August 2008 Archives

With Hurricane Gustav bearing down on the Gulf Coast, presumptive GOP presidential nominee Sen. John McCain has called for substantial changes to the opening day of the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Click here for information on the changes to day one on Monday, Sept. 1, along with information on other initiatives and possible changes for Tues-Thurs.

As of this writing, there will still be some sort of a convention, even if it only consists of basic minimum requirements, like ratifying the party platform and voting by delegates to formally name the presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

As the RNC press release says:

Republican Party Rules
The convention program has been altered in response to the situation developing in the Gulf States region. However, the convention will still take place. According to party rules, it is necessary for the convention to proceed in order to ensure that the party is able to place its candidates' names on the ballot in November.

On November 9, 2007, pursuant to the rules adopted at the 2004 National Republican Convention, the party issued the call for its convention. The call requires that the convention meet on Sept. 1, 2008. The session must be convened no earlier than 9 a.m. and no later than 7 p.m. Under the current party rules, this is the only method by which the party may select a candidate for President and Vice President.

For a general history and overview of the presidential election process, the Congressional Research Service has provided this primer, available in PDF form.

Today, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune offered this story discussing changes to the convention and to the TV coverage.

Quite rightly, cable and network news organizations have shifted much of their focus and resources away from the RNC toward the Gulf Region. The cable networks' -- CNN, Fox News and MSNBC -- schedules are very fluid, as is C-SPAN's, which offers gavel-to-gavel coverage. Also gavel-to-gavel in primetime is PBS, which is posting updates (including by Twitter) here.

ABC, NBC and CBS still have one hour of coverage scheduled for 10 p.m. ET on Monday night. This may change. Check on-line listings at your local newspaper, your local network affiliate or at Zap2it.com for updates.

Coverage of Gustav dominates local channels in the Gulf Coast region, which are offering feeds not only over the air but over the Internet.

This link offers feeds of several local channels in the New Orleans area.

Links to other local channels in the area under threat include WAPT in Jackson, Miss.; WKRG, covering Mobile, Ala. and Pensacola, Fla.; and a Fox Television Stations, Inc. site called MyFoxHurricane.com, featuring feeds from Texas, Louisiana. Florida, Mississippi and Alabama, along with satellite images.

Here are also links to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency; Emergency Louisiana.gov; and Alabama Emergency Management Agency.

As always, the Weather Channel offers continuous storm tracking.

And the Red Cross has tips on hurricane safety.

In the words of Sgt. Esterhaus from "Hill Street Blues," "Let's be careful out there."

Thanks to the good folks at pittsburghlive.com and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, here's a link to my syndicated feature story on FX's new biker drama "Sons of Anarchy," based on my memorable "Rumble in Tujunga" set visit.

Today's cuppa: Irish breakfast tea and an iced-tea smoothie (decaf black/chai tea blended with banana, dark cherries and raspberries)

Just a quick Sunday post to offer up a link to my Zap2it story on tonight's "Clean House 100th Episode: The Dirty Little Awards Show," featuring a chat with my "CH" go-to guy, Matt Iseman.

PS: Have you dusted today?

Tonight's cuppa: A big glass of post-workout water and fond memories of the excellent Douwe Egberts coffee I had at a restaurant earlier.

After a lot of pomp, circumstance, ceremony, cheering, tearing and fireworks, nothing really that shocking happened at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

No, that was left until this morning, when presumptive GOP nominee Sen. John McCain, on the occasion of his 72nd birthday, named the governor of Alaska, 44-year-old mooseburger-loving mother of five Sarah Palin -- who has been compared, looks-wise, to both Canadian journalist Ashleigh Banfield and "30 Rock" star Tina Fey -- as his running mate (on, BTW, the occasion of her 20th wedding anniversary).

Not to brag -- OK, just to brag a little -- I was not among the many people (some of them political pundits) going "Sarah Who?" this morning. Several months ago, I was sitting in the dealership, waiting for an oil change on my car to be completed, when I noticed Palin giving a speech on the TV in the waiting room. I had missed her name and only saw that she was "Governor of Alaska."

"THAT's the governor of Alaska?" I thought to myself. "She's awfully young -- and she's a she." So being a curious sort, when I got home, I Googled her. Let this be a lesson to all pundits to pay closer attention to random sightings of politicos. You never know where they'll wind up.

So, in honor of this mixed-doubles team in the presidential race, let's get live-bloggy with the two-hour season premiere of another yin-and-yang pairing, FBI Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) and scientist Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Emily Deschanel) of FOX's scientific procedural -- jees, that makes it sound way less fun than it is -- "Bones," airing Sept. 3.

WARNING: If you're super-mega-clever or just a very good guesser, this could possibly be considered spoiler-ish. So, if you fancy yourself either of the above, run, do not walk, in the opposite direction.

We're at Oxford University in England, where squints are wonks (I thought it would be boffins -- any Brits out there with an opinion?) and Bones wears funny robes.

Booth snoozes. Bones owns up to the dangers of pure logic (cannibalism, serial killing, etc....)

Shock and awe-style!

Boobies, bobbies, let's call the whole thing off.

Bones, run away from the young British genius with the mildly intriguing looks! If you like him, he's either evil or will die!

I like "cowboy" too, BTW.

Hey, it's the girl from "Rome" who pitched herself off the balcony! And her name is Cate, pronounced "Kate." Trying to be funny there, Hart?

Oh, wait, it's evil Zack in the credits! Why are you here, evil Zack? It's just not logical. Or, it's just old credits because this is a rough cut.

Incredibly hot dude at the Jeffersonian -- is it? Is it? Wow, it IS.

Frampton. Heh. "Baby, I love your way..."

Ring my beeeelllll, ring my bell...

You moved to England to get away from violence? Have you never seen "Touching Evil," "Wire in the Blood," "Cracker" or "Doctor Who"? If it's not rapists, serial killers and terrorists, it's Cybermen and Daleks. Come home!

Oh, and don't let Booth drive.

Oooh, Cate likes Booth.

Wow, that's more than I learned about Henry VIII's codpiece from "The Tudors."

Booth discovers Assam black tea, "the upper-class version of a cuppa joe." Hah!

Sneaky peeky...

I get it -- this incredibly hot dude is like Jo from "Twister," but will it turn out the same?

Violence!

It's Rumpole of the 'Bones'!

Happiness is a warm (James Bond) gun.

Really, don't let Booth drive. I did better with right-hand drive, and I don't have FBI training. Parked better, too.

Von Hipple whaaa???

Why does every Brit in this episode talk like they're in a revival of "Brideshead Revisited"? Every cop I see on British TV sounds more like Jamie Oliver than Laurence Olivier.

When the Universe speaks, Tut on a bike appears?

She wrote it on her deathbed? Looks like paper to me.

In the great Book Signing in the Sky, Agatha Christie is sticking hot pokers in her eyes.

Look behind you, Booth!

If Sweets and Bones had a child, it would have a wind-up key in its back.

Booth, I want that one for my collection. I'll put him between Chuck Woolery and Pete the dog from "Keen Eddie." No, not THIS Pete the dog.

Cam, you hussy!

... on to a new mystery ... and a cuppa decaf Irish breakfast tea...

Damn, I'm good.

Don't tell Sweets! And the answer to your question is ... no. But, wait, maybe I'm wrong ... no.

Booth is looking kinda auburn in this episode, especially in the sun. Hmmm...

Product placement alert!

Yep, saw then on the Charles River in Boston.

Oh, Cam, Cam, Cam.

TJ Thyne, you are my technobabble hero.

And that's where Henley shirts got their name.

Ooooh, Cate's being a bit of a smart arse.

Bones, just say you thought he was the bee's knees.

Shrinky -- heh heh heh.

Yes, Cam. That's what I said.

Thanks for watching another episode of Stock Image Theater.

I once had a high concentration on my patella, but they have pills for that now.

Hey, that looks like Morse's pub!

Oh, right, like you sound Welsh. I've talked to Ioan Gruffud, you know.

Oh, no, they're both Jami Gertz from "Twister"! Criminies, you guys, just get over it.

