Heroic

I'd have to say that that was just about the perfect comic book episode.

Alternate timeline? Check.

Dyseptic future? Check.

Lame characters transformed into badasses? Check.

Genocidal government plot? Check.

Massive body count? Check.

And a pretty nice plot twist, to boot.

The coolest thing is how self-contained it was - of course, an alternate timeline has a way of doing that.

Now, if I could just find a picture of Peter with that scar... [UPDATE: Check!]

Ski TV

Gazette Outdoors writer Dave Philipps is horning in on my turf over on the Out There blog:

This sounds sorta cool, but there could be a dark side, like having to listen to more Glen Plake:
DENVER (AP) — The founder of The Tennis Channel plans to launchThe Ski Channel early next year, with original programming delivered on demand.

The channel would run mountain programming, including rock climbing and backpacking, segments on equipment, travel tips and news, Bellamy said.

It also would provide a platform for viewers to send in videos of themselves.

“It’s the perfect storm of technology right now with Handy cams,people understanding how to upload, the broadband. It’s all happening at the same time,” Bellamy said.

Bellamy thought up the idea for The Ski Channel before launching The Tennis Channel, established in 2003. At the time, tennis was an easier sell as a standard television channel where fans could watch live events at set times. The Ski Channel works better with video on demand, he said.

“Snowboarding — you don’t need to see that live. If you’rewatching the 20 best aerials in the world, and it’s only on at 8 on one night, that would suck. But it would make the best VOD channel ever.”

Bellamy said he wants to target families seeking mountain vacations since other Web sites and channels exist for Gen X viewers, though there still will be programming for them on The Ski Channel. He did not disclose his company’s financial details.

Idol Gives Back total - $60 million

The AP is reporting the "Idol Gives Back" special has raised $60 million so far. They'll announce an updated total on Tuesday's show.

I was saying last night that $20 million would be embarrassing and $100 million would be impressive, so the total should be a little toward the impressive end of the spectrum.

Good for them. Hope they don't do it next year.

"Drive" goes right off a cliff

Fox canceled its new drama "Drive" after, let's see... 10 days. Well, it made it farther than "Emily's Reasons Why Not."

Doesn't do much for Nathan Fillion's rep as a show killer, though. The "Firefly" fanboys will be heartbroken.

Definitely lost

Mediocre episode... but MONSTER cliffhanger.

Total props for that one - they could have used that to end the season finale.

Of course, as is always the problem with "Lost," all they've done now is raise the stakes for the remaining episodes. Best of luck with that.

Idol Gives Back

Again, I think "Idol's" intent is praise worthy, but the execution is clunky.

I do wonder how they'll do - when I interviewed Nigel Lythgoe for that Chris Daughtry story a while back, he made a very astute point: Picking up the phone and making a free call is one thing, but when the show is over and fans have to go out and pay their hard-earned money for an album, it's a totally different ball game. This seems like the same situation, not to mention the difficulty 12-year-old girls may have in getting their mom's credit cards.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure they'll do OK. But $20 million OK, or $100 million?

And Seacrest totally had me hooked with that "most shocking elimination ever." But after he told Melinda to sit down, I just smacked myself on the head: Nobody's going home tonight. Duh. Lame, too, although I understand the motivation.

UPDATE: Called it - although kicking off two next week seems pretty damn mean. It's not really a week off then, is it? They just messed with Jordin for no reason at all, didn't they?

Have to say, though, that Phil does the Bono thing pretty well.

Baldwin jumping "30 Rock" ship?

Nooooooo. Despite his questionable parenting skills, "30 Rock" would totally suck without Alec Baldwin propping things up.

But "Extra" is reporting:

“Extra” has learned that while pre-taping Friday’s edition of “The View,” Alec Baldwin apparently tells the hosts that he wants to get off of “30 Rock” and doesn’t want to do television anymore. Also during the interview, Baldwin apologizes to his daughter again for his recent outburst on her cell phone voicemail.

UPDATE: Request denied, apparently. NBC is saying that Baldwin will stay on the show. It's a weird situation: If he stays, he could hurt the show. If he leaves, let's be honest, there is no show. And given "30 Rock's" marginal ratings, all of this has to have NBC's brass wishing they'd held off on renewing the thing early.

A view to a killjoy

Oh, and Rosie is leaving "The View." Didn't see that one coming. (sarcasm). That woman can't hold a job to save her life. It's going to make for pretty boring "Viewing," though.

McCain on the Daily Show - you're hurting America, Jon

Anyone else catch last nights' "The Daily Show"?

Stewart had John McCain on, which is usually good for both some fun and a few thought-provoking exchanges, since McCain's been on the show a million times and is a good sport and Stewart always seemed to like him despite their political differences.

Well, not last night. Stewart just came out swinging from the get-go, practically frothing at the mouth. McCain... if you've watched him for awhile, you know his humor often has a dark edge, like Bob Dole always did, so he started to get a little nasty.

Stewart was totally doing the "Crossfire" shouting thing he decried, what was it, two years ago. So annoying.

Maybe Stewart is just so fed up with the war that he's not listening anymore, but he could at least be funny about it. I mean, a conversation between a thoughtful pro-pullout guy and a thoughtful pro-stay-the-course guy is something I'd be interested in seeing. If anyone was willing to have a real conversation.

Idol gives whack

Funny night... Simon started off waaaaay too nice, but he got his groove on and so did the singers.

I'm increasingly of the opinion that Jordin is going to win this thing -- she's charismatic, she keeps getting better, she connects emotionally with the songs. Melinda can't match her in any of those categories. Blake had another bad night, Phil has too much ground to make up (and still looks like bat boy), Chris peaked weeks ago (despite the judges' praise last night, which I didn't get at all), LaKisha needs to step it up, but doesn't seem to realize it. Did I get everyone?

Anyway, Jordin. Looking like a winner. Sounding like a winner.

UPDATE: Gazette writer Christopher Short, who's like, musically inclined or something, had this to say about Jordin's performance (no, I don't know what he's talking about):

Jordin’s performance of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” was phenomenal. After singing the verse in the original key, she made something like a four-step key change for the chorus. It sounded like she was straining to hit the highest note in the first half of the chorus (the word “dreams”), and I figured all was lost, since the real high note is a third higher. Of course she nailed it.

If only America had recently entered a more-or-less justified war, we would have had a moment that surpassed Whitney’s Super Bowl anthem.

