March 2011 Archives

Tonight's cuppa: organic fair-trade coffee

Discovery's "Deadliest Catch" doesn't return until Tuesday, April 12, but I recently had a long conversation with F/V Northwestern deckhand Jake Anderson (at left) -- which has already produced one story for Zap2it, and another for print, which will come out the week of April 10 -- but I thought I'd give my Cuppers an exclusive look at an incident that they may not see on the show.

As fans know, Anderson was originally seen on "Deadliest Catch" as the greenhorn on the Northwestern deck, perpetually under the scrutiny and tutelage of Capt. Sig Hansen.

But Anderson has progressed in his studies and off the deck, and apparently he's taking on new responsibilities.

"This is some inside information that you won't see on TV," Anderson says, "and that nobody really knows. Sig had his back out the last day we delivered, so I had to move the boat.

"I'm trying to wake him up. I'm like 'Sig, get up, wake up, man. You've got to move the boat. All right, if you don't get up, I'm going to move the boat by myself.' He didn't budge, so I moved the boat once. I'd been moving it a few times with him.

"I'm like, 'Oh, man, it's so easy without him over my shoulder.' I did it once, and then he gets up, and he runs, and we moved it. He's teasing me, trying to tell me that I'm just whispering to him and not actually yelling at him to get up."

But then Anderson got even more responsibility when it came to returning the Northwestern to its home port in Seattle, Wash., after fishing in Alaska's Bering Sea.

"So Sig flew home," says Anderson, "and the last thing he said to me was, 'All right, it's time for you to step up.' Norman (Sig Hansen's brother) was in charge of the vessel, and I look at  Norman, and Norman says, 'Well, you know what, if you want to be in charge on the way down, we still have a few things to do here. You can call the Coast Guard, and get your transit number, and call the office in Seattle, and then you can take it all the way into the Ballard Locks.'

"Especially when you go to Seattle, you've got to dot your Is and cross your Ts and fill the logbooks out. So I docked it three times, and then we get into Seattle, and I had to dock it four times, before we were actually all done, and we can go home.

"The first time I docked it, we had to pick up Sig at the dock in Seattle, so he can go through the locks with us, because I never went through the Ballard Locks. I was so scared, because you have all these people there, your family there waiting for the boat to come into Seattle to its home port.

"Then we went through the locks. Now we're fine, and then we had to pull through all these little Fiberglas boats in the dock and into this little spot to wave to my family. I'm trying to wave to my family as I'm driving the boat, and it was scary.

"I did it, and it was good."

Today's cuppa: raspberry Arnold Palmer

From the nuclear power plant crisis in Japan to unrest across the oil-producing countries of the Middle East, to issues with challenging regimes in other oil-producing nations, America's dependence on foreign sources of energy -- while much of our domestic energy resources remains untapped -- has become one of today's hot-button issues.

From Wednesday, March 30, to Friday, April 1, MSNBC's "The Dylan Ratigan Show" heads to Stillwater, Okla., for a three-day energy summit as part of the final leg of its "Steel on Wheels" tour.

Ratigan has gathered a panel of experts to talk about U.S. energy policy and how we can end the nation's dependence on foreign oil.

On Wednesday, Day One of the summit comes from a truck stop in Oklahoma City, Okla.; on Thursday and Friday, Days Two and Three come from the Oklahoma State University campus in Stillwater, with Day Two also featuring a townhall on the campus that is open to the public, at 7 p.m. CT.

The summit will also air live during "The Dylan Ratigan Show" at 4 p.m. ET. The townhall will also stream live on www.steelonwheels.com on the evening of the Thursday, March 31.

Ratigan took some time to answer a few questions about the summit and its goals:

Q: Why the choice of locations in Oklahoma for the energy summit?

A: Oklahoma is one of the centers of domestic energy resources and production in America.  It's the second largest state for natural gas and the fifth largest for both crude oil and wind energy, and many of our nation's largest energy companies are based there.  We also try to take our Steel on Wheels tours to places that are often underrepresented by those of us based on the coasts, and Oklahoma fits that bill.

Q: What specific questions do you have in mind to take up with the experts?

A: The goal is to gather the top minds in energy and ask them, how, as a country, we can solve what I like to call one of our "Trillion Dollar Problems."   In light of this horrific nuclear crisis in Japan and recent Mideast uprisings, it's clear that the time to fix this is now.  We can't keep depending on Mideast oil to feed our energy needs, especially when you look at the huge human and economical costs we are currently paying.  But Washington has failed us. It's up to us - the American people -- to figure out how to solve this problem. 

Q: What areas do you think need the most immediate attention in US energy policy?

A: We need to first look at why we are consuming so much more energy than other countries, how we can fix that in a fair and equitable way, and then come up with the safest, most cost-efficient ways to produce that energy. 

Q: What is your mix of experts - energy companies, academia, government, think tanks? Do you have the names yet?

A: We're proud to announce the following guests for our show and Town Hall:

• Boone Pickens, Oil Tycoon & Founder, BP Capital Management
• Ashwin Madia, VoteVets.org
• Bob Deans, Director of Federal Communications, Natural Resources Defense Council
• Former CIA Director James Woolsey

And additional show guests such as:

• Gasland director Josh Fox
• Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
• Brad Carson, Director of National Energy Policy Institute
• Ben Grumbles, President of the Clean Water America Alliance
• Elena Craft of the Environmental Defense Fund
• Umair Haque, author of The New Capitalist Manifesto (2011)

Q: Will some sort of action plan come out of this summit?