Oooh, somebody's moved on.

Girl, you're a moron. Incredibly hot guy, you're a jerk. Cam, you're an idiot. Sweets, you're way too pleased with yourself.

They're having a hot cuppa! (by the tall pot, I think it's coffee)

Ta-ta!

Tonight's cuppa: decaf organic free trade black tea

Big crowd watching a big speech on a big stage tonight at the Democratic National Convention. Instead, I'm checking out Vic Mackey's big finish, which begins with the seventh (and final) season premiere of FX's groundbreaking cop drama "The Shield," called "The Coefficient of Drag."

WARNING: If you're super-mega-clever or just a very good guesser, this could possibly be considered spoiler-ish. So, if you fancy yourself either of the above, run, do not walk, in the opposite direction.

Previously: Hey, Alex from Australia! Sorry the whole "Moonlight" thing didn't work out, but I hope to see you back soon ... Shane did a bad, bad thing..."We're gonna crush him."

Welcome home, Shane...

The ghosts of Armenians past.

Gag me with a washcloth.

Bad blood gets on everything.

Ronnie ponders a new spot.

Shane tries to punt his way out. Guy in orange, not buying it.

More bad blood on the block.

The blonde drops by, officially curious.

Aaaaah, a leg!

Vic paddles left. Corinne drifts right. The kid almost sees it.

Not the chains again!

This is all about real estate development?

Ronnie knows a a doggy doc.

Aw, Dutch, still working that?

Don't hurt the pug, Vic!

Wow, didn't want to see that.

Dutch zigs, but Danny meant to zag.

So, tell me all about it...

Final Jeopardy! Hah! Good one.

It's all about the love...and vinyl siding.

Wakey-wakey, necky breaky!

Love you, Claudette, but pink's not really your color.

The chick knows her superheroines.

Ronnie!!!! What the hey...

Vic gives a little smile.

Shane, dude, I just ate my Cheerios! (Yeah, I like Cheerios at night. You got a problem with that?)

Yeah, Ronnie, you're OK. Just great.

Snazzy glasses there, Billings.

"Might need to make a sushi run." Heh

This is all about rezoning?

Ah, Billings, some things you never forget.

Dutch has a wonderful, awful idea.

At the construction site, Vic turns the screw.

Let's go! Go!

Julian breaks through.

Bang, bang, bang...

Vic creates a diversion.

Then he has a plan.

Billings was right.

Claudette bursts in on Vic, Shane and Ronnie and says...

Aw, you didn't really expect me to tell, did you? You'll just have to tune in on Sept. 2.

Tonight's cuppa: Irish breakfast decaf tea

As coverage of the Democratic National Convention in Denver continues, I've moved on to the season premiere of "Prison Break" -- click here for my visit to the set -- due Sept. 1 on Fox.

WARNING: If you're super-mega-clever or just a very good guesser, this could possibly be considered spoiler-ish. So, if you fancy yourself either of the above, run, do not walk, in the opposite direction.

Part one: "Scylla"

Michael's writing a letter in case he dies. On "The Middleman" on Monday, the Middleman and Wendy recorded messages in case they died. On the season premiere of "Heroes," one of the characters that died earlier left a message in case he died (which in retrospect, was kinda smart). So, what's up with the pre-mortem messaging? How many people really do that? Hands up who wrote a letter or recorded a message in case they died. Wow, more than I thought. You people are mor. bid.

Gretchen's in trouble. Whoopsie! Gretchen, get a hat. It's a UV nightmare in the desert. I'm sure you could have met in a nice cafe in Palm Springs instead.

Michael found a working pay phone in L.A.!

Arizona -- hah. Looks like Lancaster to me.

Europeangoldfinch.net. Nice to have you back.

Hey, we're back by the sea. Nice hat, Mahone. Going fishing later?

Bang, you're dead!

T-Bag's bags are packed, he's ready to go. Bet he's leavin' in a jet plane. Or ... not.

It's Mrs. Mahone, a k a Jimmy's widow from "Rescue Me" and McNulty's ex from "The Wire." Chick gets around.

Hands in the air!

Knock, knock, Mrs. Mahone Keefe McNulty...

Hey, there's a working pay phone on the New York Street at 20th Century Fox Studios.

Hands on your head!

Ah, Homeland Security, modern TV's one-stop-shopping for good guys, bad guys and guys who can get around the government to get things done. See earlier "Fringe" post.

Colorado -- hah. Looks like Valencia to me.

Goochy-goochy-goo.

Surprise, Michael!

Ooh, back tats.

Surprise, T-Bag!

The gang's all here.

Ow, that looks like it hurts.

Leavin' on a jet plane...

Part Two: "Breaking and Entering"

You've been Garmined. Or is it Tom-Tomed?

Here's your warehouse. Toothbrushes next to the sink. Say hi to the new guy.

It's kind of like "Ocean's Eleven," but without the nice suits or the money or the imported sunglasses or George Clooney or Las Vegas, and there aren't actually 11 of them. Otherwise, so alike, it's spooky.

Mexican desert -- hah. Looks like Lancaster to me.

The docks! I knew there'd be docks. See the previous post.

PTSD!

Another bucket hat, Mahone? How many do you have?

Oh, THAT's who that guy was in part one.

Hey, new guy, I want me one of THOSE.

Fancy L.A. neighborhood -- hah. Looks like Long Beach to me.

Donner Party, table for one!

It's all Greek to me.

Duct tape, a scary guy's best friend.

Stylin' tee, Sarah.

HAHAHAHAHAH. That's the nastiest line of the year.

Bingo!

We've got 30 minutes left in the two-part premiere, and you'll just have to wait for the rest.

This afternoon's cuppa: Broadwing blend shade grown coffee, certified organic, roasted and blended for Hawk Mountain Sanctuary (in future, because this is a lot of typing, I'll just call it Broadwing Blend, because bird coffee sounds weird)

As I thought, there is not much real news coming out of the Democratic National Convention in Denver -- and there's only so much gasbaggery one can take, either from TV pundits or pols at the podium -- so I've been spending my time catching up on the DVR backlog from the Olympics. Last night, I began to segue into new episodes of this season's network shows.

And yes, I'll share.

WARNING: If you're super-mega-clever or just a very good guesser, this could possibly be considered spoiler-ish. So, if you fancy yourself either of the above, run, do not walk, in the opposite direction.

First up, hour one of the season premiere of "Heroes," due out Sept. 22 on NBC. Although the show is up to episode 10 in production, hour two is not yet finished (I know that because I watched scenes for it being shot last week).

I did one viewing of the show before doing my set visit and interviews, but last night, I sat down and gave it a closer look. Here are some random thoughts and impressions:

It looks cool, super cool. I mean, really cool. This show keeps raising the visual bar.

Run "Peter," run!

Nathan, duck! Oh, well.

Best performance from Hayden Panettiere in a while. The girl can emote when she wants to -- and I think I like her as a brunette as well.



Mama Petrelli scares me worse than Sylar. And she knows stuff.

Kaito Nakamura! Nice to see ya. And don't you know that if you tell Hiro not to do something, that means he'll do it posthaste?

Wha??? What was that, a light saber? What is that? Godzilla? Oh, no, there goes Tokyo!

Why is the future always scary? Why is it never full of pretty flowers and puppies?

Nice ball-handling skills, HRG.

Matt, look out for the big snake in the forced perspective in the foreground! Oh, right, means it's about a mile away. Never mind, just keep trudging through the amber waves.

Dark-eyed girl, stop mad scientist Suresh!

Suresh by the sea. Really, what would TV do without shots down on the docks? How often do people go down to the docks in real life? (Unless they're boaters or ship captains ... or dockworkers, of course.) Not so often, I bet. But TV, all about the docks.

Hey, wait, where's Elle? Oh, right, hour two...

Today's cuppa: PG Tips tea

Among the broadcast networks, Fox is known for interesting, clever promotional materials. The press kit for the new thriller "Fringe," premiering Tuesday, Sept. 9, is in keeping with the show's theme of unexplained occurrences and how they may be connected to each other and to larger forces.

