http://www.unclebarky.com/index.htmlNews, views and reviews from TV Critic Ed Barkenunclebarky@tx.rr.comCopyright 2006 Ed Bark2010-03-15T12:52:56-05:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:28:21 -0500unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2010-03-15T12:52:56-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/1c9add68dece345e459a5e01f2dfa26d-215.html#unique-entry-id-215http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/1c9add68dece345e459a5e01f2dfa26d-215.html#unique-entry-id-215The Middle, which will air on a still to be announced day in May. ...***Summer's most-watched summer show, NBC's America's Got Talent, will be coming to Dallas on March 25-26th in its search for new contestants.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2010-03-08T10:40:38-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/93759c5dcb7aca46dde85a3b70df9f27-214.html#unique-entry-id-214http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/93759c5dcb7aca46dde85a3b70df9f27-214.html#unique-entry-id-214 NBC's Community and Fox's Fringe will return next season. By ED BARK NBC has made it a foursome with its Thursday night comedies, green-lighting Community, 30 Rock and The Office for next season after earlier giving Parks and Recreation a reprieve. ...***In something of a surprise, former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Melissa Rycroft will not be the new co-host on ABC's Dancing with the Stars despite appearing with incumbent Tom Bergeron during last week's prime-time announcement of Season 10's new celebrity cast.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2010-03-05T16:08:24-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/53f05afd2520abd6575f712902c29ab1-213.html#unique-entry-id-213http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/53f05afd2520abd6575f712902c29ab1-213.html#unique-entry-id-213 By ED BARK Summertime's most-watched series, America's Got Talent, will return for its fifth season on Tuesday, June 1st, NBC announced Friday. ...And "encore" episodes of Law & Order Criminal Intent will begin airing on Sunday, June 20th after first premiering in March on the NBC Universal-owned USA Network.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2010-03-02T08:37:47-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/14afd86aaa66cef020a227168efb51cd-212.html#unique-entry-id-212http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/14afd86aaa66cef020a227168efb51cd-212.html#unique-entry-id-212Dancing with the Stars. ABC photo By ED BARK Another cringe-worthy, nausea-inducing edition of ABC's The Bachelor climaxed Monday with studly Dallas pilot Jake Pavelka proposing marriage to scandal-tinged Vienna Girardi, who immediately accepted. ...But Pavelka in the end settled on the woman whom US Weekly recently lionized in a "Vienna's Double Life" cover story that included dish on "Dirty dancing in bars for tips" and "A secret celebrity fling," etc. To be fair, Molzahn also got an after-thought mention in a "What Tenley's Hiding" blip at the bottom of the cover.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2010-02-17T10:48:59-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/a9f3a1049c90238c02f621a9167ebb01-211.html#unique-entry-id-211http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/a9f3a1049c90238c02f621a9167ebb01-211.html#unique-entry-id-211unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2010-02-15T10:28:49-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/fae1d2c1d5c511ee3f8468a53618f943-210.html#unique-entry-id-210http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/fae1d2c1d5c511ee3f8468a53618f943-210.html#unique-entry-id-210 Barbara Walters with "Most Fascinating" person of 2009. ABC photo By ED BARK Barbara Walters is shuttering her annual ABC Oscar night special, signing off on March 7th with guests Sandra Bullock, Mo'Nique and clips from past shows. ...ABC said that Walters will continue hosting her 10 Most Fascinating People specials, with First Lady Michelle Obama emerging at the top of 2009's list.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2010-01-27T10:23:01-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/d8d0030c27caced3d09d727f28f1ee76-209.html#unique-entry-id-209http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/d8d0030c27caced3d09d727f28f1ee76-209.html#unique-entry-id-209Idol rolling along through May, Fox again has the 18-to-49 race pretty much locked up, averaging 4.8 million viewers in this age range in the season-to-date Nielsens while second-place CBS is at 4.1 million. ...***TNT has renewed Men of a Certain Age for a second season while CBS is promising 21st and 22nd editions of Survivor and a 17th go-around for The Amazing Race.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2010-01-20T12:06:49-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/7cba867ca16b71f35258d7a890a5bcbb-208.html#unique-entry-id-208http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/7cba867ca16b71f35258d7a890a5bcbb-208.html#unique-entry-id-208 By ED BARK An unprecedented array of broadcast and cable networks will simulcast Friday night's two-hour Hope For Haiti Now benefit (7 to 9 p.m. central). ...George Clooney, the benefit's principal organizer, will host the Los Angeles portion of the program, with Wyclef Jean presiding in New York City and CNN's Anderson Cooper reporting from Haiti.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2010-01-19T16:06:45-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f1b61e0598a9c02fbb2e0041dffeb7c1-207.html#unique-entry-id-207http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f1b61e0598a9c02fbb2e0041dffeb7c1-207.html#unique-entry-id-207The X Factor, the hit British talent competition that last year launched the career of Susan Boyle. ...Fox said that Glee likewise will return for a second season and CBS later said in a press release that both NCIS: Los Angeles and The Good Wife will have sophomore seasons.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2010-01-07T17:36:08-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/091d5c1528dae923a4ba8d3c8ef06630-206.html#unique-entry-id-206http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/091d5c1528dae923a4ba8d3c8ef06630-206.html#unique-entry-id-206Our Little Genius. ...A companion Fox Broadcasting Company statement says that "even though we were incredibly pleased with the quality of Our Little Genius, we respect and appreciate his (Burnett's) due diligence and the decision to pull these episodes.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2010-01-07T09:24:49-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/7d6f5dc8c8cad7544a1db9cc743bb370-205.html#unique-entry-id-205http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/7d6f5dc8c8cad7544a1db9cc743bb370-205.html#unique-entry-id-205 Survivor castmates Colby Donaldson, Russell Hantz, Randy Bailey By ED BARK A trio of native Texans, including former Christoval "cowboy" Colby Donaldson, are in the mix on CBS' 10th anniversary edition of Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. ...Also cast as bad guys in the new edition are super-duplicitous Russell Hantz of Dayton, Texas (runnerup on the just-concluded Survivor: Samoa) and Austin's Randy Bailey, the 11th competitor evicted on 2008's Survivor: Gabon.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-12-21T09:58:41-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/49a6d4c06c9058c579e363fdfe560854-204.html#unique-entry-id-204http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/49a6d4c06c9058c579e363fdfe560854-204.html#unique-entry-id-204 White Castle gets microscoped in early hour of Undercover Boss. By ED BARK CBS has announced its post-Super Bowl attraction -- and its replacement for the struggling Sunday night hospital drama, Three Rivers. ...Also returning on that date is the 16th edition of The Amazing Race, which will precede Undercover Boss at 7 p.m. Cold Case moves back to Sundays at 9 p.m.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-12-10T15:20:50-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/8e1f9065f23ad5c2f29ed7a7d618bfa4-203.html#unique-entry-id-203http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/8e1f9065f23ad5c2f29ed7a7d618bfa4-203.html#unique-entry-id-203 Billy Zane stretches out as philandering lawyer in The Deep End. By ED BARK Mostly filmed in Dallas -- but set in L.A. ...Their characters, described by ABC as "eager and attractive law associates," are all thrust into the cutthroat Sterling law firm, where "they must fight for themselves and their clients to stay afloat in these shark-infested waters."]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-12-01T16:33:11-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/30dd72ce9df097c7dec688ffe0955eac-202.html#unique-entry-id-202http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/30dd72ce9df097c7dec688ffe0955eac-202.html#unique-entry-id-202 Charles Gibson during 2008 stop at WFAA8. Photo: Ed Bark By ED BARK ABC News has announced the date of the final World News edition anchored by Charles Gibson. ...Jon Banner, executive producer of World News, said on his "World Newser" blog that "we're going to spend a good deal of time during his final week on the air looking back at the stories Charlie covered, hearing again from some of the remarkable people he interviewed, and paying tribute to our friend and colleague, and the enormous contribution he has made to ABC News over the last three decades."]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-11-04T11:19:44-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/93a87999789cad7c889b95cc6cad4cdf-201.html#unique-entry-id-201http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/93a87999789cad7c889b95cc6cad4cdf-201.html#unique-entry-id-201Going Rogue: An American Life. ...This will be Walters' maiden encounter with Palin, who first broke bread with ABC World News anchor Charles Gibson during the 2008 presidential campaign.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-11-02T10:14:46-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/b8e9a7595c6c1631aa63f2b0f7e88fb3-200.html#unique-entry-id-200http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/b8e9a7595c6c1631aa63f2b0f7e88fb3-200.html#unique-entry-id-200Southland on Friday nights. ..."This is a great win for fans of Southland and a perfect opportunity to introduce the series to new viewers," Turner Entertainment Networks president Steve Koonin said in a publicity release.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-10-23T10:40:10-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/80e7cb6a4e2f346f30bafd7db65d5575-199.html#unique-entry-id-199http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/80e7cb6a4e2f346f30bafd7db65d5575-199.html#unique-entry-id-199 New TV ventures for Angie Harmon and Carrie Underwood. By ED BARK Dallas native Angie Harmon will play the title role in TNT's Rizzoli, drawn from the Tess Gerritson mystery novels about Boston detective Jane Rizzoli. ...TNT so far has ordered only a pilot episode of Rizzoli, which doesn't yet have an on-air commitment from the network but "could be an outstanding addition to TNT's collection of strong female characters," programming head Michael Wright says tentatively.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-10-15T12:21:02-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/b83fcef9de993b177b225e5a71652e9e-198.html#unique-entry-id-198http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/b83fcef9de993b177b225e5a71652e9e-198.html#unique-entry-id-198***On firmer ethical ground, NBC Universal also announced Thursday that Anheuser-Busch and its new Bud Light Golden Wheat brand will be the sole sponsor of the Oct. 17th edition of Saturday Night Live. Keith Levy, Anheuser-Busch's VP of marketing, says in a statement, "We were looking for a unique way to highlight Bud Light Golden Wheat's launch, and the opportunity to integrate the brand into Saturday Night Live was one too good to pass up.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-10-09T10:29:23-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/d64b47f11fdde62f9417ddbda65ac199-197.html#unique-entry-id-197http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/d64b47f11fdde62f9417ddbda65ac199-197.html#unique-entry-id-197 Southland star Ben McKenzie can keep his pistol holstered. By ED BARK NBC has stopped Southland in its tracks, axing the critically acclaimed cop drama before its second season could get underway. ...Of 22 available prime-time hours per week, a total of 13 are reserved for unscripted fare, ranging from Sunday's NFL football games and trimmings to The Jay Leno Show each weeknight at 9 p.m. (central).]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-10-08T10:57:23-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/01a65340fc0379267659d7652bae165d-196.html#unique-entry-id-196http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/01a65340fc0379267659d7652bae165d-196.html#unique-entry-id-196 By ED BARK Rabid fans of Showtime's Dexter, now early in its fourth season, will have another outlet in Dexter: Early Cuts. ...***Dallas-based HDNet, run by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, kicks off its inaugural five-game United Football League coverage on Saturday, Oct. 10th (6 p.m. central) with a titanic struggle between the Florida Tuskers and New York Sentinels.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-10-01T12:24:39-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/ee72340801233cddbdfca07c8e3b417a-195.html#unique-entry-id-195http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/ee72340801233cddbdfca07c8e3b417a-195.html#unique-entry-id-195Craig Ferguson's Late Late Show, which likewise won premiere week in total viewers while tying NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon among 18-to-49-year-olds. ..."We jumped at the chance to get involved with this cockeyed look at network television told through the eyes of unsuspecting British producers who don't know what hit them when they enter the lion's den of Hollywood," Showtime entertainment president Robert Greenblatt says in a publicity release.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-09-29T16:09:24-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/48f712e4fc3d381db0553e0a586fd037-194.html#unique-entry-id-194http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/48f712e4fc3d381db0553e0a586fd037-194.html#unique-entry-id-194CBS Evening News after he presided over a 2004 60 Minutes II report alleging that George W. ...The Appellate Division of the state Supreme Court, overruling a lower court, said that breach of contract could not be established because CBS continued to pay Rather's $6 million annual salary during his remaining time with the network's news division.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-09-28T16:22:28-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/851ff546e0844299544307edf1a3e101-193.html#unique-entry-id-193http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/851ff546e0844299544307edf1a3e101-193.html#unique-entry-id-193 Hooray, we're the first cancellation of the new TV season! By ED BARK All hail CW's The Beautiful Life: TBL. ...***Profane Dallas food preparer Blythe Beck and her latest episode of Oxygen's The Naughty Chef will feature Dallas Cowboys' defenseman Bradie James and some teammates at his wedding rehearsal dinner.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-09-22T10:28:35-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/b7348f01c832945ac4b9861e519c9f7b-192.html#unique-entry-id-192http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/b7348f01c832945ac4b9861e519c9f7b-192.html#unique-entry-id-192Dancing with the Stars, which returned for its ninth edition Monday night with former House majority leader Tom DeLay and ex-Cowboys star Michael Irvin in less than fine form. ...The Hall of Famer totaled just 19 points for his cha cha cha and Vienesse waltz, tying him for the night's lowest score with George Hamilton's son, Ashley.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-09-16T16:42:04-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/fbe08597ea936470723cc64c6527e47b-191.html#unique-entry-id-191http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/fbe08597ea936470723cc64c6527e47b-191.html#unique-entry-id-191 Tuesday's guests: Melanie Oudin on Conan O'Brien's Tonight Show; Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz on The Jay Leno Show. NBC photos By ED BARK You think Conan O'Brien might be having a little guest envy right now? ...Drew Barrymore, scheduled to be Leno's first celebrity car racer on the Friday, Sept. 18th show, will get around to doing the Tonight Show on Monday, Sept. 28th.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-09-11T09:06:10-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/975c717017b52a1ba6f7eebea9f6a79d-190.html#unique-entry-id-190http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/975c717017b52a1ba6f7eebea9f6a79d-190.html#unique-entry-id-190 John Stossel during 2007 appearance at State Capitol in Austin. By ED BARK John Stossel, an against-the-grain consumer reporter with an avowed libertarian streak, is the latest prominent ABC newsman to jump to Fox. ...Stossel, who joined 20/20 in 1981, surprised his bosses with the ratings popularity of a series of contrarian documentaries bearing titles such as You Can't Say That!, Boys and Girls Are Different and Myths, Lies and Downright Stupidity.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-09-09T11:52:43-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/c7a9b905f01d925436c6fc28bd8ce99b-189.html#unique-entry-id-189http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/c7a9b905f01d925436c6fc28bd8ce99b-189.html#unique-entry-id-189 Gay brothers Dan and Sam McMillen, who's from Fort Worth By ED BARK CBS' The Amazing Race, which launches its 15th edition on Sunday, Sept. 27th, is always looking for new twists in its team partnerships. ...The way CBS publicity materials put it, "Sam and Dan will tell you that their relationship did not truly start until last summer when they both came out and told each other that they were gay .]