Dec 2009
Merry Christmas/Happy New Year to one and all!!!
12/23/09 10:34 AM
Unclebarky.com's corporate headquarters are decorated within and without. One of the two cats -- Cookie in this case -- is comfortably snuggled in her favorite nighttime cold weather spot.
So with kids comin' in and lots still left to do, we bid all of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Unclebarky.com will take a bit of a break and resume posting early in 2010, which will be the fifth year to fly this banner after a Sept. 17, 2006 startup.
In the meantime, check out our climactic "Countdown to Christmas" video and the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings. Also, on locatetv.com, see your friendly content provider's Top 10 scripted TV series of 2009.
Again, many thanks for your patronage and participation. And have a terrific holiday season.
Ed Bark
A light dusting of postings
12/22/09 09:57 AM
Presenting Video 11 in our "Countdown to Christmas"
collection. It's a cuddler from WFAA8's Joe Trahan
on the Dallas Cowboys' Monday visits to area
children's hospitals. Plus, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings show a
big crowd for the Giants' pasting of Washington on
ESPN's Monday Night Football.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
We say goodbye to D-FW television's departing class of 2009
12/21/09 03:39 PM
Some left voluntarily, others were
pushed out. Unclebarky.com lists them one and all in
our annual year-end compendium of D-FW
television personalities who are now out of our
pictures.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Cowboys-saints roll up big ratings, of course (But how big on a Christmas party-filled Saturday night?)
12/21/09 11:39 AM
The Dallas Cowboys' big upset win over
previously unbeaten New Orleans played on two
channels Saturday night. We've got the TXA21/NFL
Network breakdown in our daily "Local Nielsen ratings snapshot."
Also, the 10th "Countdown to Christmas" video is
WFAA8 sports anchor Dale Hansen's latest "Thank
God For Kids" video/commentary, delivered Sunday
night. And CBS announces its post-Super Bowl attraction, which
then will settle in on Sunday nights.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Baron James signs off at Fox4; Randy Galloway dead wrong again
12/20/09 03:06 PM
Fox4 anchor Baron James said goodbye
to viewers Friday night, leaving a month earlier than
the station initially planned. We detail his farewell
here. And acerbic Randy Galloway's
prediction of a 100-3 Cowboys loss to New Orleans
didn't quite turn out that way. So we delight in ripping him a new one,
'cause fair is fair.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
No more Gibson on ABC's World News
12/18/09 06:55 PM
Charles "Charlie" Gibson signed off
Friday from ABC's World News, leaving "The
Chair" to Diane Sawyer. We've got details and a
picture here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Another new Katie kids book from former weathercaster Kristine Kahanek
12/18/09 11:16 AM
Ex-CBS11 meteorologist Kristine
Kahanek seems to have a nice second career in
progress. She'll be signing and reading copies of her
latest Katie and the Magic Umbrella kids book
on Friday evening, Dec. 18th. All the details are here. Also, No. 9 in
our series of "Countdown to Christmas" videos is
ready for your viewing pleasure. And the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings show
WFAA8's 10 p.m. newscast almost overcoming a
mammoth lead-in disadvantage on the last night of
the station's Santa's Helpers toy drive.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
New TCM special looks at giant-sized world of Hollywood epics
12/17/09 03:11 PM
The towering, budget-busting epic,
epitomized by Gone with the Wind and
Ben-Hur, will be revisited Sunday night in a
nifty TCM special that itself will be surrounded by
some classics of the genre. Get our review and the movie list here.
Also, take a look at No. 8 in our collection of
"Countdown to Christmas" videos.
And the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings are in
the bin.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Weighing in on Wade and the Cowboys -- again
12/16/09 05:45 PM
Well, somebody's gotta defend 'em.
Right? Unclebarky.com again ventures into sports
opinion territory with this helpful suggestion. If
you're going to fire Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips
right now, then do likewise to his chief antagonist,
Randy Galloway. After all, what's he won lately? We
lay it all down here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
2009: A very turbulent TV year
12/16/09 01:05 PM
The national TV landscape shook, got
rattled and tried to roll with the punches in 2009.
It was the most eventful year in recent memory, as
our Top 10 countdown shows. See if you agree with our
rankings on the Making a List page. Also, another
splendid video is in place for our ongoing "Countdown to Christmas." And the
latest D-FW Nielsen ratings show
that viewers like their holiday viewing wrapped in
body bags.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Globes noms a plus for Glee and Modern Family
12/15/09 11:30 AM
Golden Globes nominations, announced
Tuesday, make ample room at the TV table for
broadcast network comedies. It's the last category
where they still have the last laughs against cable.
