Cartoon Network shuts down Boston

From Variety.com (AP photo via FOXnews):

NEW YORK -- Suspicious packages blamed for shutting down major roads and bridges around Boston Wednesday turned out to be part of a marketing stunt for Turner Broadcasting's Cartoon Network.

Reports of suspicious objects with LED lights forced the temporary shutdowns of Interstate 93 out of the city, a bridge between Boston and Cambridge, and a portion of the Charles River. At least one of the nine "suspicious objects" found was detonated by the Boston police.

The objects were devices with magnetic lights resembling a character on Cartoon Network's Aqua Teen Hunger Force, part of a street marketing campaign to promote the show.

Turner released a statement explaining the campaign.

"The 'packages' in question are magnetic lights that pose no danger," Turner said. "They are part of an outdoor marketing campaign in 10 cities in support of Adult Swim's animated television show Aqua Team Hunger Force."

"Parent company Turner Broadcasting is in contact with local and federal law enforcement on the exact locations of the billboards," Turner said. "We regret that they were mistakenly thought to pose any danger."

Turner said the campaign has been underway for "two to three weeks" in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Austin, San Francisco and Philadelphia.

"It's a hoax -- and it's not funny," said Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick.

Kudos to Adult Swim for uncovering the U.S. city with the most uninformed and underworked officials in the entire country (THEY DETONATED ONE! -- it looks like a Lite Brite!) and, at the same time, unassumingly getting more press then they could ever possibly imagine -- and all this leading up to an Aqua Teen movie. Well played, Adult Swim, well played.

As for that last quote, is it me, or does this make Massachusetts politicians look even dumber? Watch Aqua Teen's ratings go up this week. Check that, watch Aqua Teen's ratings SKYROCKET this week.

Newsertainment Tonight

From AP's David Bauder:

NEW YORK -- News reporters frequently complain that their work isn't getting the attention it deserves, but CBS News chief foreign correspondent Lara Logan took the extra step.

She wrote to friends and family members asking for their help in getting her report on street fighting in Baghdad on the air. She never, the network said Wednesday, intended to make the plea public. But eventually it got out.

Logan filed the gritty report about dangerous conditions near the Green Zone on Jan. 18 for the CBS Evening News. The network didn't air it, deeming some of the images of tortured bodies that it contained too graphic, and because another story Logan filed that day from Iraq was more newsworthy, said Sandy Genelius, news spokeswoman.

Instead, the report was streamed on the news division's Web site. It ends with an Iraqi blaming the United States for the "death and destruction" brought to the country.

Shortly after, Logan wrote her e-mail, telling friends the story was largely being ignored, even though the violence was happening every single day in Baghdad. Her message was titled: "Help."

"I would be very grateful if any of you have a chance to watch this story and pass the link on to as many people as you know possible," she wrote. "It should be seen. And people should know about this."

She asked her recipients to send a comment to CBS, a division of CBS Corp., to show that people were interested, and that they believed her report was not too gruesome to air.

Full story here.

It's getting to the point on network television, on any television news outlet actually, where they're scared of showing actual news. They're more interested in newsertainment (I didn't coin that one). This illustrates that.

TV news outlets want viewers, and maybe they'd realize that, if what they aired was news and not crap, they'd get those viewers. My lame, sickly work computer won't allow me to watch it, but on the surface, I don't see any reason that everyone shouldn't check it out and show CBS and every other network they want to see what's going on, not what producers deem most interesting, and certainly not what on-air personalities "think."

Watch the video here.

I'm sure, now that AP's picked up on it, that by the end of the hour, it'll be on ABC's home page.

What's on: Wednesday

See, if I call it "What's on" it sounds less like an order and gives more weight when I'm pushy about watching something.

Tops tonight, I'd say, is the finale of TOP CHEF (BRAVO/10 p.m.). I wasn't around for the whole season, but I've seen a smattering, and they have some very interesting finalists. It's certainly a better reality show than you'll see on network TV.

Pick number two: BONES (FOX/8 p.m.). It will sound bad, but there's NOTHING else on on Wednesdays without Lost around, and while this is just another spin on procedural cop dramas, anything's better than Armed and Famous.

Salivating for documentary? PBS debuts THE SUPREME COURT (9 p.m.). (See, I've got some class.)

Guests:
Best of the evening is LENO (NBC/11:35), who has Forest Whitaker and America Ferrera.

Also new:
ABC's comedy bloc of George Lopez, According to Jim, Knights of Prosperity, and In Case of Emergency; Armed and Famous (maybe the last one) on CBS; FOX's American Idol; and NBC's Friday Night Lights, Deal or No Deal and Medium; plus, there's Beauty and the Geek and One Tree Hill on CW.

The beginning of the end of the beginning of the end of YouTube

From tv.com.

YouTube got served.

The online video site has been served a subpoena by 20th Century Fox because full episodes of 24 and The Simpsons wound up there. The subpoena orders YouTube to reveal the real name of the user who uploaded them, ECOtotal.

The subpoena was filed by 20th Century Fox on January 18 in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, according to tech blog Google Watch.

In the case of 24, the episodes were uploaded to YouTube before they aired on TV. Fox says the uploaded shows will cause it "irreparable harm" and is seeking to file a suit under the Digital Copyright Act.

Last year, YouTube complied with a subpoena from Paramount Pictures to divulge the name of a user who had uploaded clips from the film Twin Towers.

YouTube declined to comment on the issue. Fox confirmed it had served a subpoena to YouTube and another video site, LiveDigital, which also had the 24 episodes on it.

Pretty soon, the Internet will be just as interesting as radio. Our society ruins everything.

