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Two new series premieres: CBS' Rush Hour, AXS TV's Hoff the Record

Eighteen years after the first Rush Hour made a ton of dough, CBS offers a marked-down series version. Our review is here.

Also, David Hasselhoff is back yet again in Hoff the Record, a six-episode “mockumentary” that launched last summer in the UK and now comes to these shores via Mark Cuban’s AXS TV. We take a look at that one right here.

Plus, Wednesday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings “snapshot” spotlights the return of Fox’s Empire and the dominance of NBC5 during the early evening outbreak of severe weather.
Ed Bark

Republicans/CNN go all-white in 3-hour town hall meeting

Was there not a single minority Republican to be found in Milwaukee Tuesday night? CNN’s three-hour “town hall” meeting, in which Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and John Kasich all individually participated, included a total of 27 questions from the audience. All were from whites, which is more than a little jarring in this day and age. Our commentary is on the Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark

Remembering Patty Duke

Patty Duke died Thursday at age 69 after an acting career that took off during her teenage years. The Patty Duke Show also put her through a wringer that tormented her for decades. Our remembrances, based on first-hand experiences with the award-winning actress, is on the Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark

Unsteady as it goes: Hulu's The Path

Aaron Paul of Breaking Bad is returning to the small screen, and once again his character is very shaky and unsure. Our review of Hulu’s The Path is right here.
Ed Bark

NBC5 weekend nighttime anchor Amanda Guerra is latest D-FW departure

The rushes to the door have resumed in earnest at D-FW’s major TV news providers.

Unclebarky.com has learned that NBC5’s Amanda Guerra is the latest to be leaving. As previously posted, her colleague, reporter Ellen Bryan, logged her last day at the station on Friday, March 25th.

Guerra’s last day will be on March 30th. She has been co-anchoring NBC5’s weekend evening and late night newscasts.

More details on Guerra’s departure are here. And you can read about Bryan’s exit here.
Ed Bark

Remembering the one of a kind Garry Shandling

Garry Shandling’s death Thursday silenced one of the great comedic minds of the last quarter-century. He had two classic TV series -- It’s Garry Shandling’s Show and The Larry Sanders Show. Our appreciation, including material from several first-hand interviews -- is on the Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark

Using his religion: former WFAA8 weathercaster Troy Dungan and his new Bible teachings book

Troy Dungan spent 31 years doing the weather at Dallas-based WFAA8 until his retirement in July 2007. His latest calling is a new book, Jesus Makes Salsa by the Seashore. Our interview with Dungan, about both keeping the faith and the current state of TV weathercasting, is on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

TEGNA8 names Alisha Laventure as new weekend morning anchor

Dallas-based TEGNA8 has hired Alisha Laventure from Long Island as the station’s latest weekend morning anchor. She’ll be the third in two years. Details are on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.

Also, the story on chief meteorologist Larry Mowry’s departure from CBS11 to Chicago’s WLS-TV has been updated with quotes from him.
Ed Bark

CBS11 chief meteorologist Larry Mowry officially now with Chicago's WLS-TV

Two weeks after veteran Chicago blogger Robert Feder first broke the news, WLS-TV officially has announced the hiring of veteran CBS11 chief meteorologist Larry Mowry. We have comments from CBS11 and further details on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.

Plus, the Monday-Tuesday D-FW Nielsen ratings “snapshot” is posted.
Ed Bark

Two new dramas: NBC's Heartbeat and ABC's The Catch

A doctor with lots of patients and little patience. A caper series in the mode of The Thomas Crown Affair. Both arrive this week while spring also is sprung. Our review of NBC’s Heartbeat is here. And ABC’s The Catch gets the once over here.

Plus, the weekend D-FW Nielsen ratings “snapshot” is loaded with divergent TV attractions, ranging from the musical crucifixion of Christ to the self-inflicted demise of Northern Iowa at the hands of Texas A&M.
Ed Bark

FX's The Americans keeps getting better

Season 4 of FX’s The Americans launches on Wednesday, March 16th. It’s hard to get better when you’ve already set the bar so high. But in this view, The Americans has done just that. See more on our Network News & Reviews page.

