Ask Uncle Barky

Uncle Barky's Mailbag (May 6)

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2013-05-06T15:29:53-05:00

One thing I know I’ve written to you about before is CBS’ inability to capitalize primetime and daytime ratings into gold in the morning and at dinnertime. The network that is rewarded by viewers for tough journalism on 60 Minutes isn’t trusted to wake them up or tell them the day’s news at dinner.

Uncle Barky's Mailbag (April 29) -- readers react to WFAA8's handling of live West, TX memorial service

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2013-04-29T10:10:03-05:00

WFAA8’s decision not to join its D-FW rivals in continuous coverage of Thursday’s West, TX memorial service continues to prompt pointed responses from readers, via both email and Facebook. ...But to WFAA’s credit, it had an investigative reporter, investigative producer and spot-news reporter in West the two days I was there this week.

Uncle Barky's Mailbag (March 27)

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2013-03-27T09:10:55-05:00

Getting rid of Leno and replacing him with Jimmy Fallon probably puts the Tonight Show in AT LEAST second place in the ratings for a while. ...***Is there a possibility that NBC is guessing that Letterman is about to exit gracefully, like Carson, with a year-in-advance announcement that his contract ending in 2014 is in fact his last?

Uncle Barky's Mailbag (Feb. 11)

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2013-02-11T12:24:55-06:00

I have been reading your thoughts on Good Morning Texas and I would like to know why WFAA continues to do the same thing over and over, expecting different results. ...It seems with some regularity that CBS11 is in the unenviable position of winning total viewers but losing advertiser-craved demos owing to the mostly older-skewed Wheel of Fortune and perennially challenged-for-younger-viewers primetime offerings.

Q&A: Feb. 29

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2012-02-29T12:57:22-06:00

Answer: CSI: NY, currently in its eighth season, is scheduled to return to its old Friday, 8 p.m. (central) slot on March 30th. ...But ABC's had this plan in place for awhile, and announced on November 18th that the new set-in- Dallas GCB (adapted from the book Good Christian Bitches) would supplant Pan Am on Sunday, March 4th.

Q&A: Jan. 31

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2012-01-31T10:59:07-06:00

Answer: Since May of last year, McGarry has been anchoring the 6:30 p.m. Nonstop Nightly newscast on NBC5's digital channel, 5.2. ...Answer: Four unaired episodes of Lone Star remain, with series creator Kyle Killen of Austin currently behind the upcoming NBC spring series Awake after writing the feature film The Beaver, which starred Mel Gibson and was directed by Jodie Foster.

Q&A: April 28

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2011-04-28T11:22:08-05:00

Plus, he had a rather tough go of it in New York City, where he had anchored Fox's Good Day New York for two years before being dropped from the show while on vacation in April 2008. ...Answer: A&E says that Glades, currently in production, is scheduled to return on Sunday, June 5th (9 p.m. central) for the first of 13 new episodes.

Q&A: Nov. 18

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2010-11-18T12:18:20-06:00

Answer: In the last full ratings "sweeps" period, May of 2010, Univision's Noticias 23 again fared quite well in head-to-head competition at 5 and 10 p.m. opposite the four major English language newscasts. ...Addendum: A faithful over-the-air broadcast TV watcher notes that THIS will re-emerge on Dec. 6th, and be carried on KDAF's Ch. 33-3 in D-FW.

Q&A: April 9

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2010-04-09T15:57:18-05:00

The station's No. 1-rated early morning team earlier this year lost co-anchor Brendan Higgins for less than crystal clear reasons. Vice president of content development Susan Tully said in a statement that "with Brendan's contract coming to an end, he and the station have agreed that Sunday (Jan. 17th) will be his last day as a member of the NBC D-FW team."

Q&A: March 9

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2010-03-09T13:38:12-06:00

The network is using rotating hosts for now, but it's likely to boil down to a choice at some point between White House correspondent Jake Tapper and Nightline co-anchor Terry Moran. ...Season 2 of Party Down is set to launch on April 23rd, with Megan Mullally joining the cast. Head Case so far has not been renewed for a fourth season, and it's not looking good.