A: Absolutely, as the energy summit is part of the "Steel on Wheels" tour, which has visited a total of nine cities since its launch in December of 2010, probing different resolutions for issues facing the country. The goal of all of our tours is to find solutions. In this case it's the critical need to solve our energy problems and rid America of its dependency on Mideast oil.

In addition to the panelists, we're asking people around the country to help us out. Anyone that has a thought, idea or question that you would like to ask the panel via Skype, email info@DylanRatigan.com to find out more.  You can also follow the conversation via twitter by following @DylanRatigan and #SteelonWheels, and at Facebook.com/DylanMSNBC.

One more important note:  the town hall will be live streaming our panel starting at 8 PM ET / 7 PM CST.  To become apart of our streaming syndicate, follow the instructions below

 

1) Go to DylanRatigan.com/live

2) Click on Share & Embed Options on the video player

3) Copy Embed code

4) Paste Embed code within your website/blogs HTML page

5) Email info@DylanRatigan.com to let us know that you are streaming or if you need technical assistance

Q: What is the role of the steel-producing company Nucor Corporation?

A: MSNBC's "The Dylan Ratigan Show" and Nucor Corporation joined forces in December of 2010, when we launched our innovative road show titled "Steel on Wheels," which aims to bring forth solutions to the most pressing problems facing the American people. Nucor and our show share the same values and goals.

In fact, when we launched, Dan DiMicco, Chairman and CEO of Nucor Corporation said: "We are very excited about our partnership with The Dylan Ratigan Show. We share with Dylan a deep concern about the state of the American economy and a belief that bold actions must be taken to spur economic growth and create jobs. This partnership will highlight the traits that make America great and how we can harness them to ensure America's future prosperity."

What do you think, Cuppers? Is Ratigan hitting all the right notes for America's energy independence? What experts would you like to see consulted, and what topics would you like to see covered?

Sound off in the comments.

Today's cuppa: Fortnum & Mason breakfast-blend tea

As Twitter followers of "The Chicago Code" executive producer Shawn Ryan ( @ShawnRyanTV ) and "White Collar" executive producer Jeff Eastin ( @jeffeastin ) know, the two have been engaged for some time in an all-in-fun Twitter war, or "twar," hurling insults and practical jokes at each other in a quest to be the first one to reach 15,000 followers and make a charitable contribution.

(HCTV has served as the unofficial war correspondent for the conflict, click here for the previous installment, which contains links to reports on earlier incidents. Photo at right shows Ryan infiltrating the "White Collar" offices on Super Bowl Sunday.)

Last Friday, Ryan indicated that the next volley -- a reaction to his "arrest" during lunch by "White Collar" cast member Tim DeKay, in his TV role as an FBI agent -- was at hand. But a problem cropped up, and Ryan's plan was delayed until today. Here is the series of tweets that announced it, rendered into three paragraphs:

Have to admit, when I started my Twitter War with @jeffeastin (pictured below) I knew very little about him, so I decided to do some research...But even now, a few months into my TWAR with @jeffeastin, I still know very little about the man...Wikipedia and the Internet provide scant details on exactly where this @jeffeastin came from and who he really is...How can someone we know so little about be handed an hour of primetime programming, to hold so much influence over American minds? The fact that @jeffeastin presents his ideas through the attractive visiages of Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay only makes me more suspicious. We've seen this kind of subversive wolf in sheep's clothing act before. Is it time to bring @jeffeastin out into the light?

Now, I don't have any smoking guns on @jeffeastin. Does that mean none exist? Of course not. So how to figure out the truth? For those of you seeking context for this Twitter War between @jeffeastin and myself, check this out... http://bit.ly/fuw4Ge (that's a link to the same HCTV post I linked to above.)

So I started to think about WikiLeaks and how successful they were at bringing secrets to light. Could we apply this concept to @jeffeastin? What if we had a clearinghouse where people could share dirt on @JeffEastin, and once verified, be shared with the world? We will be starting small, but this will be an evolving organism, open to interactive involvement...But I needed just the right domain name for such a site. And what were the odds that the one I would want would actually be available? So I present to you the humble beginnings of what I hope will turn into something much bigger and important with your help...JeffEastin.com http://jeffeastin.com/

Eastin responded with a tweet, which Ryan retweeted ...

@ShawnRyanTV Make an offer. RT @jeffeastin Impressed that @ShawnRyanTV got jeffeastin.com. I shouldn't have ignored those GoDaddy renewal requests.

Comments and replies from Ryan have continued, so check out Ryan's Twitterfeed for those.

As before, I shot an email off to Ryan, who kindly answered some questions about the ongoing hostilities.

Q: Where did this idea first begin?

A: I had the idea while ago and even bought the domain name before the "FBI arrest" (pictured at left) that Jeff pulled off. My show is on hiatus at the moment, so I don't have the benefit of a staff of writers to bounce ideas off daily. I also don't have my actors around to pull off a dramatic stunt the way that Jeff did. I figured it would be fun to start a little website with Jeff's name. Something that can live on even after this Twar was over. Will also provide me a platform for quick response should Jeff strike again.

Q: What was the technical snafu that delayed your attack after you first announced it on Friday?

A: The website didn't look right on some browsers. Looked like a mish-mash. Web design, as someone on Twitter pointed out, is not my strong suit. Took a little while to get it sorted out and by the time we did, it was late on the East, so why not wait to unleash it on everyone on Monday and help generate some interest in the encore pilot episode of The Chicago Code at the same time?

(HCTV: Indeed, the pilot episode of "The Chicago Code" re-airs tonight, Monday, on Fox at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The new season of "White Collar" starts on Tuesday, June 7.)

Q: Do you plan to crowdsource most of the Jeff Eastin dirt on your site, or will some of it be generated in-house?