It included a file folder, supposedly belonging to Homeland Security Agent Philip Broyles (Lance Reddick). Click here for his bio. He's leading the U.S. government's investigation into "The Pattern," and overseeing the work of FBI Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) and the father-son scientific team of Walter (John Noble) and Peter Bishop.

Inside the folder were a document with coordinates, a photo of a tsunami damage supposedly linked to a high-pitched frequency, and a snapshot of a missing boy. Click on images for larger version.

Also included in the kit was a small digital recorder containing Broyles' dictated notes.

As anyone who watched executive producer J.J. Abrams' previous shows -- "Alias" and "Lost" -- knows, he's fond of complex mysteries and interlocking plot-lines. But Abrams plans to take a different tack with "Fringe," and it's partly because he understands the demands his other shows placed on the audience.

At the Television Critics Association Press Tour in July, Abrams talked about watching "Alias" at the home of his longtime pal, series regular Greg Grunberg, and being utterly unable to understand what was happening in his own show, describing it as "impenetrable."

Asked about that in a recent conversation, Abrams says, "On 'Alias,' very early on, people were saying, 'I quit, because I can't follow it."

About his experience at Grunberg's house, Abrams says, "Oh, my God, it was confounding. There's a certain apparent disconnect that happened on that show, where you literally couldn't understand what was happening."

Abrams refers to "Fringe" as an experiment in mixing standalone episodes and ongoing plot-lines, saying, "I'm sick of people saying to me something that I completely sympathize with. At a certain point, instead of feeling like, 'Well, I expect them to watch every week without hesitation,' whereas I couldn't (even do that).

"As a parent, it's hard to plan your day. If you can't tape or TiVo it or catch it on iTunes, you're screwed that next week. It's an unrealistic expectation. If we were doing simply a box set of DVDs, where it was all or nothing, I would say, 'Screw it, let's do it.'

"But I'm sick of hearing people say something that is completely understandable and something I empathize with."

So, Abrams explains that he and fellow executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci will have ongoing elements in the show but are planning to roll out mythology-heavy episodes every four or five weeks, using them as tentpoles for the season.

"When they happen," he says, "you don't need to see what has come before, because we will make it very clear, just in the storytelling."

Today's cuppa: Broadwing blend shade-grown coffee, certified organic, roasted and blended for the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary (and tasty, too)

Tomorrow, fun stuff from "Fringe" (I have to take the press kit home and scan it. Trust me, it's worth the wait -- plus, there'll be audio).

Today, here's a few shots from the pre-Cuppa archives, taken at the "Gen Con Star Wars Celebration IV," held in downtown Los Angeles in May of 2007. The storm troopers (not sure about the samurai one) are from the 501st Legion, a fan group that does extraordinary costuming. They marched in the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, Calif., in January 2007, when George Lucas was grand marshal. Here's a video.

And yes, those are original Cylons from the 1978 "Battlestar Galactica." Wrong universe, but awesome outfits. Click on images for a larger version.

Today's cuppa: English afternoon tea

It's Monday, Aug. 25, and the Democratic National Convention is underway in Denver, with the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis/St. Paul hot on its heels on Sept. 1.

Predicting the future is a tricky business -- just ask those pundits who thought Sen. Hillary Clinton was a no-brainer shoo-in for the Democratic nomination, or those who nearly wrote off GOP Sen. John McCain before the primaries -- but it's likely that there'll be lots more hot air than hot headlines coming out of both conventions.

Network TV isn't wall-to-wall as it was in the old days, but the cable newsers are out in full force, as is PBS, and there are chunks of network primetime devoted to covering the big keynote speeches.

Obviously, not all voters are interested in both conventions, so here are my suggestions for alternate DVD viewing for members of the two major parties (to be enjoyed with the hot cuppa of your choice, whether it's a soy chai latte, strong black coffee, chamomile tea or Barry's Gold Blend. You decide which voters drink what.)

For Republicans during the Democratic National Convention:

On the small screen: box sets of "24," "Band of Brothers," "Deadliest Catch," "Friday Night Lights," "Little House on the Prairie," "The Unit," "The Shield," "JAG," "South Park" (and from its creators, the movie "Team America: World Police") and "NCIS."

From the big screen: any "Dirty Harry" movie, any movie starring John Wayne, "The Patriot," "Independence Day," "Air Force One," "Lonesome Dove," "Faith of My Fathers" (based on Sen. McCain's book of the same name about his POW experience), "The Incredibles" and "Die Hard" (one and two).

For Democrats during the Republican National Convention:

On the small screen: box sets of "The West Wing," "Commander in Chief," "The Daily Show With John Stewart," "Real Time With Bill Maher," "Boston Legal," "All in the Family," "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," "Family Guy," "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Murphy Brown."

From the big screen: any movie directed by Michael Moore or featuring Al Gore; "The Day After Tomorrow," "The American President" (sort of writer Aaron Sorkin's trial balloon for "The West Wing"), "Dead Man Walking," "JFK," "The Candidate," "All the President's Men" and "Reds."

Today's cuppa: Yorkshire Gold tea

Just a quick Sunday post to offer up a link -- courtesy of the good folks at the Reading (Pa.) Eagle -- to my syndicated feature story on NBC's "America's Toughest Jobs," which premieres tomorrow night. At that time, we'll get the first chance to see if all that promo time NBC had during the Olympics will pay off in ratings.

Among the plans for this week are posts on my set visits to FX's "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" (and a word of warning if you click on the link, music plays immediately), in which violence steadily escalates (and pix were taken), and ABC's "Opportunity Knocks," (similar warning about the link, video plays immediately) in which a game show is set up in the contestants' front yard -- or, in this case, in the middle of the street.

Today's cuppa: Irish breakfast tea

It's a happy day in Cuppa-land when I can shout out to a bunch of my favorite folks and shows all in one place! I love the home-improvement shows (Norm Abram is a carpentry genius!), I love "CSI: Miami," I love "Top Gear" and I love Thom Beers' shows.

On Sunday, HGTV offers the finale episode of its "Summer Showdown," four specials in which dream teams of the cablenet's designers and carpenters have taken on the challenge of redoing a space desperately in need of help in eight hours -- but not really. Homeowners have submitted rooms -- or in the case of Sunday's episode, a terrible backyard -- and then exact replicas of the offending spaces have been built in HGTV's Designer Dome.

The teams then transform the spaces, with celebrity judges declaring which is the best makeover. The owner of the real room then gets the cash to redo it themselves. The host is George Gray (on the right in the pic below; all pics courtesy of HGTV).

The finale features designer Lauren Lake and carpenter Eric Stromer (left in the pic on the left), who is one of the trio of hosts in NBC's version of the BBC auto reality show (and one of my personal obessions), "Top Gear." Click here to see an interview I did earlier with one of Stromer's co-hosts, Adam Carolla.

Lake and Stromer take on designer Sabrina Soto and carpenter Steve Watson (below), who used to be the host of Discovery Channel's "Monster House," one of my all-time faves. I met with Watson on a couple of mad "Monster" rebuilds, one transforming a Valley tract home into a mob hideout, and one creating a recreational space for Los Angeles firefighters.

It was at the Valley location that I first met producer Thom Beers, who has gone on to produce "Deadliest Catch," "Ice Road Truckers," "Ax Men," "Black Gold," "L.A. Hard Hats," "Verminators" and NBC's new "America's Toughest Jobs," which also launches on Monday.

(I did a story on that show -- link to come)

Among the celebrity judges are Keenen Ivory Wayans and "CSI: Miami" star Emily Procter, who's one of the nicest folks in Hollywood (click here to read about my encounter with her in July), who's also involved in home remodeling and interior design.

And while I'm at it, I'd also like to give a shout-out to another HGTV star and "Summer Showdown" competitor, "Myles of Style" carpenter Anthony Gilardi (below), who just happens to be my neighbor.

Today's (afternoon) cuppa: dark roast, with room for milk, from the coffeeshop

Last week, I was thrilled to finally be able to visit the set of FOX's "Prison Break," which, after one season in Chicago and two in Dallas, has finally landed on the 20th Century Fox lot in Los Angeles. There'll be a syndicated feature story in mid-September, but here are a few tidbits in advance of the season premiere on Sept. 1.

