Well.. everyone.. my blog is now moved.
You can visit my new blog at the new address . There you can find a link to my online Amazon store where you can find your favorite TV on DVD, Tv's & DVR's and even books that are about.. well TV!
Please pass this on and subscribe to my feed at the new URL!
www.confessionsofadvraddict.com
To all 'Saving Grace' fans; the show, starring Holly Hunter , will air it's final episodes next summer. It normally runs a 15 episode split season, with 9 to run this winter and 6 the following summer. TNT has added three episodes to the season and will air 9 in the winter and the final 9 in the summer, when TNT gets its best series ratings. The reason for the cancellation does not have anything to do with poor ratings, as it has been averaging 3.5M viewers this summer and more to do with the cost associated with the series. It was offered for a fourth season pick up , but for financial reasons a fourth season offer was not accepted . TNT has promised to wrap up the story lines with a conclusion, which is why three episodes were added to the third and now final season. I'm going to miss it. Holly Hunter is amazing and the show really goes where network tv wouldn't dare go. 
Continuing on the trend of 80's movies becoming TV Series, ABC has landed the hour long dramedy series inspired by 'St Elmo's Fire'. It will take off from the movie and introduce six new friends, 3 boys and 3 girls. It will take place in Georgetown and St. Elmo's Bar & Restaurant will become St. Elmo's Bar & Grill. Schumaker, one of the original films co-writers and director, is said to be on board. I'm curious as to who they will cast in these rolse. I'm also curious how well received 80's movie revival 'Parenthood' and 'Witches of Eastwick' will be received this coming season. It will be a good predictor to determine how well the TV revival of classic 'St Elmo's Fire' may be received.
Simon Cowell is wrapping up his deal with 'American Idol' to remain as a judge for 3 more seasons. Honestly, if you lost Cowell it just wouldn't be 'American Idol' and I feel it would have taken a slip down the other side of the ratings mountain, if you know what I mean. I'm curious to see how the exit of Paula Abdul will play out with audiences this coming year. We shall see.
URGGGh.. I was so hoping against hope that 'Defying Gravity' would have picked up some steam and some viewers this past weekend. Unfortunately it has dropped to an average 2.9M viewers. I'm wondering if ABC will even let this show air all the episodes it had filmed. Bummer.. really.. I enjoy it.
I watched 'There Goes the Neighborhood' last night. I have to say.. not really a fan. It's almost like a want to be 'Big Brother' without the real coolness factor. But, more importantly, I found it to be somewhat of a cruel social experiment. I mean these people have to live next door to each other when all is said and done. It's one thing to put total strangers together in situations like that, but completely different when they know each other AND have to live next to each other for a long time to come. It opened at 4.4M. Heck, that is stronger than 'Gravity' was and 'Gravity' is far more entertaining, in my opinion.
'Shark Tank' however was very interesting. I , and my hubby, were very intrigued. It reminded me a little of the other show , I believe it was called 'America's Greatest Inventor' that was on for two summer seasons (notice it is missing this year, along with 'Last Comic Standing') with a little of a Celebrity Apprentice feel. It was really cool to see Barbara Corcoran on there. She is a legend in Manhattan Real Estate, one I heard lots about in my days of NYC Real Estate. The show opened at 4.17M viewers. To put that in perspective for Summer TV.. it is approx 1/2 the viewership of bonafide summer hit 'Big Brother'.
Speaking of 'Big Brother' this week should prove to be the most exciting week so far in the house now that Jeff has the "secret power"! Ithink I know how it's going to go down and watching the fireworks will prove to be fun! I'm hoping that Jeff wins this show. He's my favorite. I predict he will take down Lydia and Russel.. or at least Russel. I think Jessie is definitely going up.. AND going home. Apparently, according to the feeds news, he's been putting out feelers on who would you vote off if Natalie and Jessie were up. Here's hoping that Jessie goes home this week. Natalie is weak without him and the Jeff and Russell alliance will be solidified. Those two will most likely go to the end (unless of course he has to chose between Jordan and Russell).
So I got around to watching the Pilot episode of 'Defying Gravity' today on my laptop. Yeah, I forgot to set my own DVR after reminding everyone else on this blog about it. No worries, it's programed to record from now on. I'll be watching the second episode after I finish this blog.
But, I had to write right away because I really seriously enjoyed this show. It has beautiful cinematography (can you call it that when it's on TV? Ah.. you get the idea), there is romantic tension, a back story.. heck there is even a mystery that was alluded to, but not yet revealed ( it occurred at least 3 times throughout the episode. The first when one of those in flight control asked " How many would have gone if we would have told them", the second reference was when the current commander in charge was saying goodbye with his wife when he said "please forgive me" and then "know that I was going to be there with you for everything" but didn't give specifics, and the third when the commander that was going to replace him said " When were you going to tell the others". ) I'm really curious as to what that secret is that is being kept from the crew.
That being said given all the sets involved I would imagine that this is a pretty pricey show to film. I wonder how many episodes are already pre-taped because, unless the viewership picks up, this is a show that will disappear into oblivion. My question for network execs is why air such a show in the summer season? It's obvious to.. well even a regular viewer like me watching the "numbers" that not many people are watching anything in this or any summer season. Surely this show deserved to be presented in the FALL season when it would be more likely to attract more viewers? And so what if there are similarities between this and Grey's Anatomy (the new commander having slept with one of the crew members prior to their ever being a crew, among some of them)? There are many different places to explore in the back drop of space vs. the backdrop of a hospital that it is enough to keep me watching. It's not like this show is going to go exactly as 'Grey's' did because, well they are in two very different back drops and even time!
Where are all you Star Trek and Star Wars fans (and fans from some others that were on cable channels that managed to do well)? Okay, its a little more weighted down with drama and romantic entanglements between the crew than that of aliens from other planets, but come on. This is a show about astronauts in the future traveling through the galaxy on a tour of all our planets. First up is Venus! This should excite you guys. It does me.
If you're not watching 'Defying Gravity' please, catch up on line and then set your DVR to record it tonight. It's an excellent show. If you are watching and enjoying it, please give it some hits on the net. As I mentioned in this blog, networks are now utilizing technology to measure hits on the Internet in overall decisions on whether a show is viable or not. So please, blog about it, pass this blog on, visit the website or share it's fan page via any one of the social networking sites to show you ARE interested.
