features TiVo has added over the last year or two. With what seems like a new feature added every month, it's easy to forget exactly how many things a Series2 or Series3 TiVo can do that a generic cable company PVR can't.

• Share movies you've uploaded with family and friends over their broadband-connected TiVos.
• Schedule recordings through you Verizon cellphone.
• Watch selected web programs via TiVoCast.
• Rent or buy movies from Amazon Unbox.
• Get local weather and traffic.
• Get local movie listings.
• Listen to internet radio stations or download podcasts.
• Automatically record recommended programs from expert-picked Guru Guides.
• Stream music and photos from your PC to your TV.

There's nothing particularly new in Pogue's writeup. But looking at that list, it's hard to see why anyone would stick with a cable company PVR when they can pick up a Series2 TiVo for next to nothing after rebate. If you want high definition on the other hand, the Series3 box's $800 price tag makes this list a little less attractive.

Nielsen Media Research is making a change to their television ratings. In the past, children of a Nielsen family that were away at college were not factored into the numbers. After doing some research, sponsored by Turner, WB, CBS, MTV, Fox, and ESPN, those college kids will now count in the regular Nielsen ratings.

The NY Times article (possible login) points to America's Next Top Model, Family Guy, Ugly Betty, and [adult swim] as programming that should see a boost in their ratings. Disturbingly, it also mentions that in a test done last November the most popular show among college men was Drawn Together. The audience for the Comedy Central cartoon jumped from 272,000 to 435,000. What are they teaching our youth on these campuses?

This certainly isn't the final answer in the ratings question. There are still plenty of problems and issues with the system, but it is a positive change. Especially so if it gives a much needed boost to the struggling Veronica Mars numbers.

VH1 doesn't seem to get as much of the 'they don't play music anymore' criticism as MTV, but I think they are following a very similar track. And that direction is what brought about Flavor of Love. I was surprised to learn that the premiere for season two of the Bachelor spoof drew 3 million viewers. Not only that, but the audience for the season one finale was nearly 6 million. That is the highest rated show in VH1's history.

The NY Times has an interesting article about Flavor Flav and the show. The opinions range from the show being another reality goof to a slap in the face to all people of color. I've always fallen in the spoof camp, putting Flavor of Love in the same category as The Joe Schmo Show. I think Joe Schmo was a better concept. I tuned into Flavor of Love a couple times out of curiosity, but it seemed like the same joke over and over.