"American Idol" = Weirdo Gettysburg

Editor's note: Matt's watching "American Idol" for the first time this season in order to finally find out what all the millions are doing with their lives. It's not his cup of tea, so far. But if you see him voting when the contest gets going, make fun of him. Make fun of him a lot.

It's funny, but watching this week, I don't really think there's much to say that I haven't said before. It's pretty much just this one trick for the first few weeks I guess, with a few small storylines thrown in -- except now we get to start seeing the South's weirdos, who we all know are much odder than the weirdos of the North. We'd have lost in the weirdo civil war, people, believe me. I mean, there are some freaks in the cities up here, but geez, it seems EVERYONE down there has a quirk. This is the part of the country most of us on the coasts have no idea about.

Joining the parade of annoyingly odd was drunk Paula! She took off last week I think, and she only seemed about halfway gone. But still all the more entertaining than sober Paula. Drunk Paula is even better than Serious Randy (who pops in surprisingly between "dogs" and hysterical laughing) and Instigator Simon.

The producers really gave weight to the Kelly Pickler wannabe this week (sob story about her dad being paralyzed after shooting himself... I don't want to say mean stuff about the South here, but wow). It's a sweet story and they found a cute little teenager to focus on, even if she was just OK. I much preferred chubby Justin Guarini.

Randy summed it up when the "Big Bird" contestant came into the audition room: "WHAT is going on with this show?" Where do the THOUSANDS of people who show up at these auditions? I'm thinking they're extracted directly from my nightmares.

Shameless plug: I was surprised to see Randy lugging around a copy of Spearhead's "Yell Fire!" CD while signing autographs at the end of the show. Someone knows something about music (even if it's just some hippie kid who tossed it to Randy).

What to watch: Tuesday

Anyone else get the feeling FOX is cheating us out of precious minutes during 24? I mean, I fast forward through commercials and for some reason they have me feeling I'm still missing stuff.

Either way, tonight I propose to you: BIG DAY (ABC/9 p.m.). A goofy absurdist comedy that mixes the awkwardness of Arrested Development with the time constraints of 24. You won't see it though. House and Veronica Mars are both on at 9 as well and both perfectly awesome shows. But give this one a try if you can.

Also, take the time you're not watching American Idol, I suggest picking back up on GILMORE GIRLS (CW/8 p.m.) since you've probably given up on it. The elder Lorelai is again torn over her romantic options -- after actually marrying one of them.

What to watch: Monday

Alright, so I can't say it enough. STUDIO 60 (NBC/10 p.m.) is probably my favorite show. I will continue to harp on it... but only because there's really nothing else on Monday nights (and if you say CSI: Miami I give you two words: Caruso's lame).

If you're not a Prison Break fan, then I would also suggest taking 28 minutes to check EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS (CW/8 p.m.). It's a cute little sitcom that's made by Chris Rock's voiceovers.

Guest of the night:
It's a tie because I don't know who'll be more interesting: LENO (NBC/11:35 p.m.) has Bill Cosby and Bill Gates visits THE DAILY SHOW (COMEDY/11 p.m.).

Also new: Supernanny and What about Brian on ABC; All of Us, Girlfriends and Game on CW; Prison Break and 24 on FOX; and Deal or No Deal and Heroes on NBC.

What to watch: Sunday

Sundays aren't as exciting as they used to be when ABC had Alias anchoring its lineup -- you're actually better off on cable. There's still some new stuff this evening worth a watch, though you may be better off catching up on what you missed during the last week.

All of FOX's toon comedies are new, but I'll stick happily with FAMILY GUY and AMERICAN DAD (9 and 9:30 p.m. respectively). Imagine the hilarity as Brian sells Stewie's teddy bear, Rupert, and Stan opens a sweatshop. If you don't know what any of that means... On the complete other end of the spectrum is the much advertised THE VALLEY OF LIGHT (CBS 9 p.m.), a TV movie set in WWII starring Chris Klein and Gretchen Mol (who obviously can't come up with any better work at this point in their careers). If you're not the type to enjoy Family Guy or The Simpsons, this may be a better option.

Somewhere in the middle lands BROTHERS & SISTERS (ABC/10 p.m.). A cutesy drama that could be better than it is. It's a rerun, but the show's worth a look if you're into Men in Trees and Grey's Anatomy-type shows.

Also new: ABC's America's Funniest Home Videos; Cold Case on CBS; 7th Heaven on CW; NBC's Grease: You're the One That I Want, The Apprentice and Crossing Jordan; Rome and Extras on HBO; Dresden Files and Battlestar Galactica on SciFi; and The L Word on Showtime

What to watch: Friday

So, if you watched PSYCH (USA/10 p.m.) and were disappointed last week, don't fret! I was, too. But, I'm laying it all on the line today to GUARANTEE you'll enjoy this week's episode if you watch it. Not because I've seen it or know what it's about, but because I just know. The cast makes that show, and the episode last week focused alot on Gus and Sean and ignored the stellar supporting players.

I'm also going to suggest checking out LAS VEGAS (NBC/9 p.m.), which I only recently got hooked on. It's a rerun, but most people probably haven't seen the show anyway -- or gave up on it.

There isn't much else to choose from tonight. Lots of reruns though. If you need something fresh, there's also a new Monk on USA; FOX realities Nanny 911 and Trading Spouses (not that I'm considering those shows fresh by any means); and a new 1 vs. 100 on NBC.

Guest(s) of the night:
JIMMY KIMMEL (ABC/12:05 a.m.) has Tourgasm alum Robert Kelly. Ignore his relationship with Dane Cook and watch the show (which also includes Ugly Betty's Vanessa Williams).

Friday morning watercooler

I've been neglecting the watercoolers, but no one's posting. Either way, I'm curious to hear others' thoughts on Liev Schrieber's CSI work...