Here's hoping that 'Defying Gravity' has a better showing tonight.
Before I begin tonight, just a little update on the new site. I'm still working out the kinks with Wordpress. It is far more complicated than I imagined, but then I think in the end it will be worth it.
'So You Think You Can Dance' is on tonight and the final four take the stage. Actually , I'm watching it now as I type! Very cool. Can't believe it's August already. I know I'm about to get really busy with this blog when the fall TV season starts this year! Can't believe how quickly the summer goes by.
Speaking of the end of summer and the beginning of the fall season, keep an eye out for NBC's special that previews the upcoming Fall Season that will, of course, highlight the new shows like 'Trauma' and 'Community' and will give us a peek at returning shows like 'Southland' , 'The Biggest Loser' and many more.
Speaking of 'Southland'.. please be sure to watch it. If you want to catch up NBC is airing the shows from its short first season in it's fall Friday night time slight. It's a great show that wasn't getting the ratings they had hoped for and it got pushed to Friday nights from Thursday (it originally took the ER slot left open after the series finale). As you remember from my blog about Friday nights.. it could spell death. To lose another great show like this would ..well suck!
Paula Abdul has decided to not continue on Idol. Apparently she turned down a 30% raise. WHAT!!! Is she smoking something? Paula..dear... before American Idol you had disappeared into obscurity. You are now once again on the radar and in American households BECAUSE of American Idol. You're offered a 30% raise in a ..well poopy economy.. one in which many would actually be happy to be employed.. never mind the raise.. and you turn it down!! Oh man.. it could be career suicide . Shame I did like Paula. I do like DioGuardi though. I felt she is much better judge than Paula. With Paula, though, the fun was wondering what weird thing she'd say next. She did always look like she was drunk. BTW DioGuardi is returning.
So, everyone .. brace yourselves for the new season. I'm curious as to what shows will last and which will not! I'll, of course, share my opinions right here on my blog as well as keep you informed with how each is being received by the public in ratings. We all know, no matter how good a show is, if it's not getting the ratings the network is looking for then the show is doomed.
Ah.. FYI.. despite reminding my readers to set their DVR on my last blog for the premier of 'Defying Gravity' I forgot to do it for myself. I'm now kicking myself. In my defense I've been very busy as of late with new projects (hey..I do do other things besides watch TV.. I swear!). When I realized today, after looking at my blog, that I completely spaced on it I went to look at the ratings. Folks, it's not good. It averaged only a 3.84M viewers! EEK!! Whether it is deserving of such low ratings in my eyes remains to be seen, as I have not watched the Pilot and first episode (both aired the opening night) however, I am going to watch it online at ABC's website. Once I do, I'll add my two cents!
Oh.. and one more thing. I've become an affiliate of WB of sorts and recieved my first free DVD to screen and blog about. I am late on doing that though, as they sent it to me while I was on vacation and have not had the chance to watch, but I will and will also let you and them know my thoughts. This stuff is pretty fun. I wonder how long it will take before I actually get to watch pilots before everyone else!! NOW THAT would be cool!
Well folks, I've finally gotten Wordpress loaded onto my domain. However, using it is not as easy as I imagined, so the launch of my new and improved blog site is not going to happen as quickly as I had hoped, planned or expected. I wasn't going to blog until I could do it on my new site, but since I can export these blogs and comments into my new blog, I figured I had nothing to lose. That is once I figure out how to do it. In addition I had also been on vacation and spent the last few days catching up. Not even catching up on TV watching but just other things and other projects I participate in . (Did you think all I did was watch TV..LOL. It would seem that way wouldn't it?).
So Wow, what have I missed blogging about the past few weeks. Well, if you are not already aware Eli Stone had it's last and final episode . I missed it of course, because I had it recorded the night before I left but it deleted itself due to overcrowded DVR before I could return to watch it. My mom forgot to record the last episode, so we couldn't watch it at her house (where I was on vacation). No worries though, you can catch the episode on their website. Dirty , Sexy Money has taken it's place, however. Both were not watched by many. Actually probably the lowest rated of the season.
Samantha Who also aired it's final episode. What a shame. Christina Applegate and cast were so hilarious in that show I just don't understand. It came to some sort of conclusion, at least. Funny thing is Applegate is nominated for an Emmy for the show. Ah.. I want her to win just to stick it to .. well I don't know. It is highly unlikely she will, but I can certainly cheer for her now can't I?
Kings also ended. Such an awesome awesome show. It left us up in the air somewhat although it did close up other loose ends. I will miss it.
Dating in the Dark premiered. It did pretty okay in it's first outing (it followed the Bacholorette the Men Tell All) and had 6.84M viewers. I would imagine that curiosity is what drew people to it (it did me). I don't really seeing it getting phenomenal ratings in the coming weeks. It held out okay in it's second night on the 27th.. so so far so good. I think it will get boring after awhile. It is definitely an interesting concept.
We had Hell's Kitchen premier and it did very well at it's opening. The 'More to Love Show' is not obviously more to love, as it opened slightly disappointing for the network. Honestly, I wasn't really interested in watching it. By the way, did you notice that the cooks on Hell's Kitchen are a little better looking this time around?
Drea DeMeteo is joining the cast of Desperate Housewives. USA picks up 'Burn Notice' and 'Royal Pains' for another season (not a surprise, USA has been leading TNT in the ratings). 'Dark Blue' premiered well with 3.54M viewers (good show, like it!).
Okay.. I think I've run down a list of some of the things that have happened in the TV world in the past two weeks. I'm sure there is more. To think ..this is the "slo
w season" for TV viewing.
DVR ALERT FOLKS: Don't forget to set your DVR for Sunday's Premiere on ABC at 10pm of 'Defying Gravity' from the producers of 'Grey's Anatomy'. Can't wait to see that show AND find out how the rest of America responded.
Well folks, the Emmy nominations are in today. Looks like The Family Guy is the first animated series nominated for an Emmy for best comedy series since the Flinstones in1961 (surprising that the Simpsons were never nominated in that category). It goes up against Entourage, Flight of the Concords, How I Met Your Mother, 30 Rock and Weeds. You know what the funny part is? None of those on the list are shows that I watch.. LOL.
