Dec 2007
Writers' strike -- what you can see anyway
12/31/07 03:30 PM
The networks won't be entering the New
Year with all their guns blazing, but they still have
ample ammunition. Go here for answers to your questions
about the ongoing stalemate between writers and
producers.
Also, a happy New Year to one and all. And a reminder that the next Uncle Barky Show, with guest anchor icon Tracy Rowlett, will be on Saturday, Jan. 19th, 4 p.m. at Stratos. Much more on this later, but please mark your calendars to help both unclebarky.com and Tracy's favorite charity, which will receive a $500 donation in his name. Now let's play out 2007 with a combination of Leon Redbone, Johnny Carson and Merv Griffin.
Ed Bark
Also, a happy New Year to one and all. And a reminder that the next Uncle Barky Show, with guest anchor icon Tracy Rowlett, will be on Saturday, Jan. 19th, 4 p.m. at Stratos. Much more on this later, but please mark your calendars to help both unclebarky.com and Tracy's favorite charity, which will receive a $500 donation in his name. Now let's play out 2007 with a combination of Leon Redbone, Johnny Carson and Merv Griffin.
Ed Bark
|
Gamesmanship
12/31/07 12:17 PM
Sunday's listless Cowboys-Redskins
game still drew quite a crowd locally on Fox4. But
was it bigger than that for Saturday night's
tri-network telecast of the closely contested
Patriots-Giants game? You'll know the score after
going here. We also have a complete list
of the regular season's most-and least-watched
Cowboys games.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Meal -- or no meal?
12/28/07 12:06 PM
Cartoonish promotions are always
welcome here at unclebarky.com. Check out this old
greasy spooner tied to NBC5's
series on inclement restaurants. The latest
local Nielsen ratings also are in.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Hello again
12/27/07 02:41 PM
Check out our top 10 list of 2007's
best prime-time series. And there's
a local ratings roundup inside, too.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
D'oh ho ho: it's break time
12/21/07 03:29 PM
We'll be taking a few days off before returning on Dec. 27th with more end-of-the-year wrapups. In the meantime, enjoy the holidays and thanks so much for your continued support of both unclebarky.com and our advertisers. See you again soon!
Ed Bark
Meet the real "Good Time Charlie"
12/21/07 03:19 PM
Charlie Wilson's War opens
Friday on big screens. And The History Channel dives in on
Saturday night with its two-hour The True
Story of Charlie Wilson. They make for a good
stiff drink of the boozing, womanizing Texas
congressman. So if you're gonna see one . . .
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Jessica Simpson's special Tony Romo-inspired Christmas countdown to Saturday's Cowboys game (finale)
12/20/07 11:43 PM
Here you can hear Jessica sing "Let It
Snow" while protecting herself from fake falling
flakes with a red umbrella. But this one's pretty
fetching, and even danceable. In fact it's a damned
fine Christmas tune. There, I said it.
By the way, the game's on MY27 in the D-FW viewing area for the many fans without cable's NFL Network.
Ed Bark
By the way, the game's on MY27 in the D-FW viewing area for the many fans without cable's NFL Network.
Ed Bark
HD around the corner at Fox4?
12/20/07 10:36 PM
Mum's the word, literally, as Fox4
experiments with soundless widescreen telecasts on
its local HD channel (804 on Verizon Fios).
Thursday's 9 and 10 p.m. newscasts both got the
silent treatment but the pictures looked sharper.
Fox4 is D-FW's only major local newscast provider without HD capabilities. Belo8 trail-blazed last February, with NBC5 and CBS11 going high-def. in September. The Peacock's local field reports aren't in HD, though. So in reality, they're still only halfway there.
Asked in early October about her station's HD plans Fox4 vice president and general manager Kathy Saunders told unclebarky.com, "When we do it, we'll do it right."
Presumably they'll promote the big makeover before it actually happens. But so far, nothing.
Ed Bark
Fox4 is D-FW's only major local newscast provider without HD capabilities. Belo8 trail-blazed last February, with NBC5 and CBS11 going high-def. in September. The Peacock's local field reports aren't in HD, though. So in reality, they're still only halfway there.
Asked in early October about her station's HD plans Fox4 vice president and general manager Kathy Saunders told unclebarky.com, "When we do it, we'll do it right."
Presumably they'll promote the big makeover before it actually happens. But so far, nothing.
Ed Bark
Muscling up
12/20/07 03:33 PM
Three North Texans will be among those
challenging NBC's 12 American Gladiators when
the new version dawns on Jan. 6th. Wanna know
who they are? OK, be that way.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio -- or for that matter, Natasha Curry?
