New Commander in Chief

The TV show, not the president. Creator Rod Lurie was fired by ABC/Touchstone and was replaced by small-screen legend Steven Bochco, who'll hire his own staff to write and direct "Commander."

Word has it that Lurie was late in delivering episodes on time, which cost Touchstone (the TV division of Disney) a lot of extra money. Touchstone didn't want to get in an Aaron Sorkin/"West Wing" scenario, when Sorkin was way over deadline in delivering scripts, costing Warner Bros. big bucks.

Baseball playoffs

My heart was divided in the Yankees-Angels series but now that the Halos have won, I'll be able to devote my encouragement solely for the Angels.

I don't really have a strong opinion on who'll win the National League series, except that I'll be rooting for the Astros. Me thinks Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa comes off as too smug and seems to believe he's smarter than everyone else. And I'd like to see former Yanks Roger Clemens and Andy Petite back in the Series.

Tough choice

Now that my two favorite baseball teams -- Yankees and Angels -- are battling in the first round of the playoffs, I'll root in full force for whoever comes out of that.

If Game 1 is any indication, the Bombers are looking good.

The final 3

My hometown Yanks and Bosox decide the season this weekend at Fenway. Nothing like a season-ending series between these to rekindle my hatred of the Sox.

Geez, they win a World Series for the first time in about 80 years and we're supposed to stop Earth from spinning, just for them. Enough with Stephen King essays the heartache of being a Sox fan. Boo-friggin-hoo. We've won 26. When you catch up, let me know.

"Here's the pitch to Bucky.... it's a long drive and it's over the Green Monster in left..."

First week

Now that most of the new and returning shows have had their season premiere, a look at the ratings after week #1:

-Total Viewers:
CSI (CBS, season premiere: 29.02 million)
Desperate Housewives (ABC, season premiere: 28.36)
Lost (ABC, season premiere: 23.47)
Criminal Minds (CBS, Thursday 10 p.m. preview: 19.57)
CSI: Miami (CBS, season premiere: 19.21)
Grey's Anatomy (ABC, season premiere: 18.98)
Survivor: Guatemala (CBS: 16.98)
Law & Order: SVU (NBC, season premiere: 16.82)
Invasion (ABC, premiere: 16.43)
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC: 16.41)
60 Minutes (CBS, season premiere: 16.35)
NFL Monday Night Football (ABC: 16.10)
NCIS (CBS, season premiere: 15.48)
Destination Lost (ABC: 15.27)
My Name Is Earl (NBC, premiere: 15.25)
Two and a Half Men (CBS, season premiere: 15.04)
ER (NBC, season premiere: 14.37)
Cold Case (CBS, season premiere: 13.68)
House (Fox: 13.64)
Out Of Practice (CBS, premiere: 13.18)
Crossing Jordan (NBC, season premiere: 13.08)
Law & Order (NBC, season premiere: 13.03)
Medium (NBC, season premiere: 12.69)
Las Vegas (NBC, season premiere: 12.49)
Ghost Whisperer (CBS, premiere: 11.25)
Surface (NBC, premiere)
Numb3rs (CBS, season premiere: 11.18 each)
How I Met Your Mother (CBS, premiere: 10.94)
Dancing With the Stars: Dance-Off (ABC, 10.91)
CSI R (CBS, Wednesday: 10.75)

Serious cinema

Now that the Toronto Film Festival has ended, all the award-contending films are screening here in town. So far, I've been impressed.

"Good Night, and Good Luck" is terrific. Directed by George Clooney -- who also co-stars -- its a look at Edward R. Murrow and his influential news program, "See It Now." Both he and the show railed against Sen. Joseph McCarthy during the height of the Communist scare and blacklisting in the States.

Murrow is played by veteran character actor David Strathairn, who's poised, stoic presence makes him an Oscar nom in my book. One of the best performances of the year, in one of the best movies of the year.

Speaking of Oscar noms for best actor, Phillip Seymour Hoffman is a front-runner in the category for his portrayal of Truman Capote in "Capote." Some people like the movie a lot more than me, but his perf is unquestionably great.

More to come soon...

Emmy reaction

And the Emmmys wonder why they don't get the respect that Oscar does.