A: I don't expect there will be much dirt, and it's more in fun than real. We'll generate some humorous bits and see if there's anything useful in the tips we get from people.

Q: Do you have any worries about him launching a denial-of-service attack?

A: The moment he does that, I'll go after his people for impersonating Federal Agents and False Arrest.

Q: Have you registered all permutations of your own name as domains just in case?

A: I do have a few. Someone else has Shawnryan.com. I'm sure he could come up with some useable combination if he wanted to, but if he counter-attacks I anticipate it will be an original idea.

Q: You're so close to 15,000 - will you miss the Twar when you hit the milestone, or could it continue in some form? 

A: I'll miss it some, but hopefully I'll be back working on a TV show soon. Don't think I would have put this much effort into it if I had been as busy as I usually am.

Q: On Sunday, you tweeted, "So apparently the show 'Swamp People' is one long alligator snuff film." Why the heck are you watching "Swamp People"?

A: Saw an ad that intrigued me yesterday, then came upon it and thought I'd give it a try. By the time I saw the 4th alligator getting killed I'd pretty much figured out the show.

UPDATE: During the Eastern time airing of "The Chicago Code," Ryan tweeted:

Wow. Only 7 followers away from VICTORY! Thanks everyone. And all while #TheChicagoCode is playing on Fox! Nice.

Then, a few minutes later ..

Read it and weep @JeffEastin http://twitpic.com/4egk7d

With this picture attached:

Today's cuppa: hazelnut coffee

Steve Watson has kept very busy since his days as host of Discovery's radical home redo show "Monster House" -- produced by Thom Beers, who has gone on to produce such modest little shows as "Deadliest Catch" and "Ice Road Truckers" -- including a stint as host of "Ice Road Truckers: Off the Ice," the trucking equivalent of "After the Catch," the companion roundtable show to "Deadliest Catch."

Most recently, he was the host of the remodeling reality show "Don't Sweat It" on HGTV, participated in the competition reality show "HGTV Showdown," and was co-host, with Sarah Karges, of "NHRA Unleashed," a Fox Sports show covering National Hot Rod Association events.

On Friday, April 1, Watson leaves houses and hot rods behind to take on the great American yard in DIY Network's "Yard Attack," in which he and his team transform an outdoor space, doing a task that would normally take days in just a few hours.

Of course, this quick-draw transformation isn't done with the flick of a wand, so Watson kindly took a few minutes to dash of some answers to questions about how the magic really happens.

Enjoy ...

Q: What did you love about the idea for "Yard Attack"?

A: I loved the "speed" aspect of the show.  I love showing what can be done when you plan ahead and have a game plan. And I loved that it was an idea that hadn't been done before. I love breaking the mold.

Q: I seem to remember you have redone your own yard. How did that compare to doing other people's yards for the show?

A: It was pretty much the same process but without all the help. I moved 20,000 lbs of gravel, planted 40 plants and shrub and 60 bags of mulch in one weekend, by myself. I didn't get out of bed on Monday.

Q: Is there something that all yards in need of help have in common?

A: Generally, the common thread is homeowners without vision. A lot of times they just need to be pointed in the right direction.

Q: Planning and preparation seem very important in this show. How does that process work?

A: Hayden, my landscape designer and I come up with a plan well in advance. I get the team to work in our warehouse days before we "Attack" a yard and we pre-build anything we can.

When we arrive on location, we know exactly what we're doing, where everything goes, and how long it will take. We know who's doing what and we have every piece of equipment and material we need on the street before we even show up.

That's the only way we can do these amazing transformations in hours and not days.  No surprises no "snafus."

Q: Was there one yard that was particularly challenging?

A: I believe it was episode 2. We thought we were gonna breeze through this yard because it was so small. What we didn't think about was the 40 people we have working, not to mention the TV crew. Small spaces = bigger challenges.

Q: Have you come up with a list of suggestions for folks who want to do this on their own?

A: Basically, just plan. plan, plan.  Then GO!!

Q: Do you have a favorite plant or plants?

A: I'm a big fan of drought-resistant plants -- succulents, fountain grasses, etc.

Q: Beverage of choice when the work is done?

A: What do you think? COLD BEER!!!!

Tonight's cuppa: organic free-trade coffee (pipe down, it was on sale)

As fans of NBC's "Community" know, last night's (Thursday) episode, "Critical Film Studies," began with Jeff Winger (Joel McHale), wearing a suit straight out of "Reservoir Dogs" (OK, it was actually out of "Pulp Fiction," but it's the same suit), walking to to a dinner engagement.

In voiceover, he says, "It was my friend Abed's birthday. I had met Abed at community college almost two years earlier. His obsession with pop culture had always alienated him. He'd quote movies, pretend his life was a TV show. He watched 'Cougar Town.' It was as if he didn't want people to like him."

At dinner, Abed (Danny Pudi) tells Jeff of his love of the ABC sitcom "Cougar Town," co-created by Bill Lawrence and Kevin Biegel, and tells an elaborate story that ends with him having an accident in his pants (in the story he's telling, not at dinner).

It's a complex plot -- click here for a comprehensive recap, and here if you want to take the time to watch the episode -- but a good-sized part of it was devoted to Abed's love of "Cougar Town," not the first time "Community" has referenced the other show.

So, I hopped on Twitter and asked Lawrence (a k a @VDOOZER ) about it, and he Tweeted, "Incredibly flattering. We were in on it."

I wanted to know more, but Lawrence had busied himself talking to TVLine about the issue and taking meetings instead. So I moved on to the less-heralded but equally hilarious better half of "Cougar Town" (no, not Bill's wife, actress Christa Miller, nor star Courteney Cox), but Biegel (at right) himself.