Get our roundup here. Also, the sixth
in our series of "Countdown to Christmas" videos
features Jennifer Hudson from Monday night's
sparkling ABC special. She's definitely got the
chops for "O Holy Night." Plus, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings are in
the house.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
NBC's post-Winter Olympics lineup on a slippery downhill slop to Blagojevich
12/14/09 03:30 PM
NBC has announced its post-Winter Olympics schedule,
which makes room for former Illinois governor Rod
Blagojevich on a third edition of Donald Trump's
alleged Celebrity Apprentice. Also, we have
a revealing look back -- via Back Channels -- at new Good
Morning America co-anchor George
Stephanopoulos, who was hawking his first book in
Dallas a decade ago. Plus, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings show
some diminishing returns for Sunday's newest
Cowboys December loss. And Video 5 of our Countdown to Christmas is also
worth a look.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
One's a Christmas video, one's not but sure looks like one
12/11/09 11:48 AM
Our daily "Countdown to Christmas" video
harkens back to Mad Men times with this
time capsule pitch for cigarettes under the tree.
Also, check out a new NBC5 promo that has all the
trappings of a holiday commercial, but instead
veers elsewhere at spot's end. And the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings are
another boost for CBS and CBS11's 10 p.m.
newscast.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
George, Juju join GMA as anticipated
12/10/09 03:01 PM
ABC News officially announced what had
been widely reported -- George Stephanopoulos and
Juju Chang respectively are replacing Diane Sawyer
and Chris Cuomo on Good Morning America. Get
further details on our Network News & Reviews page.
Also, ABC has announced a January spot for The Deep End, a legal drama
recently filmed in Dallas but set in L.A.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Abrupt departure: CBS11 president/GM Steve Mauldin heading West two weeks after landmark November sweeps news win
12/10/09 01:50 PM
CBS11 president and general manager
Steve Mauldin is heading West to take charge of the
network's biggest duopoly -- KCBS/KCAL-TV. He spent
nearly seven years in D-FW, and finally reached the
promised land in November with a razor-thin "sweeps"
victory in the 10 p.m. local news wars. Get the
details here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Not making this up: Conveyor Belt of Love coming soon to ABC
12/10/09 11:41 AM
ABC's latest looking-for-true-love
gambit makes Flava of Love seem like
Washington Week In Review. Looky here. Also, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings are in.
And the third video entry in our "Countdown to Christmas" collection
looks like an instant contemporary classic to me.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
GMT After Dark bumps Charlie Brown, substitutes product-hawking and disheveled "Santa Gordo"
12/09/09 06:08 PM
WFAA8's prime-time edition of Good
Morning Texas After Dark offered a blizzard of
pre-paid promotions in place of Charlie Brown Tuesday
night. Unclebarky.com's naughty boy review is here. Also,
thrill to the sight of Milky the Marvelous Milking Cow in
Video 2 of our Christmas Countdown. And the
latest D-FW Nielsen ratings show
Jay Leno playing Santa to NBC5's 10 p.m. newscast.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Traumatized Nowitzki says he pigged out after fiancee scandal
12/08/09 05:53 PM
Fox Sports Southwest's latest In My
Own Words special finds Mavs star Dirk Nowitzki
in an unusually talkative mood. Headliner: he went on
a prolonged eating/drinking binge after last May's
fiancee mess. Get some of the highlights here. Also,
Fox's Glee will be taking the winter off after
Wednesday's "fall finale." Or to put it musically,
"You say goodbye and I say hello."
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Late afternoon local news expansion coming to CBS11
12/08/09 11:16 AM
CBS11 will be expanding its 4 p.m.
newscast to a full hour, starting early next year.
