(S01E08) "It's not every day a guy turns 162 years old." - Lexi to Stefan on his birthday
What?! Nooooo! They keep bringing in these great characters and then killing them off! Hopefully, they're just stashing the bodies somewhere for a mass resurrection at some point. And, by the way, I totally did not see that coming.
The Vampire Diaries started out great and continues to get better each week. It's so beautifully dark and gloomy. I love the Salvatore's gothic digs, and Stefan is showing considerable restraint at not offing his bad, bad brother Damon.
(S01E07) "So she's a vampire with issues?" - Elena to Stefan about Vicki
Well! In case you haven't watched this week's episode yet, I'll save the big spoiler for after the jump. Suffice to say that things are jumping in The Vampire Diaries, and for some characters, that's not necessarily a good thing.
I continue to love the show and look forward to it every week (and was seriously bummed when it wasn't on last week!). In a sea of mediocre new shows (well, mediocre to me anyway), that IS a good thing.
(S01E06) "Everything you know and every belief that you have is about to change. Are you ready for that?" - Stefan to Elena
And to finish that thought ... "I'm a vampire." So Elena knows now; no more speculating or wondering. My first thought was that Elena knows that Stefan is a good vampire. He even races to tell her: "I would never hurt you. You're safe with me." So why is she so freaked out? Because he's a vampire, of course, and who wouldn't be freaked out by that?
(S01E05) "I'm not going to be one of those pathetic girls whose world stops spinning because of some guy." - Elena to Jenna, about Stefan
Ok, well, we'll see about that. Something tells me that by the next episode or two, Elena's world will indeed stop spinning. And then start spinning wildly out of control. She already knows something's up. She already knows in the darkest part of her heart that Stefan is a vampire. She just needs him to confirm it.
I'm always cynical about these studies that show what teens aren't into, but this study was actually done by a 15 year-old, so maybe it's a lot closer to the truth.
He's a intern at Morgan Stanley, and he says that teens today aren't really into TV (beyond watching their favorite shows for a season), they'd rather download music than listen to the radio, and they don't read newspapers at all because it's "wicked stupid." OK, they didn't say that, but they find newspapers too long. They also don't like Twitter. They'd rather update their Facebook page (makes sense - Facebook is more passive, like a web site; you have to really be involved with Twitter).
So this poll is only for the teens out there reading this.
I know that I'm not the target demographic for a cable channel like Cartoon Network. Although I still watch Pokemon on Saturday mornings, the last non-Adult Swim original cartoon I watched was Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.
Recently, Cartoon Network has announced a block of programming they're calling "CN Real." I'm already upset that a show like Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job isn't animated (don't get me started on Delocated), but isn't getting rid of the cartoons turning the channel into just "Network"?
I've been online every single day for about 14 years, I have several e-mail addresses, I have a couple of computers, I have a cell phone, and I Twitter. Still, I don't think it would be a problem for me to give up my cell phone and iPod for ten days.
Not the younger folks though, if this video from Today is any indication. The kids just can't handle not being able to get online or text to their friends (17,500 messages in one month??). One kid doesn't even know how to use a newspaper, and another can't read a regular clock (seriously). I think their heads would cave in if they tried to use a typewriter.
Via Toon Zone comes news that Noggin and its evening version, The N, will be splitting into two separate, twenty four-hour networks on December 31.
Noggin will continue with programming aimed at the preschool set with programs like Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!,Oobi, Jack's Big Music Show, and Nick Jr. properties like Dora the Explorer, Blue's Clues and The Backyardigans.
The N, originally the evening version of Noggin aimed at teens (and "tweens" to use a meaningless marketing term), will expand to 24 hours with TEENick programming during the day (All That, The Amanda Show, etc) and original programming at night: Degrassi: The Next Generation, South of Nowhere, and Beyond the Break. The N also acquired rights to air reruns of That '70s Show starting June 2008.
CW's new series, Gossip Girl, will debut a week earlier than announced, kicking off on September 19 at 9:00 p.m. The series is debuting early in order to stay ahead of highly-anticipated premieres from other networks, such as NBC's Bionic Woman and ABC's Private Practice.
Also, according to Variety, most high schools and colleges are back in full swing by September 19, though I'm not certain why that matters since I figure most kids watch TV year round.
MTV has development deals in place for a few flicks which would air first on the network before hitting DVD and then, based on public response, the cinema. These projects, one of which is being developed by Jay Kogen, a writer for The Simpsons and Fraiser, have not been officially greenlit by the studio.
