TLC Pulls Plug: Viewers Could No Longer Relate To Kate Gosselin

TLC Pulls Plug: Viewers Could No Longer Relate To Kate Gosselin

Travel Channel’s Man Vs. Food Eats At Me

Travel Channel’s Man Vs. Food Eats At Me

Palin Documentary The Undefeated Ready For TV

Palin Documentary The Undefeated Ready For TV Palin documentary film is coming to PPV via DirecTv, Dish Network and Time Warner...

Kimmel Or Fallon: Gimme’ Jimmy At Night

Kimmel Or Fallon: Gimme’ Jimmy At Night

Leno or Letterman? No thanks. To me the late night war now comes down to one of two Jimmy's ... Fallon or Kimmel.

Japan Champs Of Women’s World Cup; U.S. Still Winners

Japan Champs Of Women’s World Cup; U.S. Still Winners

US Women's soccer team should hold its heads up high!

Jane Lynch Shows Glee After Show Loses Three

Jane Lynch Shows Glee After Show Loses Three

Should Jane Lynch have said she was glad three cast members were "graduating"?

Top Five Morning Shows: ‘Today’ Still Rules

Top Five Morning Shows: ‘Today’ Still Rules

Today is still the No. 1 morning show in ratings and quality in my opinion...read my blog for 2-5! thanks!

Lea Michele of ‘Glee’ ? … I Hardly Knew Yee

Lea Michele of ‘Glee’ ? … I Hardly Knew Yee

Three key cast members of Glee are set to leave at season's end....

Amazing Race, Amazing Run: Two More Emmy Nominations

Amazing Race, Amazing Run: Two More Emmy Nominations

Great show created in part by NY'er Elise Doganieri!

MLB’s Midsummer Classic A Drawn-Out, Listless Affair

MLB’s Midsummer Classic A Drawn-Out, Listless Affair

MLB All-Star Game may be fun but it doesn't mean much, in spite of efforts to make it so!

'The' Ohio State football mess for 2010 and 2011

How can Ohio State and college football move forward from the Buckeyes mess?

‘Big Brother’ Houseguests Just Like You, Me … Unfortunately

‘Big Brother’ Houseguests Just Like You, Me … Unfortunately

Evil Dick and Danielle are together again, and two couples return to the Big Brother household...

Would Professional Jury Been Better For Casey Anthony Trial?

Would Professional Jury Been Better For Casey Anthony Trial?

FOX News' Sean Hannity scoffed at the notion of a professional jury, but was justice done in Caylee Anthony's murder/death?

Magnetic Screens Are Thing Of Summer Dreams

Magnetic Screens Are Thing Of Summer Dreams

Magnetic screens are amazing..they'll keep your entire family happy and unified.

John Mackey Is Why NFL Players Must Fight For Fair Shake

John Mackey Is Why NFL Players Must Fight For Fair Shake

The ex-Colts and Packers star Mackey died from dementia, perhaps due in part to the bone-jarring hits from his days in the NFL.

Should Casey Anthony Trial Have Been Televised?

Should Casey Anthony Trial Have Been Televised?

Do we know too much about the Casey Anthony trial? Should it have been televised at all?

Internet TV Can Be A Remarkable Value

Internet TV Can Be A Remarkable Value

Dick Woelfle's tvandvideoguide is a remarkable internet TV program.

Click above box (tvandvideoguide pro) to get hundreds of channels for just $25 for the year!

Matt-riculated into Television: A&E's Hoarders Is Hard To Watch...In A Good Way

Matt-riculated into Television: A&E's Hoarders Is Hard To Watch...In A Good Way: "A&E Series tackles illness of hoarding head on...good show by cable channel."

A&E's Hoarders Is Hard To Watch...In A Good Way

A&E Series tackles illness of hoarding head on...good show by cable channel.

American Airlines: Something Special ‘On’ The Air

American Airlines: Something Special ‘On’ The Air

American Airlines should be proud of its ad supporting our troops!

“Just For Men” Commercial Is Just For No One

“Just For Men” Commercial Is Just For No One

Sports stars in the "Just for Men" hair color ads should be ashamed of themselves for appearing in the corny series of ads.

Talkin’ MLB? It’s Probably Because Of Interleague Play

Talkin’ MLB? It’s Probably Because Of Interleague Play


Interleague play, NL vs. AL, has been good for MLB...Yanks-Mets, Cubs-ChiSox, Angels-Dodgers....

blog.beliefnet.com/changingchannels/

Posts on Princess Di/Newsweek, Justin Bieber, John McEnroe, America's Next Great Restaurant, Jamie Oliver, Peter Falk's passing and more....

blog.beliefnet.com/changingchannels/

America’s (Not) Great Next Restaurant …

America’s (Not) Great Next Restaurant …

Winner of NBC series sees three restaurants fold in less than three months.....

Should Larry Crowne Have Been Made-For-TV Movie?

Should Larry Crowne Have Been Made-For-TV Movie?

A Crowne-ing achievement? Looks like a nice movie, but could have been made-for-TV....

Should Larry Crowne Have Been Made-For-TV Movie?

Should Larry Crowne Have Been Made-For-TV Movie?

Is Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts movie good enough to plunk $ on?

Sorry, Charlie Sheen … but take them with you

Sorry, Charlie Sheen … but take them with you


what other TV characters have worn out their welcome? Joy Behar, all the judges, "cartoons"?

Borg-McEnroe Rivalry Revisited In Stellar HBO Documentary

Borg-McEnroe Rivalry Revisited In Stellar HBO Documentary


Borg-McEnroe were great rivals in the 70's and the HBO documentary does a great job with the true story...

“No Good Deed …” UK Paper Rips Foodie Jamie Oliver

“No Good Deed …” UK Paper Rips Foodie Jamie Oliver

Jamie Oliver did a good thing by trying to get LA schools to examine their school lunches! see above link....

Random Clicks, Including Peter Falk’s Passing

Random Clicks, Including Peter Falk’s Passing

Just one more thing...unfortunately Peter Falk died today

David Letterman Treated Justin Bieber Poorly

David Letterman Treated Justin Bieber Poorly

Could Letterman be jealous of Justin Bieber's clean-cut ways?

Time To Stop ‘Gotcha’ Questions On Pageant Shows

Time To Stop ‘Gotcha’ Questions On Pageant Shows

Penn Jillette enjoyed his gotcha moment with a controversial question for one of the contestants...Miss TN

Tracy Morgan “Rocked” By Own Comments About Gays

Tracy Morgan “Rocked” By Own Comments About Gays

Tracy Morgan seems contrite about his recent comments over gays....that's a good thing.

Johnny Mac Attacks Good Guy Nadal

Johnny Mac Attacks Good Guy Nadal

Rafa Nadal should just be the classy tennis player he is and ignore John McEnroe's call for him to gloat about his great play

Tiger who? Golf still compelling without Woods

Tiger who? Golf still compelling without Woods

Pro golf is doing OK these days with the likes of McIlroy, Westwood, Kaymer, Yang etc...see link above, thanks!

Now For A Commercial Interruption …

Now For A Commercial Interruption …


Time to talk commercials again! Allstate, Progressive and State Farm have stepped up their games....thanks to Geico's gecko and the cavemen....

Matt-riculated into Television: Jim Dandy: He Can ‘Carrey’ Rare PG Flick

Matt-riculated into Television: Jim Dandy: He Can ‘Carrey’ Rare PG Flick: "Jim Dandy: He Can ‘Carrey’ Rare PG Flick Jim Carrey made 'em laugh again on a visit to the Today show Thursday...and he's star..."

Jim Dandy: He Can ‘Carrey’ Rare PG Flick

Jim Dandy: He Can ‘Carrey’ Rare PG Flick

Jim Carrey made 'em laugh again on a visit to the Today show Thursday...and he's starring in a PG movie...again!

see above link for more...thanks!

Matt-riculated into Television: Nick Cannon’s Dancing Explodes On “America’s Got T...

Matt-riculated into Television: Nick Cannon’s Dancing Explodes On “America’s Got T...: "Nick Cannon’s Dancing Explodes On “America’s Got Talent” Nick Cannon is the perfect host for 'America's Got Talent..."

Nick Cannon’s Dancing Explodes On “America’s Got Talent”

Nick Cannon’s Dancing Explodes On “America’s Got Talent”

Nick Cannon is the perfect host for "America's Got Talent" ... funny, not mean ... and what a dancer!

almost...almost as good as me....though that's a blog for another day....

click link above for more please....thanks!

Matt-riculated into Television: Say Hello to Cee Loo Green On "The Voice"

http://matt-riculated.blogspot.com/2011/06/say-hello-to-cee-loo-green-on-voice.html

I am getting "mad" style tips from Cee Loo Green...too bad I can't sing like him...

Say Hello to Cee Loo Green On "The Voice"

http://blog.beliefnet.com/changingchannels/2011/06/nothing-on-tv-this-summer-i-voice-my-dissent.html

I am getting "mad" style tips from Cee Loo Green...one of the stars on NBC's "The Voice"...I can't sing like him, though....

Mavs Owner Mark Cuban Becoming Class Act

Mavs Owner Mark Cuban Becoming Class Act

Cuban's team, the Dallas Mavericks, smoked the Miami Heat to win the NBA title Sunday night and the owner took a back seat to the Mavs' accomplishments ...

well done Mark, well done ...

please click link below headline for more on story...thanks!

follow matt aug http://twitter.com/#!/mattauge and/or friend me on facebook.com

Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/changingchannels/#ixzz1PAkfLlvn

Kenny Albert didn’t fall far from Marv’s tree

Kenny Albert didn’t fall far from Marv’s tree


Kenny Albert follows in his famous dad's footsteps w/same quality of work and sense of humor as the great Marv Albert

Abe Vigoda … The Ultimate Good Sport

Abe Vigoda … The Ultimate Good Sport

Abe Vigoda was great as a dramatic actor in The Godfather and in his dead-pan roles on Barney Miller and Fish.

