TV Zone
News, scoops, reviews and more from TV land.
ABC clips: 'Super Fun Night,' 'Betrayal'
Photo credit: MTV Networks
ABC yesterday revealed to the world its fall lineup and right now TVZone reveals to the world a few clips from said lineup. It's always fun to watch these, if only to get an instant vibe about what will work and what will not.
This is not necessarily a surefire way of determining winners — if memory serves, the "Modern Family" tease underwhelmed years ago — but the indication is...
Read more »ABC's fall lineup cuts 'Dancing with the Stars' to one night
Photo credit: AP
"Dancing With the Stars" will be cut back to one night next season, with the Tuesday results show condensed into a two-hour Monday edition, ABC's chief of entertainment, Paul Lee announced yesterday.
Lee said the contraction -- the first in the show's eight years -- was made from a position of strength because the network needed Tuesdays to launch four promising newcomers.
"Dancing" is also aging -- which he acknowledged -- and viewership is down this season, but a single edition would allow producers to better "focus" the show and "really drive viewership," he said.
Here's the new schedule:
MONDAY: "Dancing With the Stars" (8 p.m.); "Castle" (10 p.m.).
TUESDAY: "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D," the Joss Whedon ("The Avengers")- produced thriller based on the comic series; "The Goldbergs" (9 p.m.), about a family in the '80s, with Wendi McClendon-Covey ("Bridesmaids") and Jeff Garlin; "Trophy Wife" (9:30 p.m.), about Pete (Bradley Whitford), his two exes and and his latest wife; "Lucky 7" (10 p.m.), about seven gas station employees in Queens who chip into a lottery pool.
WEDNESDAY: "The Middle" (8 p.m.); "Back in the Game" (8:30 p.m.), with James Caan, as an ex-athlete, whose adult daughter moves back in with him; "Modern Family" (9 p.m.); "Super Fun Night" (9:30 p.m.), with Rebel Wilson, about three women who go out every Friday night; "Nashville"(10 p.m.).
THURSDAY: "Once Upon a Time in Wonderland" (8 p.m.), from the creative team of the Sunday night show "Once Upon a Time"; "Grey's Anatomy" (9 p.m.); "Scandal" (10 p.m.).
FRIDAY: "Last Man Standing" (8 p.m.); "The Neighbors" (8:30 p.m.); "Shark Tank" (9 p.m.); "20/20" (10 p.m.).
SATURDAY: College football
SUNDAY: "America's Funniest Home Videos" (7 p.m.); "Once Upon a Time" (8 p.m.); "Revenge" (9 p.m.); "Betrayal" (10 p.m.), about a couple having an affair, who with their spouses become embroiled in a high-profile murder investigation.
In case you missed: Barbara Walters' retirement ... and more
Photo credit: AP
Barbara Walters will retire next summer (you may have heard), and a yearlong celebration (think Oprah's) is about to begin. Here's Monday's announcement on "The View" and Newsday's story in Tuesday's editions.
Meanwhile, thought it was interesting she mentioned (though not by name in the clip) Harry Reasoner so prominently in Monday's announcement. Harry, as you are aware, was one of the founding correspondents of "60 Minutes." (Actually, he and Mike Wallace started the show on the same day, Sept. 24, 1968.) Harry didn't stay there long; he went to ABC News, and then returned in 1978. He was a gifted writer and a huge presence at "60," but he and Barbara were fraught from the beginning. As TV lore has it, he was jealous of her huge salary -- $1 million, then the most for a TV news figure in history, and that was quite a story at the time, too -- hated to have been paired with anyone; and made life miserable for her. It was star-crossed from the beginning and, of course, did not end up working. (That's another blog post for another day, but -- hey! -- we've got a year to catch up.) He went to CBS; she stayed at ABC.
Still, it was particularly interesting watching the old Reasoner clip. Maybe she wasn't bitter after all.... I wonder.
Saying the decision was hers alone and not related to any health-related concerns, Barbara Walters, 83, told the audience of "The View" Monday that she will permanently retire from appearing on television next summer.
That time will mark more than 50 years continuously on the air, beginning with a minor role that eventually grew into a co-hosting one on "The Today Show." "I'm perfectly healthy. This is my decision. I've been thinking about it for a long time. And this is what I want to do,” said Walters matter-of-factly Monday, although she also appeared to leave the door ajar for future appearances on the daytime show she co-created and launched with her production partner, Bill Geddie, in 1997.
