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Barry Levinson urges TV to take back Saturday night

Barry_Levinson_PBSFor the longest time, I've kvetched about the fact that the television industry has stopped programming for Saturday night. For years, Saturday was a great night of television. I remember M*A*S*H and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, not to mention guilty pleasures like The Facts of Life and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. Even NBC's thrillogy, The Pretender and Profiler were fun. All those shows were Saturday night hits (some bigger than others).

Well, I'm not alone in missing Saturday TV; Oscar-winner Barry Levinson feels the same. Levinson is also a TV producer -- he did Homicide: Life on the Street and The Philanthropist -- and he thinks the networks are making a big mistake by not seizing on Saturday primetime. He knows the business pretty well and he's confused by the networks' strategy.

"I don't think the answer is to retreat," he told the New York Daily News. "When you give up Saturday night, you open the door for people to go somewhere else. Basically, they're shrinking their own audience."

Continue reading Barry Levinson urges TV to take back Saturday night

Ask TV Squad

VThe "Ask TV Squad" column, published every Wednesday, answers your questions about current and past TV shows, as well as about the celebrities appearing on TV. Every week, I will pick a question (or more) sent to us and provide answers in the column. If your question is not picked for a column, it may be answered in a subsequent column. To submit questions to the "Ask TV Squad" column, you can post them below in comments or email them at asktvsquad@gmail.com.

This week, I answer questions about Flash Forward, Eureka, NCIS, The Philanthropist, and V.

Continue reading Ask TV Squad

Entire summer TV schedule declared a failure

It's not really possible that every summer premiere on the great Nobody was listening to NBC's The Listener this summer.American broadcast TV schedule crashed and burned, is it?

But, out of all the original programs that premiered on the major networks after the completion of the fall 2008 season, not a single one got traction.

According to analysis reports, you can take your pick from any of the following shows: Defying Gravity, The Superstars, The Listener, Mental, The Philanthropist, Hitched or Ditched, Merlin and Great American Road Trip. All of them bombed -- each hovering just above a one market share.

In fact, you don't need numbers to prove that the fall crop crapped out. Ask your friend what his/her favorite summer replacement show was. You'll be waiting awhile.

Continue reading Entire summer TV schedule declared a failure

What's On Tonight: So You Think, Othersiders, Dark Blue, How'd You Get So Rich

Top Chef Masters

  • TCM has Harold Lloyd movies all night.
  • Discovery has more Shark Week all night.
  • At 8, ABC has a new Wipeout, followed by a two-hour season finale of I Survived A Japanese Game Show.
  • FOX has a new, two-hour So You Think You Can Dance at 8.
  • At 9, NBC has a new America's Got Talent, then a new episode of The Philanthropist.
  • There's a new Leverage on TNT at 9, followed by a new Dark Blue.
  • Cartoon Network has a new episode of The Othersiders at 9.
  • Also at 9: Syfy has a new Ghost Hunters International.
  • At 10, Bravo has a new Top Chef Masters.
  • TV Land has the series premiere of How'd You Get So Rich at 10, then the series premiere of Make My Day.
  • MTV has a new Real World at 10.
  • Travel Channel has a new Man vs. Food at 10.
  • At 10:30, Comedy Central has a new Michael & Michael Have Issues.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

Continue reading What's On Tonight: So You Think, Othersiders, Dark Blue, How'd You Get So Rich

What's On Tonight: America's Got Talent, Leverage, Real World

Ghost Hunters International

  • At 8, FOX has a new, two-hour So You Think You Can Dance.
  • PBS has a new Time Team America at 8, then a new Ascent of Money.
  • At 9, ABC has a new I Survived A Japanese Game Show, followed by a new Primetime: Crime.
  • NBC has a new America's Got Talent at 9, then a new episode of The Philanthropist.
  • TNT has a new Leverage at 9, followed by a new Dark Blue.
  • History Channel has a new MonsterQuest at 9.
  • There's a new Throwdown with Bobby Flay on Food Network at 9.
  • BBC America has a new Gordon Ramsay's F Word at 9.
  • Also at 9: Syfy has a new Ghost Hunters International.
  • At 10, Bravo has a new Top Chef Masters.
  • MTV has a new episode of The Real World at 10.
  • SoapNet has the series premiere of Holidate at 10.
  • At 10:30, Comedy Central has a new Michael & Michael Have Issues.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

