Jun 2010
King calling it quits with CNN interview program; Boogie Man, newly on DVD, is well worth having
06/30/10 09:56 AM
Perhaps heeding unclebarky.com's
recent admonition that he not stay
too long at the party -- yeah, right -- Larry King
announced Tuesday on CNN that he'll be quitting
his interview show sometime in the fall. Our
complete account is here. Also,
just in time for the down-and-dirty mid-term
elections, here's Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater
Story. Newly on DVD, it's won several awards
and was featured at the 2008 Dallas Video
Festival. Our review is here. Also, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings are in.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Unlucky Louie spikes FX with dangerously funny comedy
06/29/10 04:13 PM
Back in play with his second comedy
series after a disastrous one on HBO, Louis C.K. gets
it a lot more right this time around. But if you're
easily offended or repulsed, definitely skip Tuesday
night's second half-hour of Louie. Then again,
you'll really be missing one hell of an
envelope-pusher. Our review is here. Also, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings crown
The Bachelorette as Monday's undisputed
ratings queen, particularly among coveted
18-to-49-year-olds. And on my home away from home,
locatetv.com, see how CBS has
de-programmed women from leading roles in its new
fall lineup after entertaining generations with
the likes of Lucille Ball, Mary Tyler Moore and
Carol Burnett.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
New Huge could be -- huge -- in times when both plus-sized people and ABC Family are hotsy
06/28/10 12:35 PM
ABC Family's Huge, co-created
by the mind behind My So-Called Life, launches
Monday night in tandem with the channel's already hot
Secret Life of the American Teenager. Our
review is here. Also, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings are a
boon for Saturday's otherwise deflating U.S. loss
to Ghana in soccer's World Cup. Plus, CBS is
giving Alex O'Loughlin a third chance in four
years this fall with its re-do of Hawaii
Five-O. Sometimes it takes a while to find
just the right show. George Clooney, Tom Selleck,
etc. are prime examples of that, as you'll see on
my home away from home, locatetv.com.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Mmm mmm good? Dallas-bred Pavelka co-hosts GMT on heels of tongue-wagging Bachelor bust-up
06/25/10 05:44 PM
WFAA8's homegrown Good Morning
Texas on the face of it had quite a coup Friday
when local boy Jake Pavelka co-hosted. Don't worry,
though. Nothing came of it because the reliably
buttery show agreeably avoided any give-and-take
about his ongoing Bachelor breakup scandal.
Not that Pavelka's been reluctant to blab about it
elsewhere. Our review is here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Public lewdness charges dropped against former WFAA8 anchor/reporter
06/25/10 02:31 PM
The Dallas district attorney's office
has declined to prosecute a police charge of public
lewdness against Brad Hawkins, a former WFAA8
anchor/reporter who left the station in December 2008
to take a media position with Southwest Airlines.
Hawkins' attorney confirmed the action Friday. Our
story is here. Also, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings show
one of two new Thursday night ABC series getting
off to a solid start.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Boston Med gives ABC a believable, real-life hospital drama
06/24/10 05:05 PM
Boston Med, complete with
references to Dr. McDreamy, is another summertime
booster shot from docu-filmmaker Terence Wrong. Our
review is here. Also, we reprise
video of Tracy Rowlett's sermonette
on CBS11 during his first newscast for the
station. It happened more than a decade ago and
he's now been off the air nearly two years. Time
moves like a bullet train, and times have
dramatically changed during both interims. Also,
the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings are in.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Still hate those horns, but love that go-o-o-o-oal!!!