Some think Vigoda is just plain dead, and have for decades, but he is still alive and well and appeared on The Today Show Wednesday.

LeBron becoming another Karl Malone … not a compliment

LeBron becoming another Karl Malone … not a compliment

Which team will be up 3-2 in the NBA Finals after tonight's game?

LeBron James will have alot to say about the outcome ...if he steps up his game, the Heat will win.

If not, Miami will be in a 3-2 hole.

LeBron becoming another Karl Malone … not a compliment

LeBron becoming another Karl Malone … not a compliment

Will LeBron step up or risk becoming another Karl Malone some day?

Good Daughter: Mira Sorvino keeps eye on dad Paul’s diabetes

Good Daughter: Mira Sorvino keeps eye on dad Paul’s diabetes

They are movie stars, but Mira Sorvino still worries about her dad, Paul's, diabetes....

Bachelor or Bachelorette: Where Is The Love?

Bachelor or Bachelorette: Where Is The Love?

Will Ashley find love this season? Probably not, but part of the fun is watching the ups and downs of romance ...

Finals exam: Dwyane Wade, Heat Incomplete; Canucks Earning ‘A’

Finals exam: Dwyane Wade, Heat Incomplete; Canucks Earning ‘A’

Things can change quickly but the Canucks appear to be in control of the NHL Finals vs. the Bruins...Miami's poor fourth quarter play in game two of its series vs. Dallas may have swung things in the Mavs favor...we'll see.

The Lowe-down on Rob? Still a winner...now with Parks/Rec

http://blog.beliefnet.com/changingchannels/2011/06/parks-recs-rob-lowe-more-than-a-pretty-boy.html


Rob Lowe is still doing it all movies, TV and books....amazing.

he also has the pressure...as do I...of being an extremely good looking man.

lol!

How Could Howie Not Laugh … at Himself?

How Could Howie Not Laugh … at Himself?

Howie Mandel was a bit of a spoil sport in Tuesday's premiere of America's Got Talent

see how in the above blog!

Worthwhile Segments On Kathie Lee, Hoda

Worthwhile Segments On Kathie Lee, Hoda

Kathie Lee can be a tough watch at times, but she and Hoda have some worthwhile segments on their fourth hour of NBC's Today Show...one came today with author Noelle Hancock.

“America’s Got Talent” … Inspiring TV

“America’s Got Talent” … Inspiring TV

One of TV's best shows...particularly over the summer...is NBC's America's Got Talent....agree or disagree, and why?

CNN....Coverage Not Neutral!

CNN tries to paint itself as moderate and neutral in its coverage....HA!

watch Howard Kurtz knock Hannity and Rush every week on Unreliable Sources and you'll know the network is being less than truthful....

http://blog.beliefnet.com/changingchannels/2011/05/cnn-coverage-not-neutral.html

see blog above for more....

Catch up on Changing Channels!

good posts on Oprah, The Apprentice, AI and a "where are they now?" on Everwood....the little mid 2000's drama that could....

thx!

Oprah Often Missed Mark On Show, In Finale

Oprah Often Missed Mark On Show, In Finale

Oprah is over....and in her finale she spoke of "Amazing Grace" and having a "calling"

but was she correct on how she used those?

Congrats, Scotty … But Time To End American Idol-izing

Congrats, Scotty … But Time To End American Idol-izing


Should Scotty be the final winner of this show? .... let me know....

For-everwood … shows end, but actors go on … and on

For-everwood … shows end, but actors go on … and on


Everwood was a pretty good show in the early to mid part of the last decade ... but where are they now ...the actors in that fine show? I have some answers in the above blog....thx for reading!

Reality is John Rich, Scotty McCreery deserve wins

Reality is John Rich, Scotty McCreery deserve wins

Scotty McCreery and John Rich deserve to win their reality competitions ... what do you think?

CBS' Undercover Boss....Is The Best Kind Of Boss!

chekc out my blog on the terrific CBS series "Undercover Boss"

thanks!

3D or not 3D....That is the question...

Have you made the investment, yet?

I am REALLY enjoying sports and movies on it and found a pretty good deal!

http://blog.beliefnet.com/changingchannels/2011/05/3d-or-not-3d-that-is-the-question.html

Now For A Commercial Interruption

Now For A Commercial Interruption Wheat Thins, McDonalds and Oreos all have clever ads out!

Kirstie Alley Deserves Cheers, Not Jeers For ‘Dancing’

Kirstie Alley Deserves Cheers, Not Jeers For ‘Dancing’

Check out my blog on Kirstie Alley of "Dancing with the Stars" at beliefnet.com

thanks!

Scotty McCreery Garners Plenty Of ‘Idol’ Attention

Scotty McCreery Garners Plenty Of ‘Idol’ Attention

Scotty has a good chance to Garner even more attention if he can top two women to become the next American Idol!

“YES, Francesa’s Interviews Can Be FAN-tastic”

“YES, Francesa’s Interviews Can Be FAN-tastic”

Mike Francesa's interview of Chris Herren on WFAN Radio in NY the other day was terrific....see above link on beliefnet.com/changingchannels

ABC's wipeout is a pretty good show!

http://blog.beliefnet.com/changingchannels/


haaaaaaa....wipeout!

check out blog above

I'm on beliefnet.com .... told you I was moving!

It's up and it's going...please follow my new blog home at :


http://blog.beliefnet.com/changingchannels/2011/05/its-not-a-weekend-without-cbs-sunday-morning.html

if for some reason above does not work, pls go to beliefnet.com, then go to blogs and look for "changing channels" and you will see my blog there.


some of the blogs you will have already read ... and I apologize for that, but I have updated them a bit and hopefully thousands more readers will be joining you so I can make some fabulous moolah ...

not the wrestler ... some of you old-timers like me will remember ... but dinero, cash, $


thanks for following me here and more importantly ... there!


http://blog.beliefnet.com/changingchannels/2011/05/its-not-a-weekend-without-cbs-sunday-morning.html

"All Things TV"---Your 20 cents ...

One of the "funnest" parts of writing this blog has been the interaction I have enjoyed with some of my family and friends.

I have received some helpful criticism and REALLY nice compliments, and I appreciate it!

This blog will include a few of your comments of late ... your 20 cents, as it were.

Twenty cents, because that is what I have earned in ad revenue from the site from over two months of blogging.

The experience I have gained, as I move on to beliefnet.com in the coming weeks, has been invaluable though, and readership has SOARED from early putrid numbers ... so I am grateful.

On now, to some of your comments that have touched me, made me laugh or made me think ... the latter being a miracle in itself ... lol!

...................................

"Heaven help us if the Trumpster runs for president" ... said my long-time friend Deb from California's Bay Area on my recent column on "The Apprentice".

my reply: Trump running ... isn't the problem, winning is. seriously though Deb, no president has EVER come into office less experienced and with more question marks than Pres. Obama ... and in my opinion it has shown. Trump is tough, loves this country and would probably get the economy moving again ... but he most likely WON'T run.

..................................

"Get rid of the 'hopefully' in the sub-headline, you ARE funny Matt" ... said my NOW favorite brother Chris from Connecticut.

my reply: awww and thanks ... and you are a great father, brother and husband!


..................................

"WOW Matt! That was really beautiful and touching. You are a thought-provoking and talented writer; I am proud of you!" ... said my NOW favorite cousin Noreen from Seaford of my column on CBS Sunday Morning.

my reply: It's easy to write about subjects that come from the heart Nor. I appreciate the Gallaghers always being there for me as a kid ... and even now!


OK ... that's it for now ... perhaps more comments and notes soon!

thanks for reading and tty Friday.

"All Things TV"---Tuning out, turning off? Over 1M fewer Americans have TV sets

Nielsen, the TV ratings company, recently reported that over a million fewer households own a TV set from last year.

While it's just a slight dip after two decades of growth and still a healthy number (114.7 million) overall, fewer TV's does say something about us.

The worst thing that can be read into this, in my opinion, is the damage that rising home foreclosures is doing on the economy.

Fewer homes, after all, means fewer televisions necessary as little Jimmy and mom move into the grandparents house.

That also means less business for cable and satellite TV services, as well.

A more positive and optimistic view on there being fewer TV sets is the rising use of computers and tablets to watch TV and video programming.

Turning pessimistic again, however, perhaps the reduced quality of programming, including more reality shows that will ever be needed, may be turning people away from the tube.

While "The Amazing Race" and "Undercover Boss" are well done, perhaps Bethenny Frankel from the Housewives series does not deserve her own show?

People's pretty much mundane lives don't call for a show, they really just serve to make one consider leaving the TV out on the curb.

As long as it's not a high-def or 3D model ...

Thanks for reading ... tty soon.

"All Things TV"---Ummm, uh, you know ... I wrote a book

WFAN sports radio host Mike Francesa has a pretty-good sized ego, for sure, but he said something that was dead-on correct the other day:

"It used to be you had to accomplish something before you wrote a book," the talkie opined.

Francesa was referring to New York Jets coach Rex Ryan whose new tome "Play Like You Mean It" was just released.

It is pretty amazing that Ryan, who appeared on "Late Show with David Letterman" Monday, would write a book as the Jets have not won a Super Bowl since the days of Joe Namath.

Heck, they haven't even won an AFC Championship since Namath, as he would say, "pah-lay-ed"

Even more galling, Ryan took an achievement from another sport, college's "Final Four" and applied it to the NFL.

"We made it to the Final Four two years in a row," Ryan often brags.

I didn't hear him say that on his visit to Letterman ... wise move ... but he spoke his usual ummms and uhhhs, if not the "ya knows" he is known for.

While Ryan's wife's reported toe fetish was apparently off-limits, Brett Favre's crude conduct wasn't.

That was an interesting call by Letterman, though Ryan probably made it clear he would not discuss that.

The talk-show host had to ... excuse me ... toe the line on that one.

