Jun 2011
Happy Fourth, everybody!!!
06/30/11 08:27 PM
It's time for unclebarky.com to take an extended Fourth of July weekend. Starting right now. Why? Well, because.
There are plenty of new posts inside, though. Just click and browse. And thanks again for your patronage. Have a safe and very happy holiday.
Ed Bark
The reign of the "reality competition" series (will it ever end?)
06/29/11 04:31 PM
When is the last time a scripted drama or comedy series ranked No. 1 in prime-time for a full TV season? It's been a while. And based on what's transpiring now, it may never happen again. Our look at the boom broadcast network market for "reality competition" shows is on the Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Borta sets jaw, throws jabs, gets through The Talk intact
06/28/11 04:24 PM
CBS11 anchor Karen Borta guest-hosted on CBS' The Talk Tuesday afternoon. She survived quite nicely, even while amid talking points ranging from "going commando" to former congressman Anthony Weiner of "sexting" infamy. Our review and another picture are here.
Ed Bark
USA network puts on another summertime show with unpolished Necessary Roughness
06/28/11 12:59 PM
NBC's sister cable network, USA, has a mostly successful track record with its "Characters Welcome" roster of breezy dramas. The new Necessary Roughness needs a sander, though. Our review is here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
No (John Wiley) Price increase for Monday's local newscast ratings
06/28/11 10:55 AM
D-FW's four major TV news providers swarmed Monday's John Wiley Price-connected FBI raids like ants on a dripping Popsicle. But the Nielsen ratings remained in their summer hammocks, and at 10 p.m. were far lower than the previous Monday's. Details are in our latest "Local Nielsen Ratings Snapshot."
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Love in the Wild offers chance to root for the crocodiles
06/28/11 09:14 AM
Another gaggle of lovelorn beautiful people gathers to pin down true love in NBC's new summertime jungle caper. Our review of Love in the Wild is here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
"Just one more thing:" Remembering the late Peter Falk's rumpled TV classic
06/24/11 03:32 PM
Peter Falk and Columbo will always be inseparable. The actor who gave life to one of TV's all-time classic crimesolvers has died at age 83. Our tribute and a short video are on the Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
More Grade A work by Linney in Season 2 of Showtime's The Big C
06/24/11 12:40 PM
Laura Linney's Cathy Jamison resumes her battle with Stage 4 melanoma on a new season of Showtime's The Big C. Show time is Monday, and our review is here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
CBS11's Karen Borta will walk The Talk
06/24/11 10:23 AM
In the latest round of national exposure for D-FW news personalities, CBS11 anchor Karen Borta will be a guest host on The Talk next week. Get the details here. Plus, Thursday's D-FW Nielsen ratings show a big opening night for another "reality competition" concoction.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Wurst case scenario: Mavs could get a Round 1 Bucky Badger steal
06/23/11 05:02 PM
Gotta stand up for my alma mater, but this is a no-brainer. I can't believe that Wisconsin Badgers forward Jon Leuer is barely a part of the Round 1 NBA draft conversation. Which means the Dallas Mavericks, picking No. 26, can land him if they want. Which they should. Here's why there should be more allure for Leuer.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
CW33 adds "Tech Zen," WFAA8 does its own Bing/Bowie, etc. etc.
06/23/11 02:30 PM
No North Texas TV news station has a more rapidly revolving door than CW33. But at least they're still hiring, with the latest addition a "Tech Zen" named Shama Kabani. Get more details here. Plus, WFAA8's Good Morning Texas unforgettably(?) pairs Marvin Hamlisch with Deuce Bigalow star Rob Schneider.
Wednesday's President Obama-infused D-FW Nielsen ratings also are in. And on my home away from home, locatetv.com, your friendly content provider talks about the furor over the Season 1 finale of AMC's The Killing.
Ed Bark
Wednesday's President Obama-infused D-FW Nielsen ratings also are in. And on my home away from home, locatetv.com, your friendly content provider talks about the furor over the Season 1 finale of AMC's The Killing.