Continue reading What's On Tonight: America's Got Talent, Leverage, Real World

What's On Tonight: Wipeout, Top Chef Masters, Real World

  • The PhilanthropistAt 8, ABC, CBS, NBC, C-SPAN, and the news channels will have President Obama's speech.
  • FOX has a new, two-hour So You Think You Can Dance at 8.
  • PBS has a new Time Team America at 8, then a new Ascent of Money.
  • Cartoon Network has a new BrainRush at 8, followed by new episodes of Destroy Build Destroy and The Othersiders.
  • At 9, ABC has a new Wipeout, followed by a new I Survived A Japanese Game Show.
  • NBC has a new America's Got Talent at 9, then a new episode of The Philanthropist.
  • TNT has a new Leverage at 9, followed by a new Dark Blue.
  • BBC America has a new Torchwood: Children of Earth at 9.
  • History Channel has a new MonsterQuest at 9.
  • There's a new Throwdown with Bobby Flay at 9 on Food Network.
  • Also at 9: Syfy has a new Ghost Hunters International.
  • At 10, Bravo has a new Top Chef Masters.
  • MTV has a new Real World at 10.
  • At 10:30, Comedy Central has a new Michael & Michael Have Issues.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

Continue reading What's On Tonight: Wipeout, Top Chef Masters, Real World

What's On Tonight: Wipeout, America's Got Talent, Dark Blue, Michael & Michael

  • Timothy HuttonA&E has a Dog The Bounty Hunter marathon all night.
  • At 8, ABC has a new Wipeout, followed by new episodes of I Survived A Japanese Game Show and Primetime: Crime.
  • FOX has a new, two-hour So You Think You Can Dance at 8.
  • PBS has a new Time Team America at 8, followed by a new Ascent of Money.
  • At 9, NBC has a new America's Got Talent, then a new episode of The Philanthropist.
  • TNT has the season premiere of Leverage at 9, followed by the series premiere of Dark Blue.
  • Food Network has a new Throwdown with Bobby Flay at 9.
  • BBC America has a new Gordon Ramsay's F Word at 9.
  • Also at 9: Syfy has a new Ghost Hunters International.
  • At 10, Bravo has a new Top Chef Masters.
  • MTV has a new Real World at 10.
  • At 10:30, Comedy Central has the series premiere of Michael & Michael Have Issues.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

Continue reading What's On Tonight: Wipeout, America's Got Talent, Dark Blue, Michael & Michael

What's On Tonight: Ghost Hunters, Philanthropist, Top Chef Masters, Reno 911

  • The Real WorldAt 8, ABC has a new Wipeout, followed by new episodes of I Survived A Japanese Game Show and Primetime: Crime.
  • FOX has a new, two-hour So You Think You Can Dance at 8.
  • PBS has a new Time Team America at 8, then a new Ascent of Money.
  • Versus has more Tour de France coverage at 8.
  • At 9, NBC has a new America's Got Talent, then a new episode of The Philanthropist.
  • TBS has two new episodes of Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns at 9.
  • History Channel has a new MonsterQuest at 9.
  • SyFy has a new Ghost Hunters International at 9.
  • BBC America has a new Gordon Ramsay's F Word at 9.
  • At 10, Bravo has a new Top Chef Masters.
  • A&E has a new Tattoo Highway at 10.
  • E! has a new E! True Hollywood Story at 10.
  • Also at 10: MTV has a new episode of The Real World.
  • At 10:30, Comedy Central has a new Reno 911!

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

Continue reading What's On Tonight: Ghost Hunters, Philanthropist, Top Chef Masters, Reno 911

What's On Tonight: Wipeout, American Masters, F Word, Pitchmen

  • The Fashion ShowAt 8, ABC has a new Wipeout, followed by new episodes of I Survived a Japanese Game Show and Primetime: Crime.
  • FOX has a new, two-hour So You Think You Can Dance at 8.
  • PBS has a new American Masters at 8.
  • At 9, NBC has a new America's Got Talent, then a new episode of The Philanthropist.
  • BBC America has a new episode of Gordon Ramsay's The F Word at 9.
  • At 10, Discovery has the season finale of Pitchmen.
  • A&E has two new episodes of Tattoo Highway at 10.
  • TBS has two new episodes of Tyler Perry's Meet The Browns at 10.
  • There's a new episode of The Fashion Show on Bravo at 10.
  • Also at 10: MTV has a new Real World.
  • At 10:30, Comedy Central has a new Reno 911!

