December 2008 Archives

Today's cuppa: English breakfast tea latte from the coffeeshop

Many of us still have real estate on the brain as 2008 winds down, whether we're directly or indirectly affected by the burst of the bubble. I decided to close out my syndicated Open Letter column for 2008 -- and this is the last one, since I'm devoting time to other efforts in 2009 -- to how television is dealing with the rapidly changing situation.

Best wishes to you and yours for a prosperous, peaceful and healthy New Year...

'Tis the New Year, time for holiday goodie regrets, fervent promises to improve and bold predictions for the future.

Last year, I'm sure there were plenty of regrets, but I wonder if any of the promises involved not taking out a home-equity loan, signing on to a mortgage that was too large or running up the credit card to get that big-screen plasma television.

And I'm pretty darn sure that nobody predicted the economy would fall apart like a cheap suit before the autumn leaves had a chance to fall.

You gotta love experts -- they're right, right up until the day they're wrong. And the day after that, somebody puts their mugs on television to do it all over again.

This goes double for economists.

Anyway, hope springs eternal, so HGTV is not even waiting for New Year's Day dinner to be put on the table before it trots out shows that find the silver lining in the dark real-estate-crash cloud (of course, if you're a renter looking to buy on the cheap, it's a happy, happy time -- just try not to grin too broadly around your homeowner friends whose ARMs just adjusted).

In the afternoon on Thursday, Jan. 1, the cablenet previews a new bunch of shows dealing with various aspects of the housing situation.

They are...

"The Unsellables": British property guru Sofie Allsopp and contractor Anthony Sayers advise home sellers how to spruce up the less-than-appealing parts of their homes to help raise the asking price and get the place sold.

"Desperate to Buy": Says the press release, "Even in this economy, there are still reasons why people need to buy a home in a hurry." Yeah, those old-fashioned reasons, like needing a place to live, rather than trying to make a quick buck. But I digress. On this show, viewers follow anxious home buyers through the high-stress purchase process.

"Income Property": Nope, this isn't house flipping; it's more like the modern equivalent of taking in boarders. Homeowners transform unused spaces into "rental suites" to help defray mortgage costs.

There's another show, "The Property Shop," about the "madcap" adventures of a real estate agent, but that airs later in the evening. Yep, it actually says "madcap" in the press release.

I've wondered before, and no doubt will again, where the real estate TV show craze will go in the new economic reality. This looks like another indication that the genre has come down to earth (that is, except for the "madcap" agent, perhaps -- and maybe the annual HGTV "Dream Home," airing New Year's night. Click here for details.)

And when you're done watching all these shows, may I humbly recommend "The Dave Ramsey Show," weeknights on Fox Business Network? The folksy, plain-spoken Ramsey, who's also a radio host and author, counsels people on how to get and live debt-free.

Today's cuppa: French vanilla office coffee

Made my unexpected radio debut yesterday on TVTalkRadio at blogtalkradio.com. Am told the show won't be up on the radio station until the weekend, but it's available as a podcast. And just because I like you, I'm also making it available here. Click here for the full broadcast; I come in somewhere around the 26-minute mark.

It was my first time, so be kind. I should return on Thursday, Jan. 7, sometime shortly after 3 p.m. PST.

Today's cuppa: Mystic Monk cowboy blend coffee (in the office)

With the New Year nearly upon us, I thought I'd take the temperature of the crowd regarding some returning, new and departing shows. Cuppers have surprised me in these polls so far; I suspect they will again. Vote! (All polls should be multiple choice)

Today's cuppa: Stash Christmas Morning tea (not just for Christmas morning anymore)

Tonight on CBS, "Million Dollar Password" and host Regis Philbin welcome back the first lady of "Password," former "Golden Girls" star Betty White -- and I mean that literally, since she was married to the late Allen Ludden, host of the original version of "Password," which aired on CBS daytime (and occasionally in primetime) from 1961 to 1967.

Her celebrity partner in this episode is comedian, comedy writer and TV personality Adam Carolla, seen most recently on "Dancing With the Stars."

Back in early August, I attended the Los Angeles taping for tonight's episode and took some pictures, a few of which are below. Included among  them is a shot of a black-and-white clip of the original "Password," featuring frequent contestant White and Ludden. Then I grabbed a few minutes after the taping to talk to White and Carolla. But first, the pix (click on images for larger version):

White is shown at right working with a female contestant, but there was also a young man -- sadly, I didn't get a good picture of him, but his back is in the wide shot below -- who said that he had long dreamed of appearing on the show with White and had been a fan for years.

"Bless his heart!" said White afterward. "He was so sweet."

He wasn't the only White fan in the room. When she came out, people in the audience stood up (the CBS publicist commented that was the first time that had ever happened). Some shouted out things like "Betty, you rock!" or started singing "Thank You for Being a Friend," the "Golden Girls" theme song.

 "Were they?" said White. "With all the noise, you can't hear it up there. Believe me, it's much appreciated."

Asked what it's like to play on-camera, White says, "When the money amount gets up high, panic sets in, let's face it. You get so worried about not making the money for your partner that you can't think of a word."

White did darn well from what I saw. Said Carolla, "She's sharp. If I'm even alive at her age, I'll be happy."

He also acknowledged the nerves, saying, "It's like, define nervous versus adrenaline. I guess adrenaline helps you fend off a bear attacking you, and nervous is bad, because it makes you ruin your date.

"I guess the question is, do you do worse in this situation, or do you excel in it? I'm probably about even."

Since White was married to the original "Password" host, I wondered if she'd take a run at Philbin.

"Marry Regis?" White said. "Well, I asked him the last time I did the show, and he turned me off. So I thought I'd try again today, but I don't think he's interested."

Of course, there is the issue of Philbin already being married.

"It's either that," White quipped, "or I think he's tired of the commuting, because I won't move to New York, so he has to come out here. It won't work."

Asked what she thought upon seeing the clip featuring her and Ludden, White said, "Oh, that was such fun, and to see my fella, it got me by the throat, it really did."

But that doesn't mean White disapproves of Philbin.

"I think he does a wonderful job," White said. "It's different, but I think he's marvelous. The whole show is so different. Ten cameras on a game show! But that's how the world has turned and changed."

Although White did lose Ludden, she has kept in touch with Bob Stewart, who created "Password" and other game shows for Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions. Among his other creations are "To Tell the Truth," "The Price Is Right" and the "Pyramid" franchise, starting in 1973 with "The $10,000 Pyramid."