06/23/10 01:48 PM
Wednesday morning perked up
considerably in the U.S. when Landon Donovan scored a
spine-tingling goal near the very end of a matchup
with Algeria that otherwise would have ended in a 0-0
tie. That also would have eliminated the U.S. from
the World Cup's final field of 16. But Donovan saved
the day with a score worthy of a "Do You Believe In
Miracles?" sequel from venerable Al Michaels. Such
drama. Here's how it looked:
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
ABC premieres Rookie Blue; Spitzer washes ashore on CNN
06/23/10 01:37 PM
ABC's third new scripted series of the
summer, Rookie Blue, launches on Thursday
night. Better title: Rookie Blah. See our review here. Also, CNN hires
defrocked former NY governor Eliot Spitzer without
ever mentioning his past in the all-news network's
official announcement. CNN does take a shot at
rivals Fox News Channel and MSNB, though. Get our
take on the TV Bulletin Board page. Plus, the
latest D-FW Nielsen ratings show a
return to form for America's Got Talent and
a ratings plunge for ABC's new Downfall.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Dallas-bred palooka Pavelka splits with Bachelor fiancee Vienna in another grim reality fairy tale
06/22/10 05:07 PM
Gosh, it's splitsville for D-FW's very
own Jake Pavelka and the woman he loved like no other
-- for a few months. Get the laughable details here. Also, check
out the video of KDFW-TV's weekend news
team from two decades ago, and see where they
are now. Plus, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings show a
few encouraging signs -- locally at least -- for
Fox's made-in-Dallas The Good Guys.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
TNT's Memphis Beat tries to give us Jason Lee without a Hickey
06/21/10 05:31 PM
Jason Lee's followup to My Name Is
Earl is TNT's new Memphis Beat, in which
his name is Dwight Hendricks. But can we buy him as a
hard-charging detective this soon? Our review is here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Izaguirre vs. garage door ends in split decision
06/21/10 02:53 PM
Cynthia Izaguirre, co-anchor of
Dallas-based WFAA8's Daybreak, is on the mend
from a garage door that got the best of her nose
early Friday morning. She gives the blow-by-blow to unclebarky.com.
Also, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings include
the first verdicts on ABC's two new Sunday night
dramas.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
ABC's The Gates and Scoundrels may give viewers and broadcast networks reasons to believe in new scripted summer programming (plus much more)
06/18/10 03:26 PM
It's a busy Father's Day on the new
programming front. ABC is striving to make summer
Sundays come alive with two new, intriguing and
heavily promoted serial dramas, The Gates and
Scoundrels. Our reviews are here.
Also, Syfy is presenting its new four-hour version of The Phantom in one big Sunday gulp. Go here for our review. Showtime's rather markedly chaste The Real L Word also debuts Sunday. Unclebarky.com has an app for that, too. And although I haven't had enough time to review it, National Geographic Channel's five-hour How The Earth Changed History will be running Sunday through Tuesday. It looks like a worthy endeavor, so here's a link to the official website.
Plus, CW33 news finally states the very obvious in a new ad with an unprecedented slogan. Check it out here. And of course we also have some suggested slogans of our own.
Furthermore, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings show you how big the numbers got for Thursday night's Game 7 of the NBA Finals. And nationally, TV Land is basking in robust ratings for the premiere of its Hot In Cleveland sitcom while Dave is gaining on Jay. See our TV Bulletin Board page for the particulars. Puff-puff.
Ed Bark
Also, Syfy is presenting its new four-hour version of The Phantom in one big Sunday gulp. Go here for our review. Showtime's rather markedly chaste The Real L Word also debuts Sunday. Unclebarky.com has an app for that, too. And although I haven't had enough time to review it, National Geographic Channel's five-hour How The Earth Changed History will be running Sunday through Tuesday. It looks like a worthy endeavor, so here's a link to the official website.
Plus, CW33 news finally states the very obvious in a new ad with an unprecedented slogan. Check it out here. And of course we also have some suggested slogans of our own.
Furthermore, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings show you how big the numbers got for Thursday night's Game 7 of the NBA Finals. And nationally, TV Land is basking in robust ratings for the premiere of its Hot In Cleveland sitcom while Dave is gaining on Jay. See our TV Bulletin Board page for the particulars. Puff-puff.
Ed Bark
CBS11 news photographer involved in fatal poker game shooting that police say was self-defense
06/17/10 01:20 PM
CBS11 found itself reporting on one of
its own when a poker game shootout involved one of
its staff photographers. Further details are here. Also, the
latest D-FW Nielsen ratings show
NBC's America's Got Talent and CW33's
sex-spiked 9 p.m. newscasts asserting themselves.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
The Real L Word arrives without a certain key ingredient; new Cambio website detours around mainstream media middlemen
06/16/10 02:29 PM
Showtime's sequel to The L
Word, an unscripted soap/saga of six real-life
lesbians, arrives Sunday night without any real sex.