Best dramatic series is Big Love, Breaking Bad, Damages, Dexter, House, Lost and Mad Men. I watch Dexter, House and Lost. I'm really rooting for all three of those. I did catch Big Love but haven't caught up to the new seasons. I'm surprised True Blood wasn't on there and Grey's Anatomy .
Outstanding supporting actress nominees are Cherry Jones (President Allison Taylor) 24, Sandra Oh (Grey's), Chandra Wilson (Bailey, Grey's), Diane Wiest (Gina, In Treatment) and Hope Davis (Mia , In Treatment). Well, the first three I watch and I have never gotten into in Treatment.
Man.. it's hard to do a blog about the nominees when you haven't even seen all the shows. I thought I watched a lot of TV ( I do) but when I see how much I don't watch , well it makes me feel inadequate in the world of TV. Perhaps I need a third DVR (hubby would not go for that).
It's nice to see that the outstanding choreography category is dominated by 'So You Think You Can Dance' with a nomination for Mia Michaels "Mercy" , Tabitha & Napoleon's "Bleeding Love" , Tyce Diorio's "Adam & Eve/Silence" and Dimitry Chapin's "A Los Amigos". Of course there is a choreographer in there for Dancing with the Stars (Derek & Juliane Hugh) and the Musicals are Back number from the 81st Annual Academy Awards (Rob Ashford).
In the Outstanding Lead Actor Category Simon Baker (Mentalist) , Michael C. Hall ( Dexter) Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Hugh Laurie (House) , Gabriel Byrne (In Treatment) are all nominated. Now see, I would say that Simon Baker or Michael C Hall and Hugh Laurie are so very deserving however I have no way to know just how good those others are. Isn't there one category where only the shows I watch are nominated? It would be much easier for me to give my picks on winners.
In the lead actress in a comedy series category Toni Collette is nominated for the 'United States of Tara'. Now, I haven't seen all the series in that category , but hands down I think Collette should win it. She's amazing and she doesn't only play one role, but all the alters. She's up against Christina Applegate (for the cancelled Samantha Who), Mary Louise-Parker (Weeds) and of course Tina Fey (30 Rock).
Lead actress in a drama series has many of my favorites including Holly Hunter (Saving Grace) , Kyra Sedgewick (The Closer) , Sally Field (Brother's & Sisters) along with Glenn Close (Damages) , Elizabeth Moss (Mad Men) and Mariska Hargitay (L&O: Special Victims Unit). I'm rooting for Holly Hunter!
Well, you could blog all day about the Emmy's, but I pretty much covered the categories that have me excited. It looks like 30 Rock is dominating again this year with the most nominations. The full list of nominations and categories are here .
On another note, if you caught So You Think You Can Dance last night were you not blown away by Travis's choreographed routine. AMAZING! In case you missed it, here is a clip of their dance from last night below. Enjoy.
Maura Tierney speaks out on health
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I had written earlier about the production of 'Parenthood' being pushed to September because of Tierny's health. I suppose the ominous wording led us all to believe the worst (I did) and so she had released a statement about what issue she was having.
And.. I must say, when I heard she was undergoing some sort of medical evaluation my mind did go to breast cancer. She I almost even said that in my blog, but didn't want to even utter the words because it really could have been anything. She doesn't know if she has it, but she has discovered a lump that she says requires surgery.
I hope that she is well and that it turns out not to be cancer.
A few months back I blogged about 'Parenthood', the new NBC drama based on the 1989 movie. Production had to be pushed back to start in September because of an illness Maura Tierney (Amy Lockhart, ER) is undergoing evaluation for. 'Mercy', the medical drama about first responders ,originally scheduled for a mid season premiere, is being pushed up and will begin where 'Parenthood' was set to premiere. By the way, both series looked awesome and I am eagerly waiting in anticipation. This "medical evaluation" she is undergoing sounds pretty serious. Of course they would not elaborate further (nor should they have to, it's her business). Let's hope that she is okay. Let's also hope that this show isn't cursed somehow. Apparently production on the pilot was shut down when the VP of drama at NBC died on the set. EEK!
And so it begins! The 11th Season of Big Brother has begun.
The first episode is always weird to watch because you really don't know any of the house guests and you haven't figured out who you like or don't like. You can't really tell too much from that episode. Honestly, watching it without the feeds and Showtime After Dark you really do miss a lot. Fortunately for me, my mom subscribes to the feed and we both have Showtime After Dark. As I type this I am watching last nights first installment. It is going to be hard to keep up with that on the DVR since it's 3 hours long and on every night. But what is great is that it's one of those things where you can work and half pay attention to (like right now). You also miss the dirty stuff, like people running around in their underwear and PJ's.. and guys... at least two of the girls are wearing lingerie around the house. Then there is always that weird toned Big Brother voice reprimanding the house guests with "please do not cover up your mike" or "house guests, you are not allowed to talk about production". It's funny and weird.
I was rooting for the Popular Clique last night because I would like to have seen Jessica come back. I liked her and since her game was kind of messed up by the America's Player (LOVED that concept, btw) I thought she should get another chance. Yeah..Jesse is nice eye candy for sure, but I remember him being so cocky and full of himself. I knew so many guys like that in my single days and no matter how "hot" they are, when they open their mouth they are so ugly!.
What about this years theme, High School cliques? That should prove interesting . The season where they paired off singles in the house (with one secret couple) I was not really so thrilled with (that was the bonus season put because of the writers strike. It felt thrown together). The best was the America's Player theme. We'll have to see how this one plays out.
Beyond the H.S cliques (Popular, Jocks, Geeks and Off Beats) I have so far identified the "tokens"; the gay guy, the muscle good looking guys, the quiet less attractive but nice guy, token black person, the older mom or dad type. I have yet to identify the bible thumper, if there is even one in the house. I also wonder who might end up pairing off.
By the way, I totally would have been in the in the offbeat clique. I was a drama club member, in the chorus and had a very eclectic mix of friends (both upper and lower classmen). I wouldn't have traded my clique for popular at all. Ah.. and that atomic wedgie.. hell my underwear creeps up on me already so I totally could have held on forever!
FYI.. the episode opened at 6.68M viewers up by 290,000 viewers from last years premiere.
