Jan 2010
Withering heights: Kimmel escalates feud with Leno
01/29/10 11:47 AM
Jimmy Kimmel's takes on NBC's late
night pratfalls are pungent and now very personal. On
Thursday's Jimmy Kimmel Live, he socked it to
Jay Leno after Leno claimed that Kimmel had "sucker
punched" him during a recent "10 at 10" segment.
We've got the video here. Also, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings
continued to sing for Fox, even without
American Idol.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
And now Ray Romano as Al Capone . . .
01/28/10 04:03 PM
No, not really. But our latest "Making a List" is for real,
counting down the Top 10 head-scratching TV
portrayals of real-life people by big-name stars.
Also, Dallas-based WFAA8 finds itself near the top of the national download
charts with its newly launched news app for
the Apple iPhone and ITouch.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Idol worship peaks with Dallas auditions
01/28/10 11:00 AM
Sorry state of affairs? Wednesday's
American Idol auditions from Dallas had more
D-FW viewers on a single network -- Fox -- than
President Obama's State of the Union Address had on
the Big Four broadcast networks -- Fox, ABC, CBS and
NBC. For all the numbers, check out our latest ratings "snapshot."
Also, we review Wednesday's Idol festivities on both Fox and Fox4. The two best audition videos also are included.
Ed Bark
Also, we review Wednesday's Idol festivities on both Fox and Fox4. The two best audition videos also are included.
Ed Bark
Leno up-close in a vintage interview that still holds true
01/27/10 01:27 PM
Back in spring 1995, Jay Leno was
still the relatively new host of The Tonight
Show and hadn't yet taken the ratings measure of
arch rival David Letterman. Your friendly content
provider interviewed him in his Burbank offices,
where Leno let his guard down and pretty much said it
all about himself. We recapture that close encounter
on our Back Channels page.
Also, Fox has a monster week in the national prime-time ratings, leaving rival networks in near-eclipse. The latest, closer-to-home D-FW Nielsen ratings also are in.
Ed Bark
Also, Fox has a monster week in the national prime-time ratings, leaving rival networks in near-eclipse. The latest, closer-to-home D-FW Nielsen ratings also are in.
Ed Bark
All-Star hoops in Dallas will have a big hurdle in prime-time
01/26/10 01:48 PM
Newspapers will spill lots of ink. And
local TV stations, with the possible exception of
one, will devote plenty of air time to the Feb. 14th
NBA All-Star game in Dallas at Jerry's Palace. NBC5
might be something of a holdout. Because after all,
it has the Winter Olympics on the same night. Which
puts the All-Stars on likely thin ice ratings-wise --
even in these parts.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Branching out again with another cnn.com commentary
01/26/10 12:33 PM
Your friendly content provider has
another commentary on cnn.com, this one on the future
talking points in late night TV now that the Conan
O'Brien/NBC soap opera has ceased. You can check it out here. Also, the
latest D-FW Nielsen ratings are in
place on unclebarky.com, and ABC's increasingly
popular Castle is a prime beneficiary.
An added note for prospective commentors: Echo has taken over the "Comments" function from Haloscan, and the transition is currently underway. So it may be a day or so before the mechanism is fully back in order. Don't worry, though, comments are here to stay on unclebarky.com.
Addendum: The new and visually improved comments sections are up and running!!!
Ed Bark
An added note for prospective commentors: Echo has taken over the "Comments" function from Haloscan, and the transition is currently underway. So it may be a day or so before the mechanism is fully back in order. Don't worry, though, comments are here to stay on unclebarky.com.
Addendum: The new and visually improved comments sections are up and running!!!