The Idol Gives Back thing was just as weird as predicted. Nothing against the causes they were supporting, nor am I against Idol trying to do something positive with its popularity, but that seemed like a totally random group of causes some focus group came up with ("So where are the poor people?" "Um, Africa?" "That's great, that's great... but we should do poor people in America, too. Because the foreigners seem so.... foreign.").

A couple "House" notes, too: I was talking to a friend during "Idol," and we both agreed that what "House" really needed was to kill a patient. They hadn't done that in a while and so they were falling into this repetitive trap of saving the patients at the last minute. Ask and thou shalt receive: Tonight, they kill the patient, but they make a whole big thing about it. Which was kind of after school special.

"House" is supposed to be about broken people messing up their lives while saving others. It's a good formula, but we don't need it rubbed in our faces. And we definitely don't need no stinking musical montage.

Actually, you know what it felt like? "Scrubs." Totally.

In the mail today

All of the "American Idol" happy meal toys. Yay! Actually, there's a microphone that looks like it's supposed to say "That was a little pitchy" when you press the button, but it doesn't. I find that very disappointing. I have been annoying my co-workers all day with the fake iPod that plays weird techno when you press the button.

Also, got the "My Name is Earl" season finale the other day. Surprisingly good. Very funny. "Earl" is one of those shows I always want to like, but its one-note premise just gets overshadowed by the complexity of "The Office" or the technical brilliance of "30 Rock." The season ends on an honest-to-goodness cliffhanger, too.

Also also, I never posted about "Heroes" return last night. I thought this was a solid episode. You know, "Heroes" is much less ambitious than "Lost," and more successful because of it. It just delivers good, solid comic book plot lines, just like the "Spider-Man" movies. No real surprises, no amazing acting (although Isaac finally got a couple good scenes before Sylar cut his head open). Just good, pulpy fun.

I predict "Heroes" fans will give their show a much longer leash than "Lost" fans simply because it doesn't promise what it can't deliver. That said, I'm betting the show's ratings drop off next season and it's done by season four. Every show wears out its premise eventually, and a serial superhero show just ain't gonna match "Law & Order."

Terry's Bachelor recap

:30 - Oops. Just missed the first 30 minutes of tonights episode. My TiVo was recording "Heroes" and some documentary called "Sex and the City" at the same time. I guess its time to change my recording priorities so that my shows are rated higher than my wife's.

:31 - Managed to catch the last part of Bevin and Andy's date and it looked like it went well. When a dude is stroking a woman's thigh, the date went well, at least for him.

:35 - Andy and a few of the girls on a group date skiing at Lake Tahoe. I predict at least one crash and burn...hopefully. Too bad Bevin's not here to test here "bad" ankle.

:38 - Interesting conversation between Andy and Tessa about this whole crazy concept. I have to say that so far, this is the most realistic dating scenario of any "Bachelor" I've seen. Most of the women are understandably frustrated with sharing a guy and are treating this like its real (Ha!) . Well, except for Stephanie T. who's shaping up quite nicely as this seasons "woman most likely to kill her own mother to win a reality show".

:46 - Some nice gossip from Kate in the gondola filling in Andy with what could be rumors or the truth, I can't tell and neither can he. The lesson to be learned, never trust a beautiful blonde woman. Andy looks in over his head. Unfortunately for him he wants to believe everyone but it seems like he's trusting the wrong people. This show is displaying how confusing it is to differentiate between the women around for real reasons, women who want a trophy husband and women who view this as a competition. You know, just like dating in real life. If Andy has a brain, he'll just eliminate the drama queens.

:52 - On their one-on-one Tina asks Andy if he's high maintenance. Valid question. From my experience a guy like that (pretty boy, well educated, got a little bank) needs a lot of attention. Therefore, Andy is high maintenance.

:59 - Andy's one-on-one with Amber isn't going very smoothly. He's stressing about Amber because of all the crap put into his head by all the other women. The man can't tell which way is up and his brain is scrambled eggs. Haven't you watched this show before? Don't you know how some of these women work? Go with your gut dude!

1:02 - Amber gets a rose. After making out in a hot tub with him, he was almost required to give her one.

1:07 - Cocktail party time! Lets get some booze in these women and let the claws fly.

1:09 - Andy talking to Kate, its looks like his brain has finally kicked in as he has the "I believed you on the gondola yesterday but after sleeping on it I don't think I can trust you" look in his eyes.

1:12 - Kate saying bold faced lies and full blown BS gossip. She tells Amber that Tina said that Amber almost slept with Andy. Welcome back to "The Bachelor: The Middle School Years!"

1:15 - Tessa talks about leaving the show with Andy because the environment is ridiculously unnatural. She appears completely sincere, doesn't want to get hurt and doesn't want to be around if Andy is already sure about what he wants. She makes her point with honesty and without the spite and vengeance of most of the others. She is now my new favorite.

1:20 - Rose ceremony time! I may have missed the first half hour but I've made my choices. Lets get rid of Kate, she's a real wench. Lets also get rid of Nicole too, the whole painted on eyebrow thing is just disturbing.

1:24 - Whoa! Stephanie T goes home, I didn't see that coming. I guess the fake boobs popping out of the dress didn't work this week. Kate and Nicole are also out so it looks like Andy took my advice and got rid of most of the drama queens and women with fake nails.

So what did we learn from this episode? Because I'm a sexist pig, I could never be on the Bachelorette. The Bachelor yes, Bachelorette, no. I'm also the jealous type and hyper competitive. I'd be the guy version of Stephanie T and any woman would be able to see through it. I'd be gone in 2 weeks...Andy is starting to seriously stress. By the end of this season he'll be bald and have a face like a leather briefcase... There's no way Danielle (who I NEVER recognize when she's on camera) is 25, she's at least 30...Chris Harrison is really dropping the ball this season, his cliche to rose ceremony ratio is at an all time low.

Rating the Remaining Women's Chances
1. Tessa
2. Bevin
3. Amber
4. Danielle
5. Tina
6. Stephanie

Eric Singer, 24/7

KRDO/Channel 13 announced on Monday that weekend anchor Eric Singer would be joining the morning news team on KRDO (105.5 FM and 1240 AM) beginning April 30.

