The Media Pundit

WGA tells Fremantle to get lost

2008-10-09T18:22:00Z

The WGA has ordered writers not to work on a new show by Fremantle Media and Fox for Ozzy Osborne over Fremantle's refusal to cover their writers under a full WGA contract.

Kath & Kim is "tedious" and "pretty much just sits there"

2008-10-09T16:08:00Z

Variety says NBC's Aussie adaptation, Kath & Kim, "pretty much just sits there." The reviews don't get any better after that.

Rejection Has Set Me Free

2008-10-09T00:11:00Z

The Media Pundit was rejected for inclusion in the Google News index, and that's probably for the better.

Polls show Obama takes second debate from McCain

2008-10-08T16:33:00Z

Last night's debate between Senators John McCain and Barack Obama was won handily by the D.C. newcomer, according to snap polling conducted by CBS last night.

Zucker's conservative "American Carol" bombs

2008-10-06T22:08:00Z

David Zucker's sick anti-American fantasy "American Carol" bombed this weekend in 9th place on what is by most measures a pretty slow weekend to begin with.

WGA pickets new Tyler Perry studio after controversial firings of four writers

2008-10-06T20:32:00Z

The WGA has filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing Tyler Perry of illegally firing four writers for trying to unionize.

New shows in trouble, or is cable at the gates?

2008-10-06T19:04:00Z

Zaip2it writer Rick Porter blames the writers strike for the "sophomore slump." I credit ever-increasing competition from cable and some really bad timing on the part of the networks and studios that locked out the writers and are about to do it again with actors.

Amanda Tapping's 'Sanctuary' premiers tonight

2008-10-03T18:43:00Z

Amanda Tapping's new sci-fi series Sanctuary hits the airwaves tonight on The Sci Fi Channel, but will it be any good?

40 million people watched the VP debate

2008-10-03T18:00:00Z

Network ratings for the only VP debate this year were big, but somewhat spread out. The only real loser was Fox in a distant fourth place.

SAG negotiators urge board to call a strike vote

2008-10-02T14:40:00Z

The Screen Actors Guild negotiating committee has urged the national board to take a strike authorization vote to the membership.

About those '300' sequel/prequel rumors

2008-10-02T12:54:00Z

Supposedly "confirmed" reports of a 300 sequel/prequel are still nothing more than weak, unsubstantiated rumors.

Studios Reject SAG's Request for New Talks

2008-10-02T04:46:00Z

Three months after the studios best "final offer", SAG's request to open new talks is rejected flatly. Is a strike near?

Ratings notes for Monday and Tuesday

2008-10-01T19:16:00Z

Ratings notes for Monday and Tuesday, September 29-30 2008: Heroes and House down a little, Fringe up a little; Terminator still stinks, reality programming still rocking.

Conservative film makers just don't get it

2008-09-30T14:20:00Z

David Zucker is moving on from fictional comedy to political garbage complete with gun-toting judges murdering civil liberty-defending lawyers.

Indefensible provision dropped from bad copyright bill

2008-09-27T11:00:00Z

The U.S. Senate passed a new copyright bill that further unbalances property rights in favor of billion dollar corporations, but had an unconscionable provision stripped at the last minute request of the Department of Justice.

Review: Lipstick Jungle

2008-09-24T13:24:00Z

Review of the Lipstick Jungle 2008 fall premier.

Preview: Criminal Minds

2008-09-24T11:00:00Z

Previewing the fourth season premier of Criminal Minds.

Reality and CSI crush the competition (2008/09/22)

2008-09-24T00:53:00Z

The Monday ratings are in for 2008/09/22. Good news: Heroes is still killing in the demo, and reality is still the big draw. Bad news: Terminator isn't rebounding and reality hasn't gone away yet.

Review: Worst Week; it's worth your time.

2008-09-23T11:44:00Z

Reviewing the "Worst Week" pilot, a new Monday night comedy on CBS.

Ken Levine should have hosted the Emmys

2008-09-23T00:23:00Z

Ken Levine (Cheers, Frasier, MASH) has a few words for last nights Emmy Awards.

Review: The Big Bang Theory

2008-09-22T12:34:00Z

A review of the 2008 fall season premier of The Big Bang Theory

Ruminating the 2008 Emmy Awards

2008-09-22T11:04:00Z

Comments on the 2008 Emmy Awards.

60th Primetime Emmy Award Winners

2008-09-22T03:02:00Z

The 60th Primetime Emmy Awards Winners post.

Heroes is back with a bang

2008-09-19T12:43:00Z

Lightly exploring the origins of Tim Kring, and dipping into the third season premier of Heroes, "The Second Coming".

Ratner and Fraser loved Abrams' crappy Superman script

2008-09-18T22:50:00Z

Bret Ratner who was on tap to direct the next Superman flick, circa 2002, professed his love for J. J. Abrams crappy script to MTV on Tuesday. Wow..

