This Week on TV (9/28-9/21)
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Games, Prime Time, Reality, Sci-Fi/Horror, Specials, ABC, Cable, CBS, FOX, HBO, NBC, Amazing Race, The, Dancing With The Stars, Desperate Housewives, ER, Family Guy, Grey’s Anatomy, Heroes, My Name Is Earl, Survivor, The Office,
(You can view TV Envy’s Fall Television Programming Schedule here.)
MONDAY (9/22)
Season premieres: The Big Bang Theory, Boston Legal, CSI: Miami, Dancing with the Stars, Heroes, How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, Worst Week
- Dancing with the Stars (ABC, 8pm): Special two-hour premiere. “The season begins with 13 new celebrities.” Any time a reference is made about Kim Kardashian’s butt or cut foot, take a drink.
- Two and a Half Men (CBS, 9pm): “Charlie runs into an ex-girlfriend whose son bears a striking resemblance to him.” As if Charlie Sheen really needed to get involved in another custody issue.
- Heroes (NBC, 9pm): Special two-hour premiere. “Suresh makes an important breakthrough.” It’s taken him two seasons to realize how boring his character is.
- Worst Week (CBS, 9:30pm): Series premiere. “Disaster-prone Sam Briggs, and his girlfriend, Melanie, visit her parents – who don’t like Sam – to tell them that they are engaged and expecting a child.” It’s always good to get the disappointing news out all at once.
Click to continue reading This Week on TV (9/28-9/21)
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Did Sarah Palin Save the GOP?
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Reality, Editorial, Gossip, Ratings,
You probably never heard of her before, but after this past week it’s going to be hard to forget Sarah Palin’s name and face. The highly unknown governor dropped jaws when she stood beside John McCain at the Republican National Convention merely days ago, and in one lightning flash went from “who’s that?” to “potential Vice President.” Ah, politics.
Palin has created a brand-new buzz for the GOP that has suddenly thrust the Republican national ticket into the limelight - and into the realm of real possibility - once more. Maybe you can’t trust the media hype or the sudden sensation she’s created, but you can trust the ratings.
On its second night of coverage, the Republican National Convention drew in a staggering 21.5 million viewers. The numbers are huge, sure, but still not as big as the 26 million the Democratic Convention drew just the week before. And now, both conventions are over….and which one is everyone talking about?
Click to continue reading Did Sarah Palin Save the GOP?
NielsenWire
Let the Arguments Begin: Debate Schedule Released
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Prime Time, Reality, Specials, CBS, PBS, Features,
Both sides have met, looked over their schedules, and finally come to a conclusion. That’s right, America’s two greatest political parties have at long last worked together to reach a decision: after weeks and weeks, they’ve finally agreed to a schedule for the Presidential and Vice Presidential debates.
The interrogation begins in September. The 26th of the month, to be precise, the first Presidential debate will take place in Oxford, Mississippi at the University of Mississippi. You can view the arguments on PBS, as the event will be moderated by Jim Lehrer (The NewsHour). The time is scheduled for talk on foreign policy and national security, i.e. the war in Iraq.
October 2 will see the Vice Presidential debates, which I fully expect will score record ratings this year. This takes place in St. Louis, Missouri at Washington University and can also be viewed on PBS. The moderator is Gwen Ifill, also of The NewsHour.
Click to continue reading Let the Arguments Begin: Debate Schedule Released
CNN
The Election’s Not Over
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Reality, Specials, Gossip,
After months of hard-core coverage, tons of big banner headlines and more primary elections than you can shake a stick at, suddenly the election news is quiet. Now that all the little battles are over (McCain vs. the world, Obama vs. Clinton, etc.), there is only one last war to wage.
And yet…no one seems to care.
The news has slowed almost to a trickle and the television coverage is slim at best. But there’s a whole lot more to do before the country takes to the polls on November 4, 2008. Namely, aren’t there supposed to be some Presidential debates coming up?
Click to continue reading The Election’s Not Over
You Decide 2008
The Day American History Changed
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Reality, Editorial,
The first televised presidential debates took place between a man named John Kennedy, and another by the name of Richard Nixon. The latter had a darker complexion, a five o’clock shadow and let’s face it - he wasn’t as young and attractive as JFK. Many historians believe that if these debates had not been televised, for the very first time giving Americans an up close and personal look at their candidates, the election might have gone a different way. That’s the power of television.
Now, all debates are televised. Hours and hours of news coverage are devoted to those debates, to interviewing the candidates, to talking about political ideas and promises. For months, those same television newscasters have been talking about this year’s presidential election, and in their way they have helped to write one of the most important pages of history. That’s right: it’s official. Barack Obama has secured the democratic presidential nomination. CNN, via television, broke the story first.
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The Day American History Changed
Wednesday Ratings: Presidential Debate Draws Interest
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Comedy, Drama, Games, Music, Prime Time, Reality, Specials, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, The CW, America’s Next Top Model, American Idol, Ratings,
Even though it was the umpteenth time Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton had faced off, ABC’s debate actually did quite well…especially on an American Idol night.
8pm
- Yesterday’s 2008 presidential debate (10.7 million, 2.7/7 in 18-49) was the season’s most-watched.
- Deal or No Deal (9.7 million, 2.6/8) and Big Brother (6.1 million, 2.3/7) were both up 100,00 from last week.
