Oct 2010
AMC's Walking Dead a Halloween night corpse fest with ample room for character development
10/29/10 11:32 AM
AMC's fourth original series, The
Walking Dead, takes advertiser-supported TV to
new levels of violence. But there's other meat as
well in this adaptation of a hit comic book series.
Our review is here. Plus, Game 2 of the
Texas Rangers-infused World Series takes a bit of a ratings dive thanks to a
super-embarrassing loss.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Eighth inning from hell: why are the Rangers suddenly playing like T-ballers?
10/28/10 11:36 PM
Well, that was certainly embarrassing.
Humiliating. Godawful. To put it mildly. Our take on
the Rangers' 9-0 Game 2 World Series loss to the
Giants is here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Bubbly early morning debut for CBS11's newest anchor, Lisa Pineiro
10/28/10 12:23 PM
CBS11's ratings-challenged early
morning program added newcomer Lisa Pineiro to the
mix Thursday on the first day of the November
"sweeps" ratings period. She joins incumbent Scott
Sams. Our review, with pictures, is here.
Also, the Texas Rangers' debut on the World Series stage didn't go as planned Wednesday night. But the ratings were huge, and there's always tomorrow/today. Get all the details here. And KETK-TV, the NBC affiliate station in Tyler, TX, shamefully resorts to the Dark Ages by asking viewers whether "the acceptance of homosexuality in this society will be the downfall of America?" See for yourself here.
Ed Bark
Also, the Texas Rangers' debut on the World Series stage didn't go as planned Wednesday night. But the ratings were huge, and there's always tomorrow/today. Get all the details here. And KETK-TV, the NBC affiliate station in Tyler, TX, shamefully resorts to the Dark Ages by asking viewers whether "the acceptance of homosexuality in this society will be the downfall of America?" See for yourself here.
Ed Bark
Last stand: Cowboys' crushing defeat on Monday Night Football edges Rangers resounding close-out of Yankees on TBS
10/27/10 12:32 PM
The Texas Rangers nearly reached
ratings parity with the Dallas Cowboys in D-FW. But
the 'Pokes disastrous Monday Night Football
outing against New York could still claim dubious
bragging rights over the North Texas Nine's Friday
night ALCS triumph over some other New Yorkers. Get
all the details here.
Plus, we have Tuesday's D-FW ratings "snapshot" and a review of Syfy's new Hollywood Treasure collectibles series.
Ed Bark
Plus, we have Tuesday's D-FW ratings "snapshot" and a review of Syfy's new Hollywood Treasure collectibles series.
Ed Bark
He's a "baseball guy" (so deal with it) -- a swing for the fences interview with WFAA8 sports anchor Dale Hansen
10/26/10 03:12 PM
WFAA8 sports anchor Dale Hansen rolls
with your brushback pitches -- and throws some, too
-- during a relentlessly candid interview with unclebarky.com
before leaving on a jet plane for the first two
Rangers-Giants World Series games in San
Francisco.
Also, CW33 reporter Dan X. McGraw is resigning from the Dallas-based station's newsroom, which is pretty much in keeping with recent high-level departures at the Tribune parent company.
Ed Bark
Also, CW33 reporter Dan X. McGraw is resigning from the Dallas-based station's newsroom, which is pretty much in keeping with recent high-level departures at the Tribune parent company.
Ed Bark
The defense rests, letting Giants score 31 straight points after Romo's big break
10/26/10 01:14 AM
Monday Night Football
commentators justifiably wondered what happened to
the "juice" in the Cowboys defense after the Giants
fell behind 20-7. That's also a key ingredient in the
game that iced QB Tony Romo for who knows how many
weeks to come. Our take is here.
Plus, we're in the early stages of the biggest TV sports week in D-FW history. And with the Rangers' Josh Hamilton being compared to Mickey Mantle on several fronts, we revisit his emotional "I Am Second" video.
Also, at my home away from home, locatetv.com, check out this week's Halloween-themed TV episodes.
Ed Bark
Plus, we're in the early stages of the biggest TV sports week in D-FW history. And with the Rangers' Josh Hamilton being compared to Mickey Mantle on several fronts, we revisit his emotional "I Am Second" video.