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-09-02T12:03:19-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/7933ebae8eba92616d40d25076dcdd71-188.html#unique-entry-id-188http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/7933ebae8eba92616d40d25076dcdd71-188.html#unique-entry-id-188 Grand Prairie's Selena Gomez starred in boffo Waverly Place movie. By ED BARK The runaway success of Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie portends times when cable attractions will regularly push broadcast network shows out of Nielsen's weekly top 20. Starring Grand Prairie-raised Selena Gomez, the elongated version of the ongoing comedy series drew 11.4 million viewers for Friday's premiere, ranking it just a smidgen behind NBC's America's Got Talent (11.5 million) among last week's most-watched prime-time shows.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-08-31T08:44:56-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/d70c4b752de4b21156d3f7329ccb7d2c-187.html#unique-entry-id-187http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/d70c4b752de4b21156d3f7329ccb7d2c-187.html#unique-entry-id-187 By ED BARK Former First Daughter Jenna Bush, now Jenna Bush Hager, has been named a Washington-based "contributing correspondent" for NBC's Today show. ...Rycroft first came to national fame as a jilted contestant on ABC's The Bachelor before becoming a finalist on the network's most recent Dancing with the Stars.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-08-27T09:40:37-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f30204df656faed2e1224306e5712b2d-186.html#unique-entry-id-186http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f30204df656faed2e1224306e5712b2d-186.html#unique-entry-id-186 Oil company owner Russell Hantz of Survivor: Samoa By ED BARK Broadcast TV's longest-running reality competition series sets sail for the 19th time on Sept. 17th, with a brawny oil company owner from a dinky Texas town among the 20 castaways on CBS' Survivor: Samoa. ...***Laura Linney, an Emmy winner for her performance in HBO's John Adams miniseries, will return to contemporary times as a cancer-sticken suburban housewife in the new Showtime series The C Word.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-08-26T11:57:45-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/0085af671ac3c9e25c29fa79d34e2699-185.html#unique-entry-id-185http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/0085af671ac3c9e25c29fa79d34e2699-185.html#unique-entry-id-185 Singing Bee host Melissa Peterman and country singer Big Kenny with host Jeff Foxworthy on Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? By ED BARK CMT has a new jones for game shows. The country cable network has ordered 20 new episodes of The Singing Bee, which failed on NBC with host Joey Fatone but is considered a hit on CMT with new emcee Melissa Peterman, formerly of Reba.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-08-25T16:50:44-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/c67b38aeb9875030f5898aa8fb0d0697-184.html#unique-entry-id-184http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/c67b38aeb9875030f5898aa8fb0d0697-184.html#unique-entry-id-184 By ED BARK Paula Abdul again struck first with a tweet, telling the world Monday night that she'll be hosting VH1's Divas on Sept. 17th while also maintaining ties to American Idol. That's because two of the designated divas are inaugural Idol champ Kelly Clarkson of Burleson, TX and Season 6 winner Jordin Sparks.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-08-24T15:25:50-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/9b59e75806a5c667ae05a9ccce3a751b-183.html#unique-entry-id-183http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/9b59e75806a5c667ae05a9ccce3a751b-183.html#unique-entry-id-183 By ED BARK Former House Majority leader Tom DeLay gets a two-time champ while Michael Irvin draws Season 9's only rookie. Which means that Irvin will be up against it while DeLay gets a kick start when the two Texas connections begin hoofing and puffing on ABC's Dancing with the Stars.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-08-14T13:45:05-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/2d06135a1de7945f3e404e5425a0a8b1-182.html#unique-entry-id-182http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/2d06135a1de7945f3e404e5425a0a8b1-182.html#unique-entry-id-182 Michael Vick, newly signed with the Eagles, and James Brown By ED BARK Michael Vick will go public on CBS' 60 Minutes Sunday to tell interviewer James Brown of his remorse after serving jail time for bankrolling a dog-fighting ring. ...***Also on the country scene this weekend, the longrunning duo of Brooks & Dunn will tell CMT Insider while they're breakin' up after one allegedly final concert tour next year.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-08-10T10:54:33-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/7dd58593e1e350daa34dadc1e847f9cd-181.html#unique-entry-id-181http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/7dd58593e1e350daa34dadc1e847f9cd-181.html#unique-entry-id-181 By ED BARK Fox has set Sept. 13th for its "Southern-style send-off" of King of the Hill, which endured for 13 seasons. ...Series creator Mike Judge, who now headquarters in Austin, based the series on his formative years in Garland, with fictional Arlen, TX standing in. He also is the voice of family patriarch Hank Hill, who shared countless six-packs with beer-loving buddies Dale, Bill and the incoherent Boomhauer, also voiced by Judge.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-08-06T13:09:49-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f63c8e1fb8f942b4d421a3b1e74b8121-180.html#unique-entry-id-180http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f63c8e1fb8f942b4d421a3b1e74b8121-180.html#unique-entry-id-180***Amy Poehler, who will return to NBC's prime-time lineup with the second season of her Parks and Recreation series, has taken on the added burden of appearing with former desk mate Seth Meyers on the first two episodes of fall's Saturday Night Live: Weekend Update Thursday. ...*** ABC's 11-night, prime-time run of Who Wants to Be A Millionaire, with original host Regis Philbin, will end each night's episode with a celebrity player trying to answer a single question worth $50,000 for his or her designated charity.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-07-20T11:48:39-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/a17153a18b1ff3d372aabf48c85eeb1e-179.html#unique-entry-id-179http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/a17153a18b1ff3d372aabf48c85eeb1e-179.html#unique-entry-id-179 Shaq vs. Olympian Michael Phelps, tennis star Serena Williams, etc. By ED BARK Shaquille O'Neal apparently is bored, even though he'll be joining LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers in the upcoming season. ...Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols; boxer Oscar de la Hoya and Olympic beach volleyball gold medalists Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor, who was injured last season competing on ABC's Dancing with the Stars.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-07-17T09:40:25-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/a4cafc9cc02de90416704e5756d9144d-178.html#unique-entry-id-178http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/a4cafc9cc02de90416704e5756d9144d-178.html#unique-entry-id-178 Ice Cube and Tyler Perry are major players on TBS cable. By ED BARK TBS, the self-dubbed "Very Funny" network, has notably adjusted its color scheme in the past year. ...This week's 10-episode order of Are We There Yet? -- with an option for 90 more episodes -- further solidifies TBS as a destination for "urban comedy" that used to have homes on the now defunct UPN and then The CW.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-07-13T12:27:16-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/136e7559e535af9ef5b27a8f34609b8f-177.html#unique-entry-id-177http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/136e7559e535af9ef5b27a8f34609b8f-177.html#unique-entry-id-177 By ED BARK Neil Patrick Harris, the new golden boy of awards show hosting, has been tabbed to preside over CBS' Sept. 20th telecast of the 61st Primetime Emmys. ..."I'm looking forward to the challenge of the show -- adding my own voice to it while honoring the nominees and the entire year in television," Harris says in a CBS publicity release.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-07-09T11:48:19-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/24a61216d3405d5c04a279f2348ae921-176.html#unique-entry-id-176http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/24a61216d3405d5c04a279f2348ae921-176.html#unique-entry-id-176 By ED BARK Comedy Central has signed Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite) to star in a new 10-episode sitcom from a production company headed by Will Ferrell. ...That's a smaller haul than the 35 million who watched Ronald Reagan's burial in prime-time on eight networks or the 33.3 million viewers for Princess Diana's early Saturday morning funeral, also on eight networks.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-07-01T13:57:03-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/5f3c7c9c0fbb38efabe95f88b397fa86-175.html#unique-entry-id-175http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/5f3c7c9c0fbb38efabe95f88b397fa86-175.html#unique-entry-id-175 Host Jamie Foxx opened the BET Awards in Jackson guise. BET photo By ED BARK Sunday night's annual BET awards show, largely devoted to a Michael Jackson tribute, topped the week's cable charts and almost ranked as the most-watched program on any network. Hosted by Terrell native Jamie Foxx and featuring an unbilled appearance by Janet Jackson, the show drew 10.7 million viewers nationally, edging The Learning Channel's heavily publicized episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8 (10.6 million) for the week of June 22-28.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-06-16T11:31:41-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/7cf305df3ee1d548fff341cf68d46740-174.html#unique-entry-id-174http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/7cf305df3ee1d548fff341cf68d46740-174.html#unique-entry-id-17430 Rock co-star Alec Baldwin, who discourses pointedly on The Today Show, TMZ maestro Harvey Levin and his impending retirement as an actor among other things. ...Baldwin lastly offers his tips on how to become a celebrity: "Don't pay your federal income taxes, get drunk and try to bolt through airport security with a gun in your suitcase, and last but not least, get a DUI and be arrested in Malibu."]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-06-12T11:05:25-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/ba8eebd032bfcd1335540c1fdb3d0666-173.html#unique-entry-id-173http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/ba8eebd032bfcd1335540c1fdb3d0666-173.html#unique-entry-id-173 By ED BARK Showtime's Nurse Jackie already has received just what the doctor ordered -- a second season pickup. ...Edie Falco, already a TV immortal as Carmela Soprano on HBO's The Sopranos, stars as a pill-popping, blunt-spoken nurse whose patience is mostly bestowed on her patients.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-05-28T09:23:05-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/2628f13dfaafddeb30f5cf2780e604ef-172.html#unique-entry-id-172http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/2628f13dfaafddeb30f5cf2780e604ef-172.html#unique-entry-id-172 The play's the thing: John Lithgow and Neil Patrick Harris By ED BARK Showtime's fourth season premiere of Dexter, on Sept. 27th, will welcome John Lithgow as Miami's newest serial killer. ...Your guides are Damien Fahey, who used to preside over MTV's canceled Total Request Live, and Myleene Klass, dubbed "Queen of the Jungle" after participating in the United Kingdom's 2006 version of the show.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-04-21T14:15:35-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/ea3df731d15c7bcc9eef4dcf59434795-171.html#unique-entry-id-171http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/ea3df731d15c7bcc9eef4dcf59434795-171.html#unique-entry-id-171Terrell Owens, who will be paired with lush model Joanna Krupa when ABC's The Superstars premieres on June 23rd. ...***Baseball player Jeff Kent and actress Ali Landry ***Basketball player Robert Horry and actress Estella Warren ***Winter Olympics playboy washout Bode Miller and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition design team member Paige Hemmis ***X Games free-skier Kristi Leskinen and Dancing with the Stars regular Maksim Chmerkovskiy ***Basketball player Lisa Leslie and actor Dan Cortese ***Tennis player Jennifer Capriatti and actor David Charvet ***Soccer player Brandi Chastain and singer Julio Iglesias, Jr.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-04-15T10:31:57-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/ece1792b26d67cd2d48b3bce81c59bd7-170.html#unique-entry-id-170http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/ece1792b26d67cd2d48b3bce81c59bd7-170.html#unique-entry-id-170 New perks for Henry VIII, Don Rickles, who presumably haven't met. By ED BARK Showtime has renewed The Tudors, currently in the early stages of Season 3, for a fourth and final 10-episode season. ...Besides Rickles, they'll be distributing trophies to the likes of Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Legacy of Laughter Award); ER (Icon Award); Married With Children (Innovator Award); M*A*S*H (Impact Award); Home Improvement (Fan Favorite Award); Magnum, P.I. (Hero Award); Two and a Half Men (Future Classic Award) and Knots Landing (30th Anniversary Award).]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-04-08T17:38:19-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/2dd4511835559c257bd87821de21f4be-169.html#unique-entry-id-169http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/2dd4511835559c257bd87821de21f4be-169.html#unique-entry-id-169 By ED BARK Bob Barker, plugging his autobiography Priceless Memories, will join host Drew Carey on the April 16th edition of CBS' The Price Is Right (10 to 11 a.m. central). ...May 27 -- The Goode Family, a new cartoon series from Austin-based King of the Hill creator Mike Judge, stars a politically correct family determined to, among other things, "buy organic apples and call minorities by their right names."]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-03-31T12:19:05-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/feba52d845abd331e7a9430d761d418a-168.html#unique-entry-id-168http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/feba52d845abd331e7a9430d761d418a-168.html#unique-entry-id-168 By ED BARK DirecTV has agreed to carry the ball again, giving NBC's Austin-made Friday Night Lights new life all the way through the 2010-11 season. ...Premiering May 22nd, Mental follows the mind games of Los Angeles psychiatrist Jack Gallagher (Chris Vance), whose "effective, yet highly unorthodox treatment methods" of course clash with his conservative boss, with whom -- of course -- he shares a romantic past.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-03-19T12:33:06-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/a0e5511b27b5332c2926c3131260711b-167.html#unique-entry-id-167http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/a0e5511b27b5332c2926c3131260711b-167.html#unique-entry-id-167 By ED BARK CBS has picked up prime-time's most-watched comedy, Two and a Half Men, for three more seasons while also adding another two years to the life span of The Big Bang Theory. ...Two and a Half Men, which premiered in September 2003, has been renewed through the 2011-2012 TV season.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-03-17T09:07:56-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/4219cee822d2cc6f567a793e25c4099a-166.html#unique-entry-id-166http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/4219cee822d2cc6f567a793e25c4099a-166.html#unique-entry-id-166 Candidate Barack Obama jaws with Jay on earlier Tonight Show. By ED BARK No sitting president has ever guested on a late night talk show. ...Thursday, April 30 -- Private Practice Sunday, May 10 -- Brothers and Sisters Wednesday, May 13 -- Lost Thursday, May 14 -- Grey's Anatomy Sunday, May 17 -- Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Desperate Housewives Tuesday, May 19 -- Dancing with the Stars Thursday, May 21 -- Ugly Betty (which will be off the air until May 7).]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-03-09T15:40:51-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/cb48ebfe0ec29aba83d09e3003d502b9-165.html#unique-entry-id-165http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/cb48ebfe0ec29aba83d09e3003d502b9-165.html#unique-entry-id-165 South Park draws up the Jonas Brothers on Season 13 premiere. By ED BARK The Jonas Brothers' carefully choreographed sales trip through a blizzard of network TV shows will be waylaid Wednesday when South Park has at 'em. In the series' 13th season premiere (Wednesday, March 11th, 9 p.m central), Kenny takes his girlfriend to a Jonas Brothers concert in hopes that it's "his way into her heart and other body parts," says a Comedy Central publicity release.