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Cowboys remain deficient on field, dominant in D-FW ratings

Another Dallas Cowboys pre-season is in the books, with the team’s first 0-4 pretend game record since 2000.

The D-FW ratings remained solid, though. Everyone likes to rubber-neck, it seems, even when the Cowboys lose 27-3 at home to Denver in a game in which the Broncos’ spare part players pounded and sacked Dallas into submission. Our complete ratings report is on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

Gannett's graphics settle in at WFAA8

Dallas-based WFAA8 premiered its new newscast graphics Wednesday. Not that it had a choice. Virtually all of Gannett’s TV properties are undergoing these makeovers. Which prompts unclebarky.com to re-christen WFAA8 as Gannett8 from here on out in these spaces Our story, with pictures and video, is on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

History Channel's Houdini can't escape its shortcomings

Adrien Brody at least got into great shape to star in History Channel’s Houdini. But while his physique is rock solid, the material crumbles around him. Our review is here.
Ed Bark

Fox4's double grand slam a very rare ratings high point in D-FW news

Fox4 finally climbed the highest mountain in D-FW’s newscast ratings wars, sweeping the 6 a.m. and 5, 6 and 10 p.m. competitions in both major Nielsen measurements. That hasn’t happened in quite a long while. Details are on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

CNN.com commentary on the Emmys from your friendly content provider

The traditional broadcast networks again fell short of cable’s Emmy winners Monday night. But it was a much closer score than last year, even though host NBC and Fox were shut out. CBS, PBS and ABC picked up the slack by matching or exceeding HBO’s totals. My commentary is on cnn.com, and you can find it right here.

Also, we have the final national Nielsen ratings for the Emmys posed on the Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark

CBS11 anchor/reporter Tracy Kornet opting to leave after eight-year stay

Veteran CBS11 anchor/reporter Tracy Kornet will be leaving the station in early September. She initially came to the D-FW market in 2006. More details are on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.

Also, Monday’s D-FW ratings “snapshot” highlights NBC’s Emmy telecast.
Ed Bark

Top bosses at D-FW's four major TV news providers barely practice the "social media" they preach to anchors/reporters

Local newscasts around the country increasingly are pocked with “social media” segments while anchors and reporters also are expected to Tweet on a regular basis. But what about their big bosses, the news directors and president/GMs? We take a look at the D-FW landscape and find it all but barren. Check out the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

Cowboys reach 2014 ratings high with latest loss

The Dallas Cowboys’ “dress rehearsal” 25-20 defeat in Miami Saturday night gave CBS11 its biggest ratings of the summer while also easily topping 2013’s Game 3 of the preseason.

Our full report, which also details the team’s continued shortfalls among advertiser-prized 18-to-49-year-olds, is on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

Uncle Barky's Emmy breakdown

The 66th annual Emmy Awards are nigh, and odds are you’re not yet brimming with excitement. But here we go anyway, with both an overview and picks in the major categories. See the Network News & Reviews page.

Also, the Wednesday-Thursday D-FW ratings “snapshot” is in.
Ed Bark

BBC America's Intruders is best kept out

Mira Sorvino fronts the cast of BBC America’s The Intruders. But she’s often missing in action while the series itself disappoints both with and without her. Our review is here.
Ed Bark

WFAA8's "Corporal Nick" still in first gear as new uniformed Daybreak traffic reporter

WFAA8’s somewhat puzzling but also daring “Corporal Nick” experiment is underway on the station’s Daybreak. In words and pictures, we review his second day as the D-FW market’s first full-time uniformed traffic reporter. In his other day job, he’s still a DeSoto cop. It’s all on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.

Also, Tuesday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings “snapshot” is posted.
Ed Bark

CBS11 anchor Brendan Higgins dropped by station, issues apologetic statement

Brendan Higgins’ arrest after an alleged altercation with Aspen, Colo. police, first reported Friday, Aug. 15th by unclebarky.com, has led to his dismissal by the D-FW-based station.

In tandem Tuesday, the former CBS11 early morning co-anchor issued a statement on his Facebook page, saying he plans no further comment. Higgins still faces charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

Details are on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

Unclebarky.com bounces back from cable/internet outage

Your friendly content provider felt naked and afraid Monday morning when a simultaneous cable and internet outage put unclebarky.com in a figurative, communications-deprived van down by the river.

Unfortunately, the outage extended through Corporal Nick Bristow’s debut Tuesday on WFAA8’s Daybreak as the D-FW market’s first uniformed traffic anchor. So a full review will have to wait until after Wednesday’s show.

