Critic's Choice And Other Tidbits

Television critics know what they like. And controversy or not, they like "The Sopranos." That's according to a semi-annual poll of top US TV critics by "Broadcasting and Cable" magazine. The now-defunct HBO mobster drama was rated the best series on television, even with an ending that shocked both viewers and critics but kept everyone talking. "Lost" came in second on the list, followed by "Friday Night Lights," "The Office (US version)" and "Ugly Betty." Also making the top ten: "Heroes," "30 Rock," "The Shield," "Grey's Anatomy" and "The Tudors."
So, what were the worst series? According to the critics, the five that were really bad were ABC's now-cancelled drama "October Road," followed by the just-ended season of "24." Also up there were "The Real Wedding Crashers;" "The Black Donnellys" and "Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll." Hmmm.....!
THE RETURN OF REILLY: In our last episode, we learned Kevin Reilly, who was hired to turn NBC's dismal ratings around, was himself in turnaround as he was shown the door at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. But our hero may have his revenge--this week, Fox hired Reilly as its new entertainment president.
And right now, Fox could use a little help. When he was head programmer at sister cable network FX, Reilly was responsible for putting on the air such shows as "The Shield" and "nip/tuck," which gave FX critical attention and new viewers. Now, he must do the same for parent Fox, which is powered by "American Idol" and has a solid top ten hit with "House." But they can't disguise the fact Fox needs new hit dramas and comedies ("The Simpsons" is now going into its 19th season on the air), and the network once known for being brash and "in your face" has become more conservative. And the average age of its viewers is just under 50 years old, just slightly younger than the older broadcast rivals. Still, if anyone can give Fox a jump start, it's Reilly. We wish him well.
THE INTERNET SAVES "BINGO": Hard drive recorders have saved some TV shows from cancellation, while the iPod helped give the American version of "The Office" a second chance. Now the Internet has done its job in keeping one series alive. Recently, ABC yanked the game show "National Bingo Night" from its lineup due to poor ratings. But it was the interactive feature of the program that saved it. During the broadcast, viewers were invited to play along and download a bingo card on ABC's website. They did--22 million cards were downloaded during the show's six-week run. Says the network's entertainment president, Steve McPherson: “It is fair to say this show was saved by the fact that, while its ratings numbers weren’t as impressive, that was totally contradicted by everything else we saw online.” So "National Bingo Night" will be back on the ABC schedule for one week before Christmas. And McPherson will be laughing all the way to the bank. Bingo!
YOU CAN'T KILL "JIM" WITH A STICK" Speaking of ABC, it's no secret about my dislike for "According To Jim," the family comedy with Jim Belushi as a lovable alpha male and Courtney Thorne-Smith as the wife who (loves?) him. Every indication seemed to show that "Jim" was heading to the last roundup of syndicated reruns. Ratings had fallen and the show became too expensive for ABC to justify. Indeed, when the network's fall schedule was announced, "Jim" was nowhere to be seen. Cancellation city, right?
Wrong.
Recently, ABC announced that "Jim" would return in mid season with new episodes. Why? Because the studio that produces the sitcom (and I use the term loosely) cut costs and made it more affordable for the network to pick up.
So I wave the white flag. You can't keep this show down--no matter how much you want to. Congratulations. Let's see what happens next season.
Until next time, happy viewing!