Ed Bark
True Blood will soon be vamping again
06/22/11 04:59 PM
Season 4 of HBO's latter day most popular series, True Blood, begins sucking the life out of summer this Sunday. The first three episodes are just enough to make it worth your while anew. Our review is here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
USA network again seems to know what Suits it
06/22/11 01:45 PM
NBC continues to be a stumblebum, at least in terms of turning out new scripted hits that have nothing to do with singing competitions or sword-swallowing. But its corporate cousin, the USA network, keeps grinding out new, watchable dramas that stick to the prime-time wall. The latest is likely to be Suits. Our review is here.
Plus, Tuesday's D-FW Nielsen ratings are a wellness verdict for ABC's new Combat Hospital.
Ed Bark
Plus, Tuesday's D-FW Nielsen ratings are a wellness verdict for ABC's new Combat Hospital.
Ed Bark
RX for FX? A talking, pot-smoking dog with an excremental view on life in Wilfred
06/22/11 10:47 AM
Man's best friend -- and they like women, too -- gets a thorough makeover Thursday night in the new FX comedy Wilfred. Our review is here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
NBC5 (KXAS-TV) dropping out as MDA telethon carrier after nearly four decades
06/20/11 05:59 PM
The new and significantly shortened Muscular Dystrophy Telethon will be doing business with a new, still-to-be-named D-FW television partner this September. It also will be without host Jerry Lewis, who's retiring save for a final curtain call. Get the details on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page, where the weekend local Nielsen ratings also have been posted.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
ABC steps in it with 101 Ways to Leave a Game Show
06/20/11 04:07 PM
ABC and dumb summertime game shows just can't seem to get enough of each other. Our review of the network's latest, 101 Ways to Leave a Game Show, is here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Combat Hospital a surprise shot in the arm on ABC's summer schedule
06/20/11 01:12 PM
It's a Canadian production imported by ABC. So maybe that's the overriding reason why the new and heavily promoted Combat Hospital series takes a refreshing chill pill approach rather than going the full-blown adrenaline junkie route. Our review is here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Ryan and Tatum O'Neal just might give OWN an audience
06/17/11 05:37 PM
Oprah Winfrey's ratings-challenged OWN sure could use an audience-grabber. It might have one, at least on a small scale, with Ryan & Tatum: The O'Neals. Our review is here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Stop if you've heard this before, but aliens re-invade the earth on TNT's Falling Skies
06/17/11 11:36 AM
TNT's most ambitious series to date, the Steven Spielberg-produced Falling Skies, drops on Sunday night. Our review is here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Mavs parade coverage marches on with our long-legged review
06/16/11 05:39 PM
All of D-FW's major TV news providers turned out in force for Thursday's big Dallas Mavericks victory parade. Unclebarky.com now sweeps up after the elephants -- even though there weren't any -- in an elongated recap rich in hyperbole and other magic moments. You can find it on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Doin' Dave: Mavericks jump through Top 10 hoops on Letterman's Late Show
06/16/11 09:16 AM
Amid the many spoils of victory coming their way was a chance for the Dallas Mavericks to do a Top 10 List on Wednesday's Late Show with David Letterman. They emerged in reasonably good working order. The video is on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Kunkle vs. Rawlings: a closing discourse on whether a big city mayoral candidate can win without a single TV ad
06/15/11 01:46 PM
The city isn't exactly throbbing with excitement. But on Saturday, Dallas will elect a new mayor. And the contrast between finalists Mike Rawlings and David Kunkle couldn't be greater from a TV media standpoint. Our final look at Rawlings' commercial appeal -- and Kunkle's ad-free approach -- is on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
From LeBron to LeBray: Fran Drescher reloads in new TV Land sitcom
06/14/11 03:52 PM
Fran Drescher's latest TV outing, on TV Land, is called Happily Divorced. Why? Because -- wah, wah, wah -- her husband turns out to be gay -- just like in Fran's real-life. Our review is here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Power-hitting Dale Hansen bonks li'l unclebarky.com while pronouncing name correctly (so it's all good)
06/14/11 01:00 PM
Longtime WFAA8 sports anchor Dale Hansen doesn't feel too good about unclebarky.com saying that the Mavericks' first NBA title is D-FW's all-time "feel good" sports story. So he got "Unplugged" about this and other things during Monday's 10 p.m. newscast. Our hamster-powered rebuttal is here. Also, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings are in, with WFAA8's late night newscast ranking as Monday's most-watched program. Or from your friendly content provider's perspective, a traffic-driver to this plucky li'l enterprise.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
A last fond look at the Mavs (plus a final swipe at a particularly irksome DMN sports columnist)
06/13/11 02:41 PM
A championship season that still seems like a fairytale. A Dallas Morning News sports columnist who still can't handle the truth. We have it all right here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Miami Herald takes Macy's money for big Monday ad hawking NBA championship merchandise for the Heat
06/13/11 11:59 AM
In the parallel universe of the Miami Herald and Macy's, the Heat actually beat the Mavericks Sunday night. Not only that, but they miraculously must have won again on the same night to claim the NBA championship. See what we mean here.