He'll replace Kyle Troxel as Lee Richards' co-host from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on the news stations. He'll also continue to anchor KRDO TV's weekend news, meaning Singer will be on the air seven days a week.

"Eric brings years of experience and a familiar voice, which we're just thrilled about," said Mike Lewis, KRDO radio's program director and afternoon host. "Itt shows our commitment to providing the best local news."

Singer said he hasn't worked in radio since a stint in Lubbock, Texas, back in 1983, but he's looking forward to returning to the medium.

"I love radio," Singer said. "I really believe that the great radio people were the precursors to the great television people. They were leaders in the industry."

Troxel, a former TV reporter who served as KRDO radio's news director, will fill in for Lewis for a couple weeks before starting a new job as the spokesman for COSMIX.

Netflix

You ever wonder what happens if a Netflix DVD gets lost in the mail, or lost in your house, or eaten by the dog? Apparently nothing. A copy of "The Illusionist" seems to have ended up in my recycling bin -- or maybe it was the dog. Netflix customer service said, "OK, we'll mark it as lost and send you out the next film on your list."

Which seems like a pretty enlightened policy, although I'm guessing they go medieval on your ass if you begin to "lose" movies frequently.

Anyway, something I'd always wondered and, thanks to the general disorganization of my house (since corrected), had the chance to find out.

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodnight

Season finales:

ABC
October Road - April 26
George Lopez - May 8
According to Jim - May 16
Notes from the Underbelly - May 16
Ugly Betty - May 17
Grey’s Anatomy - May 17
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition - May 20
Desperate Housewives - May 20
Brothers & Sisters - May 20
The Bachelor - May 21
Boston Legal - May 22
Dancing with the Stars - May 22
Lost - May 23

CBS
Shark - May 3
The Amazing Race - May 6
Cold Case - May 6
The New Adventures of Old Christine - May 7
The Unit - May 8
Jericho - May 9
Without a Trace - May 10
Survivor - May 13
How I Met Your Mother - May 14
Two and a Half Men - May 14
King of Queens - May 14 (series finale)
CSI: Miami - May 14
Criminal Minds - May 16
CSI: NY - May 16
CSI - May 17
Numb3rs - May 18
NCIS - May 22

NBC
30 Rock - April 26
Identity - April 27
Raines - April 27
My Name is Earl - May 10
Ghost Whisperer - May 11
Close to Home - May 11
Thank God You’re Here - May 16
Crossing Jordan - May 16
Medium - May 16
The Office - May 17
Scrubs - May 17
ER - May 17
Law & Order - May 18
Heroes - May 21
Law & Order: Criminal Intent - May 22
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - May 22

Fox
Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy - May 3
Drive - May 7
Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? - May 10
Bones May 16The Simpsons - May 20
Family Guy - May 20
American Dad - May 20
24 - May 21
American Idol - May 23
House - May 29

CW
Girlfriends - May 7
Seventh Heaven - May 13
Everybody Hates Chris - May 14
All of Us - May 14
The Game - May 14
Gilmore Girls - May 15
America’s Next Top Model - May 16
Smallville - May 17
Supernatural - May 17
Veronica Mars - May 22

Blab Board is back, sort of

Blabbing Mike has once again resurrected his discussion board, although it's no longer TV specific. Still, I think a lot of TV people continue to browse his site, so maybe it will become a de facto hangout.

The new board is at:
http://www.newsblab.com/coffeebreakcafe/

Chat away!

Shall I Nail Thee to a Summer's Day?

Late posting this, but if you missed last night's "Colbert Report," be sure to catch Colbert's Meta-Free-Phor-All face-off with Sean Penn. Very funny-- and a little gross. It's up over on the Comedy Central Web site.

"not more than 10 percent..."

STATEMENT FROM NBC NEWS
The pain suffered by the Virginia Tech community and indeed the entire country is immeasurable.
Upon receiving the materials from Cho Seung-Hui, NBC News took careful consideration in determining how the information should be distributed. We did not rush the material onto air, but instead consulted with local authorities, who have since publicly acknowledged our appropriate handling of the matter. Beginning this morning, we have limited our usage of the video across NBC News, including MSNBC, to no more than 10 percent of our airtime.

Our Standards and Policies chief reviewed all material before it was released. One of our most experienced correspondents, Pete Williams handled the reporting. We believe it provides some answers to the critical question, "why did this man carry out these awful murders?" The decision to run this video was reached by virtually every news organization in the world, as evidenced by coverage on television, on websites and in newspapers. We have covered this story – and our unique role in it – with extreme sensitivity, underscored by our devoted efforts to remember and honor the victims and heroes of this tragic incident. We are committed to nothing less.
--------

I'm of two minds about this.

I think NBC is within its rights to run this footage 24 hours a day, if they want and people watch (for now, of course, they're merely talking about it 21.6 hours a day and running the footage 2.4 hours a day to meet that 10 percent).

I get the argument that NBC is giving Cho a stage and airing the material may inspire copycats, but, after the last three days, I think that ship has sailed. Whatever deeply disturbed people might be inspired by all of this already have plenty of inspiration to work with.

BUT, NBC, don't devote every second of every day to a story and then preen about how sensitive and responsible you are. I mean really.

Oh, well

Honestly, I'm a little bummed. I had Sanjaya pegged for the final four -- just far enough to make everyone really start to sweat.

And with Phil and Chris sailing through, I'm unsure about what happens next.

But really, wouldn't you prefer to talk about the whole Simon thing at the top of the show? That was weird. It kind of reminded me of the mini-controversy over Daughtry doing the Live version of "I Walk the Line" last season. If you'll remember, nobody credited Live at the time, and then Seacrest had to do this whole non-apology explanation the next week.

The subject matter, of course, was far more serious, but the way "Idol" handled it was just as silly. Loved the multiple camera angles, so we could really, truly see how little attention Simon pays to the show. They studied that crap like the Zapruder film. Fun.

So anybody got a theory what Blake was doing in the bottom three?

And on "Lost"... well, kinda dull. I do like Desmond, but nothing much happened here.

Speaking of TV Guide

TV Guide the Magazine's Michael Ausiello has some major "Lost" scoopage.

Key graph: "Get ready to clutch your pearls: I'm told there will be at least five — count 'em, five — deaths on Lost during the month of May."

Eh, maybe it's just Charlie dying five different times.