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-03-05T07:47:01-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/072ddf2baa05af75137bc63de87f1e00-164.html#unique-entry-id-164http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/072ddf2baa05af75137bc63de87f1e00-164.html#unique-entry-id-164Osbournes Reloaded, billed as a one-hour trip on the "Crazy Train," is set for Tuesday, March 31st following that night's American Idol performance show. ...Such as this, says Fox: "Whether it's Sharon unveiling a stripping grandmother, Kelly and Jack bringing an unsuspecting playboy face-to-face with his ex-girlfriends or Ozzy soaking the entire studio audience with foam, TV's most outrageous family is guaranteed to rock the house."]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-02-26T12:14:04-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/6f93af00948c0173bf685ebbfb84a092-163.html#unique-entry-id-163http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/6f93af00948c0173bf685ebbfb84a092-163.html#unique-entry-id-163 Jerry Seinfeld and wife, Jessica; Homer and Marge Simpson By ED BARK Jerry Seinfeld is returning to NBC with a show about nothing but marital strife. ...***George Strait will be warming up with a prime-time "ACM Artist of the Decade" special on CBS before joining fellow country music deity Reba McEntire to open the Dallas Cowboys' new Arlington playpen on June 6th.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-02-24T16:39:41-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/cd6e067d0bd9836b5e64f4e55ef59eb8-162.html#unique-entry-id-162http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/cd6e067d0bd9836b5e64f4e55ef59eb8-162.html#unique-entry-id-162 Andy Richter joined Conan O'Brien on his Feb. 20th NY exit show. By ED BARK Giving Conan O'Brien the Tonight Show may not turn out to be such a good idea. ...Current Tonight host Jay Leno will move to prime time in the fall, hosting a new 9 p.m. (central) talk show that will air Monday through Friday.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-02-19T10:46:40-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f6ce499b0cd989bb04972877ba8da692-161.html#unique-entry-id-161http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f6ce499b0cd989bb04972877ba8da692-161.html#unique-entry-id-161 By ED BARK NBC is loading up for the first week of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, with Robert De Niro and Van Morrison booked for the March 2nd premiere. ...We'll miss Conan's New York show for many, many reasons, not the least of which is his recent "interview" with Alex Rodriguez, who also admits to taking "Confessorex."]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-02-05T11:07:34-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/cc85e8bc0577993d263f418036d649b3-160.html#unique-entry-id-160http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/cc85e8bc0577993d263f418036d649b3-160.html#unique-entry-id-160***The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has decided to expand nominees from five to six in 10 prime-time Emmy award categories, including best drama and comedy series.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-02-04T13:13:20-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/3cb3fe675365341987636cee4c80323f-159.html#unique-entry-id-159http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/3cb3fe675365341987636cee4c80323f-159.html#unique-entry-id-159 A limp-hosed Bob Saget and Timothy Hutton of TNT's Leverage Surviving Suburbia, a no-go for the CW network, has resurfaced to claim a plum spot on ABC's spring schedule. ...Its second season, 13-episode premiere now is set for Tuesday, March 3rd at 7 p.m. (central), with 90210 pushed back an hour to 8 p.m. on that night.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-02-03T16:36:39-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/cf780782ac486342975df7e8627debb8-158.html#unique-entry-id-158http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/cf780782ac486342975df7e8627debb8-158.html#unique-entry-id-158Tom Bergeron will unveil the Season 8 field in one-by-one fashion during breaks from ABC's Sunday night lineup of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters. ...***Bob Costas will be reunited with his first love, baseball, as part of a cable-exclusive deal with the fledgling MLB Network, which launched on Jan. 1st in 50 million cable and satellite homes.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-01-27T11:18:19-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/eae15318143eda2e4dcbeb52a8394ee4-157.html#unique-entry-id-157http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/eae15318143eda2e4dcbeb52a8394ee4-157.html#unique-entry-id-157***Mark Cuban and his Dallas-based HDNet are hooking up with Ring of Honor Wrestling, whose grapplers were featured in the Mickey Rourke movie The Wrestler. ...Says Cuban in a press release: "ROH has developed a cult following thanks to its special brand of professional wrestling and we are pleased to present it for the first time to a mass television audience."]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-01-23T16:50:27-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/fbffa37a942d4c30ed164febedc30c51-156.html#unique-entry-id-156http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/fbffa37a942d4c30ed164febedc30c51-156.html#unique-entry-id-156Katie Couric's All Access Grammy Special, during which she'll interview and play around with Justin Timberlake, Lil' Wayne, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift. ...For the week of Jan. 12-16, Nightly News drew 776,000 viewers in the 18-to-34 age range, with Evening News second (554,000) and World News lagging (538,000).]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-01-15T16:19:48-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/747e3066c909b1d4d716f554b5bedb0e-155.html#unique-entry-id-155http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/747e3066c909b1d4d716f554b5bedb0e-155.html#unique-entry-id-155 Jimmy Fallon soon will be on the right-hand side of home screens. By ED BARK Conan O'Brien will spend close to three-and-half months prepping for his new hosting duties on The Tonight Show, NBC announced Thursday. ...NBC's previously announced Kings, initially set to premiere on Thursday, March 19th, instead will launch on Sunday, March 15th at 7 p.m. Ian McShane of Deadwood fame stars in what the Peacock describes as "an epic story of greed and power, war and romance, forbidden loves and secret alliances."]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2009-01-08T11:25:38-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/e018940d48ce7e36afa22c1ce0318526-154.html#unique-entry-id-154http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/e018940d48ce7e36afa22c1ce0318526-154.html#unique-entry-id-154The Practice, Big Shots) stars as "deeply wounded" covert cop Carter Shaw, who's "lost his wife and much of his former life as he struggles to bring down bad guys through complex undercover assignments." Another incoming TNT drama, Trust Me, is set to premiere on Jan. 26th, with Eric McCormack (Will & Grace and Tom Cavanaugh (Ed) playing disparate creative partners in a Chicago ad agency.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-12-11T10:23:49-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/1423d2bcde46b4f301a60412ea5c766a-153.html#unique-entry-id-153http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/1423d2bcde46b4f301a60412ea5c766a-153.html#unique-entry-id-153Wipeout Superball Sunday -- Cheerleaders Vs. Couch Potatoes -- The Wildest Wipeout Ever. ...***In other ancillary Cowboys news, TXA21 hopes to pop your eyeballs with its one-hour The Making of the 2009 Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Swimsuit Calendar, cannily scheduled opposite Saturday Night Live on Saturday, Dec. 13th at 10:30 p.m.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-12-08T11:18:03-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/131d5a0561ce4bdffc91c9f152ed15ea-152.html#unique-entry-id-152http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/131d5a0561ce4bdffc91c9f152ed15ea-152.html#unique-entry-id-152 CNN's Wolf Blitzer and CSI's William Petersen By ED BARK CNN's ubiquitous Wolf Blitzer has re-upped for another four years but will be relinquishing his Sunday morning public affairs program to John King. ...Competing to "make their way back into the limelight" -- although for some of these guys it was never more than lemon-light -- are Christopher Atkins, Adrian Zmed, Billy Hufsey, Jeremy Jackson, Eric Nies, David Chokachi and Jamie Walters.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-11-21T11:14:48-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/71f8adff1b5ed03f2e013dc21b350505-151.html#unique-entry-id-151http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/71f8adff1b5ed03f2e013dc21b350505-151.html#unique-entry-id-151 Bob Saget gets hosed; Jericho returns with reruns on The CW. By ED BARK Oh that wacky CW network -- if that's what you want to call it. Its Sunday night partnership with Media Rights Capital has been severed, depriving American television audiences of the barely seen Valentine and Easy Money while ensuring that Surviving Suburbia, starring Bob Saget, never gets seen at all.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-11-13T16:39:58-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/deff89dc7017dce17d3520d2222a07f5-150.html#unique-entry-id-150http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/deff89dc7017dce17d3520d2222a07f5-150.html#unique-entry-id-150 Terrell Owens looked like a hero last fall; calling Dr. Greene on ER, NBC's already pivotal Sunday Night Football matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins will be further spiced by Bruce Springsteen's halftime performance of his new song, "Working On a Dream." ...***Earlier on the same Sunday, CBS' 60 Minutes hopes to retain last week's crown as prime-time's most-watched show with the first post-campaign interview of president-elect Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-11-10T14:03:14-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/40e6062bae3b14ac02b8fbbd8cc3d941-149.html#unique-entry-id-149http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/40e6062bae3b14ac02b8fbbd8cc3d941-149.html#unique-entry-id-149 By ED BARK January's heavy-hitters are falling into place with Fox officially announcing its midseason plans while ABCs reportedly has set Jan. 21st as the fifth season premiere of Lost. ...Created by Joss Whedon (Buffy, the Vampire Slayer) and co-starring former BVS regular Eliza Dushku, it dotes on "a highly illegal underground group of individuals who have had their personalities wiped clean so they can be imprinted with any number of new personas."]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-11-04T13:31:11-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f4dc9d8d89809cd630dd3a976223d104-148.html#unique-entry-id-148http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f4dc9d8d89809cd630dd3a976223d104-148.html#unique-entry-id-148 Jack Bauer's blown away but of course still standing on Fox's 24. By ED BARK Fox's big-ticket attraction for the November "sweeps" finds agent Jack Bauer still ticking while on the lam in Africa. ...RATINGS HIGHS AND LOWS Final national Nielsen numbers are in for Barack Obama's Oct. 29th half-hour prime-time pitch to the electorate and Fox's rain-delayed, five-game World Series between the victorious Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-10-29T10:25:17-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/68ce104b0c27818f8b3b10e2cf09785d-147.html#unique-entry-id-147http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/68ce104b0c27818f8b3b10e2cf09785d-147.html#unique-entry-id-147 By ED BARK The 2008 presidential campaign at last is on borrowed time, with just six days remaining until voters write a happy ending for either Barack Obama or John McCain. ...ABC, pushing ahead with its ratings-starved Pushing Daisies, initially wanted to air Obama's commercial on a different date before reconsidering and belatedly opening up the first hour of its Wednesday prime-time schedule.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-10-27T15:10:15-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/7b42b602c34f2e5e0527240f1196a6dc-146.html#unique-entry-id-146http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/7b42b602c34f2e5e0527240f1196a6dc-146.html#unique-entry-id-146 New parents Will Arnett, Amy Poehler; Law & Order's Sam Waterston By ED BARK Live from New York, Saturday Night Live's Amy Poehler and husband Will Arnett had their first child just a few hours before the show went on Saturday night. ...The Peacock also announced that Momma's Boys, a reality series co-produced by American Idol host Ryan Seacrest, will premiere on Thursday, Dec. 16th following the season finale of The Biggest Loser.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-10-21T13:10:28-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/e83162562f3116e600201fe6967430ec-145.html#unique-entry-id-145http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/e83162562f3116e600201fe6967430ec-145.html#unique-entry-id-145, who came to fame in HBO's Six Feet Under, stars as Dexter Morgan, described in a Showtime publicity release as "a complicated and conflicted blood-spatter expert for the Miami police department who also moonlights as a serial killer." Showtime entertainment president Robert Greenblatt says, "I thought at best we would attract a devoted cult audience but soon realized that ironically this show is so thematically rich and layered with humanity that audiences of all kinds have flocked to it."]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-10-20T16:01:14-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/881c89ce225af0c3a7185c5b8ca4c18e-144.html#unique-entry-id-144http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/881c89ce225af0c3a7185c5b8ca4c18e-144.html#unique-entry-id-144 Former Mav Dennis Rodman and ex-Cowboy Herschel Walker By ED BARK NBC hasn't officially announced anything yet, but the latest issue of TV Guide names the new 16-member crew for next year's Celebrity Apprentice 2. ...Also last week, John McCain's make-good appearance Thursday on Late Show with David Letterman propelled the CBS program to its best rating since Dec. 1, 2005, when Michael Richards apologized for racial remarks made at a Hollywood comedy club.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-09-16T16:37:46-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/7b7957b8b2ca44e16e2242185f5addf2-143.html#unique-entry-id-143http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/7b7957b8b2ca44e16e2242185f5addf2-143.html#unique-entry-id-143 By ED BARK Runnerup in the Sarah Palin interview sweepstakes is CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric, who will hit the campaign trail with the Republican veep nominee on Sept. 28-29. ...TNT programming executive Michael Wright says he's also been happy with "the creative growth of the show across the episodes and to see these characters and stories pay off."]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-09-11T10:30:50-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/d7c72df877730db16302cef938eda089-142.html#unique-entry-id-142http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/d7c72df877730db16302cef938eda089-142.html#unique-entry-id-142Late Show Top 10 list for Thursday, Sept. 11 will be read by Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro, whose Righteous Kill film opens on the following day. ...The grandfather of cable's all-news networks is launching a new weekly series, hosted by Roland Martin, that "will challenge his guests and viewers to leave the political talking points behind and join him in a no-nonsense approach about what voters are actually talking about."]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-09-09T14:07:35-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/22c767e2113bd81397d640d58e114262-141.html#unique-entry-id-141http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/22c767e2113bd81397d640d58e114262-141.html#unique-entry-id-141 Pete Townsend, Barbra Streisand, Roger Daltrey to get feted. By ED BARK President Bush will know who his successor is when he and Laura preside over their last Kennedy Center Honors ceremony on Dec. 7th. ...***NBC/MSNBC newsman David Gregory seemingly has the pole position to become the next moderator of Meet the Press after Tom Brokaw completes his interim duties sometime after the presidential election.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-09-04T14:10:27-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/6203b1b873817e8e7f68569328bd1037-140.html#unique-entry-id-140http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/6203b1b873817e8e7f68569328bd1037-140.html#unique-entry-id-140 By ED BARK Charter cast member Anthony Edwards will return to ER for one episode in the series' 15th and last season, NBC says. ..."We had hoped to bring back some of ER's stars for the final season and think that our loyal fans will enjoy seeing some of the show's most beloved and memorable characters," executive producer John Wells says in a statement.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-08-19T12:36:45-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/9a5f6695c258f48ac42ec6565dca07ba-139.html#unique-entry-id-139http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/9a5f6695c258f48ac42ec6565dca07ba-139.html#unique-entry-id-139***CBS has signed a pretty big fish, Laurence Fishburne, to join CSI: Crime Scene Investigation at about the time that William Petersen and his quirky Gil Grissom character will be saying goodbye. ...***CBS has no current plans to turn this into a special, but most of the major cast members of Dallas will be gathering anew at Southfork Ranch to commemorate the long, tall serial soap's 30th anniversary.