Category Archives: Network Television
Previewing The CW’s Fall Season
Since The WB’s merge with UPN in 2006, The CW has not fared very well. Some of its solid hits remain, such as Supernatural, but many of the shows that have premiered since the merger are gone. Now, the network has a strong presence online. Of all the networks, The CW seems the least reliable. Maybe it’ll get lucky this fall.
Arrow
This Action/Adventure drama revolves around billionaire Oliver Queen. Queen returns to his hometown of Starling City after having been stranded on an island for five years and presumed dead. After struggling to mend the relationships of those he left behind, Queen creates the persona of Arrow, a vigilante committed to protecting the city. I am really not sure what to make of this show. Character development will be a must. If it is simply Arrow saving the citizens of Starling City multiple times, it could get boring. Aside from that, the premise and casting of this show seems poorly executed. Oliver Queen was already a main character on Smallville. Justin Hartley’s portrayal was brilliant. This show’s continuity will be reworked and Queen is now being played by Stephen Arnell. I do not understand why this is not a direct Smallville spinoff. I’ve seen The Green Arrow before. Arnell isn’t as good as Hartley. I don’t think this show is going to last too long.
NBC Uses a Video Without Permission
In 2009, The Jay Leno Show used an amateur comedy video that it had found on YouTube without permission. Despite the fact that Leno did not ask permission, Brian Kamerer and Travis Irvine were initially happy that he had used the video on his show. All that changed when NBC decided to take the duos video down because of copyright infringement. Yes, you read that correctly. NBC, which could be accused of copyright infringement for not paying or asking to use a video, took down the original posting of a video it essentially stole from Kamerer and Irvine due to copyright infringement.
I am not saying Jay Leno should not have used the video. In fact, anything that gives more exposure to up-and-coming comedians is a good thing, especially since late night talk shows rarely feature stand up comedians nowadays. However, NBC had no right to use the video without asking permission or compensating Kamerer and Irvine and definitely went to far with taking the video down.
The CBS Buzz Tour May Come to You
Fox is not the only network to have a summer tour. The “CBS Buzz Tour” is also visiting various cities giving prizes, previews, and photo opportunities to CBS fans. Alex Boylan from The Amazing Race and Burton Roberts from Survivor: Pearl Islands will engage viewers online with “Inside Buzz” webisodes, blogs, and contests on CBS.com as they travel around the country.
The tour dates that have been announced are: (* marks dates that are before the official kickoff)
Saturday, June 30: Boston (WBZ) at the CBS Scene restaurant at Patriot Place*
Sunday, July 1: Boston (WBZ) at the Charles River Esplanade*
Wednesday, July 4: Kickoff during the “Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular” (10-11pm)
CBS Hilariously Throws Stones At ABC’s Glass House
CBS unsuccessfully tried to get a court to block the premiere of ABC’s Big Brother-esque reality show The Glass House. While the premiere of The Glass House was only watched by 4.7 million viewers, that hasn’t stopped CBS from sending out a press release that is one big jab at ABC.
Here is the press release in it’s entirety:
06.20.2012
CBS ANNOUNCES DEVELOPMENT OF “DANCING ON THE STARS,” AN EXCITING AND COMPLETELY ORIGINAL REALITY PROGRAM THAT OWES ITS CONCEPT AND EXECUTION TO NOBODY AT ALL
Los Angeles, June 20, 2012 – Subsequent to recent developments in the creative and legal community, CBS Television today felt it was appropriate to reveal the upcoming launch of an exciting, groundbreaking and completely original new reality program for the CBS Television Network.
The dazzling new show, DANCING ON THE STARS, will be broadcast live from the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, and will feature moderately famous and sort of well-known people you almost recognize competing for big prizes by dancing on the graves of some of Hollywood’s most iconic and well-beloved stars of stage and screen.
Seasame Street May Take a Trip to the Movies
The Hollywood Reporter reports that 2oth Century Fox has bought the movie rights to Seasame Street.
The show has had two other theatrical releases: Follow That Bird in 1985 and The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland in 1999. The movies were distributed by Warner Bros. and Columbia Pictures, respectively.
The Emmys Needs to Change Eligibility Rules For Animated Shows
On Monday, Simpsons writer Al Jean wrote a letter to The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences asking them to consider reworking the organization of Emmy nominations. In it, he criticized the lack of recognition for the individual achievements in animation. According to Emmy rules, a show nominated in the animation category cannot also be nominated for a writing award. The Academy’s reason for this is apparently because of the collaborative efforts in animation. If the show so chooses, it can be nominated in the comedy category. Jean took issue with this, citing that NBC’s Community was given a one-time exception to this rule. Because it was a significant format change, it could technically be classified as a standalone special. I saw it and it did not seem like a standalone special to me. Besides, Jean is right. Animation may be collaborative, but so is everything else in television.
