Question: I missed Lost the first time it was shown, and I was planning on catching up with the DVDs when they came out. But when I found out that ABC would be reshowing the episodes I started watching them there. Last night it picked up from a point I didn't remember, so I did some Internet research and realized they had skipped an episode and they are also skipping another episode next week. My question is, why did ABC say they were giving people a second chance to catch the season and then start skipping episodes? This is really not the type of series where you can miss episodes and still fully understand what is going on. I was blown away by the episodes I've seen, but I'm really put off by this mess. If they didn't think they had enough time to air the full season before the new ones started, then why not air two episodes a week? It's not like ABC doesn't have room on the schedule to do that. Before this I was planning to buy the DVDs anyway, but I really don't know anymore. Maybe ...
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Question: I love Veronica Mars to the point where I am watching the UPN reruns even though I saw them all the first time. But I turned on the TV Friday night to find Episode 1 airing on CBS, down to the eye logo in the bottom-right corner. What gives? Is Veronica leaving UPN? Or was this some quirk of network sports-broadcasting deals (baseball was on UPN)?
Answer: This is just a brief summer experiment in Viacom synergy, with CBS (corporate big sister of UPN) turning over a few Friday hours — already low-rated, so no real risk involved — to give Veronica a little big-network exposure. It didn't cause much of a ripple, but I suppose every little bit helps ...
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Question: I have to admit I'm a little surprised to see that you are hoping for Desperate Housewives to win in the best comedy category. For one thing, I think they are being kind of sneaky in submitting themselves as a comedy. There is humor in the show, but the same could be said of shows like The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, The West Wing, Veronica Mars and many other dramas. (Watch the season finale of DH and see how few scenes even try to be funny — it is mostly mystery and intrigue.) While DH wouldn't have been a sure thing in the best drama category, it definitely would have had an honest shot at an Emmy, and they certainly would have been nominated. Instead, DH went where the competition was less fierce. Meanwhile, the show that is truly the best comedy on TV, Arrested Development, needs stuff like Emmy wins to keep itself alive and kicking, so any Emmy voter who likes both DH and AD should vote for AD. Otherwise, they are effectively risking AD's future.
Answer: No question that
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Question: I've only seen Huff once, so I can't really comment on whether its multiple Emmy nominations were well-deserved or not, but given the show's rather low profile I was surprised to see it in so many prominent categories. From what I understand, though, Showtime ran an aggressive campaign and even sent DVD box sets of the entire first season to every Emmy voter. What do you think of this strategy? Is it something you think other low-profile shows (Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars, for example) should and will do in the future? Do you think it's even a fair strategy — especially given the fact that network shows end in May and can't get season box sets out before the nominations? What kind of precedent do you think will be set by this?
Answer: I don't know the exact details of the Huff campaign except that it was expensive, and obviously very effective. (Each and every Huff nomination could and should have gone to any of FX's superior drama series.) I would imagine that producers
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Question: I know that UPN says it's giving Veronica Mars its best time slot after America's Next Top Model, but is Top Model's audience the same people who would be interested in VM? I don't think so. I feel like they'll just switch channels and VM will lose out because it's up against Lost, which I think has the same audience that would love VM.
Answer: There's no question that there's serious overlap among genre fans, but UPN figures it's better to give the show a strong lead-in regardless of the competition and hope for the best. Anecdotally speaking, I know of many Top Model watchers who also love Veronica Mars. But then, they also tend to like Lost. Bottom line, there's no safe time period for any show like this. And here's a final thought from Melody: "Please don't refer to the new Veronica Mars time slot as 'unfortunate' — this isn't the first time that you have described the time slot as a negative thing. Try thinking of it as 'aggressive' or 'confident' even. I watched both
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Question: Hey, Matt — why don't you convince your fellow columnists to boycott writing about the Emmys? Why not rally your intelligent fans (and judging by their questions and comments, they are intelligent) to boycott them? It's time to let the powers that be know that we won't stand for it anymore. How a piece of crap (I would prefer a stronger word here) like Will & Grace can even get one nomination is beyond me. That show lost it years ago. Any group which never votes for a quality show like Gilmore Girls because it's on WB doesn't deserve anyone's support. Ditto for shows like Deadwood or Veronica Mars. It's obvious that complaining won't do anything about it. They will only listen to money. If nobody watches the stupid awards show, and nobody covers it, it will either go away or be forced to change. What do you say?
Answer: I'm not much of one for boycotts. If Desperate Housewives wins best comedy and either Lost, 24 or Deadwood takes away best drama, and if Warm Springs wins best
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Veronica Mars
In a bid to give the critically adored and ratings-troubled Veronica Mars a shot in the Nielsens, CBS has agreed to air four episodes of sister network UPN's series. CBS will offer up a double-header of Mars repeats on July 29 starting at 8pm/ET, and two more eps on Aug. 5 and 12, Variety reports. Mars is slated to make its second-season debut on Sept. 21, on UPN. I tell you, CBS, something like this almost makes up for Center of the Universe. Almost.
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Details on a new troublemaker, plus other scoop, is trickling in for Veronica Mars fans. Our guy at the San Diego Comic-Con reports that Angel alumna Charisma Carpenter's character will be "a bitch in a bikini," as a sexy stepmother to brothers Dick and Beaver Casablancas. Also, in the second-season premiere, look for Keith to appear on Larry King's show to promote his book about Lilly's murder. And as for Veronica herself, well, let's just say that since she's back hanging with the oh-niners, she will tick off tried-and-true pals like Weevil.
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Question: While it was great to see excellent shows like House and Deadwood recognized, we basically got the same old tired nominations for this year's Emmy Awards (Malcolm in the Middle?!). What's the truth? Are the voters lazy or clueless, or don't they own TVs that get more than four stations? Or do they just ignore outstanding shows like Gilmore Girls, Veronica Mars, Everwood and others because they are on WB or UPN? If that's the case, how can the awards and the academy claim to represent the best of television when members clearly lack the interest or ability to fulfill that obligation?
Answer: An excellent point. The Emmys would be so much better off if it allowed its nomination process to be overseen by a panel of experts both within and without the industry (including a few journalists, maybe?) who would attempt to represent the current state of the art, instead of falling back on the tried, trying and true. The continued apathy regarding the best of WB (and this year, a real
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Question: What the hell!?!? How could voters ignore everyone on Nip/Tuck, especially Julian McMahon and Famke Janssen, Denis Leary of Rescue Me, Matthew Fox on Lost, Veronica Mars' Kristen Bell, Shohreh Aghdashloo and Mary Lynn Rajskub of 24 and the true comedic stars of the last half of DH's first season, Eva Longoria and the underused and underappreciated Nicollette Sheridan. I can't believe the dismal Will & Grace continues to score nominations. Damn! What were these people watching? Reno 911 deserved a shot! Why are voters ignoring FX and Comedy Central, yet HBO gets so much acclaim?. I mean, Six Feet Under? Give me a break! How frustrating! Matt, help me see a silver lining!
Answer: What, and halt such a full-bodied rant in midstream? The list of indignities goes on and on, doesn't it? But a good point when it comes to basic cable networks like Comedy Central and FX not getting the respect of HBO. I think my heart first sank at the very start of the Emmy nominations broadcast when
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