Let me be clear, I am a New York Giants fan but I used to root for both football teams.

Before Rex Ryan began opening his mouth, that is.

............................................

Thanks for reading and tty soon. Remember I am moving on to beliefnet.com in the coming days ... please be sure to follow me when I go!

More details to follow ...

"All Things TV"---Final thoughts on The Royal Wedding

I shouldn't have shifted gears so quickly after The Royal Wedding and gone right into "The Apprentice" the other day.

The Royal Wedding was such a once in a lifetime event it deserves some final thoughts:

Here then, are some things overheard at the wedding and reception that followed:

"Did you see that train ... you could have taken that thing into Long Island!"

(actually, that was just me commenting)

"A different hat, and a different application of mascara and she's no longer Princess Beatrice ... she's Princess Babe-a-trice!"

(Yes ... the hat was a disaster but she's still a great story with her weight loss)

"I know it's hard to open your wedding program in here with the seating so tight, so what you have to do is bend it ... like Beckham!"

"That's not one of the kids from the wedding party ... that's Matt Lauer!"

"Did you see how fast Sir Elton John hit that buffet table? He's the Rocket Man alright!"

"I heard William and Kate have already had their first fight ... he said 'that dress ... was the best you could do?"

OK ... that's all I have ... except to knock Dr. Phil who on a visit to "The Talk" said about 164 men watched The Royal Wedding.

Hey, I'm proud to watch something with the pageantry and history of The Royal Wedding

... now back to fixing me knickers!

thanks for reading and tty Tues!

"All Things TV"---Trump's VP Choice ... why not Gary Busey!

When you are a leader, it's good to send people off your trail by having a bit of a loon serve as second in command.

Some people feel Barack Obama may have done just that when he selected Joe Biden as vice president.

Biden, you might recall, reportedly plagiarized speeches and was known for saying nutty stuff BEFORE becoming VP.

If Gary Busey was auditioning for the job as Trump's VP on this season of "Celebrity Apprentice", then The Donald should have just two words for him:

"You're Hired!"

Busey, after all, was brilliant in getting more than his share of attention on his short stint on the program.

Meat Loaf, for one, was plenty baked at Busey and wanted to tear the actor apart after one disagreement.

And you thought people didn't like Dick Cheney?

In standing up to Busey, Meat Loaf showed in that instance he would make a strong secretary of defense in a Trump administration.

Speaking of more potential cabinet members, poor LaToya Jackson, bumped off the most recent episode in favor of Nene and Star Jones, is a soft-spoken person who could best serve as secretary of state.

Word is, however, that Meat Loaf already got word of the potential appointments and approached Trump about them.

"Mr. Trump," said Meat Loaf, with a hint of a tear rolling down his eyes. "I like your decisions on having LaToya and I serve in your cabinet but I have to disagree with you wanting to make Gary Busey your vice president!"

Trump took a moment and then calmly and coolly replied ... "Meat Loaf ... don't be sad, you of all people should know ... that two out of three ain't bad!"

thanks for reading and tty Monday.

"All Things TV" Prince William and Kate were great

I don't like focusing on the negative as I have much of this week with the axing of Paul Reiser's show, John McEnroe's continued boorish behavior or the easy to dismiss "The Talk".

Really I don't.

So the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton was a nice break from some crummy television and the continued troubling news from around the globe.

With the world watching, England delivered a mighty event with equal touches of flair and friendliness.

Everyone looked wonderful, seemingly behaved well and all the waving from everyone involved in the wedding party in the procession of cars was a nice touch.

It was a grand event, and the UK didn't disappoint.

I only wish the wedding could have been held on a Saturday so I could have seen more of it.

That's not something I expected to write, but job well done Jolly 'ol England.

On another note, I am getting ready to leave this blog for one on beliefnet.com.

Thanks for reading and I hope you'll follow me.

"All Things TV" Not exactly 'The Talk' of the town....

Perhaps in a bid to cash in on the concept of 'The View', another group of women decided to get together for another talk show called 'The Talk'.

Not sure if we needed another show from a woman's point of 'view', if you will, but from my small sampling 'The Talk' doesn't really stir up anger or make a person think.

"The Talk" doesn't do much at all, in fact, but listen to itself 'talk'.

OK ... enough with the puns ... it just didn't seem like the subject matter on "The Talk" is particularly meaty.

While "The View" has hosts and guests you can either truly like or dislike and issues that can make your blood boil, "The Talk" seems pretty milquetoast by comparison.

For instance, while "The View" will have Bill O'Reilly or Rudy Guiliani as guests, "The Talk" hosts are discussing what kind of secrets they keep from their spouses.

Ho-hum!

I rarely, if ever, watch "The View" but I at least know it's on and I know why I usually don't want to watch it.

"The Talk" though should be better than it is with a dynamic and accomplished woman like Holly Peete Robinson as one of its five hosts.

Julie Chen is OK as host of "Big Brother" and the other three women, like Sara Gilbert, must have some interesting things to discuss in their lives.

Where are those juicy topics and controversies going on and why aren't you discussing them?

Perhaps "The Talk" should be silenced ... soon.

Thanks for reading and tty Friday.

"All Things TV"---Mad about view, Reiser's show dumped

Where's Helen Hunt when you need her?

That could be what Paul Reiser's thinking after his self titled show was dumped by NBC after just two episodes.

The former "Mad About You" co-star, with the aforementioned Hunt, was never my cup of tea ... I kind of saw him as a poor man's Jerry Seinfeld ... but he was a proven star who deserved better treatment from NBC.

I only caught the second episode of "The Paul Reiser Show" and it was more bad than good with just a few funny moments.

Still, for fans of his brand of "everyman" comedy the show had a few flickers of laughs and it was better than a "Seinfeld" episode in its first two seasons.

Who can't relate, for instance, to the sound of a screaming/screeching cat keeping you up at night like his TV wife dealt with in episode two?

Thanks to my wife, who loves our "munchkin" to death ... I can certainly relate.

(I love munchkin too, after all... and can't wait to have nice memories of him someday ... there's a joke in there somewhere.)

Reiser deserves credit for still appearing on "The Tonight Show" earlier in the week when he was initially scheduled to promote his comedy ... before it was dubbed a "cat-egorical" failure and axed by the network.

In the end, Reiser has something in common with my cat ...

Both seem very content in retirement and should be left that way.

thanks for reading and tty thurs!

"All Things TV"---Still John McEnroe, after all these years

I saw some of John McEnroe in myself as a youngster, and that wasn't all good.

As a kid growing up on Long Island, like McEnroe, I enjoyed playing tennis.

Although McEnroe went on to become one of the sport's all-time greats, I didn't though we had one very similar quality on the court:

We were both jerks who ruined the experience for ourselves and others around us.

Although I rarely pick up a racket anymore, I do see the err in my ways and don't think I would behave like that again.

I am not perfect, by any stretch of the imagination, but I think I have matured a bit.

That makes one of us ...

McEnroe, now playing on a senior tennis tour currently airing on Comcast Sports networks, is still playing and still acting like a horse's backside to put it nicely.

Although the matches have little value or consequence and are attended by sparse crowds, Johnny Mac is still Johnny Mac and it's as unpleasant a sight as ever.

See Johnny Mac miss a shot, see him berate an official or act otherwise foolishly by yelling, screaming or mistreating his equipment.

See Johnny Mac still get rewarded with plum tennis analyst assignments on CBS though and one realizes he has never really faced consequences for his poor behavior.

I once asked him to defend his on-court behavior on a conference call and he responded in his usual bully-ish ways and rejected my question.

That's fine, because I'm NO John McEnroe ... and in some ways, thank goodness for that!

Thanks for reading and tty Wed.

"All Things TV"---Not a weekend without CBS Sunday Morning

I never used to understand why my Uncle Gerry used to watch "CBS Sunday Morning" every, well, Sunday morning.

The then-Charles Kuralt hosted program seemed so deadly-dull with its news and feature stories and peaceful segments on nature.

That's not to say I still wouldn't take the train from Port Jefferson to Seaford though for my aunt Lois' delicious breakfasts.

I just didn't understand why Gerry, a large and gregarious man with a voice that could barrel through Brooklyn, could sit there for an hour and a half contently and quietly watching that program.

After the passing of Kuralt some years back, Charles Osgood took over as host and nothing changed.

Except me, thank goodness.

Being a little bit older and SLIGHTLY more mature now, I get why Gerry Gallagher, who also unfortunately passed in recent years, enjoyed the program so much.

The best way to describe it is like opening a Sunday newspaper without getting all the ink all over your hands.

Osgood, and a cast of fine reporters, deftly take the viewer through features on news, politics, history and culture and thanks usually to Bill Geist, a laugh or two as well.

The show's recent piece on a goose that befriended a man at an L.A. park was simple but brilliant.

Perhaps that's the best way to describe CBS Sunday Morning, as well.

Simple but brilliant ... tty Monday.

...............................................

This column is in memory of my cousin Timothy Gallagher, who left this earth far too soon recently after suffering a heart attack. Thank God for a great aunt and uncle, and for all my cousins too!

"All Things TV"---Pepper spices up "The Kennedys"

Greg Kinnear is good, VERY GOOD, as JFK in Reelz TV's "The Kennedys".

But the cast of characters around him, especially Barry Pepper as Bobby Kennedy, is arguably even better.

While Kinnear does a nice job portraying JFK's mostly level-headed approach to the most important job in the world, his New England accent isn't quite thick enough and he constantly GD's.

While it's probably historically accurate that JFK often took the Lord's name in vain, Kinnear is a big enough star to refuse doing it.

But it's not an issue for the actor, as his work in other movies has shown.

I don't recall Bobby/Pepper EVER GD'ing and his performance is perhaps even stronger than Kinnear's.

That might also be historically accurate, as RFK was probably a stronger Catholic than JFK and had far fewer "dalliances", ahem, than his brother.