Chat away.

What to watch: Thursday

Despite a bunch of new shows tonight, there's little interesting since the NBC comedies are in reruns. There are a few extra episodes of THE OFFICE at 10 p.m. on NBC.

If you haven't seen Golden Globe sweetheart UGLY BETTY (ABC/8 p.m.), now's a good time. It's a bit absurdist (though not to the lengths of Arrested Development) mixed in with a bit of a CW-like feel, but nonetheless entertaining. Give it a try if you've got nowhere else to go.

Also new tonight: FOX's The War at Home and The O.C. (heading toward its finale); Smallville and Supernatural on the CW; Grey's Anatomy and Men in Trees on ABC; and CSI on CBS.

Nothing great on the talk shows tonight. The CONAN rerun this evening has Kevin Smith, though. He's always entertaining.

Two weeks down...

So, see anyone you know on American Idol last night? They rolled into Jersey/New York for the Wednesday night edition. I was ecstatic. Not really -- I had three hours of the show to cram in after missing Tuesday's. Either way, I'll direct you back to an earlier entry where I said I can get other stuff done while watching the show. Cooking, magazines, writing...

First off on this week's offerings, I'll say I was glad to hear some singers that really impressed me. I'll say it a bunch this season: this really isn't the type of music I'm into and I'm a terrible person to be judging these contestants, but there were finally some faces I could see myself rooting for whenever these awful auditions are over -- the teen who'd bailed on school in Ohio and run off to N.J./N.Y.; the Peabo Bryson-sounding guy who opened the second day of the N.J./N.Y. auditions; and the dude with the weird name and famous dad in Memphis.

But the bad entrants continue to dominate the air time, and I have to keep telling myself how much fun it is to mock stupid people. They give us such gems as: "I feel that I should be the next American Idol because I have an outstanding voice and I have an outstanding vocal...s." And, in all seriousness, even I know you don't roll up to the judges to sing a Toto song. (Or being a jerk... or begging... or... TOTO? REALLY?) It's the greatest feeling you'll get during the whole two hours is when someone graciously takes their ribbing, waves and takes off.

I'm glad they got the intelligent people to represent Jersey, for the record, but they also found some stellar local singers -- lending more credit to the idea that we at the Shore need to drop the whole cover band thing...

Back to the judges, I REALLY love how they'll pawn the bad/marginal singers off on each other so they don't have to be the one to make the call (or throw the first jab). "Paula, what do you think?" I really don't love them without Simon around though. There's no guts, just "sorry see you later."

In general I'm glad the past two episodes included a greater number of winners than last week (though they can't give up on the bread-and-butter). When I don't have to sit through the Idol sideshow, I fear I may enjoy myself.

Again: Toto, really?

Oh yeah, people, stop giving Seacrest crap. He's entertaining. You're gonna be seeing him every New Year's Eve for the rest of your life, anyway, so get used to him.

What to watch: Wednesday

A bunch of new stuff tonight, some of them with enough guts to take on American Idol. I'm gonna use some spare DVR space to check out FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (NBC/8 p.m.) after reading a really good piece on it in EW this week.

Criminal Minds is in reruns so as not to clash with Idol, but CSI: NY (CBS/10 p.m.) is new. It's my favorite of the CSI triumvirate and follows the team this week as they investigate the death of a female impersonator in a men's room.

If you're into stupid comedy, give NAKED TRUCKER & T-BONES (COMEDY/10:30 p.m.) a try. Think Blue Collar meets The Man Show. If you need even dumber comedy, try ABC's KNIGHTS OF PROSPERITY (9 p.m.) -- which doesn't live up to its premise, but isn't necessarily terrible.

Guest of the night:
Jon Stewart will chat with former White House press secretary Scott McClellan on THE DAILY SHOW (COMEDY/11 p.m.).

Also new: George Lopez, According to Jim and In Case of Emergency on ABC; CBS' Armed and Famous; Beauty and the Geek and One Tree Hill on CW; American Idol on FOX; and Deal or No Deal and Medium on NBC. Top Chef's season finale kicks off at 10 p.m. on Bravo.

Oops

Well, it doesn't happen often, but my TiVo network failed me last night and I missed American Idol. The good news is it only happens twice a year and all I missed was Idol. The bad news is I missed the show I've promised (regrettably) to watch all season.

I'm doing everything in my power (thanks to that Al Gore for inventing the Internet) and should have a jam-packed review for you after the local auditions run on FOX this evening. (See, because Tuesday is part of my weekend I was preoccupied with finding something to do that wasn't work related and didn't look in on TiVo. Poor lil' guy. I shouldn't blame him.)

Even worse, I missed Dirt.

What to watch: Tuesday

Well, the president's on tonight, meaning very few new episodes of anything. But don't worry...

FOX is back with more AMERICAN IDOL (FOX/8 p.m.), this time in what should be a more tolerable one-hour package. They're in Memphis tonight.

Even better, VERONICA MARS (CW/9 p.m.) is on while the president blabbers. Read up on Bush in the Asbury Park Press tomorrow and make sure you watch this show. I'm not kidding around here. It's the most entertaining detective show on television. And it will be canceled if people don't start watching it. Even worse, they could retool it into oblivion if people don't start watching it. We don't need that; I don't at least. (For the record, a perfectly passable new GILMORE GIRLS (CW/8 p.m) leads in). Was that desperate enough?

Guest(s) of the night:
LETTERMAN (CBS/11:35 p.m.) is stacked this evening with Ricky Gervais; Forest Whitaker and the Shins.

Also new: NCIS on CBS and Dirt on FX.

