SNL: Kate McKinnon as Hillary Clinton at the Piano

Image from NBC

Saturday Night Live had a big challenge this week, in how to respond to the surprise election of Donald Trump. Like much of America, it was fairly clear that SNL thought Hillary would win it, and actress Kate McKinnon probably saw some fairly good job security in that. But, lamentably (except for comedy), Trump improbably won. Unfortunately, tragedy+time=comedy, and it's too soon for an awful lot of people. So, how to open the show, one that for every new episode featured McKinnon as Hillary and Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump?

This was their answer, incorporating a tribute to the late Leonard Cohen, and his classic song, Hallelujah. I'll go out on a limb, and predict an Emmy for McKinnon. And for the record, Baldwin has stated that he doesn't wish to play Trump in the future. Which isn't surprising, though if Trump becomes more comedy than tragedy down the line, I'd expect a repeat performance.

Blast from the Past: Saturday Morning in the 70s, Pt. 2: The Cartoons

Saturday morning cartoons--an absolute weekly event during most of my childhood--are a thing of the past. There are entire channels dedicated to cartoons and children's programming, but it's just not the same as the big three TV networks having a slate of kids shows from 6 to noon every Saturday. They competed against each other, and ran promotional ads in comic books to get our eyeballs on their channel. And we all watched. I don't

remember any kid my age who didn't.

My first edition covered the live-action shows, and this time I'm going for the cartoons. These are my favorites, in no particular order.

1. Josie and the Pussycats (1972-73) - A weird amalgam of Archie Comics style and Hanna-Barbara Scooby-Doo-like storytelling. But I loved the music, and Sebastian the cat.

2. Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (1969-1970) - Scooby-Doo ran for many, many years, in many, many formats. But long before the insufferable Scrappy-Doo came along, was the original. And dig that music!



3. SuperFriends (1973-1986) - The first season was a kid-friendly version of The Justice League of America, complete with ordinary kids Wendy and Marvin (with WonderDog). The show picked up steam and popularity with the introduction of the Wonder Twins, Zan & Jayna. But the closer they got to the feel of the JLA, the more I liked it.

4. The Pink Panther Show (1969-1980) - This is another one that ran under a great many titles, but I always liked it, with its mix of segments, from the Ant and the Aardvark, Tijuana Toads and The Inspector.



INTERLUDE A: In the News (1971-1986) - CBS ran these mini news programs between cartoons. They brought our mornings to a screeching halt. But as I got older, I started to enjoy them.

INTERLUDE B: Schoolhouse Rock (1973-2009) - Unlike the previous, I loved these shorts. Almost all of them. We looked forward to Schoolhouse Rock just as much as the regular cartoons.



5. The Brady Kids (1972-73) - The Brady Bunch cartoon version included Marlon the talking mynah bird, and Ping and Pong, the pandas, for no particular reason. I was only 6, and I was rolling my eyes at the wacky animal sidekick trope. Speaking of which. . .

6. The Partridge Family 2200 A.D. (1974-75) - For some reason, the Partridges have a different mom, and instead of touring on a bus in the 70s, they're flying through space in the 23rd century. With a robot dog called Orbit.



7. The Tom & Jerry/Grape Ape/Mumbly Show (1976) - Though Tom & Jerry went through many, many titles (and their theatrical shorts are their main draw), this mouthful of a title still sticks in my head, and thus deserves a spot on the list. Unfortunately, the only video I can find is of the version without Mumbly.

8. Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972-1981) - I loved this show, and Bill Cosby (here's hoping he's not guilty of the current allegations), but it always heralded the end of cartoons for the day, which was also sad.
 

And now, the weekend is over, and it's time to go to school work! Happy Monday!

David Gregory Out as Host of Meet the Press

Image from source, Politics USA

I started watching Meet the Press (and often one or two of the other Sunday shows, Face the Nation, This Week and FOX "News" Sunday) some time during the George W. Bush administration. Oh, I'd caught it a few times in my life, but not regularly. I thoroughly despised the entire Dubya cabal, and will even cop to having a moderate case of Bush Derangement Syndrome for a little while. So, I was more politically plugged in, and this is one way to do that.