Higher calling: But how big was the Mavericks' ratings jackpot Sunday night?
06/13/11 11:10 AM
The Dallas Mavericks' first NBA title, a pasting of the Miami Viceroys, paid big dividends at the D-FW ratings box office Sunday night. But how big in comparison to Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys audiences for really big games? Our complete ratings report is on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Mavs beat the Heat a third time while local ratings respond accordingly
06/10/11 02:48 PM
The Dallas Mavericks' Game 5 win over the Miami Heat set their ratings bar higher in D-FW. But how close are the Mavs to topping the most-watched Texas Rangers World Series games or the top draw during the Dallas Cowboys march through a losing season? You've come to the right spot for all of the info., which is on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Garland hip hopper carries Texas banner on So You Think You Can Dance
06/10/11 12:23 PM
Fox's summertime hit, So You Think You Can Dance, has its top 20 finalists assembled. Only one of them is a Texan, but Chris Koehl hits very close to home. There are more details on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Crimetime comes to Lifetime in new weekly series The Protector
06/09/11 04:14 PM
Lifetime gets into the corpse-of-the-week game with a scripted procedural crime series fronted by former Profiler star Ally Walker. Our review is here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Mavs-Heat and an Uncle Barky shoot-around
06/09/11 11:22 AM
Your friendly TV content provider loves sports, too. So as the Mavs and Heat prepare to clash anew Thursday night, let's dive into some talking points on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page. Wednesday's D-FW Nielsen ratings also are in.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
TV's King of Late Night -- among younger audiences that "matter" -- has a wide lead over Conan
06/08/11 04:52 PM
Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart rolled to wins in May among all key audience demographics. And that's in both the cable and broadcast universes. Get the full info. on our Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Presenting another Mark Cuban production -- a scripted comedy series about a brassy Russian whore
06/08/11 02:00 PM
Mark Cuban's Dallas Mavericks are giving him a wild ride this month, with one gritty showing after another. But during a break from Games 4 and 5 of the NBA Finals, Cuban's HDNet finds itself midway through a second season of Svetlana, which airs on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. central. Briefly put, its title character is a lippy transplanted Russian whore. And there's some comedy gold here amid some of the stuff that doesn't quite pan out. See more on our Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Mavs hit ratings high while D-FW on natural high
06/08/11 11:21 AM
Game 4 of Mavs-Heat, another gut-grinding, nail-biting, up/down, saddle up, Super Glue of a gripper, edged Game 1 as the most-watched so far in D-FW. Get all of the details you won't find elsewhere on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Peacock crows with four more Olympics in its future (and another already in place)
06/07/11 02:22 PM
Bidding for a future quartet of Olympics games is completed, and NBC is still the ring-bearer after out-manuvering Fox and ESPN. Get the details on our Network News & Reviews page. Plus, Monday's D-FW Nielsen ratings show how Scott Pelley's first CBS Evening News fared in his former home base.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Smokin' guitars intersect at Clapton's third Crossroads festival
06/07/11 11:04 AM
PBS' venerable Great Performances is the somewhat unlikely venue for Eric Clapton's third Crossroads guitar event. It's been a bit delayed in Dallas, but will air Wednesday night on KERA-TV (Ch. 13). Our review is here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
In all seriousness, it's Scott Pelley and the CBS Evening News
06/06/11 07:24 PM
Former D-FW reporter Scott Pelley made his debut Monday as anchor of the CBS Evening News. It made for a sober half-hour, adorned with the usual array of ads aimed at senior citizens and their ramped up health challenges. Our review is here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Couric makes it a threesome, joining ABC after star turns at NBC and CBS
06/06/11 01:24 PM
