Parenthood Under Friday Night Lights Part 2

Parenthood Under Friday Night Lights Part 2

I talked a great deal in the past about Friday Night Lights, a show that I should not give a shit about given the facts that I neither care about Football or High school. Well, the show runner of that masterpiece of underrated television had his hand in reviving something else. Parenthood

Parenthood is now a show.. again. Yes, this is a show based on the 1989 movie, that had a short run TV series on NBC in 1990. I'm sure if this one fails, in 2040 there will be another Parenthood series. It's just the way that the world works. If you recall during the Olympics, two shows got heavy advertising on NBC. One of them was The Marriage Ref, which apparently is the kind of smug, elitist, "let's all laugh at the know-nothing schmucks" entertainment that midwesterners with a Nelson ratings box tend to accuse Hollywood folks like myself of priding themselves on. It started out strong but may not last the test of time.

The other is Parenthood.



Which as I addressed, is a show based off an old movie.. a 20 year old movie. The act of bringing this show to air was troubled, to put it nicely. Soon after the pilot was shot and the show was ordered, original star Maura Tierney was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to drop out. She was replaced by her friend Lauren Graham and the show had to be reshot and pushed off the fall schedule.

And if that wasn't enough, during these re-shoots, an NBC executive dropped dead of a brain aneurysm while visiting the set. I'm sure I'll let snoops start and debunk any rumors of this production being haunted. So even though it has all this history behind it, I'm sure that you're wondering what this show is all about.

Well...it's about...parenthood, I guess?

Seriously, though, it's based on the excellent movie from Ron Howard. It follows three generations of The Braverman Family as they deal with, well, each other. It's a family drama, guys; it doesn't lend itself well to synopsis and it's sold on the strength of the cast.

And look at this fucking cast:

• Peter Krause
  
• Lauren Graham
  
• Erika Christensen
  
• Dax Shepard
  
• Craig T. Nelson
  
• Bonnie Bedelia
  

And the lead writer is none other than Jason Katims.. The whole reason why Friday Night Lights is an amazing show in itself. That should have grabbed your attention and told you exactly what to expect, didn't it?

Yeah, you do. You've just told me that NBC's going to repeatedly fuck it over on scheduling and advertising.

NBC's putting it on after one of their best performers, The Biggest Loser.

But NBC doesn't GET good television! Surely the show must suck!

I thought there was a chance of that too, but lo and behold, people seem to be digging it. Granted, there are others who dismiss the show as too schmaltzy. They might have a point, but I'm a huge sap and I have enjoyed it so far on a weekly basis. I have to say that I firmly believe this is one of the best casts I've seen in a long time. There isn't a time where I'm bored about who is on the screen, each of the characters have something going on that I care about and all of the stories are compelling in themselves.

Even better news is that NBC has renewed it for a second season

NBC president: "It's gratifying that 'Parenthood' continues to garner critical acclaim and is generating highly positive reaction from viewers, thanks to the fearless creativity of its producers"

While I think it may be a little much to call it fearless or even very creative. It's sort of like they're serving me good chocolate chip cookies at exactly the right temperature. It's throughly satisfying and makes me very happy, but it's not like the idea of a warm chocolate chip cookie is breaking new ground. Part of the reason this show is so enjoyable is because it's familiar and they do what they know we will like good.

I can't say I have been surprised by the way the stories have been going. All of them seem to be telegraphed a good two or three episodes down the line. But again, that's not a bad thing. I work in the film industry and I just have read so many scripts and worked on so many shows already that I just have a gut feeling on how things go. As for her next clause, though, "and the extraordinary performances delivered by its ensemble cast." is definitely true.

I suppose there's always hope that if it doesn't get picked up for season 3 and on, DirecTV will be happy to pick it up.

Parenthood Under Friday Night Lights

Parenthood Under Friday Night Lights: Part 1

I'm talking about shows here, people. Don't think for a second I'm actually talking about parenting advice. I mean, wait.. What? I like two shows that I have no interest in the subject matter. Parenthood? While I'm not opposed to the idea of having a family function less crazy than my own, I'm barely in my 30's now and the idea of having a kid is still one that is a long while away from.



Then there's football, which I have zero interest in and I didn't really even know the rules of the sport prior to watching this show. Maybe I've been to one football game in high school and I went to a raiders game that scarred me for life when I was really young, but that seems to be all the exposure that I have had into this subject matter. And yet two shows based on the very subject matter I have no interest in are some of my favorite TV shows to date and it's all because of who is behind it. Jason Katims.

Tonight marks the return of Friday Night Lights. Though if you're like me, you've already watched this season on DirecTV and I must say, it was one hell of a season. If I can take your attention for a few minutes and peak your curiosity on what is one of the best shows on TV right now, right up there with Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Doctor Who, Parenthood, and Treme. If it were still on TV, I'd even invoke The Wire.

Okay, let's not say things we can't take back.

I don't intend to.

What the fu...you're serious. You're actually goddamned serious. Are you...the fucking shows are on NBC!

Exactly. It's a neglected show on NBC. This is a football show, right? And they had the Super Bowl in 2009? Not one ad for this show played during the game.

...Go on.

Look, I'm not going to pretend that this is just like the shows I namedropped (although perhaps you could draw some parallels to Treme). It's not grim or edgy, the lead protagonist isn't all that mysterious, and as near as I can tell (I wouldn't be surprised if somebody challenged me on this), there isn't some grand theme being laid out like "the triumph of the institution over the individual".

So exactly what does this show have going for it?

Straight up, the best developed cast of characters this side of David Simon, making for the some of the most emotionally arresting television you've ever seen.

Okay, I'm intrigued, what's the show about?

The short version? It's about a high school football team in West Texas.

Okay, okay, hold up. High school? You're trying to tell me that one of the best shows on TV travels the same fertile ground as the early years of fucking One Tree Hill?

Oh, no, this is mostly different.

Mostly?

