Monday Night Football....short end of the stick

Greetings true believers!

ESPN must be questioning the multi-million dollar deal they have with the NFL, with the games they have been saddled with for the end of the season. NBC, and their Sunday Night Football package was able to get Flex Scheduling for the remainder of the season....ensuring good match-ups for the rest of the season. So far with the Flex, it's been the Patriots show...and the ratings have been boffo. The close game last Sunday between Phil-NE kept rising in the ratings as the game went on. The only reason the Pats aren't on this week, is due to the Pats being on MNF.

But look at the schedule for MNF. Last week...two teams who most likely won't make the playoffs.....Den/Tenn. Last night....in arguably the worst game in MNF history, Pitt 3, and Mia 0. You can blame the turf....but it did feature an 0-10 team....in a game that NBC would never have had. The future has one team destined for the playoffs- New England.....and a bunch of teams that looked good at the start of the season....not any longer.

Monday Night Football still has the history....but not the mystique it once had. When ESPN renegotiates their contract....expect the Flex Schedule to be a part of it.

And a side note.....70% of the country is not getting the game of the week....Green Bay vs Dallas. It's Thursday night, and its on the NFL Network. The NFL is playing hard ball, trying to get paid a premium for their channel....with key games being their leverage. It hasn't worked so far....and they could be alienating their rabid fan base with this tactic. Just ask the NBA.....the NFL may be King....but nothing is guaranteed.

Good News w the Writers Strike....and SNL goes on

Greetings true believers.......

With our favorite shows running out of new shows....there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Talks are set to resume after Thanksgiving....so that will give hope that the break of new shows will be short.....and we should start seeing new shows by February sweeps at the latest.

The entertainment industry is going on during the strike. A good example of films being hurt by the strike...despite having a done script. JJ Abrams is currently shooting the new Star Trek film. He had a great idea for a line....but was unable to add it since they have to stick strictly with the words finished before the strike ended. It's wild they can't even riff ad libs during filming. Robin Williams must not have a project at the moment.

Lastly....Saturday Night Live goes on....not on the air. Over the weekend, they gave a benefit performance for their stage hands and background workers who are jobless during the strike. A really nice gesture. They even had guest host Micheal Cera....our favorite George Michael from Arrested Development.

Lastly....I'm on the search for things to watch since repeats will reign the day for a while. I'm watching Monster Quest on the History Channel.....and we just go HD Music Television in the Tri-Cities......music never sounded...or looked better!

Have a good week,

J

The Strike goes on.....

Greetings True Believers.

Here is a handy dandy guide (from ew.com) on how many new shows are left from your favorite programs. A quick prayer on this ending soon!

As of 11/16/07

0 NEW EPISODES LEFT
The Office (NBC)

2 NEW EPISODES LEFT
My Name Is Earl (NBC)
Private Practice (ABC)
The Unit (CBS)
Two and a Half Men (CBS)

3 NEW EPISODES LEFT
Back to You (Fox)
Desperate Housewives (ABC)
Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
Heroes (NBC)
How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
Pushing Daisies (ABC)

4 NEW EPISODES LEFT
Big Shots (ABC)
Brothers & Sisters (ABC)
Criminal Minds (CBS)
Dirty Sexy Money (ABC)
Shark (CBS)
The Game (The CW)
30 Rock (NBC)
'Til Death (Fox)
Women's Murder Club (ABC)

5 NEW EPISODES LEFT
Bones (Fox)
Chuck (NBC)
Gossip Girl (The CW)
House (Fox)
Journeyman (NBC)
Prison Break (Fox)
Reaper (The CW)
Supernatural (The CW)
Ugly Betty (ABC)

6 NEW EPISODES LEFT
Girlfriends (The CW)
Life Is Wild (The CW)

7 NEW EPISODES LEFT
Boston Legal (ABC)
Carpoolers (ABC)
Family Guy (Fox)
Samantha Who? (ABC)
Smallville (The CW)

8 NEW EPISODES LEFT
Cavemen (ABC)

10 NEW EPISODES LEFT
The Simpsons (Fox)

11 NEW EPISODES LEFT
Aliens in America (The CW)
K-Ville (Fox)
King of the Hill (Fox)

12 NEW EPISODES LEFT
Notes From the Underbelly (ABC)

13 NEW EPISODES LEFT
American Dad (Fox)
October Road (ABC)

14 NEW EPISODES LEFT
Men in Trees (ABC)

15 NEW EPISODES LEFT
Everybody Hates Chris (The CW)

My New Obsession- Guitar Hero

Greetings True Believers!

