Looking over the 2005-06 season

My friend and colleague Jon Weisman had an online discussion about the almost concluded TV season. Here's the transcript:

Jon: Well, since you're in the thick of this stuff year round, why don't you start us off with what you saw as the overriding story of the '05-'06 season?

Stu: From a programming standpoint, I'd say it was the dominance once again of American Idol. Shows just aren't supposed to find bigger audiences as they get older but Idol defies the odds. Idol just crushes the competition the way the 1977 and 1978 Yankees crushed the Dodgers -- as I'm a big Bombers fan and this is on Jon's Dodger site, I thought you'd enjoy the analogy. Wednesday night's Idol elimination show drew 28.5 million viewers, unheard of in the 500-channel universe.

The other networks are dumbstruck about how to counterprogram against it and the best strategy seems to get away from it as far as possible.

Jon: Or wait three years and reverse the crushing. Perhaps the other networks need to cast Pedro Guerrero and Fernando in something.

As far as dramas go, there were plenty of great shows to fill our Tivos this year. Good watercooler shows, like Lost and The Sopranos, which are compelling at worst and usually brilliant. (I don't buy into the theory that Lost is spinning its wheels - I think it is doing well to take its time.) Big Love - surprisingly unconcerned with soap opera plot twists given its premise - is finding itself. The recent House two-parter was some of the best television I've seen this year. Veronica Mars is clever and entertaining each week, and I can't wait to see if this year's season finale lives up to the awesomity of last years. Those are some of my favorites.

Stu: You're right. There's never been as many great dramas as there are right now. My Tivo is bursting with 'em. Just on Sunday nights you have West Wing, Sopranos, Big Love and Grey's Anatomy. Then there's Lost, which -- to its credit never plays it safe, and House. Those are just the ones on the air right now.

And starting soon is my favorite show of 'em all, Deadwood, with my second choice The Wire to begin in the fall. And what about all the FX stuff: The Shield, Rescue Me and the recently ended Thief, which got killed in the ratings but was intriguing nonetheless.

I'm surprised I still have to time to sleep and eat after catching up on all these.

Jon: Is Thief done already? I've got three of them waiting for me to watch after enjoying the first two. Over There was another worthwhile FX show that died a quiet death. I might add ... as a segue to comedy .. that It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia on FX deserved more attention - any attention, really. It had a great sensibility - twentysomething adults with just the right touch of stupidity.

Stu: Yeah, Thief just tanked in the ratings, even though the reviews were glowing. My feeling is that people got it confused with AMC's Hustle and the far inferior Heist on NBC. You know, Heist ... Thief.... five letters each, cops and robbers series... Yeah, doesn't make sense to me either but it's a theory.

Jon: Actually, that makes a lot of sense. Scary.

Stu: Philadelphia did have some moments but you definitely liked it more than me. I've never been a huge fan of the traditional sitcom, except for Seinfeld and Everybody Loves Raymond, which was great 'til the very end. But I have to give props to the sweet and enduring "How I Met Your Mother" and segueing back to Seinfeld, the Julia Louis-Dreyfus vehicle The New Adventures of Old Christine. Check that one out. In every episode there's 1 or 2 laugh-out loud funny scenes.

Jon: Well, this will get interesting now. I gave up on Mother and Christine pretty quickly - not that they didn't have their moments, but with so many things that were better on, I just couldn't carve out any time for those and have any semblance of a life. I like Neil Patrick Harris okay, but I don't buy him in that role on Mother at all. And the voiceovers by Bob Saget are useless - really, I find them insulting. We disagree about Raymond remaining good until the end, but that's a story from another year.

Talk about laugh-out-loud moments this year, I don't think anything can top The Office. That show has really taken off. It has hilarious premises and executes them almost perfectly. It has the almost effortlessly funny Steve Carrell at the lead and a deep supporting cast. And it has, bar none, the sweetest romance on TV in Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer).

