Ed Martin

Upfront Week 2012: Rating the Networks' Upfront Extravaganzas - Ed Martin

As upfront week began I found myself wondering if the annual extravaganza of presentations and parties had any value anymore, because anyone who was receiving alerts from certain Web sites or was actively engaged on Twitter already knew which shows each network was renewing, which ones they were cancelling and which pilots they were picking up, and why. With the exception of a few scheduling questions there was simply nothing left to learn. So what would be the point of sitting through all of those presentations, and why would the networks want to continue spending vast fortunes to put them on? Indeed, Conan O'Brien at the Turner presentation was moved to suggest that next year the whole thing shift to Skype.

Upfront Week 2012: NBC Introduces a Monkey, Fox Brings Out Britney Spears - Ed Martin

NBC never fails to disappoint. No matter its corporate owners or top executives, this broadcaster, more than any other, always finds a way to stir up upfront week beyond simply introducing the new series it has lined up for the following season. (Remember when it pulled out of upfront week altogether? Or when it pushed back in with its infamous "infront" party?)

Upfront Update: E!'s New York Coming Out Party; Syfy's First-Class Affair - Ed Martin

The E! soiree in New York City earlier this week proved to be much more than just another upfront bash. It was in every way an East Coast coming out party for the Los Angeles-based network, which remarkably had never hosted an upfront event or had much of a presence of any kind in Manhattan. When I pointed this out to executives from E!, they were quick to respond that going forward the network would indeed be raising its profile in New York. It was perhaps appropriate, then, that the party took place at the suitably named Gotham Hall.

Upfront Update: Bravo's Night of the Bravolebrities, CMT's The Band Perry Experience and More - Ed Martin

Unlike the annual broadcast network upfront spectacles, which are somewhat traditional staged presentations followed by lavish parties, the basic cable upfront events are a mixed bag of promotional experiences. Some of them are quite intimate, like last week's CMT presentation and luncheon for a few dozen VIP guests

TCA Cable Wrap-Up: HBO's Blinding Star Power; The Returns of "Dallas" and "Mad Men," Russell Brand Goes Wild (in a Good Way)

The closing weekend of the Winter 2012 Television Critics Association Tour was comprised of two wickedly overloaded and over-stimulating days full of presentations by cable networks, followed by a more manageable half day in which FX proved once again that it is the basic cable network to beat at TCA gatherings.

Univision at TCA: A Problematic Presentation for a Very Promising Series

Granted, Univision is still new to the Television Critics Association tour process, having made its first-ever presentation just last summer. But there is no getting around the fact that it suffered a disastrous session Saturday morning.

Current TV at TCA: Gore Gores the Media

Current TV hasn't had much of a presence at the twice-yearly Television Critics Association gatherings since its initial presentation near the time of its launch at the Summer 2005 tour. That changed Friday with a panel featuring former Vice President and Current TV Chairman and Co-Founder Al Gore; Current TV President David Bohrman; former two-term governor of Michigan Jennifer Granholm (host of the upcoming nightly talk show The War Room with Jennifer Granholm), and combustible Web and TV talk personality Cenk Uygur, who is bringing a version of his daily Internet talk show The Young Turks to Current. Thanks primarily to Gore and Uygur, this session came alive like no other at this tour since the CBS panel for 2 Broke Girls earlier last week.

The CW and Showtime at TCA: Day of the Bad-Asses

I have to admit that when it comes to panels at the twice-yearly Television Critics Association tours I prefer separate sessions for individual programs. When a question-and-answer session about a particular show really gets rolling one can learn all sorts of interesting information about it while also getting a sense of the chemistry (or lack thereof) between its on-screen and behind-the-scenes talent.

CBS at TCA: Controversial Comedy "2 Broke Girls" Incites a Heated Exchange - Ed Martin

CBS had been on the receiving end of much problematic buzz during the first week of the Winter 2012 Television Critics Association tour because it had revealed days ago that it was not going to present a session with its well-liked entertainment president Nina Tassler. But after days of protestations from TCA officers and members alike, the network yesterday included a session with Tassler after all.

ABC at TCA: Bitches Abound; "Cougar Town" Producers and Cast Take Matters into their Own Hands

The most interesting event to date at the Winter 2012 Television Critics Association tour turned out not to be an official TCA activity at all. Monday night, Cougar Town executive producer Bill Lawrence rented out the bar at the Langham Huntington Hotel, the home of this tour, and invited TCA members to come by for drinks, hors d'oeuvres and casual on-the-record conversation about the many mysteries surrounding ABC's treatment this season of his show.