Two Tivos To Paradise 12.07.07: The Happy Hannukah Edition Of Your Favorite TV News Report

Posted by Al Norton on 12.07.2007

Is Dexter moving to CBS?, Law And Order is back on NBC, Jericho's return date is set, Monday Night Football sets ratings records, Saturday Night Live may be ready for primetime, a WGA Strike update, Charisma Carpenter on Big Shots, a guide to the next 7 days of TV, raves for The Soup, news and notes...all this and more in the latest edition of Two Tivos To Paradise!

Hello Friends. It's been a bit of a crazy week, with lots of real estate business going on (my day job) as well as a lot of writing for Boston Now (my night job), leaving very little much room for anything even resembling "Al time". I did get to take in a Will Dailey show last week at The Paradise (a popular music club in Boston) and was blown away; the set closing version of his song Undone was the musical highlight of the month for me, which is high praise considering that month included a Springsteen concert and almost obsessive playing of the remixed Mr. Brightside from The Killers new CD. Check Dailey out if he is playing in a city near you (www.willdailey.com).

Happy Hannukah to all my Jewish readers; may your festival of lights be bright and joyful!

What if I were Romeo in black news?

Try To See It My Way, Do I Have To Keep On Talking Till I Can't Go On?
Up until Wednesday, the biggest strike related story of the week was the WGA's almost immediate rejection of the AMPTP's much publicized new contract offer on Friday, but a ray of sunshine may have been spotted as the WGA released a statement on Thursday morning saying that the last two days of talks had been the most productive since the strike began. While a deal is clearly not immanent, this is the first time that the WGA has had anything positive to say about the situation. An official counter offer from the WGA is expected in the next few days.

Understand We'll Go Hand In Hand But We'll Walk Alone In Fear
The week in strike news…
*Jay Leno is paying the 80+ staff members of The Tonight Show out of his own pocket this week to help them get through the holiday season and also as an attempt to counter act the wave of negative publicity he received over the weekend when it was revealed that NBC had sent a letter to all of them saying they had officially been laid off and would be contacted if their services were needed in the future (as opposed to when the show returns). Many contend that Leno had assured them something like this wouldn't happen, but that was based on NBC's original plan to use guest hosts for The Tonight Show, meaning they would continue to work. While some criticized the holiday bonuses he gave out, I would be more than happy with $100 for every year I have been at my job, and it should be pointed out that the total amount he (not NBC) paid was a half a million dollars.

*The Television Critics Association (which rejected me for membership, by the way) sent out a letter to all members saying that if the strike is not settled by December 14th, their annual winter conference would be cancelled. The twice a year event is a way for TV writers who don't work in LA and NY to get access to shows and cast members they wouldn't have otherwise. NBC has already pulled out of the event, regardless of the strike, although one assumes they would jump back in if things worked out well in the next 10 days.

*As you may remember reading about in this space months ago, the longer the strike goes on, the more likely that the major networks will dip into existing cable series for programming. The first sign of this came this week when CBS President Les Moonves said he expects to see Dexter on his network later this winter if there is no settlement, saying it fits right into its dark crime series line up. For more on cable shows hitting the big 3, check out the Law And Order story above.

Last Night I Watched The News From Washington, The Capitol
NBC announced this week that Law And Order would return for its 18th season with a two hour premiere on Wednesday, January 2nd, and then the following week would be paired up with episodes of Law And Order: Criminal Intent that have already run on the USA network this fall. The January 2nd L & O features the debut of new cast members Jeremy Sisto and Linus Roache.

New episodes of anything are good news these days, and with his work on last year's Kidnapped showing his range (compare it with his role as crazy Billy on Six Feet Under to really see what I mean) and turning me into a big Sisto fan, I am pretty psyched for this. While the real CI fans have already seen this run of episodes, putting the series (back) on NBC certainly opens it up to a larger audience and in the long run is great for USA.

At That Time My Heart Was Broke, I Looked Like Ashes And Smelled Like Smoke
Jericho's return to the airwaves with new episodes on Tuesday, February 12th was the highlight of the 2008 line-up unveiled by CBS this week. Other shows coming back include The New Adventures Of Old Christine (Mondays at 9:30 starting 1/28), Big Brother (Tuesdays at 8 starting 1/12). Also on the schedule are the Drew Carey hosted The Power of 10 (Wednesdays at 8, 1/2) season 16 of Survivor (Thursdays at 8, 2/7) and the new comedy The Captain (Mondays at 8:30, 1/28) starring Jeffrey Tambor and Chris Klein. The high profile mini-series Comanche Moon is set to run over three nights during the second week of January.