Stu: I definitely need to give another look at The Office. After enjoying the Ricky Gervais series on which it's based, I tuned in last season and was underwhelmed. But you, and everyone else it seems, has told me to give it another try. And I will. I'll make it a priority during the summer when NBC repeats it.

Getting back to dramas for a sec, I have a contrarian viewpoint on House. I like it -- it's getting raves and huge ratings -- but am getting bothered by the same dramatic form every week. Person with near-death malady checks into hospital, everyone misdiagnoses for a half-hour, in final 10 minutes lightbulb goes off in House's head and he astonishingly diagnoses patient by thinking about a completely unrelatable event or case. Problem solved.

Sure that changes sometimes, but it's starting to get a bit old for me. Sorry to digress....

Jon: No, I actually agree with that critique. House (which I assume owes a good portion of its ratings to the Idol lead-in) sometimes falls into that trap. I think that tumors took the prize for like three weeks in a row. I also think that the role of Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) is a cipher - she exists mostly as a foil to Dr. House and can be remarkably slow on the uptake. But I do think that the other House characters are sharply defined. The recent two-parter also gave the show the time to really make House and the staff work to solve the mystery, right until the end.

Years ago, I used to watch ER and Law and Order, but they got old for me, and I never picked up any members of the CSI family. I regret missing out on Maura Tierney, Parminder Nagra and Linda Cardellini, because I've liked them so much in other things, but nothing feels more tired to me than the heavily promoted "very special" ER that seems to come every other week. Am I missing anything?

Stu: Whenever someone mentions Linda Cardellini, I immediately think of the underrated NBC gem Freaks and Geeks of many years ago. It was based on those awkward high school years, circa 1980 Michigan. I grew up on Long Island but that's when I graduated high school and the show hit all the right notes. Check that one out on Netflix now. Now!

Jon: You don't need to tell me about Freaks and Geeks! Its cancellation was perhaps the biggest television crime of the past decade.

Stu: And May 14 marks the final episode of The West Wing, which except for a few episodes here and there, might justly be considered one of the greatest dramas ever. Besides winning four straight Emmys, it perfectly balanced the fine line between intelligent political discussion and broad entertainment - Josh and Donna's romance, Zoe getting kidnapped, the president's creepy son-in-law. I'm really gonna miss it.

Speaking of which, Aaron Sorkin and his consigliere, Tommy Schlamme, have a new show this fall about the behind-the-scenes look at a Saturday Night Live-type variety show. I'm anxiously awaiting to see the pilot and hope it can match my high expectations.

Jon: That seems like a good place to begin wrapping up - by looking ahead. What else should we keep our eyes on? (Or is it too soon to say?)

Stu: A bit tough to say at this point until the fall lineups are announced the week of May 15. Among the nearly hundred pilots shot, the network chieftains will have to decide which shows look best and have the greatest chance to succeed. They often don't make those decisions until the last minute, literally. So I'll get a better sense at that point.

But until September rolls around, do tune in to Deadwood at the beginning of June. I don't mean to sound like an HBO flack but the show is the best written series ever on television. And that's not a fact I throw around lightly.

And speaking of throwing it around lightly, what's up with Eric Gagne? How's that for bringing it back to our regularly scheduled Dodger blogging...

Jon: Um, we're still waiting for the programmers to decide whether Gagne gets canceled or is just on hiatus.

Thanks for doing this, Stu. I can't let you go without asking these final questions:

1) Who should win American Idol, and who will win?
2) Can you pick a single favorite moment from the past TV season?

Stu: 1) I see the final two between Katharine and Chris. Very tough call on who triumphs but by the slightest of margins I say Chris. She's got a better voice but he seems to have more of a following.

2) Almost impossible to pinpoint hundreds of hours of viewing but the final 10 minutes of the last episode of Six Feet Under stands out as a great moment, when we see how and when all the characters will die. And watching Tony Soprano get gunned down by his own Uncle Junior was both shocking and exhilarating.

Jon: Wow - you stole mine. Even though it was last August (I looked up the date and can't believe so much time has passed), when I think of indelible moments from 2005-06, nothing stands out like that closing montage. Six Feet Under had its detractors, but I'm still haunted by that finale.

