Question: I found an interesting statistic in a recent AP-TV Guide poll. It stated that people watch more TV as they get older: 14.7 hours per week for those 65 and older vs. nine hours for those 18 to 34, the age group most coveted by the networks. I'm not 65 or older, but I am a baby boomer, and although I'm not rich, I have a fair amount of disposable income and I watch a lot of prime-time TV. At the peril of generalizing the 18-to-34-year-olds, it seems to me that not only are they watching less TV, they have less disposable income because if they have jobs at all, they are entry-level, lower-paying jobs. They're also busy raising kids, coaching soccer or, if single, going out with friends to parties, bars etc. Given those (admitted) generalities, and the results of the poll, do you see any possibility that maybe someday the networks will decide we boomers are a somewhat better audience to play to than the 18-to-34 crowd? I'm not getting my hopes up, but it sure would be nice to be ...
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Question: I wanted to comment about network TV having multiple showings of episodes. I agree that it could really benefit some shows that don't have a huge audience but deserve to stay on TV. When Everwood premiered, I didn't watch it on its original night because I was already watching something else, but WB reran the episode on Sunday, which worked for me. I became such a fan of the show that now it's appointment TV. I also became a fan of Smallville this way. I know that the networks often use Saturday nights as rerun night. Unfortunately, they rerun shows that millions have already seen (like Survivor, CSI, Desperate Housewives, Lost). Why not use these opportunities to build a fan base for a new or deserving show?
Answer: A fair question. I've been a fan of WB's Sunday replay strategy for a while, especially when (in the case of Everwood) it gave me the opportunity to catch up on a show I was otherwise missing. (I wish WB would give its Thursday transplants, Smallville and Everwood
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Reunion
Question: Did you watch the premiere of Reunion? I thought it was great. It actually had me hooked before the second half. It is nice to see Will Estes come back after American Dreams was canceled (boohoo). Do you think it is a good enough show to stand up against a powerhouse like CSI?
Answer: Probably not, but it's best for everyone, including the network, to keep expectations in check where Reunion is concerned. I like the time-jumping concept and the mystery angle quite a bit, and was reasonably entertained by the pilot (as I write this, I have yet to see the second episode), but the reaction I've gotten in my mailbag has been as mixed as many of the reviews I've read. (The show was one of our "favorites" in the Fall Preview issue, so we're on record with a thumbs-up.) CSI is going to crush it, but the question is by how much. If Reunion can hold on to enough of the audience of The O.C. (whose own ratings will no doubt slide given the increased Thursday competition), then Fox may
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President Bush's last-minute address to the nation is wreaking havoc on the networks' prime-time schedules. The speech — slated to begin Thursday night at 9 pm/ET and last 30-45 minutes — has forced Fox to preempt the second episode of Reunion, which will now air Sept. 22. Also, CBS has rescheduled tomorrow night's repeat of the Quentin Tarantino-helmed two-hour season finale of CSI for next Wednesday, in place of the planned season premiere of CSI: NY. Gary Sinise and Co. will now return on Sept. 28.
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Question: This is the ninth time I have written to you. Can you please tell me anything you may have on CSI?
Answer: You know what they say in AA-land: Ninth time's the charm. This season we're finally going to find out why Grissom is the way he is (read: strong and silent).
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Make no bones about it, this new addition to the crowded crime-scene genre is fun and entertaining. Any show that starts out with its heroine literally kicking the butt of a pompous security guard who is like, twice her size is all right by me. Sure, the Chandra Levy-like case seemed a little bit too obvious, but it was just the pilot; they've got to start somewhere. And the chemistry between Temperance (Bones) and Agent Angel... I mean, Booth, was palpable, and that paired with their easy banter makes this show stand out as different and not just a CSI clone. Oh, and I really loved the "squints," aka Bones and her varied but cool scientific team. I got a big chuckle when Zack tried to defend the boss he idolizes after she shot someone with no warning. He quickly asked Booth, "How much warning did you give people before you sniped them?" Sniped is now my new favorite word... not that I imagine I'll have much opportunity to use it. I do have one big question: Can
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Question: Have any CSI gossip to brighten my hump day?
Answer: (MAJOR SPOILER ALERT) Word has it that Nick's buried-alive case may be far from closed. And there may or may not be a telltale clue in the tape recording Gordon made in the finale. If you've still got it saved on your TiVo, go play it back and e-mail me your theories at once!
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CSI-style procedurals help real-life criminals elude police by revealing how and where forensic scientists look for clues and lead juries to expect too much from scientific witnesses, according to an article in New Scientist . "Oversimplification of interpretations on CSI has led to false expectations, especially about the speed of delivery of forensic evidence," one of many experts tells the magazine. Similarly, watching Dancing with the Stars-type shows teaches career felons how to rumba.
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William Shatner
This, folks, is a cautionary tale about what happens when you put a Grammys producer in charge: The 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, airing Sept. 18 on CBS, will feature actors performing classic TV theme songs throughout the telecast. At the end of the show, a winner (determined by viewer votes) will be declared the "Emmy Idol." The playlist includes The Apprentice's Donald Trump and Will & Grace's Megan Mullally doing Green Acres (OK, that could be fun); Boston Legal's William Shatner and opera star Frederica von Stade channeling Star Trek (There are lyrics? I'm scared); Veronica Mars' Kristen Bell taking on Fame; and CSI's
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Question: What do you think about CSI: NY? The latest episodes of the show were very good, and by the end of the season I felt NY was much more consistent than Miami. NY's cases were good, solid and compelling, while Gary Sinise carried the first season with great skill. In my opinion, Miami is all about fancy locations, beautiful killers and every other showy detail Miami has to offer. Do you think NY is better than Miami and can stand on its own?
Answer: Sounds to me like you've willed yourself into liking NY, which, like Miami, is a flawed clone of a terrific original. Which one is better is very much a (literally) case-by-case situation. I especially deplore episodes of Miami that, like last season's supersize tidal-wave episode, turn Horatio into an action hero. One problem with NY is the familiarity of its locale. It also took a longer time to find its groove than the other two CSI series, but the bottom line is that we probably just don't need three CSIs a week, and people are
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