Ed Bark
Big doings in Dallas: new Fox action-comedy cop series set to start production Tuesday, with Fair Park as home base
01/25/10 02:33 PM
The new summertime Fox series Code
58 (working title), starring Bradley Whitford and
Colin Hanks, plans to spend the next six months
filming 13 episodes in D-FW. It's from the creator of
USA network's Burn Notice, and he sees Dallas
as a "great city to jump on the hood of a car." Get
our complete report here, including
pictures and inteviews. Also, the D-FW weekend Nielsen ratings are
in, with high profile attractions ranging from
Sunday's Saints-Vikings white-knuckler to Friday's
last Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Syfy fo fum: Caprica launches as Battlestar Galactica prequel
01/22/10 03:00 PM
Acolytes of Battlestar
Galactica can catch some more "frak" Friday on
the Syfy prequel Caprica. Our
out-of-this-world review is here. Also, CBS' 16th
edition of The Amazing Race includes
two more Texas teams. Plus, be sure
to spend four minutes with The Late Night War, a Ken
Burns mockumentary from Thursday's Jimmy Kimmel
Live. The latest D-FW Nielsen ratings are in,
too, and they're a boon for the next-to-last
Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Starz new Spartacus is violent, excessive -- and bloody well done
01/21/10 04:40 PM
The gladiator goings-on are
unflinchingly graphic in the new Starz series
Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Get our review from
the combat zone here. Also, the latest D-FW Nielsen
ratings are another big flex for American
Idol.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Tonight, Tonight: Conan out, Leno back in
01/21/10 01:53 PM
NBC made it official Thursday, freeing
Conan O'Brien from his contract with the network
while re-deploying Jay Leno as Tonight Show
host. We give you all the details -- and then analyze
-- on our Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Dallas-made The Deep End premieres as ABC's latest law drama
01/20/10 01:53 PM
Filmed mostly in Dallas but set in
L.A., ABC's The Deep End dog-paddles into view
Thursday night as a legal drama with a Grey's
Anatomy over-coat. Our review is here. Plus, Chelsea
Handler had a unique riff on Dallas during
Tuesday night's Jay Leno Show. We also have
the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings and a
look at Friday's two-hour benefit for
Haiti, which will be shown on an unprecedented
array of broadcast and cable networks.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Incoming at WFAA8: two new weekend news anchors
01/19/10 04:40 PM
WFAA8 is adjusting its weekend
newscast picture by adding a pair of anchors from the
East and West coasts. But incumbent Debbie Denmon
will remain in the new mix. Get all the details here. Also, how
high or low in the ratings did Sunday's Cowboys
season-ender go? The D-FW numbers are here. And we catch
you up on all the big developments from the TV
critics "press tour" with links to the complete
stories your friendly content provider wrote from
Pasadena for locatetv.com. It's all on the TV Bulletin Board page.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
CW's newest: Life Unexpected
01/18/10 05:39 PM
Rife with false moments and falser
mood music, The CW's Life Unexpected premieres
Monday. We take a further look here. Also, we catch up on all those D-FW ratings
reports we missed while away, with the
exception of Sunday's. Because of today's holiday,
they'll be delayed.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Back on site and catching up
01/18/10 12:16 AM
We've resumed posting on
unclebarky.com after a highly eventful week of
Conan/Leno/Simon intrigue at the Television Critics
Association "press tour" in Pasadena.
Look inside for news of two big splits from the NBC5 and CBS11 news departments. We also assess where the Cowboys first went very wrong before being drubbed 34-3 by the Vikings. Plus, a brief look at Sunday night's Golden Globes show and a review of Fox's Human Target, which continues with a second episode on Wednesday night after Sunday's sneak-preview.
Those who want to read the collection of press tour dispatches from Pasadena can find them here at locatetv.com.
Ed Bark
Look inside for news of two big splits from the NBC5 and CBS11 news departments. We also assess where the Cowboys first went very wrong before being drubbed 34-3 by the Vikings. Plus, a brief look at Sunday night's Golden Globes show and a review of Fox's Human Target, which continues with a second episode on Wednesday night after Sunday's sneak-preview.
Those who want to read the collection of press tour dispatches from Pasadena can find them here at locatetv.com.
Ed Bark
Leaving on a jet plane (pretty much know when I'll be back again)
01/07/10 04:51 PM
Your friendly content provider will
leaving Friday morning to spend a week at the
mid-season television critics "press tour" in
Pasadena, CA. where various networks gather to sell
themselves.
This time, though, I'll be doing actual paid work for locatetv.com (stingy Uncle Barky doesn't pay much of anything to his sole employee). So there'll be no further unclebarky.com postings until late next week, but numerous filings for locatetv. You can find them here, and I encourage you to do so periodically for the latest on what the networks have in mind.
Meanwhile, these spaces are well-stocked. We have new reviews of this Sunday's 20th anniversary Simpsons special and of next week's new and ultra-ribald/risque FX animated series, Archer. Also, what cable or broadcast network could you least do without? Escalating fee wars between cable providers and networks make this an ever-pertinent question. Your comments are welcome on our Network News & Reviews page. Plus, Fox abruptly has yanked the heavily promoted Our Little Genius after producer Mark Burnett cited "an issue with how some information was relayed to contestants." Get all the details on our TV Bulletin Board page.
As always, thanks for your continued support of unclebarky.com. It's a labor of love supplemented by the urge to make a little money once in a while.
Ed Bark
This time, though, I'll be doing actual paid work for locatetv.com (stingy Uncle Barky doesn't pay much of anything to his sole employee). So there'll be no further unclebarky.com postings until late next week, but numerous filings for locatetv. You can find them here, and I encourage you to do so periodically for the latest on what the networks have in mind.