"We've stayed friends through the years," White said. "We have a silly poker club. It's just a silly, giggly poker club that we have. So I'm playing poker with him next week. That should be fun."

As to whether she's a good poker player, White said, "No, but I have an awful lot of fun with that, too."

She also still enjoys "Password" as much as ever, saying, "It's such a good game, and it's such fun to play. Let's say you're flipping your dial -- you just can't go by it. You have to participate. You can't just look at it and not play."

The only disadvantage of being in the studio is I couldn't do what you all do at home -- shout out answers at the contestants. But I'll get my chance tonight. and I plan to take it. And if you miss the episode, it will be made available to watch online at CBS.com.

Today's cuppa: French vanilla coffee

'Tis Boxing Day, and I find myself unable to engage in the traditional St. Stephen's Day activity of rising before dawn, downing a hot rum punch and riding to the hounds across grassy fields silvered with hoarfrost in the early morning chill.

Bummer.

Instead, I'm in cool, windy but very sunny Los Angeles, thinking up a list of my favorite TV shows of the past year. Well, as I'm unable to remember exactly what I was watching in February and whether I liked it better than I like the shows I'm watching now, to heck with that.

So, here's my first annual Hot Cuppa TV List of All the Shows I Liked in 2008 That I Can Remember Right Now (feel free to play along at home; your results may vary, especially if your memory is better than mine). These are presented in the order that I think of them. No further ranking is intended nor should be inferred.

"The Shield" (FX): See here and here and here. 'Nuff said.

"The Wire" (HBO): Yeah, I know hardly any of you saw this excellent urban drama, but all five seasons are available in one honking big DVD set, so get on it. You'll feel better and smarter for it, not to mention able to negotiate West Baltimore with your eyes closed (but, considering the area, not recommended).

"Lost" (ABC): Started out last fall kind of meh, then turned awesome. Hoping for more awesome when it returns.

"Dirty Jobs" (Discovery Channel): Still dirty, still starring Mike Rowe (who suffers in a more entertaining way than anybody I know in current television), still consistently gross and hilarious.

"The Middleman" (ABC Family): Click here and here. Took a long time to come to TV then left far too soon. If only they'd gotten the Middleman half-undressed earlier, it might have helped.

"Chuck" (NBC): Clever, fun, heartfelt and cute as all get out, this comedy-drama sparkled last year and is positively coruscating this year (and you thought George Lucas made up the name of the city-planet Coruscant. Not exactly.). And I adore John Casey (Adam Baldwin), especially when he salutes his photo of the Gipper.

"NCIS" (CBS): Then, now and likely in the future, one of my (and 18, 19 or so other million people) favorite shows. Never miss it.

"Groomer Has It" (Animal Planet): Proof that any show can grab your interest if you let guard down. Heaven help me, I'll probably watch the second season, too.

"Deadliest Ice Road Ax Men" (Discovery & History Channels): Hard-working men on boats, in trucks and running through the woods. As long as they keep working, I'll keep watching.

"Bones" (Fox): I still can't bring myself to love the character of Temperance Brennan -- though the actress who plays her is just charming -- but this intelligent, witty procedural is a must-watch. And David Boreanaz is the prettiest -- or so all of you told me. Still hoping for the "Bones"/"House" crossover with Stephen Fry. I've done my part.

"Dancing With the Stars" (ABC): Grumpy about the ending again this year -- my guy didn't make it -- but it still makes me happy.

"CSI: Miami" (CBS): Don't ask. Can't 'splain it. Can't stop watching.

"Supernatural" (The CW): Several seasons in, this one just gets better and more ambitious. And click here to see why it features my current favorite angel.

That's all I've got right now. Apologies to everyone I've forgotten, no doubt I'll do an addendum before the year ends.

Today's cuppa: Stash Christmas Morning tea (a gift from my brother!)

On Wednesday, Dec. 24, Christmas Eve, NBC airs the perennial holiday classic, "It's a Wonderful Life," with Jimmy Stewart as the despondent George Bailey, who gets an angelic intervention.

During its years in the public doman, this movie was aired to death on innumerable channels, until NBC took it in, remastered it and began presenting it as a holiday-season event. Not everybody loves it -- such as the writer of this New York Times article -- and those who do love it sometimes have a far rosier memory of it than the movie's rather dark theme merits.

At least, that's what I and my mentor in all things tea, the estimable Tia Cupps, think. In the second installment of "Cuppa With Cupps," we dissect the themes of the movie, explore how George Bailey relates to Jack Bauer of "24" and Ebenezer Scrooge of "A Christmas Carol."

We also discuss our favorite Christmas movies, whether "It's a Wonderful Life" could be remade successfully, and share our mutual obsession with the televised Yule Log.

Don't be scared by the number of parts; the whole thing's a little under 30 minutes.

Part one:

Part two:

Part three:

Part four:

Part five:

Part six:

laToday's cuppa: French vanilla office coffee

Last week, I did a couple of posts -- click here and here -- in which "Battlestar Galactica" executive producer Ronald D. Moore talked about the reinvention of the "Trek" franchise (where he began his writing career) and the upcoming "Galactica" prequel spin-off, "Caprica."

Here he digs a little more into the writing process, talking about what doing "Galactica," with its dark vision of a remnant of humanity on the run and struggling for survival, taught him about screenwriting.

"It taught me that you really can stick to your guns and do a good show. You can do a smart show and really ask a lot of the audience. You can challenge them. You can not deliver Pablum, and they will go with you.

"You don't have to give the easy answers week to week. You don't have to have uncomplicated heroes who always do the right thing and always save the day, that you can really challenge the audience.

"That's a fundamental lesson. There wasn't a place we wanted to go that the audience didn't go there with us. We had episodes that didn't succeed as well as others, like any show, but I don't think there was anything philosophically that we wanted to do, that the audience wasn't willing to go along for the ride."

In recent years, the less-than-heroic hero has become more common in primetime TV, whether it's Tony Soprano ("The Sopranos"), Dr. Gregory House ("House") or Vic Mackey ("The Shield").

"I think that's really great," Moore said. "It's a great time to be writing characters on TV. TV has really allowed its characters to be ambiguous, to not be so cookie-cutter, to just have to be good guys all the time.

"You can root for the quote, unquote, bad guys, and you can root for characters who, at first glance, you can't stand. You can come to appreciate them. They change. You can wonder where they're going and yet be compelled to watch them the very next week."

