Saturday, July 31, 2010
The CW's Digital Dollars
Wayne Friedman's reports on Dawn Ostroff's claim that The CW is making good money with its shows online.
Obama on The View
Megan Smith offers a good defense of President Obama appearing on The View. And Gail Collins looks at it within the larger scope of the line between reality and entertainment blurring.
Funny or Die Profile
This is web, not TV, of course, but a good read: Richard Zoglin profiles how Funny or Die developed and is changing web comedy.
Friday, July 30, 2010
L&O: SVU Value
Law and Order: SVU is moving production from New Jersey to New York due to a tax credit change, and it's estimated that the show has pumped $55 million into the NJ state economy annually.
NBC at TCA
Some news from TCA today: NBC executives, more on NBC execs, Jeff Gaspin, a day at TCA, The Event, The Office, SyFy.
New Flow Issue
- "Power in Parody: Femininity 101 at RuPaul's Drag U" by Daren C. Brabham: An examination of RuPaul teaching women how to be glamorous on his new Logo TV program, RuPaul's DragU.
- "That's not blood, that's music: Dexter's musical seriality" by Lisa Coulthard: Coulthard examines the importance of the musical score in relation to television programming, using the series Dexter as a compelling case study of colorful aural storytelling.
- "This Must Be a Bad Movie: Genre and Self-Reflexivity in Alan Wake" by Racquel M. Gonzales: Gonzales considers how Alan Wake presents a truly distinctive exploration of storytelling and the horror/thriller genre influenced by, but separate from other media.
- "Tying Narrative Threads by Opening Closet Doors: Coming Out on Ugly Betty" by Melanie Kohnen: Narrative cohesion in the coming-out story of Ugly Betty.
- "Kitchen Monoliths: Memories of Domestic Minimalism" by Paul Gansky: Discussion of films and television programs that deal prominently with industrial design, specifically the minimalist kitchen design.
- "Modern Family's Indictment of Modern Families" by Esteban del Rio and Kasey Mitchell: Examines how Modern Family employs satire and stereotypes to critique the discourses about traditional families that we might expect from television and to comment on the contradictions of contemporary family life.
Online TV & Retrans
Ryan Lawler says online TV is playing a role in the latest retrans spat between Disney and Time Warner Cable.
Big Bang Theory Disappoints
Heather Hendershot expresses her disappointment with the depiction of nerdom in The Big Bang Theory.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
USA Formula
Yet another essay on the USA Network formula, this one from the WSJ's Jordan Hirsch. I think I should go back and analyze all these USA profiles, see if there's a formula to them.
Walking Dead Casting
Techland has a cool side-by-side comparison of the Walking Dead comic book characters and their live-action versions in the upcoming AMC show.
CW & Showtime at TCA
Some news bits from TCA today: Dawn Ostroff, Gossip Girl, Episodes, The Big C, Showtime teases, Dexter.
Laguna Crime Wave
A study has found that crime increased in Laguna Beach, CA due to the higher profile brought to the city by the reality show.
Ellen Done With Idol
Ellen DeGeneres won't be back as an American Idol judge. Alan Sepinwall considers why the Ellen experiment failed. James Poniewozik wonders what's next. Simon Cowell reacts. Jennifer Lopez might be coming to Idol. And Steven Tyler?
Latest: J Lo hasn't signed yet, while TMZ reports that next year's judges will be Lopez, Steven Tyler, and Randy Jackson.
Latest: J Lo hasn't signed yet, while TMZ reports that next year's judges will be Lopez, Steven Tyler, and Randy Jackson.
Score One for The Shat
William Shatner scored an interview with Lee Boyd Malvo for his new show Aftermath.
AZA Bans Cable News
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport has ceased airing cable news channels on its public TVs to strive for political neutrality.
Mad Men Dislike
Jason Mittell has a very intriguing new post at his blog Just TV, as he tries to explain why he simply doesn't like Mad Men, in the face of enormous critical acclaim for the show.
Lone Star Preview
Fox is making the first episode of the new fall show Lone Star available to desired target audiences.