Also, at my home away from home, locatetv.com, check out this week's Halloween-themed TV episodes.
Ed Bark
Buh-bye to the best team money can buy. Instead it's the Rangers heisting the Series
10/23/10 12:55 AM
Taking out the Yanks to make your
first-ever appearance in the World Series? Dream on.
But the impossible dream comes true! And we've got
lotsa pictures to prove it.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Welcome back: after just a short absence, here comes Sherlock Holmes again
10/22/10 05:15 PM
The sleuth that stirs the drink has
his own website now in another "re-imagining" of
case-cracking Sherlock Holmes and his partner, Dr.
Watson. The address is PBS, but also still 221 B
Baker Street, for a series of three new movies that
begin on Sunday, Oct. 24th. Our review is here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Juan Williams fiasco casts NPR as petty, partisan tyrant
10/22/10 12:26 PM
NPR has a lot of great programming,
but a really stupid leader who has now put the
taxpayer-funded network in the cross-hairs after her
knee-jerk firing of Juan Williams. Get our opinion -- oh no!!! --
here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
CBS11/TXA21 add a Ray (of sunshine?) to weather team
10/22/10 10:33 AM
In a rare instance of actually hiring
someone in local TV news, CBS11/TXA21 have named a
replacement for retired meteorologist Mike Burger.
Get the details here. Plus, we have
D-FW "Nielsen ratings snapshots" of both Wednesday and Thursday.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
NBC News distances itself from partisan MSNBC by going the distance with its own mid-term election night coverage
10/21/10 03:03 PM
NBC News doesn't come right out and
say this in its announcement of "unprecedented" Nov.
2 election night coverage that will preempt both Jay
Leno and Jimmy Fallon. But your friendly content
provider has been around the block enough to know
that it signals a break from partisan MSNBC while
also giving anchors Brian Williams and Tom Brokaw a
comfortable home. See our commentary here.
Also, the first week's guests have been announced for TBS' Conan -- except for the very first one. See the TV Bulletin Board page for details. And on my home away from home, locatetv.com, we note the passings of classic TV mom and dad Barbara Billingsley and Tom Bosley.
Ed Bark
Also, the first week's guests have been announced for TBS' Conan -- except for the very first one. See the TV Bulletin Board page for details. And on my home away from home, locatetv.com, we note the passings of classic TV mom and dad Barbara Billingsley and Tom Bosley.
Ed Bark
Missing a chance to clinch, Rangers head back home
10/20/10 08:04 PM
Wednesday afternoon's Game 5 of the
ALCS featured a largely inept outing by Rangers
starter C.J. Wilson and a shaky but game stint by
Yankees ace CC. Sabbathia. End result. Game 6 will be
Friday night in Arlington. For our take on the game
and the TBS coverage, please click here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Manhattan transfers, but with nothing to show: D-FW's TV sportsters instead left to vamp outside Yankee Stadium while the game plays on
10/20/10 01:11 PM
Perhaps you've noticed something about
those live 10 p.m. reports from outside Yankee
Stadium by a squadron of D-FW sports reporters.
Basically they've been worthless due to the lengths
of the games and the restrictions imposed. Get our
play-by-play account right here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Rangers hit ratings milestone while stoning Yankees
10/20/10 10:43 AM
The Texas Rangers trespassed into
Dallas Cowboys territory Tuesday night. How so? Check
out the kind of information you won't find anywhere
else by clicking here. Also, your friendly
content provider offers another dispatch on the latest
post-season Rangers adventure, complete with
pics from the TBS telecast.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Frontline's season premiere rekindles Texas arson case in Death By Fire
10/19/10 05:52 PM
Cameron Todd Willingham of Corsicana
was executed more than six years ago after being
convicted of setting his home on fire and letting his
three young children die in the blaze.
Frontline is the latest to pore over the ashes
in Death By Fire. Our review is here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Dallas-made Chase gets full-season pickup from NBC
10/19/10 02:17 PM
Finally a long distance-runner -- at
least among TV series being filmed in North Texas.