Oh have I have neglected my blog as of late. I've been a little busy. Let's face it anyways, there isn't too much to write about. Summer TV has been kind of lagging a bit.
This is unbelievable, but according to Nielsen 31 M people watched the MJ Memorial. It was kind of hard to miss as it dominated just about all the major channels. What kind of amazes me more is that it was on in the middle of the day. Don't these people have jobs? Yeah, I know.. pot meet kettle. But I WAS working while I was watching. I'm lucky like that. I had commented on my Facebook that I don't ever remember, in my lifetime, such a memorial for a "celebrity" in either music or movies that had such an elaborate and public memorial with the acception of Presidents and of course Princess Diana and the Pope. In total 19 networks carried the memorial vs between 7 and 8 that carried the Presidents' , Princess Di and Pope funerals. However, that 31M number does fall short of Reagan (35M) and Princess Di (33M) viewers. But those are just the U.S numbers. BBC estimated that 1B people worldwide watched (they estimated 2.5B for Princess Di). In Germany , according to THR's live Feed, 20M or a 1/4 of the population watched it (obviously it was on during their evening viewing hours).
I did watch most of it. I honestly forgot it was on as I had the movie 'The Beach' with Leonardo DiCaprio playing as I was working and forgot the time. I missed the first 45 minutes, I believe. From what I watched, my favorite eulogy came from Brooke Shields. Watching her was like watching just a regular person talking about another regular person, if you know what I mean. It kind of gave you a glimpse of MJ as just a regular guy. Of course the most heart wrenching portion came at the end when his daughter spoke.
The MJ memorial also sparked a lot of debate amongst my Facebook friends about why we were paying so much attention on MJ. I can see their point. I mean there was never such a memorial for the likes of Elvis. I wonder if it is because we are just in a media obsessed era, or if MJ just had a much further reach than Elvis. I will say, however, that it is now getting ridiculous. While cooking and doing some other chores I happened to have the TV on ET and Inside Edition. Since the day he died that is ALL they have talked about on their shows. Every day they analyze and disect every minor detail of everything. It's actually bordering on obsessive and is kind of getting nauseating.
Well.. okay so enough already about MJ. I've said my little piece. It is really sad, however, but life goes on.. and so does TV.
I DVR'd Great American Road Trip but haven't watched it yet. Didn't do so well in the ratings. Big surprise. It seems not much is this summer season. That will all change, however, when the ultimate summer favorite 'Big Brother' returns. Very excited about that! 'Dating in the Dark' is coming soon and I will watch that to see just how ridiculous it gets and to laugh at it, of course.
This is pretty cool. One of my favorite comedians, Robin Williams, will be doing a solo stand up show for HBO this December called 'Weapons of Self Destruction'. Yeah! The man is hysterical! Can't wait!
Well all, I must go. I have a lot of DVR to watch including Saving Grace, Hawthorne, SYTYCD, America's Got Talent, The Cleaner ( I started watching and like it, so I've added it to my DVR season pass). I have to watch all of it before I leave on my trip Sunday , otherwise my DVR will fill up too fast and won't record.EEK! Fortunately for me my mom and I like most of the same shows and so we'll watch them together while I'm visiting. She too has two DVR's! Could our love for TV be genetic (and our obsession with the DVR for that matter)? Maybe. I should ask my brother ( a geneticist) to look for such a gene. Maybe he can get published with that study! I know that finding a cure for cancer and other genetic type disease is more important, but it would be interesting don't you think?
I blogged last week that the 'Philanthropist' looked to be the better of the scripted network shows out this summer. Well, so much for that. In week 1 it opened with a modest 5.7M viewers. This week it lost 1.4M viewers and 21% among adults 18-49 and it managed to retain only 47% out of the 'America's Got Talent' lead in. OUCH. Doesn't look like the 'Philanthropist' is really going to be a winner after all. Oh well.
As we have seen , the networks are giving us new scripted shows in the summer months, but apparently they are doing so half ...well you know. Nothing they seem to be throwing is sticking.
Speaking of sticking, it appears as if 'I Survived A Japanese Game Show' is losing in the ratings too. It was fourth place in it's hour with only 3.83M viewers. Ah.. the show was okay. The BEST one , hands down, is 'Wipeout'. Always leaves me in hysterics and is doing pretty solidly in the ratings. Thank goodness. I definitely want it to return next summer. It's what I look forward to in Summer TV, along with "So You Think You Can Dance' and 'Big Brother'.
'Superstars' on ABC isn't fairing so well in the ratings either. The season winners are 'So You Think You Can Dance' and 'America's Got Talent'.
I find it very interesting that 'So You Think You Can Dance' will be competing this fall with 'Dancing with the Stars'. I wonder what prompted fox to temp such a dual. Now me, I prefer 'So You Think' to 'Dancing' , simply because I like the competition of real dancers breaking through. I never really got into 'Dancing With the Stars'. I'm probably one of the few who haven't. It's okay, but ballroom is not much my thing. I much more prefer the styles put forth in 'So You Think'. I absolutely love the hip hop and contemporary styles the best and certain choreographers in particular like Shane Sparks and Mia Micheals (she is my ULTIMATE favorite choreographer). It's the American Idol of the dancing world. I admire how beautifully they dance, a talent I wish I had (although I wouldn't trade my talent as a singer for dancing. I would love to have them both). But I think I know how someone who hears me sing feels when they say they wish they could sing, because I do wish I could dance. It leaves me in awe. Oddly enough, I noticed at least two contenders from SYTYCD showing up as the professional part of the partnerships on DWTS. I worry though, if SYTYCD will hold up in the ratings against DWTS and it makes me a little worried for the shows future if they do not perform well in the ratings this fall. Sometimes too much of a good thing is not so good and it might be best to keep us waiting in anticipation for the next summer installment. I will be watching SYTYCD this fall, I just hope all the current viewers, and then some, tun
e in as well.
And speaking of 'American Idol' I could swear that today, while sitting in a Wendy's in Whitehall PA I saw one of the bad audition chicks from the show, Alexis Cohen. I mean she looked just like her. I was laughing to myself, but wouldn't dare ask her if it was her. God forbid it wasn't and I would have insulted a perfect stranger, assuming that she would even know what I was asking. Turns out she is from Philadelphia and it just might have been her. Pretty funny and just thought I would share.