12/20/07 01:58 PM
It's been a busy year of departures at
D-FW television stations. Check out unclebarky.com's
first annual list of where they were -- and what
they're doing now.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Bob Bob-ilonsky
12/20/07 10:25 AM
Yoko Romo. Can't take credit for that
delish description of Jessica Simpson, but Unfair
Park's Robert Wilonsky can. Ball's in your
court, Frontburner and His Timness. Bet you can't
beat it.
Addendum: FrontBurner posts that others threw a "Yoko Romo" pass before Bob Bob-ilonsky. So maybe I've got Egg Yoko on my face.
Ed Bark
Addendum: FrontBurner posts that others threw a "Yoko Romo" pass before Bob Bob-ilonsky. So maybe I've got Egg Yoko on my face.
Ed Bark
Jessica Simpson's special Tony Romo-inspired Christmas countdown to Saturday's Cowboys game: Video 2
12/19/07 06:44 PM
2007 -- a storied year in North Texas TV
12/19/07 01:41 PM
We've made a list -- and checked it
more than twice. Presenting a top 10, illustrated countdown of
the year in D-FW television.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
You could be dancing -- yeah!
12/19/07 09:10 AM
Fox's second-hottest competition show,
So You Think You Dance, will kick off
auditions for its fourth season on Jan. 17th in
Dallas.
Times and a venue haven't been announced yet, but you can go here for the latest info.
Five other cities also are in the mix, including polka capital Milwaukee, WI on March 20th. You must be between 18 and 30 years of age at the time of auditions. Dancing generally is a summer show, but with the writers' strike still in progress, air dates could be moved up. CBS already has slotted its summer reality hit, Big Brother, for a midseason premiere.
Ed Bark
Times and a venue haven't been announced yet, but you can go here for the latest info.
Five other cities also are in the mix, including polka capital Milwaukee, WI on March 20th. You must be between 18 and 30 years of age at the time of auditions. Dancing generally is a summer show, but with the writers' strike still in progress, air dates could be moved up. CBS already has slotted its summer reality hit, Big Brother, for a midseason premiere.
Ed Bark
Jessica Simpson's special Tony Romo-inspired Christmas countdown to Saturday's Cowboys game: Video 1
12/18/07 09:10 PM
Homegrown for the holidays
12/18/07 02:56 PM
Belo8 "Why Guy" Mike Castellucci gets
his own half-hour Christmas special Wednesday night.
Let's unwrap it.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
More in store
12/18/07 12:26 PM
Belo8 investigator Byron Harris will be having an
especially merry holiday season. And TV Bulletin Board has tacked on some
interesting new developments.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Take a look inside
12/18/07 10:22 AM
Two week-long reality competitions,
ABC's Duel and NBC's Clash of the
Choirs, premiered against each other Monday
night. How'd they do in D-FW? Also, get a first look
at FX's evocative, first-ever image campaign,
titled "There Is No Box."
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Full of life
12/17/07 03:39 PM
A big-money game show that's not for dolts
12/17/07 02:57 PM
ABC's new week-long, big-money game
show Duel, is surprisingly cerebral. Might
that be its downfall? Our review is here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Back in play: NBC announces returns of Jay, Conan
12/17/07 10:53 AM
NBC's potent late night lineup soon
will return to the land of the living with first-run
shows. Get the details here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
ABC's strike-hampered midseason plans still include Lost
12/16/07 09:24 PM
As the writers' strike continues, ABC
is the last major network to announce what it has in
mind for early next year. See where Lost fits in -- although
maybe not for long.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Performance anxiety? Rom(e)o goes limp with Jess in house
12/16/07 08:43 PM
By ED BARK
Mamas, don't let your Cowboys grow up to date bimbos.
OK, maybe a supposedly sore throwing thumb had more to do with Tony Romo's lousy play against the Eagles Sunday. But that doesn't make for much of a story, as Fox well knows.
The network wasn't shy about showing Jessica Simpson in a pink No. 9 jersey during the Cowboy's play-dead 10-6 loss to Philadelphia. Romo's latest trinket sat in a VIP box at Texas Stadium, where he entertained her with three interceptions and just 13 completed passes in 36 attempts. His quarterback rating for the game -- 22.2 -- was his lowest ever.
"Proving it's never easy to play in front of your girlfriend," announcer Joe Buck noted moments after Romo completed his second pass to the Eagles near the end of the first half.