Fox crashing on Mondays, booming on Tuesdays

2008-09-18T10:00:00Z

The Sarah Connor Chronicles continues to bleed viewers and Prison Break isn't fairing much better which lands Fox solidly in third for Monday night. Tuesday, however, is another story.

A look back at J. J. Abrams Superman screenplay

2008-09-17T11:00:00Z

Did you know that J. J. Abrams wrote a Superman screenplay in early 2000? Neither did I. Unfortunately, it sounded absolutely dreadful.

NBC wins ratings race for a week

2008-09-17T02:59:00Z

NBC won last week (Sept. 8-14) in the overall ratings while Fox placed last amongst the big four.

Kristen Bell interviewed by Scifi

2008-09-16T01:07:00Z

Kirsten Bell was interviewed by SCIFI Wire about the third season of Heroes, and seems upbeat about where her character is headed.

Emmy Awards reminder

2008-09-15T10:00:00Z

2008 Emmy Awards reminder; airs in one week folks.

Terminator spin-off in serious trouble

2008-09-15T04:15:00Z

Fox's baby from last year, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, is in serious ratings trouble with the second season premier scoring just 6.3 million viewers, a drop of 23% from the finale.

A word on screeners before Review Week

2008-09-14T12:00:00Z

A perhaps final word on screeners before review week begins.

Fringe underwhelms

2008-09-11T00:36:00Z

The pilot for J. J. Abrams new series on Fox, Fringe, underwhelmed to say the least. Not just in my opinion, but in the ratings as well.

WGA reaffirms support of SAG, claims AMPTP fraud

2008-09-05T22:28:00Z

According to the regional leadership of the Writers Guild, the AMPTP is already playing accounting games with the new media contract.

On agents of evil and the web replacing television

2008-09-04T00:09:00Z

Introducing two lengthy comments/discussions I've had on sites other than my own relating to Hollywood agents and how the web will never replace television.

Last chance for Prison Break

2008-09-02T00:34:00Z

Prison Break returns for Fox tonight with a two-hour fourth season premier, but is it even worth watching?

Aaron Sorkin was a member of the "cave first" faction

2008-08-31T22:27:00Z

Aaron Sorkin in an interview with GQ revealed that he was a member of a tiny writers faction that wanted the WGA to accept the DGA deal before he even got to read it.

Thoughts on Pellicano and government wiretapping

2008-08-30T05:39:00Z

One person in the Anthony Pellicano wiretapping case has been found guilty of wipretapping and could face 10 years in prison, while the U.S. government and big telecommunications companies did the same for six years and walked scott free.

Sorkin does Facebook

2008-08-30T05:07:00Z

TV luminary Aaron Sorkin is diving into the short history of Facebook for his next feature film project, which may not be quite as bad as you think.

Q&A with Atlantis showrunner Joe Mallozzi

2008-08-27T23:07:00Z

Stargate exec-prod Joe Mallozzi fields some questions on the end of Atlantis and the continuing Stargate franchise.

Film production plummets in de facto lockout

2008-08-26T18:11:00Z

The Screen Actors Guild hasn't struck yet, but LA Times staff writer Richard Verrier says that film production has virtually stopped nonetheless.

Screeners, Watchmen, Stargate and actual jobs

2008-08-26T01:42:00Z

An update on this blog, a cool job offer, late screeners, the Watchmen lawsuit with more to follow, and a coming Stargate Q&A with Joe Mallozzi.

Unanswered questions with sinking of Atlantis

2008-08-23T04:36:00Z

Brad Wright reveals in an interview with GateWorld that the cancellation of Atlantis was a mutual decision between himself, MGM, and the Scifi Channel.

Scifi cancels Atlantis; needs lobotomy

2008-08-22T02:48:00Z

The Scifi Channel resumes its transformation into the Not-Scifi Channel; cancels perfectly good Stargate series.

First half thoughts on the 2008 Olympics

2008-08-19T23:47:00Z

Confusing rules, boring events, amazing atheletes full of pride, a side of censorship and some things about the 2008 Olympics that could do with some improving.

Dark Knight dumped to third by Tropic Thunder

2008-08-18T19:00:00Z

Dark Knight fell from first at the boxoffice over the weekend under pressure from Tropic Thunder, which took first, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars in second.

A Distinctly Screenerless Existence

2008-08-15T15:02:00Z

Due to overbearing network executives and delays cause by the writers strike, DVD screeners are far behind schedule and the TV critics that rely on them aren't happy about it.

Will Dark Knight Go Down?

2008-08-12T20:52:00Z

Looking at the Dark Knight's position on the all time boxoffice lists, and asking whether or not a new Star Wars flick will end its run of first place weekends at four.

90210 drama starts early

2008-08-11T15:11:00Z

Insanely rich Tori Spelling is holding up a fifth-rated network for more cash to return to a has-been show which is, like Spellings career, a desperate last gasp attempt to survive.