See You Next Year

It's hard to believe that 2005 is drawing to a close. Seriously - where has the year gone? For me, it's been a wild roller-coaster type of year: a fast-mover, soaring to several lofty highs and dipping down to a few unwelcome lows, all the while interspersed with unexpected twists and turns.

Among the highs... the unbelievably exhilarating Green Day concert at Gillette Stadium (simply the Best. Concert. Ever.)... the Survivor party (leave it to Pam to come up with the most unusual, best-ever house party, although my turn as Jeff Probst certainly wasn't going to win any Emmys)... the Billy Gilman Vegas-lounge-like concert (winner of the "best absurd event of the year" award)... the arrival of Curtain Call, the must-see karaoke-on-public-access extravaganza, onto television screens across Rhode Island (and yes, I'm proud to have played a role in bringing this unique little show to the Ocean State)... the Public Access Awards (runner up to Billy Gilman in the "absurdity awards")... and, of course, my evening at the Newport International Film Festival, hanging out with Harry Shearer (who managed to sneak in a word - yes, the word - from Mr. Burns himself before we parted company for the evening).

And that's just to name a few. Really. There were a lot of good times this year.

As for the lows... well, there was that that REALLY BAD party last Summer (names and dates have been purposely omitted to protect the innocent - the guilty party knows who she is), and that Beantown screamfest known as the Hanson concert. As for the rest, well... the few true low moments that did exist were a little too personal for me to now subject to review in a public forum such as this, so forgive me if I leave the specifics to your imagination. Suffice it to say that a couple of the true lows were completely unforeseen events that a year ago at this time would have been unimaginable... and if all the world is truly a stage, then these few-yet-memorable happenings left the lights on the stage that is my life somewhat dimmed and certainly less vibrant.

All in all, it was quite a year.

Now, I'd be remiss if I didn't cite the high and low moments of 2005 in television.

The high? Easy. The success of Lost. Only the most wildly-addictive show to come around in a long time, Lost was a season-one surprise hit that really exploded into a bona fide sensation in its second season.

The low point? Another easy one. The cancellation by Fox of Arrested Development. I've belabored the point in prior blog entries, so I'll spare you the "it's an injustice" narrative in this go-round. Let's just hope that this 2005 low-point somehow, someway turns into a 2006 high point when another network (Showtime or ABC, maybe?) rescues and revives our beloved Arrested Development.

And now... enough words for this year; it's time to drink champagne (I recommend Mumm's Red Label, by the way). But don't drink it all - we need to save some, just in case we have to celebrate the return of Arrested. Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?

See you next year.

Quick Takes

Quick takes…

CBS has renamed its upcoming Jenna Elfman Show. The sitcom’s new title is Courting Alex. Alex debuts on January 23.


Commander in Chief fans, take note: if you miss an episode or if you forgot to TiVo/DVR it, then you’re now in luck: Chief will now be available for download from iTunes. Episodes will be priced at just $1.99 each; these new episodes will be available for download the day after they’re initially telecast on ABC.


It looks as if American Idol will be making a few appearances on Thursdays after all. Fox has just announced its full-season Idol scheduling plans, and they include several results shows in the Thursday at 8 slot.


Say it ain’t so: the proposed Al Sharpton sitcom, Al in the Family, looks to be a no-go after all. This news is proof-positive that every once in a while, wisdom does prevail at the networks.


Looking for something a little non-traditional to do on Christmas day? If so, then you may want to tune into GSN, beginning at noon on Christmas day. The self-proclaimed “network for games” will be featuring a marathon of Betty White’s most memorable game-show appearances (including appearances on Password, Match Game, Tattletales, and more). C’mon – it’s Betty White – you have to watch!

And finally...



Bad-TV-on-DVD announcements of the week: in 2006, bad-TV fans can look forward to the DVD releases of both Mama’s Family (which featured in its first season the aforementioned Betty White) and Alice.

That's a Wrap

On Thursday night, I had the honor of attending the final taping of ABC6's The Truman Taylor Show. As many of you know, The Truman Taylor Show is Southeastern New England's preeminent news and public-affairs discussion show. Please note, though, that Truman has not necessarily been a stereotypical news discussion show. Oh, sure, there was a steady stream of politicians, and headlines of the day were regularly front-and-center. But Truman was never afraid to mix it up a little; let's face it - every now and then, we, the viewers, need a break from the news-of-the-day and the politicians-of-the-week. And on occasion and in its own way, Truman would provide such a diversion. Sometimes these breaks would take the form of a discussion about and demonstration of the latest electronic gadgets and gizmos; other times, the show would feature offbeat personalities or unusual characters, such as extremely-colorful author Matthew Lesko (who is probably best known from his television commercials, in which he donned a "question mark"-laden suit to pitch books about getting free money from the government - ahhh, now you know who I'm talking about, don't you?).

Now, what some of you may not know is that Mr. Truman Taylor, the quintessential television professional, has been hosting this show for 40 years. That's right: 40 years. In fact, he's been with the station from its sign-on in January 1963. In a medium in which longevity is often measured in months, a 40-plus year-run at the same television station is, to say the least, an incredible accomplishment.

