Feb 2012
Remembering Davy Jones
02/29/12 06:10 PM
Davy Jones, heartthrob lead singer of
The Monkees, died Wednesday of a heart attack. He was
66, and we remember him via two up-close
encounters from the 1970s and last year.
Plus, the Tuesday D-FW Nielsen ratings are in. And there's also a new "Ask Uncle Barky."
Ed Bark
Plus, the Tuesday D-FW Nielsen ratings are in. And there's also a new "Ask Uncle Barky."
Ed Bark
NBC's Awake hopes to somehow rouse former home of ER, L.A. Law
02/28/12 04:46 PM
Once upon a time, NBC had solid gold
mainstays on Thursdays at 9 p.m. (central). In this
season, forget about it. Premiering this week,
Awake is the Peacock's third new drama series
in that slot. Our review is here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Dancing with the Stars announces a "Who's that?" field
02/28/12 11:18 AM
Joe Piscopo must be feeling really
bummed. He's apparently still not considered a big
enough star for Dancing with the Stars, which
announced its most underwhelming cast ever Tuesday
morning. Details are on the Network News & Reviews page.
Plus, see how the long-delayed and elongated Dayton 500 fared in Monday's D-FW Nielsen ratings.
Ed Bark
Plus, see how the long-delayed and elongated Dayton 500 fared in Monday's D-FW Nielsen ratings.
Ed Bark
Up and down national Nielsen ratings for Sunday night's Oscars
02/27/12 07:05 PM
Unclebarky.com cuts through the chaff
of a highly subjective ABC publicity release to bring
you the straight scoop on the ratings plusses and
minuses for Sunday's Oscars. Get the full-picture
national numbers on our Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Oscars and Crystal -- ratings and review
02/27/12 01:57 PM
National ratings aren't yet final for
Sunday night's Oscars, but we've got the D-FW numbers
right here. Plus, how did the show
do with Billy Crystal back as its headmaster? Our
take and a link to last night's live tweets are on
the Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Crystal and the Oscars -- vs. the Grammys
02/23/12 01:56 PM
Only once before have the Grammys
drawn a bigger audience than the Oscars in the same
calendar year. But it could happen again this month,
even with Billy Crystal back for his ninth time as
host. We examine the possibilities -- and Oscar's
built-in disadvantage -- on the Network News & Reviews page.
Wednesday's D-FW Nielsen ratings also are in.
Ed Bark
Wednesday's D-FW Nielsen ratings also are in.
Ed Bark
Conan re-upped; Simon spills a bean or two
02/22/12 06:28 PM
TBS is giving some long-term job
security to Conan O'Brien. And in a teleconference
with TV writers Wednesday, Simon
Cowell throws out a few tasty sprinkles of news. Details are on the TV Bulletin Board page.
Ed Bark
Cowell throws out a few tasty sprinkles of news. Details are on the TV Bulletin Board page.
Ed Bark
Up-close and objective: Feb. 21st's late night D-FW newscasts
02/22/12 05:32 PM
We wrap up our seven-night sojourn --
and boy, is my head tired -- with a look at highs and
lows on Tuesday's late-night D-FW newscasts. It's all
weather-free, though, and available on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Tuesday's D-FW Nielsen ratings also are in.
Ed Bark
Tuesday's D-FW Nielsen ratings also are in.
Ed Bark
Up-close and objective: Feb. 20th's late night D-FW newscasts
02/21/12 02:11 PM
The social media bug keeps biting
D-FW's late night newscasts. Not all bad, not all
good, and perhaps most of it better than sending
WFAA8 anchor John McCaa outdoors for the sole purpose
of introducing a story on drug battles along the
Texas border. Our latest compendium is on the
Dallas-Fort Worth TV page. And
don't worry, I've only got a few more of these
left in me. At least for this month.
Also, the Friday-Monday D-FW Nielsen ratings are in. As is Jeremy Lin.
Ed Bark
Also, the Friday-Monday D-FW Nielsen ratings are in. As is Jeremy Lin.