IF YOU WISH TO REMAIN PURE AND UTTERLY SPOILER FREE, WHY ARE YOU READING A BLOG POST ABOUT THE SHOW? SORRY, THIS IS NOT SPOILERY, BUT JUST IN CASE YOU MIGHT THINK IT IS, GO AWAY NOW!

The set where I spent my day is the interior of a warehouse, the exterior of which really exists in San Pedro, near the port of Los Angeles. It's a cool space, with a living loft (complete with bar and cots), a boat, an old car and a wall covered with pictures of the targets of this season's adventures.

It's no secret that Dr. Sara Tancredi (Sarah Wayne Callies) was not actually beheaded, as we thought last season, but instead is back for this season. I watched her work her medical magic on another cast member with a very realistic wound. 'Nuff said about that.

Executive producer Matt Olmstead revealed that another character was supposed to die in the premiere, but later he and his fellow producers changed their minds, checked the footage to see if there was a way out, decided there was, and undid the deed. So, death, be not proud on "Prison Break."

William Fichtner, who plays Mahone, was kind enough to sign a baseball cap for an ailing relative of a cast member who actually does die, along with warmly complimenting the person's work. So, death, sometimes be proud, on "Prison Break."

Fichtner also said that one regret he has from the strike-shortened third season is that he didn't get to give a proper goodbye to the crew and locals he got to know in Texas. Here's an audio clip of him discussing his feelings about that:

Casting is an art in itself, and here's an audio clip of Matt Olmstead talking about how he was lucky enough to wind up with Robert Knepper as the wily con man T-Bag:

Last up, courtesy of the good folks at FOX, pictures! As always, click on the images for a larger version.

Michael (Wentworth Miller) plots to take down the company on the two-hour Season Four premiere episode of "Prison Break" ("Scylla/Breaking and Entering"), airing Monday, Sept. 1 on FOX. Pictured L-R: Wade Williams, Wentworth Miller, James Hiroyuki Liao, William Fichtner, Dominic Purcell. Cr. Greg Gayne/FOX

Pictured L-R: Dominic Purcell, Wentworth Miller, William Fichtner, Amaury Nolasco and Wade Williams. CR: Greg Gayne/FOX

Today's cuppa: Yorkshire Gold tea (with French vanilla stevia sweetener -- hmmm)

Up to my deadline eyebrows today (but I will keep my promises about "Prison Break" and "Fringe" goodies to come), so in the meantime, here's this week's edition of my print column, "We'd Like to See," in which I try to have a rational conversation with TV.

On Saturday, Aug. 23, Hallmark Channel premieres "Dear Prudence," a movie starring Jane Seymour as a TV star/advice columnist who can fix everything except her own life.

I feel her pain, sort of. I give advice to network television all the time, and it just doesn't listen. I have much better luck fixing my own life based on TV suggestions -- for example, "Clean House" cured my lingering pack-rat-itis -- than getting television to change according to my wishes.

But hope springs eternal, so here's a brief, imaginary Q&A between myself (KO) and network television (TV). Feel free to play along at home -- and even send your ideas to the TV executive of your choice.

TV: Thanks for stopping by. I hope we can share some useful ideas.

KO: What share? I'm already getting ideas from you guys. It's just the reverse that's the problem.

TV: No need to get hostile. I'm here, and I'm listening. Bring it!

KO: First up, what's with those promos across the bottom of the screen? I tuned in to see the show, not to see promos for other shows. Save those for the commercial breaks.

TV: But you fast-forward the commercial breaks on the DVR...

KO: Er...

TV: ...or you go to the bathroom, or you go make a sandwich. You foil our every effort to promote our other shows, so we have to stick the promos into the parts you actually watch.

KO: I still hate it.

TV: We'll tone it down, but get used to it. Next?

KO: Do you have to cancel everything I love?

TV: Get several million of your friends to love it, too, and it will stay on forever. We don't keep "Law & Order" because of all the bikini chicks in it. Zillions of people watch. We're not volunteer organizations. People expect to be paid.

KO: But some low-rated shows stay on for quite a while.

TV: Low-rated is relative to the size of the network. What's good for The CW won't work for CBS. Next?

KO: You move all my favorite shows around the schedule.

TV: I'd tell you to get a DVR, but I like our advertisers. We move shows to increase the audience or to free up space for a show we think has a greater upside. And moved is not the same as canceled. Be happy for small favors.

KO: There are too many commercials.

TV: Again, people expect to be paid. Give us a zillion dollars, and we'll stop selling ads for a while.

KO: May I remind you that I have a remote control and many digital tiers, and I'm not afraid to use them?

TV: Uh-huh...so, maybe we could talk again about those on-screen promos?

Tonight's cuppa: Decaf Irish breakfast tea, chased with adrenaline

I just had one of those Olympic moments that may never be repeated, provided courtesy of faulty TV listings, tape-delayed NBC coverage and streaming Web video.

Days ago, I had set my DVR to record all the Olympic coverage I could find listed on Oxygen, which carried most of the equestrian competitions (I explained earlier why I love the horse sports). Thanks to erroneous on-screen TV listings (not supplied by my company, but by another), a two-hour block listed as "Summer Olympics" turned out to be "The Tyra Banks Show" and paid programming.

I'd missed the show-jumping team finals on Monday. Not happy. Not happy at all. I hadn't sat through what seemed like a billion Olympic beach-volleyball matches to miss the finals in my nearly favorite equestrian sport (tied with Thoroughbred racing).

So, there I was tonight, on the phone to a friend back East, grumbling about my bad luck. After hanging up, I decided to see if I could watch the competition on-line. After a bit of Googling, there it was, just as it aired on Oxygen. Victory!

The way my living room is configured, I could sit at my computer, watching the streaming video on the flat-screen monitor, then swivel my head or my whole chair to look at NBC's tape-delayed Olympic broadcast on my TV (with the sound muted and closed-captioning on).

The equestrian video ran for an hour, through women's track-and-field on NBC and then into women's gymnastics and the balance-beam individual finals.

It was the oddest sensation. Until then, I never realized what gymnastics and show jumping have in common. Both are about explosive power and clockwork precision. with success measured in fractions of an inch. Both involve wooden bars -- or, in this case, beams.

Tiny girls, many under a hundred pounds, hurl themselves in the air to land on dainty feet on a four-inch-wide beam. Huge horses, some over a thousand pounds, hurl themselves and their riders several feet in the air, daintily tucking up hooves so as not to touch rails sitting in the flattest of cups.

Put a toe wrong, and it's disaster (as happened for the Chinese gymnasts). Put a half-inch of hoof onto the white border of a water jump, and a gold medal is lost.

So there I sat, swiveling back and forth between Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson on the balance beam in the National Indoor Stadium in Beijing, and Laura Kraut, McLain Ward, Beezie Madden and first-time Olympian Will Simpson of nearby Thousand Oaks, Calif., in the ring under the lights in Hong Kong.

China faltered, opening the door to the Americans, who performed flawlessly. The American and Canadian jumping teams tied, leading to a jump-off.

Just as Johnson and Liukin learned they'd gone one-two in the final results, 49-year-old Simpson and his 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding Carlsson vom Dach charged down to the last jump and took off, seeming to hitch and hang in the air an instant too long before landing cleanly and clinching the gold medal for the United States.

I really can't repeat what I yelled at that moment.

Almost simultaneously -- on my TV and my computer screen -- the American gymnasts and the American riders mounted podiums to receive their medals. The "Star Spangled Banner" began to play in Hong Kong, followed a beat later in Beijing.

For a moment, there they all stood -- two girls, one in red and blue, one in white, and four riders in scarlet hunting jackets -- hands over hearts, tears in eyes, clutching bouquets. I got mighty sniffly. Very likely, the only ones that weren't sniffly were the horses.

It was weird, but also awesome.

