T Dog’s Six Pack: Opposites Attract

This week in The Six Pack: Chicago media takes two steps forward and a few steps back – as usual. No, it’s not Paula Abdul dancing with an animated cat (or dead celebrities dancing with vacuum cleaners) but there is some animation, classic TV, and even a classic radio show in this week’s roundup: Winners Bob’s Burgers. In a surprise […]

My Network TV to stick around three more years

Stick a fork in My Network TV? How about My Network TV sticking around for three more years? News Corp. announced Friday it has reached agreements with My Network TV affiliates to carry the programming service until 2014, and the pact include the ten Fox-owned My Network TV affiliates, including WPWR-TV in Chicago, and WWOR-TV New York and KCOP-TV in […]

T Dog’s Think Tank: Unnecessary press conference patrol

Yours truly is pleading to the powers that be – enough with the press conferences. This past week saw the most stupid, contrived, and ridiculous publicity stunts known to man. It reminded yours truly of those phony press conferences the WWE used to have back in the day with Randy “Macho Man” Savage and the Ultimate Warrior nearly coming to […]

T Dog’s Four Pack: The "C" in CBS stands for crime

The winners and losers of the week: The stamp of approval: The Chicago Blackhawks (before Friday’s night’s loss): The Mighty Blackhawks are mighty once again thanks to record-breaking regular season ratings. The Hawks are in the playoffs against the Nashville Predators, which continue Sunday night. Go Hawks! Conan moving to TBS. Fox getting out-foxed by Conan. While Murdoch and the […]

"Smackdown" moves to SyFy

In a move which illustrates once again the declining clout of broadcasters – and the growingpower of cable, Vince McMahon and the WWE have announced the departure of Friday Night Smackdown from Fox’s My Network TV and is moving it to NBC Universal-owned cable channel SyFy effective October 1. SyFy smacked down Fox with a $30 million offer to WWE, […]

T Dog’s Think Tank: The Late Shift 2: The Screwjob Continues

It all began on January 7, when a website reported that NBC had canceled The Jay Leno Show. It ended on January 22, with Conan O’Brien leaving The Tonight Show. Welcome to The Late Shift 2: The Screwjob Continues. Based on New York Times writer Bill Carter’s book (and later HBO movie), this is a sequel to the mid 1990s […]

My Network TV’s new 2009-10 lineup

But don’t call it new. The network, which now bills itself as a programming service, unveiled its 2009-10 lineup with barely any original programming. The only original program airing on the service is WWE Smackdown on Fridays. Monday through Wednesdays will feature reruns of existing fare with Law & Order: Criminal Intent on Mondays; Are You Smarter Than A Fifth […]

My Network TV no longer a network (updated)

Instead, call it a “programming service.” My Network TV is revamping its programming model, with the service airing ten hours of material a week instead of twelve this fall with Saturday nights handed back to affiliates. My Net is also cutting back on original programming, adding a movie night, and instead airing a two-hour block of Law & Order: Criminal […]

T Dog’s Groovy Grab Bag

– WWE’s move of Friday Night Smackdown to My Network TV drew 3.2 million in its first airing Friday night, finishing first in the time period among males 18-34 and 18-49, and giving the small net its largest audience ever. However, the premiere of Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Cartoon Network drew 4 million viewers, setting a record as […]

"Family Feud" headed back to prime-time

For the first time in 25 years, Family Feud is headed to prime-time. A celebrity edition of the syndicated game-show strip is being planned by Fremantle for NBC in prime-time, although it’s being proposed as a series of specials. If you recall, ABC aired prime-time specials in the 1970’s and 1980’s, which pitted celebrity casts of shows for charity, i.e., […]

"WWE Smackdown" bodyslams its way to My Network TV

It’s My Smackdown now. The WWE and News Corp.’s My Network TV have entered into an exclusive agreement to carry the two-hour WWE Smackdown, beginning in September. The program will enter season 10 on the mini-net. Many former UPN affiliates (including WPWR in Chicago and WCGV in Milwaukee) aired Smackdown but when UPN merged with the WB to form CW […]

WWE Smackdown to… WGN ?

Yes, that’s one of two options the WWE under consideration with the other outlet being My Network TV. If the WWE goes with with WGN Superstation, most Chicagoans would not have access to the show, since the cable version of WGN is only carried on satellite (Direct TV and Dish Network) and not on any cable systems, unless the WWE […]

"Girlfriends" to end long run

As CW prepares its post-strike future, many of its popular shows (and I’m stretching “popular” quite a bit here) are returning with new episodes this spring, including Smallville, Supernatural, One Tree Hill, and Reaper, while others including Gossip Girl and Everybody Hates Chris will return with new episodes in the fall. But two shows won’t return at all: The ultra […]