The Future Of Re-Runs:

May 11, 2008
Before the TV-DVD, Tivo, and the Internet gained prominence in the TV industry, the only way to see a show you missed when it first aired was by a re-run. If you missed a show it could weeks or even months before you actually could see the episode. It’s also been custom for a show to enter syndication after five seasons or a hundred episodes. Syndication allows many shows to continue even if they are declining in ratings because syndication deals allow the show to generate revenue long after production ends. With TV DVD’s gaining popularity, more revenue comes in for shows that didn’t get syndication deals but it also hurts the shows of the future that won’t get big syndication deals because the ratings are down for those syndicated shows. If it wasn’t for Tivo I guarantee you I wouldn’t be writing for this website but Tivo is starting to affect primetime re-run ratings so much that they are not even profitable. Big gaps between episodes are becoming normal because bringing in a new show is becoming more profitable the rearing and old episode of an established hit.

I started to notice this trend while reading Variety over the summer a couple years ago. If you looked at the ratings over than summer you could see that Desperate Housewives, a show that pulled in 25-30 million viewers a night was only pulling in 4-6 million over the summer. While low summer ratings is nothing new I also noticed that Law & Order: SVU, which at the time was bringing in 13-14 million a night had 8-9 million watching it over the summer. Law & Order became a billion dollar franchise because of the success in brings in with the multiple syndication deals it gets. The flipside is that Desperate Housewives sells more DVD’s than Law & Order but the cable networks aren’t going to pay the big bucks for shows like hat if they can’t get people to watch them again. Despite Tivo’s ever growing presence in the TV industry, syndicated re-runs still make up a big portion of what airs on TV. If that market begins to fail then veteran shows on the bubble might not get renewed if they won’t be profitable for years to come. Crossing Jordan is a good example of this. Crossing Jordan had been suffering declining ratings from season four onward but NBC kept it around until season six presumably to get a decent amount of shows for syndication which A&E purchased the rights to for a hefty sum. Syndication deals for shows like 24 and CSI: Miami have not had great successes even though A&E paid a lot of money for both.

As cable networks produce more and more of their own original programming, big syndication deals are going to be rarer and rarer. How this will affect the budgets and longevity of aging shows has yet to be truly seen but this is going to depend on how profitable alternate means or watching re-runs are. The Internet and iTunes are going to need to play a bigger part in brining in revenue for shows if we are going to see shows like 24 or Lost with massive budgets, see ten or more seasons. If that doesn’t happen then networks will start ending shows at seven or eight seasons instead of letting them go well past their prime.

The CW Not:

April 27, 2008
When I first wrote for TV Hell, I published an article bashing the CW for being a horrendous idea back in January of 2006. That article can be viewed by clicking the archive link at the bottom of the news page. The CW is a combination of the two “netlets” UPN and The WB, who folded in September 2006 with the new network consisting mainly of programming brought over from the networks. Now it hasn’t even been two years since the network has started but so far The CW has been nothing but a colossal failure. Everybody knows how Fox took a long time to take off but The CW is not a new network, The CW was supposed to be a super network. Instead it’s getting worse ratings than either UPN or the WB were getting.

The first big problem in combining UPN and The WB is the fact that the two had different target demographics. While high ratings in the adults 18-49 category is the target basically every network would hope to achieve, UPN, The CW and every channel other than the Big Four have much more specific targets they hope to obtain. In UPN’s case, that target was teenagers and African Americans. Early on the network tried to go for males by airing mainly science fiction but changed that demo when that strategy was not working. The WB mainly went for adults 18-34 but was having problems because the average age of their viewers was steadily increasing. UPN on the other hand was having success with its black comedies and finally achieving critical success with Veronica Mars and Everybody Hates Chris. The success of shows like Girlfriends along with strong performances from America’s Next Top Model helped turn the tide in the war between UPN and The WB over the final years before the networks combined. Nowadays The CW goes for adults 18-34, and has cancelled every black comedy except for Everybody Hates Chris along with Reba, The WB’s only successful comedy. When you cancel every show that once brought you good ratings, you no longer get the ratings that they used to bring unless you bring in a show that will bring you higher ratings. The CW has had a tough time establishing new shows, which leads me to my next point.