By the way, in case anyone from NBC is reading this, as I was talking to my friend, I told her that I did a set visit to "Heroes" yesterday. She's not a big watcher of network TV -- and she's never seen "Heroes" -- but she did comment that the show looked very cool, and that she only thought that because she'd seen the promos that aired during the Olympics. I think "Heroes" may have added one more viewer.

Perhaps all those millions the Peacock shelled out for the Games will pay off after all.

Today's cuppa: fast-food coffee (yesterday's cuppa: much good craft-service coffee)

Apologies for not posting on Monday, but I have a good excuse. I spent the whole day over at cool old Sunset Gower Studios, visiting the good folks at NBC's "Heroes."

Luckily, owing to Kristen Bell's unavailability earlier in the summer because of another project, I was able to see her shoot scenes that will be cut into the second hour of the long-awaited third-season premiere (the show began shooting in May). The two-hour episode, "Villains," airs Monday, Sept. 22, preceded by a clip show to catch everyone up on season two, cut short last year by the WGA strike.

Click here for a trailer.

And yes, I'll be doing a syndicated feature story, which I'll share closer to premiere. And there just may be an extra bit or two from my interviews before that, either here or over at Zap2it. Stay tuned...

Incidentally, among the things previously shot on the stage where Bell was working were "Submarine" (1928), "Carnival" (1935), "The Terror of Tiny Town" (1938, click this link for this one, it's a treat), "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington"(1939), "Born Yesterday" (1950), "From Here to Eternity" (1953), "Raisin in the Sun" (1961), along with TV shows "The Golden Girls," "It's Garry Shandling's Show" and "The Sarah Silverman Program."

Later on, we moved to another soundstage and looked in on some super-secret stuff that I'm sworn to silence on until later in the season. But I snared an interview, so I'm prepared in advance.

On a third stage -- which I recognized from having visited it to watch the filming of "American Bandstand" music-performances sequences for "American Dreams" -- we toured some other sets, including the California home of indestructible cheerleader Claire Bennet (very pretty, I'd move in), the New York loft once inhabited by now-decapitated visionary artist Isaac Mendez (chock full of spoiler-y goodness), Suresh's apartment from the future, and the New York rooftop of the Deveaux building that has been the location for many of the show's most dramatic scenes -- including a few deaths.

BTW, all the show's main deaths -- including that of Kaito Nakamura, who plunged from the rooftop -- are recorded in pictures on a "Wall of Death" in the production offices. And yep, there is space left on the wall.

Had great chats with, among others, Jack Coleman (HRG, or Noah Bennet), Bell (Elle), Zachary Quinto (Sylar -- there's a parking space with that name near the writing offices, but the charming Quinto says he doesn't know why it's there, and he doesn't use it), Francis Capra (in a new role, which reunites him with former "Veronica Mars" co-star Bell) and Sendhil Ramamurthy (Suresh).

Surprise of the day was a visit from director Joe Dante, a guest of show executive producer Allan Arkush. I asked if he might direct an episode of "Heroes," and he didn't say he would, but he didn't say he wouldn't either.

Overall, everyone seemed excited to finally be back on the air after nine months (long enough, Ramamurthy said, for his wife to have a baby) and to have fans finally see the episodes they've been working on since spring.

I did say a brief hello to series creator Tim Kring, whom I met years ago when his previous NBC series, "Crossing Jordan," was doing one of its several crossover episodes with "Las Vegas." Now that "Vegas" executive producer Gary Scott Thompson has moved over to "Knight Rider," one wonders if there'd ever be a "Heroes"/"Knight Rider" crossover. Hmmm.

Wasn't able, for obvious reasons, to take pictures, but here's a shot of the fabulous view of the Hollywood sign from the top of the Sunset Gower parking garage (click on images for a larger version).

And just as a bonus, here's a couple of shots I took on my way in to a "Prison Break" set visit last week (more on that later, I promise!). First up is the huge "Fringe" poster outside the main studio entrance (a few tidbits on "Fringe" to come, also), and a shot of One Fox Plaza, used as the Nakatomi Building in "Die Hard."

Today's cuppa: Inukshuk blueberry icewine tea (sort of like a blueberry muffin you can drink)

This dropped into my e-mail inbox today. I checked with USC and was told that that all the events listed are open to the public, but feature open seating, so anyone wanting to attend should arrive early. Events are free, but it will cost $8 to park on campus.

In the spring of 2007, I attended a fascinating and informative panel discussion held at the Museum of Television and Radio (now called the Paley Center for Media). Entitled "Arab and Muslim Characters in Prime Time TV: The View From Hollywood," Two of the panelists, Howard Gordon of "24" and Kamram Pasha of "Sleeper Cell," are also at the USC event. Click here for the original story.

So, if you're in the L.A. area, these might be worth attending.

Two Wednesdays: September 9, 2008 and October 22, 2008

Presented by Visions and Voices: The USC Arts and Humanities Initiative, and cosponsored by the  USC Annenberg Knight Chair in Media and Religion; USC Center for Diversity and Democracy; USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture; USC Davis School of Gerontology; Food for Thought; USC Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies; Kairos Church @ USC; Louchheim School of Judaic Studies; Religion, Identity, and Global Governance Project; USC Catholic Center; USC School of Religion; and USC Visual Studies Graduate Certificate program.



Small Screen/Big Picture:

If you are reading this in plain text format, details can be found on our website at http://uscmediareligion.org.

Click over to Zap2it.com to see my interview with "Stargate SG-1" star Michael Shanks on his role in tonight's episode of USA Network's "Burn Notice."

Today's cuppa: Barry's Irish breakfast tea, chased with decaffeinated Irish breakfast tea (all the Irish, half the caf)

In case you've been in an Antarctic weather station for the last few months, there's a presidential campaign going on, and the presumptive nominees are Illinois Sen. Barack Obama for the Democrats (that should become official during the Democratic National Convention, which starts on Aug. 25) and Arizona Sen. John McCain for the Republicans (that should become official during the Republican National Convention, which starts on Sept. 1).

Next week, cable newser Fox News premieres two one-hour specials on the personal and professional lives of each of the candidates, called "2008 Presidential Character and Conduct," airing Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 18 and 19, both at 8 p.m. Eastern.

Bill Hemmer is anchor of the Monday special, which focuses on Sen. Obama.

Eric Shawn is anchor of the Tuesday special, which focuses on Sen. McCain.

But this isn't the last opportunity for voters to watch news specials that help them get to know the candidates.

Back during the Television Critics Association Press Tour in July, I spoke to CNN correspondent John King (click here to see that post, which includes audio clips) and discussed two specials that cable newser is doing, one on each candidate, scheduled to coordinate with the two conventions.

On Tuesday, Oct. 14, PBS airs "Frontline: The Choice" (click here for the official site), which profiles both candidates. During TCA, producer Michael Kirk appeared as part of a "Frontline" press-conference panel, YouTube video excerpts from which are posted here, here and here.

After watching the videos, you may wonder why there's so much conversation about former Bush advisor Karl Rove during the panel -- including Kirk's open invitation to Rove to sit down for an extended interview. It's because this panel took place the day before Rove appeared at Press Tour as part of a panel for Fox News, for which he works as a political analyst.

Don't know if Kirk will get that interview, since Rove said he has a book coming out in the fall of 2009, quipping, "If you pre-order on Amazon.com, you can get the personalized nameplate."

I also posted a blog entry about that day.

Today's cuppa: Barry's Irish breakfast tea (at breakfast -- feeling kinda conformist today)

Just read a long but interesting piece from Portfolio.com (via Wired.com) on the future of television, which starts by talking about former ABC entertainment chief Ted Harbert, who now works for the Comcast Entertainment Group, which includes Style (home of one of my favorite shows, "Clean House") and E! Entertainment Television.

Here's an excerpt:

...When Harbert talks about television, it's with the sober clarity of someone who has looked at life from both sides now and has seen that only one business model is working. Cable networks target just those viewers who want what they have to offer. Broadcast networks want everyone. And the business of wanting everyone has never been worse. At the end of last season, ABC, CBS and NBC reported their smallest combined audience ever, an event that has become a gloomy yearly occurrence. Meanwhile, cable -- counting both basic channels and pay services like HBO and Showtime -- now receives 55 percent of the total viewership.