As for Idol - which I became sucked into against my will during its second season out of loyalty to my wife, but I guess I should take responsibility for my actions - I have also seen Chris and Kat in the final two. I'd like to see Kat win, though Chris is deserving enough that I think he could have lost weeks ago and still done fine with his career. But the wild card is Taylor, who has been something of a high quality novelty act all along, but whose support has never faltered. And wild cards often win the big one, as baseball keeps reminding us ...

CBS finales

SEASON FINALES
-Ghost Whisperer - Friday, May 5: 8 p.m. ET
-Criminal Minds - Wednesday, May 10: 9 p.m. ET
-Survivor Panama: Exile Island - Sunday, May 14: 8 p.m. ET (two hours)
-How I Met Your Mother - Monday, May 15: 8:30 p.m. ET
-NCIS - Tuesday, May 16: 8 p.m. ET
-The Unit - Tuesday, May 16: 10 p.m. ET
-The Amazing Race 9 - Wednesday, May 17: 8 p.m. ET (two hours)
-CSI: NY - Wednesday, May 17: 10 p.m. ET
-CSI - Thursday, May 18: 9 p.m. ET
-Without A Trace - Thursday, May 18: 10 p.m. ET
-Close To Home - Friday, May 19: 9 p.m. ET
-Numb3rs - Friday, May 19: 10 p.m. ET
-Cold Case - Sunday, May 21: 8 p.m. ET
-The King of Queens - Monday, May 22: 8 p.m. ET
-Two and a Half Men - Monday, May 22: 9 p.m. ET
-The New Adventures of Old Christine - Monday, May 22: 9:30 p.m. ET
-CSI: Miami - Monday, May 22: 10 p.m. ET

Know when to hold 'em...

I'm off to Vegas the first weekend of May to visit my parents and, in a perfectly timed coincidence, that Saturday is the Kentucky Derby. Dad and I will spend that day huddled at the Suncoast trying to handicap the race and put a few sheckels down on the Derby winner to be.

And I'll be in town for recent opening of the newest hotel in town, the Red Rocks casino only a 5-minute drive from my parents house. I hear they'll have a nice poker room, where I can be found playing a few rounds of hold 'em with the Vegas locals.

On the way

While I enjoyed last night's "Sopranos" episode -- I'm glad Tony finally told Artie that his constant jabbering with his customers isn't charming or endearing but downright annoying -- the best part of the hour for me was the "Deadwood" trailer for season 3 that preceded the episode.

Just seeing Al Swearengen again on screen with fresh dialogue is as good as it gets.

Cashing in our Bonds

Went to the Dodgers-Giants game the other for the sole reason to boo Barry Bonds. So far he's batting an 0-fer when it comes to home runs. Lets cross our fingers he doesn't break Aaron's HR records.

I guess that since he was forced into stop taking steroids, his home run production has drastically reduced. Hmmm... what a coincidence.

"Bonds on Bonds," the reality show on ESPN, is doing him no justice either. He might be thinking that the show gives him a chance to tell his side of the story but all it's doing is making him look like an egotistical jerk. Which he is.

Ace folds

Now that Ace has rightfully eliminated from "American Idol," the real competition now begins. Elliott, whose voice is decent enough to make us forget he has no personality, should be the next to go... Stay tuned...

American Idol column

Folks:
I wrote a column for MSNBC on being at a taping of American Idol. It was edited down a bunch, though, so I'm pasting on my original version as well. I'm much more satisfied with the longer -- and more detailed -- column. The URL for MSNBC column is down below for comparison.

Enjoy

By STUART LEVINE

Driving down Beverly Boulevard, you notice a group of 80-100 people lined up against the fence. Men and women, boys and girls have all gathered since early morning with placards and homemade signs. From a passing glance, it looks to be some sort of rally or protest.