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-08-07T15:27:28-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/b5fbf23d559f76039b641fa824f3fca3-138.html#unique-entry-id-138http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/b5fbf23d559f76039b641fa824f3fca3-138.html#unique-entry-id-138 Made in Japan Hole In the Wall coming to Fox this fall. By ED BARK Fox is waylaying The Moment of Truth -- good riddance -- to midseason in favor of the Fuji TV sensation Hole In the Wall. ...In a nutshell, Hole In the Wall goes like this, says Fox: "Two teams of three compete against each other in multiple rounds of play, facing various barrier walls speeding toward them with weird and wacky cut-out shapes.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-08-06T16:28:17-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/2876a6dd2e1fa831eb3004bfa5b9e603-137.html#unique-entry-id-137http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/2876a6dd2e1fa831eb3004bfa5b9e603-137.html#unique-entry-id-137 At least one network's got some balls. ABC photo By ED BARK "The Big Balls Are Back!!" ...The summertime hit, most notably with advertiser-craved 18-to-49-year-olds, is a blend of dirty, rotten obstacle courses and snarky commentary by co-hosts John Anderson and John Henson.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-07-28T10:02:07-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/06ff77d0153dc1267099c3364bac03b4-136.html#unique-entry-id-136http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/06ff77d0153dc1267099c3364bac03b4-136.html#unique-entry-id-136Jeff Probst (Survivor), Heidi Klum (Project Runway), Tom Bergeron (Dancing with the Stars) and Howie Mandel (Deal or No Deal) will time-share on the 60th annual prime-time awards ceremony, scheduled for Sept. 21 on ABC. ...***Fox's latest So You Think You Can Dance tour, featuring the show's 10 finalists, will make an Oct. 10th stop at Grand Prairie's Nokia Theatre.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-07-24T13:41:44-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/84c2a2708107615f0aebca133cb5fec9-135.html#unique-entry-id-135http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/84c2a2708107615f0aebca133cb5fec9-135.html#unique-entry-id-135Tuesday -- Empire of the Sun (1987) at 7 p.m. Thursday -- E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) at 7 p.m. Friday -- Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) at 7 p.m. Saturday -- Jaws (1975) at 7 p.m. ***Hoping to capitalize on surprisingly solid ratings for its first two episodes, CBS is shifting the made-in-Canada cop drama Flashpoint to a more visible Thursday, 9 p.m. (central) slot, beginning July 24th.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-07-21T07:46:42-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/fd9bf81d081066f52a7f315e6a653b17-134.html#unique-entry-id-134http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/fd9bf81d081066f52a7f315e6a653b17-134.html#unique-entry-id-134 John Slattery drinks to his ill health on AMC's Mad Men. By ED BARK Emmy's most-nominated drama series, comedy series and miniseries also cleaned up Saturday night at the 24th annual Television Critics Association awards. ...Titles include Malibu Shark Attack (with former LaFemme Nikita star Peta Wilson); Hellhounds (directed by Rick Schroder); Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon (co-starring Shannen Doherty, who also will guest star on CW's new 90210 series); Phantom Racer (with Greg Evigan) and Lake Placid 3.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-07-09T09:16:17-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/d65fda8e27796f9277519e3f5b3cfd42-133.html#unique-entry-id-133http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/d65fda8e27796f9277519e3f5b3cfd42-133.html#unique-entry-id-133***The storied ESPN team of Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick will be reunited this fall on NBC's Football Night In America studio show. ...***Showtime has a studio team in place for Inside the NFL, which it's picking up this season after a 31-year run on HBO.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-06-27T10:34:46-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/4d10481c1d7b307aa9ad9d3acd17b0f2-132.html#unique-entry-id-132http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/4d10481c1d7b307aa9ad9d3acd17b0f2-132.html#unique-entry-id-132 Friday Night Lights and Family Guy are first-time Emmy finalists. By ED BARK NBC's made-in-Austin Friday Night Lights and Fox's made-overseas Family Guy are among Emmy's official contenders in drama and comedy. ...COMEDY 30 Rock (NBC) Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) Entourage (HBO) Family Guy (Fox) Flight of the Conchords (HBO) The Office (NBC) Pushing Daisies (ABC) Two and a Half Men (CBS) Ugly Betty (ABC) Weeds (Showtime)]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-06-24T10:32:12-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f2cca0054a243fec2f0d27737efad422-131.html#unique-entry-id-131http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f2cca0054a243fec2f0d27737efad422-131.html#unique-entry-id-131Wednesday, June 25 7 p.m. -- George Carlin at USC (1977) 8:30 p.m. -- George Carlin Again! (1978) 10 p.m. -- Carlin at Carnegie (1983) 11 p.m. -- Carlin on Campus (1984) Midnight -- Playin' with Your Head (1986) Thursday, June 26 7 p.m. -- What Am I Doing in New Jersey? (1988) 8 p.m. -- Doin' It Again (1990) 9 p.m. -- Jammin' in New York (1992) 10 p.m. -- Back in Town (1996) 11:05 p.m. -- You Are All Diseased (1999) Midnight -- It's Bad for Ya (2008)]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-06-19T12:03:05-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/b02c9a2fce1c528c8fa13226c930c45c-130.html#unique-entry-id-130http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/b02c9a2fce1c528c8fa13226c930c45c-130.html#unique-entry-id-130 Venerables William Hurt, Mary Tyler Moore, Jon Voight By ED BARK A trio of age-old actors will be joining a like number of TV drama series next season. ...And The Hollywood Reporter says that Jon Voight will play a villain in Fox's two-hour prequel of 24, scheduled to air on Nov.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-06-11T16:22:59-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/26619702ccc72a09df8fc4a769fe51c0-129.html#unique-entry-id-129http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/26619702ccc72a09df8fc4a769fe51c0-129.html#unique-entry-id-129 Deion and Pilar join a downsized Al Roker on Celebrity Family Feud. By ED BARK NBC has amassed 24 "All-Star Families" for its Al Roker-hosted Celebrity Family Feud, set to premiere on July 1st. In one of the matchups, Deion Sanders, wife Pilar, son Deion Jr., daughter Deiondra and Aunt Annette will take on The Kardashians, who include former Olympic decathlon champ Bruce Jenner and his now seasoned but still badly executed face lift.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-06-05T13:02:39-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/832c76ef73c87b43f54668dfcdf6220e-128.html#unique-entry-id-128http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/832c76ef73c87b43f54668dfcdf6220e-128.html#unique-entry-id-128 Twangers Gabe Garcia of Lyle, Melissa Lawson of Arlington. By ED BARK NBC's new edition of Nashville Star premiering Monday, June 9th, is going to be lousy with Texans. ...Campaigns are all under one big show biz tent now, as WWE Raw proved conclusively earlier this year with tailor-made addresses to wrestling fans from Obama, Hillary Clinton and presumptive Republican nominee John McCain.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-06-03T10:28:57-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/be2fe12c8e5b064221bfccb58531e1fd-127.html#unique-entry-id-127http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/be2fe12c8e5b064221bfccb58531e1fd-127.html#unique-entry-id-127 From primitive beginnings to last year's 400th episode. Fox photos By ED BARK Fox has picked up The Simpsons for a 20th season, which will tie it with CBS' Gunsmoke as the longest-running scripted prime-time series. ...***CBS' annual telecast of Broadway's Tony Awards, on June 15th, will be spiced with a sizable contingent of star presenters, including Glenn Close, Liza Minelli, Alec Baldwin, Laura Linney, John Lithgow, Mary-Louise Parker, Brooke Shields and Marisa Tomei.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-05-27T17:03:16-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/95a5f4f5c821bb5f54e9564b93c79c67-126.html#unique-entry-id-126http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/95a5f4f5c821bb5f54e9564b93c79c67-126.html#unique-entry-id-126 The inevitable Maroon 5 played at CW's "upfront" session in NYC. By ED BARK Details can't even be called sketchy. But The CW and its new Sunday night business partner, MRC (Media Rights Capital), at least have announced the titles and creators of four planned new series.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-05-23T13:23:45-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/bd18442b7d1b93133c8207c51ec2ee3b-125.html#unique-entry-id-125http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/bd18442b7d1b93133c8207c51ec2ee3b-125.html#unique-entry-id-125My Name Is Earl and The Office each will have one-hour season premieres on Thursday, Sept. 25th, followed by that same date's return of ER for what's been announced as its last season.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-05-11T22:02:50-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/c9c75d09c11a4143bc558f456e990b2e-124.html#unique-entry-id-124http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/c9c75d09c11a4143bc558f456e990b2e-124.html#unique-entry-id-124 Neil Patrick Harris and Britney Spears re-pair on CBS Monday night. By ED BARK It's said that any mention of Britney Spears is still a surefire Web site traffic-driver. That's right, Britney Spears, who will make her second guest appearance, as Abby, on the Monday (May 12) episode of CBS' How I Met Your Mother.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-04-23T22:33:03-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/143d85f9ae7f3b72149cebc49668485f-123.html#unique-entry-id-123http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/143d85f9ae7f3b72149cebc49668485f-123.html#unique-entry-id-123 Megan Fox tops FHM's "100 Sexiest Women" list; Jess hangs in there. By ED BARK From top -- No. ...Since this ostensibly is a TV Web site, we'll list some of the other top-performing small-screen beauties before linking you to the complete list and accompanying pictures.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-04-22T11:55:55-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/131d5648222a0ecda06bc71930781fa6-122.html#unique-entry-id-122http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/131d5648222a0ecda06bc71930781fa6-122.html#unique-entry-id-122 Sarah Connor picked up; Jason Castro perks up in Idol's Final 6. By ED BARK Fox has reprieved Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, which will return for a second season. ...***Noted in passing: Former CBS11 morning show reporter Beth Wagner, who left the station in January, has likewise departed ABC affiliate WKOW-TV in Madison, WI after a brief stint as a featured early evening and late night anchor.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-04-21T12:05:14-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/5d0c78c77d490a5caa32d4b2da0ed945-121.html#unique-entry-id-121http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/5d0c78c77d490a5caa32d4b2da0ed945-121.html#unique-entry-id-121John McCain, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton all are scheduled to talk up their candidacies Monday night (April 21) via "specially taped messages" on USA network's Monday Night Raw. ...Holy jumpin' dog crap, they're instead going to "tap into the power" of the five million-plus viewers watching Raw on a typical Monday, with McCain belatedly joining in to show who really wears the tights.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-04-14T16:34:19-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/b90ab0ad8e0d2b29695e402c2e4ce69b-120.html#unique-entry-id-120http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/b90ab0ad8e0d2b29695e402c2e4ce69b-120.html#unique-entry-id-120 By ED BARK CBS plans to quickly reboot Big Brother and premiere a 10th edition as part of a summer schedule announced Monday. ...Premiering July 27th, it challenges contestants to write and perform their own -- all together now -- jingles for products, TV shows, sports teams, etc. And Greatest American Dog (July 10th) will award $250 grand to the winning pet/human team.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-04-09T17:34:43-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/07b97924e7858bd96b7d2da5597eee76-119.html#unique-entry-id-119http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/07b97924e7858bd96b7d2da5597eee76-119.html#unique-entry-id-119 By ED BARK The Disney Channel touted its next new would-be big star, Dallas-born Devi Lovato, at its NYC presentation to advertisers Wednesday. ...A previously announced film, Camp Rock, with Lovato also starring, will have an "unprecedented" roll-out in June on Disney Channel, the big daddy ABC network, ABC Family, Radio Disney and Disney.com.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-04-07T09:44:30-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/457389777f9de8f86f8e2ce77276d4d2-118.html#unique-entry-id-118http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/457389777f9de8f86f8e2ce77276d4d2-118.html#unique-entry-id-118 By ED BARK Fox's second family of animation, embodied in King of the Hill, will be back for a 13th season in the fall. ...***Spike TV is spicing up repeats of Unsolved Mysteries by inserting Dennis Farina as host in place of the late Robert Stack.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-04-03T02:03:16-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/3429df10a8d60cf30d8e213ab556befb-117.html#unique-entry-id-117http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/3429df10a8d60cf30d8e213ab556befb-117.html#unique-entry-id-117***As strongly rumored, the made-in-Austin Friday Night Lights will get a third season as part of a partnership with DIRECTV, which will premiere the series on Oct. 1 on its entertainment channel, "The 101." ...Also of possible interest -- Debbie Reynolds will be one of the three judges on CBS' previously announced Secret Talents of the Stars, in which celebs such as Clint Black, Marla Maples, Danny Bonaduce and Sheila E. mess around doing stuff like standup comedy and salsa dancing.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-04-01T08:35:37-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/b1c8d38adba58bcf0ecc110e2a5ea4a0-116.html#unique-entry-id-116http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/b1c8d38adba58bcf0ecc110e2a5ea4a0-116.html#unique-entry-id-116***ABC's just-announced summer prime-time schedule will be loaded with reality and game series, including the return of The Mole on May 26th with new host Jon Kelley (Baseball Today). Also on the grill are Dance Machine (June 27), I Survived a Japanese Game Show (June 24), High School Musical: Summer Session (July 20) and Wipeout (June 24), in which 24 contenders "compete on an extreme obstacle course designed to provide the most crashes, face plants, impacts and wipe outs ever seen on television."]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-03-26T11:30:21-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/991da302cc7e06fbf818d301d7ad0c02-115.html#unique-entry-id-115http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/991da302cc7e06fbf818d301d7ad0c02-115.html#unique-entry-id-115 Hallmark has Bob Newhart, Florence Henderson in new movies. By ED BARK The Hallmark Channel continues to unabashedly target baby boomers while also announcing a new HD movie network. A bundle of programming initiatives released Wednesday also announces the acquisition of 99 "family-friendly" movies from Disney-ABC Domestic Television, including evergreens Old Yeller, The Parent Trap, The Shaggy Dog, Flubber, The Love Bug and Swiss Family Robinson.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-03-24T11:08:13-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/e6432e7e39113445980394d566582d97-114.html#unique-entry-id-114http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/e6432e7e39113445980394d566582d97-114.html#unique-entry-id-114 By ED BARK Strong ratings in a Friday prime-time slot have spurred CBS to give The Price Is Right Million Dollar Spectacular a May "sweeps" showcase. ...CBS also will be plugging in new episodes of James Woods' Shark while relocating the legal drama from Sundays to Tuesdays at 8 p.m. (central).]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-03-21T14:04:09-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/2a620c1aa762ebe8b465efc15ef0beb9-113.html#unique-entry-id-113http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/2a620c1aa762ebe8b465efc15ef0beb9-113.html#unique-entry-id-113 New faces of CBS: Kimbo Slice and "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler. By ED BARK Saturday's a throwaway night for network TV anyway. ...Notably missing is anything from the Times itself, whose reliably addled TV critic, Alessandra Stanley, may have been the only reviewer in the world to flat-out pan Giamatti's performance.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-03-18T10:13:03-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/b199f96b3cc64bda4dff88f1562a9e6f-112.html#unique-entry-id-112http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/b199f96b3cc64bda4dff88f1562a9e6f-112.html#unique-entry-id-112Secret Talents of the Stars. By ED BARK She got the ring, I got the finger. ...Yikes, country crooner Clint Black will try his hand at standup comedy on CBS' latest reality concoction, Secret Talents of the Stars.