Hello everyone. I'm back. I have been sick and so haven't really blogged about much of anything. On the good side, being sick gives me the excuse to just lay back and be lazy watching TV. When I could (because I do have my son to look after) I did. Two whole days of bed rest , however, has left my house a mess and my blog neglected. No worries, I'm back on track today.
So, what is going on in the world of TV? In case you missed it , HBO premiered a new series 'Hung' and it opened huge. It was seen by 2.8M viewers and if you include re-broadcasts it actually grew to 3.7M. 'True Blood' in the meantime is HUGE for HBO drawing, with DVR viewing , rebroadcasts etc. , to 10.8M viewers per episode. I have not watched 'Hung' yet and will watch it on my ON Demand. If you don't know what the series is about, it is a comedy about a man with a talent..well the name says it all. I mean just look at the star of the show and that is motivation enough to watch! I really so badly want to watch 'True Blood' but I refuse to watch season 2 without having watched season 1 so I must rent it on DVD. It's on my to do list!
Are you a 'Castle' fan? The series , from ABC, is about a mystery author that follows a detective around to gather material for his novels. I'm a fan. Well ABC, in a move to prom
ote their new second season episodes this fall, are going to publish a novel by the character Castle. Starting August 10th the first half of the book will be published at the website a chapter a week for 10 weeks. The full novel will be printed Sept 29th with Disney sister company Hyperion. Well, apparently the network teamed with Hyperion for the 2006 'Lost' tie in "Bad Twin" and "The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer" which tied into the ABC miniseries 'Rose Red' and they sold well. I'm at a loss because I never heard of either publication nor the mini series 'Rose Red'. I consider myself a very mainstream consumer, and I didn't hear of either in the mainstream. Am I not as mainstream as I think , or could they have done a better job of informing the public of these publications? If it sold well, imagine how much better it could have done had they gotten to people like myself. Maybe the only way I'd ever hear about the Castle novel publications is because I dig on the net for TV news. Come on networks, you have an AWESOME tie in here and you need to get it out to even more people. I love TV and I love to read. If you're not hitting the people like me you are missing out. And, given the new online way of tracking fans, this is truly a great tool. I'll be interested and will read the chapter a week starting Aug 10th. I'll be sure to post links on my blog.
Speaking of 'Lost', the final season will gain 1 hour. Filming is starting on the final season and there is one more hour added to the time already slotted for the series finale. Ooooh... this should be so good. Wrapping it up, getting some answers. But it will be sad at the same time. Lost will be no more but a memory of good TV that has passed.
ABC is dominating my blog today, but there is one more bit of news for sci-fi fans. A 13 episode series 'Gravity' was picked up by ABC. It has been pitched as a 'Grey's Anatomy' only in space. That has me intrigued already. If it is received well there will be more seasons of the show . Apparently the creators have three seasons blocked out already and an ending to the series. I kind of like this new trend in TV shows where the creators know where they are taking it and so it has a definite conclusion (ala Lost). Hopefully, if we get hooked on it, we'll actually get to see the ending.
Well, that is all for now. I am still scanning P2P's for any leaked pilot episodes of new shows this season. So far, nothing. But as soon as I find one, you'll all be the first to know.
How frustrating it is today watching Eli Stone that I DVR'd yesterday. If any show wasn't deserving of cancellation it was most definitely Eli Stone. What is particularly frustrating is that there is so much story there that will never be told. If any of you watch the show you'll remember that in the first season Eli had a vision of him and Maggie at a rally together as a couple with their child. Yet when we watch the series today they are not together, although we know that both of them want to be and just can't seem to get the timing right. It leaves you wanting more, wanting to watch their relationship unfold. Something we will never have the opportunity to do because the show is , well canceled. My only hope is that the last episode that airs will tie up some lose endings, but I highly doubt that. Again.. extremely frustrating.
And equally frustrating.. 'Kings'. As I blogged last week. So darned good. A Princess pledged to God but in love with David, a Prince who is gay and in love with a man who killed himself, and a 'King' with a secret second family out in the woods . A double life, as it is. A nephew who was once banished from the kingdom. Why? A Queen being blackmailed by someone with knowledge of both children's indiscretion being forced to chose either the downfall of the Prince or Princess. We don't know. But will we ever? So good, so juicy.. so canceled!
BTW. another good show people haven't been watching much of 'Harpers Island' is drawing to an end in two weeks with its final 2 hour episode. If this show was a series, it would have been canceled, but thank goodness it was meant to have an end and we get a conclusion. It really had you guessing and kept me on the edge of my seat.
'Virtuality' appeared on FOX on Friday, apparently. I didn't even know it was on and I missed it. Apparently not many people did either. It had one of the lowest summer premiere ratings, in the same category as 'The Goode Family'. How do they expect a show to do well when there is virtually (no pun intended) promotion for it. I don't remember seeing a commercial about it.
For Dexter Fans(myself included) , I found this promo teaser poster for the upcoming new season on thr.com . No worries, that is just sauce/ baby food on the little tike. It's definitely a witty teaser poster for sure and obviously hints to the fact that Dexter will be dealing with becoming a father in the new season.
In case you hadn't noticed, 'The Listener' wasn't actually on this week (or 'Chopping Block' also airing it's final recorded episodes). . It was supposed to be but was pre-empted with a tribute to Farah Fawcett. Found that out when I went to watch it on my DVR, only it wasn't 'The Listener'. Watching the tributes and Farah's Story with her battle with cancer is just sad, so I really do not want to watch it, so I didn't.
I'm off to a late blog today, as I have been so very busy. I'm even behind on my DVR watching but I'm catching up.
Last night I DVR'd and then watched the Philanthropist with my hubby. I liked it.
Listen, let's face it. While the networks are putting out new shows during the summer months, they are not exactly coming out with their best material. That is being reflected in the numbers we are seeing for the shows. The exception, of course, are the already established summer hits like 'So You Think You Can Dance' and 'Wipeout'.
The 'Listener' has not been fairing very well in the ratings. 'Merlin' also did not open strong. Honestly, 'Merlin' didn't appeal to me and I had it on while I was doing other things today and wasn't really paying attention. It could have nothing to do with the show itself, I'm just not much into that whole Harry Potter type thing (I have not seen all the movies). While I like ' The Listener', if I'm really being honest about it, compared to what is on during the Fall/Winter TV season, it is comparatively weak.