But a closer examination of the signs say nothing about getting out of the war in Iraq or that Arnold must go. Instead, they read "Sick with McPheever" and "Marry me Ryan!" This eclectic group is gathered for a united cause, indeed, but nothing that's going to make the front page of the L.A. Times the next morning. They're all here to try and get a seat for tonight's taping of "American Idol."

There's only two ways to become part of the studio audience: scoring free tickets from someone associated with the show's network and producer - Fox and Fremantle - or if you're friends or family of any of the Idols. Either way, there's no charge for tickets but they're extremely hard to score. If neither of those options sound viable, waiting in line and hoping you'll be used as a seat filler is the way to go.

Once "Idol" whittles down to its final 12 contestants, the production moves to Stage 36 at CBS Studios, adjacent to L.A.'s historic Farmers Market and only a short walk from the sets where Bob Barker reigns over "The Price of Right" and "The Young and the Restless" has been filming for decades.

On this Wednesday night, taping begins at 6 p.m., live for the East Coast feed. By 4:30, both ticket holders and the first group of line dwellers are moved to a holding area in back of the stage. It'll be about 40 minutes till the doors open, so now's the best time to get a feeling for who the audience is solidly behind.

Sitting patiently is Sharon Pickler with her niece and two other girls. Pickler's dressed in a "Pickler for mayor/council" T-shirt but, surprisingly, she's not related to dopey but adorable Kellie. Rather, they just happen to share the surname. She lives in Tustin Ranch, an affluent Orange County suburb about an hour away and drove up for support. Her father was a local councilman for 12 years in Anaheim and the shirts, which were probably sitting in the closet for years with no meaning attached beyond politics, now perfectly capture the spirit of the day.

Pickler's rooting for Kellie, of course, and offers some motherly advice: "I think she's darling but I hope she doesn't overdo the makeup."

It's 5:20 and the doors open up. Upon walking in, the first thing that strikes you about the set - and it's pretty much true of any set where a popular show is filmed - is how small it seems in person. The cameras have a way of making it seem like a mini Madison Square Garden but, in reality, capacity is only 300 seats and no matter where you sit the performance stage is right in front of you.

As the chairs begin filling up, the crowd looks to be a majority of 12- to 14-year-old girls, with mostly moms and big sisters in tow. After the initial rush of being there slowly wears off, the fans look for any whiff of celebrity. The Idols are tucked away backstage and won't make an appearance until just before the show starts so contestants families, who are now mini-celebrities in their own right, will have to suffice.

They're all seated in the first five rows, as assigned by the producers. Having them in one general area makes it easier for the cameras to register their expression after each performance.

From a few rows above you can spot Katharine McPhee's mom and sister nervously talking to well-wishers and, oh, look, sitting a few feet to the right of them is Ace's hunkish brother. He's easy to identity as they're practically twins. There's a bunch of screaming girls who get a sight of him and shriek in a ear-piercing high-pitched tone as only 12-year-old girls can do. He waves to his adoring female fans - most of which don't even know his name - who shriek in response to his response and wave back.

The CBS pages now walk up and down the aisles holding up Styrofoam cups. For what possible reason? They're asking anyone with gum to throw it into the cup. Yes, these young adults and college graduates working at the studio, all in hope that this is their way into a showbiz career, are gum collectors. Mom and Dad, who paid $40,000 a year at USC for their children's education, would be proud.

"Yeah, it's kind of gross," says one blonde woman, realizing the demeaning nature of the task. "I don't look in the cup."

The band starts to take their seats, glancing at the sheet music they've been given for the night's songs. They only have to accompany two singers - Barry Manilow and whoever gets eliminated - so it's a fairly uneventful evening for them.

It's 15 minutes before showtime and twentysomething Cory comes on stage to warm up the crowd. He yells into the microphone, picks a couple of unsuspecting fools who join him in a few dance moves and the energy of the place rises considerably.

He tells the audience that at the end of the show there'll be three contestants standing right where he is now, and one of them will be voted off (like we already didn't know this). He then adds, "When the bottom three are announced, make sure you go 'Oooh,' 'aww,' gasp out loud in shock and act surprised. All of this will help the ratings."