Ed Bark
Up-close and objective: Feb. 17th's late night D-FW newscasts
02/20/12 12:45 PM
Aren't TV anchors and reporters
supposed to be above hugging celebrities -- on-camera
at least? NBC5's Meredith Land clearly doesn't think
so. In fact she flaunts it after a puff piece on
Khloe Kardashian. Our latest look at the local late
nighters is here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Look out. Here come Big Rich Texas & Jerseylicious
02/19/12 12:21 PM
They deserve each other, but do their
states? Big Rich Texas and
Jerseylicious begin new seasons Sunday night
on The Style Network. We pick up the pieces on the
Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Up-close and objective: Feb. 16th's late night D-FW newscasts
02/17/12 04:53 PM
Fox4 and Clarice Tinsley used one of
her "Your Turn" segments to inquire whether a Fort
Worth mechanic was really seeing Jesus in a space
heater. We only report what see. The latest
compendium takes its rightful place on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Also, our review of HBO's latest Ricky Gervais series, Life's Too Short, can be found right here. Thursday's D-FW Nielsen ratings also are in.
Ed Bark
Also, our review of HBO's latest Ricky Gervais series, Life's Too Short, can be found right here. Thursday's D-FW Nielsen ratings also are in.
Ed Bark
Up-close and objective: Feb. 15th's late night D-FW newscasts
02/16/12 05:20 PM
The TCU student drug-dealing scandal
predictably and understandably dominated Wednesday's
D-FW late nighters. But earlier that day, one of the
four major TV news providers badly flunked its drug
test. The latest compendium is on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Also, Fox4 Good Day contributor Krystle Gutierrez makes her departure official after biding time for a few months. And Wednesday's D-FW Nielsen ratings also are in the house.
Ed Bark
Also, Fox4 Good Day contributor Krystle Gutierrez makes her departure official after biding time for a few months. And Wednesday's D-FW Nielsen ratings also are in the house.
Ed Bark
Up-close and objective: Feb. 14th's late night D-FW newscasts
02/15/12 04:03 PM
A surprise live wedding proposal and
far superior use of live in-studio interviews marked
the Valentine's Day late nighters. Our latest
collection of highs and lows is here.
Also, Tuesday's D-FW Nielsen ratings serve to all but cancel ABC's new The River.
Ed Bark
Also, Tuesday's D-FW Nielsen ratings serve to all but cancel ABC's new The River.
Ed Bark
Up-close and objective: Feb. 13th's late night D-FW newscasts
02/14/12 04:55 PM
We're open for another limited run,
with the late night newscasts on Fox4, NBC5, WFAA8
and CBS11 again under the microscope during these
ongoing February "sweeps."
On Monday night, WFAA8 took the play away from its rivals with good and really bad initiatives in enterprise reporting. Our compendium is on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page, where you also can find Monday's D-FW Nielsen ratings.
Ed Bark
On Monday night, WFAA8 took the play away from its rivals with good and really bad initiatives in enterprise reporting. Our compendium is on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page, where you also can find Monday's D-FW Nielsen ratings.
Ed Bark
Reptile dysfunction: WFAA8's shriekin' "snake" episode may rival NBC5's grand champion gecko incident
02/13/12 05:47 PM
WFAA8's Good Morning Texas
snaked, rattled and rolled recently, with contributor
Paige McCoy Smith on the receiving end. Does her
reaction rival that of former NBC5 anchor Michael
Scott? We supply the video, you make the call on the
Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Battleground launching as hulu.com's first scripted series
02/13/12 04:37 PM
Hulu.com, owned by a consortium of
networks, is trying to make its stamp with a rollout
of new weekly series available only on the web.
Battleground, its first scripted effort,
charts a fictional U.S. Senate campaign, with
Madison, Wisconsin its principal turf. Our review is
on the revived Web Browser page.