As for what he wanted to teach the people who worked on his show, Moore said, "I just wanted them to take ownership of the show. I had a philosophy that we all owned a piece of this; we were all going to have our names on it; and the most important thing in this business was to do work you're proud of.

"The hours don't matter; the money doesn't really matter; nothing matters except that credit. You can say, 'I was on that show.' You can look back and say, '"Battlestar Galactica," I'm proud of that.' I wanted ev erybody to sign on it when they came aboard, and I think they did.

"I think it shows in the product. It is informed by good decisions of hundreds of people beyond me, who made decisions on every little piece, on every prop, on every costume, every visual-effects shot, every sound effect, on and on and on.

"All these people took great pride in what they were doing, and they wanted it to be the best it could possibly be."

If you'd like to own a piece of "Galactica," click here for more information.

Today's cuppa: Mystic Monk decaf chocolate mint coffee

(Original photos are from my recent visit to the Nixon Library. Click here to see more.)

It's Sunday, Dec. 21, the occasion of the Winter Solstice -- the shortest day and longest night of the year -- and, in 2008, the beginning of Hanukkah after sundown. Christmas is still a few days off, and the shopping frenzy continues in high gear.

In this week's Open Letter column, I offer a few suggestions for frazzled grownups in need of a holiday from the holiday (no endorsement of particular versions of DVDs is intended or should be inferred -- buy or rent whatever you want. Also, apologies in advance to "Twas the Night Before Christmas" author Clement Moore):

'Tis Christmas and Hanukkah week, and all through the land, mommies and daddies (and aunties and unkies) really need a hand. The children are tucked all snug in their beds, as visions of XBox and gelt dance in their heads. Down on the couch, weariness reigns, born of building and wrapping and a variety of pains.

Come the dawn, peace and contentment will flee, as voices low and high proclaim, "Which one's for me?"

But tonight, just tonight, the TV's all ours. We have the remote; we have the power. The moon shines on the breast of the new-fallen snow, the popcorn's all popped, and the lights are down low.

So, let's see what's on to help the grownups go ho, ho, ho...

"Eight Crazy Nights" (2002): Don't be fooled by the animation, this holiday musical tosses in enough scatological humor and comments about adult subjects to warrant sending the tender tots off to slumberland before popping it into the DVD player.

Producer, co-writer (with Brooks Arthur, Allen Covert and Brad Isaacs) and lead voice Adam Sandler stars as small-town drunken misanthrope Davey Stone, who avoids jail time when a volunteer ref from Davey's old youth-basketball league offers him a chance to fulfill community service by being a referee in training.

Davey starts off on the wrong foot, but a chance meeting with an old flame (voice of Sandler's wife, Jackie Titone) and the holiday magic in a long-lost Hanukkah card just may get him back on track.

"Die Hard" (1988): Not usually thought of as a Christmas movie, this action classic takes place on Christmas Eve, as NYPD Detective John McClane (Bruce Willis) plans to meet his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) at her L.A. office holiday party, only to wind up in the middle of a theft designed to look like terrorism.

In between the gunplay, fistfights and explosions, the movie also takes on love, friendship, marriage, loyalty, family and gratitude -- all things perfectly appropriate to any holiday far. And it created a whole new fan base for "Ode to Joy" from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.

"Scrooge" (1951): Do not, under any circumstances, watch the colorized version. Stick with the black-and-white original, even if the kids won't be interested. One of the best-ever "A Christmas Carol" adaptations, it touches on all the story's classic themes.

In particular, it emphasizes that Scrooge's (Alistair Sim) happiness is not connected with abandoning his material wealth but instead voluntarily sharing it with Tiny Tim, the Cratchit family and the City of London at large -- a good message for the fortunate among us, especially at this time of the year and in this stormy economic climate.

A happy holiday to all, and to all a good night.

Obviously these three films represent just a fraction of fabulous Christmas films (unfortunately, they represent a vastly larger percentage of Hanukkah films -- get with it, Hollywood!). What's your favorite holiday viewing after the kids have gone to bed? Comments open!

Tonight's cuppa: Irish breakfast tea

I promised this post today, and since today doesn't end for another two hours or so, I'm good.

During a recent conversation with "Battlestar Galactica" producer Ronald D. Moore, the topic of "Star Trek" came up -- click here for the first half of the chat, which I posted yesterday -- because he cut his screenwriting teeth working on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "Star Trek: Voyager."

He seems pretty excited about the new "Star Trek" movie -- which features younger versions of the characters from the original 1960s series -- and made a good case for giving director J.J. Abrams and writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman plenty of leeway in reinventing the franchise.

There just may be some numbers to back up his argument.

Back in November, I did "Franchise Wars" polls, in which Cuppers picked their favorite TV franchises and their favorite entries in each franchise, then published the results on Nov. 22. I shared the "Trek" portion with Moore to see what he thought.

As a reminder, here are the "Star Trek' results:

What is your favorite "Star Trek" series?

• "Star Trek" -- 7%
• "Star Trek: The Next Generation" -- 30%
• "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" -- 30%
• "Star Trek: Voyager" -- 22%
• "Star Trek: Enterprise" -- 7%
• "Star Trek: The Animated Series" -- 4%

Me: "Star Trek" (with "DSN" running a close second).

Gee, with such low numbers for the 1960s original series, I can only guess that the poll voters fall on the younger end of the 18-49 demographic, since people often (though not always) hold closest to their heart the "Trek" they grew up with -- but I'm happy to see a little love tossed the way of the oft-overlooked. Emmy-winning Saturday-morning animated show from the mid-'70s.

"If anything," Moore said, "(your poll results) should tell you that it's time to reinvent the original. It's not on anyone's radar anymore. It's receded pretty far into the past, and it can be reinvented once you cross that threshold."

Upon viewing the numbers I was dismayed to see how poorly the original series fared, which may be a measure of how many generations have now grown up on a different "Star Trek."

"I am shocked," said Moore. "The one you grow up with is the one you bond with, the one you take in, and then you branch out and see the others.

'I'm surprised that 'Deep Space' is right up there with 'Next Gen.' That's certainly not the way it was. I'm encouraged by that."

"Enterprise" tried to return to a time even before the original series, in hopes of recapturing the magic. But it scored no higher than '60s "Trek," despite being the most recent iteration, having ended in 2005.

"I think 'Enterprise' misunderstood what the original 'Trek' was," Moore said. "I don't think they were shooting at the right target."

Moore also liked that "Trek" scored lowest in another poll asking with franchise Cuppers ignored.

"I have a running joke with my wife," Moore said, "that it's very difficult to go through an entire day without encountering one 'Star Trek' reference in some form."