I really don't think my vocal amazement that Bucky might be booted is gonna kick up the ratings from a staggering 24 million to 25 million, but if that's what it takes...

We're 10 minutes out and here come the introduction of the judges. In almost rock-star fashion, Cory announces the arrival of Randy, Paula and Simon. "Stand up and put your hands together for Ran-dy, Ran-dy, Ran-dy." Each judge gets his own intro and the biggest round of applause, by a slight margin, is for Paula. When's Simon's name is called, there's a very small smattering of boos but, mostly, its raise-the-roof adulation.

All three come out separately from a door on the side of the stage and high five their adoring faithful on the way in. It's like Springsteen in New Jersey. Randy and Paula - whose makeup is sparkling, even from several yards away - run through much of the audience to soak up the love. Simon makes a beeline right to the judge's table but has a big smile on his face and looks genuinely happy to be here.

Now the Idols arrive from behind center stage and make their first appearance. They all look a tad shorter in person than on TV (except for Taylor, who seems to stand above the rest) and, in general, more nervous. Maybe that's because there's a bit of trepidation in the air, though, knowing someone's not going to be coming back.

Oh, and Kellie seems much cuter. And Mandisa looks thinner than earlier impressions. If it's true, that television adds 10 pounds, then Mandisa suffers the most from that stigma.

It's showtime. After some prodding from the persistent stage manager, Ryan quickly runs to the back of the audience for his intro only seconds before 6 and the crowd is asked to be silent. Then, as soon as he finishes, the stage manager - a small woman with head-set mic - who just asked us not to make a sound asks us to cheer wildly. At this point, if they'd requested us to stand on our head it wouldn't be out of the question.

During the commercial breaks, the Idols banter with one another and wave to the fans. Names from the audience are yelled out in rapid fire one after another - "I love you Paris!," "You're so hot Chris!" - and the Idols never stop smiling, acknowledging their new-found fame with aplomb and sincerity.

As the stage manager announces that there's 90 seconds until we're back on the air, even the judges find time to interact. One man holds up a sign, proclaiming to have driven 1,400 miles from Kansas just to see Paula in person. Once she hears this, she runs up to him gives him a warm hug and a peck on the lips.

Another woman, Eleanor, boldly shouts: "Simon, I want a piece of you" in an overly seductive way. He doesn't hear her so she shouts it again. Finally, he spots her and asks, "What kind of piece?" She responds, "Any way you want. In a good way or a bad way." That line draws a big reaction from the crowd and Simon is laughing as well. Everyone's having a good time.

Paula and Simon then whisper into each other's ear and for what seems like a friendly conversation. Their backs are to the crowd so it's impossible to read facial expressions, though. Unlike the night before when they were at each other's throats, there's no ill will carrying over. At another commercial break later on, all three judges disappear via the side door, leaving the set entirely and returning just a few seconds before the show's back on the air.

Bucky, Lisa and Kevin have been chosen as the least-voted contestants and all look extremely nervous as they await their fate. During the commercial, they stand in their assigned spots, looking straight ahead and not talking to one another, all the while fidgeting a little and hoping they'll be around one more week. One girl shouts out that she wants Kevin to go to the prom with her. He doesn't respond.

The general sense is that Bucky will probably be the one to say goodbye but when it's Kevin's fate to bid adieu, a huge sadness fills the room, an emotion completely unexpected. The frivolity from just 30 minutes ago is now a wave of tears and heartbreak. While nobody was expecting Chicken Little to win, this just seems so unexpected and harsh.

He sings his final ballad on the cusp of the stage. With the band accompanying him and the room's wall-to-wall speakers and sound-proof acoustics, the song comes across vocally strong, much more so than on TV. That might be the biggest difference between being here and watching at home. When the Idols sing, it sounds so much better in person.

The red lights on the cameras turn off a few seconds into Kevin's song but that does nothing to change the somber atmosphere. During the song's final moments, Kevin walks over to his Idol contestants and dedicates the song to them, pointing to all of his friends who've gone through this surreal adventure with him.