I have a new love....and it's Guitar Hero. I know I'm a little late with the love......it's now Guitar Hero 3 for goodness sake....but this game is fun! For the non-initiated...you can get the game for the PS2, PS3 and Xbox360. You get a guitar shape controller with a strum bar...whammy bar, and 5 color buttons which corresponds different notes. Then it's a huge game of pushing buttons, struming the bar.....and 'playing' lead guitar in a band to famous rock songs.

It's one of those things that you have to try to see how much fun it is. I brought it to a party last Friday, and we played it straight for over 5 hours.

You know a game gets big when it gets lampooned in South Park. Oddly enough, the day after I started playing it they did a great episode honoring the addictive quality of the game....and perhaps pointing out the hallow victory games like this provide.

If you like music and video games.....give Guitar Hero a try.....it is a blast.

J

To HD or not to HD? That is the question

Greetings True Believers.

A question I get alot is should I get into High Definition DVD's now....or wait.

I have to say wait until there is a winner in the format war. These kind of things are always annoying. Both are spectacular formats. HD movies is the way it's supposed to be. But you have to have a Blu-Ray player to watch Disney films.....or an HD-DVD to watch Transformers. So it's confusing...and you can't get all that you want on whatever format you choose....unless you're rich and have them both.

Back in the birth of the DVD.....I felt it was going to win the war over DIVX (remember that). DIVX was a DVD format, that allowed viewers to watch a film for two weeks, and then it couldn't play anymore. I knew that was doomed, and went headfirst into DVD. The choice was easy then...its not easy now.

My advice....stick with good 'ol DVD until a winner is declared between Blu-Ray and HD-DVD. Hopefully it will be over before the next NEW format comes along.


Jason

Strike 1...Late Night...Strike 2...Prime Time..Strike 3...Movies

Hello True Believers.......

Well here it is....the Writer's Guild has decided to strike. What does that mean for you?

Strike one....Late Night

The late night schedule takes an immediate hit. With no writers to work....the Daily Show, the Tonight Show, and Late Night with Conan O'brien all start repeating broadcasts tonight. Jimmy Kimmel and Letterman (who kept his show on during the last strike) are working out ways to keep them on. Also.....this is the important November sweeps....so who knows what havoc that will cause for advertisers. Hope you enjoy reality shows!

Strike two.....Prime Time

We're enjoying the new Prime Time schedule at the moment.....but all will stop with new episodes just after November! NBC's Heroes is currently filming a new ending to the short season, in case the strike continues well into next year. During the last strike...Star Trek the Next Generation took old scripts from the original series, and revamped them to the new show to get around the strike...so expect to see interesting solutions until the strike is settled.

Strike three.....Movies

If the strike continues for a LONG time....many projects will be effected....and long standing premiere dates will be moved. The biggest example I can think of is the Harry Potter series.....the actors are not getting any younger...and the longer the strike drags out....the more unconvincing their youth will be.

Join me in hoping the strike is concluded soon....or we'll be waiting until next fall...or beyond for new scripted entertainment.

J

An Early Christmas Present

Greetings True Believers,

I'm a happy camper today. One of my favorite TV Producer/writers is coming back to TV....Joss Whedon.

If you're not familiar with my main man....he's the creator of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and the woefully underated Firefly shows. They are all fun....heartbreaking....laugh out loud....interesting series. Something that is lacking in much of TV.

The new show is called "Dollhouse", and will star Eliza Dushku...formally Faith from Buffy and Angel. Eliza is a trained killer...who has her mind wiped after every mission. But she starts to get memories....and all heck breaks loose on supposes.

Look for this show on Fox next fall....and for goodness sake...Support it!!!!!!

J