Unfortunately, these shows are also really horrible, in many ways. Awful. Almost every guest (with rare exceptions) is thoroughly rehearsed in their side's talking points, and will steer the argument back to them at all costs. In fact, they'll often go to talking points that don't even relate to the question. Which side is worse about distortion, spinning and even lying probably depends upon your political leanings. But there is no doubt who gets more coverage: Republicans. In study after study, the GOP gets more guests by a mile, regardless of who holds the White House or Congress.

Distressingly, it's the old, (pasty) white, male variety of Republican that gets the most opportunity to

Good luck, dude. You're going to need it

sling their spin, notably John McCain and Lindsey Graham, who appear to be joined at the hip. If the green room had a bridal suite, it would be occupied by those two. If it's Sunday, it's the John and Lindsey Show. It's tired, oh so tired.

David Gregory is not the worst host of this type of show. Chris Wallace is worse. But David Gregory is an odd figure, as these things go: nobody seems to like him. Conservatives think Gregory is a liberal hack. Liberals, conversely think, Are you freaking insane? He's a conservative hack! They may be both right. But I'd rather just say, "hack." His questioning style is very surfacy, and geared toward making his own news, with "gotcha" questions. He very often seemingly frames his questions from the perspective of the opposition's talking points. He's smug. He's smarmy. And I'm not sorry to see him go. As I'm sure everyone is saying about this story, he's no Tim Russert.

You know who else isn't Tim Russert? Chuck Todd. His interviewing style may prove to be better than Gregory's. But otherwise, he seems to be almost exactly the same sort of figure: not liked very well by either side. I suppose an argument could be made that such a quality is a good thing, but probably not if you're looking for ratings.

[Excerpt]
 
David Gregory Is Officially Fired as Chuck Todd Takes Over NBC’s Meet The Press

The axe finally fell today as David Gregory confirmed that he is out at Meet The Press, and is leaving NBC. Chuck Todd will be the new host of the Sunday morning staple.

David Gregory got the boot fast. This was a literal don’t let the door hit you on the butt on the way out. According to CNN, “The sources confirmed widespread speculation that David Gregory, the moderator of the iconic Sunday morning public affairs program for the past six years, will be replaced by Todd. One of the sources said the transition will be swift — so swift that Gregory will not even host “Meet the Press” this weekend. . .”

 

Read more at: Politics USA

David Letterman Set to Retire

Dave with Betty White, coincidentally, also a Mary
Tyler Moore costar. Image from source, Huffington Post.

Back in the 1970s, America's Sweetheart, Mary Tyler Moore had a critically-acclaimed and massively popular sitcom, called (oddly enough) The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Then she quit, and the show ended while on top. But Mary wasn't tired of TV, she just wanted to do a variety show, and so she did, called (oddly enough) Mary. This show was neither critically-acclaimed, nor massively popular. But it had one very important ingredient: repertory player David Letterman.

A couple years later, somebody realized that Dave was a talented and funny guy. There was a big media campaign to get us to watch the daytime series, The David Letterman Show (where do they get these names?). It tanked, fast. But somehow, the schmucks behind the scenes at NBC realized they had something on their hands, and they created Late Night with David Letterman, to follow The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson. It was a cult hit right off the bat, and became a late night institution.

I am old enough to remember all of the above. Though I don't think I caught much of Mary or Dave's original daytime show, I was enough of a pop culture sponge to have seen both, and was up on the stories behind them. And I watched Late Night from episode one.  I followed Dave to CBS when NBC snubbed him for Jay Leno. And though I long ago became a Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, I still often catch Dave on Fridays, on Daily Show/Colbert Report rerun weeks, and whenever he has Rachel Maddow on! So, congratulations to Dave Letterman on three-plus very successful decades on late night TV. I'll miss him when he goes, even if I don't always watch.

[Excerpt]

David Letterman Retiring After 33 Years As Late Night Host
 
David Letterman is retiring in 2015 after 33 years as a late night host. Letterman announced the news during a taping of Thursday's episode of "Late Show." He called CBS president Leslie Moonves before the program, "And I said ‘Leslie, it’s been great, you’ve been great, and the network has been great, but I’m retiring.'" The late night host explained that "Moonves, he and I have had a relationship for years and years and years, and we have had this conversation in the past, and we agreed that we would work together on this circumstance and the timing of this circumstance. . ."