It may be time to perform an autopsy on network TV, which some of pronounced officially dead at age 60, a victim of a lifetime of big spending, hard living, and bad planning....

I recommend reading the rest. It's a sobering assessment of the business of television. In tone, it's much like the equally -- if not more -- sober assessments of the business of newspapers.

I keep coming back to a few basic thoughts:

When the money's rolling in reliably, nobody except the accountants thinks much about where the money comes from -- and in the cases of broadcast TV, basic cable TV and newspapers, it's from advertising, which ultimately means it's from you. Advertisers don't buy ad space or time for their health; they buy them hoping to reach eyeballs attached to people with money in their fists who will buy the product. Decisions about media may be made from the top down, but decisions on media's survival are made from the bottom up, every time you watch a show or read a story, see an ad and buy something. If you don't do that, the whole machine grinds to a halt.

Some people, forced for the first time in their careers, to think hard about where the money comes from, don't take it with very good grace. Others do. Those are the ones that will survive. Those that don't are like hothouse flowers, that are lovely and thrive very well when protected from the harsh world outside, but which wither when set out in the cold, the wind and the noonday sun. Hothouse flowers are the opposite of weeds, which make the best of whatever's available. For better or worse, today's climate seems to favor weeds more than hothouse flowers.

No distribution system for information and entertainment has ever disappeared, each one just morphed into a new form with a different focus. We still have word-of-mouth, live theater, pamphlets, newspapers, magazines, movies, radio and television (OK, stone tablets may have vanished, but there is graffiti). Digital distribution hits each of these things, but in the end it's still just another distribution system. The information and entertainment are what matter. People still want words, pictures and sound, they just may want them in a different format. Content is, and always has been, king.

There is no such thing as a free lunch. You get what you pay for (and when you pay nothing, what do you get?). Those who think that news, music, TV shows and movies magically appear should think again. Creating information and entertainment costs money. Those that produce them have to pay rent and buy groceries too. You don't assume gasoline or electricity or hamburgers or sneakers are free, why would you expect information and entertainment to be? You either pay for them one way or the other (and no, Internet access fees don't count), or they get cheaper and crappier and eventually disappear.

Notice how many bloggers and Websites depend on news stories (frequently dead-tree-media stories), movies and TV shows to give them fodder for their blogging and linking. How many blogs about someone's kids and puppies do you really want? What do you do when there's nothing to link to?

Not telling you all what you should do about this, just raising some questions and offering some thoughts. The rest is, as always, up to you.

Today's cuppa: Yorkshire Gold tea in the morning, and an afternoon trip to the coffeeshop for decaf Viennese coffee

OK, just Googled for information on Olympic equestrian coverage and got inadvertently spoiled on the results of the three-day eventing competition, which I was planning to watch when I got home tonight.

I vote to call this the Spoiled Olympics, since the time difference between here and Beijing has made it nearly impossible to avoid results coverage, at least for someone who has to spend as much time online as I do.

If you care, here's what happened.

Spent a chunk of last night watching DVRed coverage of the cross-country middle phase of the three-day (first day, dressage; third day, show jumping). It was odd, mostly because the NBC commentators were in a studio in New York, talking about a feed from Hong Kong over which they had no control. It was kind of like the Olympics version of "Mystery Science Theater 3000."

However, I am grateful to be able to see the full equestrian coverage at all (it's mostly on Oxygen, with bits on USA and NBC. Click here for info on Zap2it). If you've never checked out equestrian sports, just consider these points: men and women of different ages and all sizes compete together; geldings, stallions and mares (but not colts and fillies, since sport horses tend to be much older than racehorses when they start competing) of different ages, sizes and breeds compete together. It's all about who can do the job, whether human or equine. I like that. And horses are pretty. I like that, too.

Disclaimer: In case you were wondering why I was watching this stuff in the first place, it's because somewhere during my career as an entertainment journalist, I also spent three years covering equestrian sports on weekends as a freelancer for a no-longer-published regional equine magazine in the Northeast. I covered show jumping -- which I fell in love with watching TV coverage of the fabulous gray Thoroughbred Gem Twist and rider Greg Best winning home team and individual silvers in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul -- dressage, Thoroughbred racing, pairs carriage driving, the National Horse Show and a variety of other horsey subjects. I always joke that standing in the rain and the sun and the cold and the mud and the bugs and the horse poo at many outdoor shows was awesome training for the challenges of TV set and location visits.

I wasn't spoiled ahead of time on the results of the team mens gymnastics competition, but it ran so late that I just couldn't stay up. I put it on the DVR, but it ran over the stated finish time and was cut off prematurely, which I discovered to my chagrin this morning -- especially since I gave up my morning "Red Eye W/Greg Gutfeld" to watch. A day without the Halftime Report With Andy Levy is not a good day.

Worst of all, I'm a West Coaster, so I know this wasn't live while I was watching it. But NBC wants those primetime ratings across the country, so while I could have seen it all done and finished by 10 p.m. my time, instead I missed it. Same thing happens here for the Emmy Awards. At least we get most other sports events and the Academy Awards truly live.

End of whining (but, in my defense, I'm not the only one). Thanks for your attention. I now return you to the Beijing Olympics, already in progress.

Today's cuppa: Hi-test

Watching "Top Gear" on BBC America (it's on tonight!) has helped me rediscover my inner car girl (I come from a family of auto-racing fans, mostly Formula 1 and Indy cars), and the idea of NBC remaking the show has me both excited and anxious.

Both of these conditions have resulted in more than one conversation with and e-mail to the lovely and patient Craig Plestis, the senior vice president of alternative programs, development and specials at NBC Entertainment, which makes him the executive responsible for the development of the show.

I even took this picture of a Lamborghini in a rather startling shade of Halloween-pumpkin orange outside the Beverly Hilton Hotel just to show Plestis.
He e-mailed back, "I'll take two!"

Anyway, on a recent visit to CBS' "Million Dollar Password," I caught up with celebrity contestant -- and host of NBC's "Top Gear" -- Adam Carolla and got a few of his thoughts on the show so far and whether he's nervous at all.

"We did the pilot," he said. "It came out pretty good. I'm encouraged by that, so I'm looking forward to it. I think it's going to work out OK.

"I'm really weird and cosmic, whatever. There are a couple of things. A, I think I'm really good at it, so I'm not that worried about it. And B, even if it doesn't work out, it's put me together with the subject of cars and then let me improvise. Pair me with some guys I can screw around with, and we're done. That's as much as you're going to need.

"I'm not going to get nervous about stuff I'm good at. I'll save that for stuff I'm bad at. If I was hosting a spelling bee, I would be very nervous about it, but I'm going to be talking about cars and cracking wise."

Asked about the effect of the oil crisis and rising gas prices on "Top Gear," Carolla said, "In a way, people are talking about cars even more than they ever were.They're just talking about different cars. And you can do supercars with diesel. Audi's R8, the next one's going to be a diesel."

As for his dream car, Carolla names the Lamborghini Miura. Click here to see a segment on the Miura from the original "Top Gear."

Last but not least, here's this week's edition of my print column "We'd Like to See," which takes on the question of how this car show can survive reports of an energy crisis.