Muslim Leader Update
I linked last month to a piece on a Malaysian reality TV show that would select a new Muslim leader; Liz Gooch has an update on how the show is progressing, with the finale airing Friday.
Indonesian Edict
Agence France-Presse reports: "Indonesia’s highest Islamic authority has followed up a series of contentious edicts with a new one barring Muslims from watching television gossip shows or having sex-change operations."
HIMYM Changes
Alan Sepinwall interviews the co-creators of How I Met Your Mother and learns that some changes are afoot for next season, revealing some interesting points about season storytelling.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
CBS Day at TCA
Some news from TCA today: CBS panel, Nina Tassler, Survivor, Mike & Molly, Hawaii Five-0, Chuck Lorre, $#*! My Dad Says.
McPherson/Lee Coverage
More on Steve McPherson out/Paul Lee in at ABC: Lee drove ABC Family to success; Jaime Weinman considers a cable guy taking over a network; Frazier Moore wonders if Lee can turn ABC around; Brian Steinberg assesses ABC's challenges; this ends a stormy era at ABC; Alex Weprin speculates on what this means for Nightline; ABC affiliates salute McPherson; Aaron Barnhart thinks McPherson canceled shows too quickly; and there are now rumors of sexual harrassment tied to McPherson, but McPherson's attorney has released a vaguely worded statement suggesting we not buy into rumors. Also, advertisers have high hopes for Lee's success.
CBS Adding Gay Characters
Perhaps responding to its F from GLAAD, CBS is adding gay characters to three shows in the fall.
Internet TV > 3D TV
Janko Roettgers reports that internet-enabled TVs are more popular right now than 3D TV.
Cable News Ratings
Fox News drew more primetime viewers in July than CNN. MSNBC, and HLN combined; CNN's ratings woes continue; and CNBC is draining viewers.
'Spoiler Alert' Origins
Nate Freeman has a brief history of the origins and use of the phrase "spoiler alert."
Voting for Pilots
Stephen J. Dubnar throws out a new development idea: the networks air all their pilots for audiences to vote on.
TCA Press Tour
TCA press tour events have begun. Unfortunately I'm sitting in an airport, so I'll have to leave all the hard work of informing you to the folks I mentioned previously. Here's that list again of good TCA coverage blogs and tweeters: Eric Deggans, Alan Sepinwall, Maureen Ryan, Televisionary, Zap2It, Futon Critic, Give Me My Remote.
American Idol Changes
Brian Stelter considers what American Idol could look like next year with Nigel Lythgoe rumored return.
Franco & Performance Art
James Doyle analyzes James Franco's GH art project in detail and puts it in the context of performance art on television.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Pilot Problems
Joe Flint and Maria Elena Fernandez relate some of the troubles for pilots currently in development.
McPherson Out
ABC Entertainment President Steve McPherson has resigned. Word is that he was pushed out for stagnant ratings and an abrasive personality. ABC Family head Paul Lee will replace him. More from the LA Times.
Hey Matthew Weiner, Read This
Now Myles McNutt chimes in on Matthew Weiner's reactionary demand that AMC stop sending out screeners to critics due to spoiler concerns.
Hey TCA, Read This
Myles McNutt offers very perceptive thoughts on the current state of the Television Critics Association and the opportunities it's missing out on by not engaging with the burgeoning community of online television criticism. (And thanks to Myles for the NfTVM shout-out!)
Online Measurement Challenges
With Hulu as an example, Dawn C. Chmielewski discusses how difficult it is to accurately measure online viewing audiences.
Fleeting Nudity Case
In yet another indication that indecency regulation has problems, the courts are still mulling over a fleeting nudity case involving NYPD Blue, from an episode that aired seven years ago.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Detroit's Image
Some in Detroit are concerned that the new fall show Detroit 1-8-7 will perpetuate a negative image of the city.
Reality Salaries
Brian Stelter highlights rising reality TV star salaries, with Jersey Shore as the focus, of course.
Race & Cable News
Brian Stelter covers the latest news flap over race, and Danny Shea covers Brian Stelter's tweets about the issue, including the stat that Fox News averages only 29,000 black viewers in prime time.