We'll get to that, but before you make up your mind, hear out the long version:

High school is indeed silly for most of us. It's kind of a social training ground that we push through before we move onto college and beyond, dealing with bigger issues that are usually worth complaining about, even if the problems we faced back then seemed so daunting at the time. The same feels true about most TV shows that focus on teens. They seem to have these big problems, but they're young and their families are well off; you watch shit unfold, and sometimes you can't help but ask "In the grand scheme of things, what the fuck is the big deal?"

Dillon, Texas, the fictional town where the show is set, might as well be in the middle of nowhere. Most of the people who live in the town hover somewhere between lower-class and middle-class. Most of these kids aren't going on to college because their families can't afford it - their best hopes lie in scholarships. Otherwise they're going to take a bullshit job in this backwater town, and they're most likely going to die doing it.

To the lot of us, high school is the beginning of a hopefully long journey. Friday Night Lights takes us into a far-too-real world where high school is as good as it's ever going to get for most people. And the way to make the most of it is to play football.

As I mentioned, Dillon is pretty much somewhere in the vast expanse of West Texas. The nearest city is about a two hour drive, and that leaves its residents with very little to do for recreation, aside from minor things like going to movies, bars, strip joints, or just getting drunk in some abandoned area and shooting shotguns. The most excitement this town sees is during a Friday Night Football Game.

During football season, the town's mood for the week depends on whether their high school Football team, the Dillon Panthers, wins or loses on Friday night, and the town's mood during the off-season depends on if they can bring home a State Championship. To give them the best possible chance at success, the team boosters raise gobs of money for football programs to train kids from a young age and give them all the best equipment, forgoing all other educational needs. The rest of the town does favors for team members when they're winning and shuns them when they're losing.

All of this has the intended effect: the team is good enough to build a massive reputation and attract scads of college recruiters to the town, enticing players with full scholarships to their universities. This feeds the machine even further; parents want the best for their kids, and the best shot they have at a future outside of Dillon is through being on a great football team.

Ultimately, the hopes and dreams of this entire town rests on the shoulders of a bunch of 14-18 year-old boys.

And they don't always handle it that well.

Damn...that's...damn.

Yeah, I know.

That can't just be it, though. What else can you tell me?

Culled mostly from my DirecTV experience:

• I mentioned that the show had an amazing cast of characters; allow me to go into more detail.
  
  Now I can't get into everybody. It's fucking impossible. The weakest link in the chain is made of steel, and who it is always depends on who you ask. Frankly, everybody kicks ass in this show. From Matt Saracen as the proverbial good kid with the world on his shoulders, to Tim Riggins as the badass fullback who would probably be The Dude if he wasn't built like a goddamn tank, to Landry Clarke as the goony kid fronting a Christian speed-metal band (Crucifictorius), to the girl he worships, Tyra Colette, afraid of turning into her white trash mother and sister...I don't know how to go on with this cast. We haven't even gotten into Jason Street and Smash Williams. You'll discover them as you get into it, and you'll pick your favorites. If you really want to know more about other cast members and their appeal, feel free to ask in the thread if you don't mind dodging spoilery season 4 discussion (you can always PM me if you want).
  
  There is one guy I can and want to focus on, though: the de-facto leader of this ensemble, the one that embodies the very soul of this show.
  
  As far as television role models go, Kyle Chandler's Eric Taylor is less in the tradition of a Bill Adama and more like Atticus Finch if he was a hardass Texas football coach instead of a passionate Alabama lawyer. He's got a dry sense of humor, a great heart, boundless energy, and the ability to pull a St. Crispian's day speech directly out of his ass when necessary. His character flaw? He's the nicest, most respectable alpha male in Texas, but he's still an alpha male. FNL likes to remind us every now and then that Taylor is not above copping a bull-headed attitude to a situation or even throwing down to defend his family's honor (with his face).
  
  And for the record, his wife Tami (played by Connie Britton) kicks just as much ass and is a wonderful character in her own right.
  
  
• One thing I have yet to touch on: the presentation. The cinematography is mostly handheld, and the shooting is usually on location. The crew has as many as three cameras rolling at once for any given scene, allowing the actors to improvise as if on stage (as opposed to blocking out their movements to keep their performances in the proper areas of the frame). This lends a more realistic air to the proceedings, and the dialogue is written to further enhance the presentation: it's quotable, but it's not a Whedon-esque quip-fest.
  
  It sounds gimmicky in its own right, and of course those of you who are violently allergic to handheld camerawork are going to wish that we all went and fucked ourselves, but after a few episodes (if not the first episode you see) it feels right.
  
  
• Are you from Texas and tired of how Hollywood constantly seems to get Texas wrong? This show is perfect for you.
  
  

Okay, all that sounds great. So what's this "mostly" business about?

There was a brief slump in writing quality during Season 2. It was still great television, but the spoiler-free version is, it started playing to baser instincts. A lot of people who watch it after Season 1 end up hating it. Honestly, I'm not one of them - I was able to enjoy it for what it was, and there are a few other people that feel the same way - but I do agree that it's a weaker season overall.

If you go ahead and watch this show from the beginning, I still recommend you try to push through season 2, as there's a few memorable performances and scenes that make it worth your while.

Season 4 of FNL shares some similarities with season 4 of The Wire. New location, new stars, new situations - fans of each show came into the respective seasons with reservations which seemed reasonable at the time but turned out to be unfounded.

I'm not going to spoil much except to say that Zach Gilford and Michael B. Jordan are phenomenal this year. Everyone is as usual, but these are the two standouts to me. Also, the crew continues to use authentic Austin TX locales for Dillon haunts. Keep an eye out for a certain BBQ joint and see if you can't find it in Google maps like I did.

Okay, sold. How do I catch up?

• If you have Netflix, all three seasons (1, 2, and 3) are available for instant viewing.
  
• Episodes are available through iTunes (link takes you to the first season in SD, check links on the right hand side for links to HD episodes and other seasons), the Playstation Network, and XBox Live for $2 a pop ($3 in HD). Great way to give the show a trial run if you've got pocket change to burn.
  
• If you absolutely have to buy the DVDs...
  
  • Seasons 1 and 2 are available for $19.99 each.
    