Buh-bye

This just in: TV Guide Channel is ending its very odd experiment of hiring Joan and Melissa Rivers away from E! to provide red carpet commentary for the Oscars, et al. "Dancing with the Stars" Lisa Rinna will take their place.

About time. I think most people studiously ignore the TV Guide Channel during the Oscars (and the rest of the time), but Joan was laughably ill-informed and uninterested and Melissa was as annoying as her mom used to be.

Too bad. So sad.

Tuesday recap - Bye bye Phil

I'm surprised how much I enjoyed country night. Phil, Melinda and Jordin all did better than I expected. My wife was saying how good LaKisha was and I'm like, "Huh?", so it was nice of the judges to vindicate me.

Despite the fact Phil had his best performance in weeks, I'm still puzzling over his comment about how this is his genre, country is what he wants to do. Buddy, maybe you should have figured that out a littl earlier. You know, when it would have made a difference.

I've been down on Melinda for awhile, despite her technical skills, because it was all so old and boring. Tuesday, she picked something much more contemporary and did it up right. It shows she might have a smidgen of pop potential.

If I were Phil, I'd come out tonight in uniform, just to remind people that he's in the service and make them feel extra-guilty for giving him the heave-ho.

What'd you think of Chris' Virginia Tech shout-out? It certainly sounded more sincere than Simon's, but coming right after his performance, it seemed a little calculated. Of course, this is "Idol" -- no reason in the world why it couldn't be both sincere and calculated.

I don't think any of this matters, really. Phil is still on the chopping block, probably (and rightly) followed by Chris. And then things get interesting -- for the first time in weeks.

Quick "House" note: I don't know why, but I really liked that episode. It had every stock ingredient of every other episode, but the pieces just seemed to fit together better than they have in a few weeks. Maybe it was me.

NBC, tank. Tank, NBC.

I mentioned this last week, but now the official numbers are in: NBC just had its worst week in the modern history of broadcasting.

The quote from the AP story: "The network, which dominated television in the late 1990s and earlier this decade, averaged only 6.8 million viewers in prime time last week, according to Nielsen Media Research. That’s believed to be lowest weekly average that NBC has recorded during a TV season since the advent of Nielsen’s “people meters” 20 years ago, and likely ever."

Yee-ouch. In the tank doesn't even begin to cover that.

Bachelor recap

Terry Terrones reports:

Ah, yes another Monday, another night hanging with "The Bachelor". This can only mean four things.
1. 100 Cheesy grins from Andy (whose name always makes me think of "Toy Story")
2. Host Chris Harrison's gift for hyberbole
3. Yet another 5 minute intro into a show that's now 3 episodes old. You know, just in case you missed something.
4. I have waaay to much time on my hands.

As Andy's drill sargeant used to say in boot camp - Lets get it on!

:04 - Speaking of drill sargeants, its time for boot camp. Evidentally Uncle Fester joined the Marine Corps and likes to make scantily clad women jump up and down with jog bras on! Yeah!

:07 - In a desperate act to get Andy's undivided attention, Bevin breaks her ankle running the obstacle course, getting wiped out by a tire. Did I mention the tire wasn't moving? Brilliant strategy! She gets a rose, doesn't have to do any more crazy exercise crap and taught those crazy "Bachelor" producers a lesson about tire safety.

:13 - Just found out from fountain of information Chris Harrison that Bevin DIDN'T break her ankle. So much for that lawsuit if she didn't win Andy.

:15-:20 - First group date at a spa. Quick summary: Mud wrestling, Stephanie T. hogging all of Andy's time, Stephanie W. getting "special" time with Andy, wife making fun of Stephanie T's crazy eyebrows, me thinking I'm starting to get tired of writing the name Stephanie.

:26-:38 - Second group date, this time at a race track. Quick summary #2: Erin likes to burn clutches and shoot guns (redneck) and Kate needs to go back to drivers ed. We also find out more about Danielle's dead boyfriend. It turns out she woke up next to him one morning and he had exited his earthly vessel (I have about 20 "Weekend at Bernie's" jokes I could use here but I just can't do it).

:44 - Two one one date for Tessa and Pey-TON (Andy's pronounciation). One girl will get a rose and the other will have to leave. My money's on Pey-TON, he seems to like blondes and Tessa's a little insecure. Just wondering how these two got picked, was it the producers? Andy? Strategically you could go a number of different routes. If you're Andy do you pick your bottom two? Do you pick you're top person and bottom person? If you're the producer are you looking for opposites? Oh, no! Listen to me! I'm thinking about Bachelor strategy! Gaaahhh!

:52 - Dinner on the deck of an aircraft carrier? All that's missing is Goose and Maverick singing "Great balls of fire".

:57 - Pey-TON and Tessa plead their cases to Andy with blue lips and chattering teeth on top of the obviously cold aircraft carrier. Andy seems interested in both. What will he do?!? Stupid commercials.

:59 - Oooh, nice "Lost" preview. Is it too late to rescend that hate email I sent to JJ Abrams?

1:03 - Andy cries like a wuss as he gives Tessa the rose, leaving Pey-TON behind. This is the kind of guy we want taking care of injured soldiers? What would he do if he saw a compound fracture? Pass out? Wimp.

1:10-1:18 - Cocktail party time! What did Andy learn? Amanda may be too quiet for him, he views Kate as a party girl, the two Stephanie's are polar opposites, and Bevin is still insecure. So many women didn't get camera time that I have no idea who's going home.

1:22 - Lets give out some roses! Just for kicks lets say Amanda and Kate are goners.

1:26 - Amanda and Erin are done. Erin will now go back to Hugh Hefner and the other ladies from "Girls Next Door." I'm going to miss Amanda, I thought she was the prettiest one on the show.

Wow, what a slow episode. They need to start giving this group some drinks to liven things up. Between Andy's flat demeanor and the lack of cat fighting, this show is acting as a great sleep aide. A couple of final thoughts. I didn't even recognize Danielle the first time she was on camera (which leads to). Andy needs to weed out some of these blondes, too many of these women look too much alike. No Chris Harrison cliche during the show? No "most difficult rose ceremony ever" or "the hardest decision of his life"? Very disappointing. How does Nicole continue to get roses? She looks like crap without makeup and isn't interesting at all. She must have a great figure.