So whatever your sexuality, why watch? Our review is here. Also, the brand new
and heavily financed Cambio website celebrates The
Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato and other teen/'tween
idols without filtering them through the usual
channels. We take a first look on our Web Browser page. Plus, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings come up
big for hoops despite Tuesday's never-in-doubt
outcome.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Farm fresh? Planet Green channel aims for a gay Green Acres
06/15/10 03:09 PM
Still a new player amid a bumper crop
of cable networks, Planet Green hopes to attract
attention with a new down-on-the-farm reality series
titled The Fabulous Beekman Boys. Premiering
Wednesday, it spotlights a gay male couple
experiencing newfound acres and pains. Our review is here. Also, Fox's
Dallas-made The Good Guys had a bad time in
the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Hot In Cleveland takes the TV Land stage
06/14/10 02:46 PM
Four sitcom pros, most notably Betty
White, are the marquee players in TV Land's new
Hot In Cleveland, premiering Wednesday. We
take its temperature here. Also,
the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings show
big weekend returns for NBA basketball and World
Cup soccer.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
True Blood adds horror staple in third season
06/11/10 04:24 PM
HBO launches the third season of
True Blood Sunday. And its many-splendored
vampires aren't the only ones with bite. Our review is here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
CW33's boob tube news strikes again
06/11/10 11:20 AM
CW33 news director David Duitch
continues to treat his 9 p.m. edition as a sex
toy in a growingly desperate effort to get
noticed. Unfortunately his beaten-down staff has
to play along because jobs in the TV news biz are
not exactly plentiful. Also, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings again
are bullish on the NBA Finals. And we plug WFAA8
sports anchor Dale Hansen's midsummer night's charity
event at his Waxahachie spread.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Sean Hayes hosting the Tonys and so far staying out of Newsweek controversy
06/10/10 05:14 PM
Sean Hayes came out as a gay man
several months ago, just in time for a
Newsweek columnist to question his suitability
for playing a straight lead in Broadway's revival of
Promises, Promises. Hayes since been nominated
for a Tony and will host the 64th annual awards
ceremony this Sunday on CBS. So what's he got to say?
Check out his surprising reticence and his carefree
approach to hosting on my home away from home,
locatetv.com.
Also, TXA21 has a Coach marathon this weekend, with guest shots by the likes of Jerry Jones and Troy Aikman plus a quartet of Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders as hosts. And Wednesday's D-FW Nielsen ratings put the clinching Stanley Cup game on ice while it has a hockey mountain high nationwide.
Ed Bark
Also, TXA21 has a Coach marathon this weekend, with guest shots by the likes of Jerry Jones and Troy Aikman plus a quartet of Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders as hosts. And Wednesday's D-FW Nielsen ratings put the clinching Stanley Cup game on ice while it has a hockey mountain high nationwide.
Ed Bark
Don't stay too long at the party (alas, Helen Thomas did)
06/09/10 02:45 PM
One age doesn't fit all, and some
people should retire sooner than others. The trick is
to know your own expiration date, and some still
haven't mastered that knack. Such as Helen Thomas. We
name other names here while also
putting your friendly content provider to the test
of life beyond this website.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Anchor Mike Snyder ending three-decade career at NBC5
06/09/10 10:47 AM
NBC5 anchor Mike Snyder will be
leaving the Fort Worth-based station on July 1st
after a 30-year-career. All the details and his
Wednesday morning phone interview with unclebarky.com
can be found here. Also, the latest D-FW ratings highlight
Tuesday night's 8 p.m. battle between the season
finale of Glee and the first hour of the
potent NBA Finals.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Struggling re-start for Dallas-made Good Guys
06/08/10 01:55 PM
Fox's Dallas-made The Good Guys
had its time slot premiere Monday. Ratings were so-so
locally and pretty dreadful nationally. Not a good
sign. All the particulars are here. Also, at my
home away from home, locatetv.com, we look at the
good, bad and ugly of the many TV
series made into feature films. The latest,
The A-Team, opens Friday.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
The cad stays in the picture -- but famed paparazzo Ron Galella is wearing better with age
06/07/10 01:00 PM
Ron Galella's point-and-shoot brand of
celebrity photography often had his subjects raising
their hands in defense -- when they weren't suing or
punching him. A fascinating new HBO documentary,
Smash His Camera, remembers the way he was --
and pretty much still is. Our review is here.