Meanwhile, these spaces are well-stocked. We have new reviews of this Sunday's 20th anniversary Simpsons special and of next week's new and ultra-ribald/risque FX animated series, Archer. Also, what cable or broadcast network could you least do without? Escalating fee wars between cable providers and networks make this an ever-pertinent question. Your comments are welcome on our Network News & Reviews page. Plus, Fox abruptly has yanked the heavily promoted Our Little Genius after producer Mark Burnett cited "an issue with how some information was relayed to contestants." Get all the details on our TV Bulletin Board page.
As always, thanks for your continued support of unclebarky.com. It's a labor of love supplemented by the urge to make a little money once in a while.
Ed Bark
New Survivor includes old Texas heartthrob
01/07/10 11:26 AM
Former Dallas car customizer Colby
Donaldson, heroic figure of 2001's Survivor: The
Australian Outback, returns to play again in CBS'
upcoming 10th anniversary edition, Survivor:
Heroes vs. Villains. Get the details on our
TV Bulletin Board page. Also, the
latest D-FW Nielsen ratings boost
both The People's Choice Awards and CBS11's cold
weather 10 p.m. newscast.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Krystle gets Good Day visibility boost
01/06/10 12:43 PM
Dismayed by somewhat slumbering
ratings for its early morning Good Day
program, Dallas-based Fox4 is giving former
substitute anchor Krystle Gutierrez a more prominent
role. Get the details here. Also, a new "Ask Uncle Barky" is in play.
And the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings show
that CBS' crime shows squeezed out Fox's Orange
Bowl telecast.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Contract negotiations at CBS11, big numbers for an otherwise despondent TCU, Brit Hume plays God, etc.
01/05/10 01:46 PM
We've got an eclectic collection for
you inside. Two prominent CBS11 news personalities
remain in contract renewal talks as
2010 kicks in. TCU's disappointing Fiesta Bowl
loss to Boise State again proves that misery loves company. Fox news
commentator and former anchor Brit Hume calls
Tiger Woods home to Christ during a controversial riff on Fox News
Sunday. And WFAA anchor/reporter Shelly Slater
shows off her big ol' high school smile in our
belated li'l wrapup of the station's Big D NYE
telecast.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
By the numbers: Cowboys in review
01/04/10 01:27 PM
Another Dallas Cowboys' regular season
is in the books. And on unclebarky.com, we've got the
top-to-bottom D-FW Nielsen ratings for all 16 games.
Which was the biggest draw -- and the biggest "loser"
-- in a season where every Cowboys contest topped the
one million mark? For stats you'll find nowhere else,
go here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Fox/Time Warner tiff is good news for news print
01/04/10 02:00 AM
Who benefited the most from the
recently settled transmission dispute between Fox
Networks Group and Time Warner Cable? Read all about
it here, and get a few other D-FW news
scoops as well. Plus, ABC makes "love" Monday night with
three candy-hearted reality hours.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Peacock, not Fox, plucks plum Cowboys-Eagles playoff rematch
01/04/10 12:25 AM
By ED BARK
Fox is the network of the NFL's NFC division. But NBC again will have the Dallas Cowboys just where it wants them -- in prime-time.
The TV schedule for this weekend's four opening playoff games was set Sunday night, with NBC announcing that it will have Saturday night's rematch between Dallas and Philadelphia at Cowboys Stadium.
That gives NBC5 the game that Fox4 clearly coveted. Each of this season's 16 Cowboys regular season games have drawn more than one million viewers in the D-FW market. But Fox4 has seen some of the marquee games go to NBC or elsewhere, including the Sept. 20th unveiling of Jerry's Palace in a gut-grinding 33-31 loss to the New York Giants.
That game, on NBC's Sunday Night Football, still ranks as this season's biggest draw locally, with more than 1.7 million viewers. But Saturday night's Cowboys-Philadelphia game stands a very good chance of bettering that mark.
Fox and Fox4 instead will get Sunday afternoon's Green Bay Packers-Arizona Cardinals matchup, which clearly is no match for a Cowboys game.
The Peacock's Sunday Night Football also landed two other prize NFC Cowboys games -- the key Nov. 8th win at Philadelphia and the playoff-clinching Dec. 27th victory at Washington.
All told, Fox4 carried nine of the regular season's 16 games, but just two of the final six.
NBC can't strike again, though. It gets only Saturday's two playoff games before the rest of the NFC and AFC matchups respectively go to Fox and CBS.
So if the Cowboys win on Saturday night -- and that's a big if -- Fox4 can still clean up with at least one and possibly two huge post-season draws. For now, though, NBC is in the driver's seat, nabbing the game that got away. As for the Super Bowl, it'll be on CBS. For now, dream on.