"Heroes" v. "24"

Overnight ratings bode well for geeks everywhere (from tv.com):

Jack Bauer is not superhuman, but he has superhuman competition.

Last night, Fox's 24, which returned last week for its sixth season, faced off against NBC's new hit Heroes, which returned with its first new episode in a month. When the dust settled, both shows were still standing, Heroes just a bit taller.

The face-off proved both shows can survive. Heroes scored a 6.5 rating/15 share in 18-49s, with 14.8 million average viewers, according to Nielsen, while 24 snagged a 5.4 in 18-49s, with 14.4 million viewers.

Full story here.

Surprised Heroes won? I'm not. Both episodes were solid, but Heroes had more hype to build on after being off for a month. FOX gorged us on 24 last week.

What worries me is CSI: Miami's continued trouncing of my beloved Studio 60. (6 share for CSI, 3.2 for Studio). Aaron Sorkin's awesome (David Caruso not so much) and no one realizes it.

NOLA show

Variety says:

What was shaping up to be a flood of post-Katrina TV dramas set in New Orleans -- some with high-profile talent such as Spike Lee and Gary Fleder attached -- has turned into a trickle, with just one of four planned projects moving forward.

Fox on Monday greenlit production on K-Ville, an hourlong cop show that focuses on the few police officers who stay put in the city following the hurricane. Jonathan Lisco (The District) wrote the pilot and will exec produce via 20th Century Fox Television.

K-Ville is the only one of four New Orleans-themed drama scripts ordered this development season that will move forward to the pilot stage this spring.

*snip*

Lisco said Fox Entertainment prexy Peter Liguori pitched him the idea of a New Orleans-set cop show last summer, after the net opted to not move forward with the Lisco-penned pilot Damages.

(The) scribe spent nearly two weeks in New Orleans doing research and said he wasn't prepared for the level of damage done to the city.

"What I want to do is tell stories that are redemptive in nature but also informed by the bleakness of what happened there," Lisco said.

K-Ville will be centered around two cops of different racial backgrounds who have very different takes on how New Orleans should be dealing with its problems post-Katrina.

Pilot will also explore the schisms between the cops who stayed on the job during the storm and those who abandoned their posts, only to rejoin the force. It will also tell stories about "the heroism of (ordinary) people in extraordinary situations.

"The NOPD has gotten a lot of flak for being brutal and corrupt," Lisco said. "But there are still really committed, honest cops trying to make a difference."

Full story here.

There are tons of ways this type of drama could be screwed up, obviously, and you'll hear the complaints from the NOPD and the local government, but all good shows are controversial in some way or another. This is an exciting idea that was only flirted with in FX's awesome Thief (before it was canceled and pushed as a miniseries). This could be great if it's done right -- if it explores the dynamics of the city's mindset while paying the tribute and respect that Thief did -- without outright exploiting the city.

Monday morning watercooler

Is it me or does the nuclear guy on Heroes look a lot like the Geico cavemen...?

Post away.

What to watch: Monday

Little late on this one, and there's lots to choose from, so I apologize.

First and foremost, you have to be happy for NBC seeing as how they've come back considerably. This may be the first TV season in years I've actually had an NBC show to forward to (while I am constantly discouraged by the crap CBS is putting out. As we speak I'm smack in the middle of an episode of Shark from last week and I believe the writing on Teletubbies was tighter -- it was certainly more entertaining.)

Either way, it's in honor of the growing power of NBC's prime time lineup that I send you to watch HEROES (NBC/9p.m.) and STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP (NBC/10 p.m.). I say with much confidence that the comic-book serial will get better and better over the next season and a half. And, as for Studio 60, you can't really find a better-written show (stop listening to those people who're calling it preachy -- if you liked West Wing, you'll like this one).

Oh, yeah. Don't forget 24 (FOX/9 p.m.). Like I have to tell you that. (But if you have to choose, don't blame me if you miss Heroes.

Also new tonight: Prison Break leads into 24 on FOX; Everybody Hates Chris, All of Us, Girlfriends and The Game are on CW's schedule tonight; CBS has How I met your Mother, The Class, Two and a Half Men and The New Adventures...; and ABC's (sickeningly) sporting Wife Swap; Supernanny; and What About Brian.

And you can go to bed early tonight, the late-night talkies are without anything really interesting...

What to watch: Sunday

Little to choose from tonight, with the NFL taking up many TVs. The AFC championship game starts at 6:30 on CBS and should run well through prime time.

Meanwhile, HBO takes advantage of the networks' lethargy. New episodes of ROME (9 p.m.) and EXTRAS (10 p.m.) are inked in tonight. Probably your only other chance at solid TV this evening. Extras is a specifically strong show and something you can probably get into without having seen the earlier season (if you like the Ricky Gervase style of comedy).

Also new: ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters; you'll find new entries in NBC's reality blitz with Grease and The Apprentice, as well as a new Crossing Jordan; Without a Trace gets the football game as a lead-in on CBS; and, for some reason, there are new episodes of Reba and 7th Heaven on CW.

My Saturday evening post

Some quick news items. First, The Idol judges and producers are hitting back on the accusations that the show is getting meaner.

From AP:

PASADENA, Calif. --American Idol judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul say they're no crueler than usual this year, and that people who audition should know what they're going to get.
If you don't want to hear that, don't show up,'' Cowell told television writers at a news conference Saturday.
The talent show returned with a storm this past week, with episodes on Tuesday and Wednesday attracting around 37 million viewers. The episodes featured auditions by the good, the bad and the awful from Minneapolis and Seattle.
Cowell, whose reputation for blunt, nasty put-downs was established at the series' beginning, was in peak form, telling one contestant that his singing was horrendous and he looked like a "bush baby.''
Jackson told one contestant his audition was awful and perhaps ruined his business.
"You shouldn't be a vocal teacher,'' Jackson said. "I wouldn't take vocal lessons from you, I wouldn't tell anybody to take vocal lessons from you."
*snip*
Jackson said the judges are continually surprised at how people who should know they can't sing show up thinking they have a chance. They should see what it takes by the people who have won before, he said.