Top 5 Frontrunners List

1. Amber - She got about 5 seconds of camera time in this episode so she must be doing something right off camera that we haven't seen.
2. Bevin - The injury and her slightly less insecure attitude seems to have bonded her to Andy. But will it last?
3. Tessa - Came out of nowhere, I'm not sure what the attraction is.
4. Danielle - Might be getting the sympathy vote due to the deceased boyfriend.
5. Stephanie T - Even though she was the last to get a rose, I think she's still pretty high on Andy's list. Getting the last rose is probably serving as a warning that Andy's not so sure about her motives.

AP TV awards

KKTV/Channel 11 dominated the medium-market television division at the 2006 Colorado Associated Press Broadcasters Association Awards presented Saturday in Denver.

KKTV won eight first-place awards in the newscast, morning newscast, spot news, general reporting, investigative reporting, sports special, feature and documentary categories.KKTV reporter David Nancarrow’s series of special reports from Iraq, dubbed “Assignment: Iraq,” won the general reporting and documentary categories.

"It's really a credit to the great staff," said KKTV news director Nick Matesi. "We won first and second in spot news, which is something we've really been working on. It's nice to be recognized for our hard work."

KOAA/Channels 5&30 won the weathercast and Web site categories. KRDO/Channel 13 won the sportscast category. The medium-market division includes TV stations in Grand Junction, Alamosa and Durango in addition to local stations.

Who knows what?

Here's a fascinating little Pew Center study. It shows Rush Limbaugh listeners are just as well informed as National Public Radio listeners.

Of course, neither of them are anywhere near daily newspaper readers, thank you very much (technically, daily newspaper Web site readers, which is probably a dedicated subset of readers).

Lest I get too high on my horse, however, the study shows newspaper Web site readers to be roughly tied with viewers of "The Daily Show" and "Colbert Report."

Actually, I find that kind of heartening. Maybe we learn more through laughter than we do through anger. Or something equally Hallmark-cardish.

At the bottom of the list? Viewers of network news morning shows. Draw your own conclusions there.

Scariest result? To me, it's that only 32 percent of the general public knew Sunni was the other branch of Islam, along with Shia (heck, only 52 percent of those newspaper Web site readers knew the answer).

More changes on the TV page

Such as, just for instance, there not being a TV page anymore.

Without my column anchoring the page every Tuesday, it just couldn't see the point in living. We pulled the TV highlights over to the Pop page, on the back of the Life section, along with a much-diminished daily television grid.

That grid is causing some readers angst this morning. It covers only the broadcast stations, omitting the 100-odd cable stations we used to have in the daily grid. Our reasoning for this is that we already provide the cable listings in the Sunday TV book, so we could save some space by just providing the essentials on a daily basis.

I'm a little surprised at the number of calls we're getting - maybe 100-something so far. We got maybe a thousand calls when we changed the TV book last year, but I thought that most of the people who relied on the TV book probably didn't look at the daily grid.

I was, as is not unusual, wrong.

Ultimately, of course, everyone will get some version of the on-screen guide that satellite and digital cable subscribers get. People used to looking for the schedule in the paper want to find the schedule in the paper, though.

Lost spoilers

Copy editor/Lost fanatic Carmen Boles came across an episode guide for the rest of the season. Warning: Spoilerific. Don't go if you don't want to know.

http://spoilerslost.blogspot.com/2007/04/upcoming-episode-summary_15.html

NBC: Worst ratings ever?

Interesting NY Post article, saying that NBC may earn its worst ratings in history this season.

Hate to see it, because so many of my favorite shows are on NBC, but it does make KOAA's continued success stand out.

The sound of silence

You guys have been totally slacking on the comments this week - especially disappointing because this was such a busy TV week, both with network stuff and a few local things.

I have nothing worth saying so profound that it should go unchallenged. Or at least snickered at.

State of the media?

An anonymous poster put this up in comments a couple days back (just noticed it, sorry). A potentially interesting question:

"i posted this a couple posts back... but thought it might get more responses up here.i'm curious about the tv "atmosphere" in colorado springs... specifically KRDO. what stations are good to work at and which ones are leading in the ratings. also, if you would be so kind, can i get a brief history of the recent happenings at the stations? thanks very much. greatly appreciated."

I greatly appreciate people who can find the "shift" key, but that may be because I'm a giant newspaper dork.

Hmmm, from the people I've talked to at KRDO, it seems like the atmosphere might be described as "improving" - YMMV. I'll leave the good stations to work for question to the people who work at stations.

Gotta laugh at the "brief history" question, though. If you can summarize everything that's happened in local TV in the last two years in less than a book, you're doing pretty well: KKTV fires its anchor team, brings in new crew, KRDO sold, KXRM starts own newscast, KXRM and KKTV start digital subchannels, Matt Meister swears on-air, everyone and their brother adds half a dozen new newscasts to their schedules, local TV icon Hal Kennedy passes, KKTV gets satellite truck, everyone gets new weather systems, entire nation descends on Springs for Haggard lovefest, everyone but Fox starts a radio partnership, KOAA starts a newspaper partnership (or will, I suppose)... I dunno, is that the highlights?

Busy and competitive times in local news.

Mmmmm, robots

A little late in the day for this, perhaps, but if anyone has any thoughts on robotic news cameras, fire away.

I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords.

Alert the Colonel!

T-Rex, tastes like chicken!

Apropos of nothing, but it cracked me up.

//news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20070412/sc_livescience/trexrelatedtochickens

Key quote: "a comparison of the protein's chemical structure to a slew of other species showed an evolutionary link between T. rex and chickens."

The Panthers win, the Panthers win!

Alan Sepinwall of the New Jersey Star-Ledger did a bunch of my work for me with a list of the season's greatest moments, so I'll let him start it off:

- Tami having The Talk with Julie;
- The prayer circle after the miracle victory in the pilot;
- The first (and presumably only) concert by Crucifictorius;
- Street, Smash, Riggins and Saracen getting drunk on the field;
- Tyra turning into Dick Butkus during Powderpuff;
- The entirety of "Mud Bowl";
- The ominous shot of Voodoo making his first walk across the Panthers' practice field;
- Landry at the Landing Strip;
- The team getting pelted with food and garbage after the brawl in the racist town;
- "I'm crippled, and I want to listen to Nirvana!";
- "Hi, Mrs. Coach.";
- The Members Only jacket, and Coach's reaction to it;
- Coach following Mrs. Coach to bed at the end of last week's episode;
- Saracen singing "Mr. Sandman" to his grandma;
- The sound of the buzzsaw cutting open Street's helmet in the emergency room;
- The pure joy on everyone's face at the victory parade (not to mention the season-bookending use of "Devil Town" on the soundtrack);
- Coach's abrupt mood switch when he found out Saracen had made Julie his quarterback;
- Tyra getting photographed at the police station like she was the perp and not the victim;
- Coach deciding to stay in Dillon because of the baby and Tami talking him out of it (though in the end he seems to decide to stay for a reason that he won't regret later);
- Buddy being magnanimous about Coach's new job;
- Slammin' Sammy Meade and his listeners not taking more than a second to bask in the victory before piling on Coach for leaving;

As for me, the episode was way overstuffed, but it had some wonderful moments, mostly Landry's.