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-03-17T11:17:17-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/a3d65db58bd7511aab0af4269f369e00-111.html#unique-entry-id-111http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/a3d65db58bd7511aab0af4269f369e00-111.html#unique-entry-id-111The strike-impaired TV season breathes anew Monday with the returns of CBS' Two and a Half Men and ABC's Dancing with the Stars, including partners Priscilla Presley and Louis van Amstel. Photos from CBS and ABC ...The sequential 7 to 9 p.m. returns of The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men and The New Adventures of Old Christine make CBS the first network to officially reboot after the writers' strike inflicted some deep cuts on prime-time schedules.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-03-05T15:16:06-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/e98b2ce928c8ee34d671561a240c5231-110.html#unique-entry-id-110http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/e98b2ce928c8ee34d671561a240c5231-110.html#unique-entry-id-110 Disparate dramas Swingtown, Flashpoint joining CBS this summer. By ED BARK Freewheelin' love from the '70s and heavy-duty cops patterned after a contemporary Canadian task force will be in CBS' summer mix. ...***NBC in contrast mostly will go the less demanding reality route with an "All-American Summer" that includes the returns of American Gladiators on May 12th and a third edition of America's Got Talent on June 24th.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-03-02T19:30:28-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/1f88cf4516361aad2a4bb4d25187a759-109.html#unique-entry-id-109http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/1f88cf4516361aad2a4bb4d25187a759-109.html#unique-entry-id-109quarterlife creators Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskowitz (thirtysomething, My So-Called Life) said the series "depicts a reality and a voice and an authenticity that was thought to have no place in television today -- and may not have a place -- but we're willing to take that chance, and so is NBC."]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-02-25T16:27:35-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/cbf82884cbd322483ab6c82bdd20e471-108.html#unique-entry-id-108http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/cbf82884cbd322483ab6c82bdd20e471-108.html#unique-entry-id-108 Host Jon Stewart and best picture directors Ethan and Joel Coen. By ED BARK Audience levels for Sunday's 80th annual Oscar-cast sunk like the Titanic, according to "fast national" ratings released Monday afternoon by ABC. ...ABC's ratings press release accentuates whatever positives can be gleaned, including the fact that Oscar "towered over" this year's earlier awards shows, including the Grammys (17.2 million viewers), the Emmys (13 million) and January's strike-impaired, celebrity-free Golden Globes press conference (6 million).]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-02-20T13:38:56-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/486b577bd1293056ea154078b6bb324f-107.html#unique-entry-id-107http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/486b577bd1293056ea154078b6bb324f-107.html#unique-entry-id-107 By ED BARK Lost will give viewers an extra five new episodes and also move back an hour on Thursdays as part of ABC's post-strike spring fling. ...The additional five episodes, slated to start on April 24th at 9 p.m. (central) Thursdays, will enable Lost to finish up just a bit shy of this season's original 16-episode order.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-02-19T17:28:20-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/854fd7d772796de5fb8684358e635948-106.html#unique-entry-id-106http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/854fd7d772796de5fb8684358e635948-106.html#unique-entry-id-106 By ED BARK Fox has post-strike air dates for new episodes of House, Bones and other prime-time series, but no specifics yet on how many there'll be. ...Fox also has moved up the air date of the new Julianna Margulies series Canterbury's Law from April 14th to March 10th.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-02-14T21:16:39-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/073ce3c581916b16bdaf3960da16c9d5-104.html#unique-entry-id-104http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/073ce3c581916b16bdaf3960da16c9d5-104.html#unique-entry-id-104 The Big Bang Theory so far is the only CBS newbie coming back. By ED BARK CBS will return at least 13 incumbent series next season, only one of them a freshman. ...They are the three CSI series, Without A Trace, Criminal Minds, Cold Case, NCIS, Numb3rs, Ghost Whisperer, Two and a Half Men, Survivor and The Amazing Race.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-02-13T16:06:25-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f990745156a7bc56f15ebf0e2f1eefa2-103.html#unique-entry-id-103http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f990745156a7bc56f15ebf0e2f1eefa2-103.html#unique-entry-id-103 Maura Tierney of ER and the stars of Life are in NBC's future. By ED BARK NBC became the second network to announce post-strike programming plans Wednesday, although they're not as detailed as CBS' or ABC's. The Peacock announced renewals for next season of newcomers Life and Chuck, plus the second-year Heroes.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-02-13T09:14:30-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/daadc00b72c738bfe70fc80eb974d994-102.html#unique-entry-id-102http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/daadc00b72c738bfe70fc80eb974d994-102.html#unique-entry-id-102Two and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory all earmarked for nine new episodes, starting on March 17th. ...CBS says that Shark, The Unit and Cane are making way for the midseason re-launches of Big Brother 9 and Jericho (which returned on Feb. 12) and an edited version of Showtime's Dexter that premieres on Feb. 17.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-02-11T14:36:58-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/ed9fb1a263eceb5b3b5e1d167f13dbe6-101.html#unique-entry-id-101http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/ed9fb1a263eceb5b3b5e1d167f13dbe6-101.html#unique-entry-id-101 Newcomers Pushing Daisies, Private Practice among 9 ABC pickups. By ED BARK ABC got out in front of strike settlement news Monday by announcing fall pickups of nine prime-time series, including four freshmen. ...***The sixth edition of NBC's Biggest Loser will be looking for potential losers in Dallas as part of a 13-city search on Feb. 16th.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-02-08T17:34:57-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/9555e6e3152d49430f5a0167a304c16e-100.html#unique-entry-id-100http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/9555e6e3152d49430f5a0167a304c16e-100.html#unique-entry-id-100Smackdown! is ending its long broadcast run and negotiating a new deal elsewhere, WWE says on its Web site. ...On the Friday before that, two half-hour appetizers -- Battlestar Galactica: Revisited and Battle Galactica: The Phenomenon -- will recap previous events and then brag about the series' "impact on pop culture."]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-02-05T15:12:05-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/49f53ab69debb7fbb5b82f7ebb36af90-99.html#unique-entry-id-99http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/49f53ab69debb7fbb5b82f7ebb36af90-99.html#unique-entry-id-99 By ED BARK Comedy Central has declined to spare the pot jokes in announcing that Willie Nelson will be on the receiving end of its latest celebrity roast. ...A post-Supie episode of House chipped in with 29 million while last week's Tuesday and Wednesday editions of American Idol respectively drew 28.2 million and 25.6 million viewers.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-02-04T16:34:28-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/0d03fc7df8a8cf1bcf742b46d743392d-98.html#unique-entry-id-98http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/0d03fc7df8a8cf1bcf742b46d743392d-98.html#unique-entry-id-98 By ED BARK Sunday's Super Bowl XLII on Fox averaged a record-breaking 97.5 million viewers nationally, making it the most watched big game ever and beating the previous high of 94.1 million viewers for 1996's SB XXX between the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers. ...In the old-school total household category, still tabulated by Nielsen Media Research, the New York Giants' upset win over the New England Patriots had an overall 43.2 rating, highest since 2000's down-to-the-wire SB XXXIV, which had a 43.3 rating.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-01-29T11:22:33-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/4b837c6cd2aa57d04e06d09e29d61eb0-97.html#unique-entry-id-97http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/4b837c6cd2aa57d04e06d09e29d61eb0-97.html#unique-entry-id-97 "Click and Clack" will be cartoons; Jeff Probst remains a survivor. By ED BARK PBS' first prime-time cartoon series will star likenesses of NPR's famed Car Talk hosts, Tom and Ray Magliozzi. ...Speaking in perfect press release-ese, returning host Jeff Probst says, "I still get excited to get on the plane and travel to another exotic location with another group of adventure-seeking, Type A personalities."]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-01-24T13:12:11-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/d099324d1aeaa6829c0b63418d8df17d-96.html#unique-entry-id-96http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/d099324d1aeaa6829c0b63418d8df17d-96.html#unique-entry-id-96 Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Steven Bochco are renewing ties. By ED BARK Former NYPD Blue star Mark-Paul Gosselaar and the show's creator, Steven Bochco, are re-teaming on a new TNT legal drama. ...***CBS is going into prime-time again with The Price Is Right, which will join the network's Friday night lineup on Feb. 22nd for the first of six specials.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-01-23T11:15:25-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/fe2c78ea95efea3f0e4e1ec35325d632-95.html#unique-entry-id-95http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/fe2c78ea95efea3f0e4e1ec35325d632-95.html#unique-entry-id-95 By ED BARK The NBC Universal Store reports selling more than 150,000 Dwight Schrute bobbleheads modeled after the vainglorious Rainn Wilson character on The Office. ...***A fine group of Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are gathering on the Thursday, Jan. 24, two-hour edition of Fox's Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? The "pretty pom-pommers," as Fox puts it, will surprise a Cowboys fan from Sunland, CA and "help him tackle questions about elementary subjects."]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-01-14T15:29:00-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/81b3f5949a7a8c43f4ea507c72ff1937-94.html#unique-entry-id-94http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/81b3f5949a7a8c43f4ea507c72ff1937-94.html#unique-entry-id-94 Please separate NBC's American Gladiator from CBS' Celine Dion. By ED BARK CBS has ordered a slew of strike-induced specials and series as the TV season increasingly refuses to follow the script. ...Game Show In My Head -- From Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg (Punk'd, Beauty and the Geek), it's a weekly half-hour in which contestants are required to make asses of themselves in return for "big money."]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2008-01-07T09:46:24-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/6891c7deb13c92cf3a4adb8c8116fc91-93.html#unique-entry-id-93http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/6891c7deb13c92cf3a4adb8c8116fc91-93.html#unique-entry-id-93 By ED BARK CBS hopes to make a big splash -- and slash -- by adding the first season of Dexter to its strike-depleted prime-time lineup. ...Leno lately has been under fire by the Writers Guild of America for writing his own monologue jokes since NBC's Tonight Show returned on Jan. 2nd after a two-month layoff caused by the strike.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-12-20T14:49:51-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/82957ae5630b33f33da00b4522f4a34e-92.html#unique-entry-id-92http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/82957ae5630b33f33da00b4522f4a34e-92.html#unique-entry-id-92HSM2 had owned the all-time cable record of 17.2 million viewers for its August premiere until ESPN's New England Patriots-Baltimore Ravens Monday Night Football game snapped it with 17.5 million viewers on Dec. 3rd.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-12-18T11:43:29-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/4ad76d7b7d87a3d971554f34a0799563-91.html#unique-entry-id-91http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/4ad76d7b7d87a3d971554f34a0799563-91.html#unique-entry-id-91 James Roday, Dule Hill of Psych and In Treatment's Gabriel Byrne By ED BARK Planning well in advance in the event of a prolonged writers' strike, NBC says it will import repeats of Psych and Monk to its Sunday night schedule sometime this March. ...***The MySpace series quarterlife will join the NBC broadcast network's main stage on Monday, Feb 18th with weekly episodes at 8 p.m. (central).]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-12-12T12:49:40-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/cb6a922bcf7f747ee81b83507eae1866-90.html#unique-entry-id-90http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/cb6a922bcf7f747ee81b83507eae1866-90.html#unique-entry-id-90 Muscle car and driver: Justin Bruening will pilot KITT in NBC remake. By ED BARK NBC's two-hour Knight Rider "movie event" will premiere on Sunday, Feb. 17, the network says. ..."I apologize for this frustrating process, as well as its resolution," TCA president Dave Walker of the New Orleans Times-Picayune said in an email to members.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-12-10T10:34:44-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/dd6eb9e698e1da11e90120f10b3a95cd-89.html#unique-entry-id-89http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/dd6eb9e698e1da11e90120f10b3a95cd-89.html#unique-entry-id-89 The late Roger King believed in Oprah Winfrey when many didn't. By ED BARK Roger King, kingpin of TV syndication and true believer in Oprah Winfrey, died of a stroke over the weekend at age 63. ...CBS, NBC and Fox already have announced revised schedules for early next year (see previous Bulletin Boards) that include an early return of Big Brother on CBS and a new version of American Gladiators on NBC.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-12-05T10:11:51-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/aa8f20af81d455f8afacacd9632a45d1-88.html#unique-entry-id-88http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/aa8f20af81d455f8afacacd9632a45d1-88.html#unique-entry-id-88 By ED BARK Absent new shows for the foreseeable future, Saturday Night Live will resurrect its past by taking over half of NBC's Saturday prime-time schedule this month. ...HBO says the concluding 10 episodes will spotlight the media's role in "addressing -- or failing to address -- the fundamental political, economic and social realities depicted over the course of the series."]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-12-03T16:31:12-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/3d3b681fc9e148feb63ba6dd0529da70-87.html#unique-entry-id-87http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/3d3b681fc9e148feb63ba6dd0529da70-87.html#unique-entry-id-87 Law & Order doubleplay: Vincent D'Onofrio, Sam Waterston. By ED BARK NBC will be pulling Law & Order: Criminal Intent from sister cable network USA and pairing it on Wednesdays in early January with the flagship Law & Order. ...Law & Order, originally set to return for its 18th season on Sunday nights after football, instead will relaunch with a two-hour premiere on Jan. 2nd at 8 p.m. (central).]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-11-30T11:37:19-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/2dc7a1d4e4a2328d8f398bb703e0ec39-86.html#unique-entry-id-86http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/2dc7a1d4e4a2328d8f398bb703e0ec39-86.html#unique-entry-id-86 Brooke Shields gets Lipstick Jungle, Corbin Bernsen a game show. By ED BARK The new NBC dramedy Lipstick Jungle, armed with episodes completed before the writers' strike, will join the Peacock's prime-time lineup on Feb. 7th, supplanting ER on Thursday nights. ...***NBC's new version of American Gladiators, to be co-hosted by Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali, gets a two-hour sneak preview on Sunday, Jan. 6th before moving the following night to its regular Monday, 7 p.m. central slot.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-11-26T20:18:47-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/9e30a3880520aa7d46ac3e76c1771ab3-85.html#unique-entry-id-85http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/9e30a3880520aa7d46ac3e76c1771ab3-85.html#unique-entry-id-85 Chuck Bartowski and Charlie Crews with their respective pards. By ED BARK The ongoing writers' strike hasn't deterred NBC from granting full-season pickups to two worthy recipients. ...Fellow first-round punchout Kenny Mayne of ESPN ended up hosting ABC's barely seen Fast Cars & Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race before resurfacing on Dancing this season as a mock commentator.