Low-Concept Multi-Cams
Jaime Weinman offers an excellent post proposing a model for future multi-camera sitcom success: try a low-concept show "without big stars, without a cool-sounding premise, and maybe even without a perfect pilot, but just one where the cast and the characters seem to have potential." (The post is also excellent because it has an awesome NewsRadio clip.)
Mad Men Stuff
Here are some Mad Men posts that caught my attention today (S4E1 spoiler alert): the season premiere rating was up only a bit from last year; Matt Zoller Seitz recaps the episode; Myles McNutt summarizes the critical reaction; Alan Sepinwall interviews Matthew Weiner; Emma Rosenblum interviews Elisabeth Moss; Latoya Peterson laments Mad Men's lack of racial diversity; and Michael Newman writes about how Mad Men is Quality TV that performs its own quality.
Promoting Via Competitors
Steve McClellan assesses the possibility that networks might break an old taboo and start promoting shows on their competitors' airwaves.
CSI Fact vs. Fiction
Friend of the blog Pierce Martin sent me a link to this very cool infographic on the reality of crime scene investigation compared to TV's version. Also on the same site is an earlier piece on the CSI Effect.
Black Sidekick
Kartina Richardson laments the pervasiveness of the stereotypical black sidekick character.
TCA Summer Press Tour
The Television Critics Association summer press tour is about to start; Eric Deggans has a great preview of what it's all about. Unfortunately, the nine days of presentations coincide with a final summer vacation trip for me, so I probably won't be blogging the goings on too thoroughly. The following sources will give you all you could possibly need and more: Eric Deggans, Alan Sepinwall, Maureen Ryan, James Poniewozik, Televisionary, Zap2It, Futon Critic, Give Me My Remote. They're all on Twitter too, if you're a live-tweeting fan.
New In Media Res: Transmedia
The theme this week at In Media Res is transmedia:
- Monday July 26, 2010 – Christy Dena (Universe Creation 101) presents: TEST TEST TEST Transmedia
- Tuesday July 27, 2010 – Marc Ruppel (University of Maryland College Park) presents: (Still) Waiting For the Transmedia Godot
- Wednesday July 28, 2010 – Robert Pratten (Zen Films) presents: Indie Superheroes
- Thursday July 29, 2010 – Brian Newman (SpringBoard Media) presents: "Awra Amba" - Documentary and Transmedia Activism
- Friday July 30, 2010 – Ted Hope (This is That) presents: Braden King
Redstone's Band Still On
The girl band reality show that Sumner Redstone favors so much is still in development at MTV.
Cheap Shows
Jaime Weinman writes about limited-budget shows that look cheap (Rubicon) and those that don't (Breaking Bad). Weinman also has a follow-up post.
Watching Cable
Thomas Umstead reports on how much viewers in general are watching cable programming, Greg Selkoe reports on young viewers watching cable programming, and Georg Szalai reports on rich people watching cable programming.
Emmy Facts
B&C has four things it thinks you should know about the 2010 Primetime Emmys, and it also explains the new rules that more clearly separate non-fiction and reality nominees.
NBCU Ad Network
NBC Universal has created its own ad network to sell advertising for its many online sites.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Football Marketing
AdAge's Rich Thomaselli reporters on marketers interest in pro football and college football.
If You Really Knew Me
Jon Caramanica showcases an intriguing new MTV reality show, If You Really Knew Me, which "focuses on efforts to break down social barriers in high school through the lens of Challenge Day, an organization that carries out one-day in-school seminars on emotional justice."
Comic-Con Videos
Some good Comic-Con videos I've come across: Aaron Barnhart shows us the floor scene (here's another, even longer, floor tour), the Chuck cast boogies (and if you haven't heard, Chuck's mom will be played by Linda Hamilton), and Joss Whedon talks. Also, here's a S5 Dexter promo, and a S3 second half True Blood preview.
No video, but Alan Sepinwall makes you feel like you're seeing it with his detailed summary of the Community panel. And James Hibberd has many more TV-related Comic-Con links.
