Roger Mudd, Lesley Stahl, Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather and Mike Wallace, circa 1974
Some recent ratings highlights:
Friday
Fox's Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? drew 4.88 million total viewers, dropping 14 percent from last week. Lead-out Mental matched its previous audience of 3.7 mil.
Saturday
NBC's Kings held steady at 1.57 mil; the series finale airs July 25. The first of Dirty Sexy Money's four burn-off episodes was watched by 2.15 million people.
Sunday
The CBS News special That's the Way It Was: Remembering Walter Cronkite was the night's most-watched program, delivering 7.41 million viewers. Lead-out Big Brother 11 (5.58 mil) dropped 17 percent from this season's first nominations episode.
Over on NBC, Merlin (4.27 mil) gained 620 thou and the conclusion of Meteor — someone help me out here, did we survive? — inched up a hair to 5.2 mil.
Crave scoop on your favorite TV shows, from this summer or the upcoming fall season? E-mail senior editors Matt, Mickey and Tim at mega_scoop@tvguide.com and follow TV Guide on Twitter.
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Walter Cronkite
CBS will pay tribute to the late Walter Cronkite with two programs airing on Sunday.
CBS News Sunday Morning, airing at 9/8 C, will remember the news industry's elder statesman with archival footage of his work and personal memories shared by journalism's best and brightest.
View photos from Cronkite's life and career
Then on Sunday at 7 pm, the CBS News special That's the Way It Was: Remembering Walter Cronkite celebrates the venerable newsman with remembrances from peers Mike Wallace, Morley Safer, Andy Rooney, Charles Gibson, Katie Couric, Ted Koppel, Diane Sawyer and Brian Williams.
Also reflecting on Cronkite's legacy will be President Barack Obama, former President ...
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Walter Cronkite
Walter Cronkite, the legendary CBS Evening News anchor once celebrated as "the most trusted man in America," has died. He was 92.
"My father, Walter Cronkite, died," The New York Times quoted his son, Chip, as saying. The newsman's family said last month he was seriously ill with cerebrovascular disease.
CBS interrupted its programming to run his obituary.
View photos from Cronkite's life and career
Cronkite, known for his gravelly voice and tell-it-like-it-is reporting, anchored CBS' nightly newscast for 19 years, signing off each broadcast with his now-famous catchphrase, "And that's the way it is." He was the voice America turned to for ...
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Danny Bonaduce by Alexandra Wyman/WireImage.com
My eyes! They're burning at the thought! Danny Bonaduce has posed for Penthouse, TMZ reports.... On Thursday at Germany's Bambi Awards — Bambi? Seriously? — Tom Cruise will be given a "courage" prize for the way he makes risky business of choosing films. Yeah, I thought he was out on a limb with Cocktail, too.... O.J Simpson and his two (alleged) partners in crime have pleaded not guilty to a dozen charges stemming from their (alleged) attempt to retrieve his sports crap at gunpoint.... At the History Makers' Gotham conference in January, Walter Cronkite will receive the group's first lifetime achievement award.... Thanks to Josh Groban's Noel, for the first time in 13 years, a Christmas (cheese) platter holds the No. 1 spot on the album sales chart. — Ben Katner
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Former CBS Evening News anchor Walter Cronkite has signed on to tape a series of seven-to-10-minute editorials for a new network called Retirement Living TV. Oddly, from the sound of it, the bits, called Cronkite's Commentaries, sound suspiciously like Gramps has just figured out how to video blog... Rumer "Daughter of Demi Moore and Bruce" Willis has been named Miss Golden Globe for this year's 65th annual award show, airing Jan. 13. The starlet's credits include such features as Mom's Striptease and Dad's The Whole Nine Yards... Ossifying Playboy playa Hugh Hefner has given $2 million to the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, saying, "I've always believed that following one's dreams is very important." Whether said dream's name is Heather or Tiffany or Penny. No, wait, make that Hope. — Ben Katner
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Question: I have seen a few criticisms of Brian Williams' decision to host Saturday Night Live, people saying that as a newsman he would be denigrating his integrity, Edward R. Murrow would be spinning in his grave, yada, yada. I normally don't watch the show, but as a (print) journalist, I was curious to see Williams' performance. I think there's a line between pandering yourself for cheap laughs and showing an ability to poke fun. In my opinion, Williams did a great job of demonstrating the latter. He was really entertaining and showed comedic ability, and it's not like now I'll no longer find his news reports credible. Perhaps this would've been unthinkable in the days of Walter Cronkite or even Tom Brokaw. But even if this was just a gimmick for NBC Nightly News to reach out to a "hipper" audience, I can't help but be happy and relieved for Williams. It must have felt like Lorne Michaels approached him to try skydiving for the first time. And to know he survived it without serious ...
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Tom Brokaw, Global Warming: What You Need to Know
Since leaving the NBC Nightly News anchor chair in 2004, Tom Brokaw has been anything but "retired." As host of Global Warming: What You Need to Know (premiering Sunday at 9 pm/ET on Discovery Channel), the newsman posits some reasons for our planet's higher fever.
TV Guide: Why'd you get involved with the documentary?
Tom Brokaw: I've been watching [the issue] for some time, and like a lot of people I've been trying to figure out the difference between fact and fiction. The scientific consensus is now pretty overwhelming. There are still scientists out there who will be dismissive of it, but more and more are signing on. What's been so striking to me is that more
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At the top of Thursday's The View, Meredith Vieira announced that she is leaving the talker to fill the vacancy being left by Katie Couric at NBC's Today, effective this September. Couric, meanwhile, may face an uphill battle as the just-christened anchor of CBS Evening News. In a poll conducted by TV Guide and the Associated Press, 49 percent say they prefer Couric as a morning-show cohost, versus 29 percent who say they'll prefer her in the evening. But Couric has the vote of no less than venerable news vet Walter Cronkite, who tells the New York Post, "I think she's highly capable and I'm absolutely delighted that she's come over to CBS."
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The Biggest Loser It's one thing to watch the full hour-and-a-half every Tuesday night when it's new material. After all, we're all waiting for the week Mo gets kicked off, right? On the other hand, anyone who seriously sat and watched a clip-show rehash of past episodes should already know who the biggest loser is. Get a freakin' life!
The Kennedy Center HonorsOK, so this annual festival of back-patting is a little bit cheeseball. Retired newsman Walter Cronkite passing the emcee baton to horsey Caroline Kennedy? I could've done without the hokey fanfare. But in spite of my cynicism, I couldn't help but get caught up in a few intriguing moments...1. Ruby Dee's jaw actually drops as Angela Bassett and husband Courtney B. Vance take the stage to do a special reading in tribute to her and Ossie Davis. Then, Ruby clasps her face in delighted surprise as Aud
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