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-11-19T08:48:13-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/23c4bf7be7daf594067d45ce3f6d7b98-84.html#unique-entry-id-84http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/23c4bf7be7daf594067d45ce3f6d7b98-84.html#unique-entry-id-84 By ED BARK Canceled by his predecessor but quickly resurrected by new NBC entertainment president Ben Silverman, The Apprentice will be back in business on Jan. 3rd with an alleged celebrity version. ...Competitors include previous Apprentice bad girl Omarosa and former Sopranos second banana Vincent Pastore, who earlier this year crapped out on ABC's Dancing with the Stars after deciding he couldn't withstand the regimen.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-11-16T15:12:56-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/39c886d37d399a0921aa27738ed03889-83.html#unique-entry-id-83http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/39c886d37d399a0921aa27738ed03889-83.html#unique-entry-id-83 Charlie Brown's on ABC and Rudolph again gets the call on CBS. By ED BARK Slushy Barky urges you to check this list, check it twice when in search of traditional and/or notable broadcast network Christmas specials. ...13 -- 30 Rock's LudaChristmas Party (with guests Elaine Stritch, Andy Richter, Buck Henry, Anita Gillette), 7:30 p.m. on NBC.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-11-12T14:17:57-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/4e5fd786022d0f4442a98295a1cafabf-82.html#unique-entry-id-82http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/4e5fd786022d0f4442a98295a1cafabf-82.html#unique-entry-id-82 Glenn Close plays nefarious litigator Patty Hewes in FX's Damages. By ED BARK FX cable's acclaimed Damages will be back -- not just for one more season but for a third as well. ...The 13-episode drama ended its first season on Oct. 23rd by wrapping up its main murder mystery but setting up a clash between scheming Manhattan mega-attorney Patty Hewes (Close) and her now undercover protege, Ellen Parsons (Byrne).]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-11-01T16:17:08-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/138c85536dd80018532ad566c6a9dc29-81.html#unique-entry-id-81http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/138c85536dd80018532ad566c6a9dc29-81.html#unique-entry-id-81 Dennis Miller and Christina Applegate have "Up" arrows of late. By ED BARK Dennis Miller has landed both his old Monday Night Football booth mate and another prime-time game show. The acerbic comedian/commentator, whose opinions have tilted well to the right in recent years, will have fellow conservatives Al Michaels and Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling as guests on the first edition of Sports Unfiltered with Dennis Miller.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-10-25T16:19:06-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/c568a4a6022e00452a3e211b148856a6-80.html#unique-entry-id-80http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/c568a4a6022e00452a3e211b148856a6-80.html#unique-entry-id-80 Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton will still be arguing a while. By ED BARK Fox commendably has picked up Back to You for a full season despite its so far lackluster ratings. The Kelsey Grammer-Patricia Heaton sitcom ranked 58th in the latest weekly Nielsens, drawing 7.1 million viewers to rank just a hair above ABC's new Tuesday night duo of Cavemen and Carpoolers.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-10-24T14:34:37-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/cfd51b2b2996253c270a90fbdb0de0e3-79.html#unique-entry-id-79http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/cfd51b2b2996253c270a90fbdb0de0e3-79.html#unique-entry-id-79 Tales of two series: CBS' Viva Laughlin, ABC's Pushing Daisies By ED BARK ABC's Pushing Daisies joins a so far small group of new series getting full-season orders from their networks. ...***Fox's Game 1 of the Boston Red Sox-Colorado Rockies World Series swings into view Wednesday night after encouraging ratings for Sunday's Game 7 of the Red Sox-Cleveland Indians matchup.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-10-11T15:32:37-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/c6c35a25e1c31eb2f1bf9107cdfcc168-78.html#unique-entry-id-78http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/c6c35a25e1c31eb2f1bf9107cdfcc168-78.html#unique-entry-id-78 New Password host Regis Philbin and the old one, Allen Ludden. By ED BARK CBS will prime the cash pump on Million Dollar Password, a "modernized version" of the old chestnut. ...The way this is going, unclebarky.com soon will realize its longtime dream of repurposing episodes of Camp Runamuck, the fabled 1965 NBC comedy series starring Dave Ketchum as Senior Counselor Spiffy and Alice Nunn as Mahala May Gruenecker.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-10-10T10:48:17-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/609dcfa724ed272b44dab51975b3422f-77.html#unique-entry-id-77http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/609dcfa724ed272b44dab51975b3422f-77.html#unique-entry-id-77 By ED BARK Anybody out there been trying to picture how the young Gus McRae and Woodrow Call will look in CBS' upcoming Commanche Moon prequel to Lonesome Dove? ...But the original 1989 miniseries, starring Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones as Gus and Woodrow, remains by far the greatest made-for-TV western ever.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-10-09T12:50:47-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/c5978f6131ed9fd22a48fa01bb04701b-76.html#unique-entry-id-76http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/c5978f6131ed9fd22a48fa01bb04701b-76.html#unique-entry-id-76 NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker and Oxygen's Geraldine Laybourne By ED BARK ***NBC Universal's still struggling broadcast arm -- NBC -- could use a little prime-time oxygen. ...It's tabbed burned out wrestler Hulk Hogan to host its new version of American Gladiators, slated to premiere sometime later this season on the NBC broadcast network.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-10-01T14:46:27-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/d2268c3f697c6ccc742d5634c767de0c-75.html#unique-entry-id-75http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/d2268c3f697c6ccc742d5634c767de0c-75.html#unique-entry-id-75Steve Zahn (left) and Karl Urban will step in for Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones in the last book from Lonesome Dove yarn. ...The original and now legendary Lonesome Dove miniseries debuted in 1989 on CBS, with Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones playing Gus and Woodrow alongside the likes of Anjelica Huston, Danny Glover, Diane Lane, Chris Cooper and Steve Buscemi.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-09-26T15:06:24-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/0f682516ee8836c5457ac4efe10c3288-74.html#unique-entry-id-74http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/0f682516ee8836c5457ac4efe10c3288-74.html#unique-entry-id-74 Fox's girls from Nashville won't be a pickin' and grinnin' no more. By ED BARK ***The annual honor of being fall's first cancellation goes to Fox's Nashville, silenced after just two Friday night episodes. ...***Nielsen Media Research is making a significant change in its audience measurements by giving broadcast networks the option of a single, combined rating for series episodes that air twice within a single broadcast week.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-09-19T10:05:21-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f2f2dfc592ee09344223f2c2901087d7-73.html#unique-entry-id-73http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f2f2dfc592ee09344223f2c2901087d7-73.html#unique-entry-id-73 Lazarus syndrome: Tony Almeida will be back on track with Jack. By ED BARK 24's late season creative slump and some false starts for its upcoming seventh have prompted at least one drastic measure. ..."Since there was no silent clock at the conclusion of his last appearance -- the 24 tribute to a major character's demise -- we always kept this as a possibility," Howard said.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-09-17T15:56:36-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/2c815ea8abf8accbc30bd0c6fef9f563-72.html#unique-entry-id-72http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/2c815ea8abf8accbc30bd0c6fef9f563-72.html#unique-entry-id-72 Cable golden girls Kyra Sedgwick, Glenn Close, Mary-Louise Parker By ED BARK Preliminary "fast national" Nielsens indicate that Sunday night's Emmy telecast on Fox will be the second smallest draw in the awards' 59-year history. ...Last year's awards on NBC, which aired in late August and didn't have to compete against a pro football game, drew 16.2 million viewers.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-09-14T08:35:40-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/b909acff194bf78531cd0ae1f626210e-71.html#unique-entry-id-71http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/b909acff194bf78531cd0ae1f626210e-71.html#unique-entry-id-71 Fantasy islands: CW's Reaper and NBC's Bionic Woman By ED BARK The 2007-08 fall TV season makes its first peep Friday with Fox's Nashville, one of 28 newbies coming your way from the five major broadcast networks. ...24 The Big Bang Theory, Mondays, 7:30 p.m. Sept.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-09-12T21:32:38-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/948420844d6b518635499bb288f013a3-70.html#unique-entry-id-70http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/948420844d6b518635499bb288f013a3-70.html#unique-entry-id-70 Second verse, same as the first: Jon Stewart and Meredith Vieira By ED BARK ***Jon Stewart's got the Oscar gig again. ...***TNT's third season finale of The Closer set a ratings record for a basic cable series, drawing 9.2 million viewers.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-09-11T11:10:04-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/54ddb80bbe508e3f21988d2126d10335-69.html#unique-entry-id-69http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/54ddb80bbe508e3f21988d2126d10335-69.html#unique-entry-id-69 Steve Martin gets a medal; Sherri Shepherd gets a chair. By ED BARK ***Comedian/actor Steve Martin, Beach Boys guru Brian Wilson and diva Diana Ross are among the latest quintet of Kennedy Center Honor recipients. They'll be joined by director Martin Scorsese and pianist Leon Fleisher at the 30th annual ceremony on Dec. 2nd in Washington, D.C. CBS will televise the event on Dec. 26th.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-09-06T17:45:18-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/7e7c76c83d2ccf98fb076a4c542d5283-68.html#unique-entry-id-68http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/7e7c76c83d2ccf98fb076a4c542d5283-68.html#unique-entry-id-68 By ED BARK The high-powered stunt casting continues on NBC's 30 Rock, with Edie Falco signed to guest star for three episodes in a so far undisclosed role. ...30 Rock returns on Oct. 4 as part of an acclaimed but ratings-impaired Thursday night comedy block that also includes The Office, My Name Is Earl and Scrubs.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-09-05T15:43:49-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/3470ddb98dd0d404b3854a12c4e96e5b-67.html#unique-entry-id-67http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/3470ddb98dd0d404b3854a12c4e96e5b-67.html#unique-entry-id-67 By ED BARK Well-meaning Earl Hickey will still be behind bars when NBC's My Name Is Earl returns for its third season on Sept. 27th. So the cast has put together a broad-appeal "Free Earl" singalong to help get him out.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-08-29T14:16:04-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/11fcc00a0706e61c858497a43835f9aa-66.html#unique-entry-id-66http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/11fcc00a0706e61c858497a43835f9aa-66.html#unique-entry-id-66 Serious business for Katie Couric; more comedy for Jason Alexander. By ED BARK ***Katie Couric will mark her first anniversary as anchor of the CBS Evening News by journeying to Iraq for the first time. ...Set for November "sweeps" appearances on Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? are Regis Philbin, Billy Bush, Tony Hawk, former American Idol stars Clay Aiken and Kellie Pickler and Miss America Lauren Nelson.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-08-27T12:35:30-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/e500dc52d8eac28c825ea129830f764b-65.html#unique-entry-id-65http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/e500dc52d8eac28c825ea129830f764b-65.html#unique-entry-id-65Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli (ABC's Dancing with the Stars); Piers Morgan (NBC's America's Got Talent); Nigel Lythgoe (Fox's So You Think You Can Dance); Peter Jones (ABC's American Inventor) and Gordon Ramsay (judge, jury and executioner on Fox's Hell's Kitchen and the upcoming Kitchen Nightmares). ..."Since Trey and I are in charge of the digital side of South Park, we can offend people on their cell phones, game consoles and computers, too," Stone said in a statement.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-08-24T08:52:24-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/1743504032a4da7cf0f65f00c6a38ff1-64.html#unique-entry-id-64http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/1743504032a4da7cf0f65f00c6a38ff1-64.html#unique-entry-id-64***NBC is reviving American Gladiators, the cheesy but fun athletic competition that ran from 1989-97 in syndication and introduced the likes of Nitro, Turbo, Zap, Lace, Storm and Siren. ...***MyNetworkTV, which flopped with cheap, recycled English language telenovelas last season, will be rebooting with new series such as Celebrity Expose and Control Room Presents.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-08-20T16:23:56-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/e63e7842707a8ca9ae6dae1ac0acd905-63.html#unique-entry-id-63http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/e63e7842707a8ca9ae6dae1ac0acd905-63.html#unique-entry-id-63Dick Askin describes Seacrest as "charismatic and talented, and he will be very comfortable in the production environment that has been created for this year's telecast." ...The Drew Carey-hosted quiz, which has a $10 million grand prize, will air on Tuesdays as well as Wednesdays at 7 p.m. (central) both nights.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-08-17T10:48:08-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/2b8356daaf26fe50bb46e21b861fa93d-62.html#unique-entry-id-62http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/2b8356daaf26fe50bb46e21b861fa93d-62.html#unique-entry-id-62 Flight of the Conchords and Entourage get HBO pickups. By ED BARK ***One's a no-brainer, the other might have prompted some head-scratching. ...*** ABC has finally found a slot for its musical Raisin In the Sun, which was filmed in Canada last year with a cast that includes Phylicia Rashad, Sean "P.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-08-16T12:40:17-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/33a9843d66d0db2f4e76a4557b1aa17d-61.html#unique-entry-id-61http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/33a9843d66d0db2f4e76a4557b1aa17d-61.html#unique-entry-id-61 Last 4: Lacey Schwimmer, Danny Tidwell, Neil Haskell, Sabra Johnson By ED BARK ***The top 10 finalists from Fox's So You Think You Can Dance will be sweatin' and writhin' in Grand Prairie on Nov. ...***Monday Night Football will have Hank Williams, Jr. in the saddle for a 19th year when the second season of games on ESPN kicks off on Sept. 10th.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-08-14T10:31:12-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/c37773b52d09b0696384348b0f3a92d2-60.html#unique-entry-id-60http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/c37773b52d09b0696384348b0f3a92d2-60.html#unique-entry-id-60 Joe Mantegna joins Criminal Minds and Today grows another hour. By ED BARK ***Old reliable Joe Mantegna will replace unreliable Mandy Patinkin on the third season of CBS' Criminal Minds. ...***Expanding like The Blob, Today's fourth hour -- from 10 to 11 a.m. beginning Sept. 10th -- will be tri-hosted by (from left to right above) Natalie Morales, Ann Curry and Hoda Kotb.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-08-03T13:56:08-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/05f0d6856dfc0c7b7aa8088f8d62e688-59.html#unique-entry-id-59http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/05f0d6856dfc0c7b7aa8088f8d62e688-59.html#unique-entry-id-59 Don't Forget the Lyrics!, is in, triggering a fall cop-out for Fox. By ED BARK Fox became the second network Friday to elevate a summertime singing competition to its fall schedule. The rise of Wayne Brady's Don't Forget the Lyrics! means at least the temporary demise of the cop drama New Amsterdam (pictured right), which will be benched for now.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-08-01T11:02:14-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/0a2bfa654f6a90d9fd84e84f9f712520-58.html#unique-entry-id-58http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/0a2bfa654f6a90d9fd84e84f9f712520-58.html#unique-entry-id-58The View, too. By ED BARK Another of America's open secrets became official Wednesday when Whoopi Goldberg appeared on the The View as a warmup for her new duties as the show's moderator. ...Set to join The View on the day after Labor Day, Goldberg continues to host Wake Up with Whoopi, a Manhattan-based morning radio show whose Web site has the slogan, "She does what she wants to do.