Here follow my Qs and Biegel's As. Enjoy ...

Q: According to Bill Lawrence when he talked to TVLine, you had heard about the "Cougar Town" references in last night's "Community" when Neil Goldman and Garrett Donovan  -- two writers from Lawrence's "Scrubs" that now are executive producers on "Community" -- sent over a photo of script pages. What was the reaction around the office and the set?

A: Well, I got sent two of the pages by Neil Goldman via text... I hope that's not some breach of NBC protocol or anything. Anyhow, he had said there was an episode of "Community" coming up where Abed talks about being on "Cougar Town," and we were like, 'Okay, that sounds pretty cool.' Then we saw those two pages -- mind you, it was only two pages of a much longer scene -- but even only seeing that, we couldn't believe they were going to do it to that extent.

I think people saw them and thought, 'Yeah, well, that'll probably get cut way down, and they won't say the name of the show that much (or at all), and Abed's story will be very quick.''

Still insanely flattering, but I had no idea it'd be as big as it was in its final version. We're all giant fans of "Community" at the show, so it was an honor to read the pages and then when I saw it on TV, it put a smile on my face that may be there forever.

Q: Will you reciprocate on your show beyond the line Travis got about forcing his girlfriend to watch the Season One of "Community" on DVD?

A: Unfortunately, we've already finished shooting for the season. We had laid in a few Easter-eggy kind of things regarding "Community" that you might catch if you pay attention (i.e. pay attention to the movie marquee in the plaza shots), but I kinda wish we could go back and do even more.

Q: Do you watch ""Community," and if so, what do you think of it?

A: I love it; I think it's the best show on TV (aside from ours). I see their show, and it's like our show is my little kid, and I'm very proud of my kid, he's a good kid, but then I see this other kid on the playground and I'm like, 'Shoot, I wish my kid were cool like that sometimes.' Metaphors are one of my strong suits, obviously.

Q: Although their formats are very different, do the shows have things in common?

A: I don't know if the formats are that different... they're both about people who aren't related, who on their own would probably be very lonely people, but they've come together as a group to form a family... a "Community", even... a "Cougar Town", even. Sh*t, that doesn't work when you use the title of our show.

I do love their ability to use pop-culture stuff not as mere reference points (like you get a point if you recognize that they're doing a "Last Starfighter'"joke), but to actually tell stories. You don't need to know the references to love their show, because their storytelling is so good, and I actually really care about their characters.

I know they were worried a little about this past episode because a lot of it is just two guys talking. Well, I could watch their two guys talking for hours.

Q: How did ABC feel about a shout-out on an NBC show?

A: ABC could not have been cooler and more supportive. They recognize that this isn't the type of thing shows usually do; I think it's unprecedented to have two shows on different networks referencing each other back and forth.

But, again, I don't entirely think this is us high-fiving across the 10 Freeway; if we're talking about these characters living in a world where our pop culture exists, Abed would love "Cougar Town" and Travis would love "Community." It's not just a mutual show-creator wank. Okay, it is a little but...

Q: "Community" producer Dan Harmon ( @danharmon ) interacts quite a bit with other showrunners and actors on Twitter, and "Cougar Town" has been praised for its lively Twitter presence (indeed, this Q&A was arranged through Twitter). What impact, if any, has social media had on the show (or is it just fun for you guys)?

A: I think that Twitter has made my job about ten times as fun. It's become the world's best feedback system. I don't know if I could take another year of trolling through comments on boards to see how people react to whatever show I'm working on. Not that I don't like doing it, I do, but I just don't have the time now.

With Twitter, it's 140-word bursts. You can get a lot through in 140 words. "You suck" is only two words, but someone saying why they think this story line is working or not? I find that interesting.

At the end of the day Bill and I go with our guts, but all fans should know -- with the dawn of the Internet, almost every show creator reads what is said about their show online. If they say they don't, they're lying.

Plus, after spending probably 100+ hours putting together an episode from inception to final edit, it's nice to hear that someone enjoyed your work. It helps give you the confidence to let "you suck donkey balls, thanx for ruining TV" roll off your back.

Another thing it has done -- it has let me start a sorta relationship with people whose work I enjoy. I've never met Dan Harmon, but I think it's great we can talk on Twitter. Same with other show runners/writers/etc.

For now, at least, the playing field seems even. Five years ago, I would never have been talking with some of these people and vice versa. It has made things easy.

And I barely get to see Neil Goldman anymore because we're both so busy, but I can talk to him (as should everyone, his twitter is @neilskee and for that matter Garrett Donovan's is ... shoot, what's Garret's?)

Q: Is there ever a chance of a Twitter war - such as the one between @ShawnRyanTV of "The Chicago Code," and "White Collar's" @JeffEastin, a competition to get followers for charity, interspersed with elaborate practical jokes - with any other shows?

A: Shawn Ryan is a lying, dirty, cheating son of a bitch. I've never met Shawn Ryan, I'm just trying to start a Twitter war with him. Honestly, though, I'd do something like that if it was a) fun, or more importantly, b) could benefit some charity. They really did something that benefitted a charity? Through Twitter? That's amazing. That makes me realize that Shawn Ryan is the most kind, caring, loving, honest man in Hollywood. 

The only drawback of your question? It sounds like more work! But I do love practical jokes. Where does Shawn Ryan live? I'm going to have 600 pounds of Chicago hot dogs dumped in his pool.

(HCTV: BTW, we hear the next salvo in the Ryan/Eastin Twar is at hand. Click here for the last volley; watch this space for future news.)