People make fun of the Golden Globes but at least they have the guts to select new shows and performers and be a bit forward thinking.

Nobody's a bigger "Raymond" fan than me but "Desperate Housewives" was the most talked about show in TV this year and it should've been rewarded as such with best comedy. (Though it's really not a comedy but that's another rant for another time.)

And don't even get me started on William Shatner and James Spader. If there was any justice in the world, "Deadwood's" Ian McShane should've won. But when he didn't, he should've let loose a classic Al Swearengen expletive to let the whole audience know how robbed he was.

Horrible vs. terrible

I was having a discussion with someone talking about which event is worse: the 9/11 attacks or Hurricane Katrina.

What do you think? Why?

All hail Caesar!

After only three episodes, HBO renewed "Rome" for a second season.

This was really a no-brainer for HBO, considering all the money it spent on production and marketing (over $100 million). Even if the numbers were poor, which they're not, the network would want to give it a second season to appeal to as many viewers as possible — and save face.

The ratings so far have been pretty good, but not "Sopranos"-level good. That's OK, though, as the viewing audience remains a bit more diluted than even a couple of years ago. And with "Desperate Housewives" dominating Sunday night viewing, HBO can't expect huge numbers anymore.

When talking to HBO about ratings, the network is always quick to point out that, unlike broadcast networks, they look at culmulative numbers -- viewers totaling up during an entire week, the when the episode is run 3 or 4 times. To just look at the Sunday premiere of a new episode, especially in the time where "Housewives" is so dominant, isn't particularly fair.

Are you watching? I've been enjoying it. I don't think it's in the realm of "Sopranos," "Deadwood" or "The Wire," but it's certainly compelling.

Here's the HBO official release:

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 12, 2005 - HBO has renewed its epic drama series ROME for a second season, it was announced today by Carolyn Strauss, president, HBO Entertainment. Production of the 12-episode second season will begin next March, with the debut set for 2007.

"Although the first season of ROME is just underway, we're affirming our support for this exciting and ambitious series by preparing for a second season now," noted Strauss. "I'm delighted that critics and subscribers share our enthusiasm for the show."

The initial episodes of ROME have inspired legions of critical praise. TV Guide hailed it as a "feast for the eyes" and a "ripping good story," as well as a "shamelessly enjoyable historical romp." USA Today called ROME "as extravagant, enticing and chaotic as Rome itself," adding, "you may never want to leave." The Washington Post described the series as "ravishing and wickedly shocking," and "a feast for the senses that includes generous portions of food for thought."

Chronicling the fall of a republic and the rise of an empire, the 12-episode first season of ROME kicked off Aug. 28 on HBO. New episodes debut Sundays (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT); throughout the series run, the previous week's episode will air Sunday (8:00-9:00 p.m.), leading into the debut of that week's new episode.

A co-production between HBO and the BBC, the first season of ROME began shooting in Rome in March 2004, with production for the series based at Rome's Cinecittà Studios. Among the actors starring in the first season are Kevin McKidd ("Kingdom of Heaven") as Lucius Vorenus, Ray Stevenson ("King Arthur") as Titus Pullo, Ciarán Hinds ("Road to Perdition") as Gaius Julius Caesar, Kenneth Cranham ("Gangster No. 1") as Pompey Magnus, Polly Walker ("Patriot Games") as Atia of the Julii, James Purefoy ("Vanity Fair") as Mark Antony, Tobias Menzies ("Foyle's War") as Marcus Junius Brutus, Lindsay Duncan ("Under the Tuscan Sun") as Servilia of the Junii, Indira Varma ("Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love") as Niobe, Max Pirkis ("Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World") as Gaius Octavian and Kerry Condon ("Angela's Ashes") as Octavia of the Julii.

The new TV season

As a purveyor of much of the new TV season in advance, several folks have asked me what are the best new shows are to watch this fall.

The short answer is … there's nothing all that compelling. That's a lot different from last year, when you could easily tell that "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" were standout hits from the pilot.

Interestingly, with TV being a copycat business, you'd think that the networks would try to imitate "Housewives" but what happened is that the supernatural elements of "Lost" became the element that everyone wanted. There's something like 4 or 5 new shows dealing with the spooky.

