This week we get right down to it. I guess with limited episodes, the show doesn’t want to waste any precious time they have left. Since good ol’ Erica Flynn is in the previews and was the cliffhanger at the end of last week’s episode, it’s a good bet she’s going to play a big part in this one. Hang on tight. Here are your Mentalist Top Five Moments! [Read more…]
Archives for December 2014
Morning Static: CRIMINAL MINDS, AMERICAN IDOL, PARKS AND REC & More!
• Ryan Seacrest: ‘American Idol’ to Be Reduced to One Night.
• Groan: New Criminal Minds Spin-Off in the Works, to Follow Globe-Trotting Team
• Pilot Watch: Donald Glover’s Rap Comedy Atlanta Gets Pilot Order from FX Networks.
• Mark Your Calendars: NBC Sets All-Drama Thursday, Tuesday Multi-Camera Comedy Block In Midseason
• James Corden’s CBS Late-Night Show Names Reggie Watts Bandleader, Sets Producing Team, Gets New Premiere Date.
• Awwwww Alert: ‘Parks and Rec’ showrunner shares heartbreaking photos on final day of filming.
• Must Read TV: The Year in Shonda Rhimes
• Sony Hack: Ripping the Veil Off Hollywood’s Secrets
• News Alert: How Brian Stelter Turned Reliable Sources into the Smartest Sunday Show
• Stocking Stuffer Alert: Huge savings on Complete Seasons on DVD and Blu-ray via Amazon.
On TV Tonight: Monday December 15, 2014
On TV Tonight: Sunday December 14, 2014
NET | 8PM | 8:30PM | 9PM | 9:30PM | 10PM | 10:30PM |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABC | Once Upon a Time | Barbara Walters: 10 Most Fascinating People of 2014 | ||||
CBS | Undercover Boss | The Mentalist | CSI | |||
FOX | The Simpsons (R) | Brooklyn Nine | Family Guy (R) | Bob’s Burgers | ||
HBO | The Newsroom | The Comeback | Getting On | |||
NBC | Football Night in America | Sunday Night Football: Cowboys at Eagles | ||||
MISC | The Librarians (TNT) | |||||
SHO | Homeland | The Affair |
Ryan’s Remote: NBC Midseason Ramblings
NBC has just announced its midseason schedule, which includes some surprising support for previous summer burn-offs, “The Night Shift” and “Undateable,” as well as the disappearance of “State of Affairs” and “Marry Me.” More on that after the jump! [Read more…]
I’m a Celebrity, a Very British Vice
I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here is one of British television’s great success stories. The reality format sees twelve celebrities of one flavour or another roughing it in the Australian jungle for up to three weeks and facing all manner of unpleasantness as they do so. Audiences the world over simply cannot get enough of its combination of actors, retired sports stars, musicians and politicians all degrading themselves in the hope that it might win them some sort of popular appeal, or at least – in one of the buzz-words of the programme – a meal for camp.
British Fayre
In the UK the programme has just completed its 14th annual series, to the delight of British audiences for whom it has become something of a pre-Christmas ritual. Former motor cycle world champion Karl Foggarty was this year’s unlikely winner, having memorably downed glasses full of deer’s blood and live worms as well as having cavorted through the jungle in a giant wasp costume.
There are international versions of the format which have aired in the US, France, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, India, Sweden and Australia. Each version follows the same basic template as celebrities are routinely subjected to a series of tasks involving snakes and lizards, and rats, and any number of bugs of one sort of another in order to feed themselves, and to stay in the show. Indeed, seeing celebrities eating (and drinking) some of those aforementioned bugs as one of those challenges is perhaps of the programme’s signature scene.
US disinterest
The American version of the show was pulled by NBC in 2010, which makes the spectacular success of the British version all the more noteworthy. Fans of the US programme will remember it was won by Chris Judd in its first season and by Lou Diamond Phillips in its second. Those who were not fans may be forgiven for feeling somewhat non-plussed. After all, the message from this side of the pond seems to be that we just don’t get what all the fuss is about.