Q: Any surprises in store before the end of the season?

A: A lot, yes.  What can I say ...? An issue comes up between Jules and Grayson that forces them to question whether they really should be together. That sounds like the DirectTV info-guide episode description ... that sucks. There's a lot more Lou Diamond Phillips, that's one. And we do the best "Children of the Corn" (set in suburbia) homage that's ever been on TV. See, I told you we had stuff in common with "Community."

Tonight's cuppa: peppermint tea

Starting next Thursday, March 31, the final episode of the Los Angeles project of PBS' "This Old House" starts airing around the nation (check local listings for date, time and channel in your area).

In the episode airing this week, host Kevin O'Connor takes a tour of the historic Adamson House, a 1930 Spanish Colonial Revival right on the beach in Malibu. I first discovered it when I did a set visit there for the show "Fastlane", with stars Peter Facinelli and Bill Bellamy (believe it was standing in for a Mexican drug lord's mansion).

Later, at one of my first visits to the L.A. "TOH" project, I told producer Deborah Hood that the show couldn't hardly do a Spanish Colonial Revival remodel in Los Angeles without visiting this prime example of the style.

Couldn't be happier that she took my suggestion.

And if you have some time left over once you're done visiting Adamson House, you can go next door and catch some waves at Surfrider Beach, or go next door on the other side and see brown pelicans and other seabirds at the Malibu Lagoon State Beach.

And if you're lucky -- and I was on that day with "Fastlane" -- you might see some dolphins.

Here's a teaser of some of my shots from the wrap party.

(Click on "This Old House" in the Categories to the right and see the previous Los Angeles project entries and photo slideshows.)

As you will see, the house is fully decorated, but alas, the homeowners don't get to keep that. It's just for TV.

Today's cuppa: PG Tips tea

Most often, when I don't watch a show, it's not because I hate the show or dislike anyone in it (OK, that doesn't count for Kathy Griffin, Bill Maher, Sandra Bernhard and Rosie O'Donnell -- life is too short for their version of "humor").

(UPDATE: BTW, you can toss George Lopez on the above list. Click here to see why.)

It's usually because I just don't care. The show doesn't interest me, excite me or make me feel compelled to watch it. Because of my job, I have to watch a LOT of TV, including shows that aren't my cuppa tea, so when I choose to watch something, there has to be a good reason.

It must delight me, move me, fascinate me or otherwise grab me by the scruff of my neck and snake me until I give in and must watch.

After hearing this year's lineup for "Dancing With the Stars," I just didn't care. I didn't object to any of the celebrities, they just didn't spark my interest. After the over-the-top fun and fireworks of last season, this was just "meh."

But, there I was, Monday night, 8 p.m., nothing better to do or watch (I savor "Chuck" on the DVR), and somehow my hand found the remote and switched over to ABC.

I thought, "Ah, what the heck, I'll just piddle around and listen to the songs, at least."

Before I knew it, I was sucked in, and by the end, Ralph Macchio and Kirstie Alley had me cheering. With horses in the race, I now care and am probably doomed to watch until the fugly mirror-ball trophy is handed out.

(Click here for clips of both performances.)

Tip of the hat to the producers -- I thought you picked "meh" people, but once again, the ballroom is rocking.

Now to "The Kennedys," the miniseries, produced by "24" co-creator Joel Surnow, that got booted off History Channel -- the "American Pickers" network suddenly got very picky about its history -- and wandered in the desert, rejected by network after network, until ReelzChannel gave it a home, where it premieres on April 3.

(Click here for Surnow's interview with Entertainment Weekly; and here for his chat with the Hollywood Reporter; and here for the ReelzChannel homepage.)

Unlike some folks, I'm not a Kennedy worshiper, despite having watched Oliver Stone's "JFK" about a bazillion times (it's one of the silliest and yet most entertaining movies I've ever seen). And heaven knows, the subject matter has been done and done, for decades and decades, in every possible medium.

I would have been happy to just ignore "The Kennedys," until History ditched it, that is.

The cablenet's explanation didn't hold a lot of water, and it started to smell like censorship. I even had a nice chat with Surnow's former "24" colleague, Howard Gordon, in which he said the same thing.

Yesterday, the pile of "Kennedys" DVDs arrived, and yes, I will be watching the whole thing.

So, at least for me, the attempt to bury "The Kennedys" has only served to pique my interest in something I would otherwise have just passed by without a second thought.

Censorship has a way of doing that. 

Today's cuppa: PG Tips tea

If you're a Roman Catholic, like me, you get used to thinking, "Well, it's a mystery."

All of the universe cannot be fully explained nor rationalized away -- as those poor, brave souls in Japan know with heartbreaking clarity -- and what is true of the universe as a whole is also true of that little corner of it called TV.

Screenwriter William Goldman, in talking about the movies, said, "Nobody knows nothing," and that goes for all of entertainment. Why some things succeed and others fail is as much about luck and happenstance and timing as it is about effort or talent.

Quality shows fail; cheesy shows are giant hits ("Jersey Shore" and all of the "Real Housewives" come to mind).

Why? Eh, it's a mystery.

I have loved plenty of shows that failed, from "The Adventures of Brisco County Jr." and "EZ Streets" to "The Good Guys," and several shows that have hung on by the skin of their teeth but never became big hits, like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (before you yell, it was never The WB's highest-rated show, or usually even the second highest-rated show, but it did well enough by The WB's modest standards to survive) to "The Wire" and "Friday Night Lights."

(I shall always have a warm little spot in my heart for former NBC chief Ben Silverman and DirecTV for striking the deal that let under-appreciated "FNL" have a full five-season run -- the final season begins on NBC Friday, April 15.)

