A&E gets down to law enforcement basics with Longmire

05/31/12 01:32 PM

Every once in a while, A&E throws a new scripted series on the fire instead of yet another so-called "Real Life" reality series. And Longmire is a pretty good one. Our review is here.
Ed Bark

Jane McGarry striking new poses on Facebook page while remaining in limbo at NBC5

05/30/12 04:26 PM

You're cordially invited to read the Jane McGarry tea leaves in connection with the change of scenery on her Facebook page. The NBC5 anchor otherwise remains mum on her suspension by the station after a DWI arrest early this month.

Also, the Texas Rangers remain a prime-time hit, even during the course of a lopsided loss to Seattle Tuesday night. Check out our latest D-FW ratings "snapshot."
Ed Bark

Breaking Pointe: CW's series about real-life ballet company can't stay on its toes

05/30/12 02:03 PM

It's not your usual reality series fare. But CW's Breaking Pointe unfortunately is a flat-footed, up-close look at a real-life Salt Lake City ballet company. Our review is here.
Ed Bark

Bearded laddies are big hits via History's Hatfields & McCoys

05/29/12 03:29 PM

Viewers were durned tootin' Memorial Day night, sitting down in big numbers to watch Part 1 of History's Hatfields & McCoys. How big? Check out the TV Bulletin Board page for all the details plus a couple of other tidbits involving NBC and CNN.
Ed Bark

Rangers roll and keep rolling in Memorial Day weekend ratings; CBS tries to get pet smart with Dogs In The City

05/29/12 01:34 PM

It can't get any better than this for the Texas Rangers: four sellouts, four wins and dominance of the holiday weekend D-FW Nielsens. Our latest ratings "snapshot" is here.

Also, CBS launches the new summertime reality series Dogs In The City. Our review is here.
Ed Bark

Hemingway & Gellhorn another star trek for HBO

05/26/12 08:52 AM

Nicole Kidman and Clive Owen front HBO's Hemingway & Gellhorn, a sometimes plodding affair bolstered by her bravura performance. Our review is here.

Plus, the inaugural ATX Television Festival is coming soon to an Austin near you. And Thursday's D-FW Nielsen ratings chart the fortunes of ABC's new Duets vs. Fox's returning So You Think You Can Dance.
Ed Bark

History channel's Hatfields & McCoys rides boldly into view

05/24/12 05:06 PM

The best TV western since AMC's Broken Trail breaks ground on the History channel Memorial Day night. Our review of the six-hour, three-part Hatfields & McCoys, starring Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton, is here.
Ed Bark

NBC5/WFAA8 make most progress in May "sweeps" local news ratings; Jane Slater puts brakes on TV traffic reporting, segues to "THE FAN" radio

05/24/12 02:17 PM

All four major combatants scored at least one win in the just-concluded May "sweeps" ratings. But when the dust cleared, NBC5 and WFAA8 gained the most year-to-year ground. Our full report is on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.

Plus, part-time WFAA8 traffic reporter Jane Slater has put a stop to that and segued over to "THE FAN" sports radio station, where she'll co-host a mid-day sports talk program.
Ed Bark

TBS' Men at Work is the kind of comedy that should be unemployed

05/22/12 11:50 AM

Here comes another entry on the often (Not So) "Very Funny" network. Our review of Men at Work is here.

Plus, House goes out with a nice little bang in Monday's D-FW Nielsen ratings.
Ed Bark

CBS11 names Sacramento's Adrienne Bankert as new early morning co-anchor

05/21/12 04:56 PM

CBS11 will replace Lisa Pineiro on June 25th with Adrienne Bankert from NBC affiliate KCRA-TV of Sacramento, the D-FW station announced Monday. Details are on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

Route 66 wheels and deals in new complete series DVD set

05/21/12 03:19 PM

Shout Factory, curator of vintage TV, has released a new Route 66 complete series collection numbering 24 discs. Highlights of its location filming include a serial killer preacher episode shot in Dallas and formative performances by the likes of Robert Duvall as a heroin junkie and Robert Redford as an unintentional killer. Our review, including a frame grab of a special Dallas Times Herald front page used in the 1962 "Aren't You Surprised To See Me?" episode, is on the Network News & Reviews page.

Plus, the Texas Rangers and Tom Selleck rule the weekend D-FW Nielsen ratings.
Ed Bark

A new app for the ol' Mick on SNL season finale

05/18/12 01:18 PM

Unclebarky.com likes to stay current while also swimming against the current. So in the interest of melding the old and the new, we have info. on how to download the new free Color for Facebook app being used by NBC during Mick Jagger's first-ever hosting stint on the May 19th season finale of Saturday Night Live.

In return, the network is promising -- via 30-second videos -- a "rare peek into what really happens backstage during the week of rehearsals and during the live finale's commercial breaks." Details and where to access it are on the Network News & Reviews page.