There must be something in the British character in particular that gets a buzz out of seeing a former Olympic athlete getting a cockroach stuck up her nose or a notoriously hard living musician shrug off the minor irritation of a prolonged snake bite as part of an elaborate challenge. It is drama – but not as we know it.
Commercial success
One of the astonishing things about the show is the way it has encouraged serious-minded politicians to take part. The season just finished saw the British Member of Parliament and former minister of state, Edwina Curry participating alongside Michael Burke, a distinctly high-brow radio and TV presenter whose upper class tones and cut glass credentials – you would think – would mean he would never go within a hundred miles of such a programme. Last year the participation of another MP – Nadine Dorries – caused a political mini-scandal when she refused to declare her fee for taking part. No doubt the highly confidential fees are quite persuasive.
Sponsorships
Inevitably, mention of fees does point to the commercial success of the programme which is said to have generated over £170 million over the past fourteen years. Serial sponsorships with organizations such as the 32Red casino and M and M Direct, the Iceland supermarket chain in addition to organic revenues derived from audience’s engagement via premium rate telephone votes and competitions all point to a huge money-spinner. And that is before you get to factor in the advertising revenue that follows on from topping the list of most-watched TV programmes in the UK on a nightly basis.
The enduring popularity of I’m a Celebrity in the UK suggests the Brits just can’t get enough of its of tongue-in-cheek slapstick sadism. Seeing the great and the good reduced to farcical levels of self-debasement is evidently something that particularly appeals to the British character. The fact that the show is fronted by two boyishly mischievous presenters who take evident delight in the farcical exploits of the show’s contestants is entirely in keeping with what is a very British set of cultural values.
British Humour
Seeing an MP scrambling around in the dirt dressed as a giant spider, or a senior broadcasting figure sporting a giant parrot costume whilst shouting out nonsense words from a high wire perhaps only makes sense to that weirdly paradoxical thing that is the British sense of humour.
There is no sign of the Brits tiring of this annual festival of celebrity cruelty. It is already contracted for another two years and there is every reason to suppose that it will simply go on and on. It is becoming one of those self-perpetuating parts of the annual cycle, like the Superbowl or an airing of It’s a Wonderful Life, that owe their popularity to tradition as much as any intrinsic merit. We will, of course, let you know as and when (and if) anyone gets round to making a Canadian version. For the time being – for all the international franchises – this does appear to be a particularly British speciality.
The History of TV Poker
Poker first hit the airwaves back in the seventies when American TV station CBS created a one hour highlights show of the World Series of Poker (WSOP). Although the early broadcasts were a million miles from the visual spectacles of today, the action was enough to captivate a national audience.
In fact, what the WSOP highlights lacked in critical poker analysis, they made up for in colour and excitement. In a time when Doyle Brunson, Puggy Pearson and Amarillo Slim were dominating the game, the external antics were as entertaining as the action at the felt.
Since those pioneering days back in the seventies, poker on TV has evolved massively to the point where feature shows on major TV stations are now common. However, how did we get from simple highlight shows to the full-blown extravaganzas we see today?
To form some sort of answers, let’s run through a brief timeline of poker on TV.
The 1980s
It was a case of “as you were” in the 80s as poker on TV remained largely the same. CBS continued to air their regular WSOP shows but without hole cards exposed for the viewer. One change that did occur was the programme’s switch from CBS to ESPN. However, overall, what was started in the 70s continued through the 80s until a shift in the nineties.
The 1990s
The birth of modern poker viewing took place in the nineties, most notably when WSOP bracelet winner Henry Orenstein patented the first hole card cams. The under table cameras were first used in the British poker show Late Night Poker, and allowed viewers to see each player’s cards.
This innovation allowed the audience greater access to the game and caused a shift from casual commentary to more critical analysis of the game. A greater insight into the game allowed a proliferation of personalities to emerge based on their style of play.
The 2000s
After Orenstein laid the foundations for a new era of TV poker, Steve Lipscomb, along with Mike Sexton and Linda Johnson, created the first televised poker tour: the World Poker Tour.
Hole card cams now came into their element thanks to the Hollywood production quality of the shows. Indeed, each episode came complete with a TV set, commentary by Mike Sexton and Vince van Patten and life changing amounts of money. This shift from a cult show on UK television to a mainstream spectacle helped accelerate poker’s popularity like few other things.