  • Season 3 is available for $22.99.
  I won't say these are all awesome deals for TV shows, but compared to other box sets, it's a fucking steal.

Now, go watch and enjoy.

I'll touch on Parenthood come Monday, a day before a new episode airs....

Friday (Night Lights) - I'm In Love

Friday (Night Lights) - I'm In Love

Last week Friday Night Lights had its DirecTV season finale for their fourth season. That's right.. Four seasons have already come and gone and this show is still on the air. It's one of those shows that is critically praised but no one is watching and so it should have been canceled after the first season, but like great shows like The Wire - something odd happened, It didn't get canceled.

Season 2 started up and I have to say, it wasn't the best season. You could tell the writers were trying to appeal to the viewers and compromising their story telling ability to try to get ratings. Some of the things that happened in the first 1/3rd of the season just point to that. But as quickly as that change happened, it stopped and corrected itself.



It stopped caring about ratings and just got back to telling a great story. So when the second season was about to end it was considered dead in the water and was not expected to be renewed for another season. It was that show that was too good for regular television. Which is why DirecTV decided to help pay for it to stay on the air for a third season if they were allowed to show the episodes first. And just like that, this underdog of a show got a third and what everyone assumed would be final season.

The third season continued to crank out great stories and the character development was amazing. This was one of those shows that didn't hang on to characters if it was their time to go. The third season ad a lot of characters walk off into the sunset as their story dictated. It was also was one of the best seasons of the shows. DirecTV aired the episodes without ads and they were unedited. Something that when they finally aired them on NBC were cut down and some music was changed.



At the end of season three I was ready to let go. The show had given three amazing seasons of television that so few have enjoyed and most of the story lines were finally wrapped up... Then something happened in the last five minutes. Something that at the time it was unknown if it would come back for a fourth season but it changed me from being able to let it go to wanting there to be a fourth season so badly as the potential for the story was so strong. A few months later it got the green light that DirecTV not only wanted to do a fourth season, but a fifth one.

The fourth season just ended and I have no felt the love for a show and how amazing the quality of the production and the writing has been since Arrested Development or The Wire. It's come out that the fifth season will be the last one but to be honest, with this show that looked like it was dead on arrival for a network television show in the first season, I can more than happily be able to let it go at season five.



So you're probably asking what makes Friday Night Lights so good? I think it's a multitude of reasons. The very basic one is that at its core it's simply a family drama. But saying that is like calling The Wire a police procedural about Baltimore. There's so much more to it that just wraps itself around the characters. Friday Night Lights revolves itself around the students of West Dillion, Texas and shows you how life is like for these people in this small town that glorifies high school football.

Maybe I like this because growing up in Los Angeles, the whole concept of a small town appeals to me on a certain level. The certain amount of dilapidation around the edges of everything in town that just walks the line of being one or two tough economic struggles away from being a ghost town, but with enough life to carry some character. Which of course leads to the tales of struggle from the inhabitants trying to make it out of there.



It's sort of like listening to really long episode of This American Life. You get to hear the story of all these characters that feel so real and draws you in to learn more about it. Even if it's something that's not your intimidate interest or that if paraphrased to a simple sentence wouldn't hold your interest, it's the story telling in that tale that just grabs you and never lets go.

I've driven through Texas when I was moving back from Florida and that vast open scenery is one of those things that this show does so well. They also pair the visuals of this larger than life, and yet smaller with life areas together with the music selection. I have to compare it to Six Feet Under in terms of how perfect and how much thought was put into the soundtrack for the show. Which I would also relate to This American Life. As both have a very good selection of music as segue onto the rest of the story or a different one altogether.



So when season 3 was re-aired on NBC with some songs changed due to editing down for time, I wasn't very pleased with it. Specifically one scene that was a montage of various characters and whatever story arcs they were going through and Bixby Canyon Bridge by Death Cab for Cutie was playing over it just making it such an even bigger emotional hit to the viewer.

I've already compared it to The Wire in some aspects, but let me take it on to another level. Both shows had five season. This past season had a couple of actors from The Wire show up and become permanent characters on the show. Which only hammered home how much I love this show. Both shows are critically praised but that praise has not translated to any increase in viewership. While it's only on season 4, they have all remained consistently strong because the writers.



So while it may sound strange to compare an HBO show about police chasing drugs to a show about high school football in a small town in Texas but I'm willing to bet that history will look back at the 2000's and these two shows will be the examples they use. I can easily say that this show has the best Husband/Wife dynamic going for it that I have seen on television. Which with the fifth season being the last, I can see the demand for both Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton in acting roles will go up after this show ends.

Don't believe me on how good this show is? Why not read it for yourself from Variety;

As "Friday Night Lights" nears the conclusion of another winning season -- little seen, but enormously satisfying -- the parallels keep growing to another program that ranks among TV's best of the past decade, "The Wire."

A cursory glance wouldn't suggest any obvious connections between the two, other than perhaps enthusiastic critical acclaim that didn't translate into viewers -- a trait that, alas, hardly qualifies either for membership in an exclusive primetime fraternity.

"FNL" is at its core a family drama, with high-school football and the yearning to escape small-town Texas life as its poignant backdrop. "The Wire" represents the great American novel for television, using the hopelessness of the drug war to chart the decline of a major U.S. city -- in this case Baltimore -- as eroding institutions break down and fail citizens, from the cops to city hall, the schools to local media.

As you can tell from that article, I'm not the only one comparing the two shows. Maybe there's something more to it than you think and perhaps you should give this show a chance. The first three seasons are on dvd. While I'm not a fan of the DVD set for season 3, the story is still there and it's still as amazing viewing than anything else on television.



It's the reason why I'm telling you about this now. While season 4 hasn't shown up on DVD yet, NBC will air in April. Which leaves you plenty of time to rent, netflix or just find it somehow find it online to watch before season 4 starts. You should get on this train before it takes off so you can praise the show as much as I do to others who haven't ever given this little show the chance it deserves. You wont regret it.

Clear eyes, full hearts, Can't lose!

The End Of The Doctor?

The End Of The Doctor?

At the beginning of the year over on the BBC we got to see the end of David Tennant as The Doctor on the long standing British Sci-fi program Doctor Who. With him ending their run on the very time travel heavy show was the very gay friendly writer Russel T. Davis who was the show runner/head writer. And considering how some of his stories really had a lot of potential but petered out at the end with some half assed resolution, it can only be a good thing that he's gone.

RTD, for short, was really predictable. So much that there's a sort of Doctor Who bingo for the following stories. It's a sort of guessing game. i guess you can take a shot or a drink whenever you mark one off and the person who wins gets to win whatever wager you make before. There's only two because, let's be honest, you're more than likely a nerd if you're watching Doctor Who and if you have more than one person over.. I'd be surprised.





But as all things happen, they'll knock four times and you'll have to move on. So what's next for David Tennant? Well, this Scottish born actor who not only was The Doctor, but you yanks may know him from his role as Barty Crouch Jr. in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I'm going to assume you never seen the Royal Shakespeare Company or their take on Hamlet, so let's just move on from there you uncultured swine.

But any how, David Tennant is moving to a place where I'm not too happy about right now. NBC. Yes, with the new 10pm slot open, it seems that there's a lot of prime time real estate up for grabs and this show is an attempt by NBC to get back in the game. So what's it about? The premise is rather simple;

"The show, from Universal Media Studios, follows Rex Alexander (Tennant), a big shot Chicago lawyer who starts "suffering panic attacks and takes up coaching clients to represent themselves in court." Tambor is going to play Rex's psychiatrist. He is a specialist in anxiety disorders but he also suffers from them as well. To compound their relationship he starts a fling with Rex's mother."



It will also feature such as Jane Curtin and Jerry O'Connell.. Yes, that fat kid from Stand By Me will be playing Rex's best friend. Which was oddly enough going to be played by the actor who is Mohinder Suresh from the TV show Heroes. But it looks like he won be jumping off that sinking ship any time soon.

Now you may be wondering how David Tennant, a man who has a heavy Scottish Accent, will be able to pass as if he was an American. Worry no more. As the following youtube will give you an idea as to what Tennant will sound with an American accent. It's an exert from an audio-book he did called "The Beast of Clawstone Castle".



I have to say that I'm excited for this show. Here's hoping that NBC doesn't screw it up. It has a funny concept. But not to mention that this brings David to L.A. and the chances of me meeting the Doctor increase a great number. It means I don't have to go to London in order to hopefully come across him.

Though, the idea of the Doctor being a slightly less girly Ally McBeal is both interesting, in that I hope it means that NBC will pick it up, and at the same time I'm not sure if I'm going to be proud to be saying I watch it. Either way, the next step is that NBC needs to approve it. So far it's been getting some strange reactions from the test screenings it has had.



While NBC has a lot of holes to fill with Leno back at the tonight show, it seems that NBC is in a holding pattern with the show. It's not commenting on if it's a go. An NBC rep declined to comment, but a Peacock source insists Rex remains under consideration for fall. “The sets are on fold-and-hold,” maintains the insider. “They will still be available if the show is picked up for the fall.”

So.. who knows. I suppose it's just a matter of seeing what else NBC has to offer in terms of shows, because really.. they don't have much else.

Conan The Destroyer II: Fuck You Leno

Conan The Destroyer II: Fuck You Leno

Now that Conan is off the air till September, all I have here to watch is old Conan clips. Which are great in themselves. I mean, how could you not like how Conan did the celebrity secrets.. Oh what Harrison Ford has to spill.

But in any event, in a very lite centric mood to write, here's another crack at Conan providing content for the blog. Enjoy a second batch of classic Conan clips till NBC takes them off Youtube..

Conan is a pretty smart fella. I mean, just look at his moment of clarity


New iPhone app with a certain new Office actress


Did you know that he could rock out?


The more you know







Andy even jumped in on this

Shut your trap and do what you're told.




But really, the king of the nbc "more you know" logo was Max

Deal with it!


Hookers are indeed people also.



Conan goes to bartending school


Conan Babies


The interrupter


Conan at FAO for Christmas shopping


Famous Helping People!




Guest who will never be asked on the show again


Then you have some wacky tv stations. I love the Sean Connery channel


It's only a shame that the masturbating bear never got to finish


And what clip show would not include the visits with Martha Stewart.


So what does this mean? Simple. NBC has some trouble

Conan The Destroyer

Conan The Destroyer...

Of your funny bone. I mean, he was one of those funny entertainers, I mean, just seeing Conan interact with Jon Stewart and Colbert was amazing and this Tuesday, and given that we didn't get new conan on the tonight show last night, it's the first day that I really don't care about Late Night Television. I mean, I look forward to September, but the only thing that has me remotely interested is Craig Ferguson. With Conan gone.. late night just feels a lot emptier.

So here's a little fix for you, these are some of the best Conan sketches that I've seen in the long history of the late night and tonight show. If you know anything about me, you'd know that I love puppets. Especially muppets, which are a mixture of Mop and Puppet.



So muppet faces of death is great


Here's a clip of when he showed up on Andy Rictor controls the Universe as the asshole boss


This one takes me back to my younger days.

Yes, I thought it was funny at the time. I still do.

Who can forget the classic desk driving?


Oh those German game shows


Hey, it's a certain other NBC star as a sketch character


Max and Conan go out for a beer


M.C. Hammer on the loose!


Ahhhh.. Walker Texas Ranger lever

Annnnnd more


9 minutes of wacky channel surfing


Ah... Christmas in New York


Apartment hunting can be hard



Trucker School


You want shoes?


Who doesn't want to see a giant red head learn how to pole dance?


Possibly the best combination in the world. Space Ghost with Conan...


God damn, I love this stuff. Part II


And there you have it. See you in September, Conan!

The Late Shift 2: Electric Jay-Fuck You!

The Late Shift 2: Electric Jay-Fuck You!



If you've been living under a rock or simply have a semi-sort of life that causes you to wake up early and get to work, you may not be hip to the current hop of what is going on in the world of late night television. While I'm sure you've heard the shake up about the shift in Television shows and who's hosting what, but hey, maybe this clearly "Old News" blog piece will actually shed some light so you can be an informed television viewer.