Buck also wondered whether Romo would have had "a shot" at Simpson during his not-so-long ago days as an obscure Cowboys backup. His booth buddy, Troy Aikman, agreed that it's much easier to score off-field when you're throwing touchdown passes for America's Team.
Aikman mostly didn't play that game during his Hall of Fame career. He dated country singer Lorrie Morgan for a time, but that was about it. Romo already has dallied with Carrie Underwood, Britney Spears and now Simpson in this season alone.
Fox, for its part, trained its cameras on Simpson six different times during the game. Already the network of The Simpsons, it also treated viewers to a second-half excerpt from Jessica's single "B.O.Y." Meanwhile, her boy continued to struggle.
Fox's post-game OT chipped in by replaying two of the Simpson sightings, including the one in which she enthusiastically flaunted her No. 9 in happier times.
The Cowboys' upset loss knocked the team back into a tie with the Green Bay Packers in the battle for guaranteed home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Dallas still has the tiebreaker after beating the Pack, but the Cowboys now have the curse of Jessica Simpson.
Tony the Tiger had better shed her fast and get back to basics. Make every pass count -- but only on the field.
HBO's Extras has a heart in the end
12/14/07 03:03 PM
HBO says goodbye to Extras
Sunday night with an 80-minute series finale that's
both sharp and surprisingly poignant. Take 2, and
then check out our review.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Strike-proof video of the day
12/14/07 09:20 AM
Another Carano wears the pads
12/13/07 06:28 PM
By ED BARK
Dallas native Gina Carano, daughter of former Dallas Cowboys backup QB Glenn Carano, is among the 12 stars of NBC's new version of American Gladiators.
Dubbed "Crush," the 25-year-old mixed martial arts fighter will make her NBC debut on the Jan. 6th, two-hour premiere of the series. Her brief network bio goes like this: "Don't let the winsome smile fool you. Crush earned her well-deserved moniker by smashing opponents into submission. Despite her girl-next-door looks, she's a powerful, fierce opponent who has no problem handling the women competitors, and then going back to breaking men's hearts."
Her dad mostly didn't play for the Cowboys from 1977 to 1983, serving primarily as Danny White's backup. He threw just 57 passes and completed 21. Three went for touchdowns.
Revving up Idol
12/13/07 03:19 PM
American Idol executive
producer Nigel Lythgoe says in a teleconference that
Britney Spears' continued bizarre behavior has taken
her out of the running as a performer or "mentor" on
the show's seventh edition. And a city other than
Dallas produced the best auditioners earlier this
year. Warm up for the Jan. 15th season premiere by
going here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Strike-proof video of the day
12/13/07 12:05 PM
Here's the ultimate minimalist
approach to a network news update. Seven stories in
50 seconds, courtesy of the late Tom Snyder in a 1976
break from NBC programming. Watch how Snyder slides
papers with his left hand while pumping out the crisp
verbiage. There's even a tongue-in-cheek kicker.
Perfect.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
I want to thank . . .
12/13/07 09:09 AM
The latest Golden Globe nominations
for television and movies are in, and you can see the
complete list here. Cable did exceedingly well
overall -- excluding the final season of The
Sopranos -- while ABC led the broadcast
networks. Lamentably, NBC's Friday Night
Lights again got nothing. Our closer look is
here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Do the hulu. You'll be glad you did
12/12/07 02:32 PM
Hulu.com seems like kind of a crazy
name for a state-of-the-art trove of old and new TV
series episodes. But people who name their Web sites
unclebarky.com shouldn't throw stones. Check out what
hulu's all about and also have a
look at the latest Ask Uncle Barky
inquisition. There's other new stuff inside, too.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Strike-proof video of the day
12/12/07 11:06 AM
Effortlessly dreadful, The Star Wars Holiday
Special aired once only on CBS in 1978.
Long since that time, in a place far, far removed
from reality, a certified -- or certifiable --
genius has edited this two-hour spectacle into a
five-minute highlight reel. Harrison Ford, Mark
Hamill, Carrie Fisher and various Wookies are all
willing participants, along with "special guest
stars" Art Carney, Bea Arthur, Diahann Carroll,
Harvey Korman and The Jefferson Starship. How
could this have happened? No, really. How could
this have happened?