Pepper is terrific in showing Bobby's support for his brother, love of his wife Ethel and the pain of being Jack Kennedy's son.

Which leads to Tom Wilkinson's spot-on performance as Jack Kennedy.

Jack is a tough and demanding sonuvagun, but he loves his sons and isn't afraid to tell them.

He also stands up to Frank Sinatra in one unforgettable part.

I wish I could go on and on, but I have to conclude with Katie Holmes who was terrific as Jackie Kennedy.
'
If anyone doubts Tom Cruise's wife's acting ability after her role in "The Kennedy's" they are as nutty as Gary Busey.

Holmes looks great in Jackie-esque dresses and is believably supportive but tough with her husband.

Well done Reelz ... makes me hunger for a miniseries on Bobby Kennedy.

"All Things TV"---Spray it ain't So! I'm a 'Wipeout' fan!

I have to admit it, when I first saw ads for the ABC show "Wipeout" I thought it would be pretty stupid.

I'm not really a big fan of watching people make idiots of themselves on television a la "America's Funniest Home Videos".

That show, and its host Tom Bergeron especially, seem SO forced ... with people so desperate for fame or fortune they'll hurt themselves or their pets in all kinds of ways.

"Wipeout" contestants aren't preening to the camera or trying to yuk it up for laughs.

They're too busy trying to make it through a water-soaked obstacle course without getting knocked down or out.

It probably hurts them a little bit, but contestants aren't really in danger ... only of being embarrassed a little.

Hosts Jon Anderson and and John Henson make the show a pretty funny watch too with their corny comments.

Jill Wagner, who initially gained fame starring in car ads, provides on-course interviews while trying to stay above the fray.

The show provides pretty much guilt-free pleasure, and not too many programs today can say that.

When it comes to Thursday nights on ABC, I'm never too wiped out to watch "Wipeout"
I know ... that was TOO easy.

Haaaaaaaaaaaa "Wipeout"!

Hey ... be sure to follow me over to beliefnet.com in the coming weeks as I begin blogging about television for that major website.

I am very excited about the opportunity to be a small part of that operation!

I am also getting ready for my second sports report on tvandvideoguide.com and will let you know when that airs, too.

thanks for reading and tty Friday.

"All Things TV"--What What I Do? ... I'd watch

One of the better shows on TV is ABC's "Primetime: What Would You Do?"

The John Quinones-hosted program, that airs Friday nights, often puts people in uncomfortable positions to see how they would react ... do they do what's right, or just walk away from a tough situation?

The show is at its best when it sticks to values everyone can agree on, like treating other people decently, or not stealing.

One episode tried to get the reactions of people walking by when a boy was attempting to steal a bike vs. how people respond when a pretty girl was attempting to do the same thing.

People were tougher on the boy, not surprisingly, yelling at him and asking if it was his bike or not. They were easier on the girl, with some even stopping to help her cut the bike free of chains.

Kinda funny, kinda revealing.

Another episode focused on how the public sometimes mistreats waiters and waitresses and had actors treat wait staff poorly to see if anyone would come to their aid.

Many people did, and that was refreshing to see.

Quinones does a good job, for the most part, at not being too heavy handed or judgmental about people and their reactions to difficult situations.

The show veers a bit however, when it gets into larger topics at times.

I just read up a bit on Quinones and learned he is a fraternity brother of mine from San Antonio.

"What Would I Do?" if I saw him coming at me ... probably shake his hand for a show well done.

A good place to watch all kinds of news, sports and entertainment programs is on the "TV and Video Guide".

Just click the link above, pay the incredibly low price of $25 for the year (or $2 and change per month) and get access to TV you can't get anywhere else ... except for hundreds more dollars ... like NFL games, NBA, MLB and NHL.

My oldest brother and I both have it ... and we love it!

Thanks for reading and tty Thursday!

"All Things TV"---Your turn to comment ...

Right from the beginning my friend Deb from California has been here, or there, to support my blog ... and I really appreciate her!

Smart, savvy, well written, well-spoken and she looks a bit like Anne Hathaway too.

She has tons of opinions too, so it would be a shame if I didn't share some of them.

Deb agreed, for instance, with my blog about radio guys being unfit for TV.

"A voice on the radio lets you use your own imagination. Seeing the people sitting there taking calls on the radio loses all the charm and mystery of radio. Obviously the people behind this venture never heard the words in the song "video killed the radio star".

Well put, Deb.

Doug, who I used to work with in Sacramento, pointed out that radio "personality" Don Geronimo appears on a local TV show there.

Don, of "Mike and Don" fame is loud and talks alot, but really isn't too funny.

My fraternity brother Scott had this to say about my blog on all the unnecessary judge shows on TV:

"I miss Doug Llewelyn's hair." (He of course was the court host/interviewer on "The People's Court", a role copied many times since).

I think we all do Scott ... we all do. (That hair was big enough to hide Judge Hatchett and Judge Alex, I think)

That show also spawned Harvey Levin, who went on to host and create 'TMZ', which asks dumb questions of celebs as they arrive at the airport or leave a restaurant.

That, as I have said before, could be a whole 'nother blog.

"All Things TV"---Radio guys on tube ... a tough watch

Someone in recent years had the "bright" idea of airing telecasts of radio guys doing their show on TV.

If it sounds painful to watch ... it's because it pretty much is.

It probably started with the original sports radio team of "Mike and the Mad Dog" in New York when the YES Network decided to simulcast their WFAN show a few years back.

Unless they were going to verbally spar, which they sometimes did, there was really no reason to show them on TV.

With the duo split up for over a year now, there is even LESS of a reason to see just Mike Francesa cut off his callers and look at his producers in the radio booth.

Francesa and Mad Dog were still easier to watch than "Boomer and Carton", the same station's morning hosts. "Boomer" is Boomer Esiason, the NFL analyst and ex-quarterback who is a genuine sports fan and decent guy.

Carton is Craig Carton, a controversial radio "personality" from New Jersey, who says inappropriate things about women and sucks up to athletes to be friends with him.

Difficult enough to listen to ... never mind watching. It's a good thing MSG Network is knocking itself off the air on so many cable and satellite providers.

In conclusion, Imus ... who never seems to have a conclusion to his radio career has his shows simulcast on FOX Business channel.

There is nothing like watching the rapport between Imus and his news man Charles McCord.

Nothing! ... and no sarcasm there ...

"All Things TV" Running out of soaps

I am ashamed to admit this, but I will anyway:

I used to LOVE soap operas.

Especially back in the 80's when dealing with the drudgery of high school it was cool to come home and escape into the world of The Cassadines and Luke and Laura on General Hospital.

Both story lines dragged on WAY too long, but GH was pretty good television and a good way to connect with my mother and brother ... awww!

And One Life to Live, the soap before it, was interesting too with all the goings-on of the Buchanan's, even if they were a bit of a rip-off of The Ewings.

Perhaps I started to live my own life, pardon the pun, or the soaps started getting too soapy but I eventually turned them off for good.

Good call, and viewers will soon have two less shows to choose from after Thursday's announcement of the cancellation of "One Life to Live" and "All My Children".

Good thing, if too long in the making, as soaps have been too tawdry and lacking in any value for years. It often makes me wonder who comes up with the empty and shallow material contained in these shows.

Two fewer soaps on television?

Good riddance and change the channel on the few that remain...for "These are the Days of Our Lives"...don't waste them on dopey soap operas.

Thanks for reading and ttyl.

"All Things TV"---Local car ads . . . drive me crazy

Why do local auto dealer ads have to be SO painfully bad?

From Long Island, New York to Los Angeles, California their commercials are SO poorly done you almost have to watch.

Like a car crash . . . if you will.

The latest local car dealership ad that caught my attention is by Mark Jacobson of Raleigh, N.C..

As if his slogan ("Mark Jacobson Toyota . . . for all the right reasons") and shameless use of a poodle in all his ads aren't enough, Jacobson recently hired author Matthew Goodman to "co-star" in his TV spots.

Jacobson, who told the News & Observer that Goodman is his nephew, utilizes him for a take-off on the court scene of "A Few Good Men".

Instead of "A Few Good Men", the ad could use a few good actors instead.

"Hold Love Strong" is the name of Goodman's book . . . well hold onto your barf bag while watching this stinker of an ad.

Jacobson is not alone in trying to be cute . . . Chuck Swift and Cal Worthington have tried the approach for years in California.

Worthington with his signature drawl and use of his "dog" spot were so famous he earned several appearances on Johnny Carson.

(makes sense . . . you can't have Carson without Cars, right?)

"Go see Cal, go see Cal, go see Cal," his ads repeat and repeat and repeat.

You wouldn't WANT to visit some car dealerships on Long Island, either.

New York car salespeople are pushy on top of being pushy.

Ads that try to portray them as friendly, ordinary folks would never make "a dent" with me.

Couldn't resist . . . thanks for reading and ttyl.

"All Things TV"---Yesterday is Today on NBC w/Katie visit

The timing couldn't have been better for Katie Couric to visit her old stomping grounds of NBC's "Today Show" Wednesday morning for a sit-down with her former co-host Matt Lauer.

Couric, there to plug her new book "The Best Advice I Ever Got" about how famous people have dealt with adversity in their lives through advice from mentors, was just about her old bubbly self in talking to Lauer.

The pair undeniably shared an on air connection that helped build "Today" into the powerhouse morning show it remains to this day, despite competition from two networks, cable outlets and local news shows.

Lauer will reportedly need another co-host soon as Meredith Viera may leave the show to be with her ailing spouse.

Couric made a huge career error when she left "Today" to host the "CBS Evening News" several years ago, but her ego to make her own mark in television may have drove her to the Tiffany Network.

Although not everyone's cup of tea, particularly due to their left-leaning politics, especially Couric, the tandem are a special on-air duo and "Today" is easily the best-produced morning show around.

(I watch it for the opening itself, though that could be another blog entirely.)