Another fact that some of you may not know is that I am a former producer (or, as I prefer to call myself, "producer emeritus") of The Truman Taylor Show. It was my honor and privilege to be associated with Truman and ABC6 (WLNE), and I truly enjoyed my days at the helm of this heritage series. The best things, however, that came out of my association with the show and the station were the enduring friendships that remain with me to this day: Truman, co-host Bob, Lori, Polly, Judy, etc. They're a great bunch of people, and I'm lucky that they're even willing to tolerate my company.

For most of its 40-year run, The Truman Taylor Show was telecast Sunday mornings at either 12:00 noon or 11:30am (for many years leading-out of ABC's This Week). Sadly, thanks to the short-sightedness of a bottom-line, community-obligation-be-damned station manager, Truman last year was moved from the coveted 11:30am slot to the much-less desirable 7:30am slot. And while that time is just a tad too early for yours-truly to be tuning in, thanks to the magic of TiVo, I (and other DVRers) have been able to continue to view the show without the horror of having to rise at some ungodly Sunday hour.

Anyway -- the final taping on Thursday went off without a hitch (well, that is if we don't include that one teleprompter error - had you forgotten everything that I taught you, Mrs. Needham?). It was great to be on the old set again and to see the old gang again, and the cake served immediately following the taping was delicious (good choice, Mrs. Needham - and it almost made up for that prompter error!).

And Truman - if you're reading this: thanks for the beer after the show. But don't forget - I STILL owe you for the "George in the parking lot" incident. Revenge is a dish best served cold, you know...

A Stay of Execution?

Don't turn off the television just yet, Arrested Development fans.

I'm hearing word from the camps of both ABC and Showtime that each of these two networks is in "informal" discussions with 20th Century Fox Television to rescue our beloved Arrested Development.

Rumor also has it that Showtime's pursuit of Arrested is especially hot and heavy, as the powers-that-be at the premium channel believe that Arrested would make a perfect companion to their recently-launched comedy Weeds.

As for ABC, now that they've got their dramatic house in order, they're looking to increase their weight in the world of comedy. A pick-up of Arrested would give the alphabet an immediate boost of comedy credibility with the nation's television critics, along with an influx of rabidly-loyal Arrested viewers.

Any talks at this point must remain "informal," as Fox has not yet "officially" cancelled Arrested. Unofficially, however, the show is dead on the Fox network. Hey, what do you expect from a network that would replace television's funniest series with a show featuring a Diff'rent Strokes' actor on a pair of ice skates?

All I Want for Christmas is a Big Clock Necklace

Reality TV is about to get good again. Please note, however, that your definition of “good” may vary from mine.

Anyway… the programming geniuses at VH1 are at it again, as we now have a THIRD series featuring the inimitable Public Enemy front-man Flavor Flav to which we can look forward.

First, they gave us Flav on The Surreal Life. Then, he showed up with Brigitte Nielsen on the appropriately titled Strange Love. And now, we’ve got Mr. F. heading up a new series entitled Flavor of Love.

In Flavor of Love, twenty women from all walks of life will be competing, Bachelor-style, to win the heart of Foufy-foufy. These twenty women will move into Flav’s “phat crib” and compete in several challenges, including a lie-detector test administered by none other than the aforementioned Brigitte Nielsen, Flav’s Surreal Life and Strange Love partner-in-crime. Along the way, the women will receive advice from Big Rick, Flav’s bodyguard and chauffeur.

But wait - it gets better.

According to the press release, future episodes will include dates at Red Lobster, “clock competitions,” and a new set of gold teeth to “signify love.”

You just can’t make this stuff up.

Flavor of Love premieres January 1 on VH1. Yeah, boyeee! Flavor FLAAAV!!

Stars... On Ice

A couple of Arrested Development updates... Fox has announced that Justine Bateman, sister of Arrested star Jason Bateman (and remembered by many from her days on Family Ties), will make a guest appearance on one of the last episodes of Arrested (on January 9). Justine will be appearing as Nellie, who may or may not be a long-lost Bluth sister.

Also... effective this Monday (December 12), Fox will permanently pull Kitchen Confidential from its Monday-at-8:30 slot. Last Monday's abysmal ratings were the final nails in this show's coffin. Until further notice, Fox will fill the time slot with repeats of... Arrested Development! Enjoy it while it lasts!

By the way - in case you hadn't heard: the show that's going to replace Arrested Development is... Skating with Celebrities. Yes, you read that correctly. It's Fox's (pathetic) answer to ABC's (pathetic) Dancing with the Stars.

So, for all of you who've been dying to see the likes of semi-stars such as Dave Coulier, Deborah Gibson, and Todd Bridges strap on a pair of skates and take to the ice, your day is about to come. God bless you, Fox.

A Reference to "Get Christie Love?" Now THAT Was Unexpected

This week, TV Land (in conjunction with TV Guide magazine) is presenting a week-long look at the "100 most unexpected moments in TV history." This series of specials is running all this week at 10:00pm.