Also, Monday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings show a big viewer turnout for Johnny Manziel’s continuing adventures, this time on ESPN’s Monday Night Football. It easily led all prime-time programming.
Ed Bark

You, too, can be an unclebarky.com backer (and it won't cost you anything other than the money you were going to spend anyway)

Longtime and first-time unclebarky.com readers may have noticed that it’s been a very busy week on the D-FW television news front.

But all of the below stories likely would have gone completely unreported without your friendly content provider bringing them to light:

***CBS11 anchor Brendan Higgins’ altercation with police in Aspen, Colo., according to detailed official reports.
***WFAA8’s intent to hire a uniformed DeSoto police officer as its new early morning traffic reporter.
***CBS11 reporter Susy Solis’ decision to join the growing number of TV news gatherers entering the PR field.
***Complete ratings breakdowns of the Dallas Cowboys’ first two preseason games -- and why comparisons to last year’s are basically meaningless.

So here’s the deal. Unclebarky.com is the fifth largest TV market’s only independent voice when it comes to both local and national television reviews and reporting. We don’t have any “content-sharing” deals with anyone. NBC5 is in a contractual partnership with The Dallas Morning News and WFAA8 has a similar agreement with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Unclebarky.com’s only partnership is with readers. And you can help defray the cost of keeping this website going by this simple means of support. If you’re buying anything on amazon.com, simply click first on any Amazon ad on any unclebarky.com page. You’ll be taken directly to Amazon for the purchases you were going to make anyway. The only difference: Unclebarky.com will get a small financial percentage of anything bought.

It’s not much, and in most months the proceeds to this website total well less than $100.00. Save for the Christmas season, when Amazon buying is at its peak.

Unclebarky.com will always be a free website, and I very infrequently panhandle in this manner. But now seems like an apt time. So if you enjoy the content, much of which otherwise would never see the light of day, then please make a habit of taking the unclebarky.com route to Amazon. It all helps. And your friendly content provider’s little heart tends to go pitter-pat whenever the Amazon sales commission tote board kicks up a few dollars and cents.

Many thanks to those readers who have been supporting unclebarky.com in this manner for months if not years. But you, too, can join the legions (dozens?) of unclebarky.com backers by making this simple Amazon connection.

OK, enough. And thanks to all for your continued readership and input.
Ed Bark

Details, details: Your complete D-FW ratings report for Saturday's second Cowboys pre-season game

The Dallas Cowboys ramped up their ratings for Saturday’s second pre-season game, a 37-30 home loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Again, though, extenuating circumstances make year-to-year comparisons largely meaningless. Get the numbers you won’t find anywhere else on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

CBS11 anchor Brendan Higgins facing disorderly conduct, resisting arrest charges after recent incident in Aspen

Brendan Higgins, co-anchor of CBS11’s weekday early morning newscasts, has a Sept. 10th court date in Aspen, Colo. after being arrested earlier this month.

He’s been charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, according to police reports obtained by unclebarky.com. The detailed reports also say that Higgins was severely intoxicated and both physically and verbally abusive during an incident at an Aspen hotel. The story is on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

Another PR recruit: CBS11's Susy Solis is latest to veer from reporter path

The public relations field continues to get a steady flow of newly converted D-FW television reporters. CBS11’s Susy Solis is the latest to join the crowd. Details on where she’s going, including comments from Solis, are on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.

Plus, Thursday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings “snapshot” is posted.
Ed Bark

HBO's Captivated: The Trials of Pamela Smart raises curtain on "reality TV"

One can make a case -- and HBO does -- that “reality TV” was birthed with the unprecedented gavel-to-gavel coverage of the 1991 Pamela Smart murder trial. The documentary film Captivated probes deep into its oft unsightly underbelly, and our review is here.

Also, the Tuesday-Wednesday D-FW ratings “snapshots” are in.
Ed Bark

Single- or multi-cam? In prime-time comedy, form still very much matters

CBS pretty much swears by “multi-cams” -- and has the comedy hits to back up this strategy. Rival broadcast networks lately are more inclined to “single-cams” -- but only ABC’s Modern Family has delivered big audiences out of this “live studio audience” realm. In one of our periodic “Press Tour Tales,” unclebarky.com looks at how the sitcom sausage is made by quizzing the entertainment heads of CBS and NBC. It’s all on the Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark

Sizing up Robin Williams -- and striving to do so in a different way

The late, great and tormented Robin Williams is still being grieved and celebrated on the day after his shocking death. I’ve tried to look at him in a different way via excerpts from four previous pieces written from 1987 through 2009. They range from reviews of two very serious performances to a cheap, exploitative NBC movie about him to a first-hand account of his return to standup comedy after a lengthy absence. It’s all on the Network News & Reviews page.