Read more at: Huffington Post


And here is a video from Mary with the star singing "With a Little Luck" with her cast, including David Letterman, Swoozie Kurtz and David Letterman. It's pretty bad.

 

Reince Priebus Scared of Hillary Clinton

I love that Think Progress used this image of Sigourney
Weaver from Political Animals for this story. It's an
excellent way to see how the RNC must see Hillary.

Hillary Clinton has not even announced whether or not she intends to run for President in 2016. But the threat of it apparently needs an early defense, or why else would ReiNCe PRieBuS be worried about her getting some kind of boost out a couple of documentaries? Frankly, it's just as possible for Clinton to come off poorly in the films, who knows? But it's hilarious that a right-winger would be upset about a Clinton documentary, since it was a Clinton documentary from the right that was the basis of the Citizens United Supreme Court case.

[Excerpt]

Why RNC Chairman Reince Priebus Is Freaking Out Over Pop Culture’s Hillary Rodham Clinton Obsession

Who’s afraid of Hillary Clinton? Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, apparently. Now that Hillary Clinton’s become a hot pop culture subject, with USA’s miniseries Political Animals in the rearview mirror, a feature-length biopic, Rodham in the works, Diane Lane starring in an NBC miniseries about the former First Lady and Secretary of State, and CNN working on a documentary about her, Priebus has told NBC and CNN that if they don’t suspend their projects, he will ask his members to agree not to hold debates on the networks or condone debates set up outside the RNC system that appear on NBC and CNN. The Hollywood Reporter explains. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

SNL Thursday Skewers "Fox & Friends"

I love it when the Saturday Night Live crew gets its paws on the (oddly named, I keep saying) FOX & Friends. People try to say that the program itself is separate and apart from the "news" portion of their programming, but it is a very thin distinction. SNL kicks them repeatedly, and F&F keeps providing them with more material.

MSNBC.com Becomes NBCNews.com

The big switch. Whoopee! Image from AdWeek.

Isn't that headline just the most thrilling thing ever? Yeah, I know. I can't figure the fuss out either. So, Microsoft has ended its business deal with NBC. They haven't been part of the cable station for years. Still, some conservatives are having schadenfreudegasms over the news. Let them have their fun. MSNBC.com was different from the channel, and it looks like the renamed site will continue to be. Party on, dudes. Whatever.

[Excerpt]


NBC, Comcast draw a line between MSNBC website, TV channel

NBC News and Comcast Corp. moved on Monday to fix brand confusion between the MSNBC 24-hour cable news show, whose ratings have surged with liberal commentators Rachel Maddow, Chris Matthews and Ed Schultz, and the straight-news MSNBC.com news website. . .

Read more at: Boston Herald

NBC's Revolution: What are the Odds This One Will Work?

I have seen a few promos for NBC's Revolution, and it makes me all excited, and the pre-teen version of myself. With my bookbag full of comics, and my fondness for Wonder Woman and The Incredible Hulk and the original Battlestar Galactica. It also captures my geeky affinity for dystopian future novels like Logan's Run, Alas Babylon, Fahrenheit 451, On the Beach, Brave New World, 1984 and more. But you know what it really does? It makes me say, "doomed."

Not only is Revolution on NBC--a seemingly moribund network--it is sci-fi/fantasy. And the track record for that on network television is worse than just spotty. I could rattle off a list of interesting but failed series in this genre, and I will: The Event, TerraNova, FlashForward, Firefly, Dollhouse, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Bionic Woman, Day One, Journeyman, Awake, Invasion, Threshold, V, and Life on Mars. I've dipped a toe in more than a few of these, and become ravenous fans of others. And my heart was crushed countless times. Rarely, a show like Lost or Fringe breaks through and is a hit like the former, or barely hangs on each season like the latter. Usually, they make half a season, sometimes a little longer.

And like those last two, Revolution is from the fertile brain of J.J. Abrams. Which is encouraging. But I've had my heart broken so many times. Dare I try again?