Plus, Sunday night's Grammy Awards telecast had mega-audiences in both D-FW and nationally while WFAA8 struck out ratings-wise with Rangers pitcher Derek Holland's Friday night weathercast. Details are on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark
Plus, Sunday night's Grammy Awards telecast had mega-audiences in both D-FW and nationally while WFAA8 struck out ratings-wise with Rangers pitcher Derek Holland's Friday night weathercast. Details are on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark
Ju-s-s-s-s-st a bit outside: WFAA8 pitches in with comedy weather
02/13/12 09:38 AM
WFAA8, which positions itself as the
holy temple of local TV news, put Texas Rangers
pitcher Derek Holland in charge of Friday's 10 p.m.
weather. The station that says it never does ratings
"sweeps" stunts just so happens to be trailing in the
February competition. Our take is on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
AMC turns a new page with Comic Book Men
02/10/12 10:50 AM
Film director and comic book nut Kevin
Smith (Mallrats, Clerks) has a fun new venture
on AMC. And his unscripted Comic Book Men will
get a prime Sunday night time slot following the
return of The Walking Dead. Our review is here.
Plus, Macie Jepson and WFAA8 have settled her discrimination suit against the Dallas-based station. We give you a few more details and a history of recent discrimination suits on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Also, in case you missed it, Daybreak co-anchor Ron Corning shared a frame with two brassiere-wearing mannequins during Thursday's edition on WFAA8. And Thursday's D-FW Nielsen ratings also are in.
Ed Bark
Plus, Macie Jepson and WFAA8 have settled her discrimination suit against the Dallas-based station. We give you a few more details and a history of recent discrimination suits on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Also, in case you missed it, Daybreak co-anchor Ron Corning shared a frame with two brassiere-wearing mannequins during Thursday's edition on WFAA8. And Thursday's D-FW Nielsen ratings also are in.
Ed Bark
House being discharged after 8 seasons on Fox; Current TV let's its inmates run the show
02/08/12 06:09 PM
The inevitable and the expected came
to pass early Wednesday evening when Fox and the
producers of House announced that this will be
the landmark medical drama's last season. Our story
is on the Network News & Reviews page.
Plus, we look at Current's sorry state of affairs, with star player Keith Olbermann and the almost equally cocksure Cenk Uygur leading the Al Gore cable network on a search for truth, justice and quite possibly self-destruction.
Ed Bark
Plus, we look at Current's sorry state of affairs, with star player Keith Olbermann and the almost equally cocksure Cenk Uygur leading the Al Gore cable network on a search for truth, justice and quite possibly self-destruction.
Ed Bark
Incoming: Teresa Woodard joining WFAA8 reporting staff while David Watkins already is with NBC5 sports
02/08/12 11:53 AM
The wheels of change lately have been
turning/churning at D-FW's major TV news providers.
Teresa Woodard, a native Dallasite, is WFAA8's latest edition. while Plano
West High grad David Watkins has headed to NBC5.
Plus, ABC's new drama series, The River, already has that sinking feeling in D-FW and nationally after Tuesday's two-hour premiere. Details are in the latest "Local Nielsen ratings snapshot."
Ed Bark
Plus, ABC's new drama series, The River, already has that sinking feeling in D-FW and nationally after Tuesday's two-hour premiere. Details are in the latest "Local Nielsen ratings snapshot."
Ed Bark
WFAA8 names former KHOU reporter Carolyn Mungo as news director
02/07/12 02:33 PM
Carolyn Mungo, previously a star
reporter for Belo-owned KHOU-TV in Houston, will be
the new news director for Belo-owned WFAA8 in Dallas.
An email to that effect was sent out to Belo
higher-ups while unclebarky.com filed a report to
that effect. In between time, Mungo was assistant
news director at Fox-owned KRIV-TV in Houston. But
wait, there's more to this story. Get all the details
on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
NBC singing in the reign after ruling with musical Monday night
02/07/12 10:31 AM
Struggling NBC at last can breathe
easy -- at least for one workday. Its Monday night
lineup of The Voice and Smash won big
in the D-FW ratings and also triumphed nationally.