Get the details here. Also, the
latest D-FW Nielsen ratings are a
nice present for Carrie Underwood's Fox holiday
special. And we begin our "Christmas Countdown" of videos
worth watching anew.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
TNT's Men of a Certain Age is grownup comedy/drama set in late 40s
12/07/09 12:50 PM
Ray Romano, Andre Braugher and Scott
Bakula are ripe for TNT's very promising new Men
of a Certain Age, which premieres Monday. See
our review here. Also, the Cowboys'
loss to the Giants of course has Giant-sized
ratings. How giant? The latest D-FW Nielsen ratings are here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
CBS11 investigative reporter Bennett Cunningham leaves station in face of proposed salary cut
12/04/09 05:09 PM
Veteran CBS11 investigator Bennett
Cunningham called it a day at the D-FW station Friday
rather than take a proposed pay cut. Get all the
details, including an interview with Cunningham, on
our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page. Also,
cable's syfy network very much "re-imagines"
Alice In Wonderland in a four-hour
production beginning Sunday. Our review is here. The latest D-FW Nielsen ratings also
are in.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Barbecuing with saucy mouths on TLC's new Texas-infused BBQ Pitmasters
12/03/09 04:59 PM
The "high-stakes world of competitive
barbecue" comes into view on TLC's eight-episode
BBQ Pitmasters, co-starring three grillers
from Texas. We hold it to the fire here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Cable's king in Comcast's big buy of NBC Universal from GE
12/03/09 01:18 PM
Cable properties -- yum yum. NBC's
broadcast network -- pretty much an ick. That much is
clear from Thursday's long-anticipated announcement
that Comcast will be taking over NBC Universal. Get
our take here. Also, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings show
Rudolph winning by much more than a nose in a duel
of annual Christmas specials.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Brain optional in Jesse Ventura's new Conspiracy Theory series
12/02/09 03:15 PM
Wrestler turned governor turned
"detective" Jesse Ventura finds sinister forces at
work in truTV's Conspiracy Theory. It's
supposed to be a non-fiction series, but surely
they're making this all up. Our review is here. Also, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings show
that a one night respite from The Jay Leno
Show can be a pretty good deal for NBC5's 10
p.m. newscast.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
No laurels for Lauer: His Today interview with State Dinner Salahis misses one big base (updated)
12/01/09 11:58 AM
Pleading their innocence all the way
to the bank -- or to possible prosecution -- Michaele
and Tareq Salahi made their case exclusively to
Today's Matt Lauer Tuesday. He pressed them on
certain key matters, but dropped the ball on a big
one. See unclebarky.com's review here.
Also, the first post-November sweeps D-FW ratings are in, and Jay Leno is still struggling -- against reruns. Get the details here. And WFAA8 has been hitting hard at CBS11 after their 10 p.m. sweeps brawl. So unclebarky.com steps in to assess the punching power of WFAA8's head man, who says his station is still No. 1 in the late night news arena.
Furthermore, ABC News has announced the date of Charles Gibson's last World News telecast. See the TV Bulletin Board page for this info. and more.
Ed Bark
Also, the first post-November sweeps D-FW ratings are in, and Jay Leno is still struggling -- against reruns. Get the details here. And WFAA8 has been hitting hard at CBS11 after their 10 p.m. sweeps brawl. So unclebarky.com steps in to assess the punching power of WFAA8's head man, who says his station is still No. 1 in the late night news arena.
Furthermore, ABC News has announced the date of Charles Gibson's last World News telecast. See the TV Bulletin Board page for this info. and more.
Ed Bark
Salahi, Salahi, baloney -- but Today's got 'em
12/01/09 03:07 AM
NBC's Today announced Monday
night that it's nabbed the first interview with State
Dinner-crashers Michaele and Tareq Salahi.
It'll be a quick turnaround. After canceling Monday's scheduled appearance on Larry King Live, the Salahis will gab with Matt Lauer on the Tuesday, Dec. 1st Today. We have further details here.
Plus, as the odometer turns to December, we catch up on the extended holiday weekend D-FW television ratings, including Thanksgiving's Dallas Cowboys' win over Oakland. That info. is here.
Our exhaustive report on the November "sweeps" local newscast ratings, with WFAA8 and CBS11 waging all-out war at 10 p.m., is now residing in the November archives. If you'd still like to read it or post a comment, go here.
Also, we encourage unclebarky.com readers to make their amazon.com purchases by first clicking through one of the ads on this site. A small commission is earned with every purchase. The bigger the buy, the better the residual payment. It really does help to keep unclebarky.com in working order, even if the satisfaction remains priceless.
You also can place an ad yourself by clicking on the red "Advertise on Uncle Barky" prompt on the right hand column of pages. Our rates are dirt cheap. Thanks again for your help and continued readership and feedback.
Ed Bark
It'll be a quick turnaround. After canceling Monday's scheduled appearance on Larry King Live, the Salahis will gab with Matt Lauer on the Tuesday, Dec. 1st Today. We have further details here.
Plus, as the odometer turns to December, we catch up on the extended holiday weekend D-FW television ratings, including Thanksgiving's Dallas Cowboys' win over Oakland. That info. is here.
Our exhaustive report on the November "sweeps" local newscast ratings, with WFAA8 and CBS11 waging all-out war at 10 p.m., is now residing in the November archives. If you'd still like to read it or post a comment, go here.
Also, we encourage unclebarky.com readers to make their amazon.com purchases by first clicking through one of the ads on this site. A small commission is earned with every purchase. The bigger the buy, the better the residual payment. It really does help to keep unclebarky.com in working order, even if the satisfaction remains priceless.
You also can place an ad yourself by clicking on the red "Advertise on Uncle Barky" prompt on the right hand column of pages. Our rates are dirt cheap. Thanks again for your help and continued readership and feedback.
Ed Bark