Moore has wound up in another franchise of his own making, since his "Battlestar Galactica" is a re-imagined version of a short-lived 1970s series.

He's also spun off webisodes and and a movie called "Razor," which filled in an untold story during the show's run. Another movie, "The Plan," set in an earlier season of "Galactica," and directed by series star Edward James Olmos, is on the docket for the near future.

In addition, Sci Fi Channel has given a 20-episode order to "Caprica," a prequel spin-off set 50 years earlier in the universe of "Galactica," which begins its final 10-episode run on Jan. 16.

Starring Eric Stoltz, Esai Morales, Paula Malcomson and Polly Walker, "Caprica" follows the powerful Graystone and Adama families as they compete for power and success on the 12 Colonies during the the years leading up to the creation of the artificially intelligent, robotic Cylons, which eventually turn on their masters.

"I was delighted when the 'Caprica' pickup came," said Moore. "I was delighted that the 'Battlestar' universe would continue, and I could continue to play in that world, much more than I thought I would.

"I really thought of them as very separate projects, very separate moods and feelings to them, and I really wasn't connecting one to the other.

"But when the pickup came, I'd already completed most of the post-production work on the remaining episodes of 'Galactica.' It was something to look forward to and go, 'Wow, there really is something more to tell in this world.'"

Of course, the whole theme of "Battlestar Galactica" is humanity coping after the fall, but "Caprica" goes back to when the residents of the 12 Colonies are riding high.

Asked if this poses a challenge in finding the right tone while retaining the "Galactica" flavor, Moore says, "'Caprica' is a period piece in 'Galactica' terms. The way the pilot turned out, so strong, and the fact that it did feel like it stood on its own two feet and was a genuinely different period of time to deal with...I don't know. I liked the vibe of it.

"I'm very encouraged to see what we can do."

UPDATE: Click here for newer post with more Moore.

Tonight's cuppa: Mystic Monk decaf chocolate mint coffee

This syndicated feature isn't technically scheduled to run until the week of Dec 21, but the good folks at the Buffalo News just couldn't wait that long, and since former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's talk show airs every weekend on Fox News, they didn't have to.

Click here to see an edited version of my conversation with the 2008 GOP presidential-primary contender, conducted as he crossed Texas in late November on his recent book tour.

And just as a bonus, here are a few more excerpts from the interview, starting with a chunk of the story at the end that was edited out for length:

...And even though fellow GOP presidential contender Gov. Mitt Romney comes in for some sharp criticism in "Do the Right Thing," Huckabee still hopes his former rival will stop by.
"I'm not sure he wants to," Huckabee says. "I'd be happy to have him."
As for other political guests, Huckabee says, "We have tentative commitments, when they arrange their schedules, from both Bill and Hillary Clinton, Tony Blair, Al Gore. I'd love to have Henry Kissinger. I'd love to get Colin Powell.
"They know they're going to have a civil interview. It's not going to be, 'Hey, let me show you some videotape of something totally embarrassing to you,' because that's not my point."

Asked who he thinks are the up-and-comers in the GOP, Huckabee said, "(Alaska Gov.) Sarah Palin would certainly be on the list, just by virtue of the position she was able to have by being the Veep candidate. (Louisiana Gov.) Bobby Jindal would be on that list. (Gov.) John Huntsman of Utah is an exceptionally bright and very underappreciated talent in the Republican Party, very thoughtful and effective governor.

"(Gov.) Mitch Daniels is another person with broad and vast and deep experience. There are many others."

I mentioned Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, whose name was often brought up during the campaign as a contender for the Veep slot on the GOP ticket.

"He's a very good guy," Huckabee said, "very good. Tim's a good friend as well."

As to what Huckabee would like folks to know about him, he said, "You know, maybe that my goal is to have a whole lot of fun myself and figuring that if I'm having a good time, the audience would as well. I'm always wanting to improve the show and my own capacity to do it, but I want to get the kind of guests on where I'm sitting there thinking, 'I want to hear what that guy has to say.'

"By the time the interview's finished, I want people to say, 'I sure am glad I listened to that, because I learned something I didn't know."

UPDATE: 12/21 -- Turns out the Buffalo News isn't the only paper jumping the gun on Huckabee -- click here to see the story in The Oklahoman. Thanks, NewsOK!

UPDATE: On 12/21, the Journal-Gazette shows the Huck some pickup love.

Today's cuppa: Costa Rican medium brew from the coffeeshop

On Tuesday, Jan. 16, "Battlestar Galactica" begins its last run of regular episodes on Sci Fi Channel, marking the end of a long, strange journey for the human survivors of a Cylon attack -- and for the show's executive producer, Ronald D. Moore.

Moore was no sci-fi newcomer when he got the task of re-imagining the 1970s space opera. Moore started his writing career by selling a script to "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1988-'94), for which he became a producer (and often co-wrote episodes with Brannon Braga, who's now on Fox's "24." More goodies to come on that).

Moore then went on to write and produce for "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "Star Trek: Voyager" before leaving the "Trek" universe to work on such shows as "Roswell" and "Carnivale."

But the "Star Trek" franchise went without him...for a while, that is. After disappearing from theaters and the airwaves -- except in reruns and DVDs -- after the end of UPN's "Star Trek: Enterprise" in 2005, it's now coming back on the big screen.

"Felicity," "Alias," "Lost" and "Fringe" executive producer J.J. Abrams is directing the upcoming feature film "Star Trek," written by his "Fringe" cohorts Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. It features younger versions of the characters from the original 1960s "Star Trek" series, including Kirk and Spock (click here for my interview with the new Spock, "Heroes" star Zachary Quinto, a post that also includes the first photo of my Twitter avatar).

Recently, I talked to Moore about "Battlestar," and the conversation strayed to the "Star Trek" franchise and the new movie. Here's part one (part two follows tomorrow):

"I know!" said Moore. "It's a thrill. I'm very excited, genuinely. It's great to be a fan of it again. It's great to not know too much about it. Yeah, I got to go to the set, but I didn't ask too many details, and I enjoyed being on a Federation starship again after so many years.

"But I get to stand in line and wonder and sit down in a seat and have a 'Star Trek' tale told to me. That's a thrill. It's been something I haven't been able to experience as an audience member in over 20 years.

"I think we should all give them a big benefit of the doubt. They have changed things. It's going to be different. You can see from the trailer that it's already different. There are enough familiar elements.