Without a doubt, there are some truly great moments on the list. I could especially relate to the ones that I watched as they were originally happening: the appearance by Suzanne Pleshette on the Newhart finale (although it was not 100% unexpected by yours truly; I had predicted the final scene weeks before it had happened), the Zell Miller tirade against Chris Matthews on Hardball (a duel? Now THAT was good stuff!), the impromptu reunion of Sonny and Cher on Late Night with David Letterman, and even the "Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy" line delivered with such incredible effectiveness by Lloyd Bentsen against Dan Quayle.

But please - someone tell me: out of the entire history of the medium of television - THE ENTIRE HISTORY - couldn't they have found a full 100 unexpected moments? Instead, the producers populated the list with inanities such as...


The debut of The Flying Nun

Unexpected? Hardly. The premise of this show was well known for months prior to its debut. The truly "unexpected" aspect of this show was just how bad it was. So tell me, TV Land -- if this extraordinary premise was so unexpected, then why not include the show about the ordinary man who marries a witch? Or the astronaut that opens a bottle and finds a genie? Personally, I have far fonder memories of those two shows than of the Nun nonsense. Still, "none" belongs on this list.

The contestant who scored only 12 points on Family Feud

A bad game-show contestant? Gee, what a rare television moment. THIS is what passes for unexpected these days?? You know, if a bad score on Family Feud is so memorable, then maybe they should list each and every horribly-bad bid on The Price is Right (do you remember the woman who bid $95 on a $700 television?). Or how about the Who Wants to be a Millionaire contestant who missed his first question? Missing the first question on Millionaire is the video equivalent of not knowing who's buried in Grant's Tomb.

The two new Dukes on The Dukes of Hazzard

New Dukes? Come on - what was truly unexpected was the fact that this show kept returning week after week after week!


The use of the "N" word on Get Christie Love

It's hard to get too worked up over the gratuitious use of the "N" word on a bad 1974 series that NOBODY saw.


The disappearance of "Seven" from Married with Children

Seven? Does anybody even remember the character of Seven?? I'm guessing not. And if the disappearance of Seven is so newsworthy, then don't you think that we should be sending out a search party for poor little Judy Winslow from Family Matters? Or what about older brother Chuck Cunningham from Happy Days? And what about Theo's best friend Cockroach from The Cosby Show? All of them... AWOL. But unexpected? Hardly. In fact, most viewers didn't even realize that the characters had disappeared! And you were one of those viewers, weren't you? Come on - admit it.



If it had been up to me, I'd have included several other genuinely unexpected, unforgettable moments on this list, such as the series finale of Six Feet Under and the season-one finale of Lost.

So come on TV Land and TV Guide - if I can come up with a couple of genuinely unexpected, unforgettable moments in only about 3 minutes, would it have been so difficult for you to come up with a few more?

Of course, now that I think about it, those Flying Nun wimples were pretty impressive. Not unexpected, mind you, but impressive...

TV Boy Knows All

A few weeks ago, I offered to NBC (via this blog) some completely unsolicited advice regarding their severely-sagging Thursday night lineup. As I saw it, the key to any potential peacock resurgence on Thursdays would be to get its most-promising new comedy, My Name is Earl, into the all-important 9:00 anchor slot (and thereby shuttling The Apprentice off to another night). Also of vital importance (in my humble opinion) would be to shore up the 8:00 time slot by dumping the ready-for-cancellation Joey and sliding current 8:30 occupant Will & Grace into that lead-off slot. With Will & Grace at 8, NBC would be able to hammock a strong new comedy at 8:30; my suggestion was to use Max Mutchnick’s new Four Kings in this slot. Lastly, I proposed dropping midseason’s Scrubs into the 9:30 slot, leading out of Earl.

The reaction among those in my social circle was mixed at best, with most telling me that such a radical move was highly unlikely. Several thought that if any shift were to occur, then the more likely scenario would be a move of Earl from Tuesdays to the Thursday at 8 slot; in fact, this sentiment was shared by numerous industry pundits nationwide. But even this much-lower-risk "move it to 8" scenario was regarded by many as not likely to happen; the consensus was that NBC wouldn’t risk damaging its one true new hit show of this season (Earl) by moving it at this early stage of its electronic life.

Today, NBC announced a sweeping revision of its Thursday night lineup…

8:00 Will & Grace
8:30 Four Kings
9:00 My Name is Earl
9:30 The Office
10:00 ER

This new lineup is effective on January 5.

Sounds pretty familiar, doesn’t it? Admittedly, I did suggest to NBC to slot Scrubs at 9:30 (instead of The Office), but recent demographic profiling has shown that The Office draws one of the most affluent and upscale (read: highly-desired-by-advertisers) audiences in all of prime time… so I can understand and even defend that move. As for Scrubs…NBC will double-run it on Tuesdays at 9:00 and 9:30. Therefore, unless some kind of divine miracle falls upon the shoulders of this show, this will undoubtedly be the final season for Scrubs.

As I mentioned in my earlier entry, these changes will not suddenly return NBC to the dominant role that it held on this night for the past 20 years. But these changes WILL provide all-important building blocks on which the network can, over time, return to its Thursday glory-days of old.

You're welcome, NBC. My consulting bill is in the mail.