Plus, Thursday's D-FW Nielsen ratings are in. And if you haven't yet taken a look, the CW network's lineup for next season is also posted along with all the grander plans for the Big Four broadcasters.
Ed Bark

Dive-bombing TV pilots: A select list of notables that were judged unfit for viewer consumption on new network schedules

05/16/12 04:20 PM

NBC passed on a second coming of Roseanne Barr and John Goodman while ABC said no to Ellen DeGeneres. We've rounded up a select list of star-driven pilots that didn't make the cuts for next season on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox. Take a look at the Network News & Reviews page for more of what you'll be missing.
Ed Bark

CBS' new fall lineup marked by two big shifts, a sundown and the pairing of Dennis Quaid/Michael Chiklis

05/16/12 09:44 AM

CBS, a runaway first in total viewers, is adding four new series to its fall arsenal, including an eye-catcher co-starring Dennis Quaid and Michael Chiklis. But the bigger news for many may be its two transplants and the demise of a CSI. All the details are on the Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark

Harry's Law didn't deserve to be a goner

05/15/12 04:11 PM

No, I didn't watch it much. But a lot of viewers, most of them older, watched NBC's Harry's Law to the point of where it will end up being NBC's third most popular series of this season. Yet it was canceled, once again disenfranchising millions of viewers who dared to be out of the advertiser-desired 18-to-49-year-old demographic. This decision really grated on me, so I thought I'd vent with the full knowledge that it's very uncool/unhip to do so. The case for Harry's Law is on the Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark

ABC drops Dallas-set GCB but still goes back to drawlin' board

05/15/12 12:43 PM

ABC unveiled its new fall and midseason series Tuesday, with GCB among the axed. But Reba McEntire and Connie Britton will be in play as country strong women in two separate series. Get all the details on our Network News & Reviews page.

Plus, how did a very mild Howard Stern do ratings-wise with his America's Got Talent debut Monday night? The latest D-FW "snapshot" is ready for ya.
Ed Bark

Fox's new series announcements are one-third the size of NBC's

05/14/12 11:29 AM

Fox unveiled its notably trim list of new fall and midseason series Monday morning. It was a breeze compared to all the stuff NBC threw out there on Mothers' Day.
Ed Bark

Campos officially re-ups at WFAA8, but no more 6 p.m. anchoring after this summer; Rangers rock weekend D-FW ratings

05/14/12 11:16 AM

Veteran anchor Gloria Campos has inked a new deal with WFAA8. But she'll be cutting back. Details are on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page. Also, the weekend Rangers-Angels series dominates the D-FW Nielsens, with nothing else really even close.
Ed Bark

No joke: NBC accentuates comedy for the fall while canceling its fourth most popular series for age-old reasons

05/13/12 06:09 PM

NBC chose to get a Mothers' Day jump on its competitors by announcing a new fall season that will have 10 new comedies on an expanded four different nights. But it canceled Harry's Law despite the legal drama being far more popular than any of its six returning sitcoms. Drawing an older audience continues to be a capital crime on broadcast TV, even when only NBC's Sunday Night Football, The Voice and Smash (just barely) had more viewers than the Kathy Bates-led hour. Our full report is on the Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark

Johnny Carson rides again, but 20 long years after the fact

05/11/12 03:47 PM

PBS and filmmaker Peter Jones long wanted to do a Johnny Carson film under the American Masters banner. But he had absolutely no interest. And after his death, his estate waited five more years before granting approval. So he-r-r-r-re we go with "King of Late Night," premiering Monday, May 14th. Our review is here.
Ed Bark

Howie and now Howard on America's Got Talent

05/11/12 12:12 PM

NBC's biggest summer season splash, America's Got Talent, hopes to make an even bigger one with the arrival of Howard Stern as a judge. Season 7 launches on Monday, May 14th, and Stern promises to be a good boy without being one of those American Idol sycophants, as he puts it. He did a media conference Thursday, and our account is here.

Also, Thursday's D-FW Nielsen numbers are in.
Ed Bark

Former KXAS-TV anchor Dave Layman on drinking, driving -- and putting on the brakes

05/10/12 04:15 PM

Former KXAS-TV (Ch. 5) anchor Dave Layman has been out of the D-FW market for 30 years. But the news of Jane McGarry's DWI arrest reached him in Rhode Island and prompted him to express his thoughts on her situation and how typical it is in the oft-intoxicating world of TV news. His candid comments can found on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

USA serves up another pastry with Common Law

05/10/12 02:39 PM

USA brings its patented soft-serve approach to Common Law, even though its a police "procedural" with gun fights and homicides. Our review is here.

Plus, the latest "Local Nielsen Ratings Snapshot" also brings you up to speed on the local news races at the halfway point of the May "sweeps."
Ed Bark

Jane McGarry: Is she or isn't she a public figure?

05/09/12 04:33 PM

Well, of course she is. Try telling her she isn't. We touch a lot of bases on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

Hamilton home run spree not that much of a (ratings) hit in D-FW

05/09/12 12:36 PM

Josh Hamilton's four home runs, with a double thrown in, made Tuesday night's Rangers-Orioles game a historic occasion. But judging from the D-FW Nielsen ratings, word of mouth must have spread slowly on a night when other powerful hitters flexed on broadcast networks. The complete numbers are here.