Q&A: Feb. 2

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2010-02-02T15:58:33-06:00

Is it really that hard to read off a TelePrompTer, because Jane (McGarry) at Ch. 5 and Gloria Campos at Ch. 8 can't seem to read anything in front of them. ...In May of 1950, KBTV was acquired by Belo from Potter Television and the call letters changed to WFAA -- which symbolized Working For All Alike -- a phrase made popular years earlier by WFAA radio.

Q&A: Jan. 6

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2010-01-06T12:05:01-06:00

George Lopez has a pretty major presence on TBS with his Mon.-Fri. latenight talk show, which was very heavily promoted. Ugly Betty, an adaptation of a Spanish language telenovela, remains in play on ABC and received numerous awards in its early seasons. ...Answer: For better or worse, TNT has grown accustomed to using its most popular series as a potent lead-in launch pad for the network's new drama series.

Q&A: Nov. 4

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2009-11-04T13:39:58-06:00

The artist is Rob Pierce, and here's his website, where you can hear an acoustic guitar portion of "Blue Skies" and get lots of other information on him by clicking around. ...Question: Why in the world would CBS run repeats of NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles last week when the new TV season is hardly underway?

Q&A: Oct. 20

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2009-10-20T12:35:44-05:00

Some of the writing is still crisp and funny, as when Meyers deadpanned, "It was revealed this week that the cast of the upcoming Celebrity Apprentice will include Sharon Osbourne, Sinbad and Rod Blagojevich. ...It also should be noted that the content of CBS11's 10 p.m. news is on a par with WFAA8's on many nights.

Q&A: July 28

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2009-07-28T11:56:45-05:00

Question: Recently I watched the 8 episodes of Wonderland that were produced in 2000 (for ABC) and were recently available on DirecTV. ... The song has a kind of a "new age, cool jazz" vibe and begins with "Lay me down . . . like water falls upon the desert . . . " and then I can't make out the rest.

Q&A: July 17

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2009-07-17T14:08:03-05:00

Answer: CBS says in a press release that Guiding Light will have its final telecast on Sept. 18th after 72 years and more than 15,700 episodes on TV and radio. But TeleNext Media, which produces it, said in a statement last April, "We are working hard to find the show a new home, and we are exploring all our options to continue to bring loyal fans the characters and stories they love."

Q&A: April 20

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2009-04-20T11:42:52-05:00

I've never really heard much about the ratings for Life, and I was late coming to this party, but I've become a fan. ...Fallon's openings indeed are still painful, but I did kinda like the recent joke about how the new White House dog, Bo, "arrived just in time because Sasha and Malia were getting tired of throwing frisbees to Joe Biden."

Q&A: April 1

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2009-04-01T11:47:24-05:00

Surely the brilliant minds at the networks must know that if you put a high-concept show on holiday hiatus, bring it back on a different night, schedule it opposite Law & Order and then fail to advertise it, the show is going to lose ratings. ...Although in fairness to ABC, the network didn't scrimp on promotion for Mars and gave it two of its best available time slots.

Q&A: March 17

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2009-03-17T12:10:34-05:00

It's now open for business, although the website so far amounts only to a picture of Brady and this come-on: "WHEN THE CONTENT COUNTS: We capture the essence of your business identity or cause, develop a compelling digital story, and convert it into the forum of your choice. ...New episodes of Eureka are set for July, and a second season of Sanctuary is due "sometime in 2009," says the network.

Q&A: Jan. 21

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2009-01-21T17:41:14-06:00

Answer: FX says that Rescue Me will return for a fifth season in spring 2009, but doesn't have a specific date yet. ...Off hand, I wonder if it's because of her support for Barack Obama and D-FW being such a GOP-friendly area.

Q&A: Jan. 13

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2009-01-13T10:14:04-06:00

Answer: The producers plan to end Lost at the end of the 2009-10 season, which leaves two more seasons to go. ...Answer: Izaguirre, who's beginning her second year as co-anchor of WFAA8's Daybreak, has not proven yet that she's a long-term answer for the station's continuing early morning ratings woes.

Q&A: Dec. 10

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2008-12-10T14:57:18-06:00

Declining ratings and escalating actor salaries -- for the likes of William Shatner, James Spader, Candice Bergen and John Larroquette -- are not a good mix for any network, especially in horrendous economic times. ...Question: I know NBC says it's returning in January, but I would like to know what you've heard about the future of Knight Rider.

Q&A: Sept. 10

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2008-09-10T14:20:01-05:00

He says he's fine with the change, but of course isn't. The Rachel Maddow Show, which follows Keith Olbermann's Countdown, premiered at 8 p.m. (central) on Monday, Sept. 8th. ...

Q&A: June 24 (updated on Regent Ducas question)

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2008-06-24T12:24:40-05:00

Answer: Actually, his contract with WFAA8 expires at the end of July, at which point he'll leave the station's early morning shift and head to WSB in Atlanta, where his father, Don, once prospered. ...He landed at ABC station WLNE-TV in Providence, R.I. as an interim news director brought in to help punch up the station's ratings for last November's "sweeps" period.

Q&A: June 11

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2008-06-11T15:14:33-05:00

Question: Any idea on how long Channel 11 is going to continue this charade of Kristine Kahanek being referred to as the chief meteorologist while they clearly shove Larry Mowry down our throats when the critical weather occurs? ...Answer: Let's just say that CBS11 wants to re-sign Kahanek to a new contract, but that Mowry clearly is the station's featured meteorologist of the future.

Q&A: April 8

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2008-04-08T16:55:53-05:00

Answer: NBC's newly announced 52-week schedule has Lipstick slated for a 9 p.m. (central) Wednesday slot this fall. ...At this point it looks as though the network is planning to permanently discharge the series, but its new fall lineup won't be announced until next month.

Q&A: March 11

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2008-03-11T13:20:00-05:00

The last of the current arc of eight episodes will air on March 20th. Lost then will return on April 24th in a later time slot (Thursdays at 9 p.m. central) for the first of the five strike-added episodes. ...Answer: Hansen certainly would agree that he deserves at least that amount, and my guess is he's probably getting it -- or at least very close to that figure.

Q&A: Jan. 16

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2008-01-16T15:00:02-06:00

He's also president and CEO of Wise Counsel, described as a non-profit "strategic and crisis communications company providing spokesman services, media coaching-training and crisis mitigation and management planning to business, industry, churches, ministries and faith-based schools." ...Answer: In the early going, Price has increased its ratings a bit nationally in the so-called "key adult demographics" of 18-to-49 and 25-to-54.

Q&A: Dec. 12

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2007-12-12T12:17:26-06:00

Question: What is the reason (or is there a reason) for Brad Davis doing the color with Mark Followill on TV broadcasts and Bob Ortegel switching over to ESPN radio for Dallas Mavericks games? ...Answer: Big changes are possible at some point, but probably not during the ongoing TV season, which still has the February and May "sweeps" ratings periods coming.

Q&A: Dec. 3

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2007-12-03T17:18:17-06:00

Question: It started with a network logo in the lower right hand corner and now we have TV pop up ads which run across the screen during shows. They are promos for other shows, but how long before networks start selling pop ups for extra revenue to get back at viewers who record shows and skip the 20 minutes per hour of commercials?

Q&A: Nov. 12

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2007-11-12T12:06:10-06:00

Answer: ABC's been doing this a lot lately -- and not just with Grey's Anatomy -- to keep viewers from changing channels at appointed hours. ...Answer: Life, my favorite new drama series of the season, is very slowly catching on, although its ratings on downtrodden NBC still might not be enough to get it a full season.

Q&A: Oct. 31

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2007-10-31T12:28:11-05:00

Question: I had a meltdown the other night when I saw CBS promoting the upcoming "Battle of the Century" -- the Pats vs. the Colts with a tease that the Houston-Raiders game may be regionally subbed for the New England-Indianapolis war. ...Answer: Basically, the problem is with ABC's Saturday night college football runovers, which push everything back, says station spokesman Dave Muscari. Ebert & Roeper, which lately has featured Dallas' own Robert Wilonsky subbing for the still recovering Roger Ebert, is supposed to air at 12:30 a.m. following a repeat of The Gordon Keith Show.