NBC is still working on its version of the hit BBC car show "Top Gear," which airs in the States on BBC America.
The hosts have been announced: radio and TV personality Adam Carolla ("The Man Show," "Dancing With the Stars"); stunt and rally driver Tanner Foust, the host of "SuperCars Exposed" on Speed Channel, and former soap opera actor and construction expert Eric Stromer, the host of HGTV's "Over Your Head."
If it's anything like the original, which has aired in some form on the BBC since 1977, "Top Gear" will discuss auto trends, feature test drives of superfast supercars, and do wild and outrageous stunts, turning cars into everything from a boat to a space shuttle.
With the addition of host Jeremy Clarkson in the late '80s, the formerly sedate "Top Gear" became a boys paradise, with luscious shots of gleaming sports cars speeding through puddles and across brightly lit runways at night.
Unfortunately, each of these cars also burns gas at a rate only slightly under the entire consumption of certain Third World nations.
This raises the question of whether rising gas prices in America will put the brakes on the freewheeling style of "Top Gear" when it comes to NBC (on the other hand, gas costs a lot more in the U.K., but that hasn't slowed the show down over there).
So I'd like to offer a few humble suggestions to keep its tanks topped off.
Let's imagine...
On the British show, there was an attempt to grow fuel, as the hosts tried to pilot tractors across a field and plant rapeseed, which can be converted into biodiesel.
The scheme was a miserable failure, but perhaps NBC could buy a large portion of some flood-ravaged Midwestern state and devote it entirely to growing plants that could be made into ethanol. If that also fails, the network might get a gardening show out of it.
NBC could fund the building of a new oil refinery, with a certain amount of its output designated for the Porsches and Lamborghinis of "Top Gear." Hey, we need a new refinery. Maybe Jay Leno could write the check. He drives cars, too.
NBC could buy one of each of the new models of sports cars, gut them and convert them to burning vegetable oil. We don't have Smell-O-Vision, so viewers won't suddenly get a yen for popcorn or tacos.
The "Top Gear" hosts could take up bicycle racing instead.
The show's test drives could all be simulated in front of a green screen. If it was good enough for "Speed Racer," it should be good enough for "Top Gear."
All the world's supercar manufacturers could make hybrid models that look just as good as the real thing. Of course, you couldn't rev the engines in park, but that's what sound effects are for.

Today's cuppa: PG Tips tea

Might be a career-ender to admit it, but some things are just as much fun to watch in the morning as TV -- even the previous night's "Red Eye."  Happy hummingbird! (More TV-related goodies later today)

Click on images for a larger version:

Today's cuppa: Barry's Irish breakfast tea

Just finished watching the last bit of last night's opening ceremonies at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing (I faded a bit after 11).

Here are some of the words and phrases that came to mind:

Gorgeous
Stunning
Masterful technology
Artistically impressive
Clockwork precision
Charming
Dang, did you see that?
Touching
Glorious
Sorry, Ralph Lauren, I don't think those hats will be the new Roots berets. Nice jackets, tho!
Thrilling
Dazzling...

but...

Trying really hard
Don't ask what's behind the curtain
Leni Riefenstahl would have been impressed and possibly intimidated

Now I can search the dial for the equestrian events ... (while being spoiled every single morning I turn on my computer. Ah, well).

Today's cuppa: Barry's Irish breakfast tea in the morning and Northern Lights strawberry-maple tea in the afternoon.

Monday, I spent the day watching tapings of CBS' game show "Million Dollar Password," and the kind folks there let me bring the camera along. I apologize in advance for the less-than-perfect photography conditions (and my less-than-stellar skills at manipulating the camera -- thanks for the advice, CBS photographer Cliff Lipson!).

Regis Philbin is host. The celebrity competitors for the episodes I saw were Adam Carolla (audio clips about NBC's version of "Top Gear" to come), sharp "Password" veteran Betty White, "The Amazing Race" host Phil Keoghan and "Big Brother" host Julie Chen.

For the record, the show has the coolest tea kettle I've ever seen on a craft-services table.

But first, a personal note. I'm not a regular game-show watcher, but I do have a yardstick for measuring what makes a compelling game show. If you're yelling at the TV screen, it's a good game show.

Before NBC's "Deal or No Deal" premiered, my editor and I had to make a quick decision on whether to do a feature story on it. I popped in the pilot DVD, and within five minutes, was verbally encouraging and berating the contestants.

I did the story.

Scroll down here for the piece, from December 18, 2005. It begins:

Somewhere in the misty depths of human history, a caveman may have been standing with an armload of ostrich eggs when suddenly he spied a tasty rabbit munching on a nearby berry bush.
As the rabbit threatened to hop away, this early human was faced with a decision -- drop the eggs, grab the slingshot tucked in the back of his loincloth and maybe wind up with roasted rabbit for dinner, or let the rabbit go and have a guaranteed, if less juicy and succulent, omelet.
Several thousand years of human civilization later, very little has changed...."

On the set of "Million Dollar Password" -- an updated version of the 1960s game show -- I yelled, cheered and mumbled hints under my breath. Must be a good game show.

Without further ado, the pictures, starting with the gorgeous set, Reege and White (click on images for a larger version):

Above is a look at the show's clue screen as it airs a clip from the original "Password," featuring White and her husband, the show's host Alan Ludden (or as she called him in conversation after the show, "my fella."). Below, clockwise: Keoghan and crew members; Carolla helping a contestant; Julie Chen ready to go in rehearsals; Keoghan looking kinda presidential behind a podium.

Today's cuppa: Yorkshire Gold hot tea, raspberry-pomegranate green iced tea and dark roast (room for milk) from the coffeeshop

Click here to go to my Zap2it story, which features series creator Javier Grillo-Marxuach talking about the future of ABC Family's "The Middleman."

As a bonus to loyal Cuppers, here are two additional audio clips from the interview (you might want to read the story first, then listen to these).

First up, Javi discusses the show's final episode, a mirror-universe story called "The Palindrome Reversal Palindrome," how the "Mirror, Mirror" Mr. Spock inspired him and the larger implications of facial hair.

And now here's Javi talking about his responsibilities in the making of good TV (and as you know, HCTV is in the tank for those that make good TV, those who watch it and for the troops -- whose sacrifices make possible the freedom to make and watch good TV.)

Today's cuppa: English afternoon tea (again, in the morning)

My Thom Beers fascination continues with this week's edition of my print TV-humor column, "We'd Like to See" (which,unfortunately, almost never winds up on the Web) -- and we haven't even gotten to my story for the premiere of Beers' NBC show, "America's Toughest Jobs."

Anyway, here's my mad imaginings about what would happen if very unlikely shows became video games:

"Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm" for Xbox 360 is a video game based on the crab-fishing Hansen brothers -- Sig, Edgar and Norman -- of the Northwestern, one of the regular ships featured on the hit Discovery Channel show.
It allows gamers to battle high seas, catch crabs and participate in United States Coast Guard rescues. (It's reportedly the first video game to feature Coast Guard vessels and helicopters.)
For those who think of video games as being all about monsters, aliens, auto and racing, crab fishing might not leap immediately to mind as a game genre. But just about any TV show can be turned into a video game, and if we all live long enough, they probably will.
Let's imagine:
"Nightline: You Be the Koppel": In this retro version of the late-night ABC news show, users get to be veteran newsman Ted Koppel as he tries to cover major news events during the show's 25-year-plus history while being urged by marketing executives to cover other topics. As Koppel, users must make the case for covering the Middle East peace accord in September 1995 instead of doing a week's worth of programs on the revival of "The New Adventures of Flipper" (starring, by the way, Jessica Alba). Or, the computer-generated Koppel fights for coverage of the presidential election in the fall of 2000, as opposed to a week's worth of the sweeps episodes of "Dark Angel" (starring, by the way, Jessica Alba).
"The Bachelor": Really, you should be able to come up with a rough idea of this one on your own. Just think girls, bikinis and hot tubs -- and maybe exploding roses.
"Hannity & Colmes: Red and Blue Rage Deathmatch": A strange combination of political chatfest and an animated version of Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em Robots, this exciting 3-D game allows users to indulge their fantasies about turning the show's shouting matches into "Deathmatch" cage fights. Along with Sean Hannity vs. Alan Colmes (with an automatic handicap for the milder-mannered Colmes), other match-ups feature Susan Estrich versus Ann Coulter, and the Rev. Al Sharpton versus Newt Gingrich.
"Attack of the Show: The Mobius Loop": Video game versions of the hosts of this G4 show that often focuses on video games talk about video game versions of real video games. Then everyone's head explodes.
"Make Your Own ... E! True Hollywood Story": Users build a profile of a fictitious celebrity by assembling such standard elements as "The Discovery," "The Sudden Rise to Fame," "Trouble in Paradise," "The Fall From Grace," "Rehab," "The Unfortunate Sex Tape," "Rehab II" and "The Comeback" -- followed by "Rehab III" and "Reality Show Purgatory."
"Dirty Jobs: Down & Dirty": Different levels include "The World of Poo," "You Want Me to Crawl Through What?" and "Violating Farm Animals."

