May 2013
Regrouping from eye surgery (which means no new posts today (Thurs., May 30)
05/30/13 11:12 AM
Just a brief note to readers, because we like to keep you informed. A little eye surgery Wednesday means that unclebarky.com will be seeing you again on Friday (May 31st) -- at the earliest -- with new posts. A day or two of recuperation should be enough! Thanks for your continued support and readership!
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Liberace gets star spangled treatment in HBO's Behind the Candelabra
05/24/13 02:22 PM
Michael Douglas as Liberace. Matt Damon as his tell-all lover. At long last, here comes HBO’s Behind the Candelabra. Our review is here.
Also, time-travel on the Back Channels page to November, 1986. Liberace’s stop in Dallas, to promote a new book, was one of his last public appearances before he died early the following year. He still clung to the fiction of losing his virginity as a teenager to Miss Bea Haven -- and later having his heart broken by champion figure skater Sonja Henie. But Liberace also talked candidly about Lucille Ball, Elton John, >i>Miami Vice, etc.
Ed Bark
Also, time-travel on the Back Channels page to November, 1986. Liberace’s stop in Dallas, to promote a new book, was one of his last public appearances before he died early the following year. He still clung to the fiction of losing his virginity as a teenager to Miss Bea Haven -- and later having his heart broken by champion figure skater Sonja Henie. But Liberace also talked candidly about Lucille Ball, Elton John, >i>Miami Vice, etc.
Ed Bark
WFAA8 loses another seasoned reporter, with Jonathan Betz off to NYC
05/23/13 04:11 PM
Jonathan Betz, a five-year veteran at WFAA8, is leaving the Dallas-based station to take a news job in New York City. More details are on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
May "sweeps" ratings: a complete compendium of local newscast numbers and other points of interest
05/23/13 02:30 PM
Another ratings “sweeps” is in the books. And our complete look at the ups and downs of D-FW’s local stations can be found on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Save Save Me? NBC's just not in the spirit
05/23/13 02:25 PM
Touted last May as a midseason arrival, NBC’s Save Me instead finally comes up for air time on the night after the season officially ends. The Peacock is burning off Anne Heche’s spiritual sitcom at the rate of two episodes per Thursday. Our review is here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
And now for a brief respite
05/16/13 04:31 PM
It’s been a very busy week here at unclebarky.com, with new season announcements by the five broadcast networks, Wednesday night’s emergency weather coverage, two end-of-the season series premieres of note, etc.
But my daughter’s graduate school graduation beckons, so your friendly content provider will be otherwise occupied for the next several days. Hope to see you again during the middle of next week. Meanwhile, thanks for your continued readership and please continue to click any Amazon ad on any unclebarky.com page before making the purchases you were going to make anyway. A small commission then eventually comes this way. It all helps.
Ed Bark
But my daughter’s graduate school graduation beckons, so your friendly content provider will be otherwise occupied for the next several days. Hope to see you again during the middle of next week. Meanwhile, thanks for your continued readership and please continue to click any Amazon ad on any unclebarky.com page before making the purchases you were going to make anyway. A small commission then eventually comes this way. It all helps.
Ed Bark
Late season bloomers: ABC's Motive and Fox's The Goodwin Games both premiere Monday
05/16/13 03:57 PM
D-FW's continuous Wednesday night weather coverage -- and which station was most-watched
05/16/13 03:50 PM
Network entertainment schedules went out the window Wednesday night, with Fox4, NBC5, WFAA8 and CBS11 all offering continuous emergency weather coverage from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. We’ve got the hour-by-hour D-FW Nielsen numbers -- and also some brief judgments of which station(s) did it best.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
CW's new fall accentuates sci-fi
05/16/13 09:34 AM
Basic everyday humans are in increasingly short supply on the CW network, which on Thursday became the last to announce its new season lineup. All the details are on our Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
CBS ups its comedy content, spotlighted by new series pairing Robin Williams/Sarah Michele Gellar
05/15/13 12:37 PM
No. 1 CBS hopes to make Thursdays a bigger comedy destination next fall, adding two new ones to a night that already gets off to a blockbuster start with The Big Bang Theory. The network’s five new series include just one drama. All the details are on the Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
A crowded dance card for ABC this fall, even though DWTS condenses to one night
05/14/13 01:33 PM
Coming off another less than stellar season, ABC is loading up in the fall with eight new series, half of them on an all-new Tuesday night. It’s also downsizing Dancing with the Stars to a single night. All the details are on our Network News & Reviews page.
Plus, Monday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings are in.
Ed Bark
Plus, Monday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings are in.