I'm OK with the Panthers winning state, but I hated the comeback from 26-0. 17-0 would be the correct, inspiring halftime comeback, because then the Panthers could score four times and win, but VooDoo and Co. could still score once more (for a final score of 28-24), which is way more realistic and provides late-game tension.

Is it just me, 'cause this is the first time I realized Smash was a junior. Who else is an underclassman, besides Saracen?

Loved Lyla's car breaking down. Even Buddy gets to be right once in a while.

It had its flaws, but taken as a whole, this has to rank as one of the greatest seasons in television history. Just really, really wonderful storytelling and acting.

We'll find out next month whether there'll be a season two.

Wednesday roundup - Lost's back!

Excellent "Lost" last night. For all the Hitchcock fans who dug the buried alive episode two weeks ago, I'd argue that this is how you do a twist at the end. Even if you suspected Juliet's betrayal, I don't think anyone expected Carlton Cuse & Company to actually show it to us.

Couple of thoughts:
- Given the goo-goo eyes Juliet was making at Jack after he talked about the submarine blowing up, I'm expecting that she'll end up double-crossing (triple-crossing?) Ben.
- On the same score, if there really isn't any other way off the island, why is she cooperating with Ben? He obviously still has some hold over her. I think there's another way off.
- A few more references to the uber-mysterious Jacob. I think his role or identity might get wrapped into the season cliffhanger.
- Why hasn't anyone figured out that Sayid is ALWAYS right? Whatever he says, they should just do it.
- Loved icy Hurley: "We buried him right over there."

Elsewhere, bye-bye Haley. Like men everywhere, I'm saddened by this development. The betting line is that she'd be wearing lingerie by next week.The lack of support for Chris is kinda interesting.

And the season finale of "Friday Night Lights"... well, I've got a few thoughts on that, so I'll give it its own post in a minute.

Suh-weet!

The creators of "24" sent the creators of "South Park" one of the suitcase nukes used on the show. Apparently in honor of a recent "South Park" sendup of Hilary Clinton, or something.

Matt and Trey say they'll put it in the trophy case next to their Emmy.

What do I have to do to get a suitcase nuke?

Magnum, LV

This is bitchin' news, for all the "Magnum, P.I." freaks like me out there: NBC is talking to Tom Selleck about replacing James Caan on "Las Vegas."

Selleck would play the new owner of the Montecito Casino. With a bitchin' read Ferrari and a Vietnam buddy who flies his personal helicopter and Rick, another buddy who Selleck gets a job in the Montecito bar. It's a can't-miss formula I tell you!

Why Selleck would want to be a Johnny-come-lately on a flailing show that was never all that good is a fair question, but I would love, love to see him back on TV. I think he's a surprisingly underrated actor, or at least has a more flexible on-screen persona than some people seem to think.

Bring back the 'stash!

Your weekly Bachelor fix

Gazette "Bachelor" reporter Terry Terrones reports in with the latest from Lovesville: Population 16:

Before I get started, I’d like to apologize for writing this post a day late. I was still trying to get over Bobby Bacala kicking Tony Soprano’s ass. And while we’re on the topic of “The Sopranos”, I have to agree with Andy, I think Carmela is going to kill Tony [editor's note: When did I say this?].

This leads to the next most important question about how this show will end – who’s going to kill AJ? Please tell me David Chase made him the most annoying kid on television since Cousin Oliver just so the audience could have the pleasure of seeing him get whacked by an insane Paulie Walnuts acting out a scene from “Cleaver.” This has to be in the final show.

Alright, lets get on with this weeks running diary of “The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentlemen” before I start ranting about Ari being emasculated by the scriptwriters on my favorite show, “Entourage.”

:02 – Beautiful shots of smoggy, traffic congested Los Angeles. I love LA! This intro was obviously not approved by the California tourism board.

:04 – Stephanie T. gets the first individual date and is visually stabbed in her fake boobs by every other girl in the room. There’s a situation like this on every season of “The Bachelor.” Hunky bachelor can’t see woman for what she really is, other women talk bad about her, tear filled I-don’t-understand-why-everyone-hates-me-I-think-they’re-just-jealous speech to bachelor allows annoying woman make it to the final two, only to loose out to saccharine sweet school teacher who bachelor breaks up with 2 weeks after the last show airs. I’ve seen it all before.

:06 – Drunken bull riding on the first group date. Move along now, no sexual overtones here.

:11 – 100th shot in two episodes of Andy’s Opie Cunningham/Howdy Doody smile as women hang out at the top of a building at night. Of course, the theme from “An Officer and a Gentleman” is playing in the background. I start belting out my best Joe Cocker impression. The wife is not amused.

:15 – Bevin’s about to meltdown if she doesn’t get any time with Andy. She’s only 28 but she’s feeling her age around these early twenty-somethings. Hopefully she won’t go off about how she’s running out of time for having a baby like a contestant from the last season did.

:20 – Andy’s two looks – goofy grin and raised eyebrows with wrinkly forehead. The ladies love it!

:24 – One-on-one time with Tiffany who’s playing the quiet, mysterious girl card. It backfires and leads to some boring, awkward conversation. Bye Tiffany!

:29 – Hey! Let's drink mimosas and eat before we work out! That won’t make anyone puke.

:32 – Hef’s girlfriends (Erin and Susan, on loan from the Playboy Mansion) have to talk to Andy together, they can’t do it by themselves because they’re too shy. Welcome to middle school!

