Nov 2013
UP network's "Uplifting" motto yields two new faith-based, surprisingly appealing Christmas movies
11/27/13 01:35 PM
Your friendly content provider of course must also wear a badge of cynicism as a TV critic. But two new “uplifting” faith-based Christmas movies from the fledgling UP network proved to be surprisingly appealing and affecting. Our reviews of Silver Bells and Guess Who’s Coming to Christmas are right here.
Plus, Tuesday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings are in.
Meanwhile, happy Thanksgiving to all! And if you’re cyber-shopping this weekend, please remember to first click on any amazon.com ad on any unclebarky.com page. That way a small commission from your purchases will rebound back to this website. And believe me, it all helps!
Ed Bark
Plus, Tuesday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings are in.
Meanwhile, happy Thanksgiving to all! And if you’re cyber-shopping this weekend, please remember to first click on any amazon.com ad on any unclebarky.com page. That way a small commission from your purchases will rebound back to this website. And believe me, it all helps!
Ed Bark
TNT's Marshal Law: Texas gives producer Jerry Bruckheimer a double dip
11/25/13 05:08 PM
Three falls ago, producer Jerry Bruckheimer spotlighted the exploits of Houston-based U.S. Marshals in a scripted series filmed in North Texas. NBC’s Chase didn’t make it, though. So here comes a more or less unscripted version. Our review of TNT’s Marshal Law: Texas is right here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
D-FW's Cowboys/Kennedy ratings (and more)
11/25/13 12:35 PM
Sunday’s down-to-the-last-second Dallas Cowboy win against the New York Giants ventured where no previous non-NBC game has gone before in this season’s D-FW Nielsens. Get the details here, plus a look at how Friday’s JFK commemorative coverage played out.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
More unrest at CW33, with Nightcap on way out and NewsFix on way in
11/25/13 08:10 AM
Dallas-based CW33, ever in turmoil, will be ushering in yet another new form of local prime-time newscast sometime early next year. Details are on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
HBO has a gem in Getting On and a germ in Ja'mie: Private School Girl
11/21/13 03:48 PM
HBO launches two new comedies on Sunday, Nov. 24th. The hospital series Getting On so far is the ongoing TV season’s most pleasant surprise. It’s amusing and affecting in unexpected ways, and our review is here.
On the other hand there’s the ugh-inducing Ja’mie: Private School Girl, which is reviewed here.
Ed Bark
On the other hand there’s the ugh-inducing Ja’mie: Private School Girl, which is reviewed here.
Ed Bark
CBS11's newest hire, Ken Molestina, will both anchor and report
11/21/13 10:24 AM
The CBS11 news room is adding Ken Molestina, currently with WUSA-TV in Washington, D.C. He also previously worked for an El Paso TV station. Details are on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
The problem is not with your set: ABC announces big pile of midseason changes
11/19/13 06:09 PM
Five new series and a trio of returnees will be coming at ABC viewers from early January through early March. They include a modern day Texas Rangers drama titled Killer Women. Details and start dates are on our Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Ups/downs in JFK coverage on Monday's local late night newscasts
11/19/13 03:36 PM
Only NBC5 abstained from JFK assassination coverage during Monday’s late night newscasts. Our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page takes a close look at how did what -- and how well they did it.
Plus, an update on recent host changes at CW33’s early morning Eye Opener program. Monday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings also are in.
Ed Bark
Plus, an update on recent host changes at CW33’s early morning Eye Opener program. Monday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings also are in.
Ed Bark
WFAA8's Steve Stoler leaving station, joining PR world
11/19/13 11:05 AM
Steve Stoler, a reporter at WFAA8 since 2002 (after spending 17 years with Fox4), is leaving next month to take a public relations post with the city he’s been covering for the past decade as part of his Collin County beat. Details and comments from Stoler are on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Plus, Monday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings are in.
Ed Bark
Plus, Monday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings are in.
Ed Bark
David Blaine amazes anew in ABC's star-drenched Real or Magic
11/18/13 03:03 PM
Some of his stuff is not at all for the squeamish. But man, David Blaine also is a master of amazing up-close card tricks and other how’d-he-do-that trickery. Our review of ABC’s 90-minute David Blaine: Real or Magic is right here.
Plus, the weekend D-FW Nielsen ratings are in.
Ed Bark
Plus, the weekend D-FW Nielsen ratings are in.
