ALERT TO TIVO-USERS: You now have one less channel to worry about…
Tired of competing for the bottom rung of the ratings barrel, the forces behind UPN and The WB have finally agreed that misery does love company. Why fight when you can combine your resources? So coming this fall, the back-stabbing models of the CBS-owned UPN and the caped crusaders of The WB can all be found on the same exact channel: The CW. If this ratings trick succeeds, the execs at NBC may soon follow suit. You can read the full press release after the jump.
Click to continue reading UPN + WB = The CW
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NBC Closes The Book Of Daniel
Posted by Rhys Alexander Categories: Drama, Prime Time, NBC, Cancellations, News,
Perhaps it could be called inevitable: The Book of Daniel, starring Aidan Quinn as a troubled priest who carries on casual conversations with Jesus, was a sore spot for many viewers before the show even aired. NBC attributes the cancellation to low ratings. Of course, with the show banned by so many cable carriers, The Book of Daniel hardly seemed to stand a chance.
Conservative rights groups are claiming the cancellation as a personal victory:
BC’s move was lauded by the Tupelo, Miss.-based American Family Association, which had condemned the show as a sign of what it called the broadcaster’s “anti-Christian bigotry.”
The group, along with James Dobson’s Focus on the Family, asked supporters to lobby their local NBC affiliates to refuse to carry it. In an article posted on its Web site, the AFA credited viewer complaints for forcing the network’s hand.
“This shows the average American that he doesn’t have to simply sit back and take the trash being offered on TV, but he can get involved and fight back with his pocketbook,” “AFA founder and chairman Donald E. Wildmon said in the posting.
The network had no comment on the statement.
The show’s creator and executive producer, Jack Kenny, has said his goal was to depict how “humor and grace” help a flawed man struggle with his faith and family. He said the writers never meant to mock religion or Jesus.
What do you think? Do television affiliates have the right to refuse to air a show, or should they let viewers decide? Will there ever be a time when all themes, no matter how controversial, will be accepted on television?
Read More 
| The Mercury News
Prime Cuts: Your Best Bets In Prime Time For Tuesday, 1-24-06
Posted by Rhys Alexander Categories: Comedy, Drama, Prime Time, FOX, NBC, WB, Editorial,
American Idol, 8pm, FOX. A special two hour audition episode tonight: all the caterwauling and hissy fits you could desire!
Gilmore Girls, 8pm, the WB. A repeat episode features Rory’s 21st birthday, and the first sign that she may reconcile with her mother.
Fear Factor, 8pm, NBC. This one is supposed to be barber shop-themed, featuring women getting their heads shaved. Can’t wait.
Scrubs, 9pm, NBC. The best thing about having to wait so long for this show to return is the wonderful bonus of two new episodes we’re getting each week.
The Shield, FX, 10pm and 11pm. The new episode airs twice in a row, doubling your viewing pleasure.
Queer Eye For the Straight Guy, 10pm, Bravo. The fabu stylists take on Kevin Bacon’s brother. While they’re working, we hope they take the time to do something about Kevin’s unfortunate haircut.
The 5 Relationships We Most Want To See On TV
Posted by Rhys Alexander Categories: Drama, Prime Time, CBS, FOX, WB, Editorial,
Be they romantic, friendly, or of another ilk, there are some TV show relationships that are long overdue. Here are our top 5 picks.
- Warrick and Catherine, CSI. Enough already! They’ve flirted for years, exchanging compliments, coy looks, and secret smiles. The fans are ready for some action. Dump the other lady, Warrick, and cozy up to Cath!
- Izzie and George, Grey’s Anatomy. Fans have lost patience with the increasingly dull storyline of lost love between Meredith and McDreamy. It’s time to turn our attention to the far more interesting—and fan favorites—Izzie and George. With their strong convictions and sweet vulnerability, Izzie and George are a match made in heaven. True, many fans would rather see Izzie end up with Alex, but come on…wouldn’t you love to see George happy?
- House, M.D.’s Dr. Gregory House and…frankly, anyone! Though he does have a terrific friendship with Wilson, House desperately needs some lovin’. Whether it be with Stacey, Cameron, or some crazy patient, we’d love to see House win—and offer—some long-overdue affection.
- The familial reconciliation of Lorelai and Richard Gilmore of Gilmore Girls. Though the show focuses almost exclusively on Lorelai’s relationship with her mother in the area of family plotlines, the bond between father and daughter seems much more intriguing to us. The two are so alike, and though it’s not often addressed, it’s obvious that Richard’s approval means a great deal to Lorelai. Whose heart doesn’t break a little each time Lorelai acknowledges that Rory is a ‘replacement’ daughter for Richard? Here’s hoping the seventh season will patch up things between these two hot-headed Gilmores.