Blast from the Past: The Days When ABC, NBC and CBS Ruled

I grew up a media savvy kid in an era when there wasn't much of it. We had three major television channels, with the dubious addition of PBS (which kids hated unless they were pre-schoolers), and the odd local channel. In the mid-to-late 70s we got cable, but even that was public affairs programming, and a couple more independent channels. This meant mostly reruns of The Lucy Show and The Andy Griffith Show.

These days, broadcast television networks are still prominent, but they have to struggle for dominance with original programming from AMC, HBO, Showtime, USA and FX. As you can see, most of them are still very fond of alphabet soup.

But back in the day, the big three were king. They'd jockey for position, and once and a while one would serioiusly tank for a few years. But they were all we had. For a pop culture kid, a lot of the "network stars" stuff really hit home. The slogans, the logos. I ate it up.

NBC Universal Unveils New Logo. FAIL.

The New (ugly) "logo." --from source, Huffington Post

There is a lot I don't like about the Comcast acquisition of NBC Universal. I mean, NBC Universal was already the merger of two big media companies. Every network was already owned by a huge conglomerate (Viacom owns two of them, CBS and the CW). As with seemingly everything else in this country, one of these days, there will probably be only a couple of giant owners, splitting the whole media pie. You can go to any hardware store you want, as long as it's Home Depot or Lowes. Any book store, as long as it's Borders or Barnes & Noble. Any media source, as long as it's DisneyViacomWarnerFox or ComcastNBCUniversal.

Previous (better) logo --from source, Huffington Post

I'm a graphic artist though, so another problem is their hideous new logo. NBC has done great things with logos over the years, with the great brand recognition of their peacock. The previous corporate logo neatly blended the two identities of NBC and Universal. It was cool; simple but classy. The new one? It isn't a logo at all. It's a typeface. And it isn't even an attractive typeface. Somebody gets paid for this stuff? How do you get a gig like that?

[Excerpt]

NBC Universal's New Logo Ditches Peacock


NBC Universal is now NBCUniversal - without the space, the peacock or the globe silhouette.



That was part of the message delivered to the company's 25,000 employees at a town hall gathering on Thursday that featured top executives from prospective new owner Comcast Corp. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

So, It Looks Like Keith Olbermann Was Fired After All

Image from SodaHead.com

I get that former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann had a reputation for being difficult to work with. I get that his liberal viewpoint probably gave the conservative higher-ups at GE (and now Comcast) acid indigestion. But I still can't see the wisdom of firing their biggest ratings grabber, apparently for company politics.  But I wonder if they did a little studying on how this was all going to pan out. Their calculus may be playing out for them, since their ratings--at least in their first Keith-less week--don't seem to have gone down all that much.

As for Olbermann, I'm sure he'll land on his feet. Eight years was a long time to be on the same channel at the same time. It's a longer stretch than many if not most cable news programs. I mean, remember Rita Cosby Live & Direct? The Verdict with Dan Abrams? Scarborough Country? Those are just three of the shows that followed Countdown with Keith Olbermann in recent years, before the debut of The Rachel Maddow Show.

[Excerpt]


Burke on Olbermann: ‘This Was a Decision Made By NBC News Management, Steve Capus and Phil Griffin’


At noon today, NBC Universal (now called, apparently NBCUniversal) held a town hall meeting in the “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” studio, where new CEO Steve Burke was interviewed by “NBC Nightly News” anchor Brian Williams. . .
 
Read more at: TV Newser

Wonder Woman Coming Back to TV!

Image from source, IGN

One of the recurring subjects on this blog is the quandary: why is it so difficult for superhero movies and tv shows to get made?  There is in some cases over seventy years worth of source material to draw upon, yet projects languish for years in development hell. Marvel Comics has had an easier time of it of late, though they can't seem to get The Punisher right. But DC Comics, my publisher of choice growing up? Pretty dismal.