Ed Bark
Dan Rather opines as his 50th anniversary JFK special nears
11/15/13 04:08 PM
Dan Rather now is among the few surviving members of the national media to have covered the Kennedy assassination first-hand from Dallas. CBS wanted no part of him for its 50th anniversary coverage. But he has a new one-hour retrospective -- My Days In Dallas: A Remembrance with Dan Rather -- premiering Monday, Nov. 18th on Mark Cuban’s AXS TV.
Rather also has some vivid opinions and comments, which he shared during a teleconference Thursday. Our story is on the Network News & Reviews page.
Also, did you know that Ron Burgundy worked for KTVT-TV in the ‘70s and early ‘80s before the station aligned with CBS? Actually, he didn’t, but a guy who looked quite a bit like him did. See for yourself on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page, where you also can find Thursday’s local Nielsen ratings “snapshot.”
Ed Bark
Rather also has some vivid opinions and comments, which he shared during a teleconference Thursday. Our story is on the Network News & Reviews page.
Also, did you know that Ron Burgundy worked for KTVT-TV in the ‘70s and early ‘80s before the station aligned with CBS? Actually, he didn’t, but a guy who looked quite a bit like him did. See for yourself on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page, where you also can find Thursday’s local Nielsen ratings “snapshot.”
Ed Bark
The future is now and again very grim in Fox's Almost Human
11/14/13 04:35 PM
Fox’s Almost Human, getting a two-pronged premiere on Sunday and Monday, pairs humans and androids in a very grim 2048. Our review is here.
Also, CBS11 has added sports anchor/reporter Guy Rawlings to its staff. More details on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Plus, Wednesday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings are in.
Ed Bark
Also, CBS11 has added sports anchor/reporter Guy Rawlings to its staff. More details on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Plus, Wednesday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings are in.
Ed Bark
Reporter Monika Diaz exiting WFAA8
11/14/13 09:08 AM
Veteran street reporter Monika Diaz, a staple on WFAA8’s latenight newscasts, has decided to leave the station after six years. She explains why on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
The Day Kennedy Died: standing out amid the ongoing glut of assassination specials
11/13/13 04:18 PM
Smithsonian Channel’s The Day Kennedy Died is well-suited to both classrooms and living rooms. Our review is here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Fiona Gorostiza leaving Fox4 after five years of weathercasting and "Fun With Fiona" segments
11/13/13 01:14 PM
Fiona Gorostiza, a prominent member of Fox4’s No. 1-rated Good Day team, has declined a new contract offer and will be leaving the station next month. Fox4 hasn’t officially told staffers yet, but numerous sources confirm her impending departure. Details are on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
"Back Channels" page: rewinding to the thoughts of Dan Rather, Peter Jennings, etc. on the 20th anniversary of Kennedy assassination
11/13/13 09:00 AM
Perhaps you’ve heard. The 50th anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy in Dallas will be on Friday, Nov. 22nd. But a pretty big deal was made of the 20th anniversary as well. Our “Back Channels” page revisits your friendly content provider’s November, 1983 piece on television’s “coming of age” with live, continuous coverage of the assassination and its aftermath. It’s from a special 78-page commemorative magazine published by The Dallas Morning News.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Locally made City of Hate fails to reach a boil
11/12/13 12:44 PM
This month’s parade of Kennedy assassination attractions includes City of Hate, Dallas and the Assassination, directed, written and edited by former D-FW television anchor Quin Mathews. Our review is here.
Plus, Monday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings are in.
Ed Bark
Plus, Monday’s D-FW Nielsen ratings are in.
Ed Bark
Cowboys' embarrassment in New Orleans rates high -- until final hour
11/11/13 11:26 AM
The Dallas Cowboys’ big flop on NBC’s national stage Sunday ranked third highest ratings-wise among this season’s 10 regular season games. But the Saints’ 49-17 win prompted many D-FW viewers to quit in disgust during the game’s closing hour. All the details are on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Past and present star players talk openly about Marty Haag as WFAA8 prepares to dedicate newsroom in his name
11/08/13 03:32 PM
On Monday, Nov. 11th, WFAA8 will dedicate its newsroom in the name of Marty Haag, who led the station to greatness during his long tenure as news director. WFAA8 has declined to comment in any way until Monday. But prominent hires of Haag from the station’s past and present are more than willing to share their candid thoughts about a tough boss who demanded excellence and got it. Our extended story is on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Killing Kennedy takes the Classics Illustrated approach
11/08/13 11:58 AM
National Geographic Channel’s heavily publicized, briskly paced Killing Kennedy film arrives on Sunday, Nov. 10th. But it’s scheduled opposite NBC’s Sunday Night Football clash between the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints. So scratch any big audiences for the initial airing of the movie in those two cities. For future reference, though, our review is here.