Full story here.

I give them credit for at least standing up for themselves and not issuing some sobbing apology. If you don't like how the people are being treated, don't watch. They know what they're walking into.

Here's a smaller one from AP, more FOX:

PASADENA, Calif. -- Every parent's nightmare -- being exposed for not knowing what's in your kid's school textbook -- will soon play out on national television. Fox announced Saturday that it is making a new game show, "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" that will air sometime later this year, perhaps as early as the spring.
Adults will compete in a quiz based on questions from elementary school textbooks. Actual elementary school students will be on hand as "experts" for the adults to consult with.
"While most game shows measure how smart you are, this is a show that will measure how dumb you are," said Peter Liguori, Fox entertainment president.

This genius idea comes from Mark Burnett of Survivor. As if we don't already know how dumb many game show contestants can be, here's more opportunity to flash it on TV.

What to watch: Friday

If you listened to me yesterday, you enjoyed some great comedies and maybe a solid CSI, so tonight you can enjoy the near-immediate repeat of GREY'S ANATOMY (ABC/8 p.m.). It's part two of the Meredith and her dad storyline, and the culmination (I think) of George's dad's story. Hurry up and start watching before the off-camera shenanigans crush this show.

The kings of one-hour cable comedy are back new tonight on USA. MONK (USA/9 p.m.) has been highly honored (deservedly, as I found out after first catching an episode this past week). That leaves PSYCH (USA/10 p.m.), which, I'll wager, will get none of the honors and be looked upon as the much better show. Don't miss either, but especially don't miss Psych.

Guest(s) of the night:
The Heroes are making the rounds to promo their midseason premiere (Monday at 9 p.m.). Catch Ali Larter on Conan (NBC/12:35 a.m.); and Greg Grunberg on Kimmel (ABC/12:05 a.m.).

Friday morning watercooler

Stellar stuff on the NBC comedies. Here's a conundrum: better dweeb, Dwight or Andy?

Line of the night? "I miss Dwight! Congratulations, universe, you win."

Does '24' portray Muslims poorly?

Spoiler alert! You may want to skip this if you haven't seen the newest episodes of 24 yet.

AP, writing out of heavily-Muslim Clifton, N.J.:

CLIFTON, N.J. -- Two years ago, Muslim groups protested when the plot of the hit Fox drama 24 cast Islamic terrorists as the villains who launched a stolen nuclear missile in an attack on America.
Now, after a one-year respite during which Russian separatists played the bad guys on the critically acclaimed series, Muslims are back in the evil spotlight. Unlike last time, when agent Jack Bauer saved the day, the terrorists this time have already succeeded in detonating a nuclear bomb in a Los Angeles suburb.
Being portrayed again as the heartless wrongdoers has drawn renewed protests from Muslim groups, including one that had a meeting with Fox executives two years ago over the issue. "The overwhelming impression you get is fear and hatred for Muslims," said Rabiah Ahmed, a spokeswoman for the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations.
She said Thursday she was distressed by this season's premiere. "After watching that show, I was afraid to go to the grocery store because I wasn't sure the person next to me would be able to differentiate between fiction and reality."
She said the group had a conference call Wednesday with Fox executives to protest the current plot line and request more positive portrayals of Muslims on the show, but was not promised anything. After a January 2005 meeting with CAIR, Fox aired a commercial in which the show's star, Kiefer Sutherland, urged viewers to keep in mind that the show's villains are not representative of all Muslims.
*snip*
Sohail Mohammed, a New Jersey immigration lawyer who represented scores of detainees caught up in the post Sept. 11, 2001 dragnet, watched the episode depicting the nuclear attack with an Associated Press reporter.
"I was shocked," he said. "Somewhere, some lunatic out there watching this will do something to an innocent American Muslim because he believes what he saw on TV."
Engy Abdelkader, a member of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee from Howell, N.J., launched a campaign Wednesday to encourage Muslims offended by the program to complain to Fox.
"I found the portrayal of American Muslims to be pretty horrendous," she said. "It was denigrating from beginning to end. This is one of the most popular programs on television today. It's pretty distressing."

Read the whole article here.

For the record, the article never points out the nice family who tries to help their beseiged Muslim neighbor (which, however, DOES happen to turn out badly). Either way, anyone who takes their opinions on another race/religion from TV is beyond crazy (or the product of bad parenting). It's fiction, and people know that.

Is it me, or is this the same as the ridiculous claims that Sopranos portrayed Italian-Americans poorly?

What to watch: Thursday

Lots to keep you busy tonight. Grey's Anatomy repeats tomorrow night, so wait until then for that one...

SCRUBS (NBC/9 p.m.): The guys behind Broadway hit Avenue Q have some new puppets: The Scrubs. It's a musical episode that star Zach Braff called on his MySpace.com blog "the greatest half-hour of TV you'll see this year." It looks like they'll back that up; Braff and co-star Donald Faison previewed one tune, "Guy Love," on Jimmy Kimmel last night.

THE COLBERT REPORT (COMEDY/11:30 p.m.): As the promos have said, Colbert interviews Papa Bear! Everyone's favorite "news" man Bill O'Reilly visits my favorite fake "news" man Stephen Colbert (who basically stole O'Reilly's gig for the sake of comedy and all mankind). Colbert's also on O'Reilly's show at 8 p.m. on FOX "News." Colbert repeats throughout Friday and O'Reilly will repeat at 11 p.m.