Q&A: Oct. 30

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2007-10-30T16:06:10-05:00

Among advertiser-craved 18-to-49-year-olds, though, Murder Club sags to 75th place, narrowly trailing CBS' competing new series Moonlight and ranking just a few rungs ahead of NBC's exemplary Friday Night Lights. ...The cousin you refer to, William Mapother, has played a prominent member of "The Others" on Lost and also guested this season on the first episode of the new Fox series K-Ville.

Q&A: Oct. 11

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2007-10-11T12:29:33-05:00

(Note: CBS since has announced that Amazing Race will return on Sunday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. (central), in place of the canceled Viva Laughlin). ...Dirty Sexy Money is well-acted, fun to watch and likely to get a full season run with decent ratings so far opposite CSI: NY.

Q&A: Oct. 8

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2007-10-08T11:11:51-05:00

Question: I heard a lot of hoopla that Jericho was being picked back up, but I haven't seen when. ...Asked about when Fox4 will join NBC5, Belo8 and CBS11 in the HD firmament, she said, "When we do it, we'll do it right."

Q&A: Sept. 10

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2007-09-10T16:56:54-05:00

Answer: The new fall season doesn't look as promising as the old, but I like both NBC's Chuck and Life, and Fox's Back To You. ...Question: Is there any good reason that Everybody Loves Raymond has disappeared from Channel 33's evening lineup (from 10 to 11 p.m. weeknights)?

Q&A: Aug. 22

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2007-08-22T12:38:03-05:00

In a nutshell, the chances are better than before now that David Milch doesn't have to immediately turn his attention to writing second season scripts for John. Question: Why does it seem for the past two or three weeks now that every time David Finfrock is doing the weather he has these coughing fits.

Q&A: July 2

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2007-07-02T13:41:32-05:00

In D-FW, however, Belo8 is still offering a pretty stark alternative, and managed to win the May "sweeps" at 10 p.m. as an alternative to the crash-bang approach on NBC5 and now CBS11. ...As for other ways to hook viewers, NBC5 tries to keep ratings up in the second 15 minutes of newscasts with a steady diet of miracle diets, bargain shopping, health alerts and wrinkle removal stories.

Q&A: June 20

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2007-06-20T15:53:15-05:00

There's also HBO's new Flight of the Conchords (two dweebish New Zealand singers on the loose in New York) and new episodes of Entourage from 9 to 10 p.m. ...Question: Now that the networks have announced their fall schedules, when will the local stations announce changes to their 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. schedules?

Q&A: May 28

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2007-05-28T21:45:17-05:00

It's very unlikely to be back, but the first season DVD is due on July 31st. October Road for now isn't a part of ABC's recently announced fall schedule, but the network has picked it up as a midseason replacement. ...Question: When a newscaster tells me they'll be back with more news in 30 seconds, do they think I'm more likely to stick around if it's a short time vs. the normal commercial break of 3-4 minutes?

Q&A: May 3

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2007-05-03T16:33:31-05:00

Question: I can't believe I'm asking this, but just how did American Idol do the Elvis/Celine Dion duet with the dead? ...Answer: It was a combination of Celine singing "If I Can Dream" by herself, an Elvis stunt double and "rotoscoping" to fill in an image of the King from his 1968 NBC "Comeback" special.

Q&A: April 20

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2007-04-20T09:13:53-05:00

Question: I know it's horribly shallow and silly, but I'm a fan of The Dresden Files on the Sci Fi Channel.

Q&A: April 9

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2007-04-09T13:39:55-05:00

Answer: This is another show that likely is on the bubble. The Unit has a substantial audience fall-off from CBS' preceding NCIS and also ranks significantly lower with advertiser-coveted 18-to-49-year-olds. ...Question: I have been a fan of 24 since Day 1, but quite honestly I'm getting tired of every season having something to do with nuclear bombs/explosions/meltdowns and Muslim/eastern European terrorists.

Q&A: March 30

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2007-03-30T15:43:47-05:00

Answer: Banfield joined Court TV in July 2005 and is still co-anchoring the weekday Banfield and Ford trial coverage show from noon to 2 p.m. central. ...Answer: In no particular order, here we go: Friday Night Lights, 24, The Office, Lost, Real Time with Bill Maher, The Sopranos, Entourage, American Idol and -- sorry -- Dancing with the Stars.