"I will continue as co-executive producer as long as the program is aired," while there will be "special occasions when I come back. But I don't want to appear on another program."
And so Monday marked more of a beginning than an end -- a yearlong retrospective and celebration of a remarkable career that began at NBC before former ABC News president Roone Arledge made her the highest-paid person in TV journalism, as co-anchor with Harry Reasoner of ABC's evening news program in 1976. The pairing was not successful, but her career at ABC has been been historic: a founding host of "20/20;" a globetrotting newswoman who scored some of the most famous interviews in TV history, and an independent producer who launched her own company that would supply ABC's entertainment division with some of its most popular interview programs for decades. "We've been together a long time," she said, addressing the TV audience. "My cup runneth over. I thank you thank you thank you..."
Taylor Swift on 'New Girl,' plus more to expect from TV's season finales
Photo credit: AP
The end is near, at least for these series, as the 2012-13 wraps. Yup, it's May 6 and we've already missed a few major endings so far, and without wasting your time, here's your handy scorecard of what basics to expect and when over the next few days/weeks... (And by all means, do check back as I'll add more details and shows - no spoilers - as I learn 'em):
May 9
"Glee"...
Read more »They're back: 'All My Children,' 'One Life to Live'
Back from the beyond . . . two soaps living in their own soap opera . . . reborn, revived, re-some-other-word: ""All My Children" and "One Life to Live" began again Monday morning and they're online now. Easiest access at Hulu.
What do I think of the reanimated (aah, that was the other word) versions? From what I've seen, they look just fine to me: The same old bodice-rippers...
Read more »Boston Marathon bombing coverage: What did the TV networks learn? Anything?
Photo credit: CNN
It may have taken a weekend to process, but April 19 does now appear to have been the most dramatic day for network television news since Katrina's destruction of New Orleans. It was a roaring blast of images, facts, speculation, gossip, dead-ends, loose ends, wild conjecture, ferocious street reporting, and, at moments, a wild throw-caution-to-the-wind melee that had news crews rushing to the source...
Read more »Wynonna Judd's run on 'Dancing with the Stars' mercifully ended
Photo credit: Getty Images
Wynonna Judd, probably the single biggest name out of the not-really-any-big-names 16th edition of "Dancing with the Stars," got an early surprise exit Tuesday night. This proves:
a.) Voters are not voting this year, or at least not overriding their sense of aesthetics to keep a favored dancer in the hunt;
b.) Wynonna a terrible dancer - she's not alone in this crowd - and voters wanted to put her - and themselves - out of misery.
c.) No one's voting at all - leaving it entirely up to the judges - because "hey, what's the difference!"
d.) Andy Dick will end up winning this season after all, proving once and for all that the gods of dancing really do have a wicked and vindictive sense of humor.
But back to the "Why;" check out this clip. I'm thinking the answer lies behind door b.):
Barbara Walters on retirement: No comment, but no denial either
Barbara Walters arrived back on "The View" from a short break Monday -- the papps buzzing madly in her wake -- and while she'd didn't deny all those reports about her retirement last week, she'd didn't confirm either.
Which is sort of longish way of saying: She declined to comment.
The point of this post, however, is that Babs, bless her, is probably a little ambivalent about leaving the show, leaving the spotlight, and leaving the fame. And who can blame her? But she was on the air this morning and had a couple of things to say -- all of them adroitly. Thanks to Mediaite for this clip-grab.
What's next for Jay Leno? Weighing the options
Photo credit: Getty Images
Jay Leno isn't really going anywhere despite what you may have read. He will leave "The Tonight Show" by next fall, but -- just to bowdlerize the old saying -- when the TV gods close a window, a door opens someplace else.
What's the door for Jay?
There's been all sorts of speculation -- everywhere -- all of it intriguing and certainly feasible. The bottom line: Jay will be...
Read more »NBC approached Anderson Cooper about 'Today' role
Photo credit: Getty Images
In the quickly unravelling world at "Today," now this: A prominent report says that NBC management made a call to CNN's Anderson Cooper about joining "Today" before year's end, which ostensibly would put him at the head of the line to replace Matt Lauer, whose deal at the show is up in just under two years.
True or not true?
I am told: True, although NBC has...
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