New episodes of Jericho hitting the airwaves might rank as the greatest achievement of TV fans in the last 25 years, if not in history. Family Guy comes to mind as another possibility but that was an economic decision by Fox based on the sales of the DVD's, and Jericho's return was based on a grass routes effort to convince the network of the error of its ways. I am a bigger fan of Christine than most; I freely admit it's not anything groundbreaking but it makes me laugh, and frankly, that's what I look for in a sitcom.

There Ain't No Future For A Man Who Works The Sea But There Ain't No Island Left For Islanders Like Me
Thom Beers, creator of the popular cable series Deadliest Catch and Ice Road Truckers, and his producing team of Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun have signed a deal with NBC to develop a three hour block of programming for the network. Each of the three series has been given a 10 episode order and while the focus of them has yet to be determined, it's expected they will be in the same action/reality vein of Catch and Truckers. Early buzz has them airing on Friday or Saturday nights.

Deadliest Catch is among Mrs. Tivo's favorite shows, and in general is the type of series that non-TV fans watch (Truckers set Discovery Channel records this year), so it's a smart move by NBC to try and tap into that, especially since these programs are usually pretty cheap to make.

My Old Mans Drunker Than A Barrel Full Of Monkeys And My Old Lady, She Don't Care
NBC has scheduled 90 minute Saturday Night Live "Best Of" episodes to run on Saturday's at 9:30 pm for the month of December, with the idea of turning it into a regular block of programming. The Best Of Will Ferrell, The Best Of Chris Farley, The Best of 2006-2007, and SNL Goes Commercial will run this month as a space filler as well as trial period for – once the strike ends – running clip shows that lead into local news that lead into new episodes.

I can see why NBC would be really interested in this as a best of each year would make up over a half year's worth of programming, and that's not touching doing individual best of's for hosts, cast members, and music. The major stumbling block could be what airing the material on regular TV would do to the DVD sales market, but I would think that, as an example, airing a Best of 1984-1985 episode might make someone more likely to buy the whole season on DVD when it comes out (they are slowly rolling out complete seasons of the show). They could be really creative with the episodes, too – how about a "least funny sketches" episode, featuring interviews with the writers and cast talking about why they thought the ideas would work.

Hope You Need My Love, Babe, Just Like I Need You
Once again we are looking at a week in TV that is more stuffed than Jennifer Love
Hewitt in a turtleneck. Let's get right to it…

*TONIGHT
Crossroads, 10 pm, CMT
Monk, 9 pm, USA
PSYCH, 10 pm, USA

You all know how much I love me some Crossroads, and this outing features Joss Stone and Leanne Rimes, who should bring out the best in each other; don't worry about labels and what section their CD's are in at Borders, just sit back and enjoy some good music. Monk and PSYCH return for holiday themed episodes tonight and the great Larry Miller guesting as Monk's lawyer. Who does Monk need a lawyer? Because he shot Santa Clause!

*SATURDAY
Dave Attell: Captain Miserable, 10 pm, HBO
Fishzilla, 8 pm, National Geographic
Heisman Trophy Presentation, 8 pm, ESPN
Lost Holiday: The Jim And Suzanne Shemwell Story, 8 pm, Lifetime

Ok, how can you not watch a show called Fishzilla?!?!? It's a one hour special about a fish with razor sharp teeth that can walk on water (yes, it's real). And it's called Fishzilla!!! Dave Attell is a high quality stand up comic who is more than happy to share his neurosis with the audience for their enjoyment.

*SUNDAY
1968 With Tom Brokaw, 9 pm, History
Holiday In Handcuffs, 8 pm, ABC Family
Oprah Winfrey Presents: Mitch Albom's One More Day, 9 pm, ABC

Holiday In Handcuffs is everything I look for in a TV Movie; 80's stars (Melissa Joan Hart, and Mario Lopez), a TV Icon (June Lockhart), a ridiculous plot line (Sabrina snaps and forces Slater - at gun point - to pose as her boyfriend during the holidays with her family), and a title that is vaguely pornish.

*MONDAY
Aliens In America, 8:30 pm, The CW
Everybody Hates Chris, 8 pm, The CW
Live From Lincoln Center, 8 pm, PBS
Paranormal State, 10 pm, A & E
Sportscenter Year In Review, 8 pm, ESPN Classic

Paranormal State is a new reality show about college students who spend their spare time investigating supernatural activities; think of it as Ghosthunters U and you'll do just fine. The CW's block of family comedies features holiday episodes, and I look forward to seeing what Aliens In America does with Raja and Christmas. It's called Fishzilla!!!!


*TUESDAY
Bones, 8 pm, Fox
Howard Hughes Revealed, 8 pm, National Geographic

Howard Hughes was a weird dude and tonight's National Geographic special doesn't sugar coat it by making him look like Leonardo DiCaprio. Bones is a rerun but it's the holiday episode from season one, the first time I thought the show really found it's legs and asserted it's oddness proudly.