:38 – Time for a mini-triathalon as Andy gets into military mode. How bad do you want a rose! How bad do you want quality time with me?!? You will impress me by swimming in this hotel pool, riding this exercise bike and running some laps! If you ain’t first you’re last! Oooaaah! Surprisingly, no one vomits.

:43 – Stephanie T. will be wearing a hand towel on her date with Andy and we hear the first of many “Those other girls are just jealous” lines from her. Meow!

:48 – I just threw up in my mouth a little during the requisite “Titanic” bit during Steph and Andy’s first date on “his” yacht. How do I get this taste out of my mouth?

:50 – My psychic powers prevail once more as Steph talks to Andy about the other women being jealous of her. Meanwhile at the mansion, all of the other women are (surprise!) bad mouthing her. If you want your future told, call me, I’m more accurate than Ms. Cleo and only charge $9.99/hour.

:52 – Stephanie T. gets a rose and I’m not surprised. How is Andy not going to give her one after seeing her in that bikini right before she got in the hot tub. He had to avert his eyes - she was so hot his eyes were burning!

:53 – 1:15 – Long montage of a cocktail party before the rose ceremony where we learn the following: Alexis is probably a virgin (which could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on what kind of guy Andy is), Tessa has gross feet and is not sure why she’s here, Tina is insecure, Erin’s fake boobs are too big and off-center, Susan is so reliant on other people she probably couldn’t even go to the bathroom by herself, Danielle isn’t over the death of her boyfriend, Nicole has no eyebrows, Tiffany isn’t outgoing enough and Bevin is cracking like Jake Plummer in the fourth quarter. Can we start over?

1:21 – Rose ceremony time. Or as we call it at my house – Chris Harrison time! My prediction is that Tiffany, Tina and Susan are toast.

1:25 – Okay, I was close. Tiffany, Susan and Alexis are gone. Maybe Alexis should have mentioned that virgin thing.

Another “Bachelor” is over, what have we learned? My frontrunner, Bevin, had a horrible week. I don’t see her getting over her insecurities about her age or being in a competition with other women for one guy. But can you blame her? After learning all the weaknesses of the women left, what quality candidates are left?

Let's check out the new “Bachelor” Top 5 Frontrunners List:

Stephanie T. – Despite the Mariah Carey eyebrows and goat-like laugh, she’s a no brainer here. She seems to have Andy wrapped around her finger.
Amber – Teachers always go far on this show.
PeyTON – Seems very down to earth and laid back
Bevin – Providing she just relaxes and does her thing
Nicole – Despite the lack of eyebrows she’s fun and easy going

Thanks for that insightful report, Terry. Next time, send pictures of the bikinis.

How 'bout that Sanjaya?

I've never been a hata like most of America -- I mean the guy's a mediocre singer, but has made tremendous strides as a performer, especially when you remember he was the shy one and his sister was supposed to be the extrovert.

Blake did the best, though, that guy continues to impress me with his smarts. And, after watching Melinda, I'm again reminded why I'm increasingly sure she won't win: She's a Baby Boomer cursed with the chronological age of a Gen-Xer. It just doesn't work, despite her oodles of talent.

I think it's Phil's turn this week, then Haley's. And then we shall see what we shall see.

Oh, and J-Lo was a surprisingly good coach. She really seemed to care and her advice was spot-on. I guess when you've made it as far as she has on as little talent as she has, you know how to make the most of things.

"Mr. President, you owe me."

Well, that pretty much sums it up for me.

Open "Sopranos" thread

Thought I'd throw up a "Sopranos" free-for-all for anyone who wants to discuss the return of the legendary show.

I thought it was nicely structured, psychologically interesting and made for pretty dull television, but I promise that things pick up in the second episode (I've only seen the first two).

Bonus points to anyone who wants to predict how it will all end.

Will the last one leaving please turn out the "Lights"?

OK, someone actually said they like "Friday Night Lights" in the comments below, so now I totally have an excuse to geek out about the World's Best Show again. Broadcasting & Cable is reporting that NBC will pick up the series for a second season... only they'll wait until the May upfronts. 'cause they have to find a spot on the schedule and all.

Paging Murphy! There's no kiss of death like the executive vote of confidence. Actually, it's pretty clear how next week's season finale is going to go (Coach Taylor realizes he can't leave his family, backs out of TMU job, Saracen and Julie live happily ever after, Street gets his GED and a fulltime coaching gig, Lyla joins Delta-Delta-Delta and hooks up with a procession of cheesy frat boys, etc. The only question is whether the team wins the state championship or not (and, double parentheses, how can the team be "going to state," but only for the actual championship game? Usually, the quarters and semis are held at a neutral location, too)).

So anyway, I have closure. If they bring it back, Yay! If not, I'll be fine. Just fine. You'll see.

"I'm going to kill Jim Halpert"

There's a pretty awesome, albeit sappy, "Office" montage up over on NBC: http://www.nbc.com/The_Office/

You can't watch that and not be jonesing for tonight's episode. 7 p.m., too, so don't be late.

UPDATE: Solid episode, with a few choice moments. My favorite: Dwight macing Ed Helms. Also, Karen saying that she wasn't sure what Jim was more afraid of: Long talks about their relationship or Roy rushing in with murder in his eyes.

More local Nielsens, Fox No. 2?

KXRM/Channel 21 GM Steve Dant called me to say that my Nielsen story on Wednesday left out an important data point: KXRM was No. 2 (behind KOAA) in the 18-49 and 25-54 age groups.

Which is a pretty big deal. And a much bigger deal if they can do it consistently.

I've heard the argument that you can't compare 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. or 5 p.m. to 5:30 because there's a different viewer base -- it's maybe not apples to oranges, but at least Galas to Granny Smiths. Still, total numbers don't lie (they do occasionally mislead, however).

It's worth noting that KXRM still has a couple of ratings points to pick up to take over No. 2 in total viewers, but advertisers -- and hence station managers -- primarily care about those prime demographic groups. 25-54 is always the "money" demo, and 18-49 doesn't suck, either (oddly, the national networks only care about the 18-49 group and don't give a fig for 49-54 year olds. TV is a weird business).

We'll get a better gauge on this with the May book, which is just around the corner (although Nielsen won't send out the local results until late June).

Hey, that was a pretty good "Lost"

I actually enjoyed that. Juliet is cool, the Kate flashback was no dumber than any other and, although I saw the Hurley con coming the second he opened his mouth, it was still pretty funny.