- Rory and Jess of Gilmore Girls. We never though we’d be a Jess supporter. For years, we prayed for the return of Dean, The Perfect Man Machine. But Jess’s brief appearance earlier in the season left us wanting more, and showcased his increasing maturity. We loved that he called Rory on the bad choices she was making, and who could miss the sparks between them? Rory: Dump the dull Logan, and give Jess a call!
Leave your picks in the comments section.
Earl Shut Down Due To Illness
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Comedy, Prime Time, NBC, My Name Is Earl, News,
ITEM # 212: Make sure to play with sick children..
Although My Name is Earl has been picked up for at least another season, a case of the chicken pox has halted production for about 3 weeks. Despite all the scrapes and injuries Jason Lee may have endured as a former skateboarder, it appears that a common childhood illness is all it took to take the show’s star down. Seems someone still needs to do a bit more work on their karma…
Coming off a Golden Globe win for Best Drama, the cast members of Lost were recently awarded an even bigger prize: a raise. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the original cast members are now raking in nearly $80,000 an episode—a bump from the $20,000-$40,000 they had been earning. While it may seem appropriate that the cast members receive similar paychecks a la the cast of Friends, Matthew Fox still outearns the rest of his cohorts. His paycheck included a bonus $250,000. Apparently playing a surgeon gets you paid just like one.
MTV ‘s Logo Channel Searches For ‘Gay Life’ In New Reality Series
Posted by Rhys Alexander Categories: Prime Time, Reality, Cable, Talent,
MTV’s Logo Channel is searching for people who celebrate the gay lifestyle. Celebrity Fit Club’s Ant will host. No doubt the novel subject matter and Ant’s flair will make this an entertaining excursion into television.
Logo—the channel that targets lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender viewers—is looking for gay life in small-town America.
The MTV Networks outlet has ordered six episodes of a series tentatively titled US of ANT, in which comedian Ant travels across the United States investigating how members of the gay community are getting along.
The show is set to premiere in the summer.
As to how the towns will be chosen, Ant said he’s “going to throw a dart at a map of America and wherever it lands, I’m going to seek out the gays in that town. I hope my bad aim and lazy eye don’t keep me out of the South.”
Read More | TV.com
Farewell To The West Wing
Posted by Rhys Alexander Categories: Drama, Prime Time, NBC, West Wing, The, News,
The West Wing will end its seven-year run in May. Most viewers will agree that the cancellation has long been due. With the departure of Martin Sheen, and the death of beloved character Leo McGarry, the series has lost its sparkle. Be sure to tune in on May 14th to bid your fond farewells.
Jenna Elfman Returns To Series Television In Courting Alex
Posted by Rhys Alexander Categories: Comedy, Prime Time, CBS, Talent, News,
Fans are sure to rejoice at 9:30 PM tonight when Jenna Elfman returns to series comedy. The show, Courting Alex, is part of CBS’s push to expand its comedy repertoire. Courting Alex follows Elfman is a role that is quite a departure from her ditzy spin on Dharma and Greg, as a successful, single (of course!) attorney who is often the subject of her father’s attempts to pair her with the ‘perfect man.’ Beloved long-time actor Dabney Coleman plays Elfman’s father, so the show has no shortage of talent.
Here’s a question, though: why are successful women on TV so often single?
Prime Cuts: Your Best Bets In Prime Time For Monday, 1-22-06
Posted by Rhys Alexander Categories: Comedy, Drama, Prime Time, Reality, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Editorial,
Ah…last night heralded the return of solid, non-weekend TV entertainment. Tonight, we recommend:
King of Queens and How I Met Your Mother, 8 and 8:30pm, CBS. Enjoy all-new episodes of these charming comedies.
Skating With Celebrities, 8pm, FOX. This wonderfully tacky show is sure to please reality lovers, with big drama unfolding tonight as the first couple is eliminated.
24, 9pm, FOX. Jack embarks on the 11:00am hour, fighting bad guys with a limited time to do it. Shocking plot, I know. This is your best bet for 9pm, though if you’re in a romantic mood, you may enjoy a repeat of ABC’s The Bachelor.
Medium, 10pm, NBC. The best show on television offers a new episode tonight, with Allison in a quandary trying to locate a missing boy who, in her visions, turns out to be a rather evil adult.
CSI: Miami, 10pm, CBS. Horatio battles gangs and ‘gators.
The Bachelor, Paris, 10pm, ABC. Romantics will enjoy this new episode, but keep in mind: it doesn’t get much sweeter than Allison and Joe’s relationship on NBC’s Medium.
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