As soon as the song ends, Kevin looks completely dejected. The first person to offer condolence is Paula, who runs up from her seat and gives him a long and compassionate hug.

Soon, the other Idols do the same, and Randy and Simon join too. There's a sense of real loss, one of the family gone. The camaraderie has never been more apparent than right now.

As soon as the hugs are over, Kevin is forced into doing a TV interview, the Idols slowly head off stage and the crowd meanders out. As people scatter, the CBS pages are offering studio audience tickets to a taping of "Game Show Marathon," in which "American Idol" tickets will be raffled off.

Only six more days until the hysteria starts up again. And, remember, no gum chewing allowed.

MSNBC version:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12038418/

Best of TV

In this week's Entertainment Weekly, "24" is named best show on TV right now. I don't watch that one -- one of the few series that I actually miss -- so I can't say one way or the other. "Sopranos" is No. 2 and you can always make a case for that one.

My friend Robert P. turned me on to "The Shield" this season (ranked No. 10) and it's a tour de force every week. Just rented the first season via Netflix and watching each episode now.

What's your top 10 of TV right now? Here's mine:

Note: It must be noted that neither personal faves "The Wire" nor "Deadwood" is currently on the air. Also, this is just a list of primetime shows. Other non-primetime faves include Pardon the Interruption, Ebert and Roeper, The Sports Reporters and Sunday Morning Shootout.

OK, here goes:

10. Thief (premieres on Tuesday)
9. The New Adventures of Old Christine
8. Big Love
7. House
6. The Shield
5. Lost
4. Grey's Anatomy
3. The Sopranos
2. American Idol
1. The West Wing





http://www.ew.com/ew/article/commentary/0,6115,1175885_3_0_,00.html

How 'bout them Bruins

Last night's miracle comeback puts me in a dilemma.... I want to root for UCLA but I have Memphis defeating them in my NCAA tournament pool... What should I do????

Marder's the man

My longtime friend Keith Marder has been named the new king of PR at CBS-owned CSTV, the network's new college sports outlet.

Keith and I met at the Daily News a gazillion years ago and then became a executive publicist for the WB, which was blown to bits a few weeks ago.

Here's his release... hey, shouldn't we all get a press release when something significant in our life changes ....??

KEITH MARDER NAMED DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS,

CSTV NETWORKS, INC.

Keith Marder has been named Director of Communications, CSTV Networks, Inc., it was announced today jointly by Brian Bedol, CEO, CSTV Networks and Gil Schwartz, Executive Vice President, Corporate Communications, CBS Corporation. In this new role, Marder will oversee all media relations and internal communications for CSTV. He will report to Bedol and will be based out of New York.

"We are very pleased to bring someone of Keith's experience and talent to CSTV," said Bedol. "He is that rare PR executive who brings a background in television, journalism and sports, and I'm confident that combination will be of great value as we continue to grow our operations and footprint in the new media landscape."

"Keith is a savvy PR executive whose creativity, humor and strategic thinking greatly distinguished The WB's media relations function," said Schwartz. "He is well regarded among the reporters who cover our industry, and he brings to this new role a wealth of knowledge, experience and relationships with the media. He's a great addition to CSTV, and I look forward to seeing his contributions."

Most recently, Marder spent seven years at The WB Television Network where he served as Director, Network Communications. While at The WB, he was involved in strategically positioning the network and worked to publicize all of its shows and talent. He also worked closely with the advertising department and served as the main liaison for traveling talent.

Prior to joining The WB, Marder spent several years in print journalism. After interning at the New York Racing Association, he joined the sports department of the Albany Times Union, working as the college sports columnist and covering several sports, including college hockey as the primary beat reporter for Union College and later RPI. While on the hockey beat, he helped create the first-ever independent college hockey national rankings, which is something that is now done at CSTV. After 10 years in the sports department, Marder shifted his focus to television, becoming the paper's critic. He then moved on to the Los Angeles Daily News in the same capacity before joining The WB in 1999. In addition, he wrote "The Notre Dame Football Encyclopedia."