CSI (CBS/9 p.m.): Grissom's gone (for now) and Sara's sure to be irked by it. Liev Schreiber joins the cast to fill the void (his first TV appearance). Let's just hope that model doesn't sit in the box on Grissom's desk for a whole month's worth of episodes...

Guest of the night:
Other than Colbert/O'Reilly? That's right. Carson Daly has probably the greatest guitarist alive, Warren Haynes, performing tonight. Last Call is on late (NBC/1:35 a.m.), so set the DVR if you've got to get up early.

EDIT (4:30 p.m.)
Almost forgot... also new tonight: Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy and Men in Trees on ABC; CBS has a new Shark; CW's got Smallville and Supernatural; FOX's and 'Til Death, The War at Home and The O.C. are new; so are all the NBC Thursday night comedies.

Thursday morning watercooler

No discussion on the watercoolers yet, but I'm crossing my fingers...

Here's a nice controversial topic: Paula Abdul, more or less impaired than Tuesday night? Here's more good stuff to argue: More Earl, Office, SVU and Heroes!

Chat about that or anything you'd like RIGHT HERE!

Still carrying that tune

I'll say two things for American Idol. It's a great show if you're the type who multitasks. I was able to sit and get through some e-mail, bills, a magazine, etc., and didn't miss a second of the show. Second, after a brief power outage at my home about 1:30 this morning, I've decided I'd rather have Idol to watch than the flame of the one candle I could muster up. (I'm not quite sure what says about our society, or my television watching addiction.)

Those compliments aside, I came home not only dreading having to watch another episode, but also reasonably happy that I can understand the at-work and on-the-radio discussions about the show. It's sad how much this show has permeated society, but as one of my favorite radio personalities pointed out, America has taken to the show almost like it's taken to the NFL (different audience, obviously); people watch it instinctively.

Ryan Seacrest has, so far, made this experience for me. He gets in some great jabs at these people without them even catching on ("you brought the sexy and she brought it back"!?). The judges get crap from either the contestants or each other. Seacrest gets away with saying everything I'd love to say to these ridiculous contestants.

None of whom I like by the way.

The producers pretty much have a freak show on their hands in these early episodes (why didn't anyone warn me these auditions last for WEEKS?!) and they take full advantage of it. I have trouble even watching most of the time, but that's because you're made to dislike everyone who comes before the judges.

But there are no real stories yet. There are vignettes. There are little comic interludes, but there's no one to latch onto, and I think that could be the real failure in the early going of the show. You don't even get to like 99 percent of the people on the show because they're all, well, freaks, and that's no way to run a television program.

Give me something positive, someone to root for. Not just people to feel bad for (or superior to).

Oh, another upside? Two hours of Idol becomes about 50 minutes when you're using the TiVo. It's not as daunting as it seems having to watch four hours in one week.

What to watch: Wednesday

I assume you know American Idol is on (whether you care to or not). Here's what else is on:

BEAUTY AND THE GEEK (CW/8 p.m.): This show is a bit more endearing than you would think. Nothing extremely stellar, but worth a watch if you're reality-starved or something.

MEDIUM (NBC/10 p.m.): Back new this week. So are a lot of other things, but this may be the best. A dead congressman is Allison's case of the week (a kid in a well is her vision of the week).

Guest of the night: Hard to choose. Kimmel has Zach Braff and Donald Faison from Scrubs; Carson Daly has Joshua Radin performing; and Colbert will probably nail Clinton advisor Richard Clarke. All of which would be worthwhile watches.

Also new tonight: NBC's Friday Night Lights and Deal or No Deal; Fox has Idol; One Tree Hill is back new on the CW; CBS has Armed and Famous; and CBS comedies According to Jim (times two), Knights of Prosperity and In Case of Emergency. (whew!)

I'm not sure why I'm doing this

So, I'll never claim I'm a good singer. Not once. I promise. But do I have to keep watching this show?

Sorry, I'm not bailing that easily. But I'll tell you right now, after my first American Idol experience... I'm certainly not impressed. I guess I got over the "reality" buzz pretty quickly. I'd been watching Real World for years before Survivor... um... "changed" television. Anyway, I watched Idol last night and I have some observations. More of a list than a dissertation.

First off, the show is really full of itself. We've made all this hugely popular musicians, they start off by claiming, pointing to Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and more. Personally, I'm not a fan of any of them, but that's not really my musical style anyway (making this little project of mine even more annoying, I suppose). I guess it's something to be proud of in the grand scheme of the entertainment business, but they aren't really doing the music world any favors in my personal opinion.

The hosts are probably the real reason to watch the show at this stage. Simon's a great instigator and is focused on making good TV -- whether he's trying to or not -- even though he comes off as unnecessarily patronizing at times (even with contestants that were just OK). Randy, who's a lot more entertaining than he's made out to be by SNL and the like, did the same thing. And who doesn't like I-look-like-I'm-drunk Paula?

For the record, Simon gets the inaugural "Line of the night" here on the blog with: "You were confident without being irritatingly precocious."

Another downside to the show is the little stories they plug in, with Ryan Seacrest voice-overs, that may as well have been produced by Extra. They're there to give you a closer look at some of the contestants and make you feel for the contestants they spotlight. A tabloid-TV feel works for the Idol audience, I suppose, and Seacrest does deserve credit for his funny little one-one-ones with the contestants.

But what you're watching right now is a show based on failure, the complete opposite of what you'd expect from just seeing the title. The producers found this was something they could use to their advantage: They force you to like the people who get to go to Hollywood because you're so tired of hearing all the bad ones.