That being said, 'The Philanthropist' is probably one of the stronger of the summer network scripted shows coming on this summer. It premiered at a modest 7.4M and was the #1 show in it's time slot. Bear in mind that that number , 7.4M, during the regular TV season would not be a good opening, but for this summer season it's okay. I look forward to more of it and while it is fiction (although it is billed as being based on a real person) it is nice watching someone of that type of wealth actually doing something positive, as opposed to what we have been witnessing of CEO's in real life lately (large excessive bonuses while taking tax payer bailouts, for one.. woops.. I got a little political again..sorry).
Now, on to other business. Over the past two days both NBC and CBS have come out with their fall premiere dates. In a future blog I'll be sure to put this all together in a more cohesive manner and I'll even lay out my DVR strategy (my very first blog made reference to how I have to plan which shows get recorded on which DVR in my house as to avoid overlap and possibly losing out on recording of one show over another.. eek!!). Believe me, it takes a while to figure out what's on what night and what time and then programming your DVR to record. What adds to the difficulty is that my current DVR (provided by my cable company) doesn't really allow you to search from the title of the show and then selecting a "season pass". Instead you have to find it on the guide then set to record series and only new episodes. The Guide, of course, can only go up to the previous day of the next week. While my DVR is sufficient and I love it, I will say that nothing compares and comes even close to how conveniently cool TIVO is.
Moving on... CBS & NBC Premier dates are listed below. All the shows I will definately be DVR'g are in dark red color.
NBC Premier Dates
Sunday, September 13
7-8:15 pm. – "Football Night in America"
8:15-11 pm – "NBC Sunday Night Football"
Monday, September 14
10-11 pm – "THE JAY LENO SHOW" (Series Premiere)
Tuesday, September 15
8-10 pm – "The Biggest Loser"
10-11 pm – "THE JAY LENO SHOW"
Thursday, September 17
8-8:30 pm - "Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday"
8:30-9 pm - "Parks and Recreation"
9-9:30 pm – "The Office"
9:30-10 pm – "COMMUNITY" (series premiere – moves to Thursdays 8-8:30 pm on October 8; "30 Rock" returns October 15, 9:30-10 pm)
10-11 pm – "THE JAY LENO SHOW"
Monday, September 21
8-10 pm – "Heroes" (two hour premiere, then TRAUMA premieres 9-10 pm Monday, September 28)
10-11 pm – "THE JAY LENO SHOW"
Wednesday, September 23
8-9 pm – "PARENTHOOD" (Series Premiere)
9-10 pm – "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"
10-11 pm – "THE JAY LENO SHOW"
Friday, September 25
8-9 pm – "Law & Order"
9-10 pm – "Southland"
10-11 pm – "THE JAY LENO SHOW"
Saturday, September 26
8-9 pm – "Dateline NBC"
9-10 pm – "TRAUMA" (encore broadcast)
10-11 pm – "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (encore broadcast)
11:30 pm - 1:00 a.m. - "Saturday Night Live"
Thursday, Sept. 17
8:00-9:00 pm "Survivor: Samoa" (19th Installment Premiere)
Monday, Sept. 21
8:00-8:30 pm "How I Met Your Mother" (5th Season Premiere, OAD 9/19/05)
8:30-9:00 pm "Accidentally on Purpose" (Series Debut)
9:00-9:30 pm "Two and a Half Men" (7th Season Premiere, OAD 9/22/03)
9:30-10:00 pm "The Big Bang Theory" (3rd Season Premiere, OAD 9/24/07)
10:00-11:00 pm "CSI: Miami" (8th Season Premiere, OAD 9/23/02)
Tuesday, Sept. 22
8:00-9:00 pm "NCIS" (7th Season Premiere, OAD 9/12/03)
9:00-10:00 pm "NCIS: Los Angeles" (Series Debut)
10:00-11:00 pm "The Good Wife" (Series Debut)
Wednesday, Sept. 23
8:00-8:30 pm "The New Adventures of Old Christine"
(5th Season Premiere, OAD 3/13/06)
8:30-9:00 pm "Gary Unmarried" (2nd Season Premiere, OAD 9/14/08)
9:00-10:00 pm "Criminal Minds" (5th Season Premiere, OAD 9/22/05)
10:00-11:00 pm "CSI: NY" (6th Season Premiere, OAD 9/22/04)
Thursday, Sept. 24
9:00-10:00 pm "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (10th Season Premiere, OAD 10/6/00)
10:00-11:00 pm "The Mentalist" (2nd Season Premiere, OAD 9/23/08)
Friday, Sept. 25
8:00-9:00 pm "Ghost Whisperer" (5th Season Premiere, OAD 9/23/05)
9:00-10:00 pm "Medium" (Network Debut, OAD 1/23/05)
10:00-11:00 pm "Numb3rs" (6th Season Premiere, OAD 1/21/05)
Saturday, Sept. 26
8:00-9:00 pm Crimetime Saturday
9:00-10:00 pm Crimetime Saturday
10:00-11:00 pm "48 Hours Mystery" (Season Premiere)
Sunday, Sept. 27
7:00-8:00 pm "60 Minutes" (42nd Season Premiere)
8:00-10:00 pm "The Amazing Race" (15th Edition Premiere)
10:00-11:00 pm "Cold Case" (7th Season Premiere, OAD 9/23/03)
Sunday, Oct. 4
9:00-10:00 pm "Three Rivers" (Series Debut)
I don't watch Jon & Kate Plus 8. I tend to spend more time on the network shows and less time further down the dial, with exception of TNT and as of late USA and of course the HBO and Showtime series. I can't really comment or blog about them individually or as a couple, as I never observed them on their TV Show. But, apparently , the American public didn't really see a problem until photos of them separately outside of their reality TV show indicated there were issues.
I did capture a clip of the announcement of their separation and it made me sad. It made me sad for them and sad for their children. They started out so full of hope with dreams of this wonderful family. I so wish that while the cameras were capturing the "family bliss" that they captured the TRUE reality that obviously lurked in the background along with everything else. I know that wasn't the premise of the show, but it would have been an honest real look at the American family. Can you really call yourself a "reality" show when you actually HIDE your reality and give us a "faked" image of your family and your marriage? If I had been a watcher of the show and a fan, I would be upset that what you were putting out there was not really real or honest.
I did think it interesting that rather than having the kids move back and forth in and out of the home, that the parents will actually rotate , each spending time in the house when it is their time with the kids. I wonder if that is the first time anything like that has ever been done.
What I think would make an even BETTER reality series is if Jon & Kate really sought therapy for their marriage. Rather than file divorce, they live separate and work on trying to hammer through their issues with a neutral third party. I believe that every marriage is worth trying to salvage before coming to the ultimate decision of ending it. They wanted to be "real" for the camera, and show a REAL American family. Divorce is so much (and unfortunately so) part of the real American family these days that documenting it on TV is perhaps what the public would need to see. Even more so, we'd need to see how a marriage can or can't be saved through working on whatever issues they have with each other. Jon & Kate need to reconnect and find each other again to remember what they fell in love with in each other or at least try to. THAT to me would be interesting to watch along with the family dynamic.
Perhaps that would be to close to the cuff for them and way too personal, but it would be more real. If they still ended up divorced, then they divorce. If not, it could teach us all how to find each other again. I wonder how the show will work now and what the new title should be , should they continue the show as they say they will.
FYI a new episode is not scheduled till August 8th. It is also interesting to note that the show that aired last night had the highest ratings for the series ever at 10.5M viewers. But, prior to this weeks show it had lost 1.3M viewers knocking it off the top 20 List.
In other cable TV News, the Closer shrunk by half a million viewers from it's opening the week before and down to the #2 spot on the Cable's most watched series list. Royal Pains is now #1 having grown by 1M viewers over the last week. USA is having a hot summer I'd say.
I did watch Hawthorne again with my husband. While I initially liked it, I think it's okay. It needs to grow more on me and hopefully it will. It's not GREAT it's okay, as it is not full of as much depth as say shows like Saving Grace is or even the Closer. I will keep watching and hopefully the second episode will improve upon the first.
The way we communicate, heck the way we do everything has so evolved in the last few years it's amazing. It's no wonder that the internet is changing TV. The industry may finally be catching up.
We first noticed the internet playing a part when the writers went on strike in the 2008-2009 season. One of their bones of contention was getting more rights to the online portion of proceeds from their show. And, they have every right to that. Internet is changing the way we watch TV and networks capitalize.
Many shows are available for download on the net. P2P platforms even have "leaked" pilots that you can download and view before their air date (I've signed up to a few so that I can keep my eyes open for leaked pilots and blog about them). In its opening season, for example, 'Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles' was leaked via P2P platform. Some say it is purposefully leaked by the networks to start the "buzz". However, online popularity does not always translate into a hit on TV. Shows that got a lot of attention via the net have still ended up canceled from major networks.
That may be about to change. As reported by THR.com, the website creation service Webpaint has launched a measurement system that tracks fan interest in popular TV shows via the web.
Why is this so important? Well, it makes sense from a marketing perspective. The ability of a TV show to stay on air always had a large part to do with how many people were watching. The higher the rating, the more valuable the ad space to advertisers. Low ratings doesn't generate enough ad revenue to keep the show alive. But what if that show had a strong fan base that spent time on the networks website and the TV shows actual page on their net? Or their fan pages on social networking sites like Facebook, Myspace or Twitter? That right there is a huge magnet of clicks to a networks sites, thereby increasing the advertising value and revenue to the networks through ad space, DVD sales, etc.
I say finally. I'm tired of good shows with a solid fan base like 'Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles' being cancelled. According to information from the first week of Fandex rankings , 'Terminator' is the six most popular show among Internet users ('True Blood' from HBO topped the list). Perhaps if this tool was actually in place last season we may have seen shows like 'Terminator' saved from cancellation.
So, if you like a show this season please be sure to buzz about it somewhere on the Internet or visit the shows web page. If it's not getting the ratings on air, it's fan base on the Internet may just be able to keep some good shows on TV and out of the TV Wasteland!
To View the top Fandex Shows on the net you can go to www.fandex.com
Last night I was watching 'Kings', another canceled show that started showing up on my DVR. I truly enjoy the show, and as I was watching it I couldn't help think why wasn't this show a hit?
If you haven't watched the series, it is about a fictitious country Gilboa who is at war with neighboring Gath. It is ruled by King Silas with his wife , his son and daughter at his side. His son, next in line for the throne is, on the outside, the "playboy". We find out, however, that his antics with woman are only a disguise and he is indeed gay. He has an army at his command and is saved by another young soldier, David Shephard. Shephard finds himself a hero, having saved the Prince, and is brought into the world of his King and its politics.
What is really cool about it is that Gilboa resembles modern America, only with a monarch. Even down to health care issues , with the princess championing the cause of reform for the people with her father. There is a history there in the country of Gilboa and in Gath, the neighboring enemy. There are also very spiritual type mythical undertones that I found really fascinating.
This show started out the gate with lots of dimension and depths to be explored. Yet, the American public didn't really tune in to the premiere back in March and it only opened to an audience of 6.3M viewers. That sounds like a lot , but by major network standards it's not. It finished fourth in it's time slot. It dipped 19% in it's second week. The show was eventually canceled and it's remaining episodes will be aired on NBC through July 25th.
I really did like the fantasy tied in with the soap operatic element. The Princess, who is promised to another (and that promise was actually revealed to us in last nights episode), and the regular everyday hero who enters the Kings world, of course falls in love. It is a love that can not be because of the promise of the Princess to another. The prince whose father knows of his gay affairs and who, as a result, treats him with some disdain , treats Shephard more like the eventual air to the thrown then he does his own son. Who are the people of Gath and why are the two countries at war? How did these two countries form and Shenandoah come to be? It hurts to watch because those questions may never be answered, as the series has been canceled. I just hope that NBC is nice enough to redo the last episodes of what was to be the first season so that there are some answers and some conclusion.
One more thing I wanted to point out. I was a big fan of Jericho on CBS (another series that was cancelled, but thanks to rabid fans CBS brought it back and brought the series to some conclusion for us) . What I found interesting, and is probably completely unrelated, is that Jericho left off with the United States divided into two separate governments; one that was emerging from the ruins of the nuclear attacks and the other the re-emerging government of the U.S trying to gain footing and hold on to its Constitution. In Kings, I noticed that it felt somewhat like it was in the U.S with two different governments at the end of Jericho, almost as if it picked up years in the future from where Jericho left off. Again, they are probably unrelated, but I couldn't help note that feeling or idea that came to me.
