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WFAA8 taps Beaumont for latest on-air newsroom hire

WFAA8 has hired Brian Glenn from Beaumont’s KBTV-TV as its latest reporter. Judging from his duties and bio pic on that station’s website, he won’t be taking himself too seriously. Details on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

Ray Donovan gives Showtime another bright spot

Liev Schreiber plays the title role, but Jon Voight’s the guy who really crackles in Showtime’s new Ray Donovan. It premieres on Sunday, June 30th following the start-up of Dexter’s eighth and final season. Our review is here.

Plus, Tuesday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings are in the house.
Ed Bark

CNN announces a Newt version of Crossfire

CNN will be reviving Crossfire this fall, with Newt Gingrich as one of the show’s four regular combatants. All the details are on our TV Bulletin Board page.
Ed Bark

Lifetime decides it's the right time for Anna Nicole movie

Oscar-winner Martin Landau and Oscar nominee Virginia Madsen are among the participants in Lifetime’s Anna Nicole, a movie with a good deal of Mommie Dearest “No wire hangers!” moments. But hey, that movie’s a bigger camp classic by the minute. And this broadly rendered biopic, premiering Saturday, June 29th, also has some outsized attributes beyond the obvious. Our review is here.
Ed Bark

Under the Dome overwhelms competition

The idea of summertime “Big Event” programming got a big boost Monday night when the premiere of CBS’ 13-part Under the Dome dominated the D-FW Nielsens.

Details are on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page, which also has news of NBC5’s new reporter hire, who’s now officially on board.
Ed Bark

Under the Dome gives CBS a worthy summer attraction

Under the Dome, adapted from the Stephen King novel, premieres Monday, June 24th on CBS. It’s scheduled for a 13-week run, and our review is here.
Ed Bark

And the ratings roared -- for Game 7 of NBA Finals

Thursday’s closely contested Game 7 of the NBA Finals came up far bigger in the D-FW Nielsens than the Spurs’ Danny Green did on the court. Sorry, just couldn’t resist. All the details are on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

Lifetime hopes to clean up with Devious Maids

From the creator of Desperate Housewives, it’s the very like-minded Devious Maids. But ABC didn’t want this one, so sister cable network Lifetime stepped in. A record number of Latinas are prominently featured. And our review is here.

Plus, the TV Bulletin Board page has a new collection of tasty tidbits, including the pairing of Kelsey Grammar and Martin Lawrence in a new FX sitcom.
Ed Bark

Up close with the late, great and conflicted James Gandolfini

I was fortunate enough to have a number of first-hand encounters with James Gandolfini, the reticent star who made Tony Soprano and The Sopranos all-time TV touchstones. An extended up-close remembrance is on our Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark

Whodunnit? joins summer crowd on ABC

ABC’s Whodunnit? blends the board game Clue with a little Downton Abbey ambience. The “reality competition” series premieres on Sunday, June 23rd. Our review is here.
Ed Bark

NBC's Crossing Lines begins summer run

Another new police drama, Crossing Lines, fires up Sunday, June 23rd on NBC. This one has an international flavor but otherwise is fairly bland. Our review is here.

Also Tuesday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings highlight the numbers for Game 6 of the NBA Finals, a nail-biter after four straight blowouts.
Ed Bark

WFAA8 readying its first ever 4 p.m. local newscast to compete with existing editions on NBC5 and CBS11

WFAA8 resisted the idea for two years. But now it’s full speed ahead for the Dallas-based station’s inaugural 4 p.m. local newscast. Sources say it’s earmarked for this September in place of the syndicated Katie. More details on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.

Plus, Game 5 of the NBA Finals moved past the half million viewers mark for the first time. But it also came up smaller in a key demographic. Check out the latest “Local Nielsen Ratings Snapshot.”
Ed Bark

WFAA8's "coverage" of its sale -- and reaction from past and present staffers

Perhaps you were wondering how WFAA8 would handle the big news of the station’s sale Thursday. You needn’t have wondered for long, because it turned out to be briefer than, well . .. choose your own metaphor.

We’ve got details on the “coverage” plus comments from some WFAA8 personnel -- past and present. It’s all on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.