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-07-24T19:58:02-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/280a0ce68ae2c0543ce8cb69fda2415c-57.html#unique-entry-id-57http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/280a0ce68ae2c0543ce8cb69fda2415c-57.html#unique-entry-id-57 The new Price Is Right host broke the news to David Letterman. By ED BARK The march of comedians to the game show arena continued in a big way Monday with CBS' announcement that Drew Carey will replace Bob Barker as host of The Price Is Right. ...Foxworthy, who presides over Fox's biggest new hit, Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?, said his wife asked him whether he enjoyed doing game shows more than sitcoms.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-06-26T11:50:33-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/d265dd43d71339f4c2743ca309c87f94-56.html#unique-entry-id-56http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/d265dd43d71339f4c2743ca309c87f94-56.html#unique-entry-id-56Harry Potter book and they've asked their employees not to reveal the ending because they don't want to spoil it for fans. ...***NBC has tabbed Dancing with the Stars runnerup Joey Fatone to host The Singing Bee, a new competition reality series premiering July 10th opposite Fox's telecast of baseball's All-Star Game.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-06-25T07:30:51-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/506edb9e170f5028fcb3e6c49e8d3afd-55.html#unique-entry-id-55http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/506edb9e170f5028fcb3e6c49e8d3afd-55.html#unique-entry-id-55Paris Hilton fell into the lap of Larry King over the weekend after ABC and then NBC ceased efforts to land an interview with the jailed airhead heiress, who's scheduled to be released on Tuesday (June 26th). ...Hilton, in a statement, says she's "thrilled that Larry King has asked me to appear on his program to discuss my experience in jail, what I have learned, how I have grown and anything else he wants to talk about."]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-06-21T15:32:02-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/bfd2bf436952e71ea306048225970281-54.html#unique-entry-id-54http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/bfd2bf436952e71ea306048225970281-54.html#unique-entry-id-54unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-06-20T11:40:27-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/c84c76b675838535ed776a02b11f5ac2-53.html#unique-entry-id-53http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/c84c76b675838535ed776a02b11f5ac2-53.html#unique-entry-id-53The Singing Bee with Don't Forget the Lyrics! The Wayne Brady-hosted big-money game show will premiere on July 11, at least three months before NBC's competition is scheduled to begin with a host yet to be named. ...NBC quickly made a counter-move and now will premiere The Singing Bee on July 10th at 8 p.m. opposite Fox's telecast of baseball's All-Star game.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-06-14T17:37:08-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/cf1de938e4f1e2e3fc15fc7f2c6ad044-52.html#unique-entry-id-52http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/cf1de938e4f1e2e3fc15fc7f2c6ad044-52.html#unique-entry-id-52Win Ben Stein's Money, is following in the footsteps of Howie Mandel (Deal Or No Deal), Bob Saget (1 vs. 100), Penn Jillette (Identity) Dennis Miller (the upcoming Grand Slam) and other funnymen turned quizmasters. ***Reprieved for a seven-episode return in mid-season, CBS' Jericho will restart at the beginning on July 6 with a repeat of the series' pilot episode.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-06-11T15:42:17-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/344c1a81bf9bb53e4226c9e972b1bfba-51.html#unique-entry-id-51http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/344c1a81bf9bb53e4226c9e972b1bfba-51.html#unique-entry-id-51Isaiah Washington, whose set blowup and widely publicized, disparaging comments about gays have cost him his job as Dr. Preston Burke on the hit ABC series Grey's Anatomy. ...***Fox has a start date for Anchorwoman, the previously announced new reality series in which model and former wrestling villain Lauren Jones will join the staff of KYTX-TV in Tyler, TX.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-06-06T14:44:28-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/cbd03b2231df7157b808a511244315ab-50.html#unique-entry-id-50http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/cbd03b2231df7157b808a511244315ab-50.html#unique-entry-id-50 Game's on for Dennis Miller; Matt Lauer lands two princes. By ED BARK ***Conservative comedian/talk show host Dennis Miller has signed to host Grand Slam, a new GSN cable network series featuring 16 big-money game show winners. ...Look for the likes of Aida "Janice" Turturro (1 p.m.) Edie "Carmela" Falco (2 p.m.), Vincent "Johnny Sack" Curatola (4 p.m.), Michael "Christopher" Imperioli (8 and 9 p.m.), Dominic "Uncle Junior" Chianese (10 p.m.) and Frank "Phil Leotardo" Vincent (11 p.m.).]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-06-01T16:59:15-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/637506ac28a65763d4a04e8c257b8c28-49.html#unique-entry-id-49http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/637506ac28a65763d4a04e8c257b8c28-49.html#unique-entry-id-49***CBS' The Early Show will launch a half-dozen traveling summer concerts in July, with R&B singer Kelly Rowland scheduled to appear in Dallas on Aug. 3rd. ...Executive producer Dick Wolf says in a statement that Thompson "has not made a firm decision about his political future," but "asked to be released from his responsibilities on the show" just in case.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-05-30T17:02:52-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/3c7baadb86a1410521821ceb00986580-48.html#unique-entry-id-48http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/3c7baadb86a1410521821ceb00986580-48.html#unique-entry-id-48Good Morning America weekend anchor Bill Weir and country singer Martina McBride are part of ABC News' prime-time summer menu. ...Their objective is track down McBride in six steps or less to re-prove the old Kevin Bacon theory that we're all connected in some way to a chain of a half-dozen humanoids.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-05-25T15:54:28-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/48524f5ce72cb2a1f94377a40b84d457-47.html#unique-entry-id-47http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/48524f5ce72cb2a1f94377a40b84d457-47.html#unique-entry-id-47 Mary-Kate Olsen will be in Weeds and Flavor Flav smokes a lot of it. By ED BARK ***Showtime has signed half of the Olsen twins, Mary-Kate, as a regular on its third season of Weeds. ...But finalists Tom Leppert and Ed Oakley at last will get a little face time during a live, half-hour debate airing at 8 p.m. Thursday (May 31) on CBS11, TXA21 and public television station KERA (Ch. 13).]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-05-23T18:13:44-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/0b60c898863a4dcad13f9380f7c800f0-46.html#unique-entry-id-46http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/0b60c898863a4dcad13f9380f7c800f0-46.html#unique-entry-id-46Idol had a wider victory margin among advertiser-craved 18-to-49-year-olds, but ABC won the night overall in total viewers after Fox's post-Idol premiere of On the Lot plummeted to 8.5 million viewers nationally. ...It'll then be wall-to-wall Wayne through Tuesday, with titles including The Searchers, Texas Terror, The War Wagon, Cahill, U.S. Marshall and frequent showings of a 15-minute mini-special titled 100 Years of John Wayne.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-05-11T07:53:29-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f93b1d909365f89236d498d36f761388-45.html#unique-entry-id-45http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f93b1d909365f89236d498d36f761388-45.html#unique-entry-id-45The Sopranos (7.2 million) and the 9 p.m. Monday portion of USA network's WWE Raw (5 million). ...In a statement from HBO's parent company, Time Warner, Albrecht said he stepped down "for the benefit of my Home Box Office colleagues, recognizing that I cannot allow my personal circumstances to distract them from the business."]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-05-07T17:50:20-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/03c1c02147901c04b9d5b70d2454c8dd-44.html#unique-entry-id-44http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/03c1c02147901c04b9d5b70d2454c8dd-44.html#unique-entry-id-44 NBC's Heroes and ABC's Grey's Anatomy are among May's big-ticket season finales as the 2006-'07 season gives way to summer's heat. By ED BARK Three CBS series -- Shark, The Amazing Race and Cold Case -- already have had their season finales, but most shows are still winding down. ...Mon., May 14 -- How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, CSI: Miami and the series finale of King of Queens, all on CBS.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-05-03T17:29:49-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/87ce978dabfcf097cd236e6672f2f77f-43.html#unique-entry-id-43http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/87ce978dabfcf097cd236e6672f2f77f-43.html#unique-entry-id-43Gilmore Girls' supporting cast included Milo Ventimiglia and Jared Padalecki, who respectively have matriculated to NBC's Heroes and CW's Supernatural, another carryover from the WB network. ...A CBS release says that Dan Rather will be included among those saluting "The Cronk," who didn't really salute him when he left the Evening News under pressure in March 2005.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-04-26T11:43:54-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/a5be042c9ccac2852fb4c9cc4d0b5de8-42.html#unique-entry-id-42http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/a5be042c9ccac2852fb4c9cc4d0b5de8-42.html#unique-entry-id-42 Evergreens Carrie Fisher and John Mellencamp keep on keepin' on. By ED BARK ***Princess Leia, a k a Carrie Fisher will be among the four judges on Fox's On the Lot, a new filmmaking competition co-produced by Steven Spielberg and Mark Burnett. ...Mellencamp says in an HDNet release that he originally planned to do a benefit show, but "then it dawned on me what I really wanted to do is lighten the load of the soldiers and workers in the hospital, so why not just play for them."]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-04-20T13:19:32-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/cd856527d3203c8d936a928fc5a2b748-41.html#unique-entry-id-41http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/cd856527d3203c8d936a928fc5a2b748-41.html#unique-entry-id-41 By ED BARK ***NBC has tapped Sharon Osbourne to replace Brandy Norwood as one of the three judges on its second season of America's Got Talent, which returns on May 29. ...Subtitled "How to Stop an Exploding Man," the synopsis goes like this: "With Isaac's horrible predictions all unfolding before them, the everyday people with extraordinary abilities face moments of pain and peril in Kirby Plaza with unflinching heroism, as Heroes' first volume comes to a close -- and the next surprisingly begins."]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-04-18T11:17:46-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/56c5c21a686cefebd338974b7c817322-40.html#unique-entry-id-40http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/56c5c21a686cefebd338974b7c817322-40.html#unique-entry-id-40 By ED BARK Reality maestro Mark Burnett has a sinking ship in Donald Trump's The Apprentice while Survivor is starting to take on a little water. Still, he's got a new hit under his belt in Fox's Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? And now Burnett hopes to further fatten his treasure chest with CBS' new Pirate Master.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-04-17T12:10:18-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/e8057f7283902a2ef7bdc278481d25d0-39.html#unique-entry-id-39http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/e8057f7283902a2ef7bdc278481d25d0-39.html#unique-entry-id-39Kidnapped and Andy Barker, P.I., ABC's The Nine, Six Degrees and Day Break, and Fox's Happy Hour, Vanished and Justice. ...As Fox's new Drive threatens to screech to a five-episode-or-less halt, here are the other members of this season's clubbed.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-04-16T14:02:07-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/2cf78f595e592193086da7b6c7949b1c-38.html#unique-entry-id-38http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/2cf78f595e592193086da7b6c7949b1c-38.html#unique-entry-id-38***Keith Olbermann, close, personal fiend of Bill O'Reilly, is getting a high-profile spot as a new co-host of NBC's Football Night in America. ...Countdown, scheduled directly opposite Fox News Channel's The O'Reilly Factor, has jumped from 404,000 viewers in the "First Quarter" (Jan.-March) of 2006 to 711,000 for the same period this year.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-04-10T17:49:01-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/bb89e845f0bb32bf670a7c5a5b2bc6c5-37.html#unique-entry-id-37http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/bb89e845f0bb32bf670a7c5a5b2bc6c5-37.html#unique-entry-id-37 By ED BARK Sunday's return of HBO's The Sopranos topped the weekly national cable ratings, but wasn't gangbusters compared to last year's curtain-raiser. ...Airing opposite The Sopranos on Sunday night, the Discovery Channel's second hour of its Planet Earth series remained strong with 4.846 million viewers to rank 5th for the week in cable's universe.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-04-03T11:28:59-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/a78ae0f3161a26b1a156cb599a667388-36.html#unique-entry-id-36http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/a78ae0f3161a26b1a156cb599a667388-36.html#unique-entry-id-36 Going and coming: Bob Barker leaves CBS, Glenn Close arrives at FX. By ED BARK ***Bob Barker's looming retirement as host of The Price Is Right will be feted with two CBS prime-time specials during the May "sweeps." ...***Punk'd producers Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg are behind NBC's new six-episode The Real Wedding Crashers, which starts taking the cake on Monday, April 23 following the return of new Heroes episodes.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-03-22T11:08:15-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/06654d2df5ceafacfb5b780cf9c9da1a-35.html#unique-entry-id-35http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/06654d2df5ceafacfb5b780cf9c9da1a-35.html#unique-entry-id-35 Fox entertainment president Peter Liguori gets happy with Patricia Heaton and Kelsey Grammer, who play TV anchors in Action News. By ED BARK ***Fox's 2007 program development roster, announced this week, includes a big-ticket sitcom starring Kelsey Grammer (Frasier, Cheers) and Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond). ...***On Fox's drama front, former ER star Julianna Margulies will try to get back in the prime-time game as a rising attorney in Canterbury's Law.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-03-21T16:57:52-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/7b025a136af9342be83760363cb25394-34.html#unique-entry-id-34http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/7b025a136af9342be83760363cb25394-34.html#unique-entry-id-34 Anne Heche and Calista Flockhart will come again next fall. By ED BARK ***ABC is giving second seasons to three new series, with Men In Trees the surprise returnee. ...Trees, starring Anne Heche as a bestselling book author transplanted to Alaska, currently ranks 64th in the season-to-date Nielsens with an average of 9 million viewers an episode.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-03-20T18:05:50-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/8023b8e51a195a7839e662d95c3fe82b-33.html#unique-entry-id-33http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/8023b8e51a195a7839e662d95c3fe82b-33.html#unique-entry-id-33 Brian Williams, Hillary Rodham Clinton: Sharper images coming soon. By ED BARK ***Engaged in a fierce battle for ratings supremacy, the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams will be the first network evening newscast to go high-def. ...***Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign will motor to ABC's Good Morning America on the same day Williams is set to look sharper.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-03-16T10:32:49-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/1dd0d6840a4721080aa25ebe3a2d5bec-32.html#unique-entry-id-32http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/1dd0d6840a4721080aa25ebe3a2d5bec-32.html#unique-entry-id-32***Criminal Intent also will mine the NASA astronaut scandal, although not as specifically, in a May 1 episode titled "Rocket Man." Serviceable Tate Donovan (Disney's Hercules) stars as married astronaut Luke Nelson, whose affair with a colleague "turns sour" when she's found murdered in their sugar shack-up room.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-03-15T12:23:14-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/a14c9a1368adadf1ab4587ccd293e1f6-31.html#unique-entry-id-31http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/a14c9a1368adadf1ab4587ccd293e1f6-31.html#unique-entry-id-31***Speaking of harsh treatment, Idol's mega-maligned Malakar is being championed by both Howard Stern and a Web site dedicated to making him the winner to embarrass the show in its sixth season as a mega-hit. ...5th Grader, hosted by Jeff Foxworthy, now must fend for itself on Thursdays at 7 p.m. central, where this week's competition will be ABC's Ugly Betty, a one-hour repeat of NBC's The Office and NCAA basketball tournament coverage on CBS.