NBC has announced a full-season pickup for Chase, which has been limping along in the local and national Nielsen ratings but is showing growth potential, according to the Peacock. That's good news for both local production crews and the D-FW economy. Get all the details here.
Also, there's now an easier way to watch that brilliantly subversive sendup of Fox4 as the "Social Media Station." We linked to it on Monday, but now it's embedded on unclebarky.com after finding its way to youtube. You really should take a look by clicking here and scrolling to the bottom of the post topped by Dale Hansen's tinkling on his Lone Star Emmy. The Fox4-produced video made its debut at Saturday night's awards ceremony in Dallas.
Ed Bark
NBC has announced a full-season pickup for Chase, which has been limping along in the local and national Nielsen ratings but is showing growth potential, according to the Peacock. That's good news for both local production crews and the D-FW economy. Get all the details here.
Also, there's now an easier way to watch that brilliantly subversive sendup of Fox4 as the "Social Media Station." We linked to it on Monday, but now it's embedded on unclebarky.com after finding its way to youtube. You really should take a look by clicking here and scrolling to the bottom of the post topped by Dale Hansen's tinkling on his Lone Star Emmy. The Fox4-produced video made its debut at Saturday night's awards ceremony in Dallas.
Ed Bark
Rangers double up on Dancing with the Stars
10/19/10 11:36 AM
The Rangers big win over the Yankees
Monday night, with pitcher Cliff Lee in sensational
form, reigned supreme in the D-FW Nielsen ratings.
Get our complete report here, plus your
friendly content provider's take on the game.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Presenting two big D-FW recaps, featuring Cowboys/Rangers ratings and co-starring Dale Hansen, Josh Lewin and a brilliant but dicey video sendup of local TV news
10/18/10 05:07 PM
Our road trip is over, and boy, is my steering wheel tired. Destinations included Little Rock (pictured in all its glory above), Memphis and Nashville.
But enough about fried food, friendly people, tourist traps and chance meetings with four former Dallas Morning News colleagues in two of the above venues.
On our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page, you'll find items on Dale Hansen and Josh Lewin plus a very daring video sendup of Dallas-based Fox4 as "The Social Media Station."
On the same page is a full-blown local ratings catchup, comparing the audiences for Rangers post-season and Cowboys regular season games plus a special extended edition of "local news derby" results. Hope you enjoy.
Ed Bark
Jerry-iatrics: Maybe the Cowboys and their owner should get what they deserve -- him as coach
10/17/10 11:02 PM
Ah yes. Back from a road trip just in
time to see the Cowboys lose on the road to run their
record to 1-4. Which prompts an addled suggestion:
Jerry should hire Jerry as his head coach for the
rest of this season. Go here to get our reasoning behind
why the Cowboys' very own mad man should run his
asylum.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Road trip beckons -- and all resistance is futile
10/08/10 09:50 AM
Man (or woman) does not live by website alone. So it's time to take a long-planned, much-needed break.
Your friendly content provider and his lovely wife will be packing the motor vehicle and hitting the road for the next week or so. That should be enough to re-charge the batteries before unclebarky.com resumes posting and girds for the November "sweeps" on Oct. 18th.
Until then, thanks for your continued patronage and be well, safe 'n' happy.
Ed Bark
Wow, Rangers win again. And it's fun, it's easy
10/07/10 05:26 PM
The address was TBS for a second Texas
Rangers cruise control win at Tampa Thursday
afternoon. Were you watching? Were you even able to
watch? We celebrate here while hoping the
Minnesota Twins -- home team for three Barky
siblings -- can somehow find a way to beat those
damn Yankees.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Rangers' afternoon post-season win a sleeper (but not a dozer) in D-FW ratings
10/07/10 01:45 PM
Well-hidden in early-to-mid-afternoon
hours on TBS cable, the Texas Rangers managed to draw
a decent crowd Wednesday while being no match for
some of that night's prime-time attractions. Get our
full report here.
Also, Glee is now bigger than The Beatles in at least one top-of-the-charts measurement. The details are here.
Ed Bark
Also, Glee is now bigger than The Beatles in at least one top-of-the-charts measurement. The details are here.
