Q&A: March 11
11/03/08 13:20
Question: Do you know when the first of five added, post-strike Lost episodes will air? There were supposed to be 16 altogether, but we're only getting 13 this season. Will the, ahem, "lost" three episodes be made up at a later date?
Darren & Lisa
Answer: Here's the Lost game plan. The last of the current arc of eight episodes will air on March 20th. Lost then will return on April 24th in a later time slot (Thursdays at 9 p.m. central) for the first of the five strike-added episodes. ABC hasn't said whether the three episodes will be made up next season, but there's no real reason why they shouldn't be. So my guess would be yes.
Question: Any word on how Jericho is doing in the ratings? I'm a big fan of this show and I'm curious if this seven-episode run will be its last.
Derrick Dennis
Answer: Jericho is struggling. Last week's episode drew 5.7 million viewers to rank 62nd in the weekly national Nielsens. In the season-to-date ratings, it's averaging 6.9 million viewers, which puts it in 96th place among all prime-time series since last September. The last of this season's seven episodes is tentatively scheduled for March 25th. That likely will be the end of it, even if fans respond with another big barrage of peanuts.
Question: A couple of us here in the office were wondering what Dale Hansen makes a year, salary-wise. We're saying at least $500,000 a year. What's your guess? Just curious, because he deserves at least that amount.
Robert Ruiz
Answer: Hansen certainly would agree that he deserves at least that amount, and my guess is he's probably getting it -- or at least very close to that figure. He signed a long-term deal with WFAA8 in April of last year that will take him through the year 2013. That would give him 30 years at the station by the time he turns 65.
Question: What does John Melendez do to merit an introduction on Jay Leno every evening? Also, my favorite comedy from last year was American Body Shop on Comedy Central. Any chance of new episodes?
Danny Kunsch
Answer: It's in Melendez's contract that he get a second or so of air time after Leno's Tonight Show monologue. Otherwise, the former "Stuttering John" Melendez of Howard Stern show fame does next to nothing on-camera, although Leno occasionally will make an ass of him. Off-camera, he helps to warm up the audience.
Comedy Central still hasn't decided on a second season of American Body Shop. Its chances are iffy, but don't give up yet.
Question: Why hasn't John Gibson been on The Big Story the past couple of weeks?
Doris Samples
Answer: The acidic Gibson lately has been waylaid by the team of Bill Hemmer and Megyn Kelly. His long-term future at Fox News Channel is questionable at this point.
Question: Does anyone know what happened to Channel 33's athletic weatherman, Glenn Moray? I know he was accused of shoplifting, but I liked the guy's on-air presentation and have been wondering about him.
Bill Ryan
Answer: A google search on Moray turns up only his Aug. 16, 2003 mug shot and an old Web site dedicated to him. He's a sad story to be sure, and I hope he's somehow righted himself. An inquiry at his old station came up empty. No one there seems to know for sure where he is, but the latest "rumor" is that he's somewhere in North Texas. If any further reliable new information is sent along, I'll post it.
Darren & Lisa
Answer: Here's the Lost game plan. The last of the current arc of eight episodes will air on March 20th. Lost then will return on April 24th in a later time slot (Thursdays at 9 p.m. central) for the first of the five strike-added episodes. ABC hasn't said whether the three episodes will be made up next season, but there's no real reason why they shouldn't be. So my guess would be yes.
Question: Any word on how Jericho is doing in the ratings? I'm a big fan of this show and I'm curious if this seven-episode run will be its last.
Derrick Dennis
Answer: Jericho is struggling. Last week's episode drew 5.7 million viewers to rank 62nd in the weekly national Nielsens. In the season-to-date ratings, it's averaging 6.9 million viewers, which puts it in 96th place among all prime-time series since last September. The last of this season's seven episodes is tentatively scheduled for March 25th. That likely will be the end of it, even if fans respond with another big barrage of peanuts.
Question: A couple of us here in the office were wondering what Dale Hansen makes a year, salary-wise. We're saying at least $500,000 a year. What's your guess? Just curious, because he deserves at least that amount.
Robert Ruiz
Answer: Hansen certainly would agree that he deserves at least that amount, and my guess is he's probably getting it -- or at least very close to that figure. He signed a long-term deal with WFAA8 in April of last year that will take him through the year 2013. That would give him 30 years at the station by the time he turns 65.
Question: What does John Melendez do to merit an introduction on Jay Leno every evening? Also, my favorite comedy from last year was American Body Shop on Comedy Central. Any chance of new episodes?
Danny Kunsch
Answer: It's in Melendez's contract that he get a second or so of air time after Leno's Tonight Show monologue. Otherwise, the former "Stuttering John" Melendez of Howard Stern show fame does next to nothing on-camera, although Leno occasionally will make an ass of him. Off-camera, he helps to warm up the audience.
Comedy Central still hasn't decided on a second season of American Body Shop. Its chances are iffy, but don't give up yet.
Question: Why hasn't John Gibson been on The Big Story the past couple of weeks?
Doris Samples
Answer: The acidic Gibson lately has been waylaid by the team of Bill Hemmer and Megyn Kelly. His long-term future at Fox News Channel is questionable at this point.
Question: Does anyone know what happened to Channel 33's athletic weatherman, Glenn Moray? I know he was accused of shoplifting, but I liked the guy's on-air presentation and have been wondering about him.
Bill Ryan
Answer: A google search on Moray turns up only his Aug. 16, 2003 mug shot and an old Web site dedicated to him. He's a sad story to be sure, and I hope he's somehow righted himself. An inquiry at his old station came up empty. No one there seems to know for sure where he is, but the latest "rumor" is that he's somewhere in North Texas. If any further reliable new information is sent along, I'll post it.