The next problem is that The CW’s line-up was built using shows that had been around too long. 7th Heaven, Smallville, Gilmore Girls, Girlfriends, America’s Next Top Model, and Smackdown were all shows that had been around for at least five seasons. It’s incredibly hard to get hype for shows that people have already heard about and have made up their minds about already. Veteran programming usually does not result in ratings increases meaning that the CW was basically settling for below par ratings. Supernatural, Everybody Hates Chris, All of Us and Veronica Mars were the only shows coming over that had been around for fewer than three seasons. The lukewarm responses to Runaway and Hidden Palms certainly didn’t help matters.

My third and final point is that The CW didn’t bring enough UPN shows over. UPN had been constantly beating the WB in ratings yet nine WB shows made it to the CW as opposed to the six UPN shows. It should also be noted that three of those were half hour comedies. Why someone would think to merge two networks and use majority programming from the lesser-watched network escapes me. UPN was still having problems in the drama category but every year UPN was gaining more popularity. Virtually all of The WB’s shows were on their decline. Since the merger four of the six UPN shows are now cancelled and only one WB show was cancelled with 7th Heaven and Gilmore Girls ending though some could argue 7th Heaven was cancelled. If the demo of the UPN shows wasn’t good enough why merge in the first place? While from the start I disagreed with the inclusion of Smackdown in the line-up, its ratings can’t be argued with.

Now all is not completely lost with The CW. Gossip Girls has been called a “hit” but I don’t know anyone who calls a show likely to average two million for the season a hit. The one promising show will the Beverly Hills 90210 remake seems like a smart move as The CW is going back to basics with a remake of the show that put Fox on the map. The CW isn’t likely to close up shop but hopefully this goes to show you what happens when two networks with two demos try to merge.

Reality Shows: The End of the Fad?:

April 21, 2008
If it hadn’t been for the Writer’s Strike I would’ve predicted that reality play an even smaller part in TV this season than it did last season. Aside from American Idol, virtually every single reality show has seen a dip in ratings and even networks like Fox have begun to wise up and fill their line-ups with scripted programming which offer a better chance at getting stable ratings in the long run. While my predictions as to when American Idol will end have been so terrible wrong since 2006, the big four networks have reduced the amount of reality on their line-ups for next year. As for this year, the Writer’s Strike wrecked the season and every network rushed to old tired series such as The Bachelor, Supernanny, and The Apprentice to fill the massive gaps in their schedules. The future for reality as a whole does not look to be as kind as it was to them this season.

While the origin of reality TV dates back to the early 40’s with pioneer shows like Candid Camera, it’s recent popularity dates back to the dawn of the new millennium with shows like Survivor, Fear Factor, and American Idol. The popularity of these shows helps bring in a new wave of TV shows with low budgets and high profits. However like every sudden wave of new shows from one genre, the overwhelming success of reality was short lived, aside from American Idol, which remains as strong as ever in its seventh season. The real exodus began a couple years ago when CBS shot to first place with an arsenal of crime dramas such as CSI, Without a Trace, and NCIS. Survivor was the only reality show really contributing to its success. ABC followed suit fairly recently with Desperate Housewives and Grey’s Anatomy popularizing the “dramedy”. As one door closes another one opens as NBC brought the game show genre back to life with Deal or No Deal in late 2005. With the end of the strike, game shows should appear sporadically in the summer and substituting for shows that are in re-run mode.

One of the interesting things about TV is that it constantly changes every year. Reality television may not be as big as it was a few years ago but there’s no way to tell if it could resurface in a few years. There’s still something to be said for the fact that MTV and VH1 succeed with almost entirely reality line-ups though the former has suffered a ratings dip as of last year. Reality TV provides cheap programming for networks and can be entertaining to watch. Like all genres have needed to in the past, Reality TV needs some time to recharge.

NBC Rolls Out New TV Schedule:

April 04, 2008
NBC has laid out its plan for the next TV season. Among the shows coming back are "Friday Night Lights," "Heroes," "ER," "Life," "American Gladiators" and "Lipstick Jungle." Not returning is medical comedy "Scrubs," after seven seasons with the network. NBC's new additions include an updated "Knight Rider" series and a spinoff of "The Office." There will also be "My Own Worst Enemy," starring Christian Slater as a suburban father who is also a high-level spy, as well as "Kath & Kim," an adaptation of a hit Australian show by the same name. The NBC version will feature Molly Shannon and Selma Blair. The network is planning on its schedule featuring new programing year round, with few reruns.