Lauer didn't ask Couric about a return to "Today", which would be an awkward question, but she did indicate she would make a decision on a career move in the coming weeks, months ahead.

Her best move would be to crawl back to NBC and get her old job back.

After all, there's no time like "Today".

"All Things TV"---Not to Judge, but...

One could argue there are still a few too many "Judge" shows on television.

It was one thing initially when there was Judge Wapner doling out justice on cases similar to what would be handled by small claims courts on "The People's Court".

He was almost doing the public a service by taking them off dockets and saving taxpayer money.

I'm not sure it worked that way, but it seemed like it and having a grandfather figure like Wapner to watch was acceptable.

As society has gotten more shrill and nasty though, so have these TV judges.

From Judge Judy's gravely voice and angry tone to Judge Mathis' willingness to mix it up with his "litigants" about their unseemly lifestyles and affairs, it is hard not to "judge" the crude nature of these shows.

Sorry, but I want my judges to be "above" me in terms of their demeanor and knowledge...if not, my cousin Fred might as well rule on how much my ping pong table was worth before it was destroyed in the backyard wrestling event.

OK, so Judge Hatchett and Judge Ross are nicer than Judy and Mathis, but they too lack the gravitas I am looking for in my judges.

To borrow a part of an old song "Where have you gone Judge Wapner?"

tell me what you think and tty Wed.

"All Things TV"---More Sunday fare

I recently blogged about the high quality of shows on Sunday night, including The Amazing Race, The Apprentice, Shark Tank (recently moved to Fridays) and, of course, 60 Minutes.

I forgot about a couple of shows I like, however, including "Secret Millionaire" and "America's Next Restaurant".

I go through about 17 boxes of tissues a week watching "Secret Millionaire", the ABC show in which a wealthy person goes from his/her opulent surroundings, usually in L.A. or Florida, to do charity work in a rough inner-city environment like Compton or Detroit.

The wealthy, but usually big-hearted people, receive eye-opening experiences and wind up giving away tens of thousands of dollars.

Nice stuff...even through all the pain, heartbreak and sorrow many people are going through.

"America's Next Restaurant", on the other hand, is about a group of 10 contestants who are trying to get a group of four famous restaurant entrepreneurs to invest in their idea/concept for the next great chain.

Steve Ellis of Chipotle and celebrity chef Curtis Stone are two of the people the contestants are trying to impress. I am not sure what it is, however, but this show lacks something.

Whether it's a fiery chef throwing pots and pans around or an eccentric character like Donald Trump or Mark Cuban it just needs another ingredient.

Tell me what you think and tty again Tuesday!

"All Things TV"---Holly is Yoko Ono of 'The Office'

First she ruined Michael, then an entire show.

The character of "Holly" on 'The Office' returned to steal Steve Carrell's heart this season, and now she threatens to take an entire show with her.

Sound familiar anyone?...perhaps like Yoko Ono did with John Lennon of The Beatles?

True 'The Office' still has a great and talented cast, but Amy Ryan swooped in and chopped the head of a good show off and walked away with it.

I never liked their sickly-sweet pairing, but I was hoping for a different outcome.

Perhaps like Amy Ryan finding a different job or returning to her ex.

Will Ferrell is hysterical, but he doesn't seem "right" for 'The Office'.

It just seems like a desperate move to keep a big-money show going.

Hey, if they wanted to maintain a crazy office environment why not hire Charlie Sheen?

Charlie Sheen in Scranton...in one word....Winning!

"All Things TV"---New late night king....Jimmy Kimmel!

He doesn't have the gravitas of NBC's Jay Leno or CBS' David Letterman, and isn't as well known as TBS' Conan O'Brien but to me the new king of late night is . . .ABC's Jimmy Kimmel!

OK, that is a lot of call letters, but to me Kimmel is simply the freshest thing going on late-night TV and has the best combination of solid interviewing skills and funny skits around.

Perhaps the most important gauge I have for enjoying Kimmel the most is that I often search for his segments on the internet. I also still go around the house yelling "Barbra Streisand!" "Tom Hanks!" or "We're going to Australia!" thanks to a recent clip his show put together on Oprah.

Luckily my wife knows why I am yelling, though the cat often runs away from me in fear. If only munchkin knew there was nothing to fear because "Oprah's here!"

And I OWN that, by the way...which could be a Dr. Phil'ism...but back to my point.

Being from NY, I never cared for Leno's act of trying to be a regular guy and having lived in Sacramento for many years Southern California was not my kind of place.

I LOVED Letterman growing up, but in recent years he has become bitter and kind of sleazy and I think it has crept onto the air to some extent.

I miss his cute and funny side and wish he would have avoided tearing down Sarah Palin and stayed away from politics...though that could just be me...lol.

I knew I would have trouble following Conan to TBS, and I have...so I have to say that Kimmel is now my fave late night host.

He has traps to fall into too, however, as Kimmel's ex is the far-lefty Sarah Silverman and one of his best friends is the "anything goes" atheist Howard Stern.

I hope Kimmel avoids going down either of these paths on the air, or I will find Conan again.

And I mean it...COCO!

"All Things TV"---If you are going to criticize...

I recently decided I wanted to push myself in an effort to draw more readers to this blog and also see if I was still any good at being on camera.

I got in touch with Dick Woelfle and asked for some ideas. Woelfle runs the successful tvandvideoguide.com channel, which provides links to live news, sports and entertainment TV channels.

It's an amazing resource that costs just $25 per year. Just the NFL football package on DirecTV costs $300 or so bucks, for instance, and with this you get so much more...and for so much less dough!

Anyway, Dick was good enough to offer me a slot each month to talk about what is going on in the world of sports and pump up my blog spot. It was a very generous offer from a person I had never talked to before.

I am going to do my best not to let him down and do a decent "job".

Let me know what you think ... go to tvandvideoguide.com and try to catch my sports segment beginning Thursday night.

Feel free to laugh at me, with me or just give me a tough time for my New York accent.

If I mumble, stumble or fumble over my words....blast me!

Whatever you do, however, don't sign up for tvandvideoguide.com there...do it HERE instead to help support me...lol!

thanks for reading and tty Friday!

"All Things TV"---Glenn Beck...you will be missed!

You stood up for President Bush for being the good man he is and great leader he was.

You also took on the task of warning Americans about the threat of the deficit and the fear you have about America walking away from Jesus Christ and His values.

For those two reasons alone you will be missed Glenn Beck.

Beck issued a press release today indicating he would be leaving FOX News and his 5p nightly program.

I did not watch him all the time, nor even often of late, but I praise Beck for fighting the good fight for as long as he did.

We are in deep trouble as a country no matter how hard we try to avoid looking at the issues and the problems we face.

You didn't avoid controversy, and often tackled the most difficult topics around.

Thanks Glenn Beck...I'll miss you!

tty Thurs....

"All Things TV"---Great night in sports

This HAS to be one of the best nights of the year to watch sports.

The NCAA title game, for starters, should be terrific with the legendary UConn coach Jim Calhoun matching wits with a guy half his age in Butler's Brad Stevens.

Can Kemba Walker lead UConn to another big win, or will Butler tear down the net in its second straight finals appearance?

The game will air on CBS around 9:30 p.m. ET

By then, I will be in either a good mood or foul one, pardon the basketball pun, depending on what "my" N.Y. Rangers do against the "Bahston" Bruins in a Monday night tilt on Versus.

The Rangers will either strengthen their bid for the playoffs or continue their maddening up and down play.

That game starts at 7 p.m. on Channel 9124 on U-Verse...just kidding, it's channel 1640.

No....not 1940 you Islanders fans!

Much easier to remember at 1640, right?

I am sure I am forgetting stuff, but my last game of interest takes place at 7p when the Yanks and Twins square off on ESPN.

The Yanks are off to a pretty good start at 2-1 and would love to put some early season distance between them and the Red "Sawx", who are off to a blistering (NOT!) start at 0-3.

Uneasy lies the head of the favorite, which Boston clearly is this season according to many pundits.

An easy way to enjoy all the games is with tvandvideoguide.com. Click the banner above and get great sports and entertainment programming year round for just $25.

An amazing deal from an amazing website...which I hope to appear on soon with my own sports segment!

That should help sales...or put an end to my career...lol!

Great night in sports...to heck with another Boston reference...that is the replay of the Kennedys series on Reelz!

Perhaps more on that Tuesday....thanks for reading!

"All Things TV"---He "A-Piers" To Be Trying Too Hard

Piers Morgan is good...maybe even VERY good on television.

But the newly-minted CNN talk show host is certainly not great and may not ever reach that level.

I write this because Piers tries to put off an aura of greatness that he simply can't deliver on, not yet, and perhaps not ever.

That isn't a knock, because the former "Celebrity Apprentice" winner and "America's Got Talent" judge is Simon Cowell-esque in the presence he brings to the programs he appears on.

Like him, or hate him, you can't ignore Cowell...or Morgan, who took over for Larry King, for that matter.

Well, actually, Morgan is fairly easy to ignore since he appears for just an hour per weeknight with some of the most important entertainment and news figures around.

Piers may find this hard to believe, but his impact on the TV world is pretty slim due to competition from FOX News and all the other programming on at night, however.

Morgan is a good interviewer, even if he occasionally verbally steps on his guest while he/she is speaking, but if a tree falls in the forest...as the old expression goes...with CNN's anemic ratings...

His initial challenge of taking on Howard Stern as "King of all Media" was ridiculous, for instance.

Whatever you think of Stern, he has built a huge audience over decades due to hard work and filling a "culture" void, as rude and crude as he can be.

There is simply no such gap existing for Morgan to fill, nor is he driving the right vehicle to have the impact Stern had or has.

What Piers should do is continue to build his show into a solid choice for viewers to tune in to with steady, capable and entertaining work.

There's nothing wrong with being good, or even very good.

Pretending to be great, however, can be tough to watch.

Tty again Monday!