Other than Batman, the DC heroes have had a dismal record of getting to the screen. Superman made it a few years ago, but went through such a torturous (and expensive) path, the final result was deemed a failure, even though it was pretty good. Green Lantern is coming soon at least, but there are several of my favorites that have been teasingly, frustratingly promised, and yet they never get going. Shazam!, The Flash, Justice League of America, Firestorm, Metal Men, and Plastic Man are just a few that have been dangled, but gone nowhere. Wonder Woman, arguably the best known female superhero, and third-best known period (after Superman and Batman) may finally make it out of that heap.

Wonder Woman has of course already made it to television before, with probably the best casting ever pulled off in a comic book adaptation. Well, maybe it's a tie with Christopher Reeve. But Lynda Carter's WW will always be in people's minds when they picture the heroine. Casting will be the hardest part, beyond Hollywood's basic problem with getting these things to screen in the first place. WW has made its way through enough cancelled scripts, producers and directors to rival Superman Returns. Even Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Joss Whedon was attached at one point (and that would have been so kick ass). So Wondy is headed for TV instead of the big screen. And they're changing her locale and her job. And it's just a pilot episode that might not get picked up. Wait, maybe I'm not so excited after all.

[Excerpt]

NBC Orders Wonder Woman Pilot



Looks like Wonder Woman may be back on TV soon after all. It's been a turbulent month for the DC heroine, as Warner Bros brought their new David E. Kelley scripted version of the character to the networks, only to see them all pass. Now though, Deadline reports NBC has made a surprise move and ordered Wonder Woman as a pilot. . .
 
Read more at: IGN

And just for kicks. . .

30 Rock Live Episode a Hilarious Triumph

Though I don't usually watch it when it airs--preferring to catch up on the DVR or online--30 Rock is one of the most consistently funny sitcoms on the air.  The snappy patter, quick cutaways and subtle jokes stuffed between the big ones provide more laughs per episode than some shows produce in a whole season.  On Thursday night, the show was performed live.  A few other shows, notably The West Wing have done this in the past, but 30 Rock has something going for it that made the episode more than just a ratings-grabbing stunt.

Writer and lead actress Tina Fey is of course an alum of Saturday Night Live, and several of the other performers in this episode have either SNL or Broadway experience.  So acting live comes naturally to them.  The result was a very, very funny program, with a couple of great cameos.  An unusual treat for us Pacific Time Zone watchers was that the show was performed live twice, with a few tweaks and changes in the second airing.  The east coast performance was quite a bit smoother, and more like an ordinary episode. The west coast version comes off shakier, a little more like SNL, but features enough differences (particularly in the Jon Hamm commercial parody, which was much funnier in the second try) to make it worth viewing too.  Whether you're a fan of 30 Rock or a casual viewer, I highly recommend watching.
East Coast Version



West Coast Version

So Was The Event An Event?

Image of Jason Ritter from source, LA Times

All summer long, we've been bombarded with promos for The Event, NBC's apparent replacement for Heroes, in the serialized sci-fi/adventure genre.  They had me with Jason Ritter. I've always had a soft spot for his late father, John Ritter, having grown up on Three's Company.  When I saw the younger Ritter's comedy The Class, I was an instant fan, and was sorry to see it cancelled so fast.  Ever since then, I've been hoping he'd land on his feet in a good solid show.  So is The Event that show?

Maybe.  It has the non-linear storytelling so fashionable in these types of shows, bouncing between the present, a few minutes ago, several weeks ago, etc.  It also has a little of Vantage Point thrown in, with the same scenes played out from different perspectives.  What could come off as confusing or off-putting was handled pretty well. I never felt lost (though it felt a little like Lost).  We didn't get to exactly what "the event" itself is, but have tantalizing clues, particularly right at the end of the episode.

The problem with shows of this type are many.  The big reveal could be a letdown.  The story could get too complex for new viewers to jump in.  Or the show could be cancelled before anything is resolved.  Last season's FlashForward had a lot of the same buzz The Event has gotten, and it flamed out in one season.  But hey, I held on until the bitter end of that one, so with the assistance of the DVR, I'll probably do the same with this one. Unless they kill off Jason Ritter.

(Incidentally, I also caught Hawaii Five-O, and though I'm not going to write a seperate review, it was good. Very good. Great stunts, good looking actors, great theme. I predict: big hit.)