"They'll take a lot of flak from the fan base, which is part and parcel of working in the genre, but screw that. Who cares?

'"it good? Do you enjoy it? Is it a good film? Do you like it?"

But will the movie be "Star Trek"?

"That'll be everyone's question," says Moore. "I don't think there's an easy answer. That's a very individual choice. I don't think there's a definitive list of what makes it 'Star Trek' or not.

"The difference between the original series 'Star Trek' and 'Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan' is a profound one. They are not the same characters; they're not in the same place in their lives; they're not on a mission; Kirk's an admiral. It's like a completely different world, but it's absolutely 'Star Trek.'"

Interestingly there's one thing that "Khan" and two other installments in the movie franchise featuring the original cast -- "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" and "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" -- have in common, besides being, IMHO, the best of the lot ... writer/director Nicholas Meyer.

"He was a man who had no prior relationship to the franchise whatsoever," Moore says, "never even saw it.  And he was not afraid to not worry about the continuity of it all.

"He was not hung up on who said what in episode 43, and that is a yoke that has to be thrown off at this point."

Tomorrow, Moore discusses the interesting results of the "Trek" portion of the Hot Cuppa TV Franchise Wars Poll, and shares a bit about the next "Galactica" project, the prequel series "Caprica," which recently got a 20-episode series pickup from Sci Fi Channel for a 2010 premiere

UPDATE: No sooner had this post gone up that I read in Variety of the death today of Majel Barrett Roddenberry, widow of "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry. She acted in many "Trek" iterations and was a tireless and charming defender of the franchise and her husband's legacy. Click here for the story, which includes a bio of Mrs. Roddenberry, whose loss will no doubt be keenly felt by "Trek" fans everywhere.

UPDATE: Click here and here for newer posts with more Moore.

Tonight's cuppa: decaf Irish breakfast tea

Just in time for the sheer retail panic of the last holiday-shopping weekend, here's this week's edition of my syndicated "We'd Like to See" column...(and, to the left, a hello from a slightly scary Santa Claus, courtesy of my cousin, an independent contractor in Afghanistan. You know he knows who's naughty and nice).

Now is the time for all good consumers to come to the aid of their country -- and buy some darned Christmas and Hanukkah presents.

Yeah, I know the economy is in the dumper and money is tight, but if you don't buy anything, Wal-Mart will be looking for a bailout.

(OK, maybe not Wal-Mart, but The Sharper Image declared bankruptcy before this even all began. Imagine how it feels to be one of the other upscale retailers right about now.)

Don't get me wrong, I'm not recommending anyone rush out and run up the credit cards getting Persian rugs, giant plasma-screen televisions or gold-plated bathroom fixtures.

Instead, I'd like you to seek out some DVD box sets and discover some of the great TV shows of the past. Your local big-box store or favorite online retailer will be happy, you'll have hours of entertainment to keep you busy when you're not taking that trip to Hawaii or Disney World, and you'll have bragging rights as the best-informed TV historian in the house.

"Roots" (1977): Perhaps the greatest miniseries ever made (with the possible exception of the next thing on this list), this landmark film is inspired by the family history of writer Alex Haley, author of "Roots: The Saga of an American Family." LeVar Burton stars as the younger Kunta Kinte, who is captured into slavery in West Africa and later sold to a Virginia plantation owner. John Amos plays Kinte as an adult.

"The Winds of War" (1983) and "War and Remembrance" (1988): Based on the novels by Herman Wouk about World War II, these epic, lavishly produced miniseries tell a sprawling story centered on the extended family of middle-aged naval officer Victor "Pug" Henry (Robert Mitchum), who's also tight with FDR.

"Hill Street Blues" (1981-'87): This complex, realistic, engrossing cop drama changed its genre forever and went on to change TV drama in the late 1980s and '90s as it graduated such writer/producers as Steven Bochco, David Milch and Dick Wolf.

"Crime Story" (1986-'88): It only lasted two seasons, but this period police drama scored big points for style. Dennis Farina stars as early-1960s Chicago cop Mike Torello, who is obsessed with taking down handsome mobster Ray Luca (Anthony John Denison, now on "The Closer"). With his fedora-wearing team in tow, he chases Luca through the dark streets of the Windy City then pursues him to the neon-lit Las Vegas Strip. And there's even a nuclear bomb.

"Wiseguy" (1987-'90): Sadly, not all seasons of this sleek, stunning crime serial are on DVD, but some of the best are. Ken Wahl stars as an undercover cop who dances close to the flame while infiltrating criminal operations. Guest stars include Ray Sharkey, Kevin Spacey, Glenn Frey, Tim Curry and Jerry Lewis.

Because of space limitations, I had to leave out a bunch of other wonderful stuff, and, as it turns out, anything even faintly funny.

Allow me to rectify that here by heartily recommending "Mork & Mindy" (first season only), "Action," "Perfect Strangers" (I once had two stuffed sheep named Balki and Cousin Larry. Balki's fate remains a mystery, but Larry was spotted as recently as 2001), early "ALF," and the BBC series "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," "Monty Python's Flying Circus," all the iterations of "Blackadder," and "Father Ted" (might not want to watch that right on Christmas Day. I'm sure the Almighty has a sense of humor --after all, platypus -- but why push it?).

Linkage for a rainy Monday morning...

Click here for a "Battlestar Galactica" webisode called "The Face of the Enemy" to help you prepare for the last season (talked to Ron D. Moore and Edward James Olmos -- and emailed questions out to Mary McDonnell -- syndicated feature story to come).

More to come later. Watch this space.

TUESDAY UPDATE: Click here for a link to help you to "Catch the Frak Up" for the premiere of the final season of "Battlestar" on Jan. 16 on Sci Fi Channel.

MONDAY UPDATE: Just got info on a big BSG auction set for Jan. 16-18 at the Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, Calif. A portion of the auction proceeds benefits the United Way, and among the items for sale are full-size ships, Adm. William Adama's desk, a Cylon Raider, and six to 12 costumes from each major character, including Viper flight suits and Caprica Six's famous red dress.

Day one is a preview day, starting at 10 a.m. PST, which also features a series of live panel discussions with the creative team that created the show's props, sets and costumes. The next two days are the live auction. Click here to view items online.

On Tues. Jan. 20, items will be offered on eBay.

Move quickly, before BSG's many big Hollywood fans -- including Kevin Smith and Robin Williams -- snap up all the good stuff.