There's ABC's "Invasion," CBS' "Threshold" and "Ghost Whisperer," NBC's "Surface" and WB's "Supernatural." Of those "Invasion" and "Threshold" are best but nothing that really makes you salivate, waiting until the next episode.

Other non-scary dramas that have potential include Fox's "Prison Break" and ABC's "Commander-in-Chief." I really wanted to like this Geena Davis as president series but I think it comes off as a cheap "West Wing". But I'll watch the first few episodes to see if I can be swayed.

For the first time in countless years, comedies are better than dramas this fall, in terms of new shows. I highly recommend UPN's "Everybody Hates Chris" and CBS' "How I Met Your Mother." Both made me laugh, which isn't easy to do.

Not as good as the top two, but not bad are Fox's "Kitchen Confidential" and NBC's "My Name Is Earl." NBC, which fell in the toilet last year, really needs a hit and is counting on "Earl" as a savior.

My bad

Geez, I can't believe it's been over a month since I posted. What kind of self-respected blogger can I be??? Vacation, busy at work, school starting, blah, blah, blah … no excuse.

Sorry for the delay. I'll post a couple of choice items now...

More Tony and Carm

HBO ANNOUNCES EIGHT BONUS EPISODES OF THE SOPRANOS FOR 2007

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 11, 2005 - HBO announced today that in addition to THE SOPRANOS' upcoming sixth season, which will include 12 episodes, HBO will produce an additional eight bonus episodes, to debut in January 2007.

Currently filming its sixth season, the critically acclaimed, Emmy(r)- and Peabody-winning THE SOPRANOS will continue in production for these eight additional episodes. The sixth season is slated to launch in March 2006.

"We are obviously delighted that we will be able to extend THE SOPRANOS' series beyond its slated 12 episodes," said Chris Albrecht, chairman and CEO, HBO. "When something is as remarkable as THE SOPRANOS, our audience would like to see it continue as long as possible, so we are thrilled that David Chase felt there are more stories to be told."

"With every season, this series continues to creatively evolve and grow. We are all looking forward to spending more time with 'The Sopranos'," said Brad Grey, executive producer of the series.

HBO's hit drama series stars three-time Emmy(r) winners James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano and Edie Falco as Tony's wife Carmela, plus Lorraine Bracco as therapist Dr. Jennifer Melfi, Michael Imperioli as Tony's nephew Christopher Moltisanti, and Dominic Chianese as Uncle Junior.

In Sept. 2004, the series won four Emmys(r), including Drama Series; Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Michael Imperioli); Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Drea de Matteo); and Writing for a Drama Series (Terence Winter, "Long Term Parking").

Drama series

I wrote some capsules on the drama series Emmy nominees for today's Variety. Let me know what you think:


Deadwood

Network: HBO

Exec producers: David Milch, Gregg Fienberg

Emmy series pedigree: None

Millions of viewers: 5.6 (cumulative over best week)

Why it could win: There would be little arguing that "Deadwood" is the most intelligently written show on TV. The acting is superb (despite the lack of supporting noms) and everything from the set design to wardrobe to language is so authentic, you can practically feel the dust coming through your screen.

Maybe not: Even the most ardent supporters thought the storyline about the annexation got a bit dense and hard to follow.

Quote: "I don't think that Swearengen has any more of an articulate understanding of what moves him than Bullock does; it's just that his compulsions do not invoke a legal framework," says Milch to Salon.com.

Critically speaking: "Deadwood itself is almost a breathing organism -- a muddy, grim landscape of freewheeling brutality, where death comes quickly and pigs literally devour the evidence. Meticulously shot and scored, it's a perfectly realized backdrop to Milch's exploration of the depth to which people will plunge -- or not -- in lawless surroundings," says Brian Lowry, Variety.


Lost

Network: ABC

Exec producers: J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof, Bryan Burk, Carlton Cuse, Jack Bender

Emmy series pedigree: None

Millions of viewers: 15.9

Why it could win: In the copycat world of broadcast television, here was something new and imaginative. Abrams, who has managed to delight auds with "Felicity" and "Alias," is building up a reservoir of goodwill at the TV Acad.