[Excerpt]

Television review: 'The Event'

Welcome back to the big leagues, NBC.

With Monday night's premiere of "The Event," the network that as recently as last year seemed hopelessly mired in creative and financial chaos has finally located a tent pole, a new show as big, brash and promising as "Heroes" was a few years back. . .

Read more at: Los Angeles Times

Emmy Awards Recap

Image from Stargate-SG1-Solutions.com

I'm not going to post any winners here, since people may have recorded it to watch later, and I suppose some markets could be time-shifting it. For me, in Las Vegas, I was surprised to see The Emmy Awards broadcast live.  They may have done it before, but usually it is tape-delayed in the Pacific Time Zone, which is terrible for someone who doesn't want to be spoiled. 

Anyway, for the first time in a while, almost the entire program was really, really entertaining. I've underestimated Jimmy Fallon (and who could blame me after Taxi?).  The opening Glee! tribute was amazing and funny.  I'll post the clip when it is available. The speeches (except for Al Pacino's) were funny, entertaining, or at least endurable.  This year they tightened the show by moving some awards to last week's untelevised "Schmemmys," and hurray for that.  It looked like the people present were having a great time, and Fallon really delivered.

Here's a comedy clip they did using ABC's Modern Family cast, allegedly getting tips from the powers that be, on how to "improve" the show.  That sort of network meddling happens a lot, especially with freshman shows--it killed Mork & Mindy, and countless others--so I'm sure the cast enjoyed digging at the network execs. Plus, there's a great star cameo (which I can go ahead and spoil as George Clooney, since the preview gives the joke away).  Kudos to NBC for putting on a great show, and allowing Fallon (and others) to rip on them for the Conan O'Brien/Jay Leno fiasco.

NBC's 100 Questions: I Have One. . .How Did This Get On?

I'm sure that making a sitcom is a tricky business.  Sometimes broad comedy works, sometimes it's forced. Sometimes a quirky character is funny, sometimes stupid.   A show like The Big Bang Theory has managed to combine what could be all of the worst elements of a standard issue sitcom, and turned them into gold.  But sometimes a very funny show (The Class, The Comeback, SportsNight) never catches on, while horrible shows (Family Matters, Full House, According to Jim) go on for year after tedious year. 

You'd think that after over 60 years of trying, the networks and all concerned would be able to tell when something is working and when it is not. Tonight, I tuned to NBC for noise (since the main TV season is over), expecting their usual slate of comedies, many of which I missed during the regular season.  Community was on first, and I didn't really pay much attention to it, though I recognized it as a quality production. I'm just not a fan.  But I wasn't prepared for what came next.



100 Questions, apparently a summertime series (or a burnoff or whatever), lit up my screen.  The premise isn't clear, except that there is a group of friends, with a lovelorn British girl at its center.  I didn't catch any of the stars' names, though I doubt it matters. This show is toast.  Everything about it is dreadful. Well, most everything.  It is shot well, probably edited well. It looks like it filmed rather than videotaped, but the incessant laughter would point to a studio audience. Probably not though, since the laughter was painfully obviously the canned variety. Grating and mechanical would be the best description.

The show is obviously trying to be a little like Friends or other ensemble comedy.  The characters hang around a bar that is obviously a set. They're all sitcom stock characters, and while the acting wasn't exactly bad, it was somehow off.  Even the opening title sequence felt artificial, like a parody sitcom within a different TV show. I suspect the concept may have been tweaked after the fact, the addition of a laugh track being the key indicator. Maybe it was intended to be a laugh-trackless sitcom like The Middle? I don't know, but something was up. And it wasn't good. At all.

Heroes Cancelled, Law & Order Too

Image from source, TVSquad

It's not too surprising that Heroes has been cancelled. I watched every episode, but there is no denying that it was running out of gas.  The whole carnival storyline took up way too much time this past season, and to be honest, the show never got its mojo back after the writers' strike.  But I'll miss my weekly dose of heroes, especially Jack Coleman's HRG, and Zachary Quinto's uber-creepy Sylar. RIP, show.

Law & Order isn't a surprise either. It's been on forever, and has had four spin-off series (with one more on the way). It's the kind of show you can drop in on any time, or miss anytime. So the fact that it will be in reruns forever, all over the cable dial, will be like it never went away.