This rule seems to ignore the hard work that multiple writers invest into an animated show. Animation is just as legitimate as the live action medium. Of course, it is a newer format, but that should not make it any less respected. The production of an animated series is much harder than that of a live action series. The writing is certainly not any easier. It makes no sense to have to ignore either one of these achievements.
America’s Got Talent’s Final Disappointing Audition Show
Liliana
As a lackluster audition season comes to a close, Monday’s episode of America’s Got Talent needed to leave a great impression. This was no time for awful acts that deserved to be laughed off the stage. This was no time for forgettable acts that would never be heard from again. This episode needed to find possible winners. Unfortunately, as soon as the show opened with an act featuring a pig, this night seemed doomed. It didn’t get much better afterwards.
The opening feature package showed a woman excited to show the world her pig’s talent. I could not imagine any talent that this act would show. As it turns out, the pig didn’t really have a talent. She ran into bowling pins seemingly accidentally and squeaked what looked like a bicycle horn with her mouth. The judges didn’t understand it and promptly rejected it. Of course, it wasn’t worth being shown on television at all, so AGT was continuing a problem it has had all season.
Both the “No” and the “Yes” montages that followed were just as forgettable. An average singer, some dance groups, and some acts that weren’t made clear got voted through to Vegas. Some bad singers and more variety acts that could never hold anyone’s attention were rejected from going to the next round. The montage sections of the show has been a constant disappointment throughout the auditions. They are supposed to give the viewer a sense of the talent and lack of talent that was found in various cities. They could never do that in two minutes. The montages just ended up being unnecessary parts of each hour.
NBC Olympics Trial Coverage Begins Tomorrow
Since the 2012 Summer Olympics are opening soon, NBC is trying to get viewers excited with 56 total hours of Olympic coverage over the next three weeks.
The Olympic Trials coverage starts with diving this Tuesday at midnight ET on NBC Sports Network. NBC will air 14 hours of live diving trials including 5 hours of weekend coverage on NBC with the remaining coverage on NBC Sports. From Federal Way, Washington, NBC will have Ted Robinson doing play-by-play, Cynthia Porter doing analysis, and Alex Flannagan reporting.
Twelve hours of track and field trial coverage begins Friday at 9 pm ET on NBC Sports. Eight days will be covered in total, including four nights in primetime on NBC. The track and field broadcast team includes Tom Hammond, Ato Boldon, Craig Masback, Tim Hutchings, Dwight Stones and Lewis Johnson reporting from Eugene, Oregon.
For the first time, every night of the swimming trials will be shown in primetime on NBC. The 16.5 hours of trial coverage begin Monday, June 25 at 6:30 pm ET on NBC Sports. It will be followed immediately by the first of eight straight nights of trials in primetime on NBC at 8 pm ET. Dan Hicks, Rowdy Gaines and Andrea Kremer will be the team reporting from Omaha, Nebraska.
There will be 8.5 hours of gymnastics trials coverage beginning on Thursday, June 28 at 5:30 pm ET on NBC Sports. It starts 4 straight days of coverage ending with the women’s final in primetime on NBC on July 1. Al Trautwig, Tim Daggett, Elfi Schlegel and Andrea Joyce report from San Jose, California.
Weekly TV Update: June 18
Former reality show star and son of Sharon and Ozzy, Jack Osbourne is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
On Wednesday, ABC Family will air an all day marathon of Melissa and Joey. Old episodes will air from noon to 8pm with a new episode debuting immediately after.
CBS has ordered a Ryan Seacrest produced pilot based on the popular Zynga game Draw Something. The show will follow in the tradition of Win, Lose or Draw and Pictionary.
MTV has a rundown of five key moments from last night’s True Blood.
USA Today has a synopsis of the second season finale of The Killing, which reveals Rosie Larsen’s killer.
NBC Announces New Fall Schedule
NBC is using the Olympics to launch it’s fall schedule. On August 8, Go On will air commercial free following Olympic Games coverage. Animal Practice will get the same treatment, on August 12, following the closing ceremonies.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, this is the full NBC Fall Schedule with new shows in ALL CAPS.
Wednesday, Aug. 8
GO ON (sneak peek following Olympic Games coverage)
Sunday, Aug. 12
ANIMAL PRACTICE (sneak peek following Olympic Games Closing Ceremonies)
Monday, Aug. 13
8-10 p.m. STARS EARN STRIPES (two-hour premiere)
10-11 p.m. Grimm
The rest of NBC’s 2012 Fall Schedule is after the jump.
Wait! What's A Dial? 