Now, you may say, well, you're a TV critic, you have elevated and refined tastes, and you don't like shows that normal people like.

Hold it right, there, buckaroo. I've been on the case of megahit "NCIS" since the beginning, long before the mainstream press was finally forced to take notice -- went off in a blog post a few years ago about that -- and as any regular reader of this blog knows, I love the intellect-free but fun-filled "Wipeout," reality-competition megahit "Dancing With the Stars" and reality hits "Deadliest Catch" and "Dirty Jobs."

OK, and "IRT: Deadliest Roads." Nothing like TV you have to watch through your fingers, curled in a fetal position.

For what it's worth, here are a few theories I've cooked up as to why shows succeed or fail (bearing in mind, "nobody knows nothing") ...

Timing is everything. When you've had a hard day at work, do you want to come home, help the kids with their homework, argue with your teenage daughter about boys or college admission, maybe look over the budget with your spouse and then sit down and watch people do the very same thing on "Friday Night Lights"? Maybe not. Shows have to hit people at the right place and the right moment in their lives. On the other hand, if the show is funny enough, like "Modern Family," you just might.

Stars don't matter. Maybe they do in movies -- but I'd only make an argument for a few people even there -- but big-name actors don't get people to watch scripted TV, at least not past the pilot. If the viewers still don't like the show, they're gone. But stars are something to promote, so I know why the networks try.

Stars do matter. But usually only in reality TV, because viewers hope they'll learn something new or the star will do something ridiculous or entertaining. You tune in because you know something about the person, and therefore you care more than with a total unknown. But if the star is boring  -- which means he or she is probably a sensible person and not an unbalanced exhibitionist -- the audience is gone. (Which may go a long way to explaining why sane, sensible stars don't often do reality shows.)

Big-name producers matter ... to a point. Again, it's a selling point to have a name producer, but very few of them are hit machines, and the recognition doesn't often penetrate beyond a small slice of the TV audience. But if you've got a Mark Burnett or a J.J. Abrams, you've got wider recognition and a good track record, and that's about as good as it gets.

Swing viewers matter. There will always be a loyal constituency for every show -- the size varies wildly, and often it's not enough -- and there will be a certain number of people who wouldn't watch the show if you paid them. It's those people in the middle, not necessarily inclined to love a show nor to hate it, that are the difference among utter failure, cult hit and "NCIS." I believe a lot of those swing viewers came to "NCIS" through its frequent airings on USA, and that the show was accessible enough and consistent enough to satisfy them when they tried out the new episodes.

A copy is never as good as the original. Never. Ever. Development execs should have this tattooed on their arms, so they have to see it every day. A COPY IS NEVER AS GOOD AS THE ORIGINAL. And cloning is only for sheep. Unless you get the same producer, same writers, same crew, same actors, same premiere date and same societal conditions at the time of the premiere date, you can't clone a hit.

Amuse yourself first. If you're a producer or a development exec or a network exec, and a show tickles you or moves you, go with it. Unless you're deeply weird or clinically insane (and sometimes even if you're one or both), someone else will feel the same. How many of those someones there are, well...

It's a mystery.

Today's cuppa: Caffeine-free Diet Pepsi, because I'm out of tea (heading to the store!)

Below find the remainder of my pix from the tour I and some fellow TV journalists took of the Warner Bros. set last summer. It was the public tour, so if you're ever in Burbank, Calif., give it a try!

(Click here for part one)

Today's cuppa: English breakfast tea (double-bagged, in the big mug)

From the labor-union protests in Madison, Wisc., yesterday afternoon, to the LAPD raid on Charlie Sheen's house and the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan last night, I've begun to think that TV is the killer app for Twitter, and that Twitter is the killer app for TV.

Both are live and continuous, with tweets reporting and reposting what's happening on TV, and TV news taking in reports via Twitter (and Facebook, although Twitter is faster and more sensitive moment by moment).

TV awards shows and news events are live-tweeted (one could almost "watch" the Oscars just on Twitter), and tweets stream across TV screens.

And some TV-news personalities, like Eric Bolling ( @ericbolling on Twitter, left) of Fox Business Network's "Follow the Money," and CNN's John King ( @JohnKingCNN , right) like to tweet right up to the beginning of -- and sometimes during -- their live TV broadcasts.

On the entertainment side, fans of CBS' "Survivor" are really missing out if they're not following host Jeff Probst's ( @JeffProbst ) frank commentary on his blog and Twitter.

It's getting hard to remember what it was like to watch TV without Twitter. No doubt my friends and relatives are relieved not to get calls during their shows just because I have a comment I can't wait to share.

Was amused the other day to see a breathless piece by David Carr of the New York Times about the supposed slide of Fox News host Glenn Beck (below, left), characterizing him as a "conservative Jeremiah" painting a dark view of the future.

Perhaps the Gray Lady was tired of seeing Pinch the talking paper on FNC's overnight news/comedy roundtable "RedEye W/Greg Gutfeld." The pompous puppet is named after NYT publisher Arthur O. Sulzberger, Jr., and is known for sarcastic rhymes spoofing on the names of Times reporters and columnists.

(Click here for one of a series of "RedEye" shorts called "Pinch & Me," featuring the the paper and its human alter-ego, Bill Schulz, on an adventure in NYC.)

I don't pay too much attention to the horse race of cable-news ratings, but I'm pretty sure that even if Beck's ratings have dropped from their peak, they're still numbers that FNC's competitors probably can't hope for in their wildest dreams at 5 p.m. ET.