Futon Critic has a ridiculous number of interviews from Comic-Con.
No video, but Alan Sepinwall makes you feel like you're seeing it with his detailed summary of the Community panel. And James Hibberd has many more TV-related Comic-Con links.
Futon Critic has a ridiculous number of interviews from Comic-Con.
Snooki Takedown
Cathy Horyn is none to kind to Jersey Shore's Snookie in her NYT profile of the reality star. Jezebel's Hortense Smith in turn critiques Horyn's article. So does Salon's Mary Elizabeth Williams. Emma Rosenbloom offers thoughts on the celebrity profile.
Also, New Jersey's governor is not a fan of the show.
Also, New Jersey's governor is not a fan of the show.
Friday, July 23, 2010
RIP Daniel Schorr
Legendary broadcast journalist Daniel Schorr has died. An era has passed with him.
Media Stocks Assessment
The Street's Andrea Tse highlights six media stocks with major upside.The Disney profile reiterates the rumor that the company will sell ABC and says Disney would put that money toward video game-related acquisitions.
Mad Men Criticism
James Poniewozik previews Mad Men's return and addresses the spoiler issue (which Matt Weiner is getting his undies bunched about), and Jaime Weinman writes about the "fake Mad Men spoiler" meme that hit Twitter recently. Offering critical criticism, Kartina Richardson creatively addresses Mad Men's shallow treatment of race, and Nelle Engoron says Mad Men is bad for women.
GLAAD Grades
GLAAD has released its fourth annual Network Responsibility Index, which is "an evaluation of the quantity, quality and diversity of images of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people on television." MTV and The CW did well; CBS got an F.
It's a Univision Summer
Hunter Walker reports on Univision's successful summer: The 2010 Premios Juventud...beat all four of the major broadcast networks on Thursday night...And while the network has long been competitive among viewers 18-49 on Friday nights, this summer it's been regularly beating some of the major broadcast networks in the category on other nights of the week."
Writers' Jobs
Jessica Butler highlights a previous post summarizing what various TV writers' titles actually mean in terms of what they do and links to the WGAW's in-depth description of those jobs, their responsibilities, and the pay scales.
Whedon & Abrams Grumble About Network TV
Joss Whedon and JJ Abrams appeared together on a panel at Comic-Con; Maureen Ryan has a link to the audio and a summary of the highlights, and TV Week has a transcript excerpt of their discussion of the problems of creating content for the broadcast networks today.
UPDATE: At a panel today, Whedon says he's planning future online projects.
UPDATE: At a panel today, Whedon says he's planning future online projects.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Where Did the Darias Go?
Marisa Lemtzer observes, "Where did all the Darias go? Eight years after the show went off the air, the super-smart, dry, withering, righteously angry girls are largely absent from pop culture. For every sassy adolescent as played by Juno’s Ellen Page, our current teen cultural landscape is clogged with heroines whose principal interests, as on Gossip Girl, are status and men."
G4 Becomes 4G
The gamer-centric cable channel G4 will change its name to 4G next week as a promo for Sprint.
Comcast Claims Fourth
Comcast and NBCU predicts after the merger, they'll be the fourth biggest media company in terms of revenue, behind Disney, Time Warner, and Viacom.
Summer Winners & Losers
Media Life interviews interviews a broadcast media agency exec about how summer has gone for networks and cable.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Great TV Playlist
Adam Buckman proposes a playlist of 12 great TV song moments. (But he's missing an awesome one: "Come Sail Away" from the Freaks and Geeks pilot.)
Writers' PA Interview
Curious about what a writers' room production assistant on a network drama does? Amanda the Aspiring TV Writer interviews one.
Story of a Procedural
Not sure how to describe this precisely, but it's a TV writer telling a wild story, interspersed with hypothetical network notes and...well, just read it, it's good.
Louie Ratings
I've been extremely impressed with Louis C.K.'s new sitcom Louie on FX -- it's unlike just about anything I've seen -- but its ratings haven't been extremely impressive and, more unfortunately, they've declined each week since the premiere. I've been downloading it from iTunes, though, so hopefully someone's paying attention to those figures.