"All Things TV" Bits and Pieces

It's time for a blog with some random thoughts....hope it doesn't turn into one of Larry King's old columns with such doozies like "I love the taste of white chocolate"...or something like that.

For starters, nice to see Dennis Rodman honored by the Pistons tonight by hanging his jersey in the rafters. One of the great all-time rebounders in the game, Rodman was a remarkable player who didn't need to engage in the on and off court nonsense he did. Being great at his craft should have been enough...

Rodman was part of the early heyday of reality TV, which is really no better now than it ever was. In fact, it is even more pervasive and in some cases, sicker than ever. Girls getting pregnant as a means to possibly make it on an MTV program about the subject is truly disgusting. If they are making some money off the show, it doesn't appear to worth the mess their lives have become.

Maybe I'm getting tired tonight but that Brawny ad for picking up messes strikes me as funny as the cartoon logger sings "call on me brother...when you need something strong"...like I said....may be getting tired here.

My friend, Deb in California is NEVER tired however and I always appreciate her wise comments and wise cracks for that matter. She agreed with my changing channels blog in which I lamented about how NBC is Channel 4 in New York, but 3 in Sacramento, for example.

"What is equally frustrating is the advent of cable and satellite television. If you switch providers, the channel numbers sometimes change. So, you don't even have to move anymore to experience having to learn a new set of channel numbers...just switch your television provider. What frustrates me more than that though, is the time thing. My favorite shows are on at a certain time. If I go to the Bay area, they are an hour earlier. This has nothing to do with the time zones as we are the same here as the Bay Area. Again, it's a cable/satellite provider issue. Wouldn't it be nice if they just kept things the same? I think they like to confuse us on purpose. LOL!"

Good stuff Deb...keep those thoughts coming and we'll blog again Saturday!

"All Things TV"---ESPN's Boone-doggle

I love the start of the baseball season, especially when my Yanks win!

"Thuh Yankees win!" that is...in the words of Yanks radio man John Sterling.

Oh for the days of him on the radio with Michael Kay, but "oh my goodness gracious" (inside joke)...I digress.

I also appreciate the part Aaron (Bleepin') Boone played in Pinstripes history in extending the Red Sox curse with his legendary homer in 2003.

I don't appreciate his "work" in the broadcast booth, however, as evidenced by his performance in the Yanks opener vs. the Tigers.

Boone has a horrible voice, talks too much and over-reaches with his statements.

His comment that A-Rod was "locked in" for the season after drawing an early walk was ridiculous, for instance.

Oh...if there wasn't a delay between the TV and radio broadcasts I would SO put up with Suzyn Waldman.

Also setting back the ESPN broadcast, or at least pushing me to find the mute button, is old-standby Rick Sutcliffe.

The one-time terrific pitcher is truly a walking "air and space museum" because he sucks up air and takes up space, offering little valuable insight . . . ever.

His NFL equivalent....and this is not a compliment...would be Matt Millen.

Can't wait for those FOX broadcasts so Tim McCarver can try to ruin the Saturday national games.

In case you can't get enough of McCarver, he has a sports interview show that airs at 3 a.m. in most of the country.

Geez....I wonder why?

Sorry for the negative tone on this entry, but these guys drive me nuts!

"All Things TV"---MJ as straight man

It is amazing after all this time to see Michael Jordan still starring in Hanes commercials.

It has been several years, after all, since MJ led the Bulls to all those NBA championships.

MJ always knew a winner when he saw one though, and you can include his most recent ads as another in his "win" column.

The ad I like best is when the guy sitting next to him on a plane points over at another fellow a row over who is plagued by a "bacon neck" t-shirt.

The other gentleman, who can't hear that he is being dissed, nevertheless points out his sloppy collar that resembles frying bacon.

Jordan's genius in his playing days is that he would allow a "hot" teammate to take over the game...if occasionally...and if the teammate could be counted on to come through in the clutch.

Jordan's teammate in the Hanes commercial, a lanky fellow, played it like Scottie Pippen with his ability to elicit laughs in the ad.

"We're like brothers" he proudly states to Jordan because they are both free of bacon "necktivity", thanks of course, to Hanes.

"No we're not" Jordan deadpans.

"Yeah we are" the fellow squeaks in a fading tone.

Yes they are brothers, in this brilliant if simple ad.

What are some of your favorite commercials? And why? Do they make you laugh, cry?

Let me know and I will tty tomm!

"All Things TV"---Changing channels

I have wanted to get something off my chest for a long time, and this "working vacation" I am on seems to be the perfect time.

I promise I am not a numbers man, unlike other sports fans, for instance, I rarely remember what number jersey most of my favorite players wear.

It is precisely why when growing up in New York the TV channels seemed so perfect to me.

CBS was channel 2, NBC was 4, FOX was 5, ABC was 7, WWOR (used to have two W's), WPIX was 11, and PBS was 13.

(Ch. 9 went on to become "My 9" and Ch. 11 is now WB11).

Any-whoo...once you start moving around the country a little the "madness" begins.

In my second stop, Salt Lake City, all I can recall is that somehow Ch. 5 and Ch. 13 became network channels...and that's all I can remember.

And that's precisely my point...

I wouldn't even had gone to Sacramento, or stayed there 10 years, had I known that Ch. 13 would be an ABC affiliate or Ch. 3 would be NBC.

Nice try, channel 3, even with the long-time legendary anchor Stan Atkinson, ya screwed up.

Because 3 ain't 4, which is SUPPOSED to be NBC in my world...

And Raleigh, my last stop, well don't even get me started...Fox is on channel 50 and ABC is 11.

It mind-boggling and perplexing, to say the least, but at least it ain't illegal I suppose.

ABC 45 in Winston-Salem, N.C. however....now THAT is criminal!

OK...thx for reading and tty Tues.

"All Things TV"---Mad-dow at MSNBC

I will try to tread lightly when blogging about politics, but it is hard not to notice how ANGRY the pundits always seem to be on MSNBC.

Whether due to the network's consistently low ratings, or dealing with a president who promised peace but seems to be extending old wars and promoting new battles in foreign countries, MSNBC analysts seem angry all the time.

One of the challenges about that is when the far-left leaning analysts from MSNBC are asked to make appearances on slightly more moderate NBC fare like "The Today Show".

It has been interesting to note, for instance, Rachel Maddow's spots on the legendary program. She chooses her words more carefully and even looks a tad happier and friendly when talking politics with fellow liberal Matt Lauer.

The attempt to "soften" and "lighten" up Maddow's appearance is not surprising, but it is a bit disingenuous. The millions of day-to-day viewers of "The Today Show" should know Maddow is staunchly pro-Obama and EXTREMELY liberal, not views shared by most of America.

I have some advice for Maddow and her cohorts at MSNBC like Ed Schultz and especially Lawrence O'Donnell: lighten up and relax a bit on your own. Your tired approach of being angry has not drawn viewers and will not extend the life of your shows on the little-watched network.

In other words, don't worry...be happy!

Besides, isn't your side in power? Aren't things going the way you want them to for the most part?

Or is "winning", to borrow Charlie Sheen's phrase for a moment, not all it's cracked up to be?

tty Tues and thanks for reading...

"All Things TV"---Deb from California checks in....

It's always a good idea to get other people's thoughts about what you write, and I am pleased to have my long-time friend, Deb of California to comment on my recent blog praising Pat Sajack for being a class act and realistic about politics.

"Pat Sajak is right! Nothing irritates me more than when Hollywood types spout their political agendas. On another interesting note....to me anyway.
Wheel of Fortune has a special place in my heart. It was my grandma's favorite show. You can imagine Grandma's delight when I was pregnant with my first child at the same time as Vanna White. LOL!
Grandma followed Vanna's pregnancy and would give me little updates. I lived out of town then so I guess it was a way of following mine as well. Anyway, Grandma lived long enough to see and hold my little girl who looked just like her son...my dad, which delighted her even further.
Grandma passed away when my girl was 6 months old. She was the last of my grandparents."

It's funny and kind of interesting how TV has touched our lives and in ways we can't even imagine. I learned a great deal about racism and different cultures from watching programs like "All in the Family", "The Jeffersons", "Chico and the Man" and "Gilligan's Island" growing up.

OK, not so much the last show....just making sure you were paying attention!

tty again Monday and look forward to your comments, too!

"All Things TV"---Simply Marv-elous

One of the best things about March Madness is the opportunity to listen to some of the best broadcasters around.

Have to start with my all-time fave: Marv Albert. It's a treat to hear the ex-Knicks, current Nets and TNT play-by-play legend call college games on CBS.

While being terrific at his craft, Marv is also a true gentleman who was really nice to me the one time I had a chance to speak with him.

It's not surprising then that his son, Kenny Albert, is also a terrific guy and first-rate broadcaster.

Jim Nantz, calling the North Carolina-Marquette game Friday night, is so smooth it's ridiculous.

He and partner Clark Kellogg are an all-time great pairing for the NCAA Tourney who don't overwhelm games.

ESPN's Dick Vitale may come across as a nice guy, and he may be a good man, but college basketball doesn't need his breathless excitement....it already is breathlessly exciting, after all.

When all is said and done....you remember the game....not so much the broadcaster....sorry Dicky V.

Thanks for reading "All About TV"....and please consider "TVandVideoGuide.com" as a great way to check out the tourney and all other sports, movies and news.

See the banner above for more info...it is easily the best $25 I have ever spent on news, sports and entertainment.

I love news and politics and have given them short shrift to this point...but all in due time my friends.

All in due time... gn.

"All Things TV"---The winner is....AT&T U- verse

When it comes to cable and satellite TV offerings I have just about used them all....and in some cases twice.

For me, the winner is....AT&T U-verse. The overall product, including marriage of phone and internet services is the best thing out there.

I should know...in my four years living in a condo in North Carolina I have already had DirecTV, Dish Network and now, finally, AT&T U-verse which I am going to stick with.