Also, BBC America's new six-episode White Heat drama, launching on Wednesday, May 9th, blends mystery with an impromptu college reunion. Our review is here.
Ed Bark

News anchor Bill Ratliff dies: first came to prominence as co-host of WFAA8's PM Magazine

05/08/12 04:01 PM

Bill Ratliff, who three decades ago hosted WFAA8's version of PM Magazine with Leeza Gibbons, has died at age 63. He went on to become a household name in Tampa, Florida, where he anchored for 27 years. We remember him here.
Ed Bark

New Girl's Jake Johnson talks up the show, flexes his sports muscle

05/08/12 12:33 PM

Fox's breakout Season 1 hit, New Girl, has its season finale Tuesday (May 8th). Co-star Jake Johnson recently did Dallas while on hiatus. Our interview is on the Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark

NBC5 anchor McGarry to be off the air indefinitely while "the company looks into" her DWI arrest

05/07/12 05:52 PM

NBC5 finally "confirmed" longtime anchor Jane McGarry's arrest Monday afternoon and said she'll be off the air while the wheels of owned-and-operated corporate justice turn. Details are on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

Mavs bow out as ratings loser, too

05/07/12 04:16 PM

Saturday night's eviction notice of the defending NBA champion Dallas Mavericks fared poorly in the D-FW Nielsen ratings as well. But at least TXA21 is a just a bit upbeat after the homegrown telecast thrashed its cable network competitor for the first time. Complete details are on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.

Plus, a new English language news and lifestyles network aimed at Hispanic viewers is announced by ABC and Univision. Expect a bureau in D-FW when the as yet unnamed venture launches sometime next year. Our Network News & Reviews page has the story.
Ed Bark

Mark Hayes makes live wire early morning debut at NBC5

05/07/12 11:10 AM

NBC5's latest early morning news addition, new co-anchor Mark Hayes, dawned bright and chuckly on Monday's waker-upper. For a closer look, see the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

NBC5 anchor Jane McGarry's DWI arrest so far is news on WFAA8 but not on NBC5

05/06/12 09:30 PM

Veteran NBC5 anchor Jane McGarry is free on bail after being arrested early Sunday morning on a DWI charge. Her station is still "looking into the matter" while rival WFAA8 publicizes her mugshot on its website and McGarry herself has a very brief cell phone encounter with unclebarky.com. Details are on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

Holmes back in homes on PBS' Sherlock

05/04/12 03:52 PM

Sherlock delighted many a PBS viewer when it first launched in fall 2010 with three 90-minute whodunits. Now it's back as good as ever with another finely tuned trio, starting on Sunday, May 6th. Our review is here.

Plus, the TV Bulletin Board page has a wealth of new developments, including Fox's summertime effort to twit NBC's The Voice with a swivel-chaired blind dating game called The Choice.

Also, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings are in, including the dwindling numbers for Thursday night's Dallas Mavericks' home court humiliation at the hands of Oklahoma City. They're on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page. But I can't provide a link here due to continued publishing problems that were detailed in the previous post. Some have been resolved and the rest should be fixed over the weekend. They're relatively minor, but are still affecting the archives on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

New month, recurring publishing problems

05/02/12 01:05 PM

Maybe I just need a new computer, because this 2006 IMAC has taken a tremendous beating from unclebarky.com since being pressed into service in September 2006. It's now running on a backup hard drive after the first one blew its transmission.

Still, it's kind of like your first car. Hate to trade it in.

So here's why the website is a bit "off" at the start of May.

A new month always requires re-publication of an entire page's files, with the old month being archived. On the most-posted pages, Dallas-Fort Worth TV and Network News & Reviews, those files respectively are close to 2,000 and a bit over 1,300.

Using the Rapid Weaver publishing system, this usually means that everything will go through during non-peak Internet usage hours. But that hasn't happened this time, despite an all-nighter Tuesday.

End result so far: the archives links don't work on both of the aforementioned pages. But you can still access a story of interest by going to google or yahoo and typing in the subject matter and my name -- either Ed Bark or Uncle Barky.

The two pictures also are missing on the first Network News & Reviews entry for May. They're always the last to re-publish for some reason.

Anyway, I'll persist in getting this resolved, and may simply have to reduce the total number of files by deleting some of the really old ones.

Thanks for your support and patience. Publishing quirks are commonplace on websites large and small. This is something of a one-person tin can operation, but we'll get it worked out.

In the meantime, the latest D-FW ratings and another new local post for May are viewable as usual on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page. And you can continue to support unclebarky.com by first clicking on one of the Amazon ads on any page before making the purchases you were going to make anyway. A small percentage of your total shopping bill then makes its way back to your friendly content provider.

Thanks again, and "Follow" Uncle Barky on Twitter if you'd like on @unclebarkycom.
Ed Bark

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