[Excerpt]

'Heroes' Canceled

NBC is no longer holding out for 'Heroes.'


According to the Live Feed, the network has officially axed the series, about ordinary people with extraordinary powers, after four seasons.

The news ends a rocky ride for 'Heroes,' which premiered in 2006 to a staggering 14.3 million viewers and a 5.9 rating among adults 18-49, making it NBC's highest-rated fall drama premiere in five years. The show continued to hit ratings gold in subsequent episodes, including its season 2 premiere, which attracted 14.1 million viewers. . .

Read more at: TVSquad

Conan O'Brien is Back! On TBS?

Image from source, TV Squad

I didn't write very many posts on the whole NBC Jay Leno/Conan O'Brien Tonight Show battle. Mostly because, if I watch late-night TV, it is usually The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report. Rarely, I'll watch Chelsea Lately, and even more rarely, The Late Show with David Letterman. But I've always liked Conan as a comedian, and never much liked Jay Leno. I think in the nearly 20 years Leno had Tonight, I may have caught a total of 30 minutes of the program.

So, I was pulling for O'Brien. I'm not sure I'd have wished TBS on him though. It seems counter-intuitive, but I suppose it could work. He's got a devoted following, so he'll probably--at least initially--draw a bigger audience to TBS than they've seen outside of a Braves game. And the struggling George Lopez talk show will likely benefit, even though it's being bumped to an hour later. So, good luck Conan! Maybe I'll even try to check out the show.

[Excerpt]

Conan Is Coming Back To TV... on TBS

The long wait is over. Right on the day that Conan O'Brien starts his cross-country tour in Oregon comes this rather large announcement: Conan is coming back to TV this November! But if you're thinking that he's going to do a late night show on FOX, you'd be mistaken. Instead, think "Very Funny. . ."

Read more at: TV Squad

Sen. Franken the Stick in the Spokes for NBC-Comcast Merger?

Image from source, ARS Technica

Full disclosure: I'm a regular Franken Fan. I'm a big fan of Al Franken's books, his radio show, his writing on Saturday Night Live and his short-lived sitcom, LateLine (which really should have had a longer run). So I'm pretty happy that he's already becoming sort of an ass-kicker in the Senate. Oh, wait, Jon Stewart reminded me about over-exaggerated blogging. I just mean that for a comedian, he's really taking the job seriously, and is fairly vocal about it. And he drives right-wingers to distraction. Love that.

Trust-busting and monopoly prevention I always thought had their roots in conservatism. But I guess since Jimmy Carter busted up AT&T in the 70s (which seems today to be re-conglomerating like Terminator 2 into bigger clumps), conservatives don't really mind merger madness. That's the way it seems anyway, with major mergers becoming commonplace during the Bush era. Wait, you mean it's not a good idea to have nearly every major casino in Las Vegas owned by two companies? That circumstance (MGM/Mirage and Harrah's are the two) happened in recent years, seemingly with no resistance whatsoever. It seemed to happen a lot.

Now I'm just a humble home blogger, so these could just be my impressions. Maybe statistics don't show the issue to be partisan at all. But I'm still glad that Franken isn't letting the big NBCUniversal (already merged) marriage to Comcast occur without at least making them sweat a little.

[Excerpt]

Sen. Franken to Comcast, NBC execs: merger no laughing matter

Comcast and NBC Universal didn't get a whole lot of love at Thursday's emotional Senate and House hearings on their proposed merger. But company representatives did get plenty of questions. At the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Wisconsin Democrat Herb Kohl cracked no smiles as he ran through four "principal areas of concern" about the deal: potential programming price hikes, loss of free over-the-air TV content, hobbling independent programmers, and weakening Internet TV. . .

Read more at: ARS Technica

Letterman Lets Loose on Leno

(How's that for alliteration?)

So, before Haiti shook apart, and before the Democrats' majority shrunk to a mere 59-41 in the Senate, there was the Jay Leno/Conan O'Brien/NBC late night kerfuffle. 'Member that? Here's a witty take on it, from David Letterman.