HBO: A Network Lost in its Own Glory:

April 03, 2008
If any of you read my article last week you would probably notice I was a little hard on HBO. The truth is that in 2004 HBO had eight shows on my regular line-up that I watched and since then that number has been reduced to three, all comedies. That number of shows HBO currently airs is six and the last time a new drama was renewed for another season was Big Love in 2006. These numbers don’t seem all that bad except for the fact that from 1997-2006 HBO premiered a new successful drama ever year. The other big premium cable network Showtime has been doing what HBO did for the past ten years and has been producing hit series by the masses. While all is not lost, A TV world where HBO isn’t a major contender in the Emmys is certainly a frightening one.

HBO had minor TV endeavors in the late 80s and early 90s but the real HBO we know today began with Oz, its first hour-long drama. Oz wasn’t a big ratings hit but it made headlines for it’s graphic violence and sex scenes which have become trademarks in HBO’s programming. It’s two biggest hits Sex and the City, and The Sopranos premièred in 1998 and 1999 and Curb Your Enthusiasm, Six Feet Under, The Wire, Da Ali G Show, Carnivale, Deadwood, Entourage, Rome, and Extras followed from 2000-2005. All of them with the exceptions of Curb Your Enthusiasm and Entourage have ended. You may wonder why this matters. It matters because these shows are the ones responsible for HBO’s success. Since 2005 HBO has cancelled The Comeback, Lucky Louie and John from Cincinnati in their first seasons, a first for the network to do. The remaining dramas In Treatment and Big Love are neither ratings nor critical successes. Flight of the Concords was a cult hit but this is not the line-up one would expect from the network that brought us The Sopranos once upon a time. Further more HBO ended The Wire this season. The Wire was never a ratings success but it will go down in history as a serious contender for the best drama ever title. It brought the stability and credibility to the line-up that none of the other shows have.

By reading last weeks article you could learn about Showtime’s recent success compared to the shortcomings of HBO these days. HBO needs to go back to basics to find their next hit drama. The mini-series John Adams is actually one of HBO’s finest series; unfortunately it’s only a mini-series. HBO should also only spend what it can afford to. Two of its finest series Rome and Deadwood were cancelled by budgetary reasons and while they were great dramas, I’m sure most people were angry with HBO for cancelling them after only a few seasons. HBO needs another Sopranos like show to be the flagship of the network.

This sort of down time in terms of good programming for a network has happened to just about every major network. HBO being the first really successful cable network to air original scripted programming was bound to have this happen sooner or later. For now I wouldn’t be too worried about the future of HBO’ programming but not having great drama from them has been kind of a drag.

Showtime: The Future of Premium Cable:

March 31, 2008
During my first run as writer for TV Hell I wrote about how Showtime was going to beat HBO is terms of quality in a few years if things didn’t shape up for the once mighty HBO. Well I wrote that article before "Dexter" or "The Tudors" had ever premiered so it’s safe to say that my prediction has more or less come true. HBO known for bringing cable television to life with riveting shows such as "The Sopranos", "Sex and the City", "Six Feet Under", and "Oz" in the late 90’s has been on somewhat of a downward spiral with each year saying goodbye to one of their great programs, and not seeing anything that could be perceived as “compelling” arrive in recent years. With the end of "The Wire" last month I find myself with only one show on HBO that I find any good anymore, "Entourage". With that being said every passing year brings a new show on Showtime that I can’t get enough off. While HBO may still have the ratings edge, Showtime is clearly on the rise.

Most of you probably don’t know that Showtime began airing scripted dramas around the same time HBO did probably because the genre that Showtime typically aired was a polar opposite of HBO’s programming. Any fan of the sci-fi show Stargate SG-1 would know that the program began in 1997 not on the Sci-Fi channel but on Showtime, which aired mainly science fiction programs until the early 2000s. Showtime then struck gold with the Canadian produced "Queer as Folk" and then struck gold again in 2004 with another gay orientated show, "The L Word". Showtime also found success with the black comedy "Soul Food". Showtime’s newfound glory began in 2005 with "Weeds" and the now cancelled "Sleeper Cell". "Brotherhood" and "Dexter" followed in 2006 and "The Tudors" and "Californication" joined the roster last year. While Showtime is still behind HBO in ratings and Emmy awards, it has built up an arsenal of programs that could do battle with HBO’s depleted line-up.