Following the boom of the WPT, the WSOP also invested more money into the production of its shows, gradually adding coverage of more and more events. Eventually, more poker operators began to see the value of TV shows and that brings us to today’s best shows.
Today’s TV
Today’s TV climate is one of high production costs, in-depth analysis and immediate data. Live online streams by the likes of the European Poker Tour now give instant access to the best poker tournaments. Complementing these shows are specially produced “made for TV” tournaments such as PokerStars’ Shark Cage.
Offering a top prize of $1 million and some interesting rules, these tournaments are crafted with TV audiences in mind. That means a number of twists and turns, including an audition phase for potential players, a time limit (30 seconds) on the action and a bluff penalty which forces a player to go to the shark cage if they’re duped on the river.
If you look back at where poker on TV started and where it is today with show’s like Shark Cage, you’ll see some major progressions. From grainy highlights to full HD features complete with interactive elements and expert commentary, poker on TV is now a highly evolved commodity.
JANE THE VIRGIN! REVENGE! GENERAL HOSPITAL! ONCE UPON A TIME! THE NEWSROOM! The TV Addict Week in Rewind
Coolest Breakthrough: At long last, someone has recognized that there are praise-worthy programs on The CW, with JANE THE VIRGIN scoring that network’s first Golden Globe nods.
Least Special “Special” Ever: Everyone at Discovery should be ashamed of their involvement with EATEN ALIVE… although I suspect that instead, they are gleefully planning a follow-up to what proved to be a ratings bonanza for the channel.
Lamest Resolution: I get that fairy tales are all about happy endings, but after weeks of the Ice Queen storyline, ONCE UPON A TIME basically wrapped things up with a Grinch-like “her heart grew three sizes that day and everything was awesome!”
Least Shocking Death: Given that portrayer Josh Bowman had made it pretty clear in various interviews how unhappy he was with his character’s trajectory, it wasn’t entirely surprising when REVENGE’s Daniel took a bullet for Emily.
Coolest Casting: Honestly, I’d have been disappointed if Ryan Murphy hadn’t landed HALLOWEEN star Jamie Lee Curtis for the upcoming SCREAM QUEENS!
Best Reaction: When THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS’ Michael finally revealed to wife Lauren that he had cancer, the beauty laughed heartily. Why? She had suspected for weeks that he was cheating on her. Her laughter was as shocking as it was believable in the moment. [Read more…]
Opinion: Why the REIGN Rape Storyline Needed to Air
A storyline involving rape will always bring attention and for whatever reason causes controversy. Rape is obviously a topic that people don’t want to talk about or witness on a TV show (unless that show is Law and Order: SVU). Yet, this thinking makes no sense because rape, like all crimes, happens in real life. So why when a plot on Reign leaked that Mary the Queen of Scots was going to be raped, did fans go crazy and start a petition to stop the story? Was it the fear that the story wouldn’t be handled properly or was it that fans didn’t want a character they liked to suffer through this act or did they think it was just another plot device? [Read more…]
Morning Static: THE COLBERT REPORT, GOLDEN GLOBES, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE & More!
• ‘Colbert Report’ final lineup: Seth Rogen, Kendrick Lamar… and Death?
• Mary Murphy Eyes ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ Exit, Will Paula Abdul Replace Her?
• Let the Buzz Begin: Fox markets ‘Backstrom’ with ‘total dick’ ad
• Analysis: Golden Globe voters’ love of the new leads to noms for ‘Jane the Virgin,’ ‘Transparent’ & more
• Spoiler Alert: ‘Gracepoint’ Finale Highlights ‘Broadchurch’ Remake’s Shortcomings.
• Question of the Day: Does it matter that reviewers don’t like Netflix’s Marco Polo?
• Must Read TV: The Liberating Joy of Quitting a TV Show
• Interesting: True Detective, Fargo, and the problem with TV endings
• Ashton Kutcher Is “Terrified” by Two and a Half Men Series Finale… Because It Involves Charlie Sheen?
• The Business of Show: CBS extends Les Moonves contract thru 2019.