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

Continue reading What's On Tonight: Wipeout, American Masters, F Word, Pitchmen

What's On Tonight: Top Chef Masters, The Philanthropist, Real World

  • WipeoutAt 8, ABC has a new Wipeout, followed by a new I Survived A Japanese Game Show and Primetime: Questions for the President: A Prescription for America.
  • NBC has the season finale of I'm A Celebrity... at 8, then a new America's Got Talent and the series premiere of The Philanthropist.
  • FOX has a new, two-hour So You Think You Can Dance.
  • Discovery has a new Time Warp at 8.
  • Also at 8: Cartoon Network has a new episode of The Othersiders.
  • At 9, A&E has a new Dog The Bounty Hunter, followed by two new episodes of Tattoo Highway.
  • History Channel has a new MonsterQuest at 9
  • There's a new Throwdown with Bobby Flay on Food Network at 9.
  • At 10, TBS has two new episodes of Tyler Perry's Meet The Browns.
  • Bravo has a new Top Chef Masters at 10.
  • MTV has the season premiere of Real World: Cancun at 10.
  • Discovery has a new Pitchmen at 10.
  • At 10:30, Comedy Central has a new Reno 911!
  • TCM has Dr. Strangelove at 10:30.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

Continue reading What's On Tonight: Top Chef Masters, The Philanthropist, Real World

The Philanthropist - An early look

philanthropist nbc
NBC has been promoting the crap out of their new summer adventure series, The Philanthropist, for weeks now. Starring James Purefoy as Teddy Rist, a billionaire playboy who decides to save the world, The previews held absolutely no interest for me. Now, after having seen the pilot, I realize that my first impression was the correct one.

Premiering tonight at 10 PM, The Philanthropist is basically an hour of an insufferable rich dude talking about how awesome he is. We watch the premise of the show unfold through the eyes of Rist himself, as he tells his tale of heroism (saving a Nigerian boy from drowning; surviving a shoot-out and a snake bite in order to deliver some Cholera vaccines to a village) to a bored bartender.

Continue reading The Philanthropist - An early look

Here's a preview of The Philanthropist

When I first heard that there was a show coming up called The Philanthropist (which isn't an easy word to type out, by the way), I thought it was another reality show. Maybe something where a contestants compete to see who wins more money for charity or something. But it actually stars James Purefoy as a rich guy who goes around the world helping people. It also stars Jesse L. Martin and Neve Campbell. Here's a scene from the pilot. It starts June 24.

Which summer show are you most looking forward to?

Hell's Kitchen
It's amazing how many new shows are on during the summer now. Who needs the outdoors? Let us know which show you're most looking forward to watching this summer (I didn't include shows that have already premiered, such as Burn Notice, So You Think You Can Dance, and The Listener). A poll can only be so long, so if you're show isn't listed let us know in the comments.

Continue reading Which summer show are you most looking forward to?

Jesse L. Martin to join The Philanthropist?

Jesse L. MartinWow, is this right? Jesse L. Martin was on Law and Order for nine seasons? How could that be? Where has the last decade gone? I feel really old.

Martin was indeed on the hit NBC drama for that long. He left last season, in a storyline involving a gambling addiction, a murder, and a court trial. But now he might actually be coming back to the same network. Martin is in negotiations to play the James Purefoy's sidekick on the midseason replacement series The Philanthropist, about a rich man who helps people with his dough. The character's name is Philip Maidstone.

Martin must really like NBC. He's also going to be in a new Muppets movie this Christmas season on the network.

It will be interesting to see how big this sidekick role will be, because you would think at this point that Martin would be getting or going for the lead roles, not the buddy ones.

The Philanthropist will be set (and filmed) in England

NBC logoHere's something I didn't know: it's cheaper to film in England and Africa than it is to film in Hollywood.

NBC has announced that their new midseason drama The Philanthropist (a real pain to spell, by the way) won't be filmed in the U.S. at all. Instead, the production will save money by setting the show and filming the show in London, with some filming also being done in Africa and the Czech Republic. Executive producer and writer David Eick, however, will stay in Los Angeles. The first episode will be directed by Peter Horton.

Continue reading The Philanthropist will be set (and filmed) in England

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