*WEDNESDAY
America's Next Top Model (Finale), 8 pm, The CW
Deal Or No Deal, 8 pm, NBC
Crowned: The Mother Of All Pageants (Premiere), 9 pm, The CW
Kid Nation (Finale), 8 pm, CBS
Newport Harbor Holiday Special, 10:30 pm, MTV
Sportscenter Top 10 Games of 2007, 10 pm, ESPN2

Multiple reality finales tonight, all for shows I don't watch, plus the debut of Crowned, a mother and daughter beauty pageant. Fans of The Office will want to tune into Deal Or No Deal tonight as Angela, Oscar, and Kevin show up (in character) to help a contestant make smart financial decisions.

*THURSDAY
Big Shots, 10 pm, ABC
SNL Christmas, 9:30, NBC
Seinfeld Holiday Marathon, 9 pm, TBS
Supernatural, 9 pm, The CW
What Perez Sez About 2007, 10 pm, VH-1

Big Shots is here for two reasons; one, because Charisma Carpenter begins a recurring role and two, because this could end up being the series last episode. Why you would want to know What Perez Sez About anything is beyond me, but this comes from a guy who checks his web site daily, so clearly I am a bit of a hypocrite. I would say that the Seinfeld holiday marathon is your best bet but the SNL Christmas special features the Schwetty Balls sketch, which holds up as well as anything the show has ever done. Seriously people, it's called Fishzilla!!!!

But You Were Up To Your Old Tricks In Chapters Four Five And Six
All you need to know about the Nielsen's for the last week…Survivor: China was last Thursday's most watched show, with a shade under 14 million tuning in…My Name Is Earl was down 17% from it's last new outing…A new ER episode came in second to a Without A Trace rerun but was still strong enough to crush Big Shots..Part one of Sci-Fi's Tin Man was the single most watched broadcast in the network's history...ABC dominated Sunday night, led by Desperate Housewives having it's best numbers in over a year, including over 20 million 18-49'ers…Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Brothers And Sisters also won their timeslots…Charlie Brown's appeal is boundless; the second showing of Charlie Brown Christmas in a week still won the Monday at 8 time slot for ABC…Chuck continued on the upswing, showing improvement for the second straight week…Samantha Who? fell 40% without a Dancing With The Stars lead-in…Heroes "season" finale actually dropped from last week, with just under 11 million viewers…Life did better in the Monday at 10 p.m. slot than Journeyman…October Roadcontinued it's run of lack luster showings, losing another 750,000 from last Monday…Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer was Tuesday's most watched show, racking up whopping 14.36 children of all ages…Let's hear it for taste – The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show finished last on Tuesday at 10…Deal Or No Deal won both the 8 and 9 hours on Wednesday, averaging just under 11.5 million…Private Practice took advantage of a Criminal Minds rerun to jump up 23% in total audience…Life was up 22% from last Wednesday, meaning the additional publicity and the special Monday episode paid off…

This just in – ESPN's Patriots-Browns Monday Night Football match up broke the record set earlier in the year by High School Musical 2 to become the most watched broadcast in cable TV history, averaging 17.5 million viewers. The audience spiked to 23.9 million during the last 30 minutes of the telecast. HSM2 still holds record for every break down of the under 18 audience.

All The Young Dudes Carry The News
Industry Notes, Pilot Updates, & Casting News…One of the industry's hottest rumors has Alexis Arquette being the prize in the second season of MTV's A Shot At Love With…series. Arquette, who counts David, Patricia, and Rosanne as siblings, recently underwent sexual reorientation surgery…Samuel L Jackson, Wynton Marsalis, and Chris Paul will narrate ESPN's Black Magic, a two part documentary about college basketball during the Civil Rights movement…Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers have been named as the halftime entertainment for Super Bowl XLII…It's been a big couple of weeks for Jessie Spano; first Elizabeth Berkley gets a recurring role on CSI: Miami and now she has been named host of Bravo's Step It Up And Dance…ABC Family has America's Prom Queen in the works, a reality show where multiple high school seniors live in a house together to prove their tiara-worthiness…Fergie will be the emcee of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2008 on NBC…Lifetime has signed Kelly Preston and Ron Eldard to star in it's adaptation of The Tenth Circle…Connie Nielsen, last seen as Eliot's temporary partner on Law And Order: SVU, is the lead for A & E's upcoming police drama…Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew has been given a premiere date of December 11th by MTV…Fox ordered an additional 13 episodes of Don't Forget The Lyrics…The Wayans Brothers (Keenen Ivory, Shawn, and Marlon) are executive producing the VH-1 pilot The Life And Times Of Marcus "Felony" Brown, billed as an edgy comedy about an East Coast rapper who moves to the West Coast to make it big…Sci-Fi has given a green light to a pilot for Run For Money, a take on The Running Man - the book/movie, not the dance) (which was a take on The Most Dangerous Game), where contestants compete in 60 minutes of real time, with the one who eludes capture for the longest winning the money…