I said this is 2006 and I’ll say it again, Showtime has been on the rise and each year brings great new shows to its roster. Showtime currently has more shows on its roster than ever before, showing us that the future is bright for Showtime. HBO redefined what cable television meant, but sometimes the passing of the torch is inevitable.

The Aftermath of the Writer’s Strike:

March 27, 2008
As most of you have hopefully heard by now, the Writer’s Guild of America has ended its strike, which has more or less killed the 2007-2008-television season. However all is not lost, as the networks have gone in overdrive to salvage what is left of the season. Most shows will only be back for five or six episodes and most of the serialized shows like Heroes and 24 have been put on hold until next season. The strike also happened just as November sweeps were about to happen, so those shows that would typically have either been cancelled or received full season orders are getting the calls around this time. Most dramas and comedies are preparing to return next week or the week after. The list is shortened to a little less than thirty and mostly consists of the high rated programs such as Desperate Housewives and CSI. You may ask yourself what this means for the shows that aren’t coming back in two weeks or your favorite cable shows that would normally premier around this time. Reality shows should go on uninterrupted.

Since May is usually the time shows get a seal of approval or land themselves a spot in TV Hell, programs such as Moonlight or Reaper which got the nod to go back into production but were not guaranteed a spot on the Fall lineup have very little time to impress the CEO’s that will decide their fate. The writer’s strike hurt a lot of developing pilots so don’t be surprised to see fewer new shows next year than you would expect. The Writer’s Strike probably was most beneficial to ER and Law & Order that didn’t have much chance to air and might have ended this year. Aside from The Riches, I wouldn’t anticipate Cable shows to have shortened seasons but delays will most likely push Rescue Me and The Closer beyond their usual June premieres. Premium Cable shows such as Weeds and Entourage might be pushed back a month or two but that appears to be the only setback involved with premium cable as far as I know. Cable shows rarely air more than 13 episodes a season so filming is far less hectic than it would be on the Heroes or Lost set.

Overall the aftermath of the writer’s strike doesn’t seem like it will have any long-term setbacks aside from the fact that we all lost what could’ve been a great television season. What will be interesting is to see if the TV DVD’s for this season will be cheaper. Highly unlikely but hey a man can hope. If you have any specific questions about your favorite show feel free to contact me at ian@tvhell.net.

For those of you who don’t remember me my name is Ian Malone I wrote for TV Hell from 2005-early 2006. I took some time off because I got bored with writing about TV but after nearly two years I realized how much I missed writing and got Rich to let me come back on board. You’ll see my old section Headlines return within the week. I look forward to being able to give you the news once again.

Homeless "Scrubs" Cast, Crew Back To Work:

March 25, 2008
The cast and crew of "Scrubs" is heading back to work, although it's not known when and where the show will air. According to "The Hollywood Reporter," the final touches need to be put on an episode which was not completed due to the writers' strike. "Scrubs" may also shoot an additional couple episodes. NBC has not requested any new shows from the hospital comedy above the five that were finished prior to the strike and have yet to air. There is speculation that the new episodes may air on ABC, which has shown interest in picking up "Scrubs." Another possibility is that the additional episodes will end up as bonus footage on the "Scrubs" seventh season DVD collection.

NBC Beginning Summer Schedule In May:

March 06, 2008
NBC is planning on an early summer. The network has announced that it will unveil much of its planned warm weather programming in May, instead of the typical June. Among the shows rolling out a month early will be fresh seasons of "American Gladiators" and "Last Comic Standing," as well as the new horror anthology "Fear Itself." Reality competitions "America's Got Talent" and "Nashville Star" will premiere in June, as well as new shows "Celebrity Circus" and "The Baby Borrowers." There is speculation that NBC might delivering the new shows early as a way to clear its schedule for the Summer Olympics in Beijing. The games kick off August 8th and run for two weeks.