The local results are on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
We were the champions: Nat'l Nielsen ratings say that Super Bowl XLVI nipped Cowboys Stadium edition
02/06/12 02:54 PM
Final national Nielsen ratings gave
Sunday's Super Bowl XLVI a paper-thin edge over last
year's big game from Cowboys Stadium. Which makes the
Giants' 21-17 win over the Patriots the new
most-watched show in TV history. Details are on our
Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
D-FW Super Bowl ratings expectedly fall short of Jerry's Palace edition; guerilla Cougar Town producer strikes again
02/06/12 01:52 PM
Local Nielsens for Sunday's Super Bowl
XLVI weren't quite up to those for last year's ice
sculpture edition in North Texas. Still, almost 2.5
million viewers ain't too shabby. Details are on our
Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Plus, Cougar Town producer Bill Lawrence, the guy who used to make Scrubs, tries another stealth promo campaign. I like his methods of attack. See what he's up to on the Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark
Plus, Cougar Town producer Bill Lawrence, the guy who used to make Scrubs, tries another stealth promo campaign. I like his methods of attack. See what he's up to on the Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark
Super Bowl XLVI: Eastwood keeps it real while Madonna prima donnas
02/06/12 06:30 AM
Super Bowl XLVI provided another
thrillingly close outcome and a lot of attendant side
shows. Our words, frame grabs and videos are on the
Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
The River's flow chart looks a lot like Lost's
02/03/12 05:34 PM
ABC's latest otherworldly serial
drama, The River, is supposed to make your
skin crawl more than Lost did. But otherwise
aren't they pretty much one and the same? Our
review is here.
Plus, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings "snapshot" takes a close look at opening night of the February "sweeps" ratings period.
Ed Bark
Plus, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings "snapshot" takes a close look at opening night of the February "sweeps" ratings period.
Ed Bark
NBC's Smash tries nights on Broadway as viewer lure
02/02/12 04:09 PM
It's nearly time to find out whether
NBC's biggest gamble in many a season -- Smash
-- will have the beleaguered network whistling a
happy tune for a change. Our review is here.
Also, former CBS11 meteorologist Julie Bologna is among those who have interviewed for a Fox4 vacancy. Details are on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark
Also, former CBS11 meteorologist Julie Bologna is among those who have interviewed for a Fox4 vacancy. Details are on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark
CBS11 bangs its drums loudly in preparation for February "sweeps" warfare
02/01/12 05:14 PM
The annual four-week February "sweeps"
ratings period starts on Thursday of this week. And
CBS11 is acting as though it really wants to return
to the 10 p.m. winner's circle after WFAA8 took
November's golds. A new "Coming In February" promo,
replete with drum beats, sets the stage for what's
likely to be another down-to-the-wire battle between
the two stations. Take a look on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page, and see
if it sucks you in -- at least a bit.
Plus, we take an up-close look -- ratings-wise -- at last year's most popular scripted series on basic and premium cable networks. Some of the final tabulations may surprise you, as news anchors are wont to say. Plus, Tuesday's D-FW Nielsen ratings are in as we begin another new month with this friendly reminder:
If you're shopping on Amazon anyway, give any of unclebarky.com's amazon ads a click before proceeding to make your buys. A small percentage of the purchase prices are sent back to D-FW's only completely independent local/national TV website.
As always, we greatly appreciate your readership and support.
Ed Bark
Plus, we take an up-close look -- ratings-wise -- at last year's most popular scripted series on basic and premium cable networks. Some of the final tabulations may surprise you, as news anchors are wont to say. Plus, Tuesday's D-FW Nielsen ratings are in as we begin another new month with this friendly reminder:
If you're shopping on Amazon anyway, give any of unclebarky.com's amazon ads a click before proceeding to make your buys. A small percentage of the purchase prices are sent back to D-FW's only completely independent local/national TV website.
As always, we greatly appreciate your readership and support.
Ed Bark