Also, Monday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings “snapshot” is posted.
Ed Bark

WFAA8 has picked "Corporal Nick" Bristow to be new early morning traffic reporter

Sources confirm that WFAA8 is going with DeSoto’s “Corporal Nick” Bristow as its new Daybreak traffic reporter. Succeeding Shane Allen, he’ll do his segments in his uniform, marking the first time a D-FW television station has gone this route. More details are on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

Sean Bean will keep his head in TNT's Legends

TNT’s latest new drama series, Legends, premieres on Wednesday, Aug. 13th. It stars Sean Bean, who played Eddard “Ned” Stark in Season 1 of Game of Thrones before his head wound up on a pike. This time there’s no danger of that. Our review is here.

Also, the weekend D-FW ratings “snapshot” includes details on Sunday’s Round 4 of the PGA championship, which spilled over well into prime-time on CBS with three big stars very much in contention for the season’s final “Major.”
Ed Bark

DeSoto PD's "Corporal Nick" takes his shot at becoming WFAA8's uniformed traffic reporter

A bald, chunky veteran DeSoto police officer is among those trying to fill a traffic reporter vacancy on WFAA8’s early morning Daybreak show.

Nick Bristow, referenced as “Corporal Nick” by co-anchor Alexa Conomos, can be seen test-driving in uniform on two audition tapes that have popped up on youtube. WFAA8 management won’t comment, but several sources say the Dallas-based station is intent on hiring a uniformed cop to replace Shane Allen, who recently was dropped from Daybreak. You can evaluate “Corporal Nick’s” performance, which includes his Elvis impersonation, on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

WFAA8 wouldn't be first in state to hire uniformed cops as early morning traffic anchors

WFAA8, according to several sources, is planning a D-FW first in the early mornings. That would be a uniformed cop -- or cops -- to do its Daybreak traffic segments.

San Antonio’s KSAT-TV already is walking this beat -- and touting “Real Officers. Real Experience” on the part of its two early morning road runners. Check out the station’s promo on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

Viewers arrive early but don't stay late for Cowboys' pre-season opener

The Dallas Cowboys played their first pre-season game Thursday night, limping away with a 27-7 loss at San Diego. Stretching until midnight on CBS11, the game wiped out everything in its path while also steady losing viewers. All the details, and a comparison to last year’s season-opener, are on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

The Knick gives Cinemax its first Emmy caliber drama

HBO is showing its little brother, Cinemax, some love by letting it have The Knick. Set in 1900, it’s a New York City-set medical drama seies starring Clive Owen and directed by Steven Soderbergh. Our review is here.

Plus, the Tuesday-Wednesday D-FW Nielsen ratings “snapshot” is posted.
Ed Bark

Starz's Outlander hopes to romance viewers the way the novels have

The Starz network’s “much-anticipated” Outlander begins journeying back to 18th century Scotland on Saturday, Aug. 9th. Its time-traveling heroine is drawn from the string of romance-laced bestsellers by Diana Gabaldon. Our review is here.
Ed Bark

The Killing plays out on Netflix with a 6-episode run

Twice left for dead by AMC, The Killing is getting what presumably will be its final season on Netflix. It began streaming on August 1st, and our review -- after watching all six episodes -- is right here.

Plus, Monday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings “snapshot” is in.
Ed Bark

Nixon riles again in HBO's Nixon By Nixon; Cowboys' Blue/White scrimmage largely ignored on TXA21

Saturday, August 9th will mark the 40th anniversary of Richard Nixon’s resignation of the presidency. HBO gets a head start with the Monday, Aug. 4th premiere of Nixon by Nixon: In His Own Words. Our review is here.

Plus, TXA21 televised the Dallas Cowboys’ Blue/White scrimmage live from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday. The D-FW Nielsen ratings say that only a handful of viewers took a peek while that night’s Giants-Bills pre-season game was a Goliath in comparison. All the numbers are on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

WFAA8 reporter Teresa Woodard is leaving to chart PR career path

WFAA8 reporter Teresa Woodard has decided to leave the Dallas-based station in favor of a public relations position. That’s hardly a novel transition anymore, although WFAA8 has been hit particularly hard in recent years. Details are on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

Stop sign at WFAA8 for Daybreak traffic reporter Shane Allen

Shane Allen’s brief tenure as WFAA8’s early morning traffic reporter ended on Friday, Aug. 1st when the Dallas-based station dropped him.

Allen posted the news on his Facebook page. More details are on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page, including surprising news about the “different direction” Allen alluded to in his goodbye comments.
Ed Bark