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Tiara times two
12/11/07 06:06 PM
A pair of mother-daughter teams with
North Texas ties are among those hoping to avoid the
agony of "de-sashing" on The CW's new Crowned: The
Mother of All Pageants. Urp, our review is
here. And in a strike-hobbled
season, there's a helluva lot more of this coming.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
New vistas in homegrown entertainment: The Uncle Barky Show arrives on pegasusnews.com
12/11/07 02:41 PM
The premiere episode of The Uncle
Barky Show is up and running in six convenient,
extended clips on pegasusnews.com. Many, many thanks
to Mike Orren, Catherine Cuellar and Teresa
Gubbins for all the effort that went into putting
this together. And to inaugural guest Gordon Keith
for providing a lot of fine material during the
Dec. 1st opener. They and the audience also had to
endure my show-stopping singing, which is
available in the climactic clip for anyone with a
strong stomach and tin ear.
We'll do it again -- but probably not the singing -- on a date to be announced in January. Our special guest will be CBS11 anchor Tracy Rowlett. Meanwhile, please sample the fine food and drink at Stratos Greek Taverna & Restaurant, official home of The Uncle Barky Show. I'll shut up now.
Ed Bark
We'll do it again -- but probably not the singing -- on a date to be announced in January. Our special guest will be CBS11 anchor Tracy Rowlett. Meanwhile, please sample the fine food and drink at Stratos Greek Taverna & Restaurant, official home of The Uncle Barky Show. I'll shut up now.
Ed Bark
Deal or no deal? CW33's 9 p.m. news
12/11/07 02:04 PM
There's another local newscast in D-FW,
even if it sometimes seems to be coming from
Terrytown. Let's give it a whirl.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Strike-proof video of the day
12/11/07 10:19 AM
Game's on
12/10/07 04:27 PM
Yes, that's Tom Landry on a vintage TV game show. But why's he dressed like a pilot? Check out our Top 10 countdown of all-time great quizzes on the Making A List page. It's just in time for a new onslaught of prime-time games that have nothing to do with football but everything to do with the ongoing and now likely very prolonged writers' strike.
Ed Bark
Stocking the shelves
12/10/07 12:33 PM
Where did Sunday's last-second
Cowboys' win over Detroit rank in
the ratings hierarchy of this season's 13 games?
And what's up with TV's strike talks? Not much.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Strike-proof video of the day
12/10/07 11:15 AM
Winfrey and Albom put their names in his title
12/07/07 01:10 PM
Oprah Winfrey and Mitch Albom
collaborate in ABC's adaptation of his latest
bestseller. Does Sunday's For One More Day
hold a candle to Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie?
Our review awaits. Also, check out a
pair of vintage KXAS news promos that are
now perfect to goof on.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Strike-proof video of the day
12/07/07 10:37 AM
Hate to say it, but this latest
"Speechless" video, starring Woody Allen, is pretty
funny without any written words to support it..
The Writers Guild of America is using the videos, now 20 in number, to help rally support to its ongoing strike. In this case, though, just watching Woody proves to be entertaining in its own right.
Ed Bark
The Writers Guild of America is using the videos, now 20 in number, to help rally support to its ongoing strike. In this case, though, just watching Woody proves to be entertaining in its own right.
Ed Bark
A year that kept raising hell
12/06/07 04:25 PM
Tom Brokaw rides his way-back machine
to 1968 for a same-named History Channel documentary
this Sunday. As one who vividly experienced that
year, my head seems to have cleared enough to
write about it.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Plug in to this Charger
12/06/07 03:12 PM
We're rightly cynical about
millionaire pro athletes who pledge allegiance to the
idea of helping others. But it seems as though you
can take it to the bank when former TCU running back
LaDainlian Tomlinson says he'd rather be remembered
for what he does off the field.
Tomlinson, now a record-breaking running back with the San Diego Chargers, will be profiled by correspondent Bob Simon on this Sunday's 60 Minutes. Here's a feel-good excerpt. Ed Bark
Tomlinson, now a record-breaking running back with the San Diego Chargers, will be profiled by correspondent Bob Simon on this Sunday's 60 Minutes. Here's a feel-good excerpt. Ed Bark
Sing loud enough so Grammy can hear
12/06/07 01:49 PM
Nominees for the 50th annual Grammy
Awards are in, and quite a few of the artists are
over 50.
There also are four American Idol alums this time, but Kelly Clarkson had to sneak in via a duet with Reba McEntire. You can see the entire 110-category list here. Most of the Grammys will be awarded off-camera before CBS presents the prime-time ceremony on Feb. 10th.