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-03-14T15:50:13-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/613c08d24f38c0ed1f52d9b2e6272188-30.html#unique-entry-id-30http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/613c08d24f38c0ed1f52d9b2e6272188-30.html#unique-entry-id-30 Hairy beasts: Donald Trump and Vince McMahon try to avoid a close shave in pay-per-view Wrestlemania 23, appropriately scheduled on April Fool's Day. Photo copyright 2007, World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. By ED BARK ***The world is but a Big Top, under which we all live. ...On leveler playing fields, retiring Bob Barker will try to win a final Emmy as best game show host in competition with Pat Sajak, Alex Trebek, Meredith Vieira and Ben Bailey of The Discovery Channel's Cash Cab.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-03-13T10:33:29-05:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/410a9fbb120c5415979fcaef68a9e829-29.html#unique-entry-id-29http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/410a9fbb120c5415979fcaef68a9e829-29.html#unique-entry-id-29Identity, hosted by illusionist Penn Jillette, will return on Friday (March 16) at 8 p.m. central after the season finale of Bob Saget's 1 vs 100. ...Rock will return on Thursday, April 5 as part of a "super-sized" night of comedy before settling into a new 8 p.m. central slot on the following Thursday.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-03-05T16:57:38-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/9ad3872e5a7d07fb3ff99712e85e6989-28.html#unique-entry-id-28http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/9ad3872e5a7d07fb3ff99712e85e6989-28.html#unique-entry-id-28***It's just one month, but a narrow February "sweeps" victory by ABC's World News with Charles Gibson may signal the impending end of a long first-place reign by the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. ...***ABC has dumped The Knights of Prosperity, a midseason sitcom, and will replace it with an According to Jim repeat on Wednesday (March 7) at 7:30 p.m. central time.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-03-02T18:02:16-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/dcff1dd53f24f0330aec758d0f3670a1-27.html#unique-entry-id-27http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/dcff1dd53f24f0330aec758d0f3670a1-27.html#unique-entry-id-27 TV stalwarts John Ratzenberger and Donny Osmond have new gigs. By ED BARK ***His character walked the walks as postman Cliff Clavin on Cheers. John Ratzenberger will really have to step it up, though, as Vincent Pastore's belated replacement on ABC's Dancing with the Stars.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-02-28T17:04:08-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/3c4a398bdc8245b9ff7c8ae791f567af-26.html#unique-entry-id-26http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/3c4a398bdc8245b9ff7c8ae791f567af-26.html#unique-entry-id-26 Beast and the beauties: Vincent Pastore, the Beckhams By ED BARK ***Former Sopranos co-star Vincent Pastore has whacked himself from the fourth edition of ABC's Dancing with the Stars. ..."The series will give viewers a glimpse into what makes Victoria so popular and admired as one of the most glamorous women in the world," Reilly said in an NBC press release.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-02-27T17:59:00-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/42d2600f627f0644a08aa23702209625-25.html#unique-entry-id-25http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/42d2600f627f0644a08aa23702209625-25.html#unique-entry-id-25 Helen Mirren and Forest Whitaker celebrate their big Oscar wins. By ED BARK Final national Nielsen numbers are in for Sunday night's 79th annual Oscars, and they're a bit higher than preliminary estimates. ...Sunday's Oscars, hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, also topped the weekly ratings with advertiser-craved 18-to-49-year-olds, drawing 18.4 million of them.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-02-22T16:04:25-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/99f3a1878a6a36df81e5b87936f0b573-24.html#unique-entry-id-24http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/99f3a1878a6a36df81e5b87936f0b573-24.html#unique-entry-id-24***American Idol executive producers Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick have been hired to helm the 59th annual Primetime Emmy Awards, scheduled for Sept. 16 on Fox. ...And veteran journalist Lee Cullum will be returning to Dallas-based KERA-TV as host of the monthly CEO, which launches on Friday, February 23 at 7:30 p.m. central.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-02-15T16:35:12-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/1c32c657b1350eb518d844ae0abd3fd5-23.html#unique-entry-id-23http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/1c32c657b1350eb518d844ae0abd3fd5-23.html#unique-entry-id-23 San Antonio's Haley Scarnato and Sundance Head of Porter By ED BARK ***Two Texans remain among American Idol's two-dozen finalists. Intriguingly named Sundance Head of Porter is the 28-year-old son of singer Roy Head, whose 1965 single "Treat Her Right" topped the charts.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-02-13T12:42:48-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/fd8b958f8bd0d7841f24545756ba0ff9-22.html#unique-entry-id-22http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/fd8b958f8bd0d7841f24545756ba0ff9-22.html#unique-entry-id-22 Bill Engall, longtime comic, and Tiki Barber, instant journalist By ED BARK ***A day after officially retiring from the New York Giants, former running back Tiki Barber has joined NBC's Today as a featured correspondent. ...***ABC's World News with Charles Gibson inched into first place last week ahead of the longtime frontrunning NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-02-09T16:51:43-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f7ca620ad062486d290bcaad70146cbf-21.html#unique-entry-id-21http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f7ca620ad062486d290bcaad70146cbf-21.html#unique-entry-id-21 By ED BARK ***NBC's Identity, returning sometime this spring, is holding a five-city tryout that ends in Dallas on Feb. 23-24. ...Reality maestro Mark Burnett (Survivor, The Apprentice) says Foxworthy's humor is "an ideal component to this family-friendly format," in which adults get to see how dumb they are by testing their knowledge of material being taught in fifth grade.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-02-08T18:24:13-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f9842257acc44107d60e995c5aae3d7c-20.html#unique-entry-id-20http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f9842257acc44107d60e995c5aae3d7c-20.html#unique-entry-id-20 Singer Norah Jones puts Katie Couric in her side pocket. ***North Texas-raised singing star Norah Jones, whose third CD, Not Too Late, is soaring up the charts, will join Katie Couric for an interview on 60 Minutes Sunday (Feb. 11). ...***Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is set to guest on ESPN's NBA Live: Bring It Home, a six episode "reality competition" premiering Sunday (Feb. 11) at 6 p.m. central (7 eastern).]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-02-05T16:47:30-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/ed6f989ef63fe7da66468bf4e8ff7491-19.html#unique-entry-id-19http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/ed6f989ef63fe7da66468bf4e8ff7491-19.html#unique-entry-id-19 Peyton Manning and the Dungys celebrate their Super Bowl triumph over the Bears; Mandy Patinkin of Criminal Minds ruminates. By ED BARK The official national stats are in on Super bowl XVI, which ranks as the second most-watched ever with an average of 93.15 million viewers. ...Craig Ferguson mopped up with a post-local newscast edition of Late Late Show, which kept 5.2 million viewers either up or dozing while the TV set remained on. It was the show's largest crowd ever, no matter whom the host, says CBS.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-02-01T13:07:48-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/b1fc11f70a1fdf8e044cd4ddd70b12af-18.html#unique-entry-id-18http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/b1fc11f70a1fdf8e044cd4ddd70b12af-18.html#unique-entry-id-18 By ED BARK ***It'll be no more Reba on The CW after a one-hour series finale on Sunday, Feb. 18. ...***Sportscaster Bob Costas has been named to host the prestigious George Foster Peabody Awards, which will have a 66th annual luncheon ceremony on June 4 at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in Manhattan.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-01-31T10:04:09-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/ac59e47c7d0b4aecfea44359e0cfd7e8-17.html#unique-entry-id-17http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/ac59e47c7d0b4aecfea44359e0cfd7e8-17.html#unique-entry-id-17 By ED BARK ***Quickly rebounding from ABC's cancelation of Help Me Help You, comedy stalwart Ted Danson will give drama a shot in a new, still untitled FX pilot starring Glenn Close. ...Half-hour previews will get plush post-American Idol slots on Feb. 27-28 before the show moves to Thursdays at 8 p.m. central, where it will follow special results editions of Idol.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-01-30T13:28:30-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/52a095576f58c7174656d280dafe205f-16.html#unique-entry-id-16http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/52a095576f58c7174656d280dafe205f-16.html#unique-entry-id-16 Emmitt Smith sidesteps a football question on How I Met Your Mother. By ED BARK ***The Feb. 11th Grammy Awards on CBS will have an arresting opening act in The Police. Sting and former mates Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers have agreed to reunite for the first time since the band's breakup 25 years ago. CBS also announced a half-dozen new presenters -- Joan Baez, Stevie Wonder, Chris Rock, Melissa Eheridge, Queen Latifah and Jennifer Hudson.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-01-26T13:50:37-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/4286244859eeb92321515a65fa8ee74c-15.html#unique-entry-id-15http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/4286244859eeb92321515a65fa8ee74c-15.html#unique-entry-id-15 All hail the cast of The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-77). By ED BARK Sunday night's 13th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (7 p.m. central, 8 eastern on TBS and TNT) will reunite the surviving cast members of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. They'll present SAG's trophy for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series, an honor that didn't exist during MTM's Emmy-lauded seven-season run on CBS (1970-77).]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-01-24T15:32:27-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/624bb54c99784b1a0837c4ee441078be-14.html#unique-entry-id-14http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/624bb54c99784b1a0837c4ee441078be-14.html#unique-entry-id-14Muhammad Ali, Jesse Owens, Thurgood Marshall, Shirley Chisholm and Marian Anderson. ***The Disney Channel's biggest hit, Hannah Montana, has tabbed Brooke Shields to guest star in a flashback sequence as the title character's deceased mother.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-01-05T17:06:55-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/74e5436d9860e505b5ba7f7fc89824af-13.html#unique-entry-id-13http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/74e5436d9860e505b5ba7f7fc89824af-13.html#unique-entry-id-13At Large with Access Hollywood and then run an hour's worth of Judge Joe Brown from 11 p.m. to midnight. ...That compares favorably with the first-season premieres of FX hits such as Nip/Tuck, which also drew 3.7 million total viewers, and Rescue Me (4.1 million).]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2007-01-03T13:20:03-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/b25db1b958433db074a5a91c6b8b8bf0-12.html#unique-entry-id-12http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/b25db1b958433db074a5a91c6b8b8bf0-12.html#unique-entry-id-12James Denton of Desperate Housewives, he'll preside on Jan. 29 from the somewhat un-Miss America-like Planet Hollywood resort & Casino in Vegas. ...***Grease's most famous Sandy, Olivia Newton-John, will guest star on the first two episodes of NBC's new Grease: You're the One That I Want.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2006-12-28T13:33:08-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/b480321fffac66825f0123ab42419ed0-11.html#unique-entry-id-11http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/b480321fffac66825f0123ab42419ed0-11.html#unique-entry-id-11 Mike Tirico, Joe Theismann and Tony Kornheiser rolled up big numbers during their first season on ESPN's Monday Night Football By ED BARK Paced by a record crowd for the Oct. 23rd Dallas Cowboys-New York Giants game, ESPN's Monday Night Football proved to be a rookie sensation in the ratings. ...The 17-game package included an all-time cable high for the Cowboys-Giants, which had a 12.8 rating (11.807 million homes) and was seen by 16.028 million total viewers.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2006-12-15T14:50:46-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f259e164206c2a4ba58c45bbafff3140-6.html#unique-entry-id-6http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f259e164206c2a4ba58c45bbafff3140-6.html#unique-entry-id-6Oprah Winfrey's the Big Give, scheduled to run for eight episodes, challenges 10 contestants to "take the money and resources they are given and multiply them to come up with the most powerful, sensational, emotional and dramatic ways to give to others." ...***ABC also has started production in Canada on a three-hour remake of A Raisin in the Sun, starring Sean Combs, Phylicia Rashad, Audra McDonald, Sanaa Latham and the ubiquitous John Stamos.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2006-12-14T16:33:56-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f2a3a578dd70855da9e70095eb3c94cd-5.html#unique-entry-id-5http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f2a3a578dd70855da9e70095eb3c94cd-5.html#unique-entry-id-5Ozzy Osborne offspring Jack Osborne, ex-WWE wrestler Trish Stratus, skateboarder Jason "Wee-Man" Acuna and La Toya Jackson, who's billed as an "author." ...Here's the breakdown, according to NBC: 12 members of the Southern Cal marching band, 11 plumbers, 10 male ballet dancers, nine exotic female dancers, eight farmer's wives, seven members of a swim team, six pregnant women, five boxers, four men named Bird, three French chefs, two dove hunters and Danny Bonaduce as a partridge in a pear tree.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2006-12-12T10:41:21-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/739e64d56933203b425f885596277440-4.html#unique-entry-id-4http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/739e64d56933203b425f885596277440-4.html#unique-entry-id-4Evening News is a distant third choice with viewers while ABC's World News and NBC's Nightly News are locked in a tight battle for first place. ...Among 25-to-54-year-olds, the principal advertiser target audience for news programming, World News had a paper-thin edge over Nightly News (2.92 million to 2.9 million), with Evening News at 2.26 million.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2006-12-04T15:11:41-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f238a001b1ae0fc94120307198fa155b-3.html#unique-entry-id-3http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/f238a001b1ae0fc94120307198fa155b-3.html#unique-entry-id-3***CBS has gifted its second-year series Criminal Minds with a post-Super Bowl XLI slot in hopes of further growing its audience against Lost when the ABC series returns to Wednesdays in mid-February. ..."This is an outstanding opportunity to expose a series that is young in its life cycle and on the rise to an enormous universe of potential new viewers," says NBC entertainment president Nina Tassler.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2006-11-30T17:09:39-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/a8f7a76716d56584235a638eaaf26e0b-2.html#unique-entry-id-2http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/a8f7a76716d56584235a638eaaf26e0b-2.html#unique-entry-id-2 By ED BARK OK, you probably haven't focused yet on that little guy up above with a microphone to his mouth. ...He'll now be singing selections from his FutureSex/LoveSounds CD during CBS' Tuesday night, Dec. 5 telecast of The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show (9 central, 10 eastern).]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2006-11-27T21:13:24-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/11bd9802e57ccb34108a44fe5a34e2a6-1.html#unique-entry-id-1http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/11bd9802e57ccb34108a44fe5a34e2a6-1.html#unique-entry-id-1Prison Break's fall finale. By ED BARK Actor William Fichtner turned 50 on Monday. ...The shooter, duplicitous Secret Service Agent Paul Kellerman (Paul Adelstein), fired on Fichtner's twisted FBI guy, Alex Mahone, in the episode's closing minutes.]]>unclebarky@tx.rr.comTV Bulletin Board2006-11-26T19:23:53-06:00http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/34ea3b6a73a289eea25c62be1f6a1a0f-0.html#unique-entry-id-0http://www.unclebarky.com/board_files/34ea3b6a73a289eea25c62be1f6a1a0f-0.html#unique-entry-id-0 Charlie Brown rides again on ABC, but The Nine is being holstered. By ED BARK ABC has benched The Nine indefinitely after last Wednesday's episode lagged a distant third opposite CBS' CSI: NY and NBC's Medium. ...27, look for a repeat of the ubiquitous House after the fall finale of Prison Break.]]>