Katie Couric made another multi-million dollar deal for herself Monday by moving to ABC. The network will give her both a syndicated daytime talk show, starting in September 2012, and a presence on its various news programs. Details are on our Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Mavs fall short against Heat, but Game 3 ratings perk up a bit
06/06/11 12:06 PM
Sunday night's Game 3 of the Mavericks-Heat NBA Finals fell in the middle, ratings-wise, between the opener and Game 2. The complete ratings are on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
James Arness leaves indelible Matt Dillon behind
06/03/11 04:20 PM
James Arness, who played Marshal Dillon for two decades on CBS' Gunsmoke, has died at the age of 88. We have an appreciation here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Bobby Fischer Against The World: an instant classic on an unrivaled, unraveled chess champ
06/03/11 02:12 PM
HBO's superb Bobby Fischer Against the World tells a full and riveting story of a boy-to-man chess champ who never mastered the game of life. So far it's the best documentary film of the year. Our review is here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Game 2 of Mavs-Heat offers gripping drama while losing ratings grip
06/03/11 11:17 AM
Game 2 of the NBA Finals replicated Game 2 of the Western Conference championship. Each lost ratings traction from Game 1. The comparative D-FW numbers are right here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
O holy night: miracle Mavs win makes for a religious experience in ongoing battle of good vs. evil
06/03/11 09:00 AM
OK, gettin' a little carried away here. But all is forgiven, I'm sure, after the Dallas Mavericks' super-stirring comeback win Thursday night against the imperious Miami Viceroys. Our commentary is on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Emmys' latest host likely to keep nominees on edge
06/02/11 01:51 PM
Fox has the prime-time Emmys this year, and has named one of its own as host for the 36rd annual ceremony. Details are on the TV Bulletin Board page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Rising star: WFAA8's Colleen Coyle gets big dose of national exposure as guest GMA temp taker
06/02/11 12:58 PM
WFAA8 meteorologist Colleen Coyle has yet to complete her first year at the Dallas-based station. But she's already in big-time company this week as Good Morning America's ad hoc weathercaster. Get more details on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page, where Wednesday's D-FW Nielsen ratings also are taking up some space.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Reunited and it feels so -- fake
06/01/11 02:10 PM
Former CBS11 early morning anchor Scott Sams and his old colleagues shared a screen Wednesday morning in the interests of corporate cluster synergy. See the video on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark
Mavs-Heat hit ratings stratosphere
06/01/11 01:16 PM
The Dallas Mavericks fell short in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The D-FW Nielsen ratings were slam dunks across the board, though. Get all of the relevant numbers on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Plus, for a two-part summation of all the notable new and returning stuff coming your way this June, click here and here on my home away from home, locatetv.com.
Ed Bark
Plus, for a two-part summation of all the notable new and returning stuff coming your way this June, click here and here on my home away from home, locatetv.com.
Ed Bark
Miami bashes Mavs; TNT premieres Franklin & Bash
06/01/11 04:19 AM
We begin the new month with a look at Game 1 of the Heat-Mavs Finals and a review of TNT's new and engaging Franklin & Bash. The previous month's articles on these page have now moved to the May 2011 archives, which are just an easy click away on right-hand borders.
Also, please remember to support unclebarky.com by clicking on any of this website's Amazon ads before making your purchases. Four percent of each resultant buy goes to your friendly content provider. It's a pittance, but it's also easily done and greatly appreciated. Check out our other advertisers as well by giving a click to see what they're offering. You're under no further obligation. Etc. Etc.
Thanks again for your patronage and interest as we get ever closer to the fifth anniversary of unclebarky.com, the little engine with the bigger pulling power.
Ed Bark