Heading West for another summer network TV "press tour"

07/26/10 06:55 PM

Here I go again, journeying to sunny Southern Cal for another bout with umpteen TV networks presenting their new fall fare. Takeoff day is Tuesday, July 27th for a 13-day sojourn. So I won't be back until Aug. 9th, meaning there'll be no filing for unclebarky.com during that period but a wealth of exclusive dispatches for locatetv.com. Starting Wednesday, you can find all the latest press tour news on -- locatetv.com. I hope you'll check in regularly. Gotta make a little money -- or at least break even -- once in a while.

Be good, local TV stations. And we'll catch up upon return.
Ed Bark

Rubicon gives AMC a third Emmy caliber drama series

07/26/10 06:43 PM

AMC's Rubicon, premiering Sunday, Aug. 1st, is definitely not a light-hearted spy caper series. But its intelligence analysts will keep your brain teased. Our review is here.
Ed Bark

Tribune's impending "NewsFix" initiative will be nixed at CW33, news director says

07/26/10 11:00 AM

Imagine a local newscast without anchors or reporters on camera. OK, but while you're doing jumping jacks of joy :), don't expect it to happen anytime soon at D-FW's Tribune-owned CW33. We have the details here. Also, the first-place Texas Rangers did big business for a station other than Fox Sports Southwest Friday night. Plus, there are lots of doings at ABC, and we have them all on our TV Bulletin Board page. Furthermore, see how Fox News Channel continues to fib regarding its handling of the Shirley Sherrod "scandal." And for a review of The CW's upcoming Plain Jane makeover series, go to our home away from home, locatetv.com.
Ed Bark

AMC's Mad Men makes another sale with Sunday's Season 4 launch; Fox4 adds a new gambit to 9 p.m. newscasts

07/22/10 06:42 PM

Mad Men returns with new episodes this Sunday, and the first one is another reason to get re-hooked or join the party. Our review is here. Also, Fox4 lately has an added attraction on its 9 p.m. newscasts. Get the details here.
Ed Bark

Explaining ESPN's Super Bowl XLV decision to headquarter in FW instead of Big D

07/22/10 04:30 PM

Friend and colleague Robert Wilonsky of The Dallas Observer's "Unfair Park" blog has a very interesting interview with the woman who steered ESPN to Fort Worth instead of Dallas for its big Super Bowl XLV splashdown. It turns out she's a 1989 University of Texas at Austin grad. You can find the interview here.
Ed Bark

Shepard Smith's objectivity at odds with rest of Fox News Channel (and MSNBC for that matter); Starz launches "Epic Event of the Summer"

07/22/10 12:57 PM

Fox News Channel's Shepard Smith doesn't have to wash his hands of the bogus Shirley Sherrod "scandal." That's because he held back from the start. We weigh in while also showing you video of Smith's criticisms of both his employer and the White House. Plus, Starz starts its eight-hour Pillars of the Earth miniseries on Friday. Our review is here. And the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings are another home run for the Texas Rangers -- even in defeat.
Ed Bark

Rivals pick up on CW33 stories (but how far will they go?)

07/21/10 05:25 PM

CW33's oft-comical, regularly salacious newscasts have been lampooned and occasionally praised in these spaces. But rival D-FW stations sometimes aren't shy about glomming on to some of what they do. Get the details here, plus unclebarky.com's look at three Tuesday night CW33 stories that likely won't be replicated elsewhere. Or will they? Also, there's a report that former Cowboys Coach Jimmy Johnson will be a contestant on this fall's Survivor: Nicaragua. And CBS has announced a new daytime chat-fest that walks, talks and pretty much copies The View.
Ed Bark

Haggard gets his due in new, rough-edged American Masters film

07/21/10 11:43 AM

Merle Haggard, deftly described by a reviewer as "country music's Frank Sinatra," is shown doing it his way in the latest new and memorable American Masters film. Our review is here. Also, CBS11 hires an accomplished producer to head its investigative until. And the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings are in the house.
Ed Bark

CW33 adds new full-time reporter; Rangers rock in D-FW Nielsens

07/20/10 01:03 PM

Hello, all members of the unclebarky nation/village/trailer park. Your friendly content provider is freshly returned from a Bark family reunion in Minnesota, where his diving catch in a climactic wiffle ball game preserved a 12-0 victory. This is what passes for a career highlight these days.

