November 14, 2008 6:00 PM
These are challenging times for the folks who run the reality TV departments at the broadcast networks. Your Market Research Here The existing hits—think “Survivor,” “American Idol,” “The Biggest Loser”—are still doing fine. And over the summer, ABC generated buzz and ratings with its stunt-driven confection “Wipeout.” But for the most part, network TV has quietly slipped into a reality recession. Not counting pure game shows, the last big unscripted series to truly shake up the TV landscape was “Dancing…
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September 28, 2008 8:45 PM
The night before the Emmys, I was talking to an industry insider who’s had first-hand experience dealing with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. We were discussing our low expectations for this year’s show when he blurted out an explanation for why the Emmys never get better that was more spot-on than any I had heard. “They’re like the old Soviet Politburo,” this person said of the folks who oversee the show. “Everything is crumbling around them, and they…
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September 21, 2008 8:06 PM
After a glacially paced first hour, Campaign 2008 intruded into Sunday night's 60th annual Emmy Awards—and not a moment too soon. Ricky Gervais. A few well-timed political jokes and barbs—plus star turns by Ricky Gervais and Don Rickles—were all that stood between this year's Emmys and complete social irrelevance. Between the amorphous collection of reality personalities blandly hosting the show, and the early list of ho-hum winners, things got off to a rocky start. But then came the mini-flood of…
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September 21, 2008 7:01 PM
The new fall TV season starts this week. Can you feel the excitement? Probably not. I know, I know: It’s become almost cliche to whine about what a weird fall launch this has been. But cliches are cliches because, well, they’re true. And the fact is, there are fewer new shows than usual, networks haven’t sent out several major shows for screening, and the buzz on what has been sent out so far has been far from stellar. As if…
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September 14, 2008 8:43 PM
Leave Oprah alone! OK, so I’m no Chris Crocker. And Oprah Winfrey is nowhere near the besieged basket case that Britney Spears appeared to be last year. But the recent media madness regarding the Queen of Talk’s alleged snub of the Queen of Wasilla was a journalistic jaw-dropper on just about every level. It might have represented a low point for campaign coverage—had reporters not quickly followed up by spending at least two full days dissecting an even less consequential…
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September 7, 2008 8:45 PM
Clearing out the notebook as the summer ends and a new TV season dawns… Ben Silverman has been at NBC for barely a year. His first development season was interrupted by a 100-day writers strike. Not a single show developed by Mr. Silverman for a fall season at the network has premiered. Naturally, the Hollywood rumor mill is already predicting his departure. NBC's Ben Silverman, left, and Teri Weinberg Mr. Silverman doesn’t need anyone to defend his talent or his…
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September 2, 2008 11:23 PM
What do "90210" and Sarah Palin have in common? Both seem poised to score surprise victories in the media expectations game. By having so much "dirt" emerge before her Wednesday acceptance speech, the GOP vice presidential pick may only need to show she's semi-smart and not some sort of right-wing wacko in order to emerge successfully from her first big test in front of a mass audience. It's a point Time magazine's TV guru makes much better here. Likewise, the…
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