Somebody is still watching MADtv, because the FOX's late night series of wacky sketches and parodies has been given a thirteenth season.
According to the press release, the series is most popular among teens. That seems to be the best explanation as to why it's still on the air; I don't know anyone my age or older who still watches the series.
Not unlike the magazine it's vaguely based on, MADtv works almost exclusively in parody (I'm thinking of the old Mad I used to read, I haven't picked up a copy in many years), which is one thing that sets it apart from other sketch comedy shows, but also why it probably doesn't attract older viewers more in tune with the sensibilities of satirical shows like South Park and The Daily Show.
Of course, it is possible to enjoy more than one type of show, but it makes perfect sense that younger folks would be drawn to MADtv. It's goofy and a bit over the top, and it's not too difficult for me to think back to a time when that kind of humor was right up my alley.
A six-episode commitment is in place for The Baby Borrowers, a new reality series for NBC in which teenage couples are taken through the gauntlet of parenthood in just one month, during which they must care for a baby, then a toddler, then a pre-teen, and finally, grandparents. The new series is based on the popular British series of the same name, and the five couples featured on the show will be supervised at all times. Otherwise, the show would be called something like, Abandoned Babies, which doesn't exactly sell commercial time.
PBS is taking the council of teens. Conor Reynolds, a member of PBS' Teen Council, wrote a short essay for the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle in which he talked about PBS' strategies to attract younger audience members. As you might suspect, their strategy is to go digital - offering clips of shows via YouTube or via free downloads on iTunes. It's a "hang out where the kids hang out" strategy that has, at the very least, attracted Conor Reynolds to show interest in the network. There is, of course, a major problem with this strategy. If we take the metaphor a little further, being the creepy, middle-aged guy hanging out where the kids hang out isn't going to do anything for your audience numbers.
If you were a fan of the UPN series One on One and bummed it didn't make the transition to The CW, here's a bit of good news for you. Starting on October 27, teen network The N will begin airing reruns of the defunct UPN series which focused on Breanna Barnes (Kyla Pratt), who lives with her father after her parents divorce. The series will premiere on The N as part of the "Fresh One Weekend," which will also include episodes of Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Twelve One on One episodes will air back to back starting at 6 pm. The series will then fall into its regular timeslot Monday through Thursday with two back to back episodes airing at 7 and 11 pm starting on October 30.
If your kids are looking for an alternative to Cartoon Network's Halloween marathons, Nickelodeon is offering a bunch of Halloween-themed episodes at the end of this month for every age group from the Nick Jr set to young teens. Kids can catch spooky episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants; Catscratch; Fairly OddParents; Mr. Meaty; The X's; Danny Phantom; The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius; Hey, Arnold; Kappa Mikey; Rugrats; The Amanda Show; Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide; Unfabulous and Zoey 101.
The little tykes will also be able to catch episodes of Blue's Clues, Dora the Explorer, The Backyardigans, Wow! Wow! Wubzy, LazyTown and Wonder Pets. Hey, kids gotta have something to watch while they're shoveling all that candy into their mouths.
I'm always cynical about these studies that show what teens aren't into, but 
I know that I'm not the target demographic for a cable channel like Cartoon Network. Although I still watch 
Via 
CW's new series, Gossip Girl, will 
MTV has development deals in place for a few flicks which would air first on the network before hitting DVD and then, based on public response, the cinema. These projects, one of which is being developed by Jay Kogen, a writer for The Simpsons and Fraiser, have not been officially greenlit by the studio.
Somebody is still watching MADtv, because the FOX's late night series of wacky sketches and parodies has been given a thirteenth season.
A six-episode commitment is in place for 
PBS is taking the council of teens. Conor Reynolds, a member of PBS' Teen Council, wrote a 
If you were a fan of the UPN series One on One and bummed it didn't make the transition to The CW, here's a bit of good news for you. Starting on October 27, teen network The N will begin airing reruns of the defunct UPN series which focused on Breanna Barnes (Kyla Pratt), who lives with her father after her parents divorce. The series will premiere on The N as part of the "Fresh One Weekend," which will also include episodes of Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Twelve One on One episodes will air back to back starting at 6 pm. The series will then fall into its regular timeslot Monday through Thursday with two back to back episodes airing at 7 and 11 pm starting on October 30.
If your kids are looking for an alternative to 
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