Marder is a graduate of the University of Albany with a bachelor's degree in political science with a minor in journalism.

About CSTV Networks

CSTV Networks, Inc., now part of the CBS Corporation, is the leading digital and cable programming company dedicated to college sports. Connecting more fans to more college sports than any other company, its many platforms for programming distribution include CSTV: College Sports TV, televising regular-season and championship events for 35 men's and women's college sports; CSTV.com and its network of nearly 250 official athletic sites; CSTV All Access, broadband services providing live audio and video of more than 7,000 events annually; as well as satellite television and radio, in-flight entertainment, wireless networks and more. Further information is available at www.CSTV.com.

Tony's in trouble

How shocked were you that Uncle Junior shot Tony at the end of "The Sopranos"? HBO and the critics did a great job keeping that juicy tidbit out of the press.

I'm sure he'll survive but these types of "that didn't just happen, did it?" scenes make for great TV, on HBO and elsewhere.

Seinfeld part 2

Just when everyone was writing off the sitcom along comes the funniest comedy in a while.

CBS' "The New Adventures of Old Christine" made me laugh out loud several times. Starring "Seinfeld" alumnus Julia Louis-Dreyfus, this show made me laugh out loud in each of the first three episodes I watched.

Lets hope the ratings catch fire as this one deserves to be around for a few years. Maybe the "Seinfeld" curse will now officially be over.

Mamet speak

Fans of David Mamet, writer of films such as "Glengarry Glen Ross," will be glad to hear that his new CBS series "The Unit" opened to boffo ratings last night, which means it could be around for a while.

I have it on Tivo and haven't watched it yet but it seems to me Mamet-speak would be better suited for cable, where his dialogue wouldn't be as constricted, compared to broadcast.

Oscar recap

So what did everyone think? Everything went according to form, except for the big prize when "Crash" crashed the "Brokeback" party.

I miss the days when there was real tension in the air for the big categories, when you had no idea who was going to win until the envelope was opened. Unexpected wins for people such Daniel Day Lewis, who won for "My Left Foot" over Tom Cruise and "Born on the Fourth of July," was uplifting.

Nobody knows more than me how marketed and pre-planned everything is now in the Oscar race but more spontaneity is really needed.

Sunday night on HBO

If you're a TV fan, that actually used to mean something. Well, the magic returns this Sunday when "The Sopranos" returns for 12 new episodes, with 8 more scheduled for the beginning of 2007.

Also, be sure to check out "Big Love," about a husband (Bill Paxton) and his three wives. I've watched the first episode and it's good stuff.

It's nice to have Tony and the gang back. Though, personally speaking, I'll take the consistency of "Deadwood."

Which makes me think, if you've got to back one guy in a fight to the death, who's it gonna be:

Tony Soprano or Al Swearengen??

If poker's too exciting for you....

Here's ESPN's next big thing...

ESPN DEPORTES BREAKS GROUND BY TELEVISING DOMINO TOURNAMENT
Telecast of the 2005 World Domino Tournament Begins March 21, 2006
Tournament Scheduled to Air in English on ESPN2 June 2006

In another groundbreaking effort to develop distinct programming initiatives, ESPN Deportes, ESPN’s Spanish-language network, has announced that it will bring dominoes to the television screen with its telecast of the 2005 World Domino Tournament, which took place November 18 – 20, in Las Vegas. ESPN Deportes’ telecast will focus on the quarterfinals, semifinals and the finals of the competition. The 2005 World Domino Tournament will be aired on ESPN Deportes beginning March 21 at 10 p.m., ET. In addition, to the delight of English-speaking domino fans, the 2005 World Domino Tournament will be aired on ESPN2 June 2006.

“ESPN Deportes is once again pushing the envelope providing innovative programming,” said Lino García, general manager, ESPN Deportes. “Dominoes is one of the most popular games among Latinos and it has also proven to have a strong following among English-speaking fans. Our goal is to make dominoes the next mainstream sport on television.”