Today's cuppa: office French vanilla coffee (thx Mark)

Over the last few weeks, I've missed seeing a couple of shows I might have wanted to see. Why? I didn't know they were on, or if I did know they were coming on, I forgot they were on that night (thankfully a couple were on cable, and I grabbed reruns).

Yeah, I know, I work for a company that produces TV listings. But there's a funny thing about TV listings, you have to actually look at them to see what's on. And I hear about tons of shows through press releases and so on, but it's usually far in advance, and I'm likely as not to forget by the time the show comes on the air.

I have a bunch of series recordings in my cable DVR (as I posted earlier, there are about 50), which means that, at any given time, I've got a good backup. As an entertainment journalist, I also have a DVD backlog. So it's quite possible that I go days without actually perusing the schedule grid. Because of this, I'm starting to miss things.

But I haven't missed everything, and that's often because I saw a promo or read a news story or a blog post that reminded me the show was on.

TV used to be, turn it on, flip through the TV book, see what's on. Then it became, turn it on, flip through the rolling onscreen listings, see what's on. Then it's turn it on, flip through onscreen grid, see what's on.

Now, at the times when I'm not watching live news, it's turn it on, see what's on the DVR, hit play. A lot of my programming decisions were made long before I turned on the TV that night. And as long as I have something good to watch, I may not bother to check out what else is out there.

Sure, I can go to the Internet and grab stuff I miss, dig through my DVD pile to see if I got one for the show earlier, or wait for the DVD box set to come out. Or, since I'm a TV reporter, I can sometimes throw myself on the mercy of a kind publicist and get a DVD.

I suspect I'm not alone in missing shows, and most folks don't want to bother going to the Internet or don't have the ability to get a DVD -- especially for a missed broadcast-network show -- so they're even more likely than me to never see certain shows.

It becomes a question of awareness and penetration, which is increasingly a problem for new TV shows and channels. In the olden days, we used to turn on the TV and just graze among what was available. Now, we're more active choosers. But for every active choice we made, we may be sacrificing what we would have discovered if we just flipped through the listings and gave something new a chance.

Not to be all self-congratulatory, but folks like me make our livings telling folks like you what's out there, talking about what's new and notable, sharing information and opinions to help you make your viewing choices.

I don't have answers to all this, but I do have questions. Pop poll time...

Today's cuppa: coffeeshop medium roast (with cinnamon and cocoa added) sipped while listening to Victorian-garbed carolers singing Christmas and Hanukkah songs.

I'm back in Los Angeles after a couple of days away. Missed me? Wouldn't if you were on Twitter!

Anyhoo, first a pal and I went to Ontario, in SoCal's Inland Empire, to see Larry the Cable Guy, a good friend of Hot Cuppa TV, in concert. I near hurted myself laughing, and the woman behind me said "OMG!" so many times that I started to wonder what was really going on back there.

In visiting with Larry (a k a comic and actor Dan Whitney) briefly before the show, I got to see a tape of a pre-show performance by Whitney's hair-band air-band, with big wigs and all. Heard more about that during a not-so-brief chatfest after the show -- ended when the arena threw us out -- along with how well the Larry the Cable Guy Christmas special did on CMT (apparently, pretty darn well), Nebraska Cornhusker football, Ford trucks and the band Stryper (Whitney's a big fan).

The next day, my friend and I headed to Yorba Linda, Calif., to visit the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace, which was decked out for the holidays. Below find pix of a patriotic Christmas tree, a beautiful menorah, an astronaut ornament on a space-themed tree in an exhibit dedicated to the Apollo 11 moon landing, a room being decorated for a party, and the resident free-ranging chicken, Blackie (click on images for larger version).

California's other presidential library, the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, Calif., also has decorated trees at Christmastime, which reminds me that I'd better get cracking planning my annual holiday trek...

Which also gets me thinking that, if one of the predictions in the excellent and amazingly prescient sci-fi film "Demolition Man" comes true, and the Constitution is amended to allow California's Austrian-born governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, to become president, then conceivably the Golden State could have a third presidential library.

Can you imagine the Christmas trees there? They'd be festooned with ornaments depicting heavily muscled men in tiny trunks, automatic weapons, Terminators, all manner of heavily armored vehicles and ancient, fur-clad warriors on horseback.

And they'd probably explode.

Off to write my Congressional representative...

Today's cuppa: Mystic Monk French vanilla coffee

Lightbloggy today, because I'm off in a bit for California's Inland Empire to see Larry the Cable Guy in concert. Can't wait to hear his comments on the general insanity of the news over the last few weeks. I may Twitter a bit later and will share deets when I get back.

The Golden Globe nominations came out, and in TV terms, it's the expected cablefest, especially in drama. If it wasn't for the very deserving Hugh Laurie and Fox's "House," broadcast-network TV would be shut out entirely from the best drama TV series and best actor in a drama TV series categories.

Click here for Zap2it's story, with the full nomination list.

But, Kiefer Sutherland did grab a miniseries/movie nomination for "24: Redemption," and that makes me happy (but if you read this, you knew that). He's one of the hardest-working and most consistent performers in primetime, who manages to give emotional shadings and depth to the role of a man of action but few words.

Also, more congratulations to Sutherland, whose veteran actor father, Donald Sutherland, joined him on Tuesday, Dec. 9, when he received his star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

Of all the nominated movies, I've only seen "Kung Fu Panda," so I really don't have any opinions. In the TV categories, the only series I watch regularly that got nominations are "House" and "The Tudors."

But I have heard enough good things about "True Blood" -- I saw the first two, and didn't really come back -- that I will gather up my DVDs and do a little marathon over the holidays.

But, sadly, no GolGlo love for a lot of my faves, such as "NCIS," "Bones," "Numb3rs," "The Shield" (hmmm -- not sure, but that might be an airdate issue), "Chuck," "Damages" or "Friday Night Lights." Will I watch the GolGlos? Probably not.

Will you?

Today's cuppa: Barry's Classic Blend Irish tea

I'm off to a screening shortly, so just a quick note about the staggering (I Twittered that adjective before I heard federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald say the same thing) array of charges leveled against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich -- or as I like to call him, "GovRod." (Don't forget, innocent until proven guilty...)

Click here for comprehensive coverage from the Chicago Tribune, which has become part of the story.

Over on Twitter, I've also been busily casting my imaginary HBO movie about the unfolding potential scandal, to be penned, in my mind, by the inestimable David Mamet. After all, he wrote the definitive movie about the "Chicago Way" -- and one of my all-time faves -- "The Untouchables."