Ed Bark
Jack Bauer's returning in summer 2014 (and oh yeah, the new Fox fall lineup, too)
05/13/13 09:48 AM
Fox’s announcement of its new fall and midseason shows Monday morning ended up taking second billing to its disclosure that a new 12-episode return of onetime juggernaut 24 is coming during the summer of 2014. All the details are on the Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Struggling NBC hopes to regroup with star power this fall
05/13/13 08:00 AM
NBC’s new fall lineup includes new comedy vehicles for Michael J. Fox and Sean Hayes as well as dramas for James Spader and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. All the details are on our Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Take it from NBC: Lame duck Leno just keeps on winning
05/10/13 01:53 PM
Jay Leno, still slated for eviction after next year’s Winter Olympics, lately has been winning across the board by increasing margins. Even among advertiser-prized 18-to-49-year-olds. So what if NBC somehow got another case of the yips? We lay out the numbers and some scenarios on the Network News & Reviews page.
Also, CW33 reporter Daniel Novick is the latest to join the PR ranks. And Thursday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings also are in.
Plus, another little collection of D-FW news notes, this time featuring Gary Cogill and Shon Gables.
Ed Bark
Also, CW33 reporter Daniel Novick is the latest to join the PR ranks. And Thursday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings also are in.
Plus, another little collection of D-FW news notes, this time featuring Gary Cogill and Shon Gables.
Ed Bark
Up-close and objective: May 8th's late night D-FW newscasts
05/09/13 06:21 PM
Pant-pant, here we go with another compendium, featuring NBC5 reporter Omar Villafranca in “Mesh Mask Bandit” mode. It’s all on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Comedy redwood: HBO's Family Tree
05/09/13 03:55 PM
Christopher Guest, maestro of the feature film “mockumentary,” tackles his first TV series as the creator, writer and director of HBO’s Family Tree It premieres on Sunday, May 12th, and our review is here.
Also, Wednesday D-FW Nielsen ratings are freshly posted.
Ed Bark
Also, Wednesday D-FW Nielsen ratings are freshly posted.
Ed Bark
Up-close and objective: May 7th's late night D-FW newscasts
05/08/13 02:30 PM
Here’s our latest compendium of what came and went during Tuesday’s featured late night newscasts on D-FW’s Fox4, NBC5, WFAA8 and CBS11. Spotlighted at the top is Fox4 sports anchor Mike Doocy’s “Twitter Tuesday” segment. Check out the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page, where you also can find the latest “Local Nielsen Ratings Snapshot.”
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Up-close and objective: May 6th's late night D-FW newscasts
05/07/13 03:54 PM
We’re at it again, this time for a limited one-week engagement before the broadcast networks begin announcing their new fall lineups next Monday.
Here’s a look at the May 6th late night D-FW newscasts on Fox4, NBC5, WFAA8, CBS11, with special attention paid to weatherman Pete Delkus’ graphic encounter with the 2012 presidential election. It’s all on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Monday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings also are in.
Ed Bark
Here’s a look at the May 6th late night D-FW newscasts on Fox4, NBC5, WFAA8, CBS11, with special attention paid to weatherman Pete Delkus’ graphic encounter with the 2012 presidential election. It’s all on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Monday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings also are in.
Ed Bark
New D-FW developments for Mark Davis, Debbie Denmon
05/06/13 01:47 PM
Conservative radio personality Mark Davis now has a D-FW TV outlet for his views while former WFAA8 anchor Debbie Denmon accepted on-air marriage proposal during Friday’s edition of KTXD-TV’s The Texas Daily. More details and other tidbits are on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Also, the weekend D-FW Nielsen ratings are bullish for both the Kentucky Derby and Texas Rangers baseball.
Plus, your voices are heard in a new Uncle Barky’s Mailbag.
Ed Bark
Also, the weekend D-FW Nielsen ratings are bullish for both the Kentucky Derby and Texas Rangers baseball.
Plus, your voices are heard in a new Uncle Barky’s Mailbag.
Ed Bark
For the first time in 21 TV seasons, CBS hits the spot with advertisers' motherlode
05/03/13 01:36 PM
The CBS prime-time schedule still isn’t about to lure Timmy Texter away from his smart phone. Still, the network will accomplish something this season that has eluded it for 21 years. Our story is on the Network News & Reviews page.
Also, Thursday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings are posted.
Ed Bark
Also, Thursday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings are posted.
Ed Bark
IFC has another little gem in Maron
05/02/13 03:48 PM
IFC, the network of Portlandia, hopes to further brighten its prime-time picture with the Friday, May 3rd premiere of Maron. Even though its namesake, real-life character hardly looks on the sunny side. Our review is here.
Also, Wednesday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings are posted.
Ed Bark
Also, Wednesday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings are posted.
Ed Bark
Georgia's on Cher's mind -- her mom, that is
05/01/13 06:46 PM
Lifetime’s enjoyable, evocative documentary film, Dear Mom, Love Cher, premieres on Monday, May 6th after the two of them make the publicity rounds. Our review is here.
Plus, Tuesday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings spotlight the continued might of NCIS.
Ed Bark
Plus, Tuesday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings spotlight the continued might of NCIS.
Ed Bark