Hail the size of ( . . . ) severely dents network prime-time lineups

WFAA8 and Fox4 viewer photos from Thursday's severe weather.
By ED BARK
Network entertainment programming took a beating in D-FW Thursday night, with only NBC5 offering viewers even half a loaf.

Hail-laced severe weather and a reported tornado touch-down in an open field in Aledo otherwise prompted virtual non-stop coverage of storm activity from 6:30 until 10 p.m.

These can be tough calls, and it's easy to sit here and criticize on the early morning after. Still, Fox4, NBC5, WFAA8 and CBS11 all should again be re-assessing their decision-making in times of rough weather. Sometimes you get in too deep to get out, and that seems to be what happened Thursday night. D-FW's band of earnest, well-meaning TV weathermen mostly just didn't know when to relent, retreat and return to regularly scheduled programming.

NBC5 in the end made the wisest decision, but only after first rubbing out new episodes of My Name Is Earl, 30 Rock and The Office. Head forecaster David Finfrock, in tandem with James Aydelott, then restricted their interruptions to commercial breaks during NBC's Scrubs and ER. The station's Web site now is urging viewers to watch the three preempted comedies on their computers.

CBS11 wiped out its network's entire prime-time lineup, save for tantalizing viewers with the opening minutes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation before weatherman Larry Mowry (helped by Kristine Kahanek) abruptly pulled the plug. CSI at least was a repeat, as was Without A Trace at 9 p.m. A new episode of Survivor: Micronesia also went down for the count.

WFAA8, with forecaster Pete Delkus calling the shots, knocked out back-to-back repeats of ABC's Lost. The station then decided to join Eli Stone roughly one-third of the way through its season finale. But WFAA8's Web site says you can watch the entire episode at 3:10 a.m. Friday. Oops, already missed it.

Fox4 and weathercaster Dan Henry rubbed out new episodes of the network's Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? and Don't Forget the Lyrics!.

The populace survived, some with dents and dings to their property as the storm front worked its way through North Texas with quick hellos and goodbyes. But how many viewers blew out blood vessels while screaming at their TV sets?

The biggest beneficiary may have been MY27, where plenty of ice was available during its HD telecast of the Dallas Stars' Stanley Cup playoff win over Anaheim. Hockey ratings have been dismal again this year, even for the postseason. But the Stars were the best entertainment value in town Thursday night, unless some viewers instead enjoyed the sight of a drenched, wind-buffeted Chris Hawes losing her umbrella on WFAA8 as the storm hit downtown Fort Worth shortly after 8 p.m.

It all got calm again in a hurry, though. Or as Hawes put it at 8:29 p.m., "We're seeing cars on the road again. They seem to have come out of their hiding places."

Viewers also could thrill to the sight of Fox4's nearly giddy Jeff Crilley, who discovered some teeny hail in his hand during a live report. That kind of giggling glee usually is reserved for baby's first Christmas.

At least Fox4 and WFAA8 had some reporters out in the elements, as did NBC5. CBS11 in contrast operated almost entirely from within the studio during its incessant prime-time coverage, with weatherman Mowry using more body language than a Cirque du Soleil contortionist. He had a little on-air help, though, from colleague Kahanek. WFAA8's Delkus flew solo, and kept talking and talking and talking. And talking.

Some of the live, panoramic weather shots were pretty awesome, particularly on WFAA8. Its Victory Park pictures, during a heavy downpour, rivaled the nightly Parade of Lights show at Disneyland.

Parts of North Texas received a heavy hail frosting. And there seemed to be no end to the circumferences being reported. Hail was said to be in the sizes of nickels, dimes, quarters and half-dollars. Ping-pong balls, tennis balls, baseballs and golf balls. Peas, marbles, grapefruits and teacups.

NBC5 anchor Mike Snyder capped it all off by closing the station's 10 p.m. newscast with another of his malaprops. He urged viewers to watch NBC5's early morning show Friday for "the best stuff . . . from all the damage."

That would have been funny coming from bumbling bossman Michael Scott on The Office. Which, to repeat, we didn't get to see Thursday night.