“We hope to bring Domino to light via a commitment to high-quality production standards that are synonymous with ESPN’s original programming,” said Chris Calcinari, vice president, production and operations, International and ESPN Deportes. “Our coverage of the 2005 World Domino Tournament will utilize cutting-edge technology, combined with compelling story telling that will break through and entertain our viewers. Our presentations will be produced in both English and Spanish-language and will air on our ESPN Deportes and ESPN2 networks.”

“Dominoes is part of the Latino lifestyle and in Las Vegas we felt the passion that comes with this game. By having ESPN televise the 2005 World Domino Tournament, it takes dominoes to its proper place”, said Ralph Paniagua, President of R. Paniagua Inc, organizer of The 2005 World Domino Tournament.

The telecast, produced in a reality show format, will include seven one-hour shows. ESPN’s veteran announcer Álvaro Martín will be joined by actor/comedian Casper Martinez for commentary of the tournament on ESPN Deportes and ESPN2.

The 2005 World Domino Tournament featured more than 40 teams from the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean competing in a two-day tournament that featured the most skilled professional players. Coverage will include various compelling features that will air within the shows and on SportsCenter the week leading up to the launch of the series.

ESPN Deportes is the brand under which ESPN Inc. has been serving U.S. Hispanic sports fans since 2000. In addition to ESPN Deportes TV, the roster of branded initiatives now includes ESPN Deportes Radio, the only around-the-clock national Spanish-language sports radio network; ESPNdeportes.com, a fully integrated Spanish-language website; ESPN Deportes La Revista, a Spanish-language version of the popular ESPN The Magazine; and ESPN Deportes Wireless, which offers mobile phone subscribers images of their favorite Latino sports stars.

R. Paniagua INC. is a leading Broadcast, Event and online publishing company based in New York City. Since 1984 RPI has provided innovative alternative programs that target the U.S Latino market place.

Breaking news

Forget politics, the war in Iraq and the bird flu, this is real news, courtesy of our good friends at "Access Hollywood":

OVER HALF OF "ACCESS HOLLYWOOD" VIEWERS POLLED PREFER ACTRESS SIENNA MILLER'S HAIR SHORT


SHOW AIRS ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2005


BURBANK, Calif. - November 22, 2005 - A website poll conducted by "Access Hollywood" reveals that over half of the hit entertainment newsmagazine's participating viewers prefer actress Sienna Miller's new cropped coif to her former long locks. The story airs on "Access Hollywood" on Tuesday, November 22, 2005.

Yesterday, "Access Hollywood" asked viewers to go to www.accesshollywood.com, and weigh in on whether or not they prefer Miller's new haircut.

56-percent voted in favor of the actress's short hairstyle, while 44-percent preferred her hair long.

On yesterday's "Access Hollywood," New York Correspondent Tim Vincent asked Miller which look she likes better. "Long probably," she said. "Long is more me, but to be honest, it's fun to have a change. I'm young...it was quite liberating cutting it all off."

Euro trash

That'll be me come February, when I'm off to Berlin for 2 weeks to cover the Berlin Film Festival for Variety.

We put out a daily paper there for the fest and it'll be a busy time. Never been before but it should be a memorable experience.

If anyone has hotel, restaurant or sightseeing recommendations, I'm all ears.

Intelligent ladies

I spoke on the phone with Claire Danes and Scarlett Johansson this week, for Oscar profile for their respective films, "Shopgirl" and "Match Point."

Both women were very nice, well spoken and gave a lot of thought to questions regarding their characters, the relationship they had on set with their directors (Scarlett was directed by Woody Allen) and how they prepared for their roles.

It's always nice to see a film and then talk to the actor about your thoughts on it and how they, as actors, played out certain scenes that resonate long after the movie's over.

Celeb sighting

Had lunch at Canter's Deli today and, upon walking in, almost bumped into Dustin Hoffman ordering from the counter.