They're working off their audience's cringes more than anything -- just like The Office (not that this is anywhere near the caliber of television that The Office is). The common man (or woman) loves to see others fail and loves even more to see their dreams crushed -- it's programmed into us. It's a completely different show right now.

It's probably a closed-minded opinion, but I would stop watching now if I hadn't promised to go the whole season. I'm in it with you people (whether you like it or not... the show, I mean).

Wednesday morning watercooler

Idol chatter I'm sure...

Careful, there may be spoilers below!

A confession, a challenge and what to watch for Tuesday

First, a confession. It shouldn't be surprising given my age and TV watching tendencies, but alas, I've never watched even a second of American Idol. There, I said it. Criticize all you want, but it has never appealed to me. I realize I may be one of the only three or four hundred who can say this.

Now, a challenge. In an attempt to present myself to you as a real, live, somewhat serious journalist (and not just a TV dweeb who wants to write about his favorite shows), I pledge to watch American Idol with all of you this season -- well, most of it anyway. If I get hooked... well, we'll deal with that if it happens. But if you see me voting, I expect everyone to smack the cell phone out of my hand. That being said, I'll admit the only reason I've come up with this idea is that it's pre-empting House (and it's one of the only new shows on tonight).

Anyway, here's what to look out for this evening:

AMERICAN IDOL (FOX/8-10 p.m.): There's probably no need for me to even say this, because if you care, you know it's on. If you don't care, you also know its on and have planned to ignore it accordingly.

BOSTON LEGAL (ABC/10 p.m.): Having just started watching, I was significantly impressed with this show. The characters are (mostly) stellar and the writing is what you'd expect from a David E. Kelley show. New episode tonight has Denny (William Shatner) dealing -- with sheer exasperation, I'm sure -- with being put on a no-fly list.

DIRT (FX/10 p.m.): Start watching now before you're left in DVD catch-up hell (or the show's canceled).

Rerun of the night:
VERONICA MARS (CW/9 p.m.): I love this show. It's funny and has stronger detective plot lines than most all procedural detective shows. Tonight is the replay of the midseason finale, getting you ready for next week's return.

Guest(s) of the night:
LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN (NBC/12:35 a.m.): Conan has comics Tracy Morgan (30 Rock) and Jim Gaffigan (My Boys). Both funny guys.

Also new tonight: An America's Funniest Home Videos special on ABC; NCIS, The Unit, and 48 Hours Mystery on CBS; NBC's Dateline and Law & Order: SVU; and also look out for a new Dirty Jobs on Discovery.

Tuesday morning watercooler

Use the comment space to discuss last night's shows. Again, talk amongst yourselves.... Who got the biggest snub at the Golden Globes last night?

Careful, there could be spoilers below...

What to watch: Monday

Golden Globes, schmolden globes... read the results like everyone else who'll be watching:

24 (FOX/8-10 p.m.): The two-night premiere wraps up with another two hours taking aim directly at NBC's awards juggernaut. Not that there was a significant cliffhanger last night, but there are still plenty of reasons to choose Jack over the Globes.

THE CLASS (CBS/8:30 p.m.): While it's a silly, underwritten CBS comedy, there are some stellar characters to be seen. Tonight's new episode focuses on Richie's apprehension about being "intimate" with Lena.

Rerun of the night:
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (CBS/8 p.m.): While this show, like most CBS shows, suffers the same ills as The Class in the writing department, it's by far the best comedy CBS has going. This rerun is particularly entertaining (especially the Marshall/Lily story arc).

Also new on the networks tonight: CBS's New Adventures of Old Christine; and ABC's Wife Swap, Supernanny, and What About Brian.

Monday morning watercooler

Use the comment space to discuss last night's shows. Talk amongst yourselves.... I'll give you a topic: Can you take Kal Penn seriously on 24?

Careful, there could be spoilers below...

Planning the end of "Lost"

So you don't freak out when you read a headline like that in the morning... here's the important part of the AP story:

PASADENA, Calif. -- Makers of the tropical island drama Lost say they're
talking with ABC executives about setting an end date for the series.
There's no sense the finale is coming anytime soon. But knowing they have a deadline will help writers of the convoluted drama lay out how they want the story to end, producers said Sunday in a meeting with TV critics here.
"Once we figure out when that will be, a lot of the questions will go away,'' said Carlton Cuse, an executive producer.

Obviously, no matter what they say, the best serial on TV will probably stick around long enough to make us all sorry for watching the last two seasons.

A dirty job

FX's newest output, Dirt, isn't as bad as its promos make it out to be. I know, I know... who wants to see another show about L.A.'s highest tax bracket? My answer: At least it isn't a "reality" show. It's an entertaining drama -- something FX understands.

Hollywood is getting good at putting out shows based on itself, with Entourage and Curb Your Enthusiasm having paved the way on the modern TV landscape. Each succeeds on its own level: With Jeremy Piven anchoring Entourage's comedy, its main message remains "We're rich and famous. We have fun. And you like to imagine you could have this type of fun," while Curb revels in its own absurdity, making Hollywood look increasingly dumb.

Dirt has a different angle -- the type that makes you hate just about every character involved, and then hate yourself for starting to like them. You meet the tabloid journalists and photojournalists, and while you might cringe at, say, the schizophrenic photographer who's trying to get a shot of a dead girl at her wake, you really hope he gets the picture of a poorly made-up Shannyn Sossamon in time to make the cover.

Then, in contrast to Entourage, the show allows you to dislike "celebrity" characters... who are just as snotty as Vince and his crew, but aren't as endearing.

I don't know if it'll last, though, so take an hour and check out an episode. Not that it's too good to catch on (see FX's Thief), it's just that its another show about Hollywood.