NBC Kills "Quarterlife" After Just One Episode:

February 28, 2008
It's one and done for Internet-to-television series "Quarterlife." NBC has pulled the drama from its lineup following the airing of a single episode. "Quarterlife's" premiere on the network Tuesday night drew just three-point-one-million-viewers, the worst in-season performance by a show in the 10 p.m. time slot for NBC in at least 17 years. The series, which was originally produced for MySpaceTV.com, had been scheduled to air on Sundays at 9 p.m. Eastern for the next few weeks. That hour will now be filled by "Deal or No Deal" and a "Law & Order" repeat. According to "The Hollywood Reporter," "Quarterlife" co-creator Marshall Herskovitz told a Harvard Business School conference Wednesday that it "never should have been a network show" because it is "too specific."

Montel Williams Hanging It Up After 17 Years:

February 01, 2008
Longtime talk show host Montel Williams is hanging it up. According to "People," the 51-year-old will stop production on his self-titled program following this season. The decision comes after 17 years on the air. Williams says in a statement that he, quote, "can't say thank you enough to those who've welcomed me into their homes for the past 17 years. It has been both an honor and a joy." During his run, Williams says he talked to "over 30-thousand guests" and had "over a half-million studio audience members." CBS Television Distribution does plan to air a best-of "Montel Williams" season beginning this fall. Williams, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, recently released the book "Living Well: 21 Days to Transform Your Life, Supercharge Your Health and Feel Spectacular."

WGA Reaches "Interim Agreement" For Grammy Awards:

January 29, 2008
The Grammys are a go. The striking Writers Guild of America has made a deal with the Recording Academy to allow its members to work on the 50th annual Grammy Awards show. Recording Academy President Neil Portnow says he's glad the two parties have been able to come to an agreement, noting, quote, "having our talented writers on the team further ensures the highest level of creativity and innovation" for the upcoming ceremony. While the Recording Academy had said it wasn't going to cancel the Grammys, the event could have been severely lacking in star power if artists chose to boycott the ceremony to show their solidarity with the striking writers. With the waiver, musicians can now participate in the Grammys while continuing to support the WGA walkout. The 50th annual Grammy Awards will be presented in a ceremony in Los Angeles, and air on CBS on February 10th.

Showtime's "Brotherhood" Renewed For 3rd Season:

January 23, 2008
Showtime is keeping its drama "Brotherhood" in the family. TVGuide.com reports that the cable channel has renewed the show for a third season, to include eight episodes. "Brotherhood's" cause was helped by its November 18th episode, which drew more than 650-thousand viewers, a series high. The drama follows the relationship between an Irish mobster and his state representative brother, and stars Jason Clarke, Jason Isaacs, Annabeth Gish and Ethan Embry. "Brotherhood" is loosely based on Boston's infamous real-life brothers, former state senator and university president, William Bulger, and one of the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted" fugitives, James "Whitey" Bulger. No word yet on when the show's third season will premiere.

"American Idol" Off To A Slow Start:

January 16, 2008
The seventh-season premiere of Fox’s “American Idol” may have been its lowest-rated in four years, but Fox executives say they are pleased with its performance.

“Idol” fell from last year’s series-high premiere perch, yet once again was a ratings titan that easily blew away the competition Tuesday night, as well as all other network premieres from earlier this season.

“Idol” received a 13.8 rating among adults 18 to 49, according to national Nielsen data. That’s down 13% from last year’s 15.8 and down 10% from 2006’s 15.3. Among total viewers, “Idol” was seen by an average of 33.2 million, down 11% from last year.

Both the demo and the total-viewer figures are the lowest Tuesday-night "Idol" premiere standings since 2004.

Fox has devoted just as many resources to promoting “Idol” this season as in recent years, said Joe Earley, senior VP of marketing and communications at Fox. In fact, “Idol” received more on-air promotion than usual, since “24” was postponed due to the writers strike.

"Dexter" comes to CBS:

January 8, 2008
CBS will rerun the entire first season of the crime drama "Dexter" from Showtime, its sister cable channel, starting next month. The Tiffany Network says that it needs to fill programming holes in it's schedule left by the contuinuing writers strike.