On an entirely different note, we also have a review of the Epix network’s Filthy Gorgeous., It’s a documentary film on the life and times of Penthouse magazine founder Bob Guccione, who died a broken man in a Plano, TX hospital. That review is here.
Plus, the fledgling Fox Sports 1 had a major coming out party Thursday, courtesy of the Baylor-Oklahoma football game. See how it fared in our latest “Local Nielsen ratings snapshot.”
Ed Bark
On an entirely different note, we also have a review of the Epix network’s Filthy Gorgeous., It’s a documentary film on the life and times of Penthouse magazine founder Bob Guccione, who died a broken man in a Plano, TX hospital. That review is here.
Plus, the fledgling Fox Sports 1 had a major coming out party Thursday, courtesy of the Baylor-Oklahoma football game. See how it fared in our latest “Local Nielsen ratings snapshot.”
Ed Bark
JFK: The Final Hours vividly recounts the Kennedys' prequels in San Antonio, Houston, Fort Worth
11/06/13 10:33 AM
National Geographic Channel’s upcoming Killing Kennedy movie is the network’s prime promotional objective this month. Don’t miss the rest of the Texas story, though, in National Geo’s JFK: The Final Hours. It premieres on Friday, Nov. 8th, and our review is here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Jimi Hendrix gets his American Masters solo
11/04/13 06:09 PM
Forty-three years after his death at age 27, guitar hero Jimi Hendrix gets a two-hour American Masters documentary on Tuesday, Nov. 5th. Our review is here.
Also, readers vent about KTXD-TV’s (Ch. 47) abrupt dropping of its ME-TV programming. Read all about it on the Uncle Barky’s Mailbag page.
Delayed by the daylight savings time switchover, Sunday’s D-FW ratings for the Dallas Cowboys also are in.
Ed Bark
Also, readers vent about KTXD-TV’s (Ch. 47) abrupt dropping of its ME-TV programming. Read all about it on the Uncle Barky’s Mailbag page.
Delayed by the daylight savings time switchover, Sunday’s D-FW ratings for the Dallas Cowboys also are in.
Ed Bark
Shiny, happy news sets: the new era for NBC5 and Telemundo 39
11/01/13 01:44 PM
The Studios at DFW are set to be christened on Sunday, Nov. 3rd following NBC’s Sunday Night Football. That’s when NBC5 will originate its first newscast from only the second home it’s ever had. Telemundo 39, also owned by NBC Universal, likewise will be housed at 4805 Amon Carter Blvd. Get your first looks at the new news sets on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Plus, Nickeleodon has a new comedy series, The Thundermans, about a super-powered family trying to keep it on the down low. Little Barky likely would have liked it. Grizzled Barky tries to see it for what it is. Our review is here.
Also, the D-FW Nielsen ratings are in for the first day of the November “sweeps.”
Furthermore, here’s another friendly, monthly reminder for amazon.com shoppers. If you first click on any amazon ad on any unclebarky.com page, a small percentage of your total purchase will find its way to your friendly content provider. It all helps to keep this website spinning its wheels, er, still going strong. And it won’t cost you a nickel, because you were going to make these purchases anyway. So as the holiday season gears up, shop wisely on amazon.com and help support your very own homegrown unclebarky.com TV site while doing so. It’s fun, it’s easy and now I’ll shut up.
Thanks for your continued readership and support! It’s been more than seven years now.
Ed Bark
Plus, Nickeleodon has a new comedy series, The Thundermans, about a super-powered family trying to keep it on the down low. Little Barky likely would have liked it. Grizzled Barky tries to see it for what it is. Our review is here.
Also, the D-FW Nielsen ratings are in for the first day of the November “sweeps.”
Furthermore, here’s another friendly, monthly reminder for amazon.com shoppers. If you first click on any amazon ad on any unclebarky.com page, a small percentage of your total purchase will find its way to your friendly content provider. It all helps to keep this website spinning its wheels, er, still going strong. And it won’t cost you a nickel, because you were going to make these purchases anyway. So as the holiday season gears up, shop wisely on amazon.com and help support your very own homegrown unclebarky.com TV site while doing so. It’s fun, it’s easy and now I’ll shut up.
Thanks for your continued readership and support! It’s been more than seven years now.
Ed Bark