Of course, picking on a popular and controversial figure like Beck might increase the revenue of the Times itself, which is not the financial media powerhouse it once was (decline being a thing it understands very well).

In the interests of full disclosure, I watch "Glenn Beck" every day (except when Judge Andrew Napolitano is guest-hosting, because his monotone bellow is a bit much after a few minutes). It's fascinating. I've never seen anything on TV like it.

Since he's discussing such sexy topics as the Founding Fathers, monetizing the debt, early 20th-Century Progressivism and the decline in Americans' personal morality and reliance on God, it's a wonder that anybody watches. Really.

Why do they? Can't speak for them, but I'm mesmerized by how he blends radio drama, stage theatrics, visual aids (magnets, blackboards, pieces of pie, cupcakes), semi-Shakespearean soliloquy, portentous video clips, graphs, charts and physical comedy.

And blessedly, when he does have guests on, they 're not yelling at or talking over each other. Such a relief.

If only the rest of the TV commentariat could break away from their apparent fascination with sitting behind a desk and trying to look like Edward R. Murrow and cut loose a bit.

I don't buy everything Beck says, but then I don't buy everything anyone says. Contrary to the assumptions of many of Beck's critics, I'm capable of rationally weighing evidence and opinion and making up my own mind -- and I didn't even have to go to an Ivy League school to do it (in fact, that's possibly a big help in that area).

And I haven't bought any gold or food insurance.

In general, I think it would serve all news enterprises well to spend a little less time harping on what their competitors (and yes, they are competitors and therefore, to one extent or another, are rooting for each other's failure) are doing or saying and spend a little more time covering, you know, the news.

(FYI, if I cared what cable-news networks I'm not watching were saying, I'd be watching them.)

Unless a cable-news host or reporter says something demonstrably factually inaccurate about an important topic, or breaks a law, I don't see where it's news.

Because, when we have breaking events like the Japan earthquake, cable news really demonstrates its value. Focus on that, not each other.

Today's cuppa: Iced coffee -- hotter 'n blazes in L.A. today

Yesterday, the ongoing Twitter war, or "twar," between showrunners Shawn Ryan ("The Chicago Code," "The Shield," "The Unit") and Jeff Eastin ("White Collar") hit a new level, as Eastin responded to Ryan's invasion of his office on Super Bowl Sunday.

Click here and here for previous posts chronicling the conflict thus far (with pictures).

Each of the two is trying to be the first to get to 15,000 Twitter followers. A charitable donation is at stake, with Ryan giving to Autism Speaks, and Eastin giving to the ASPCA (not the "Charlie Sheen Future Defense Fund" or "Sober Valley Lodge," as Ryan has previously tweeted).

On Tuesday, Eastin signaled on Twitter that something was up ...

@JeffEastin Revenge is a dish best served cold. And today, our revenge on @ShawnRyanTV is upon us.

Ryan was enjoying lunch with executive David Madden of Fox TV (which produced "The Shield" and produces "White Collar") when "White Collar" star Tim DeKay, dressed as his character, FBI Agent Peter Burke, entered the Beverly Glen Deli with TMZ cameras in tow (HCTV: SEE UPDATE AT BOTTOM OF POST). Ryan was handcuffed and led from the scene.

Eastin tweeted photos of the event (such as the one at left), and Deadline.com included a cellphone video. According to Eastin, footage could appear on today's (Wednesday) TMZ show (check local listings),

Ryan first tweeted about seeking a good bail bondsman, then said ...

@ShawnRyanTV Just got bailed out. Spending 4 hours in the FBI slammer allows for many mischievous ideas to emerge.

I sought reaction from both camps. Ryan came in first last night, via email. That exchange is below.

Q: Did you have any inkling that the "FBI" had its sights set on you?

A: No idea at all. He really got me. Well played.

Q: Describe the moment of the "arrest."

A: I heard someone ask if I was Shawn Ryan. I looked up and saw a man in a suit with sunglasses. When he took the glasses off I recognized him as Tim DeKay and then noticed a few people with cameras filming. I immediately realized what was going on, and when Tim announced that I was under arrest, I decided to play along.

Q: Did you have lunch companions, and what did they think?

A: I was having lunch with David Madden who is President of Fox Television Studios which produced "The Shield" and now produces "White Collar." He was in on it.

Q: Is this anything you expected?

A: Probably better than I expected. It was a good one. And if it's true that footage of it will be on the TMZ TV program tomorrow, you have to give Jeff even more points.

Q: Since you did "The Shield," "The Unit" and "The Chicago Code" - which are not really "blue sky" shows -- is this a direction Eastin should be taking the twar?

A: Jeff might be playing with fire.

Q: Did you find a good bail bondsman in Beverly Glen?

A: Same one that Charlie Sheen has on speed dial.

Q: What's the next step?

A: I've been planning things for awhile, waiting for Jeff to respond to my Super Bowl nuclear attack on his writer's offices. Now that he has responded I'll be able to act shortly. My next attack may not have the "theater" that today's arrest did, but it will live on much longer. And, of course, I intend on beating him to 15,000 Twitter followers and making a generous donation to Autism Speaks. 

Then I got on the phone this morning with Eastin.

Asked why he chose this as the next volley in the twar, Eastin says, "The day Shawn had broken into our offices, and left the ('Shield') poster, it was really classic. I was really impressed. I'd gotten tweets from friends saying, 'My God, man, you've got to do something. He's just waxing the floor with you at this moment.'

"His presentation, the build-up, everything was really well-done. I was actually at Tiffani Thiessen's Super Bowl party when this all went down. The actors were there, the writers were there, and we immediately began plotting our revenge. Tim DeKay actualy suggested that he arrest Shawn."