Maybe not: Not that it's unprecedented, but winning with a freshman series isn't easy. Voters like shows that have established themselves. Most Emmy-winning dramas of the recent past have a bit more gravitas to them ("The West Wing," "The Sopranos").

Quote: "Basically one of the things that we realized very early on in doing a show about a plane that crashes on an island (was) that we didn't want to do the 'Gilligan's Island' treatment, where every single week somebody else is washing up on shore and it's the theater pro one week and the Russian cosmonauts. So we realized ... we had to populate the island with a very, very large cast because these are the people that we're going to be with," says Lindelof.

Critically speaking: " 'Lost' provides the best sustained mystery since 'Twin Peaks,' and seems more intricately plotted than made up on the fly. Even '24' doesn't seem as planned or as shocking. I have no idea where 'Lost' is going, but, so far, I've loved every step of the journey," says David Bianculli, New York Daily News.

Six Feet Under

Network: HBO

Exec producers: Alan Ball, Robert Greenblatt, David Janollari, Alan Poul, Bruce Eric Kaplan, Rick Cleveland

Emmy series pedigree: Two noms (2002, '03)

Millions of viewers: 6.2 (cumulative over best week)

Why it could win: As the show bows out after this season, an Emmy win would be a nice sendoff. While the show has at times floundered in the past, it's often been a water-cooler skein through good times and bad.

Maybe not: The self-loathing and whining became a little too much at times and some voters might not feel the same passion for the show as when it began in 2001.

Quote: "If you're very, very lucky, when you work on something, if you have all the right elements, the collaborative project will take on its own life. And when that happens, if you're smart, you recognize it and get out of the way. You stand back and allow it to unfold organically. And that's really what happened here," said Ball to About.com.

Critically speaking: "This acclaimed series appeals to our fascination with death but is more deeply rooted in a time-honored television winner: great characters," says Tim Goodman, San Francisco Chronicle.

24

Network: Fox

Exec producers: Brian Grazer, Joel Surnow, Robert Cochran, Howard Gordon, Evan Katz

Emmy series pedigree: Three noms (2002, '03, '04)

Millions of viewers: 11.9

Why it could win: Series refocused on its strengths, ditching Jack Bauer's hapless daughter Kim and going all-out on an action-packed terrorism storyline. The pace and intensity of the show remain unmatched on primetime TV.

Maybe not: The real-time format has gone from high-concept to gimmick rather quickly. Also, repetition and a limited bag of tricks that writers keep dipping into to create weekly cliffhangers might have stretched credulity too far for serious-minded Emmy voters.

Quote: "People felt we had a resurgence since the second half of last season, and I have to tell you we're very surprised. Fans who regularly watch us tell us this is our best season. ... We look for different ways to tell suspense stories. What we do now is what we've always done: Keep fans on the edge of their seats," says Surnow.
Critically speaking: " '24' is not as richly woven as 'The Wire' on HBO, but it is still one of the best shows on television. It is certainly the best secret-agent show," says Alessandra Stanley, New York Times.

The West Wing

Network: NBC

Exec producers: John Wells, Christopher Misiano, Alex Graves

Emmy series pedigree: Four wins (2000-03), nom in '04

Millions of viewers: 11.1

Why it could win: Talk about spending your well-earned political capital: "The West Wing" had a brilliant 2004-05 season, taking the action out of the Beltway and into the heartland. The race for the presidency, from the perspectives of the leading Democratic and Republican candidates, was great drama.

Maybe not: The show has already won four times and seemed to be on its last legs before this season. It'll be tough to win back those viewers who turned away last year.

Quote: "People seemed to be really engaged. ... In dealing with the primaries, it was one of the areas during the first five years of the show that we hadn't explored. One of the things you're constantly doing is look for places in the story you haven't done sometime before," says Wells.

Critically speaking: "For two years the show was in steep decline but this year they told stories you could care about. The campaign episodes took you back to the better times," says Matt Roush, TV Guide.

Dodgers dilemma

For the first time in 26 summers, I haven't been to a Dodgers game. Not on purpose but just haven't gotten around to buying tickets -- or nobody's given me any at the last minute, which also often happens -- and weekends have been fairly crazy.