To be fair, many of the companies now offer most of the same channels, even Time-Warner. Many also have
on-demand and similar recording capabilities, as well.

U-verse has the most complete combination of channels though, and the most up-to-date technology, including recording several HD programs at once and viewing a list of phone calls that have come in.

DirecTV still has slightly better sports offerings, including the only NFL package, available but the ability to combine services together for a better price is simply too good of a deal to turn down.

I liked the superstations package on Dish Network, but I wasn't even watching the two New York channels enough to spend the $5.99 a month for them.

Dish Network also didn't offer as many HD sports channels as U-Verse, and that was a big factor for me making the switch.

If you are happy with your phone and internet services and have opted away from satellite and cable TV altogether, like so many have in these tough economic times, TVandVideoGuide.com is a tremendous internet option.

If you don't want to wait for the networks to release programs on their websites you can watch them live via links provided by TVandVideoGuide.com for a paltry $25 per year.

And the sports and movie offerings are amazing, making the service worth more than $25 a month.

Simply click on the banner above, sign up and start saving BIG TIME today!

"All Things TV"---ABC Place to be Wednesdays

Gotta' hand it to ABC for putting together a strong comedy block on Wednesday nights.

From "The Middle" to "Modern Family" and the fairly new "Mr. Sunshine", ABC is clearly the place to turn for laughs on a tough "hump day".

I've already written about what an underrated show I feel "The Middle" is. I am a comedy snob and won't watch too many of them because of it, but Patricia Heaton is strong as the mom and all three kids are funny because of their peculiar ways.

The show is so good it makes a car dealership humorous, and has even rejuvenated the career of ex-SNL'er Chris Kattan. Doris Roberts does a turn as one of the kid's math teacher, and the scenes with her and Heaton are as comedically "tense" as they were when the pair were on "Everbody Loves Raymond".

Ed O'Neill often went for the easy jokes on "Married with Children", but on "Modern Family" he digs deeper and the comedy is much richer for it. Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy is the corniest, but funniest character on the show...a scene of him crying with his daughters is priceless.

Matthew Perry has been surprisingly terrific on "Mr. Sunshine", where he manages a sports arena and deals with all kinds of quirky co-workers and mascots. Unlike Matt LeBlanc, Perry has proven he can carry a series though he also has better material to work with.

I hope this series lasts, as long as it doesn't fall back on the easy sexual innuendo, or worse, "humor "of other shows. It's not humorous or clever when they do...it really isn't.

By the way....a great place to catch these shows and many others is tvandvideoguide.com. For the price of two weeks of cable, or less you get more programming than you can ever possibly watch.

Its sports programming alone challenges that of DirecTV, or other satellite/cable offerings for less than pennies on the dollar....check out the banner above for more info.

Thanks for reading and gn......

"All Things TV"---Channel 125

One of the things I love about the internet is there are so many things you can do with it, including of course, watching TV.

That leads me to a brilliant product/website called "tvandvideoguide.com".

Created by a man named Dick Woelfle, the service puts all the best TV and video links together on one website and leaves the best of TV, sports and  video entertainment just a few easy clicks away.

Just the sports offerings alone make it worth the little over $2 per month charge.....in fact, click the banner above and you can get the service for just $25 for the year!

As a HUGE New York Rangers fan, I have caught a majority of their games for a fraction of the cost of the league's internet or TV package, which run about $150 for the season.

Catching my home teams has taken some of the sting away from moving from N.Y.

But enough about me, "tvandvideoguide.com" also offers links to all the network channels and several others, including A&E, TNT, TBS and even HBO.

The picture quality isn't as good  as TV, but all in all....a heck of a bargain...so much that I talked one of my brothers into buying too.

It's a rare occasion that something that seems too good to be true ACTUALLY is true.

This website is it, and deserves the kudos.

OK....tty again tomorrow

"All Things TV"---Sunday night is TV's best night

It's probably by design, but Sunday night is the best night on TV.

Since families are usually home getting ready for the week ahead and trying to relax before Monday chews them up and spits them out before "The Bachelor" can pick them up again....well before Brad picked Emily anyway...Sunday night is  ideal for TV watching.

TV can be a vast wasteland but there are some pretty good shows on Sunday nights, including The Apprentice, The Amazing Race and Shark Tank to name a few.

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OK....so there was arguably too much of the boardroom action aired before we FINALLY found out who got fired Sunday in The Apprentice, that was also a product of Niki Taylor bowing out gracefully like she did.

The show is still pretty well done, however, even with an ahem...."eclectic" mix of people including Gary Busey and LaToya Jackson.

The clear star of the show is Donald Trump, though, and he plays it for all it's worth.

Trump can be disappointingly rude and crude though, and could hurt his presidential bid....if he is serious about that...though that could be another blog in itself.

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So glad Shark Tank made it back for a second season, and even more glad it added Mark Cuban to a group of "sharks" that already includes real estate maven Barbara Corcoran and other distinctive personalities who decide whether or not to buy into "regular joe's" businesses.

Cuban even outsharked Corcoran at one point to invest in two women's dance business for kids. It looked like a shaky venture to me, but Cuban owns one more TV channel and sports team than I do....lol

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The Amazing Race, meanwhile, is the Amazing Race...consistent in its inconsistency. Relaxing, yet unnerving fare of people trying to outrace other people around the world in many different ways and many different countries.

It deserves it's own blog entry at some point and I wrote a story about it already too that I will provide a link too....perhaps tomorrow.....for now.....good night!

"All Things TV"---Sunday night mean's tube's best offerings

Sunday is arguably TV's best night with old stalwart 60 Minutes, The Amazing Race, The Apprentice, Shark Tank and other terrific shows.

I will write about these shows and others tomorrow when "All Things TV" continues.

In being an eclectic person, although I have been called many things, I thought it would be a good idea to have one day off per week.

Therefore...pls check out the blog Monday through Saturdays.....thx!

"All Things TV"---Pat Sajak, not Sa-jerk

I admit it....I used to dislike Pat Sajak, the host of the long-running TV game show "Wheel of Fortune".


I thought he was kinda cocky and maybe I was a bit jealous at his easy gig.

You know what, though, Sajak just makes his job look easy because he's pretty darn smooth.

He's not a bad guy guy, either based on what he said about politics a while back.

Unlike other TV stars, Sajak doesn't think it's appropriate for Hollywood types to comment on world affairs as if they are smarter than everyone else.

 It was a refreshing remark from what seems like a pretty decent guy.

If only other stars would take heed and follow....by shutting their mouths.

I am going to do the same right now...for the night, anyway!




Good night!

"All Things TV"---new title, same blogger

Sometimes in life ya gotta realize when change is necessary...this is one of those times.

I decided today to branch this blog out to "all things TV", meaning not just a focus on commercials anymore.

I still have a love for commercials and will still write about them, but I want to mix in some news and views about all kinds of TV programming....from politics to sports to TV comedies and dramas.

I'll  appreciate it if you continue to follow me on my journey...both my readers in the U.S. and Hungary...no jk....I know you are out there and I appreciate it...esp as a part-Hungarian background.

ok....starting with TV comedies....maybe I am wrong and maybe it won't last but NBC's "Community" and "Parks and Recreation" seem fresher and funnier than old stalwarts "The Office" and "30 Rock".

The latter two shows are still funny at times, but the first two seem so much more creative and go in so many more different directions.

I think I "got it" to some extent...that is...I think I understand...it goes back to the old adage that "less is more".

The settings of Community and Parks and Recreation....a community college and a  parks and rec office...are simple places where dumb-funny stuff happens regularly.

The Office is also a small enviro but perhaps it has used up many of its tricks or perhaps there is only so much one can take of Steve Carrell, comedic genius that he is.

Perhaps more on this tommorrow....feel free to pass along your thoughts too....thx!

Completely commercialized-XIII Subway sandwiches

OK....so my "diet" could come under fire again in this posting but I occasionally eat a Subway sandwich....and darn it, I like it.

I like their ads with adults acting like kids in an effort to get a bite of the sandwich from their co-workers..pretty clever...although part of me wants to react "c'mon they aren't THAT great and they are cheap enough to get your own sandwich too"...

A couple of the people in those ads are in spots for other companies too...hopefully Tums in some cases....but I will have to work harder to come up with an example.

On to Dominos, which I have hit less often lately but still eat on occasion....

the owner can stop worrying so much about that one pizza where the cheese stuck to the top of the box....it happens probably a lot more than he would care to know....and "ain't" that big of a deal.

the pizza there is better and, more importantly, the sandwiches and pasta are pretty good too...if a bit acidy and fattening...

the chicken chef should have a better attitude about getting comments on the box, though, and I don't know too many people who will do that anyway...

but if I am wrong....let me know.....

thanks for making yesterday the most read of this blog since I started it.....give me your thoughts on the new Bachelorette....I liked how she looked better before as a blonde and she seemed a little more grounded before too...

hmmmmmm.....

Completely commercialized-XII "The Bachelor"

OK....I have nothing tonight...'cept to talk about the Bachelor.

I had two things right....that were key to this edition of the show....


No. 1....I knew he would pick Emily.....and No. 2 I knew he had a temper problem....

I bet Emily is concerned about his temper around her daughter....the most important person in her life.

Brad has come a long way as a person though and I am rooting for him...even if one radio guy says he has the personality of "an eggplant"...lol

He is not that bad a person....neither is she so saintly...so they may be able to meet in the middle and have a successful relationship...

Good luck to them...the averages aren't good...only three of the 21 couples are still together though it was nice to see Molly and ....? (drawing a blank...the guy with the kid) are one of them...

OK....Jason and Molly....as an old school chum just informed me.....

ok....let me know what u think....perhaps back on to commercials tommorrow....

Completely commercialized-XI

Would love to know the name of the African-American who I already wrote about for starring in ads for Taco Bell and Las Vegas.

The "Chris Rock" of ads, because he comes across funny is also in a T-Mobile spot where he plays the straight man.