In case you're reading this without any prior knowledge of the situation, let this little refresher course catch you up on what has been going on over in the land of NBC;


So Leno was moved to 10pm, which in theory should have worked given that his key demographic seems to be exactly the kind of viewer that will be tired and needing sleep by that time after Matt Lock airs... or in this case, by the time Leno gets to his Headlines or Jaywalking segment.

Let's take a little trip to 2004 when Leno first made the announcement that he was going to step down from the Tonight Show;

Jay's 2004 Announcement - watch more funny videos

It doesn't seem like anyone was twisting his arm on the matter. In fact, it seemed that during that time when Conan's contract was coming up and to keep Conan from going to Fox, who was offering him three times as much to do a late night show for them, the told him that they would give him the Tonight Show soon. Jay Leno agreed to passing the torch in five years (2009). NBC likes Leno, they would have sided with Leno on it if he didn't want to.

But it happened and Leno, instead of bowing out of the late night scene went to 10pm.. effectively destroying five nights of scripted program. As a production crew worker, this annoyed me as it essentially destroyed the jobs needed for five different shows. And while it did save NBC a lot in production cost, it suffered terrible ratings. It just didn't work out and it made Conan's ratings suffer.



To correct one thing though, I love how every single news story out there seems to suggest that Conan wasn't getting it done at the Tonight Show. They forget to mention that Conan's ratings are better than Leno's were when he took over the Tonight Show. And with an added 2-300,000 viewers on Hulu, 1-200,000 on NBC.com, 2-300,000 on YouTube, it is clear that Conan is beating 1993-2009 Leno when you count those online viewers.

Not to mention that they are the youth market. You know, people not on fixed incomes that are dying in their Florida condos. It really starts to make you question what the mindset of NBC was here. By taking away the 10pm Prime Time show, they really killed their late night strong hold for late night allowing David Letterman, another person Leno screwed over, to take advantage and get a ratings bump.



I mean, let's put it this way, if there was two CSI shows on the same night, do you think that people will be all that geared up for another opening murder, one liner, and 45 minutes of 'who-done-it' before a reveal? No, the whole fact that you have TWO late night shows with a news segment between them means that one will suffer.

And to answer to those who think that Leno has the power to draw people in... I have to wonder where exactly was that when his 10pm show was getting terrible ratings. Not only that, but you got rid of five nights of different 10pm shows that would have given the network a lot of ratings. Yes, it cost a lot more to produce, but much like skimping out on the better product, you're going to get what you paid for. In this case you're getting Leno stinking up the airwaves.


Leno's audience.. using binoculars from the seats...

Many, myself included, who are in the Television industry realize that lead-in's are very important. What was happening was that the NBC local news was getting terrible ratings after Leno's 10pm show came on because people wouldn't be sticking around to watch through Leno. This lead to Conan's ratings going down after Leno made his 10pm debut. Correlation?

Oddly enough, Howard Stern was on Conan five years ago and had some prolific and predictions for him. As much as I'm not a fan of Stern, the guy makes a valid point there. Damn you for being right! I mean, who knows if Leno just half assed it as well at 10pm to just coast by. The guy had a two year contract that pretty much allowed him to take a shit on the screen for all that time and if it didn't work out, he got a lot of money.



If NBC wanted to buy Leno out they would have to pay him 150 million. Where as if they wanted to buy out Conan's contract, it would only cost them 40 million. Yup, now you can see why Conan's on the way out the door.. It's a sad reality.

The Peacock Network has agreed in principle to fork over $32.5 million to Conan O’Brien to leave as “The Tonight Show” host and give Jay Leno the chance to reclaim his mantle as the king of late-night talk shows, sources said yester day.

The deal also reportedly provides severance pack ages totaling $7.5 million for the show’s loyal staffers, many of whom packed up with their families and moved across the country to work for O’Brien, whose previous show taped in the Big Apple.

[...]

The decision to let O’Brien walk apparently came down to who was cheaper to let go.

Leno has an ironclad, “brilliantly written” agreement that guarantees his production company a staggering $150 million if NBC Universal axes his flailing primetime show, an insider said.

Conan moving his show back would have negatively impacted his ratings at a time he had to concentrate on building them higher, and would have done the same for Fallon's show (as well as likely forcing Carson Daly's show off the air altogether). While I don't really care for Carson Daly, it does seem that once he stopped being a cookie cutter talk show and hit the road with his show.



Leno could just as easily have gotten out of his contract (with payout from NBC) and gone to another network, bringing his entire crew with him. But he didn't, because he wanted "The Tonight Show". You see, that's what he's latching onto right now, the fact that he wants to save the jobs of his tonight show staff.. As if they didn't have five years to look into the future. Besides, I love how Leno keeps on saying he has a close relationship with his staff. Now, I may just remember this fondly because I was really effected hard by the writers strike, but I remember that Leno was not very helpful to his writing staff on the situation;

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - A couple of days after the Writers Guild of America strike began November 5, the star of "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" told some 80 of his idled staffers that they need not worry about their finances.

Leno was so adamant about paychecks being safe, many didn't bother looking for new jobs even though NBC was forecasting layoffs.

So it came as quite a shock Friday when the entire staff was told that they were not only out of a job but also that they weren't guaranteed of being rehired once "The Tonight Show" returns.

"Some people were crying. Some people were screaming," said one employee speaking on condition of anonymity.

[.....]

"He even joked that because of the writers strike, he had more time to work on his car collection," a staffer said. "That didn't sit well with us."

Yup.. that right there is Leno being a real class act asshole



I suppose my one regret will be that I never went to the Tonight show. I had gotten tickets to go see the Tonight Show with Conan back when it first debuted but it conflicted with the schedule that I would be out of town up North so I couldn't make it to the taping. Now I'm a bit bummed that I was never able to go. God damn it. But it was a fun trip, so I suppose it was worth it.