House Debauchery Alleged
This is totally in the category of gossip, but what the heck, it's summer: a former assistant propmaster for House is suing Universal based on claims that he was fired because he refused to participate in "degenerate conduct" along with his superiors.
ESPN Ombudsman Disapproves
ESPN's Ombudsman Don Ohlmeyer slams "The Decision" for ethical missteps and damaging the network's credibility.
ATWT Replacement
Deadline's Nellie Andreeva reports that As the World Turns will be replaced by a View-like talk show targeted toward moms once it leaves the air.
Jersey Shore Cash-In
I was reluctant to bother mentioning the Jersey Shore cast raises, but Chiore Sicha has a piece on it that's maybe, just maybe, worth reading. In fact, a commenter here confirms: definitely worth reading.
Netflix Pushing TV
Peter Kafka reports on Netflix's stated intentions to deliver as much TV as movies online. Ryan Lawler also reports. And Ben Frtiz reports on Netflix's stock price decline, and Tech Crunch has user stats.
Instructions for Cord Cutters
If you need help figuring out ways to watch a load of TV without a cable subscription, Dan Schointuch has the info for you.
Web Comedy
Aymar Jean Christian assesses the past and future market for web comedy, including its relationship to TV.
Fleeting Indeceny Ruling a Mistake
Former FCC Chairman Michael Powell now says the 2004 Commission's "fleeting expletives are indecent" decision was a mistake borne of political pressure.
Sherrod & the Media
There's a lot of media hand-wringing going on in relation to the Shirley Sherrod saga; here are two bits of analysis from TV critics familiar to NfTVM visitors: Eric Deggans and James Poniewozik.
TV at Comic-Con
The annual comics convention Comic-Con has become nearly as much about TV as comics. The NYT also reports.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Jackie Room to NYC
Nurse Jackie's writers' room is moving from Los Angeles to New York City apparently with hope that the show can better capture an NYC feel.
Ensemble Emmy
Modern Family's Steve Levitan laments that there isn't an Emmy awarded for ensemble acting. Given how huge casts have gotten these days, I think that sounds like a swell idea.
Starz Exec Interview
Lacey Rose interviews Starz Entertainment's executive vice president of programming Stephan Shelanski "about the premium network's new direction, Party Down’s cancellation and why period pieces will line the schedule going forward."
Retrans Future
Media companies have responded to the recent call by the American TV Alliance for retrans help; they claim no changes are needed. Related, TV Everywhere deals could end up affecting retrans and carriage fees.
Canned Laughter Then & Now
Mike Sacks has a great interview with TV historian Ben Glenn II about the history of the laugh track. About the difference between past and present laughs, Glenn comments: "Today’s sitcoms are based mostly on witty repartee and no longer rely on outlandish situations or sight gags—and today’s muted laughs reflect that. Generally, laughs are now much less aggressive and more subdued; you no longer hear unbridled belly laughs or guffaws. It’s “intelligent” laughter—more genteel, more sophisticated. But definitely not as much fun. There was an optimism and carefree quality in those old laugh tracks. Today, the reactions are largely “droll.”"
Redstone Bribe
I linked a month ago to a weird story about Sumner Redstone allegedly forcing MTV to take on an inept girl band reality show, and it's only gotten weirder since. Now the reporter of that story says Redstone tried to bribe him to get his source, and he has taped evidence.
New USA Blog
USA Network has launched a website called The USA Character Approved Blog, which "celebrates the people, places and things that are making a mark by positively influencing our cultural landscape." Mike Shields reports.
ESPN & The Magazine
Joseph Plambeck reports that ESPN will try to better coordinate ESPN The Magazine with the network's television offerings.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Afghani Media Mogul
Ken Auletta profiles Saad Mohseni, the chairman of Afghanistan's most prominent media company.
Modern Breakup
Modern Family co-creators Steve Levitan and Christopher Lloyd have dissolved their partnership but will continue to co-produce the sitcom. Jaime Weinman wonders if their division was evident in the show's weekly final product.