"Dexter," which stars Michael C. Hall (formerly of HBO's "Six Feet Under") as a Miami police forensics investigator who is also a serial killer, will make its CBS debut on February 17 and air for 12 consecutive Sunday broadcasts.

CBS isn't the only major broadcast network to air 'alternate' programming. NBC also said last month that it will recycle episodes of "Monk" and "Psych" from its sibling cable outlet, the USA Network, beginning in March.

The move of "Dexter" to CBS marks the first time that a full season of a pay-cable (Showtime) series has made the transition to commercial television. Pay-cable shows are often considered "niche" programming and not intended for mass-appeal.

The now nine-week-old screenwriters strike against major studios has brought production on all prime-time scripted series to a stand still that has left the broadcast networks with a shortage of original dramas and comedies to put on the air this year. Look for more unusual programming to make it to the broadcast networks if the strike continues through the spring season.

Starting this month, the networks have turned to a bigger-than-usual supply of reality shows and reruns to pick up much of the programming slack. NBC drew strong ratings with Sunday's two-hour debut of its rehashed reality contest show "American Gladiators, for example."

But broadcasters are trying hard to keep some fresh scripted offerings on the air. In addition to "Dexter," CBS is considering borrowing the series "Weeds," about a pot-dealing mom, from Showtime as well.

Late Night Talk Shows Return

January 2, 2008
Fresh programming is back on late-night TV. A bearded David Letterman made his return to the airwaves last night, launching his show by entering through a chorus line of dancers holding signs that read, quote, "Writers Guild of America on Strike." It was one of several references to the dispute which had forced the networks to air reruns of the nighttime talk shows for the past two months. But CBS' "The Late Show with David Letterman" and "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" are back on the air with union talent, as Letterman's production company secured a deal with the Writers Guild so its members could work on both shows. NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" also returned last night, but without the assistance of union writers. On his show, Leno referenced the strike with a mix of jokes and serious remarks. He also expressed his support for the striking writers, and noted that he was still following union guidelines in writing for his show.

ABC Pulls "Big Shots" From Schedule

December 13, 2007
Freshman dramedy "Big Shots" may have been given its last shot. Zap2It.com reports that ABC has pulled the series from its schedule, even though it has three remaining original episodes that have yet to be aired. "Big Shots" follows four powerful men and the trials and tribulations involving the women they love. It stars Michael Vartan, Christopher Titus, Joshua Malina and Dylan McDermott. "Big Shots" has been averaging about eight-point-four million viewers, which is less than half of the audience of its lead-in, "Grey's Anatomy." ABC plans to fill "Big Shots" Thursday night time slot with reruns of the "Grey's" spin-off "Private Practice," at least for the remainder of this month.

"Jerry Springer Show" Voted "Worst TV Show Ever"

December 07, 2007
"The Jerry Springer Show" is being called the "Worst TV Show Ever." That's according to a recent online poll conducted by the "Chicago Tribune." The talk show, hosted by former politician and "Dancing with the Stars" alum Jerry Springer, received nearly 20-percent of the vote to put it in the number one spot. It's followed on the "Worst TV Shows Ever" list by ABC comedy "Cavemen," "Mama's Family," "Cop Rock," and "Small Wonder." Rounding out the top ten are "Joanie Loves Chachi," "Barney & Friends," "Ernest Angley Hour," "Homeboys in Outer Space" and "My Mother the Car." The results of the poll are based on more than 49-hundred responses.

All Time Cable TV Viewership Record Set By ESPN:

December 06, 2007
The Monday Night Football ESPN telecast of the Ravens-Patriots game was the most watched TV show ever in cable history, making it an all-time cable TV record.

According to ratings information provided by ESPN the network telecast from Baltimore averaged 12,529,000 homes (based on a 13.0 rating), breaking the record for household audience set last year when the network averaged 11,807,000 households for the New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys on October 23 (based on a 12.8 rating). The game was seen by an average of 17,522,000 viewers (P2+), breaking the record set by Disney Channel’s High School Musical 2, which averaged 17,241,000 million viewers on August 17 this year.

The game was a huge winner in Baltimore as well logging some impressive numbers the game delivered a 12.9 rating on ESPN and a 24.6 rating on WJZ-TV 13 (CBS affiliate), for a combined 37.5 rating. Baltimore may have lost the (very close) game, but they made ratings history.