According to Eastin, they were going to spring the trap the first week of March, but Ryan was called into jury duty.

But when it did happen, Eastin says that Ryan's reaction "was very satisfying. I think he may have felt the slightest bit of fear for about two seconds, until he recognized Tim DeKay. Then, after that, it was just a big smirk on his face as we drug him out.

"We tipped off TMZ earlier in the day, and they sent a camera over. Hopefully it'll show up on the air today."

As to whether he is, indeed, playing with fire by bringing a show character into the mix, Eastin says, "If I was sitting in a restaurant with David Madden having lunch, and Vic and Shane (of 'The Shield') came up and perp-walked me out of the restaurant, that might go down as the single greatest day of my life, so I welcome the challenge."

Of course, Ryan has added more cop characters to his stable, in addition to rogue LAPD Detectives Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis, at left) and Shane Vendrell (Walton Goggins).

"The Chicago Code," airing Mondays on Fox, features Jennifer Beals (below) as Chicago Police Superintendent Teresa Colvin.

When the question is posed as to which would be better, being perp-walked by Vic and Shane, or being perp-walked by Teresa Colvin, Eastin says, "Hmmm, that's a good one. I think to be perp-walked by Vic and Shane and handed over to Jennifer."

Finally, when told of Ryan's comment above on his future retaliation plans, Eastin says, "Hmmm, right. Well, it's mostly bluster, mostly fear-based bluster. We caught him completely off-guard yesterday, and his only response at that point was to make up some claim that he's plotting a much bigger attack.

"They're sad, empty words."

UPDATE (4:10 p.m. PT): Ryan put out the word to his East Coast Twitter followers to see if his "arrest" footage made it on TMZ. He just tweeted this ...

Today's cuppa: lots of coffee, from beans I ground myself (but not in a coffee grinder, as I think my Target blender works just fine, and I'm just too cheap to buy another appliance. It also makes smoothies. Try that in a coffee grinder.)

The other day, "Piers Morgan Tonight" earned itself boffo ratings by having Charlie Sheen on for a live interview. At one point during the chat, Morgan referred to Sheen as the "Che Guevara of television."

What is it about showbiz types and killers that look cute on T-shirts?

Speaking of which, I was watching a 2006, I believe, episode of BBC America's "Top Gear" today, and host Jeremy Clarkson was sporting a Che Guevara tee. Would he wear a Hitler or Stalin or Pol Pot tee? Probably not, and anyway, they wouldn't look quite as countercultural and revolutionary chic as the old Che-ster. But I digress.

The conservative American Thinker blog did a lovely evisceration of Morgan's comment -- click here for that -- and in case you were thinking that only right-wing bloggers disapprove of Guevara, click here for a not-very-complimentary review of a movie about the man from Slate.com.

Guevara's mug appears on a wide variety of items other than shirts, such as totes, baby bibs and posters, including one showing rapper Jay-Z wearing the ubiquitous tee.

I have no idea what Morgan and Clarkson do or don't know about Che Guevara or why they feel it appropriate to mention or wear him. Of course, they have the right to mention or wear anyone or anything they want.

But perhaps these two Brits might like to peruse this article from the Times of London first.

Upside, I don't think Sheen did another TV interview today.

Today's cuppa: Barry's Classic Blend tea

A round-up on what's been brewing in my brain today ...

Oscars: Yeah, it was a while ago, and we know it was epic in its awfulness, but, in my mind, the best part was when Billy Crystal introduced a tape of former host Bob Hope.

Or, as I observed on Twitter at the time: Let's face it, the funniest man on the #Oscars tonight was both dead and a Republican. Doesn't bode well for modern Hollywood.

Charlie Sheen: Perhaps I am a humorless drip, but back on Feb. 28, in the midst of all of the general amusement over Sheen's predicament, here were my questions as put out on Twitter: Here are my #Sheen Qs: Has he broken the law? If so, where is LAPD? Has he violated his contract? Is Social Services involved 4 the kids?

Well, Sheen's camp sent out a letter to network CBS and studio Warner Bros., signed by some high-powered Tinseltown legal eagles, so I'm told, so it seems the contract wars are underway.

Then, after Sheen had verbal diarrhea all over several TV networks and TMZ, the police may have taken two of his children away (apparently helping to care for them is Lisa Rinna's former nanny). And there's a restraining order.

Who knows where all this will end, but don't say I didn't ask.

And here's a poll:


iPad2: Since it's no cheaper than the original iPad, that may make current owners feel a bit less like morons for jumping in early -- but this new one is apparently way cooler. Either way, too rich for my brew, so I'll wait for one to arrive in a gift box (hint, hint).

Piers Morgan: I haven't watched every single episode of "Piers Morgan Tonight" on CNN -- there isn't an instrument that can measure how little I care about Howard Stern or Larry King -- but I've enjoyed every one I have seen, and I've learned something new about each person he's talked to. That seems to me to be what a chat show is all about.

He also does fine with the breaking news, of which there's been a great deal since he premiered.

No, it's not "Meet the Press," but then Charlie Sheen and Janet Jackson aren't John Boehner and Hillary Clinton (and if he gets those folks on and softballs them, I'll squawk, too).

TV Show I've Enjoyed Most Lately: "Top Gear" on BBC America. The episode where the U.K. hosts went up against the Australian ones had me in stitches. Only thing funnier on TV is "Community."

Runner up: TNT's "Southland," whose episode on Tuesday had a rip-roaring shoot-em-up at the end, and a great subplot about the drug and back-pain issues of Officer Cooper (Michael Cudlitz).