Meanwhile in D-FW, CW33 has added a new reporter with a very distinctive name. And the first-place Texas Rangers have been lighting up the local ratings scoreboard, with Monday night's down-to-the-14th inning turnout especially impressive.
Ed Bark

Doing BaD radio on "The Ticket" and then heading to family reunion in Land o' Lakes

07/15/10 03:53 PM

Those of a mind to listen can hear your friendly content provider discourse on local and national TV during the Thursday, July 15th edition of BaD Radio on "The Ticket." The frequency is 1310 AM, and my start time is supposed to be 5:50 p.m.

After that it's off to the great state of Minnesota for a reunion with fellow Barks. Which means that unclebarky.com will resume posting on Tuesday, July 20th.

Meanwhile, another CBS11/TXA21 meteorologist has at least temporarily bit the dust and will be off the air for what likely will be a short duration. The details are here.
Ed Bark

Pair of pregnant pauses coming soon to WFAA8

07/15/10 11:00 AM

WFAA8 soon will be re-juggling anchor slots when Shelly Slater and Shon Gables deliver their babies and take their maternity leaves. Gables in particular hasn't been shy about detailing the ups and downs of her pregnancy while Slater tweets occasional updates. Get the latest here. Also, Wednesday's D-FW Nielsen ratings are in the house.
Ed Bark

CBS11 discusses why it divulged Fort Worth police officer's name after last week's car chase wreck; most rivals clam up on why they didn't

07/14/10 04:59 PM

Some readers have wondered about the propriety of CBS11 revealing the name of a seriously injured Fort Worth police officer last week while other stations continued to cite the family's request for privacy. Unclebarky.com takes a closer look here. Also, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings show who won Tuesday night in the battle between Fox's All-Star game coverage and NBC's potent America's Got Talent. Plus, a new TV Bulletin Board has lots of juicy li'l tidbits. And on my home away from home, locatetv.com, see whether you agree that hardly any TV series star is indispensable these days.
Ed Bark

The late George Steinbrenner revisited in evocative ESPN miniseries; meteorologist Garry Seith on mend from motorcycle crash

07/13/10 05:44 PM

The death of George Steinbrenner evokes memories of ESPN's terrific eight-hour The Bronx Is Burning miniseries, with Oliver Platt as "The Boss." It premiered in the summer of 2007 and be found really, really cheap at a certain discount chain. Get the details here. Plus, TXA21/CBS11 meteorologist Garry Seith is still recovering from a serious late June motorcycle accident.
Ed Bark

Allen ending early morning anchoring to become CBS11's lead gumshoe

07/13/10 11:53 AM

Ginger Allen, who's co-anchored CBS11's early morning news program for the past three years with Scott Sams, will be going back to her old digs. Get the details here. Also, USA network premieres its latest drama series, Covert Affairs, Tuesday night. Our review is here. Plus, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings are a plus for two cable networks. And on our TV Bulletin Board page, there's news of the CSI: NY actress switch.
Ed Bark

Trendy pasta dish or meaty new crime drama? TNT's Rizzoli & Isles is ready to be served

07/12/10 12:19 PM

Dallas native Angie Harmon heads the cast of TNT's latest drama series, Rizzoli & Isles. Our review is here. Also, the weekend D-FW Nielsen ratings show that Spain's lone g-o-o-o-al attracted plenty of World Cup Final viewers in supposedly soccer-uncrazy North Texas.
Ed Bark

A&E's The Glades follows the script on a network that usually doesn't

07/09/10 02:49 PM

Here comes another new, glib detective series. Only this time it's on A&E, where scripted hours are few and far between. For a suitably fun departure from the network's Billy the Exterminator, check out Sunday night's premiere of The Glades. Our review is here. Also, a collection of award-winning NBC5 mini-spots is designed to make you all ears. See and hear them here.
Ed Bark

ESPN serves "The King," who comes off at least somewhat princely (updated)

07/08/10 11:23 PM

It may have been repulsive, this whole idea of ESPN genuflecting to "King" LeBron James in a Thursday night special grandly titled The Decision. But in the end, how good of a face did he put on his decision to leave the Cavs and join his high-powered pals in Miami? Our review is here.

