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Open Mic

Nielsen, Nets Need to Get Real When It Comes to Measuring Success

Forgive me for the gap between entries, but I’ve been busy with work, school, repairmen, veterinarians and life. The good news is that I’m all caught up on my favorite reality shows thanks to my trusty DVR and the best…

Jun 22, 2009

‘Housewives’: The Most Amazing. Fight. Ever.

OH. MY. GOODNESS. After weeks of anticipation, we finally got to see the epic brawl on The Real Housewives of New Jersey tonight, and it did not disappoint in the least. It was — as the kids say — O.O.C….

Jun 17, 2009

An Open Letter to Stephen Colbert

Dear Stephen Strong: Welcome home, soldier. Your week in Iraq is all over, but the war, of course, isn’t. At least your presence there reminded us that Americans troops are still there. I am sure your presence gave them something…

Jun 16, 2009

Where Have All the Family Dramas Gone?

It’s been three years since “Everwood” signed off the air and almost five years since the first season was released on DVD. While fans of the show will finally be able to buy season 2 on DVD Tuesday, they may…

Jun 15, 2009

Conan is King? ‘Crowning’ Goes Against Tradition

It was shocking to see a press release from NBC this week with the headline “Conan the new king of late-night.” It was a ratings release, issued Thursday — the day each week when national Nielsens for the previous week’s…

Jun 12, 2009

‘Nurse Jackie’: Quiet. Mean. Awesome.

You never know what Edie Falco’s Nurse Jackie is going to pull out of one of her scrubs pockets next. Her wedding band? A packet of sweetener actually filled with carefully crushed Vicodin? Maybe the separate cell phone she keeps…

Jun 12, 2009

Kudos to Colbert!

Nation, I’m not necessarily a big fan of Stephen Colbert’s blowhard-y right wing persona on “The Colbert Report,” (Jon Stewart is my late-night deity) but his on-location shows this week in Baghdad are something to watch—and congratulations are in order…

Jun 10, 2009

Meet Your Next Food Network Stars!

Two nights ago, the Food Network launched its fifth season of Next Food Network Star, a cooking show that is often and unjustly viewed as Top Chef’s ugly little brother. While the series isn’t as slick or upmarket as what…

Jun 9, 2009

Why Content’s Kingdom is Slipping Away

Content and technology are locked in a struggle whose outcome may determine the future of the entertainment industry. The problem is this: Content is becoming a commodity. In contrast, although distribution used to be the exclusive province of Hollywood —…

Jun 9, 2009

Tonys 2009: A Legendary Night

Guilty confession: I’m a theatre junkie. Whenever I can get to New York City, I make a beeline for the theatre district and for the TKTS booth to see what’s on sale. So it’s a given that I love The…

Jun 8, 2009