It does make me wonder again, why is Jack the leader? He's a total putz. Like any sane person would blame Kate for anything she did. Jack's just a baby and the show is better when he's locked up offscreen.

Dull "Idol," though. We're stuck in the middle phase. It's not that Gina particularly deserved to go -- I thought it was Phil's turn -- she's clearly not going to be there at the end, so it doesn't make much difference what order they go in. I wasn't surprised at all that Sanjaya stuck around. I thought Phil was worse than him, at least entertainment-wise, and I expect he'll be around another two or three weeks (that's conditional on Sanjay ditching the peachfuzz 'stash, naturally).

And "Friday Night Lights" rocked. But you knew that. I hope they wrap things up well next week. The word on the street is the show will get renewed despite its lack of ratings, but those rumors are always wrong. So I'm not getting my hopes up.

UPDATE: Well, despite the fact I liked the episode, let me do a little "Lost" kvetching. Why did Kate trust Juliet for a second after Juliet all the sudden popped up with the key to the handcuffs? And am I to understand that Juliet dragged Kate in the jungle in a misguided attempt to win Kate's sympathy? And, again, why was Jack such a jerk? And is Locke the biggest a-hole on the island? And why were Jack and Sayid out cold for a full DAY after Kate and Juliet woke up?

BREAKING NEWS!

Tony Bennett pulled out of tonight's "Idol" because of a cold! Michael Buble will fill in!

Wait... I don't actually care. I mean, except that Michael Buble is pretty annoying.

Somebody's watching "The Bachelor"

Gazette video game writer Terry Terrones watches "The Bacherlor" so you don't have to. Here's his report:

Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha! I've never laughed so hard in my life! I just got done watching the funniest comedy reality show since "Last Comic Standing!" It's called "The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman." What's that? It's not a comedy? Nobody wins a million dollars and a chance to open for Carrot Top at the Golden Nugget? This is "real"?

That changes nothing. "Officer and a Gentleman" is full of Unintentional Comedy, but it's still fun to watch. The idea that a handsome guy (with a smile only a Hollywood + orthodontist could fully appreciate) and 25 beautiful, educated women need network television to set them up on dates is almost as far-fetched as the premise for "The Matrix". But hey, they both work.

As a man, I usually avoid shows like this but I enjoy watching "The Bachelor" with my wife, who makes more fun of the this show than I do. After a premier episode filled with the requisite giggling, drinking, embarrassing moments and I-though-he-was-ugly-and-really-didn't-want-to-be-here-anyway meltdown, I noticed a few things:
+ Being a beautiful, twenty-something blonde is unattractive to most males, so signing up for a show like this is a good idea
+ Bachelorette Linda is Lisa Rinna's twin sister
+ Susan and Erin look just like Hef's girlfriends from "The Girl's Next Door"
+ Nothing impresses a man more than singing patriotic songs. Next up, showtunes!
+ I saw more cleavage tonight than I could at any of the two local Hooters

The show also led to a number of questions:

+ Does Vegas take bets on the results of these things? If so, I'm putting $20 on Bevin
+ Does anybody in the world have an easier job than Chris Harrison? Who else gets paid that well for pointing out the obvious? Besides a politician.
+ What's the over/under on the number of times we have to hear Chris say "...and The Bachelor faces the most difficult decision of his life"? 20? 30? And how difficult can it possibly be picking between gorgeous women?
+ What's the over/under on the number of times my wife will say "This is so hard to watch! Why are you doing this to me?" I say 50.

And finally

+ Who will replace Lindsay as the person most in need of anger management counseling?
Of course the only way we can find out is if we tune in next week. I'll be there.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Bunch of schedule re-arranging going on today.

NBC cans "The Black Donnellys" in favor of a reality show, "Real Wedding Crashers," which is probably self-explanatory.

Fox cans "The Wedding Bells."

ABC cans "Six Degrees."

The CW cans "7th Heaven." Again. Having written about that show's demise about a dozen times now, I'll believe it when next season starts sans Camdens.

More Nielsens

Just a couple more thoughts on the local Nielsens:

Dave Rose was pretty excited about KRDO's performance -- they were No. 2 in mornings, No. 1 in demos, No. 2 in demos at 10 and doubled their audience at 6 p.m., although their 5 p.m. is still struggling.

KOAA had its best numbers in several years. Of course, they had their best numbers in years last time, too. They're on a roll.

Joe Cole at KXRM said their numbers improved for the second half-hour of their 9 p.m. news. Traditionally, people catch the top of the news and then flip away, so getting those viewers to stick around is always going to be a big goal for Fox 21.

Couple other KRDO notes: Rose said they had a plan in place for exactly the scenario that happened with the Holly tornado. I asked Rose whether they'll be able to cut in to primetime every time there's a tornado on the plains and he said that, if homes and lives are threatened by a storm, their plan is to cover it for as long as the threat lasts.

Also, KRDO's digital weather subchannel may not launch until June -- it was originally scheduled for May. Having a weather channel, of course, would probably help with coverage of things like the tornado. KKTV is due to upgrade their weather channel sometime this spring -- so far, it's been a steady display of the 5-day forecast on 11.3, for all you HDTVers out there.

Alanis' humps

I think everyone on the Internets has linked to this today and, gosh-darned it, I couldn't stand to be left out:
Alanis Morissette, "My Humps."

While we're at it, Gazette outdoors writer Dave Philipps recommends this take on "Fergielicious" : Condilicious

Awards time!

Can someone please hand Rick Schroeder an Emmy for being able to say "You found your answers, I'm still looking for mine" with a straight face on tonight's "24"?

This season of "24" is to jumping the shark what shooting a rubber band is to the moon launch.

Coming up this week

I should have local Nielsens tomorrow for Wednesday. It was another big book for KOAA -- those guys are on a roll that just won't stop. Apparently a better book for KRDO, too, at KKTV's expense.

TV Talk this week is with the two, that's right TWO, local contestants on the new season of Spike TV's "The Ultimate Fighter." Colorado Springs -- home to the figure skating hall of fame and a buttload of badasses. Who knew?

On Sunday, we'll have a "Sopranos" catch-up. As I mentioned, the first two episodes are kinda sloooooow, but they do set things in motion. Eventually.

Ted Turner is in town on Wednesday, getting an environmental award from CC. Not sure what we'll be doing with that, but probably something.

That's what I've got so far...