Q&A: March 28

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2007-03-28T18:14:49-05:00

Question: With the terrible exception of The Simple Life, has any other TV show that had a cult following (Arrested Development for example) ever go to another network and find success? ...Here's the official corporate response from Dave Muscari, vice president of product development for Belo8 and The Dallas Morning News: "Valeri Williams initially came to work for us as a reporter in 1992.

Q&A: March 6

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2007-03-06T12:54:05-06:00

Answer: A&E, which once stood for classy, high-brow programming, has downshifted to reality series such as Dog the Bounty Hunter, Growing Up Gotti and Criss Angel: Mindfreak in recent years. MI-5 apparently was too rich for its blood, and A&E has no plans to continue importing the BBC production, called Spooks across the pond. ...Answer: Big Day, which was supposed to have a 13-episode run leading to the February return of Lost, instead was cut in half, with the rest of the episodes running on ABC.com. The Nine is out of production, and ABC has no current plans to resume the series.

Q&A: Feb. 20

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2007-02-20T17:33:16-06:00
Fox entertainment president Peter Liguori told unclebarky.com in January that the show was "very unlikely" to film much in North Texas next season if the network picks up the series. ...Question: Just saw your bulletin that Studio 60 was likely canceled -- not surprising and not nearly as disappointing as it would've been four months ago.

Q&A: Feb. 9

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2007-02-09T14:55:15-06:00
And last season was up from the previous season. 24 isn't doing quite as well among advertiser-craved 18-to-49-year-olds this time, but is in no danger at all of being canceled. ...Answer: Studio 60 will give way on Monday, March 5 to the new crime drama series The Black Donnellys, produced by Oscar-winning Crash director Paul Haggis. Black Donnellys originally was supposed to give ER a rest in January, but the medical drama's ratings remained too good for NBC to take it off the air.

Q&A: Jan. 30

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2007-01-30T14:51:18-06:00
Answer: The actor, Rory Cochrane, reportedly grew weary of the show's frequent use of forensic terminology and asked to be let out of his contract. ...

Q&A: Jan. 24

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2007-01-24T14:20:58-06:00
Question: A few years ago I saw a lot of press about ESPN producing a movie about the mythic "Ice Bowl" -- the 1967 NFL championship game between the Cowboys and the Packers. ...There's also been some fierce competition on Sunday nights, though, including Fox's launch of 24 and some high-powered NFL playoff games.

Q&A: Jan. 5

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2007-01-05T16:47:37-06:00
It's a shame that the ratings aren't better for FNL, although I've had some emails from would-be viewers who can't tolerate the show's at times jittery hand-held camera approach. Whatever the reason, it looks like a first-rate series could be going down the drain after this season despite NBC's very best efforts to keep it afloat.

Q&A: Jan. 3

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2007-01-03T17:32:47-06:00
Answer: Walker, who joined the station in September 2001, voluntarily has left to pursue other interests. ... She came to Belo8 from WTHR-TV in Indianapolis, her station bio says.

Q&A: Jan. 2

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2007-01-02T15:19:19-06:00
Even so, CBS11 definitely has the inside track on police department intrigue, even if Kunkle isn't likely to give his new bride too much news she can use in terms of any scandals or malfeasance. ...CBS Corporation chairman Leslie Moonves, for example, is married to Julie Chen, still a co-host of both the network's Big Brother and The Early Show.

Q&A: Dec. 27

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2006-12-27T14:24:10-06:00
Answer: Ratings have never been good for The Wire, which HBO almost didn't renew for a fourth season. ...On the other hand, Fox4's local 9 p.m. newscast is doing pretty well in the face of overall lousy ratings for Fox's prime-time entertainment programming during the first several months of this season.

Q&A: Dec. 20

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2006-12-20T15:21:04-06:00
Answer: The First 48, currently in its fourth season, already has been renewed for a fifth, says A&E. ...And ER indeed is having a resurgent year, both quality-wise and in the ratings, where it still wins with advertiser-craved 18-to-49-year-olds despite being in its 13th season.