Not to mention that the chances are Fox are going to give him that long anticipated late night show that they've been salivating over since 2004, that means that Conan may be coming to the very grounds I spend my days. Hell.. I'm not even going to start thinking about it.. but what if.. what if... I can work my way on that set. Oh yes.. Happy times indeed.



Now the latest news is that an agreement has been reached between Conan and NBC. NBC will have to pay about $45 million, and some of that is severance pay for Conan's staff. Conan can't take his characters with him to a new show if he gets one, which according to the deal can't be until September 1st.

So the last Tonight show with Conan will be on Tomorrow, Friday the 22nd. It should be a great show as Tom Hanks will be there.. Hell, tonight alone will have a surprise guest star in Pee Wee Herman. Who just happens to be one of my favorite characters growing up. But for me, that's it for the Tonight Show. Leno was pretty much a terrible host on that. I don't care what the ratings say, the demographics for the Leno tonight show are spending their days in Florida and will be dead in five years. Way to shoot yourself in the foot for the future of late night.

Long Live Conan!

Comcast Buys Up Shit

Comcast Buys Up Shit

I mean that in the most literal way possible. And considering I'm very much opposed to the word Literally and how it's misused, me saying it means something. NBC*Universal has had a majority of shares bought up by Comcast today from long time NBC owner, General Electric.

On Monday night, French media giant Vivendi and NBC parent company General Electric agreed to terms that clear the way for US cable giant Comcast to take a controlling stake in NBC Universal. An announcement from Comcast is expected within days. The proposed merger would create a media behemoth, and clear the way for an unprecedented era of media consolidation across cable, the Internet and broadcast television.

Be afraid. Comcast is both the largest cable company and the largest residential broadband provider in the United States: a $34-billion business with 24 million subscribers, reaching nearly one out of every four homes in the country. NBCU owns NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, Universal Studios, 27 television stations, and a host of other properties.

You know what I say? Big fucking deal. It was only a matter of time. Comcast wasn't owned by any of the big media five (News, GE, CBS, Viacom, Disney, Time Warner) so far. To be honest I was expecting Rupert to own them eventually.

Time Warner already has a bunch of content providers (including CNN), I don't see how this would start a tidal wave. Tidal wave already happened, it's just now beginning to hit us. Content providers and content distributors have always merged all the time. This is just happening in the age of the internet and so people are going all up in arms about potentially losing Hulu. Does it suck? I suppose. Just depends on how you look at it. I mean, look at it this way. No one watches NBC except for football, the office and Conan.



For the most part, they bought into a bad product. NBC is total shit right now. It's very much a fix'er up'er. But really, there's no mass control on your news. Television ceased to be relevant for news half a decade ago. CNN, Nightly News and the local news are all a joke.

Yes, Comcast raised the cable rates for years while raking in record profits nearly every quarter. They're a business. I guess that'll happen. There is always another option.. Hell, I say that even though my only option for cable/internet is Time Warner. You want to talk about shitty service.. try Time Warner.

It's even more annoying that only a couple of blocks north is where AT&T cable is offered. And really, if you're not a consumer that uses comcast so far, it wont have much of an impact on you anyway. Then again. Landlines aren't very useful anymore. I haven't had one for at least 4-5 years now. It really sucked to be an early adapter for that since places like Time Warner still expected a land line for bills. They had to catch up to me not having one in my apartment.



How much white guilt do you have towards NBC currently? I mean, it was owned by General Electric, a corporation which has large arms manufacturing subsidiaries. If GE can put p with Hulu and the other problems the network has, Comcast probably will too. At least they won't be owned by a major weapons manufacturer anymore.

I would not be worried for Hulu. NBC Universal has a share in Hulu. That's it. Along side News Corp, Disney and Providence Equity Partners, a Rhode Island-based group of investors who also owns a bit of MGM alongside with Comcast, Sony and others. Comcast's COO said that he doesn't plan on making Hulu a pay service, but later added that he has no call on it since NBC Universal is only one of a group of owners of Hulu. There have been some wonders from various parts if Hulu would become a pay service or not, and if it did become so, I would personally have no problem with it if they were able to make it worth the money (e.g., finding more licensees to add content, keeping new content ad-supported and perhaps adding older episodes that could be paid for, etc.).

So really, all this means is that someone new owns a majority of NBC. Nothing new under the sun.

Look Out For The Fall: Day One

Fall Look Out: Day One

The name of this blog is WeirdTV. So perhaps I should cover some television news, right? Here's a show you should look out for in the fall. It's called Day One and is from the same creative forces of Heroes and takes place during the first day of an Apocalypse situation. Here's a trailer for it



I'm sure there's going to be a lot of people who will just write this off as a Jericho rip off. To them I say, guess what, Jericho wasn't anything new to begin with. They've been making apocalypse shows since the beginning. You have the Omega man, Planet of the apes, plenty of Twilight zone shows, Hell, that whole Surface mini-series was about an apocalypse. So don't give Jericho too much credit. While the concept was great, the acting was beyond terrible.

Somethings to really get excited about this is that Javier Grillo-Marxuach is joining the show as a supervising producer. His short lived and much entertaining show Middelman was canceled, but the fact that he has the experience with science fiction does say a lot to the future of this new Sci-fi on network television show. Something that is often as great an idea as putting balloons in a razor balde factory.

I mean, Day One's visuals look cool. It'll of course suffer from bad acting from the cast which is generic (Pretty White Kids with Problems: The Alien Invasion Edition) and the less said about the dialogue the better. I don't think it matters though. Even if it does end up being good it's a sci-fi show on a network. Hell, I'd be shocked if it makes to episode four before being shuffled off to a Saturday time slot in the summer to burn off it's episode order.

Then again, Jericho wasn't Scifi. I mean, it's not like NBC hasn't tried before. Do you remember Surface? Wow what a total shit fest in terms of quality. I suppose the only thing that Surface had going for it was scale and momentum. The sea monsters kept increasing in threat and the implication while they got plenty of reasons to get Lake Bell naked and wet. As proof of the momentum, by episode 2 you had this.



And at the very least the Surface larva(?) ate a dog, it was a glorious creepy television if nothing more for the look of interest in the kids watching the pool. I mean, that right there is all sorts of signs that that kid is going to grow up to be disturbed.