CBS' "Jericho," "Big Brother" To Return February 12th:

December 05, 2007
CBS' once-cancelled drama "Jericho" is set to return to the network. CBS has announced that the series will begin its seven episode second season on Tuesday, February 12th. "Jericho" was given a second chance after fans of the show mailed tens of thousand of pounds of nuts to CBS executives earlier this year, in an effort to move them to bring the show back. The nut campaign was in reference to star Skeet Ulrich's line in the first season finale. In response to a neighboring town's request to surrender, Ulrich's character Jake Green replied, "Nuts." "Jericho" follows the population of a small Kansas town trying to survive in the wake of a series of terrorist attacks on the U.S. The show's lead-in on Tuesdays will be the first-ever winter edition of the reality competition "Big Brother." It also premieres February 12th.

Conan O'Brien To Pay Non-Writing Employees Out Of His Pocket:

November 30, 2007
Conan O'Brien is in the giving spirit right now. "Variety" reports the host of NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" has decided to dip into his own bank account to pay his staff members who are currently out of work due to the writers strike. That number is reported to be nearly 80 people. The move comes as NBC's agreement to cover non-writing employees' salaries through the end of November reaches an end. O'Brien joins fellow late-nighter David Letterman, who agreed to pay his staff during the walkout. The Writers Guild of America has been on strike since November 5th. They're seeking a cut of programing distributed over the Internet and on DVD.

For Some Reason Night Rider Returns:

November 29, 2007
The show that I never would have guessed would return for a million reasons is back. My first job in TV was doing "Master Control". That's the guy that pops the tapes (back in those days) in and inserts the commercials. The poorly programmed TV station that I worked at aired "Night Rider" re-runs every day, so I had sit through each show at least 5 times, maybe more. Bad premise, bad acting, and just basically a dumb show that in it's time was competition to the "Duke's of Hazard" on CBS. Well, NBC is bringing "Night Rider" back, but this time is enlisting some fairly big names to take the place of the then unknown David Hasselhoff and crew.

Emmy and Oscar nominee Bruce Davison ("The Kill Point" / "X-Men" / "Close to Home") is on board to play the creator of "KITT", the talking super car. According to "The Hollywood Reporter, Davison will be joined by Wayne Kasserman ("The Kill Point") and Greg Ellis ("Beowulf" / "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End").

The launch / pilot will be a TV movie that is scheduled for later in the season and here's the premise; Mike Tracer (Bruening) is a race-car driver and the son of the original show's main character, Michael Knight (David Hasselhoff is in talks to reprise the role in a cameo). His childhood sweetheart (Deanna Russo) and her father (Davison) recruit Tracer to join the private, justice-seeking Knight Foundation where he will drive "KITT" and solve crimes. Wayne Kasserman plays a mechanic who also joins the team, while Ellis will be one of the bad guys trying to use KITT for their own ends. The new KITT will supposedly be a Ford Shelby Mustang.

Is Hollywood completely out of ideas? Maybe.

Strike Hitting Letterman, Leno's Salaries Hard, Ellen Cancels NYC Shows:

November 15, 2007
The Hollywood writers' strike is hitting late night personalities David Letterman and Jay Leno right in the pocket. According to the "New York Post," CBS and NBC have apparently stopped paying the stars, so every night the "Late Show" and "Tonight Show" hosts are off the job they are rumored to be losing about 100-thousand-dollars each. Letterman and Leno both decided to stay off the job due to their close relationships with their writers, who are responsible for the hosts' nightly monologues and segments. Meanwhile, "The Hollywood Reporter" says talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, who has continued to work in spite of the strike, has cancelled plans to tape her California-based program in New York next week. Members of the Writers Guild of America, East had promised to protest her visit and try to disrupt any segments she shot outside the studio.