Weekdays are mostly spent going to movies, an event for work or just heading home and spending time with the family. Plus, the joy of paying $10 for parking, and $10 for a hot dog and Coke hasn't overwhelmed me either.

So now the question is should I try to go out to the Ravine and catch at least one game as to not break the streak or do I boycott the season as I think owner Frank McCourt is a money-grubbing selfish jerk.

Your call???

Agony of de-feet

Since going to New York in March and walking a ton, I've had constant foot problems.

Just a short note alerting you to not take your feet for granted. They get you where you need to go and hardly ever complain.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming....

ABC party

The ABC bash last night at the Abbey in West Hollywood was a swarm of TV writers and celebrities.

As soon as I walked in, I practically crashed into Patrick Dempsey (aka Dr. McDreamy) from "Grey's Anatomy." After sitting down with three other journalists for dinner, I wandered the room and passed by Eva Longoria, Felicity Huffman and Marcia Cross of "Desperate Housewives," plus newest "Housewive" Alfre Woodard; William Shatner of "Boston Legal," Jorge Garcia of "Lost," and from the new shows: Kyle Secor of "Commander in Chief" (and of one my faves of all time, "Homicide"), William Fichtner of "Invasion" and the beautiful Heather Graham of mid-season entry "Emily's Reasons Why Not." I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting.

These network-sponsored parties give out-of-town journalists -- and those in town too if they choose -- an opportunity to interview the stars of these shows in an informal manner, just shooting the breeze.

The problem is that the party gets so loud, it's almost impossible to hear anyone. But that's a minor quibble. It's a fun night out of celebrity oogling.

One From Keith

Here's one of the one-liners from my friend Keith's presentation at last week's TCA presentation:

"We here at the WB are happy to see that Tom Cruise is dating one of our alumni, Katie Holmes from our hit show 'Dawson's Creek.'

"Of course, we always thought if he ended up dating someone from Dawson's, it would've been James Van Der Beek, but we're happy nonetheless."

WB holds court

The WB, home to one of my favorite shows of all time, "Felicity," took center stage at today's Television Critics tour. Like all the other nets, they were touting their new shows this fall — Don Johnson returns to TV in a Jerry Bruckheimer lawyer drama, "Just Legal" — but the highlight of the event was the first WB exec on the dais, my good friend Keith Marder.

Keith, whom I worked with at the Los Angeles Daily News many years ago when he was the paper's TV critic, has been at the WB for about 6 years now as corporate communications guru. For the past several TCA's Keith leads off the presentation with jokes about the TV industry that make even the most cynical critics laugh.

As he always does, Keith's material went over well and was top notch. The jokes are a bit too industry-inside for anyone to appreciate here but huzzahs to Keith and may he be the next Jerry Seinfeld in another life.

Next up for me at TCA, ABC on Tuesday.

Tiger on the loose

With his win Sunday in the British Open, Tiger now has 10 Grand Slam wins and is only 8 behind Jack Nicklaus. In what was once thought of as impossible, it now seems that Tiger has an excellent chance to break the record.

I've said it before... and will say it again... the best sporting event every year is any of the four major golf tournaments -- Masters, US Open, British Open, PGA Championship -- in which Tiger is in contention.

It's not TV. It's HBO

I attended HBO's state of their network address Friday at the Television Critics Tour at the Beverly Hilton. Twice a year, all the broadcast and cable networks come to L.A. to tout their new shows and talk about about how their networks are doing better than ever.

"Entourage" has been renewed for a third season and the way HBO chairman Chris Albrecht was talking, it'll probably be around a lot longer than that. This season, from my point of view, has been great. I'm rooting for Jeremy Piven to take home the Emmy.

March 2006 marks the new-season premiere of "The Sopranos." While series creator David Chase has often said this would mark the end of "Sopranos," he may be softening his stance a little. He's contemplating another season after this one, which is currently filming back in New York.

And for all you Larry David fans out there, "Curb Your Enthusiasm" debuts at the end of September.

As for "Rome," which I covered the nighttime party for Variety, this series is the network's next big thing. It took me a little while to understand who was who in first episode (which premieres Aug. 28) but the prognosis is good. Curious to see what everyone thinks about it.