The whole series of ads with the premise of people texting and calling people who are with them because it doesn't cost anything extra is funny.

Especially the one where the really pale white guy jumps into the ice tub with the athlete and talks to him about how his injury will affect his fantasy team.

Funny stuff.

T-Mobile might not ever catch up to Sprint or Verizon in the area of cell phone sales, but the ads are still pretty funny.

In keeping with spotting people who do multiple ads, I know I have spotted the fleshy white guy in some other ads too but I just can't remember what they are.

Feel free to help me out if you recognize anyone.....thx for reading

completely commercialized X- Erin Andrews

Good to see ESPN's Erin Andrews in a couple of ads....one for Mountain Dew and another for some kind of doctor's cooperative....can't quite figure out what the second ad is for....usually not a good sign.

It's nice she can be herself again and live life hopefully without worrying that some creep is drilling a hole in her hotel wall and taping her....as you may recall happened about two years ago.

She should have the right to be beautiful and make a living and have fun.

I feel the same way about myself and my life, after all....ummmm....ok.....maybe not.

Hopefully she is very careful and hopefully creeps steer clear of her.

Those close-ups of ex-college basketball coaches/turned analysts Bobby Knight and John Thompson are a little corny as they pretend to argue with each other but there are worse ads out there.

ESPN's Kenny Mayne, in the Mountain Dew spot with her, is also not in everyone's tastes as a sports humorist, but she makes the ad work as a "straight" man.

completely commercialized IX---stars in reverse

OK....what does "stars in reverse" mean?

I thought of it today when I saw an actor I recognized in an ad for "Advanced Auto Parts"

He had a pretty regular role on NYPD Blue the first couple of seasons as "Mike" a cop who lost his job but turned informant. He worked well w/Detective Kelly (David Caruso...of course from CSI Miami) in his lone season on the show.

In the "Advanced" ad, "Mike" encourages people to run fast away from tigers who have meat wrapped around their body....a plot used by a deodorant ad too...to show they are ready to deal with customers at the  auto parts store, I presume.

Mike is a "star in reverse" because he has worked on TV shows and is back doing ads.

Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course....

Can you think of any "stars in reverse"? Do you recognize voices of stars in ads....doing voiceover work...meaning you hear them but don't see them....?

I know some but will save it for a future blog.....

completely commercialized VIII---toilet paper

OK...tonight's blog will focus on toilet paper ads....even though I am not a big fan of them.

There's the one with the singing bears (egads), another with the guy who asks his wife to toss him toilet paper and  it is either too hard or too soft (slightly humorous) and another with a bunch of serious women discussing toilet paper (gimme a break).

Toilet paper should be used but not discussed in my opinion! It's embarrassing and a function that thankfully only takes a few minutes a day. When it's done, it's done....over....and you move on. No need for discussion, or comparison or anything else.

OK...having said that...only Scott regular toilet paper consistently flushes properly....and that's all that matters and all I am going to say about it. I am always glad when it's on sale and was smart enough to buy double the amount this past week when it was.

Trust me to use Scott tissue...then we never have to have this "discussion" again.....lol!

completely commercialized VII

Getting a late start tonight....but that's a'ite...as the kids would say!

Just noticed the same guy I wrote about yesterday,,,who had his phone thrown off the ski lift....enjoying a sandwich tonight on a different ad...I think it was Wendy's....anyway....glad he got over the "phone thing" though he may need to switch back to his other product "Fiber One" later in the day.

On that note, or something similar....I enjoy Wendy's salads and chili....it doesn't have to be all junk food....and there's pretty good fiber in that chili...the $2.99 burger or chicken sandwich meal deal ain't too bad either....until this blog monetizes!

OK....off the fiber now....just saw an ad for Allstate and it just reminds me of how much I miss Dennis Haysbert as president on the series "24"....he was tough, but fair and  would have made a better president than.....OK...not going to finish that thought....lol

Sticking with insurance....State Farm has a slew of ads on lately and they have a fresh humorous take on their old slogan "State Farm is there"....Bob Barker looks slightly creepy with his orange tan in one spot though....

Closing out....which I hope to do better than the Miami Heat....lots of close losses, though they might beat the Lakers tonight....I have now blogged about three insurance companies and five fast food joints in just six blogs....

Have a good night....and thx for reading.

completely commercialized VI

OK....short one tonight...incompletely Mattriculated tonight as it were....didn't feel well today...

too much mcd's, arby's, taco bell lately, perhaps?

nah....just common cold

I think that's the key to getting commercials...no not the cold but looking kinda' common

like the guy on the ski lift who wants to know if it's ok if he dates his friend's ex-girlfriend...

it NEVER is...as we know...and the Verizon commercial is funny as the friend tosses the phone far off into the mountain as his friend tries to text the ex...say that 10 times straight....text the ex....text the ex...

why is he asking to date the friend's ex anyway  when the same guy has two other girls possibly fighting over him on a Fiber One commercial?

The funny guy has a few other ads going too...good actor who must have a pretty good agent too...

ok....thx for reading Deb....and hopefully some others too!

Completely commercialized V

OK....I know my one follower (YEAH DEB!) and other readers are waiting for answer for what Charlie Sheen's job now WAS on his role in Two and a Half Men....

He was a commercial jingle writer, of course....although I stopped watching the show several years ago now....not really my thing and decided there is better things to be doing with my time...yikes...like writing this column....no jks please!

Sorry Charlie...no offense, but shifting gears I always notice people in commercials who "graduated" to roles on TV shows like the African American woman on NBC's "Community".

There is also the white auto insurance salesman who "visits" with Flo on the Progressive ad who has a recurring role on the underrated comedy "The Middle" on ABC. (All three kids on that show are funny...don't see that often)

I just noticed last night the large African American man who takes the "Miller Light" away from people too fancy to drink it has a role on the new Dana Delaney show "Body of Proof", coming soon on ABC. He dropped a few pounds and seems a little less gruff....but I am pretty sure that's him in the promo I saw.

OK...that's it for now....thx for reading...got a little tired last night....might have incorrectly spelled "The Bachelor"...."The Batchelor" with a T in last blog....maybe because of the "batch" of women in show?

I hope the woman from Charlotte "wins" Brad...even if he is not the "savvyest" guy out there....I hope he becomes a good husband and father....awwwwwww....

completely commercialized IV

OK....have my first hat trick this afternoon...that is three of something for you non hockey or soccer fans.

just spotted the same woman from the Dominos and Microsoft Air commericals in a "Scope" ad too.

so....after she eats  her Dominos and watches "portable" TV....she can also make sure her breath is minty fresh....sounds about as rich as my life.

only three blogs in and got my first comment already....from friend Deb in California who wrote:

"I'm so sorry you had to eat that "food". But I guess it was all in the name of journalism huh?"

Let me tell you something Deb, my old friend, crunch wrap supremes have MADE me the man I am today!

OK....that could be an argument FOR or against that product....

gotta admit though....that ad with cheesy piano player singing "four kinds of steak" and the crowd repeating it is kinda funny...unlike Arby's ad it can get away with the singing since it is trying to be ridiculous....

on a non-commercial note....just heard Charlie Sheen was fired by the production company of Two and a Half Men...after his antics of last coupla days my only question is....gee, WHY?

actually Charlie fits in here because his job on the show is......read next blog for answer.....! (that's called a tease my friends)

completely commercialized III

On days I don't write about people in ads I may choose to critique them....like today.

For instance, I am not "sold" on Arby's new "Good Mood Food" campaign, where the guy sings "It's good mood food"....

after all....it doesn't exactly roll off the tongue...unlike their famous horsey sauce....lol

Singing about food is always tricky and perhaps is best avoided.

Taco Bell, on a similar note, turned the negative of recent questions of the amount of beef in its beef, so to speak into a positive by offering the crunch wrap supreme for just 88 cents.

One of those, plus the french fries, er KFC potato wedges...as they always correct me at the speaker... I should not have eaten with it, made for a pretty cheap lunch at under $3.

The crunch wrap supreme was pretty tasty w/lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream.....wonder what the regular price is?

completely commercialized II

Only did one blog and I need to make a correction ALREADY!

The "Trading Places" ad I was referring to was for "What happens in Vegas..." ad campaign....not Bud Light....though he may be in adds for that company too.

Again...need help though....who is he? anyone.....anyone.....(love that line from Ferris Bueller).

Today's commercial star is the woman who does the spots for Dish Network and a few other companies, as well.

Just woke up from a nap so I am sure I will think of a few of those other companies later....

ok...been awake a few hours...just saw that woman again....from first blog....dominos ad...

she is also in a spot for Windows so she can watch TV shows while she waits for her flight....I believe product is called "Windows Air"

Completely commercialized...

Hello...and welcome to my blog! I'll tell you more about me on another day....but similar to "Jeopardy" perhaps, I'll get into the action first and into the mundane details of me later.....lol.

One of my interests is TV, and even the commercials that interrupt some of my favorite programming.

Writing of which, have you ever noticed how the same people pop up over and over in different commercials?

I certainly have ... and created this blog to celebrate them and learn more about them...

I also want to know who they are and to do so....I will need your help!

The first guy I am thinking of is a blossoming comic genius....no kidding...evident even in 30 second commercial spots.

He is the African-American gentleman who does a "Trading Places" like routine in a Bud Light commercial, and has also done spots for State Farm, Taco Bell (with the angry "lunch lady") and others.

Trading races, and genders for a moment another commercial All-Star is the white woman who drives an 18-wheeler to take advantage of a Domino's pizza sale and watches TV shows while waiting for her flight to arrive.

She is also in several other spots and has such a familiar face....I feel like I went to high school with her or something....

That wouldn't be all too uncommon...I attended one school with an eventual creator of "The Amazing Race" and a cousin of Danny DeVito, and another with the cousin of folk-rocker Jim Croce

More to come on my next blog....good night and thx for reading!