No Home For Rosie O'Donnell at MSNBC:

November 9, 2007
Looks like Rosie O'Donnell's television comeback will have to wait. "The New York Times" had reported that the former "The View" co-host was in talks to host a primetime MSNBC program. Now, according to her blog, quote, "there is no deal" and "her career as a pundit is over." An NBC executive had told the "Times" that one sticking point in the MSNBC negotiations was the potential length of O'Donnell's contract. The network reportedly wanted a two-year deal, while O'Donnell only wanted one. O'Donnell previously had her own Emmy-winning daytime chat fest. Last season, she served as moderator for ABC's "The View" before jumping ship several weeks before the expiration of her one-year contract following a heated on-air argument with co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck.

"ER" May Be Back For 15th Season On NBC:

November 8, 2007
Longrunning NBC series "ER" may get an extension. Although it had been thought that this season, its 14th, would be its last, "ER" executive producer John Wells tells "Variety" that he is in talks with the network to bring the hospital drama back for a 15th year. "ER" will air its 300th episode in a few weeks. It is now the second-longest running drama on TV, following only NBC's "Law & Order." "ER" has been averaging about nine-point-nine-million viewers per episode this season. Like other scripted series, production on "ER" will likely be halted due to the current Hollywood writers strike. Wells has pledged to not work on his show until the writers reach a new agreement.

Rosie O'Donnell Looking To Get Back On TV:

November 6, 2007
Rosie O'Donnell is reportedly working on a deal to get back on television. According to the "New York Times," the former co-host of ABC's "The View" has been in talks with MSNBC. Sources close to the deal say Rosie could end up having her own show in the 9:00 p.m. Eastern slot, which would put her up against CNN's "Larry King Live" and Fox News' "Hannity & Colmes." O'Donnell has yet to sign a contract. The insiders say potential roadblocks include pay and the possibility of airing the show on the main NBC network as well. O'Donnell left "The View" last May following a heated argument with co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck. She was replaced by Whoopi Goldberg this fall.

Strinking Writers Get Support From Jay Leno:

November 6, 2007
Jay Leno is showing his support for the of the Writers Guild of America who are on strike right now. The host of NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, which will be in reruns during the walkout, showed up on the picket lines yesterday to deliver doughnuts to the writers. Leno's head writer, Jim Shaughnessy, says they just want fair residual payments. Shaughnessy says the studios are just being hard liners about not giving residual payments on Internet run shows. As an example, he points to the "Tonight Show" which also runs on NBC.com. While the studio claims running the show on the website is a promotional tactic, the writers believe it's revenue, and they want their share. Shaughnessy says writers don't make the kind of money most people think they do and his wife will be working a double shift at Macy's during the strike. Former "Saturday Night Live" writer Tina Fey, who currently writes and stars in NBC's "30 Rock," was also on the picket lines yesterday.

A&E Sends "Dog" to the Pound:

November 5, 2007
Bad "Dog" - A&E, the network that has aired "Dog the Bounty Hunter" since 2004, has indefinitely pulled the plug on the show. Last week, a recorded conversation was made public that featured show star Duane "Dog" Chapman. During the phone call, Chapman could be heard using racial slurs while speaking to a son about his African-American girlfriend. A spokesman for A&E said, quote, "we hope that Mr. Chapman continues the healing process that he has begun." The spokesman added that the network had not made a decision on whether to cancel the program, which is shown in over ten countries. Executives are scheduled to review the situation again in a few weeks.

WGA Says Strike Will Happen:

November 2, 2007
It appears that the Writers Guild of America will go through with their planned strike. The union's leadership informed members last night of the decision at a massive gathering of film and television writers at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The "Los Angeles Times" reports that the members will be notified by e-mail following a formal vote to strike by the union's board of directors this morning. Talks between producers and writers broke off Wednesday evening over disputes involving DVD residuals and pay for content delivered over the Internet. A WGA strike could affect many TV shows immediately, including "Saturday Night Live," "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "The Late Show with David Letterman."

NBC Puts "Heroes" Spinoff On Back Burner To Due Likely Writers' Strike:

November 2, 2007
Plans for a "Heroes" spinoff have been shelved in anticipation of a Hollywood writers' strike. Zap2It.com reports that NBC's six-episode "Heroes: Origins," originally set to air this spring, is now on the back burner. The show would have introduced six new ordinary characters with extraordinary ability, and let viewers decide who would officially join "Heroes" the following season. The project could be revived next year. The Writers Guild of America's latest contract expired at midnight Wednesday.