Q&A: April 20
20/04/09 11:42
Question: I'm struck by how much Mary McCormack of In Plain Sight and Maria Bello of various movie look alike. Are they related?
David Dunbar
Answer: Others have noticed this, too, but I've found no evidence that they're related.
Question: Have you heard anything about the future of One Tree Hill? I'm hearing this might be its final season. I have a house full of OTH fans and would love to know!
Dorothy White
Answer: One Tree Hill has been picked up for a seventh season on The CW. The network also has announced renewals of 90210, Supernatural, Smallville, America's Top Model and Gossip Girl for next season.
Question: I just read a little post on shows that may be canceled. There were several that I'm a fan of, but a couple of them really upset me. Fringe and Life ?!? I thought Fringe was doing well. I've been onboard since Day One and I'd really be disappointed if Fringe is axed. I've never really heard much about the ratings for Life, and I was late coming to this party, but I've become a fan. Any word on Life?
Derrick Dennis
Answer: Life, which has gone under-appreciated from the start, looks like an extreme longshot to return next season. Sorry about that, but NBC will have five fewer prime-time drama hours available next fall when Jay Leno takes the weeknight 9 p.m. (central) slot. That makes it even tougher for Life unless DirecTV again comes to the rescue, as it has with NBC's Friday Night Lights.
Fringe, as well as fellow Fox newcomer Lie to Me, both look like pretty solid bets to be back. But I'd count out Fox's two Friday night sci-fi entries, Dollhouse and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
Question: I'm watching the unwatchable Jimmy Fallon, which I do as rarely as possible. The only reason I'm watching is because Michael Emerson (Benjamin Linus on Lost) is one of the guests. Jimmy's monologues are pure torture. Even the audience chuckles sound embarrassed.
Also, I'm a huge Craig Ferguson fan. I wish CBS would throw some money into his show and get him a band and a better set and put him in HD. His guests, while enjoyable primarily because of Ferguson's interview style, are seldom people I'd like to see. Does CBS have any plans to give him an upgrade?
Rachel Dillard
Answer: Ferguson really should be upgraded to HD. That's the very least CBS can do. Especially since ABC began showing Jimmy Kimmel in HD on April 14th, leaving Ferguson the odd man out. CBS has, however, upped the promotions for Ferguson's Late Late Show.
Ferguson's monologues have become his show's trademark ever since he started improvising and mostly doing away with cue card prompts. Fallon's openings indeed are still painful, but I did kinda like the recent joke about how the new White House dog, Bo, "arrived just in time because Sasha and Malia were getting tired of throwing frisbees to Joe Biden."
Ratings-wise, Fallon and Ferguson often run neck-and-neck, both nationally and in D-FW. Ferguson also had been increasingly competitive with Fallon's predecessor, Conan O'Brien. So the momentum may still be with Ferguson, but Fallon has improved -- performance-wise -- after a very flop-sweaty first week.
David Dunbar
Answer: Others have noticed this, too, but I've found no evidence that they're related.
Question: Have you heard anything about the future of One Tree Hill? I'm hearing this might be its final season. I have a house full of OTH fans and would love to know!
Dorothy White
Answer: One Tree Hill has been picked up for a seventh season on The CW. The network also has announced renewals of 90210, Supernatural, Smallville, America's Top Model and Gossip Girl for next season.
Question: I just read a little post on shows that may be canceled. There were several that I'm a fan of, but a couple of them really upset me. Fringe and Life ?!? I thought Fringe was doing well. I've been onboard since Day One and I'd really be disappointed if Fringe is axed. I've never really heard much about the ratings for Life, and I was late coming to this party, but I've become a fan. Any word on Life?
Derrick Dennis
Answer: Life, which has gone under-appreciated from the start, looks like an extreme longshot to return next season. Sorry about that, but NBC will have five fewer prime-time drama hours available next fall when Jay Leno takes the weeknight 9 p.m. (central) slot. That makes it even tougher for Life unless DirecTV again comes to the rescue, as it has with NBC's Friday Night Lights.
Fringe, as well as fellow Fox newcomer Lie to Me, both look like pretty solid bets to be back. But I'd count out Fox's two Friday night sci-fi entries, Dollhouse and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
Question: I'm watching the unwatchable Jimmy Fallon, which I do as rarely as possible. The only reason I'm watching is because Michael Emerson (Benjamin Linus on Lost) is one of the guests. Jimmy's monologues are pure torture. Even the audience chuckles sound embarrassed.
Also, I'm a huge Craig Ferguson fan. I wish CBS would throw some money into his show and get him a band and a better set and put him in HD. His guests, while enjoyable primarily because of Ferguson's interview style, are seldom people I'd like to see. Does CBS have any plans to give him an upgrade?
Rachel Dillard
Answer: Ferguson really should be upgraded to HD. That's the very least CBS can do. Especially since ABC began showing Jimmy Kimmel in HD on April 14th, leaving Ferguson the odd man out. CBS has, however, upped the promotions for Ferguson's Late Late Show.
Ferguson's monologues have become his show's trademark ever since he started improvising and mostly doing away with cue card prompts. Fallon's openings indeed are still painful, but I did kinda like the recent joke about how the new White House dog, Bo, "arrived just in time because Sasha and Malia were getting tired of throwing frisbees to Joe Biden."
Ratings-wise, Fallon and Ferguson often run neck-and-neck, both nationally and in D-FW. Ferguson also had been increasingly competitive with Fallon's predecessor, Conan O'Brien. So the momentum may still be with Ferguson, but Fallon has improved -- performance-wise -- after a very flop-sweaty first week.