The TCA Post-Game show : Critics’ roundtable

Before TCA began, Broadcasting & Cable held a critics’ roundtable on what would they do if they ran the networks. Critics who participated included the Chicago Tribune’s Maureen Ryan and the Kansas City Star’s (and TV Barn’s) Aaron Barnhart. Among the observations: – ABC needs more comedies closer to Roseanne and Home Improvement, and not According to Jim and The […]

TCA: NBC, Part 3

Final items from the TCA Press Tour in Hollywood: MSNBC – MSNBC had a panel at the tour, and it was lively as expected – with Keith Olbermann taking a shot at Fox News and Chris Wallace and Karl Rove. about himself anchoring election coverage at the network. He took a swipe at archrival Bill O’ Reilly as well, when […]

TCA: NBC, Part 2

More from NBC on the press tour junket: – Saturday Night Live was the first of 2,783 panels involving NBC at the tour. Creator Lorne Michaels talks about the upcoming election, Amy Poehler, Jay Leno (he’s leaving that alone), and “Laser Cats” (whatever that is.) – NBC had a sophomore panel of shows featuring Chuck, Life, and Lipstick Jungle. They […]

Jay Leno exits May 29

Tonight Show host Jay Leno will no longer be on May 29, while Conan O’Brien takes over the chair on June 1, in an announcement made today at the NBC portion of the TCA Press Tour. O’Brien is expected to step down as host of Late Night this winter, in order to prepare him for the Tonight Show gig. NBC […]

TCA: SciFi may consider "Caprica" for series

SciFi is considering bypassing “the backdoor pilot” process for Battlestar Galactica prequel Caprica and may make it into a series instead. Caprica is set on the planet of the same name, and showrunner Ron Moore says it won’t matter how the prequel ends – but having it would add supense. Caprica had a panel at the TCA Press Tour featuring […]

TCA: NBC, Day One

The peacock network is strutting its features for day one of the press tour: NBC -NBC announced it is using the upcoming Olympics to promote its short-term Monday lineup, consisting of the premiere of America’s Toughest Jobs and Deal or No Deal – each will run on Mondays for four weeks beginning August 25. Jobs moves to its regular 7 […]

TCA: The eye is on CBS

Part one of CBS’ TCA session: – Katie Couric isn’t leaving The CBS Evening News. And the viewers aren’t going to be watching her, either. – CBS news executives talked about the presidential campaign and Obama’s first trip overseas and the fact conservative critics could be chirping because a similar trip by John McCain in March didn’t nearly gather much […]

TCA: More ABC

Highlights from the second day of ABC’s portion of the TCA tour: ABC Showrunner fest ABC had the showrunners from its popular dramas on a panel, incluidng those from Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, and Ugly Betty. University Park native Shonda Rhimes assured everyone there is no feud between her and Katherine Heigi, who critized the writing staff of the […]

TCA: ABC, You and Me

The first of the Big Three started its’ presentation today at the TCA Press Tour. First up, ABC and its two-parter: – Odd sight: A reporter for the “Sarasota N.Y. newspaper” asks if ABC is courting Jay Leno. Turns out the reporter is… Jimmy Kimmel! He dashes about before real journalists asked him about… well, you know… – ABC chief […]

TCA: FX’s turn

Finishing with News Corp. with FX: – The cable network said it will end Nip/Tuck in 2011, ordering the series’ final nineteen episode. The controversial series has been targeted by the Parents Television Council for its’ content. – FX also picked up a new series called Testees, while the status of Riches is unclear. Ratings are down 44 percent from […]

TCA: MacFarlane, Groening discuss their shows

Fox’s presentation at the Television Critics Association tour continued with Fox’s Animation Domination Sunday block with Simpsons creator Matt Groening, Family Guy’s and American Dad’s Seth MacFaralane, and King of the Hill’s Mike Judge. Highlights from the panel: – Best line of the day: “Is this where Karl Rove sat? Because I don’t want to get AIDS.” – Seth MacFarlane. […]

TCA Notes: PBS and Fox

News Corp. (Fox, FX, Fox News, FSN) Fox made its presentation on Monday, and covered a wide range of programs as well as Fox News. Among the highlights: – Fox is considering a spinoff of Prison Break, and it’s set in a women’s prison. Hopefully, it’s not like the dreadful comedy Women In Prison, which aired on Fox in 1987. […]

TCA Notes: Spending a day with Turner

Turner’s networks took center stage on Friday at the TCA Tour with a added bonus – a preview of Cartoon Network’s Clone Wars: –CNN: The all-news network unveiled its latest gizmo: A high tech touch screen used during this election system to break down election returns from counties. Yours truly saw this first-hand when it was used during the Indiana […]

TCA Notes

Cable continues its ride through the press tour, with an emphasis on going green: Discovery Networks (Discovery, Animal Planet, TLC.) -Discovery: The Discovery Channel had a panel at the tour discussing a film titled Secrets of the Dinosaur Mummy, which chronicles the find of Leonardo, a extinct dinosaur found in Montana – which still stands with 90 percent of its […]

TCA Notes

As you know (or may not know), the Television Critics Association (or TCA) Press Tour is underway in Los Angeles, with cable nets rolling out its programs over the next couple of days: –Hallmark: The network’s original programming on tap this fall includes stars Jane Seymour, Ed Asner, Cheech Marin, Florence Henderson, and Donna Mills (If it features Donna Mills, […]