What to watch: Sunday

After a Sunday primetime buildup over the last 10 or so years, choices seem limited tonight. But that's not necessarily the networks' fault. How can you compete with 24?

24 (FOX/8-10 p.m.): If you're a fan, you don't need me to tell you to watch it. After missing the first season, I'd made it a personal point not to watch this show until catching up on DVD. With 120 hours of the show prepped to burn out my DVD player, I've decided to watch this season anyway. If you're still planning on holding out, be prepared to surrender your Netflix account to Jack for an extended period of time in the future. He could use it to save the country... maybe by having all the terrorists watch a 90210 marathon, showing that Americans aren't all bad

MYTHBUSTERS (DISCOVERY/9 p.m.): The biggest geeks on TV are in marathon mode starting at 5 p.m. and running through the wee hours, but in the newest episode at 9 p.m. (it aired first on Wednesday), Adam and Jamie look into the famous, unsolved explosion of the Hindenburg at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station here at the Shore.

ROME (HBO/8 p.m.): With the hype behind the return of 24, you hear a lot less about this show. But it's back tonight, too. It's easier to catch in reruns throughout the week, though.

A quick scare and What to watch: Friday

FROM AP:

PASADENA, Calif. -- Television will soon have an option for people who want to be scared out of their wits at any hour.
Chiller, a new network devoted exclusively to horror movies and series, will crawl up from the crypt on March 1. The specialty network is being launched by NBC Universal Cable Entertainment.
The series "Friday the 13th,'' "Twin Peaks,'' "Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' and "Tales from the Crypt'' will be on the lineup at first. Look for movies like "The Shining'' "Psycho'' and "Blade Runner'' to be in heavy rotation. The network hasn't announced any original series.
The satellite service DirecTV is, so far, the only carrier to say it will carry Chiller. The network will also be presented as a triple-pack service, with separate high definition and on-demand channels.

You have to love specialty channels... especially ones that seem really low budget at the beginning (they're running Friday the 13th?!). Remember when Comedy Central first started? It was basically a camera crew setting up in random comedy clubs and then Laura Kightlinger hosting a clip show. Can't wait for reruns of Freaky Links to pop up when they run out of material...

This is, of course, the way cable's headed. TV is the new Internet, and you have to have programming people will, well, click on whenever they want. Chiller OnDemand will have to follow.

Here's a brief What to watch... or, at least what to record so you can watch it tomorrow morning...

MONK (USA/9 p.m.) and PSYCH (USA/10 p.m.): Tonight's reruns of these two shows could be the best use of your DVR this evening. USA, the unlikely home of some of TV's better shows, will have brand new episodes of both shows starting next week (and a Psych marathon beginning at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday).

Guest of the night:
THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON (CBS/12:35 a.m.): Comedian Louis C.K. will be on, probably to promote his upcoming HBO special.

More reality than MTV's had in a while...

Via AP:

LOS ANGELES -- Reality TV mogul Mark Burnett is a self-professed fan of the MTV Movie Awards but says they've gotten a bit staid -- something he plans to change as executive producer of this year's ceremony.
"They've become so well-produced that it doesn't feel as MTV as in the early days,'' Burnett said Thursday. "MTV invented brevity in television, quick-cutting and (the idea) that anything could happen.''
Burnett, whose series include "Survivor'' and "The Apprentice,'' also has the task of boosting the awards show's audience. It's eroded since hitting a high of 7.1 million viewers in 2002, with less than half that -- 3.2 million -- watching in 2006.
MTV announced Thursday that Burnett will take over from longtime producer Joel Gallen for the 16th annual ceremony, set for June 3. The show will be live for the first time, the channel said.
Burnett said he doesn't plan radical changes and will retain the movie spoofs and such offbeat award categories as "best kiss'' and "sexiest performance.'' But he wants to see more spontaneity, he said.

The real problem with the MTV awards is that none of us are the same kids who loved them so much anymore. We're grown up and we tend to find them as absurd as we find the rest of MTV.

The best news here is that it's a live show this year, enough reason to get me to watch. Not that Burnett isn't a bad choice for this job. Viewers love his productions -- at least early on (though I still watch Survivor religiously, I'll freely admit it's almost more out of habit than interest).

What to watch: Thursday

In an attempt to get what I hope is a long-lived, discussion-powered, entertaining forum off the ground, I'll dispense with the introductions and get right into the opinion.

Please note: This blog will have news also, but I'll make sure you know the difference. Feel free to comment frequently and call me out on anything you may consider "silly talk." I won't pretend to have seen every show ever -- far from it. And, oh yeah, tell your friends.

SCRUBS (NBC/9 p.m.): There's no better-written or better-performed comedy on the tube right now. Tonight's episode focuses on the effect Elliot's new private-practice salary has on roomie JD. Don't ignore the rest of NBC's rejuvenated Thursday night lineup either.

SMALLVILLE (CW/8 p.m.): With the Green Arrow's appearance and the impending formation of the CW's version of the Justice League, the show is getting an upgrade from geek gold to geek platinum.

GREY'S ANATOMY (ABC/9 p.m.): The show that's cornered the market on prime-time drama remains interesting long after most people probably expected. Tonight, after meeting her father's new family in the last episode, Meredith gets face-to-face with him in the first of a two-parter. George's dad is out of one surgery and into another. And, obviously, you can bank on some romance that's steamy or awkward (or both).

Guest of the night:
LAST CALL with CARSON DALY (NBC/1:35 a.m.): Carson has Daily Show correspondent Rob Corddry... but it's Carson Daly, so you may just be better off watching The Daily Show.

Rerun of the night:
CSI (CBS/9 p.m.): Ignore the fact that Kevin Federline is the marquee guest star in this episode (likely the strongest of the current season).