Jericho survived only because it's subject matter was interesting, but the show itself was the worst about a post Nuclear war society since WOOPS! So here's hoping that DAY ONE actually delivers on the goods. Though, I'm sure like Heroes, the series, if it does last past season one, will just end up sucking terribly with bad story arcs that make no sense.

So that's a fall preview for you now. Stay tuned for more on what you're going to staying tuned in for in the fall.

Don't Try To Upfront It, Yo.

Don't Try To Upfront It, Yo

Well, with a name like WeirdTV, I think perhaps I should touch on strange shit or at the very least shit that happens on TV, right? Yeah. It has been a while since I even focused on that sort of stuff. Generally because I was busy working on some god awful sing-a-long lip singing production that will not be named due to potentials of lawsuits and nondisclosure agreements. But it's good to have a chance to talk about Television news.

Today I touch on the Upfronts. What are the Upfronts? The upfronts are where the Studio brings its new pilots in front of Executives and Advertisers, allowing marketers to buy commercial airtime "up front", or several months before the season begins. Upfronts typically occur during the third week of May, the last full week of that month's sweeps period.

Although a lot of news has dribbled out over the last few weeks, official announcements should be forthcoming for any existing shows left on the bubble, as well as a surprise announcement or two surrounding your favorite pilot. Ah yes, the wonderful world of pilots. I've helped write a failed one and then there's all the ones I did work on that never saw the light of day.

Since you're more than likely wondering what actually made it and what didn't, here's how your tv watching will shape up to be come fall.

CBS Schedule:

MONDAY

8:00-8:30 HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
8:30-9:00 ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE
9:00-9:30 TWO AND A HALF MEN
9:30-10:00 THE BIG BANG THEORY
10:00-11:00 CSI: MIAMI

TUESDAY

8:00-9:00 NCIS
9:00-10:00 NCIS: LOS ANGELES
10:00-11:00 THE GOOD WIFE

WEDNESDAY

8:00-8:30 THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE
8:30-9:00 GARY UNMARRIED
9:00-10:00 CRIMINAL MINDS
10:00-11:00 CSI: NY

THURSDAY

8:00-9:00 SURVIVOR
9:00-10:00 CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION
10:00-11:00 THE MENTALIST

FRIDAY

8:00-9:00 GHOST WHISPERER
9:00-10:00 MEDIUM
10:00-11:00 NUMB3RS

SATURDAY

8:00-9:00 CRIMETIME SATURDAY
9:00-10:00 CRIMETIME SATURDAY
10:00-11:00 48 HOURS MYSTERY

SUNDAY

7:00-8:00 60 MINUTES
8:00-9:00 THE AMAZING RACE
9:00-10:00 THREE RIVERS
10:00-11:00 COLD CASE

Thrilling, right? Looks like Big Bang Theory is being nurtured to be Two and a Half's replacement as the comedy anchor of the night. Not much else to say besides this: NCIS:LA? Really? It looks like it's an NCIS night in there. I can't really say I care much about this line up. There's like two shows that I'll watch in there.

NBC Schedule:

MONDAY

8-9 p.m. - “Heroes”
9-10 p.m.–”TRAUMA”
10-11 p.m. - “THE JAY LENO SHOW”

TUESDAY

8-10 p.m. - “The Biggest Loser” (two-hour edition)
10-11 p.m. - “THE JAY LENO SHOW”

WEDNESDAY

8-9 p.m. - “PARENTHOOD”
9-10 p.m. - “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”
10-11 p.m. - “THE JAY LENO SHOW”

THURSDAY

8- 8:30 p.m. - “SNL WEEKEND UPDATE THURSDAY” (multi-episode run)
8:30-9 p.m. - “Parks and Recreation”
9- 9:30 p.m. - “The Office”
9:30-10 p.m. - “COMMUNITY” (moves to Thursdays 8-8:30 p.m. after multi-episode run “30 Rock” returns)
10-11 p.m. - “THE JAY LENO SHOW”

FRIDAY

8-9 p.m. - “Law & Order”
9-10 p.m. - “Southland”
10-11 p.m. - “THE JAY LENO SHOW”

SATURDAY

8-9 p.m. - “Dateline NBC”
9-10 p.m. - “TRAUMA” (encore broadcast)
10-11 p.m. - “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (encore broadcast)

SUNDAY

7- 8:20 p.m. “Football Night in America”
8:20-11 p.m. “NBC Sunday Night Football”

NBC MID-SEASON 2010 SCHEDULE

(2010 WINTER OLYMPICS preempt regularly scheduled programming from February 12-28, 2010)
*New programs in UPPER CASE

MONDAY

8-9 p.m. - “Chuck” (season premiere)
9-10 p.m.–”DAY ONE”
10-11 p.m. - “THE JAY LENO SHOW”

TUESDAY

8-9:30 p.m. - “The Biggest Loser” (90-minute edition)
9:30-10 p.m. - “100 QUESTIONS”
10-11 p.m. - “THE JAY LENO SHOW”

WEDNESDAY

8-9 p.m. - “MERCY”
9-10 p.m. - “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”
10-11 p.m. - “THE JAY LENO SHOW”

THURSDAY

8- 8:30 p.m. - “COMMUNITY”
8:30-9 p.m. - “Parks and Recreation”
9- 9:30 p.m. - “The Office”
9:30-10 p.m. - “30 Rock”
10-11 p.m. - “THE JAY LENO SHOW”

FRIDAY

8-9 p.m. - “Law & Order”
9-10 p.m. - “Southland”
10-11 p.m. - “THE JAY LENO SHOW”

SATURDAY

8-9 p.m. - “Dateline NBC”
9-10 p.m. - “Southland” (encore broadcast)
10-11 p.m. - “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (encore broadcast)

SUNDAY

7-8 p.m. - “Dateline NBC”
8-9 p.m. - THE MARRIAGE REF
9-11 p.m. - “The Celebrity Apprentice” (season premiere; two-hour edition)

My Name Is Earl is shit canned. So is Medium. Medium is getting put on CBS, which is funny since they put it on next to Ghost Whisperer. And while Jennifer Love Hewitt over Patricia Arquette, you kinda have to appreciate the oddness of having the knock off version of one show next to the other.