Right now, I have Oliver Platt as GovRod (a Twittered suggestion from TV Barn that trumped my original idea of Charlie Sheen), Jason Clarke from Showtime's "Brotherhood" as Fitzgerald, John Larroquette as also-arrested chief of staff John Harris; and cameo appearances by Fred Thompson as Ill. Sen. Dick Durbin, Will Smith as President-Elect Barack Obama, and Jeremy Piven as Ill. Rep. Rahm Emanuel , P-E Obama's incoming chief of staff (BTW, Piven's character on HBO's "Entourage," agent Ari Gold, is inspired by Emanuel's agent brother, Ari Emanuel).

That's all I've got for now. Welcoming suggestions...

Timing is everything...

Here's the latest installment from my Open Letter column, timed for publication the very week, yea, almost the very day, my employer, Tribune Company, announced it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to restructure debt.

But our chairman and CEO, Sam Zell, says we will go on as usual during the process. I trust and hope he is correct.

Anyway, except for those folks standing in line for $600 touch-screen Blackberries (Who are these people? Who do they work for?), we're all in this together.

Dear Santa:

It's been rough here in TV land. I bet your lists got really long last year, what with so many parents out of work at the holidays because of the Writers Guild of America strike. Hope you were able to drop a few goodies down a few chimneys (and a few sacks of coal down a few others).

Just when Hollywood thought things might turn its way, in roared an economic downturn. Suddenly moguls discovered that their $10 million mansions were only worth $4 million, and lots of other folks discovered the true meanings of such phrases and/or words as "underwater," "buyout," "downsized," "right-sized" and "move over, that's my place on the ledge."

We added new terms to our language, like "credit default swaps," "derivatives" and "illiquid assets."

And we discovered that even guys in suits with flats on Fifth and Hamptons summer houses can get handouts from the government.

The mainstream news media got the president whom most newspapers endorsed, but lost advertisers, subscribers and viewers.

A little more than half the country was happy after the election; a little less than half was unhappy; and the happy ones were also a little unhappy, because the unhappy ones were still there -- and still unhappy.

Meanwhile, television lurched into a new season with struggling sophomore shows and far fewer new shows and found itself facing the imminent demise of a few sturdy old shows like "ER" and "Boston Legal," which ends tonight.

This all brings me to my new wish list. I know there's only so much room in the old sled, and Rudolph is getting a little long in the tooth, but I hope you'll find space for a few of my requests.

Because, jolly old St. Nick, we may never have needed you more than we do right now.

For the TV networks, please give them the wisdom to listen to their viewers instead of their friends, neighbors, cocktail-party pals and fellow Emmy voters. After all, no viewers, no ad money, no TV network. It's a simple formula.

For the mainstream news media, I wish more or less the same, only adding readers to viewers and "Pulitzer" to "Emmy."

For TV viewers, give them the patience to try new shows and hang in for a bit with them, the discrimination to find the gems among the dross, and (I mean this for myself as well) the willingness to watch at least a few commercials to keep the TV wheels turning.

For the future -- bring back the Western, the family drama, the funny but clean comedy and the variety show (but NOT with Rosie O'Donnell. More on that here). We liked 'em once, and I believe we still do.

The cookies -- and the, ahem, ingredients for the hot toddy -- will be in the usual place.

Thanks! Kate.

PS: While you're at it, could you fly over our men and women in uniform around the world, check to see that they're safe and well, and spread a little Yuletide cheer? Appreciate it.

Today's cuppa: office coffee

Yesterday, I posted comments by Christian Kane of the new TNT series "Leverage," which could be construed as indicating that he's more "pretty" than "Bones" star David Boreanaz, his buddy and star of his former series, "Angel."

I checked with "Bones" executive producer -- and good friend of Hot Cuppa TV -- Hart Hanson, and he replied, "NOBODY is cuter than David."

As I think they're both very good-looking (but it is true that Kane has longer hair), I'm not taking sides in this one, but you may do so, if you like.

Today's cuppa: Kona coffee

Click here to see my syndicated feature story on the new TNT series "Leverage," which premieres tonight then moves into its regular time slot on Tuesday.

Speaking of Tuesday, it was a Tuesday -- Election Night in fact -- when I visited the cast and crew on location in Pasadena, Calif. In part, the story -- courtesy in this case of the Reading (Pa.) Eagle -- takes on the very lively debate that went on that night ...

Along with my interviews with star Tim Hutton and producer Dean Devlin, the story has a few quotes from cast member Christian Kane, an old pal from his days on The WB's "Angel."

The bulk of my conversation with him appeared in a Zap2it story that was also offered in syndication. Click here for that. Another bit about cooking popped up here in my Thanksgiving Day post.

And because I know there are probably a few Christian Kane fans out there, here's a little more of that conversation, on a completely different topic -- Westerns.

Do you want to see Kane and his "Angel" co-star and close pal, current "Bones" star David Boreanaz, on horses? Turns out Kane sure does.

Kane was in Texas and raised in Oklahoma, and has done a few Westerns, including the TNT movie "Crossfire Trail" with Tom Selleck, the feature film "Secondhand Lions," in which he played the younger version of Robert Duvall's character, and the Steven Spielberg-produced TNT miniseries "Into the West."

Kane says, "Paul Newman is my hero," and has long supported Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang Camp charity for seriously ill children, adding with sadness, "I never got to meet him."

Hearing that, I asked Kane about the possibility of doing a remake of the classic 1969 Western "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," which starred Newman as Cassidy and Robert Redford as Sundance.

"It's time for it to come back," Kane said on the set. "Me and Boreanaz should do it. We should do 'Butch and Sundance.' I'd have to be the Sundance Kid, because I'm shorter.

"I don't know if Boreanaz can ride a horse or not, but the Sundance Kid wouldn't fit with him. See, I can be pretty in a hat, with the long hair and all that stuff. I can be pretty."

I'll let you know if I hear anything back from the Boreanaz camp on his reaction to Kane thinking he's prettier than his buddy. Here are pix of both, so you guys can decide for yourselves.

Today's cuppa: office coffee

First, a few facts.

I have a Twitter account.
I've used it once.
Nevertheless, a few folks (only two of which I'm sure I know) have requested to follow me on Twitter.

Now I'm feeling guilty.

I know I should Twitter, I'm just not sure what I'd say. On the other hand, I wasn't sure I'd find something to say every day in a blog. So much for that worry.

What do you all think? How do you use Twitter? Literally, HOW do you Twitter? (from your phone, your laptop, etc.) Would you follow me? What would you like me to Twitter about?

