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Extreme Social Climbing: An Advance Review of USA’s ‘Royal Pains’

I’ll admit that I was a bit wary of USA’s new summer series, Royal Pains, prior to watching the 90-minute pilot episode.   After all, Royal Pains‘ cutesy title, oddball casting, and fluffy subject matter could have made this either…

Jun 3, 2009

Another Take on Conan’s First ‘Tonight Show’

My favorite part of the show was the opening filmed bit that had Conan going down his checklist for his new gig and realizing he forgot to move to L.A. Then it was run, Conan, run to the tune of Cheap…

Jun 2, 2009

’60 Minutes’: #13 With a Bullet

Not bad for a 40-year-old TV show. Buoyed by what has always buoyed "60 Minutes" — high-interest news stories and great lead-ins from sports — the CBS newsmagazine finished 13th in the Nielsen ratings last season, best since 2000. Also…

Jun 2, 2009

Get Used to It: Conan’s Here to Stay

Some might not like Conan O’Brien’s nervous mannerisms and others might not care for his hair. Some might say he laughs a bit too much at his own jokes. Some might even accuse him of conspiring to push out Jay…

Jun 2, 2009

Note to Readers from TVWeek.com Managing Director

I’m Chuck Ross, the editorial director and publisher of TelevisionWeek and TVWeek.com. If you’re reading this in our print edition, it’s the last column I’ll write, as today we publish the last regularly scheduled print edition of TelevisionWeek. If you…

Jun 1, 2009

The ‘Password’ is… IDIOT!

Well, it’s Sunday night, and my usual televised staples — "The Amazing Race," "Celebrity Apprentice," football (yes, I do watch football) — are nowhere to be found; so what did I do? No, I didn’t read that book that my…

May 31, 2009

Bravo’s ‘Miami Social’: A Cure for Reality Fatigue?

To quote the prolific Broadway composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, “You gotta get a gimmick if you want to get ahead.” That axiom applied to the strippers in the Broadway musical, and it also applies to producers and networks trying…

May 31, 2009

Edd Hall Recalls Glory Days with Jay Leno

Among those who were in the audience tonight for Jay Leno’s final “Tonight Show”: Edd Hall, Leno’s announcer for the first 12 of his 17 years as host of the NBC late-night show. Besides making the show’s introductory announcements, Hall,…

May 31, 2009

Brit Sci-Fi Roundup: Latest on ‘Who,’ ‘Torchwood’

The TARDIS is about to get another traveler. 21-year-old unknown Karen Gillan has been cast in season five of “Doctor Who,” where she will star alongside incoming series lead Matt Smith, who replaces David Tennant as the Doctor when Tennant…

May 30, 2009

Taking a Chance on Fox’s ‘Human Target’

I really wanted to like FOX’s new procedural drama Human Target, which launches on the network next year, but found myself wondering about what the series could have been rather than what it actually is. Based on a DC comic…

May 29, 2009