Plus, how did Game 4 of the NBA Finals do in the D-FW Nielsen ratings? Find out here. And we also have a tease and video for WFAA8 sports anchor Dale Hansen’s “Backyard Party,” this time benefiting City House.
Ed Bark

Local history in the making: Belo Corp. sells flagship station WFAA8 and its 19 other TV properties to Gannett

Wow, didn’t see this coming. We take a close look at Belo Corp.’s stunning sale Thursday of WFAA8 to Gannett. It’s on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page, with more coming after your friendly content provider finishes a series of interviews from other inquiring news outlets.
Ed Bark

NBA Finals still a force in D-FW despite back-to-back blowouts

San Antonio’s destruction of Miami Tuesday night didn’t keep Game 3 from dominating D-FW’s prime-time ratings. Still, it was the least watched of the three games to date.

Get the complete local ratings picture right here.

Also, we have the Final Four of Uncle Barky’s “Who’s a Bigger Icon & How Come?” Remaining from the initial Sweet 16 field are Paul McCartney, Carol Burnett, Bill Cosby and Robert De Niro.

This has been a Facebook/Twitter deal, and below are the links to both. Would like to have your participation as No. 2 seed Burnett (a winner over Mary Tyler Moore/Barbra Streisand) takes on No. 3 seed Cosby (with victories over Jerry Lewis/Betty White).

Facebook -- https://www.facebook.com/ed.bark
Twitter -- @unclebarkycom

Ed Bark

Twisted joins ABC Family's already thriving lineup

ABC Family continues to churn out success stories while parent ABC keeps fumbling. The new Twisted, premiering on Tuesday, June 11th, looks like another long-distance runner aimed at teens and twentysomethings. Our review is here.

Also, former WFAA8 anchor/reporter Jonathan Betz’s New York destination now is known. He’ll be working for Al Jazeera America when that network signs on. More details are in an update of the original Betz story, which is here.
Ed Bark

Fun with Twitter: "Knoxie" edition

A spirited Twitter debate followed your friendly content provider’s suggestion Sunday that the Texas Rangers put Jim “Knoxie” Knox on the disabled list after all those CN Tower hijinks during the games in Toronto. Enjoy the blow-by-blow here, with “The Ticket’s” Bob Sturm and Mike Rhyner among those chirping.

Plus, Sunday’s Game 2 of the NBA Finals again roared in the D-FW Nielsens despite being a blowout.
Ed Bark

TNT adds another ampersand-centric series, with King & Maxwell a good bet to stick

TNT is rolling out new seasons of its summer dramas at a brisk pace, with Falling Skies, Rizzoli & Isles, Franklin & Bash, Major Crimes and Perception all coming this month. There’s also a freshman in this mix. And our review of King & Maxwell is here.

Plus, Thursday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings highlight ABC’s Game 1 of the NBA Finals and how the Texas Rangers fared against it during their 90 minutes of direct competition.
Ed Bark

No Elvis sightings in USA's Graceland

The USA network’s new Graceland premiering Thursday, June 6th, might prompt some viewers to see Elvis in their dreams. But it’s not about him and isn’t even set in Memphis. Suspicious minds can read our review here.

Also, Wednesday’s D-FW Nielsen “snapshot” shows that the Rangers re-discovered their ratings to dominate the prime-time numbers. That’s the difference between Tuesday’s 17-5 pounding and a gut-check 3-2 win at Fenway.
Ed Bark

TNT's The Hero a chip off the block of "The Rock"

Perhaps you’ve heard. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is looking for a hero -- on TNT’s The Hero. It all begins Thursday, and our review is here.

Also, the TV Bulletin Board page has lots of new tidbits. And Tuesday turned out to be an uncommonly big night for NBC, which you’ll see in the latest “Local Nielsen Ratings Snapshot.”
Ed Bark

Arrested Development on Netflix: reviewing after digesting all 15 episodes

Netflix doesn’t make it easy -- from a reviewer’s standpoint at least -- with these Big Gulp presentations of its new series. Your friendly content provider feels obligated to watch all of them -- rather than just a few -- before passing judgment. Mission accomplished with Season 4 of Arrested Development after looking at all 15 episodes, some of them twice. Our review is here.

Also, Monday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings show that ABC’s new Mistresses got jilted while trying to hold up its end of the network’s “Man Candy Monday.” Details and other highlights are on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

"Man Candy Monday" puts Mistresses in play

The new Mistresses tops off ABC’s much-teased “Man Candy Monday.” What’s next? The Wild Women of Chastity Gulch? Oh wait, ABC’s already done that. Meanwhile, our review of Mistresses is here.
Ed Bark

AMC reprieves The Killing for a deadened Season 3

AMC declared The Killing dead and then undead. So here comes Season 3 on Sunday, June 2nd. And one’s no longer enough when it comes to body counts. Our review is here.
Ed Bark