Thanks in advance for your input!

Kate.

Multiple-choice pop polls below...

You can comment below or in the polls' comment sections.

Today's cuppa: tasty coffee from the craft-service van

Recently, I went quite a ways out of Los Angeles on a set visit. More details later, but here's a few hints and a few pictures. First the publicist and I went to breakfast, then we drove out to the set of a reality show that was a big hit this past summer and is expected to do well again next summer.

Can you guess where I was? (Click on images for larger version.)

First, the breakfast location.

Now, a few shots from the location...

Thoughts? Guesses?

Any luck? OK, I won't torture you any more -- or at least I won't torture you as much. I'm still going to let you guess where I had breakfast (come on Angelenos, this shouldn't be too hard), but here's the show I visited.

I talked to some amazing -- and very good-looking -- folks that work on-camera and behind the scenes on the show and took even more pix. Watch this space for further updates. And no, I can't show you the latest version of the "Wipeout" obstacle course. You'll just have to tune in next summer -- and read my syndicated feature story, of course.

Today's cuppa: chai spice black tea

Utterly undeterred (although a bit disappointed) at the nearly total lack of response to yesterday's poll (yeah, there was a poll yesterday. Where were you?) I've decided to give it another go. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" airs tonight for the bazillionth time on CBS.

(Will I be watching? Silly goose! And I have TWO copies on DVD as well. Not obsessed. Not at all.)

But enough about me, what do you think of my favorite Christmas special? Vote early, vote late, vote often! (And the polls take comments, in case you need to explain further.)

Please share your own "Rudolph" experiences in the comments section. I need to know I'm not alone in this.

Today's cuppa: Barry's Classic Blend Irish tea

Tonight at 8 p.m. ET/PT, ABC offers up "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town," a 1970 stop-motion-animated special from Rankin/Bass Productions, also known for such perennial faves as "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (one of my personal obsessions -- much of what I know about life I learned from "Rudolph," such as, if you look a little off, cultivate usefulness instead) and "Frosty the Snowman" (yes, I do yell, "Hap-py Birthday!" from time to time).

(More on "Rudolph" tomorrow, which is when it airs on CBS. "Frosty" comes up on CBS on Dec. 12.)

Despite the folksy presence of the voice of Fred Astaire as as postman S.D. Kluger, be warned, this is one seriously whacked-out mind trip of a Christmas special.

It's also one of the few animated specials still airing regularly, along with "A Charlie Brown Christmas," that explicitly refers to God. This is often edited out these days because the world will no doubt spin backwards on its axis if we have any religious references to a religious holiday like Christmas.

But there's nothing to be done about "Charlie Brown," unless you want to lose the whole pivotal scene where Linus recites the Biblical Nativity story  -- yet the world keeps on turning. The half-hour show airs at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Monday, Dec. 8, and Tuesday, Dec. 16, on ABC as part of a one-hour special that includes a group of animated vignettes featuring the Peanuts characters, called "Charlie Brown Christmas Tales."

And by the way, Hanukkah is just about the pretty candles and chocolate coins. No religion in that one either. Nope. Not a bit of it.

Anyway, "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" has only a cursory relationship to the popular song from which it takes its name. It purports to be a biography of Kris Kringle -- if that biography was written someone preoccupied with the idea of an orphan blowin' in the wind, the dark side of Bavaria (there's a lot of lederhosen in this one), busty Victorian women whose buns are undone by birds (click here to see that scene, also sometimes trimmed, either for time or because it's an exuberantly tacky example of '70s hippy-dippy graphics) and magic channeled from Tolkien by way of Disney's "Cinderella."

So, you may want to think once or twice before letting your youngest tykes watch this special, unless you don't mind doing some 'splainin' afterward.

Pop Poll!

Today's cuppa: Medium roast from the coffeeshop

Apparently "Rosie Live!," Rosie O'Donnell's attempt to revive the variety series, which premiered on Thanskgiving Eve on NBC, was a big bomb, drawing only 5 million viewers (she should have done it on Lifetime or Oxygen -- they'd be elevating her to minor TV-deity status with those numbers).

Now certain pundits are claiming the failure may represent the end of any hope the variety show has for a revival.

Really?

Really?

My question is, what programming genius at NBC thought even 5 million people would tune in to watch Rosie O'Donnell try to be funny right before Thanksgiving? If it was on Thanksgiving night, just for the sake of their full tummies, even more viewers might have taken a pass.

Rosie O'Donnell once had a hit talk show, but that was another time and another Rosie. In the mid-'90s, when "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" launched, O'Donnell had carefully crafted an image as the happy, cheerful, friendly "queen of nice." She burbled over her guests, lavishing praise on Barbra Streisand and gushing about her crush on Tom Cruise.

Then O'Donnell went on "The View," and fans got a look the person behind the persona.

I've never been an O'Donnell fan, but I wish her only the best in her life and career -- and she overcame many difficulties to achieve what looks from the outside like a satisfying family life and professional success. These days, though, she seems to be to be an angry and combative person.

She feuded with her "View" co-workers -- and continues to feud with executive producer and co-host Barbara Walters -- and became extremely outspoken and forceful, even belligerent, in expressing her views.

There's nothing wrong with that, in the right setting. Heaven knows, folks like Fox News' Bill O'Reilly, CNBC's Chris Matthews and MSNBC's Keith Olbermann have made careers out of being loud and opinionated. "The View" continues, without O'Donnell, to be loud, opionionated ... and popular.

But none of the above is what one wants in a variety-show host. If you look at some of the great ones -- Ed Sullivan, Lawrence Welk, The Smothers Brothers, Donny & Marie Osmond, Sonny & Cher, Carol Burnett, Flip Wilson -- they were not angry or combative. They were charming and welcoming. Their humor, while it could have an edge, was not threatening or dark. They never got overtly political.

They created a safe space for the whole audience, allowing viewers to relax, get comfortable, laugh and sing along.

O'Donnell might have pulled it off back in the '90s, but it's too late to put that genie back in the bottle. Today's Rosie is about as fuzzy and welcoming as a cranky grizzly bear with a bad rash. Talk about a buzzkill.

I loved variety shows growing up (and yes, I can sing THAT song from "Hee Haw," and did so today at lunch). I'd dearly like a new one to succeed, with the right host and the right mix of comedy and music. I wonder where our next Flip Wilson (one of my personal faves) or Carol Burnett might be.

But I know one thing for sure -- it's not Rosie O'Donnell. And if she's allowed to kill the format, shame on TV.