Also, the NBA Finals slam dunk the NHL's competing Stanley Cup showcase in Sunday night's D-FW Nielsens. And in case you haven't heard yet, Monday is officially "Good Guys Day" in Dallas. Plus, I've seen the worst new series of the year -- by far. You can find the particulars here.
Ed Bark
Also, the NBA Finals slam dunk the NHL's competing Stanley Cup showcase in Sunday night's D-FW Nielsens. And in case you haven't heard yet, Monday is officially "Good Guys Day" in Dallas. Plus, I've seen the worst new series of the year -- by far. You can find the particulars here.
Ed Bark
Dallas-made Good Guys re-rolls into view in regular summertime slot
06/04/10 01:50 PM
Sneak-previewed last month, Fox's
made-in-Dallas The Good Guys returns Monday
night in its regular romping grounds. We review the proceedings here. Also,
the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings are in
the house.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
R.I.P. David Dillon
06/03/10 05:50 PM
David Dillon, a former Dallas Morning News colleague and an architecture critic of national stature, has died of a heart attack at age 68.
David passed away at his home in Massachusetts. He left the DMN in September 2006, taking a buyout along with more than 100 other staffers, including yours truly.
David was a kind and serious-minded man, but with a terrific sense of humor to match his gravitas on buildings gone awry. He wrote from the heart and from a wealth of knowledge, never worrying about offending big-time developers if he thought they merited his wrath.
He was constructive, too, enjoying the beauty of well-laid blueprints that became pleasures to behold.
David will always be the DMN's signature architecture critic. His legacy in North Texas is a quarter-century of well-considered reviews of structures large, small, beauteous and ugly. R.I.P., my friend. It was a privilege to both know you and read you.
Ed Bark
So You Think You Can Dance does Dallas
06/03/10 01:35 PM
Thursday's two-hour edition of Fox's
So You Think You Can Dance will include the
mid-March auditions held at SMU's McFarlin
Auditorium. Get more details here, plus a look at
Good Day reporter Fiona Gorostiza in
action.
Also, we have video and commentary on that incredible blown call that cost a Detroit Tigers pitcher a perfect game Wednesday night. Plus, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings show a tepid response to Wednesday's America's Got Talent edition from Dallas. You also can check out a pair of mid-1990s promos for the KXAS-TV weather and sports teams. Only one member remains at the Fort Worth-based station.
Ed Bark
Also, we have video and commentary on that incredible blown call that cost a Detroit Tigers pitcher a perfect game Wednesday night. Plus, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings show a tepid response to Wednesday's America's Got Talent edition from Dallas. You also can check out a pair of mid-1990s promos for the KXAS-TV weather and sports teams. Only one member remains at the Fort Worth-based station.
Ed Bark
CBS/Fox split end of season spoils
06/02/10 01:44 PM
As the summer season starts in
earnest, we look back on the official 2009-'10
festivities to see which networks and shows
were tops in Nielsen's two major ratings food
groups. Plus, Tuesday's D-FW numbers show who won
the big two-hour faceoff between NBC's
America's Got Talent and ABC's
Wipeout.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
TBS makes it a threesome -- on the "urban" sitcom front -- with Are We There Yet?
06/01/10 04:41 PM
Just one network is investing today in
predominantly black, so-called "urban" comedies. TBS'
latest, Are We There Yet?, joins the
prime-time lineup Wednesday night. Our review is here. Also, the holiday weekend D-FW Nielsen
ratings are in.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark