Making Reality, TV Guide Style
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Reality, Cable, Features,
It was absolutely by accident that I began watching episodes of Making News: Savannah Style on TV Guide, but I was instantly drawn in by the dynamic personalities and behind-the-scenes action. I actually don’t watch any news program…but I’m not above watching a reality show about one.
Savannah’s WJCL news team has the lowest ratings in their market. The station has been plagued by staffing troubles (the general manager of the station was arrested for embezzlement, among other troubles) and the owners are trying to sell, leaving little money for upgrades and equipment. To that end, the cameras and sound work only some of the time, leaving the news team scrambling to meet deadlines and create TV-worthy coverage.
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TV Guide
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Idols Hit the Road
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Music, Prime Time, Reality, FOX, American Idol, Gossip,
American Idol gives its contestants a grueling schedule during the weeks of shooting live performances, Ford video commercials and sessions with mentors. The show may be over - the hard work is not.
Even while the Idols sing a path across the U.S. (they’ll visit 49 cities in 72 days), some of the finalists will be pulling double duty and making records at the same time. Davids Cook and Archuleta, the season’s final two men standing, will both be working on tracks even as they woo audiences.
Thanks to a new deal with 19 Recordings and Arista Nashville, Kristy Lee Cook (who managed to astound judges and audiences with her unimagined longevity in the contest) will also be working on her debut album. The first single “15 Minutes of Shame,” is scheduled for an August 11 release. Cook was formerly signed to this same label years before, but never had the chance to record a single song.
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E! Online
Can Disney Rock the Ratings Again?
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Kids, Music, Prime Time, Cable, Gossip,
Lightning doesn’t strike twice…unless you build the right kind of rod. No one anticipated the runaway success of Disney’s High School Musical, and now the powers-that-be are determined not to be caught unawares a second time. Fanfare and fan participation became the bookends of the High School Musical 2 marketing campaign…and even this pales in comparison to the star treatment the network is giving the soon-to-be-released Camp Rock.
The promos have been going strong for weeks, the Web site is filled with glitter and pizazz, and the debut is scheduled for June 20. Are you itching to set your DVR?
With the Jonas Brothers co-starring and a crop of fresh-faced youngsters, Disney is treating Rock like it’s the heir apparent to the Musical throne (the stars of which are moving quickly past the high school stage of their lives). But…is it?
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CNN
Mad Men Returns in July to AMC
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Drama, Prime Time, Cable, Renewals,
If you’re looking for a little more substance this summer, look no further than AMC. The network that just recently renewed the superb Breaking Bad will be bringing back another gem: Mad Men.
The drama revolves around a Madison Avenue advertising firm during the 1960s. Although many of the storylines feel quite familiar (office politics, cheating husbands, unfulfilled wives, catty workers), the show’s period element is what distinguishes it from the rest. It’s hard to imagine a time when smoking and drinking were so prevalent in the workplace, when doctors could deny women birth control and when therapy was almost a joke.
Come July 20, AMC will allow viewers a chance to catch up on the Golden Globe-winning series by airing a convenient marathon. A week later, Mad Men returns with thirteen all-new episodes.
Variety
HBO Fills Fall Schedule
As if I didn’t have enough TV to watch during the fall season…
Earlier today, I was informed that two of my reasons to love the summer have sadly been taken away from me. Thanks to the writers’ strike, several HBO programs normally enjoyed during the off-months will now have to fight for space on my Tivo much later this year.
Shows affected by the production delay include Big Love, Entourage, Flight of the Conchords and new drama True Blood.
I’m not sure what to do with myself. I guess I might actually have to take a vacation now.
TV Guide
Pam Anderson to Star in Artistic Documentary Series?
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Reality, Cable, Gossip,
E! - the channel who gave us more seasons of the The Simple Life and brought The Girls Next Door to the small screen - will soon unveil the summer series Pamela, starring Pam Anderson. This is not a reality series. It is being called a “docu-style series” and will be produced by documentary makers.
The show will be “artistically rich and visually stunning,” according to the executive producer. Well, sure. Why, should I expect something else from E!, the channel which is home to Keeping up with the Kardashians?
Pamela will not feature Anderson’s two children, but promises to give viewers a look into her life. This is where the message and meat might collide a little - last Saturday, Anderson, 40, danced for Hugh Hefner wearing high heels. Only high heels.
E! Online
Oh Brother, More Big Brother Coming
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Prime Time, Reality, CBS, Renewals,
Despite lackluster ratings this winter, CBS has opted to run another edition of Big Brother this upcoming summer. Although a start date has not yet been announced, it’s quite possible we’ll be seeing back-to-back installments of the reality show.
The voyeuristic program has been a staple on the Eye network’s summer schedule since 2000. Thanks to the writers’ strike, a special season was ordered and began airing on February 12th. Although the show has seen moderate success during the less crowded television calendar, it has experienced a large ratings hit during the colder months. A lot of that blame goes to American Idol.
Big Brother‘s first eight seasons have primarily aired between July and September.
Hollywood Reporter
Lohans on the Small Screen
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Reality, Cable, Gossip,
Capitalizing on the popularity of Lindsay Lohan, mom Dina and sis Ali will soon be starring in a reality show of their very own. The show, titled Living Lohan, will be part of the E! lineup this summer. The premise of the show is that fourteen-year-old Ali will try to become a superstar, just like her sister before her, with Dina acting as manager. Cody and Michael, the Lohan sons (aged eleven and twenty), will also appear, though they’ll not be as heavily featured as Dina and Ali.
E! Online
AMC’s ‘Mad Men’ Renewed
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Drama, Prime Time, Cable, Desperate Housewives, Cable/Satellite, Renewals,
Have you see AMC Mad Men? Interesting, smart… different. Yep, I didn’t think it would make it past season one either. But, I stand corrected. AMC has picked up the series for a second season—13 more episodes. If you haven’t seen it, it takes place in the advertising world of 1960. That alone is interesting enough (to me, anyway), but the characters are intriguing and acting is top-notch too. And why not? Created by Sopranos writer and producer Matthew Weiner, you couldn’t possibly expect a sub-par series. The ratings, however, have been less than stellar, with 1.1 million viewers tuning in initially. Of course, it is AMC we’re talking about, so I don’t think they can count on ratings gold, plus this is the network’s first original series, so cut them some slack. Catch dashing Jon Hamm as Don Draper, the ad agency’s creative director and man of mystery (and adultery); Vincent Kartheiser, Elisabeth Moss, January Jones, Christina Hendricks and John Slattery (I’m guessing that means we’ll be seeing less of him on Desperate Housewives this season?) also star. The next season of Mad Men will air in summer 2008.
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‘America’s Got Talent’ and ‘Last Comic Standing’ Renewed
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Comedy, Music, Prime Time, Reality, NBC, Renewals,
I finally caught America’s Got Talent for the first time, and only because an area a cappella group, The Fault Line, managed to land in the semi-finals. Yep, I thought I should watch and give my support—after all, I did see them perform in the food court of the local mall. Imagine if they won… I’d be, like, famous by association or proximity… or… oh, wait. They didn’t make it to the finals, so now my hopes of semi-fame are up in smoke. And do I continue to watch the show? Nope. The Hoff is creepy and Sharon Osbourne is nothing without her incoherent husband and annoying kids by her side. Fear not though, the talent competition has been renewed for next summer, thus making producer Simon Cowell just that much richer. Also joining the summer renewals is Last Comic Standing, which had me tuning in hit-or-miss the first few seasons and then lost me entirely this season. According to Craig Plestis, NBC’s executive vice president of alternative programming, “Both of these innovative series have proven to be summer staples and important franchises for NBC. We have the most-watched show in America’s Got Talent and one of the most upscale series in Last Comic Standing, and now viewers can look forward to seeing these popular brand series with fresh new shows again next summer.” America’s Got Talent airs live on August 21; Last Last Comic Standing will air the season finale live on September 19.
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