Plus, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings “snapshot” is up and running. And for Steve Harvey, the continued boffo numbers for NBC’s Little Big Shots solidify him him as prime-time’s reigning host of all hosts -- despite that Miss Universe gaffe.
Ed Bark

Warburton again stands out in a crowd -- in NBC's Crowded

The still amusing deadpan stylings of Patrick Warburton are on full display in NBC’s Crowded, which sneak-previews with back-to-back episodes on Tuesday, March 15th. Our review is here.

Plus, Fort Worth-based NBC5 has hired a new reporter, Courtney Gilmore, from the Peacock’s Houston affiliate station. Details are on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

Trump and his obvious misstatements again get their way on CNN

Sometimes enough is enough. Particularly where CNN and Donald Trump are concerned. The network could and should have called him on several obvious misstatements and contradictions during the time spanning his post-debate interview Thursday night and his welcoming of Dr. Ben Carson’s endorsement Friday morning. But the official network of all things Trump again flunked Journalism 101. Our commentary is on the Network News & Reviews page.

Also, a considerably tamer Republican presidential candidate debate hit something of a ratings wall Thursday night. Details are in our latest D-FW Nielsen ratings “snapshot.”
Ed Bark

Underground gives WGN America another worthy drama series

Increasingly ambitious WGN America’s latest original drama series begins in 1857 Georgia with the origins of the “underground railroad.” Our review is here.

Plus, Tuesday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings “snapshot” is posted and there’s also a new entry on the TV Bulletin Board page.
Ed Bark

Bible thumper: the Old Testament gets another new makeover in ABC's Of Kings and Prophets

Old King Saul and hunky slingshot marksman David are the central figures in ABC’s Of Kings and Prophets, which makes its delayed debut on Tuesday, March 8th. Our review is here.

Also, the 22nd edition of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars ups its game with two current NFL stars in its 12-contestant mix. Check out the new field on the TV Bulletin Board page.
Ed Bark

CBS11 chief meteorologist Larry Mowry reportedly relocating to Chicago after eight-year stay in D-FW

Larry Mowry, CBS11’s principal forecaster for the past eight years, reportedly will be heading north to Chicago’s ABC-owned WLS-TV, where he worked earlier in his career.

The station’s chief meteorologist has been anchoring CBS11’s 5, 6 and 10 p.m. weekday weathercasts. Details are on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

Brawling Republicans again knock out the competition

Fox News Channel’s four-way Republican presidential debate ended up being another round of name-calling among Donald Trump, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz.

Trump also cited his allegedly prodigious manhood in the two-hour cage match. The fourth wheel, John Kasich, again stayed out of the ring and took as high a road as he could. It all made for another ratings smash in D-FW, with almost a half-million viewers partaking. The complete numbers are on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

Yet another ABC string-along with The Family

ABC’s The Family premieres on Thursday, March 3rd before relocating to its regular Sunday night slot. Those with the patience to stick with another of the network’s slow reveals might find it worth a try. Our review is here.
Ed Bark

D-FW's February ratings "sweeps" are most notable for TEGNA8's 10 p.m. tumble amid year-to-year audience losses for all (except Fox4/NBC5 at 6 a.m.)

D-FW’s February local newscast “sweeps” results are in. All the numbers and our comments are on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

Two Wednesday night newbies: Sundance TV's Hap and Leonard; ABC's The Real O'Neals

Set in 1980s East Texas but filmed in current-day Louisiana, Sundance TV’s six-episode Hap and Leonard makes a distinctive impression on Sundance TV Wednesday night. Their darkly comic adventures are adapted from Joe R. Lansdale’s series of novels, and our review is here.

ABC also sets forth Wednesday with a double shot of the comedy series The Real O’Neals. It’s another of the network’s narrative-driven family comedies, this time told from the perspective of a 16-year-old coming to grips with being gay. The review is here.

Plus, we have an account and group picture from Monday night’s “Weathering Heights” event featuring a panel of trailblazing former and current weathercasters. Check it out on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.

Furthermore, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings “snapshot” spotlights the continued punch of NBC’s The Voice and also details the numbers for “Super Tuesday” coverage.
Ed Bark