Some shows I don't really miss when they get canceled. This one, however, will be. I want more. I want to know more and delve more into the story. On that note, here's an idea for a new network. How about a network that picks up all the canceled series from the other networks and keeps them goin?. I'm sure that they would be happy with all those millions that stopped watching those shows gathering on their networks to watch. It can be like a TV series purgatory.
Yes, it was officially confirmed today by ABC. George O'Malley is dead, according to THR.com. The following is a quote from T.R Knight on his departure ;
"Leaving 'Grey's Anatomy' was not an easy decision for me to make," Knight said in a statement. "I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to play this character and will miss my fellow cast and crew very much. I continue to wish them the very best, and wholeheartedly thank all of the fans who have supported me and the show with such passion and enthusiasm."
As I mentioned in a previous blog a few weeks ago, ABC is going to burn off the remaining episodes of the canceled Eli Stone starting this Saturday at 10PM. They have been running the remaining episodes of Pushing Dasies in that time slot. There are only 4 episodes remaining, as it is set to end on 7/11. The remaining episodes of the canceled 'Dirty, Sexy, Money' will be taking it's place through August.
If you haven't noticed 'Samantha Who' has been popping up in your DVR if you haven't canceled it's season pass. I also thought I saw 'The Chopping Block' on my Guide set to record this past week, although I haven't looked to see if it actually recorded. That show was terrible, by the way. Hell's Kitchen is so much better.
Speaking of Hell's Kitchen, it's set to premier at July 21 at 8pm. I do feel like we just finished the last seasons and it's back so fast. I hope they have a better crop of chef's this time. Last season they all seemed terrible, at least at first. I kept waiting for someone to stand out to me as the probable winner and not one did until the very end.
I guess Ramsey's 'Kitchen Nightmares' wasn't making ratings as that show disappeared. Disappointing. I liked that one too.
Ever since I received my first DVR as a surprise gift from my husband, the way I view TV has never been the same. Thanks to the freedom the DVR offers I was able to watch more than one program in a competing time slot. Yeah, if I was really desperate and there were two good shows on at the same time I may have been inclined to record one of the programs on my VCR. But those things were so cumbersome and the quality was, well, not good.
VCR's. Wow. That feels like such a long long time ago. Yet the DVR only came into my life about 5 years ago. Now you can't give away a VCR at a garage sale. I remember my mom taping all her soap operas on the VHS tapes and using the same tape over and over and the snowy lousy value of the picture. It's so comedic when you think about it. And it's absolutely amazing how far we have come.
The DVR allows us to watch more but also watch less as we can skip the commercials, something I am truly grateful for. It is interesting, however, that while we are fast forwarding we must pay close attention so that we can hit the play button dead on so as not to move too far forward or not far enough. I'm proud to say I'm quite skilled at that and 9 times out of 10 I hit the play button square on. Go me! If I could turn my skills at the remote into money, I'd be rich. As it turns out I'm actually speed watching commercials as I can pretty much tell what products are being advertised. Even last night, while watching the Listener on NBC, I caught a glimpse of Conan in some weird outfit doing something strange. I actually stopped the fast forward and rewound to see what that was all about. It was a Bud Light commercial and a funny one to boot. (Kudos to the advertisers who actually captured my attention in my fast forward frenzy enough to make me do exactly what I did).
The DVR has probably challenged the advertising industry like they've never been challenged before. They used to have 30 seconds to capture our attention, now they have maybe 3 to 5 seconds, depending on how many times we hit that fast forward button (I usually hit it the max of 4x's to get the max speed). There are times, however, when I'm multi tasking and half watching a program I recorded that I do not actually fast forward and allow the commercials to play.
So, I always wondered what affect DVR has had on TV and it's advertisers. If you think about it there are some positives. Prior to the DVR we would most likely use the commercial time for bathroom breaks or to run to the kitchen for a snack, or even discuss the business of the day with our spouses or family. Now, we actually watch (speed watch) commercials as we fast forward through them. So in one sense the audience they may never have captured, they now have the attention of. I went in search of some articles on exactly that topic.
According to an article published in July of 2008 marketwatch.com the following quote touches upon what I mentioned above;
"If I look at what segment of the commercial audience was lost to time shifting, they ranged from 13% to 35%," Notarianni said of research he conducted on behalf of several clients. "But the interesting part is that, based on the same clients ... we found that the effectiveness of TV in that period climbed. That is, TV actually yielded more [sales] response."
According to information on THR.com, sources have said that Katherine Heigl's contract with the show has been picked up, meaning she will be returning to the series. Of course ABC has not officially confirmed or denied that information. I'm sure they are trying really really hard to keep all that under wraps considering they pulled off one of the biggest cliffhangers in quite some time.
I honestly thought for sure Izzy was a goner given her characters medical diagnosis. I was more shocked, however, by the story of George and his dimise. I did hear , throughout the year, that T.R Knight was leaving the show or at least wanted to. Honestly, his character had so faded and had no real story line going for it. I'm just surprised at how his character is exiting (although with a bang! Good for him). While I was watching the season finale I had completely fogotten that Knight was most rumored to be leaving because I had been so focused on Izzy's character and the possible Katherine Heighl exit, that when George announced on the finale episode that he joined the Army I wondered how the heck was George going to get out of it.
If Izzy's character does pull through (and I think that the rumor of her signing on is most likely true, as she has stated throughout the year that she did want to remain on the show) it will be a TV miracle that she would survive such a diagnosis. It's a shame if the character George is really exiting because there would be a lot of story to expore with his recovery considering how damaged his face (and his body) was by the bus.As I blogged a few weeks back, since I believe that a former 'Lost' cast member will be joining the 'Grey's' cast (that was my theory on that entire mystery) I really do believe that T.R Knight is leaving the show.
But here's another theory, maybe ABC and 'Greys' have duped us all with a publicity stunt and rumors of comings and going yet both characters are remaining. I highly doubt it, but THAT would be a doozy and the ultimate TV casting rumor coo!
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