My Name Is Earl, that's a sad state. I worked on that show. I enjoyed it. Sure, I haven't sat down and watched the last season, but seeing it go out like that because NBC doesn't make bank off the television production of it is sort of a shame. No worries, Fox, who does produce it, is shopping it around.

Also on the list is WAAAAAAAY too much Jay Leno. I'm looking forward to Conan taking over the Tonight Show though.


ABC's fall schedule:

MONDAY:
8:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars” (two hours)
10:00 p.m. “Castle”

TUESDAY:
8:00 p.m. “Shark Tank”
9:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show”
10:00 p.m. “The Forgotten”

WEDNESDAY:
8:00 p.m. “Hank”
8:30 p.m. “The Middle”
9:00 p.m. “Modern Family”
9:30 p.m. “Cougar Town”
10:00 p.m. “Eastwick”

THURSDAY:
8:00 p.m. “Flash Forward”
9:00 p.m. “Grey’s Anatomy”
10:00 p.m. “Private Practice”

FRIDAY:
8:00 p.m. “Supernanny”
9:00 p.m. “Ugly Betty”
10:00 p.m. “20/20”

SATURDAY:
8:00 p.m. “Saturday Night College Football”

SUNDAY:
7:00 p.m. “America’s Funniest Home Videos”
8:00 p.m. “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”
9:00 p.m. “Desperate Housewives”
10:00 p.m. “Brothers & Sisters”

Quite a bit of new shows, especially on Wednesday night. Castle gets a second season? Nathan finally gets a show into second season status? Well color me surprised. Good job, captain tightpants.

Sadly, ABC decided to pass on the U.S. version of No Heroics. Which is a British original and it was a pretty funny take on the whole heroes stuff. I doubt the U.S. version would ever keep in the gay sex jokes. though. Ohwell.

Then we get to Fox. Thank you for the paycheck, bend over so I can pucker up my lips..

FOX Fall 2009 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE:

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 HOUSE
9:00-10:00 LIE TO ME

TUESDAY
8:00-10:00 SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Performance Show

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Results Show
9:00-10:00 GLEE

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 BONES
9:00-10:00 FRINGE

FRIDAY
8:00-8:30 BROTHERS
8:30-9:00 ‘TIL DEATH
9:00-10:00 DOLLHOUSE

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 COPS
8:30-9:00 COPS
9:00-10:00 AMERICA’S MOST WANTED
11:00-Midnight THE WANDA SYKES SHOW (working title)
Midnight-12:30 ANIMATION DOMINATION ENCORES

SUNDAY
7:00-8:00 THE OT (NFL post-game)
8:00-8:30 THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 THE CLEVELAND SHOW
9:00-9:30 FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 AMERICAN DAD

Here is the Fox 2010 Mid season Schedule:

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 HOUSE
9:00-10:00 24

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 AMERICAN IDOL Performance Show
9:00-10:00 PAST LIFE

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 AMERICAN IDOL Results Show
9:00-10:00 HUMAN TARGET (January) / GLEE (spring)

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 BONES
9:00-10:00 FRINGE

FRIDAY
8:00-8:30 BROTHERS
8:30-9:00 ‘TIL DEATH
9:00-10:00 DOLLHOUSE

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 COPS
8:30-9:00 COPS
9:00-10:00 AMERICA’S MOST WANTED
11:00 -Midnight THE WANDA SYKES SHOW (working title)
Midnight-12:30 ANIMATION DOMINATION ENCORES

SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 ANIMATION DOMINATION ENCORES
7:30-8:00 AMERICAN DAD
8:00-8:30 THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 SONS OF TUCSON
9:00-9:30 FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 THE CLEVELAND SHOW

A lot of interesting things to be seen from that. First off, did you see that Saturday night line up? America's Most Wanted is still on the air? WHAT THE FUCK? No, not that, silly. I'm talking about the midnight and later stuff. Looks like they're trying to tap into the Adult Swim crowd. Which is strange because they sell most of their shows to Cartoon Network's Adult Swim program line up.

American Dad is also getting the dredded 7:30 Sunday death slot. While it shows that it's the bottom of the totum pole, King of the hill survived a lot of years there. Still, doesn't show a lot of promise to a healthy future for that show.

Then you have dollhouse. Which is getting two comedies to lead into the Friday night slot. At least with Terminator, which was killed and WB doesn't give a shit about keeping alive somewhere else, it had a Sci-fi/Nerd appeal. Dollhouse also is booked for both parts of the season. Maybe Fox is really hopeful that they'll order more?

My vote for BEST IN SHOW goes to Jimmy Kimmel. Mr. Kimmel then took a verbal swing at his own network, reminding the audience that ABC had attempted to hire away Mr. Leno when his tenure ended at NBC’s “Tonight Show.” But, according Mr. Kimmel, NBC said it would not give up Mr. Leno, “even if we have to destroy our own network to keep him.

Jimmy Kimmel Said

Let's get real here. Let's get Dr. Phil-real here. These new fall shows? We're going to cancel about 90 percent of them. Maybe more.

Every year we lie to you and every year you come back for more. You don't need an upfront. You need therapy. We completely lie to you, and then you pass those lies onto your clients.

Next year on ‘Grey's Anatomy,' your product could kill Dr. Izzie. It just depends on how much you want to pay.

"I think all our shows are going to work this year. I really do. I don't, really."

"The important thing to remember is: who cares, it's not your money."

Kimmel also took a shot at NBC and Jay Leno, whom ABC once courted to possibly replace him when his contract with NBC expired, saying that they're "giving Jay's viewers exactly what they want. An early-bird special."

I'm sure ABC will return the favor once they are up for renewing his show. Still, it's a pretty honest thing to say. Wont change a thing, but honest.

So there you have it. A preview of your fall tivo setting lineup. Hope you enjoyed this boring trip into the actual TV world of a blog by Wierd TV...