Today's cuppa: Yorkshire Gold tea, chased with vanilla-nut coffee from the craft service table at CBS' "Million Dollar Password"

I spent today losing my objectivity while watching tapings of CBS' "Million Dollar Password," with host Regis Philbin. Happy to report that the folks who won money really seemed to deserve it (and I cheered and clapped appropriately). Took a bunch of pix, enough to kill the battery in my camera, so as soon as that's charged up again, I'll pull a few to post.

Also had chats with celebrity players Adam Carolla (and yes, we talked about "Top Gear," and yes, I will share), "Password" legend Betty White (who's lost none of her edge in the game) and "The Amazing Race" host Phil Keoghan (who did fine despite being worried about being paired with Julie Chen, wife of CBS big boss Les Moonves).

More on all this another day, but last Friday, I ended my week at ABC Family's "The Middleman," during filming of its 12th and last episode. In lieu of a 13th episode, creator Javier Grillo-Marxuach got an extra day of filming on his mirror-universe version of the show, "The Palindrome Reversal Palindrome," featuring usually straight-laced Matt Keeslar as a Middleman by way of Snake Plissken from "Escape From New York."

My chat with Javi will appear as a story on Zap2it.com and in syndication (I'll alert you all when it's up), but in the meantime here's some pix from the set. And BTW, it was "dress like Javi" day, which may account for the "gay/straight shoes" worn by script supervisor Nancy Solomon and the black t-shirt and jeans (unseen in the photo, but I vouch for their existence) worn by assistant director Derek Johansen (both are alumni of "Charmed," as is Javi).

Click on images for a larger version.

We start with Javi's shoes:

Everybody looks cooler in the Mirror Middleverse (check out the guns on Keeslar below, in a pic from Javi's blog).

Also, in honor of the Mirror Middleverse, everybody wears goatees (it's a Spock thing). Derek has the chimp; Javi has the world's coolest (and heaviest) watch. And the set gets a new street address.

And now, the Middlemobiles.

Today's cuppa: Yorkshire Gold tea (sipped outdoors this morning, watching a hummingbird at the feeder)

Confession time: I've been watching "Doctor Who" since I was a kid, starting with Tom Baker, the fourth actor to play the role (tall, big nose, curly hair, floppy hat, long scarf). I used to belong to a "Doctor Who" fan club, which met monthly in a public library. As a matter of fact, I met my mentor in all things tea, the estimable Tia Cupps, at said "Doctor Who" fan club. So when I talk about "Doctor Who," I know whereof I speak.

At the risk of hyperbole, let me say that, by virtue of its longevity, consistency and boundless imagination, the BBC's "Doctor Who" is the greatest TV show ever. It's now in its fifth decade, has produced over 750 episodes and in on its 10th actor playing the enigmatic, two-hearted alien Time Lord known only as the Doctor (when he's fatally wounded, he regenerates in a new body -- perhaps the single most useful plot twist in TV history).

The current incarnation, starring the quicksilver David Tennant, just finished its most recent season Friday night on Sci Fi Channel -- if you want to catch up, BBC America airs the show one season behind Sci Fi -- and "Journey's End" was a whopper.

Click on the first and third links in the paragraph above for a review and description of the episode (as with all "Doctor Who" episodes,it's complicated), but in brief, it encapsulates everything that has kept this series going for lo these many years.

It was epic; it was deeply personal; it was about the end of everything; it was about the beginning of everything; it was about heroes, martyrs, saints and sinners (and some who were more than one of the above); it was about love; it was about hate; it was about self-discovery; it was about fate; it was about free will; it was about worlds mended and hearts broken.

Perhaps because "Doctor Who" spent decades with low budgets and cheesy special effects, it has always relied on performances and writing to carry the day. In reviving the franchise four seasons ago, show-runner Russell T. Davies -- now replaced with Steven Moffat of "Coupling" fame, but his first season won't air until 2010, partly because Tennant is rocking "Hamlet" in London -- picked up that torch and sprinted with it. "Doctor Who" is at once about the grandest themes possible and about the smallest human moments.

And despite positively prodigious amounts of technobabble, it never loses its heart (even the Doctor's spaceship, the TARDIS, has a heart of its own).

It's also profoundly optimistic about the human race. In "Journey's End," all of existence is saved because the immense knowledge and wisdom of a Time Lord -- a universe-spanning, omnipotent race of which the Doctor is the last -- was wedded temporarily to the ingenuity of a human being.

"Doctor Who" will frequently make you laugh, and it will occasionally make you cry.

So, go tune in, get a DVD or download an episode and come on the ride. It's always a good time to know "Who."

Today's cuppa: English afternoon tea, in the morning (living on the edge, here)

I haven't mentioned this in a while because there's still no move toward a strike vote, and the SAG (Screen Actors Guild) members continue to work under the conditions of the previous pact, which expired June 30. One presumes -- or probably more accurately, hopes -- that talks are proceeding.

But that doesn't mean nothing is going on.

After much sniping between SAG and AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists), which ratified its own contract with the AMPTP (Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers), the battle lines have been redrawn within SAG itself.

A group calling itself United for Strength is fielding a slate of candidates for the Sept. 18 election for the SAG Board of Directors, opposing an established group calling itself MembershipFirst, which United for Strength holds responsible for the contract negotiation difficulties (and the current rancorous atmosphere between SAG and AFTRA, which have many members in common).

I wouldn't presume to know the ins and outs of a union to which I don't belong, so it's hard to tell if this development represents healthy dissent or the beginnings of a fundamental breakdown. That will be for the actors to decide and time to tell.

One interesting thing I did learn is that either SAG or AFTRA -- depending on various conditions -- can have jurisdiction over scripted cable shows. For example, when I was on the set of ABC Family's "The Middleman," I was told that show is under AFTRA jurisdiction.

Considering the growth in scripted cable, this is probably one of the issues SAG and AFTRA continue to work out between themselves.

Of course, at the heart of all this is the ongoing chaos surrounding new media and the Internet -- in particular, in the case of TV shows, digital distribution and how that affects residual payments -- which is ripping asunder the fabric of the entire media industry right now, from music to movies to TV to newspapers.

The only thing that's for certain is that the evolution of distribution models will not stop, and if it can be slowed at all, it won't be by much or for very long. Nothing can be taken for granted anymore, most of all the audience.

One result of the digital revolution is to free viewers and users from the confines of the traditional information pipelines. Media used to be funneled to people through specific gateways, whether it was a TV-network schedule, the local news broadcast or the local paper.

The gatekeepers have now discovered that the barbarians are not only at the gates, but they went over them a while ago.

People are rapidly getting used to choosing when and through what means they consume their media. They want to watch what they want when they want, and the traditional ad-supported model -- which depended on a limited number of outlets controlling how media was distributed, thereby concentrating consumer eyeballs -- is falling apart.

As the Writers Guild of America, which went on a three-month strike in late 2007 and early 2008, SAG, AFTRA and the newspaper world fight over each one's piece of the media pie, it's probably a good idea to look up once in a while to make sure the pie's still there.

More than ever, the audience now rules. With mouse and TV remote in hand, an increasing number of them is in no mood to be dictated to anymore about when and how TV shows and movies can be watched.

On the upside, the audience's appetite for shows and movies hasn't diminished, so the trick is going to be figuring out how to build and maintain the new distribution pipelines and how to make sure everybody gets paid.

After all, it's show business, not show fun.

Speaking of "The Middleman," I'm heading there later today to catch a few minutes with creator Javier Grillo-Marxuach during filming on their last episode (don't know if it will air last, it's just filming last). Can't give many deets, but here's a clue.

No, this doesn't mean Leonard Nimoy is guesting on the show (not that that would be a bad thing). I'm talking more theme here.

And yes, this is my own action figure. And no, it isn't my only action figure. You got a problem with that?