Turns Out Not Where But Who You're With That Really Matters
The top thing I watched since the last column went to press AKA The Best Of What's Around…The various The Soup Presents…specials that E has been showing this month have been providing me with as much laughter as anything on TV right now, which is all the more impressive because the clips have all been shown before. What I like is that the set up's and punch lines are all new, and Joel McHale seems to his enjoy his job more than anyone I can think of. E shows these specials all the time, so it's easy to go and Tivo what you have missed. The Best Of Game Shows clip from the National Spelling Bee was the best part of this week, and last week's replay of the guy apologizing for calling the girl a slut on Real World ("great talk") should be in the running for clip of the year. Of course it will lose to the pickle girl, but that's what makes the show that good.

People Say I'm Crazy Doing What I'm Doing. Well, They Give Me All Kinds Of Warnings To Save Me From Ruin
What's flashed before my eyes the last seven days…Slow week – sorry…Hope you aren't too sick of me raving about Life, because I am not sure there is a series on TV that embraces it's weirdness as much, and as well, as it has done the last four or five episodes. I have only watched the first part of this week's two part episode but so far it has more than lived up to the hype…Friday Night Lights was having it's most mediocre episode of the season last week when the last 10 minutes, in particular Riggins' apology to the team, showed why I have such faith in the show…Boston Legal was similarly sliding along on the "just ok" highway before multiple laugh out loud lines in the last segment, including "My Aunt Gert used to have an expression – this smells funny and I'm not going to eat it."…Last night's Law And Order: Criminal Intent gave Vincent D'Onofrio a showcase for his abilities unlike anything he has had since the show started, although for me the opening scene with the homeless man and the brick was as good as anything he did while strapped to the table…The Heroes "season" finale was solid, although at this point the show is going to need to kill a character or two and have them stay dead for those scenes to have any emotional power…Desperate Housewives big tornado episode was ok at best, and it seemed pretty obvious that the two who would die would be Gabby's husband (the Mayor) and the old woman with the cat (hasn't been confirmed yet but that's my bet). Speaking of the cat, was I the only person who thought that Lynette was mean about that? It would be one thing to move the cat carrier, but to just let the cat out was wrong…

TV Pick Of The Week
If ever there was something to set your Tivos for, Sports fans, this is it; Tuesday night ESPN is airing The Best Of This Is Sportscenter, a collection of spots from the networks brilliant ad campaign over the last 10 years. We all have our own favorites, from classics like the inter-mural basketball league to the Charley Steiner-Andrew Shue trade to the recent David Ortiz wearing a Yankees hat spot. As a rule, anything involving mascots is funny. I hope they don't have a ton of people talking about the ads instead of more of the ads themselves, but outtakes would be fun to watch. Don't miss The Best Of This Is Sportscenter this Tuesday on ESPN.

Two Tivos To Paradise, Weekly Update
30 Days, The 4400, Aliens In America, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Antique Roadshow, The Apprentice, Battlestar Galactica, Best Week Ever, Big Love, Bionic Woman, Bones, Boston Legal, Brothers And Sisters, Burn Notice, Chuck, The Closer, Criss Angel Mindfreak, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Dead Zone, The Deadliest Catch, Desperate Housewives, Destination Truth, Dirty Sexy Money, Entourage, Eureka, Everybody Hates Chris, Flipping Out, Ghost Hunters, Gossip Girl, Grey's Anatomy, Heroes, The Hills, House, How I Met Your Mother, Jericho, Kid Nation, King Of Cars, Last Comic Standing, Law And Order, Law And Order: Criminal Intent, Law And Order: Special Victims Unit, Lost, Mad Men, Medium, Moonlight, My Name Is Earl, The New Adventures Of Old Christine, Next Food Network Star, Nip/Tuck The Office, One Tree Hill. Project Runway, Pushing Daisies, Psych, Real Time With Bill Maher, Reaper, Rescue Me, The Riches, Rules Of Engagement, Run's House, Samantha Who?, Saturday Night Live, Scrubs, Shark, Shear Genius, The Soup, Supernatural, Top Chef, Top Design, Ugly Betty, Welcome To The Parker

Additions :None
Deletions : None

People Love You When They Know You're Leaving Soon
Here ends another edition of Two Tivos To Paradise. The news slows down this time of year – even more so with the strike – so the next few weeks may be a bit smaller than the usual opus you are used to finding in this space. Don't fret, though – that just gives me more time to work on my big year end piece, where along with the top 10 lists we will give out the first annual Two Tivos To Paradise Person Of The Year Award. Have a great week, see you next Friday!

Feedback is encouraged at [e-mail].

Sources for this week's column include Daily Variety, Entertainment Weekly, TV Guide, and Hollywood Reporter (plus the web sites for those publications) as well as Aintit.cool.com.