Ed Bark
Revelatory HBO film reprises Darkness on the Edge of Town in times when "The Boss" first became the boss
10/06/10 04:52 PM
Unearthed footage of the making of
1978's Darkness on the Edge of Town captures
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at a pivotal
time in their still nascent musical careers. HBO
premieres the 90-minute film on Thursday, Oct. 7th
while also offering ample other times to watch.
You'll be glad you did. Our review is here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Ballgame! Rangers win post-season opener in relative obscurity on early afternoon TBS telecast
10/06/10 04:33 PM
The Texas Rangers finally are on the
playoff map in a big way -- at least in the box score
-- after Wednesday's key opening win at Tampa Bay.
TBS made the Rangers and Rays their early afternoon
lead-off game, virtually guaranteeing dinky town
ratings across the country. Get our take here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Feinstein's old school American Songbook a perfect fit for cardigan-wearing PBS
10/06/10 10:22 AM
PBS will sing along for the next three
Wednesdays with Michael Feinstein's American
Songbook. And as retro-cool entertainment, it's
the tops. Our review is here. Also, Tuesday's
D-FW Nielsen ratings chart the
continuing down-up-down fortunes of ABC.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Cuban libre: HDNet's Drinking Made Easy staggers into view
10/05/10 01:27 PM
Dallas-based HDNet and owner Mark
Cuban have a new series about three guys drinking
their way through America. Nice work if you can get
it, but a little too much of the premiere is best
watched while being passed out. Our review is here. Plus, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings are in
the house. And on my home away from home, locatetv.com, see why today's savvy
programming executive would choose Dancing with
the Stars over American Idol if given
half a chance.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
LOUD commercials seriously endangered, but slam-bang political ads may get more prime-time exposure on WFAA8 and other ABC stations
10/04/10 01:52 PM
Warring Democrats and Republicans have
come together on the irksome issue of commercials
that are louder than the programs they pay for.
Meanwhile, warring Democrats and Republicans may well
get even more prime-time ABC network ad space to fire
away at each other in this great nation of ours. In
D-FW on WFAA8, that could mean an increased load
later this month of commercials for Gov. Rick Perry
and Democratic opponent Bill White. Oh joy. Get
the details here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
My Generation becomes second made-in-Texas series to be be herded into cancellation corral
10/04/10 12:32 PM
At this rate we'll have nothing left
by Halloween. The number of made-in-Texas network TV
series now is down from four to two after ABC axed
Austin's My Generation after two episodes. And
the two still standing aren't doing so hot either.
Our report is here.
Plus, we remember A-list TV writer/producer Stephen J. Cannell (The A-Team, The Rockford Files) in this Back Channels page piece from 1997. And the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings show that a football game other than Texas-OU had the most D-FW viewers during a weekend without the Cowboys.
Ed Bark
Plus, we remember A-list TV writer/producer Stephen J. Cannell (The A-Team, The Rockford Files) in this Back Channels page piece from 1997. And the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings show that a football game other than Texas-OU had the most D-FW viewers during a weekend without the Cowboys.
Ed Bark
Cuban-centric Fox4 newscast has some slam dunk moments
10/01/10 04:11 PM
Fox4 is livening up its 9 p.m.
newscasts with more live interviews and -- on
Thursday -- a marathon appearance by Dallas Mavericks
owner Mark Cuban. We evaluate the mostly plusses, and
some minuses, in this extended dispatch.
Plus, the latest D-FW newscast ratings are in, and we have a TV Bulletin Board chock full of catch-up tidbits. And let's remember the late Tony Curtis with a dated but still oddly watchable car chase clip from his 1971 TV series, The Persuaders, which co-starred Roger Moore as a fellow millionaire playboy.
Ed Bark
Plus, the latest D-FW newscast ratings are in, and we have a TV Bulletin Board chock full of catch-up tidbits. And let's remember the late Tony Curtis with a dated but still oddly watchable car chase clip from his 1971 TV series, The Persuaders, which co-starred Roger Moore as a fellow millionaire playboy.
Ed Bark