Author Archive
 

 

THE SKED Friday News: Scandal, Dads & Low Winter Sun

  Networks like to issue news on Fridays in the hope that the items will be lost in the ether, and here are some updates that managed to escape. The back half of the season for SCANDAL is going to be even more rocket-paced...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

SHOWBUZZDAILY FILM REVIEW: “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”

  As I was saying… THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG:  Worth A Ticket – The Long Road Continues, But This Time On A Better Path Jumping at once to the most pressing matter–which is more than its trilog...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

THE SKED NETWORK SCORECARD – 12/5/13

  Last night, the hills were, without a doubt, alive. NBC:  What’s on the drawing board this morning at NBC?  Hello, Dolly with Miley Cyrus?  Kanye West in Fiddler On the Roof?  Katy Perry as Mame?  Sweeney Todd wit...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

THE SKED REVIEW: “The Sound of Music Live”

  Creative risk-taking should always be applauded, especially in the conservative world of network television, and tonight NBC (in the particular person of its President Robert Greenblatt) and Executive Producers Craig Zad...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

THE SKED: Writers Guild TV Nominations Announced

  Picking five dramas as the best of television (or “television,” as it’s more properly referred to these days) is a tough task, and the Writers Guild just announced its nominees, all of them worthy and y...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

UPDATED: THE SKED NETWORK/CABLE SCORECARD – 12/4/13

  AFTERNOON UPDATE:  MODERN FAMILY and ARROW both rose 0.1 in final numbers, particularly good news for ARROW, now at 1.2.  Their respective teammates, however, fell by the same amount, as both SUPER FUN NIGHT and THE TOMORR...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

THE SKED Series Premiere Review: “Mob City”

  MOB CITY:  Wednesday 9PM on TNT As a writer and director, Frank Darabont has never been in a hurry.  His The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, The Majestic and The Mist all run over 2 hours (Green Mile is over 3), ...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

OSCARLAND: The National Board of Review Mixes Things Up

  We noted yesterday that one of the useful things a pre-Oscars awards group can accomplish is mixing new titles and talent in with the conventional wisdom pool of front-runners, and the National Board of Review did that t...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

Note To Readers: “THE HOBBIT” Review Postponed

  NOTE TO READERS: Warner Bros has an embargo in place that delays reviews of THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG until Sunday morning.  While I viewed the film as a member of the general public, and hadn’t obtained...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

THE SKED NETWORK SCORECARD – 12/3/13

Tuesday fast national ratings with relevant comparisons: MONDAY UPDATE:  The newly-renewed THE BLACKLIST came down 0.3 in final post-football numbers to 3.2.  That removed the episode’s preliminary distinction of tying ...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

THE SKED Fall Finale Review: “The Originals”

  THE ORIGINALS and its creator/showrunner Julie Plec have been fearless about plunging viewers of the New Orleans-set supernatural soap into a veritable bayou of mythology.  We’re half a season in, and already swam...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

OSCARLAND: Award Season Begins

  The last two days have launched what will be a nearly non-stop parade of movie (and some television) accolades that won’t end until early March, when the final “and the Oscar goes to” is announced at LA...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

THE SKED: “The Blacklist” Stays NBC’s Most Wanted

  NBC has little enough to brag about these days, so it’s understandable that the network would want to claim victory for its breakout drama THE BLACKLIST as quickly as possible.  There’s no practical benefit ...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

THE SKED NETWORK SCORECARD – 12/2/13

  A very big night for The Blacklist, although we won’t know just how big until this afternoon. NBC:  Last night’s preliminary numbers are probably inflated by the local New Orleans station’s coverage of NFL...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

THE SKED Fall Finale Review: “The Blacklist”

  We’ll find out in just a few weeks exactly how big a hit NBC’s THE BLACKLIST really is, thanks to the network’s announcement that the show will air in January for the first time outside the protective s...
by Mitch Salem