- ‘Til Death (2.0/7) had 5.8 million laughing; Back to You (7 million, 2.4/7) did even better.
- About 3.7 million saw Stacy-Ann sent home on America’s Next Top Model (1.8/6).
Click to continue reading Wednesday Ratings: Presidential Debate Draws Interest
Variety
Not-So-Super Debate for Super Tuesday
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Prime Time, Specials, Cable, Editorial,
The only two Democratic Presidential contenders remaining sat down Thursday night to address the issues in the last Democratic debate before the colossal event dubbed Super Tuesday by the media. For those of you who didn’t see it, the event was marked by two hours of hemming, hawing, and several pointless questions. In other words, it wasn’t a huge departure from the other debates we’ve been treated to thus far.
Senator Barack Obama began with his opening statement, first thanking former competitor John Edwards in a very classy beginning parry. He made the prediction, to stirring applause from a group of voters which included famous directors Steven Spielberg and Rob Reiner, that either he or Hillary Clinton will be the next President of the United States. But let’s not count the Republicans out yet.
Obama also referred to the fierce battle he and his fellow Senator are currently waging for the Democratic nomination, calling their race “competitive.” Nice euphemism. Nobody’s buying it, though. He also said it’s time to take the country in a “new direction” and said this (the election) will be a “defining moment” in history.
Clinton, who was carefully neutral in a brown pantsuit which she erringly paired with some simply terrible turquoise jewelry, looked on with an ingratiating smile before beginning her own opening remarks. Sure to get her digs in, Clinton called Bush’s “a failed administration” and predicted there will be a “heap” of problems to solve when either she or Obama makes it to the White House next January.
Click to continue reading Not-So-Super Debate for Super Tuesday
The Moderate Voice
This Week on TV (12/31-1/6)
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Comedy, Drama, Games, Late Night, Music, Prime Time, Reality, Specials, Sports, Talk Shows, ABC, Cable, CBS, FOX, HBO, MTV, NBC, Showtime, Apprentice, The - Donald, Desperate Housewives, ER,
(Reminder: You can view the whole Revamped TV Programming Schedule here.)
MONDAY (12/31)
- Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2008 (ABC, 10pm): Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest will co-host the event. Is Miley Cyrus old enough to be associated with a drinking holiday?
- New Year’s Eve Live (FOX, 11pm): Idol alums Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis will perform. In just a few short weeks, we’ll start caring about a new batch of idols.
- Tila Tequila’s New Year’s Eve Masquerade (MTV, 11pm): NYC masked ball will include Kid Rock and Mary J. Blige. Has it already been a year since we were forced to watch Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo kiss?
- NBC’s New Year’s Eve With Carson Daly (NBC, 11:35pm): Alicia Keys and Lenny Kravitz will be performing. This may be the first time in a while someone has stayed awake to watch Daly’s show.
Click to continue reading This Week on TV (12/31-1/6)
Keeping Up With the Presidential Hopefuls
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Specials, Cable, News,
Get your DVR ready, set up the Tivo, or pop a tape into that antiquated VCR – because if you don’t, you’re probably going to miss the next round of Presidential Primary Debates. The writers’ strike has changed everything about TV, and the democratic process is no exception. The Democratic debate scheduled for December 10 was canceled because the three front runners in that party (Clinton, Obama, Edwards) would not cross picket lines. But never fear, there’s one scheduled for December 13 that will go on as planned. On the Republican side, the debate takes place on December 12. But odd time slots mean you’re probably going to miss every bit of these two-hour arguments.
The December 12 debate (Republicans) and the December 13 debate (Democrats) will both air on the Fox News Channel (a partisan cable channel if ever there was one) at 2 pm. 2 pm? Yes, in the middle of the day (hence, the need for recording devices). The Democratic debates scheduled for December 17 and January 6 have been canceled, but these Presidential hopefuls will bump heads again on January 5, 21 and 31 (New Year’s Eve – what a great addition to any party). Meanwhile, the Republican hopefuls (including Giuliani) will argue their sides on January 5,6, 10 and 30.
Click to continue reading Keeping Up With the Presidential Hopefuls
The Pre-Primary Period
Party Politics and the Writer’s Strike
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Daytime, Prime Time, Specials, Talk Shows, ABC, CBS, 24, Desperate Housewives, House, News,
This is how it works. The Writer’s Guild of America has gone on strike. For most of us, this means that shows like House, 24, Desperate Housewives and a whole host of others won’t be on the air. But the writer’s strike has a bigger effect, and not just on our TV watching. Not only will this strike begin to effect the economy, but now it’s affecting the future of our nation. Because when party politics mixes with a writer’s strike, no one gets to benefit.
Let’s talk about Democrats. Support for unions is one of the bedrocks of the Democratic party – in fact, no self-respecting Democratic politician would ever be seen crossing a picket line. And right now, there are plenty of picket lines in front of TV studios. How does it affect you? If you’ve been looking forward to another Democratic primary Presidential debate (and there’s one scheduled December 10), you may wind up disappointed. Hosted by CBS News, this particular debate was scheduled many months in advance. But the Democratic contenders who will appear in the debate absolutely will not cross a picket line. That’s party politics.
Click to continue reading Party Politics and the Writer’s Strike
Hollywood Reporter
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