Plus, see how The Decision ranked in D-FW's Thursday Nielsen ratings.
Ed Bark

Syfy's Haven keeps TV's small towns creepy (updated)

07/08/10 01:48 PM

Rotary Club meetings are big news in most real-life small towns. On TV, though, you need something to break the tedium -- like supernatural powers, murders, sinister pasts, etc. Syfy's new Haven, being paired on Friday nights with its quirky Eureka, is the latest saga of a burg gone wild. Our review is here. Also, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings are close to a home run for the Texas Rangers. Plus, Dallas-based WFAA8 has hired a new weekend Daybreak weathercaster who's making a big-time market jump.
Ed Bark

First-timers Glee and Modern Family are prominent players among latest Emmy nominees

07/08/10 10:08 AM

Nominations for the 62nd annual Emmy Awards were announced Thursday, with a batch of newcomers joining the usual suspects. Get our complete coverage here. Also, a CW33 news reporter is heading to CNN. And our TV Bulletin Board page notes TV Land's renewal of Hot In Cleveland among other enticing tidbits.
Ed Bark

Shipp shape: Saluting the veteran WFAA8 investigator for his dogged digging on dangerous natural gas couplings

07/07/10 11:20 AM

WFAA8 gumshoe Brett Shipp reported Tuesday that state officials finally are doing "what appears to be a huge about-face" on the issue of faulty and sometimes lethal natural gas couplings. He's been on this case for nearly four years, which is no easy task. We look at what he's accomplished and provide video of Tuesday's report here. Also, Tuesday's D-FW Nielsen ratings are in.
Ed Bark

Post-Fourth fireworks/waterworks from Dallas-bred Bachelor and jettisoned fiancee

07/06/10 12:05 AM

Dallas flyboy Jake Pavelka and Vienna Girardi took their post-Bachelor issues to ABC's The Bachelorette Monday night for a rock 'em, sock 'em verbal brawl that's virtually certain to be the most-watched program of the week. Go here for our recap and commentary. The latest D-FW Nielsen ratings also are in, so you can see what kind of audience it pulled here.
Ed Bark

Happy Fourth of July -- plus a few new postings

07/02/10 11:57 AM

Hey there, everybody, have a happy and extended Fourth of July weekend. We'll be taking a few days off here at unclebarky.com central before resuming publication on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings chart the audience for anchor Mike Snyder's last newscast on NBC5. Also, The Huckabee Show will be test-marketed on a limited number of Fox-owned stations (including Dallas-based Fox4) and WFAA8 is preempting ABC programming Saturday night for a FC Dallas Major League Soccer game and a following fireworks show. Get the details here.
Ed Bark

Mike Snyder keeps his composure, relinquishes his NBC5 mike

07/01/10 10:00 PM

NBC5 news anchor Mike Snyder bowed out gracefully and poignantly Thursday, ending a 30-year run at the Fort Worth-based station. Our complete coverage, with pictures and video, is here.
Ed Bark

July dawns with a little praise for CW33 news (no, this is not a misprint)

07/01/10 04:03 AM

June starts fading into the archives as we begin a new month with a fresh look at CW33. Maybe it was a mirage, but Wednesday's 9 p.m. newscast had some plusses, including the usual strong work by meteorologist Rebecca Miller and her greatly enhanced weather graphics. We also have notes on former Fox4 reporter Rebecca Aguilar and NBC5 anchor Mike Snyder, whose last newscast at the station will be on Thursday, July 1st at 6 p.m. Check it all out here. Plus on our home away from home, locatetv.com, we tell you who's going to miss Larry King the most when he ends his long run at CNN. And Wednesday's D-FW Nielsen ratings also are in the books.

Again, thanks for your continued readership, with traffic continuing to go up. And a special thanks to those who made their amazon purchases by first clicking through one of the ads on unclebarky.com. A small portion of the proceeds goes to your friendly content provider. And it does all help.
Ed Bark

Above the Fold

So tell us what you really think about what you see on TV