Q&A: Dec. 15

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2006-12-15T19:26:04-06:00
Question: Hate to ask an obvious, perennial question, but when is It's a Wonderful Life going to air this season? ...NBC is presenting it twice this month, on Saturday, Dec. 16th and on Christmas Eve (7 to 10 p.m. central time each night).

Q&A: Dec. 13

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2006-12-13T18:16:26-06:00
If nothing else, could you at least put the list of her "10 Most Fascinating People" up? ...Ironically I was at Emmitt Smith's Dancing with the Stars-themed charity event in Dallas when Babs went through her annual list.

Q&A: Dec. 12

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2006-12-12T10:17:23-06:00
"I've been doing this for 25 years, and sometimes I run into on-air people who are one person on TV, and another off," Aguilar writes via email. ... I don't believe she's dating anyone, but I know that she doesn't like to be "fixed up."

Q&A: Dec. 11

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2006-12-11T16:06:58-06:00
Answer: Friday Night Lights continues to struggle in the Nielsens, but NBC commendably has picked it up for a full run this season. ...Recently named one of this year's Top 10 TV series by the American Film Institute, Lights currently ranks 82nd in total viewers, averaging 6.1 million a week.

Q&A: Dec. 8

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2006-12-08T15:28:14-06:00
Question: How many episodes of the new shows do you get from the studios before the season starts when you are coming up with your grades? ...I try to watch as many as possible, but I've found over many years that pilot episodes usually are very good indicators of whether a series is going to stink or shine.

Q&A: Dec. 7

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2006-12-07T20:30:19-06:00
Question: I was watching, or at best trying to watch the Channel 21 newscast the other night, and it's terrible. ...As for content, the newscast is pretty much at the level of a Double A minor league baseball team right now, sort of like the Frisco Roughriders vis a vis the Texas Rangers.

Q&A: Dec. 5

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2006-12-05T22:04:09-06:00
A group of New Orleans jazz musicians performed an amazing arrangement of "O Holy Night," and I'm trying to figure out if there's a recording of it out there . . . ...The featured musicians, all of whom have benefited from Tipitina's Foundation to save New Orleans music, are: Troy Andrews, trumpet; Kirk Joseph, sousaphone; Roderick Paulin, saxophone; Stephen Walker, trombone; Mervin "Kid Merv" Campbell, trumpet; and Bob French, drums.

Q&A: Dec. 4

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2006-12-04T16:20:08-06:00
Here's what he tells unclebarky.com via email: "It was our station manager, Mike Devlin, who made it mandatory for everyone to wear a tie -- except me. ...Question: With the production of DVRs happening at such a rapid rate, what are Nielsen and the networks doing to account for the recorded shows that people watch?

Q&A: Nov. 30

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2006-11-30T21:10:07-06:00
Answer: BET says that a "special sampling" of The Wire will run from Jan. 10-12 as an introduction to the under-appreciated HBO series. The "formal premiere," beginning with Season 1, is set for later in January, with a date still being determined.

Q&A: Nov. 29

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2006-11-29T20:08:40-06:00
At the time they were the only two comedies on the four major networks with black leads. Bernie Mac lost that ratings fight and eventually was shuttled all over Fox's schedule, winding up on Fridays. ...Answer: NBC's The Black Donnellys, created by Oscar-winning director Paul Haggis (Crash), originally was supposed to supplant ER in January, with the longrunning hospital drama then returning in the spring.

Q&A: Nov. 28

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2006-11-28T22:04:16-06:00
Answer: Both Six Degrees and The Nine supposedly will return at some point next year after being put on hiatus by ABC. ... So far this season the only new serial to really make it big is NBC's Heroes, which in September was unclebarky.com's pick to be prime-time's sleeper hit of the season.

Q&A: Nov. 27

unclebarky@tx.rr.com — 2006-11-26T19:51:59-06:00
But Sunday is a higher-visibility night and BC will be positioned at 9 p.m. central (10 eastern) behind Sci Fi Channel's splashy new series The Dresden Files. ...NBC also is hanging in there with the new 30 Rock, which recently was moved to Thursdays as part of a bravura comedy bloc that also includes My Name Is Earl, The Office and, beginning on Nov. 30, Scrubs.