Ed Bark
There also are four American Idol alums this time, but Kelly Clarkson had to sneak in via a duet with Reba McEntire. You can see the entire 110-category list here. Most of the Grammys will be awarded off-camera before CBS presents the prime-time ceremony on Feb. 10th.
Ed Bark
Strike-proof video of the day
12/06/07 12:58 PM
Jimmy Kimmel generously continues to
pay the salaries of his laid-off staff as the
writers' strike endures. In return we'd like to thank
him with this video of his fuzzy "Winter Wonderland"
duet with Mike Tyson. It's the gift that keeps on
giving, and the lyrics long ago were grandfathered
in.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Strike-proof video of the day
12/05/07 01:59 PM
The ongoing writers' strike still has
America bereft of new late night entertainment, save
for Carson Daly's Last Call, watched by no one
with or without writers. We'll try to alleviate some
of the pain with this classic David Letterman clip.
He may well have pulled this one off entirely on his
own.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Don't squeeze the charmin' -- Cowboys receiver, that is
12/04/07 03:30 PM
Reporters should know better than
this, particularly when the camera's rolling. But
Belo8's Debbie Denmon couldn't help herself
during Monday night's big charity birthday bash
for Terrell Owens.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Adding, subtracting TCU grads at NBC5
12/04/07 10:49 AM
By ED BARK
NBC5 has hired San Antonio native and Texas Christian University grad Omar Villafranca as the station's newest reporter. He'll begin work in January after just over three years at CBS affiliate KOTV-TV in Tulsa as an anchor/reporter.
Departing NBC5 is David Quinlan, also a TCU grad. He joined the station in September 2005, and has decided to take a job with a Seattle news station.
No further comment necessary
12/04/07 09:04 AM
Writers' strike prompts NBC, CBS to make more midseason shifts
12/03/07 05:41 PM
NBC and CBS both have made significant
changes in their midseason schedules in response to
the ongoing writers' strike. Check them out here, and also test-drive a new
"Ask Uncle Barky."
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Hire all of them! Immediately!
12/03/07 02:50 PM
SMU school of journalism teacher Lucy Scott gave her students a daunting if not dispiriting task this semester. As part of her "Current Issues in the News" class, she required them to study the independent coverage of local TV news on unclebarky.com.
As you can see from the above picture, they've emerged as a distinguished group of enlightened scholars. I met them for the first time on Monday morning, and they didn't seem too crestfallen.
Scott, a former reporter for CBS News and Belo8, says her students avidly tackled the subject matter. And there reportedly is now interest in naming a restroom in honor of Uncle Barky. Or if not that, a closet.
It was great to meet this first group of unclebarky.com underclasswomen/men. And it's hoped their parents will understand.
Ed Bark
Wheels off
12/03/07 02:39 PM
The death of Evel Knievel last week
recalls a strange encounter in Dallas. Back Channels spins the
tale.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Re-stocking
12/03/07 12:56 PM
The most popular series in basic cable
history, TNT's The Closer, returns for a
one-night stand Monday with an unconventional,
two-hour Christmas special. Also, the D-FW
weekend Nielsen ratings are in.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
The Uncle Barky Show has one to grow on
12/02/07 08:11 PM
Many thanks to all who attended the
first Uncle Barky Show Saturday afternoon. Guest
Gordon Keith of "The Ticket" was funny and also
surprisingly introspective. I think the audience
got a chance to see the real Gordo in addition to
the guy they hear on the radio. And that's one of
our main objectives in doing this.
Pegasusnews.com filmed the entire program, and plans to post it soon. We'll keep you posted.
Also, thanks to Stratos Greek Taverna, a great venue for the show, and good friend Michael Precker, its chief organizer and cheerleader.
We plan to do the show monthly, with CBS11 anchor Tracy Rowlett our next scheduled guest on a date to be announced in January.
And yes, the banner ad above is dated at this point, but we'll put up a new one as soon as it's sent our way.
(Note: November postings on "Above the Fold" are now in that month's archives. So if you need to catch up, just give it a click.)
Ed Bark
Pegasusnews.com filmed the entire program, and plans to post it soon. We'll keep you posted.
Also, thanks to Stratos Greek Taverna, a great venue for the show, and good friend Michael Precker, its chief organizer and cheerleader.
We plan to do the show monthly, with CBS11 anchor Tracy Rowlett our next scheduled guest on a date to be announced in January.
And yes, the banner ad above is dated at this point, but we'll put up a new one as soon as it's sent our way.
(Note: November postings on "Above the Fold" are now in that month's archives. So if you need to catch up, just give it a click.)
Ed Bark