Author Archive
 

 

THE SKED’S PILOT + 1 REVIEW: “Bunheads”

A lot can happen between the creation of a TV pilot in the spring and the production of episodes for the regular season: a writing/producing team is hired, audience focus groups weigh in, networks and studios (which may have ha...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

THE SKED SEASON FINALE REVIEW: “The Big C”

The problem with making a show about someone dying of cancer is that no one really wants to watch a show about someone dying of cancer.  Viewers will roll along with the dark and disturbing, but by and large they draw the line...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

THE SKED SEASON FINALE REVIEW: “Nurse Jackie”

After 3 seasons of telling more or less the same story, Season 4 of Showtime’s NURSE JACKIE took a leap that revitalized the show.  Jackie Peyton (Edie Falco), having successfully concealed her drug addiction, her adulte...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

THE SKED SEASON FINALE REVIEW: “The Client List”

Tonight’s season finale of Lifetime’s very softcore (so soft it’s basically liquid) prostitution hit THE CLIENT LIST was more guilty than pleasure.  The hour, written by Producer Barbara Nance (from a story b...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

THE SKED: FOX Fall Premiere Dates

The concept of “premiere week” is getting seriously stretched this year by the networks, since NBC, CW and now FOX have announced schedules that launch only a few shows the week of September 24.  This is probably a...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

THE SKED SEASON FINALE REVIEW: “Girls”

Lena Dunham’s GIRLS has been all over the place this season, so it made sense that its season finale would come out of nowhere.   We knew last week that when Jessa (Jemima Kirke) got a talking-to from former employer Ka...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

THE SKED SEASON FINALE REVIEW: “The Killing”

And finally, after 2 seasons, 26 hours of television, seemingly a hundred red herrings, and enough rain to float the SS Poseidon, THE KILLING revealed who killed Rosie Larsen.  The only thing that was ever worth spoiling on th...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

THE SKED SEASON PREMIERE REVIEW: “Falling Skies”

  FALLING SKIES – Sunday 9PM on TNT   WHERE WE WERE:  On our way into a spaceship.  The aliens have arrived, and contrary to what Executive Producer Steven Spielberg used to tell us, they’re not nice at ...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

SHOWBUZZDAILY WEEKEND BOXOFFICE SCORECARD

  Will it really be that happy a Father’s Day?  Almost every movie in the market is estimating an unusually low Sunday drop because of the holiday, although the Father’s Day effect normally helps only all-fami...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

SHOWBUZZDAILY EARLY WEEKEND BOXOFFICE REPORT – 6/16/12

Nothing much changed at the boxoffice between Friday and Saturday, and that was bad news for the weekend’s openings. According to preliminary numbers at Deadline, neither ROCK OF AGES (Warners) nor THAT’S MY BOY (So...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

THE SHOWBUZZDAILY LA FILM FEST REVIEW: “People Like Us”

  PEOPLE LIKE US:  Watch It At Home – Not The First Movie Like This   Sam Harper (Chris Pine) is a guy we’ve met before.  He’s the fast-talking, self-absorbed hustler who gets along in life by shee...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

SHOWBUZZDAILY FRIDAY BOXOFFICE SCORECARD – 6/15/12

  Friday’s boxoffice was like The Good, The Bad & The Ugly–except without the “good.” OPENINGS:  All the stunt casting in the world couldn’t make anyone want to see ROCK OF AGES (Warners)...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

THE SKED’S FRIDAY NETWORK SCORECARD – 6/15/12

Network Programmer conversation today:  “OK, Niagara Falls on a high wire worked–next time, let’s do someone walking on his hands across the Grand Canyon.” “Hopping across the Sahara Desert!”...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

THE SKED SEASON FINALE REVIEW: “Fairly Legal”

  There were a lot of nips and tucks in the now-concluded 2d season of USA’s FAIRLY LEGAL.  The show overall had a less comedic feel, and the heroine, Kate Reed (Sarah Shahi), was turned into more of an adult, which...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

SHOWBUZZDAILY EARLY FRIDAY BOXOFFICE REPORT – 6/15/12

Question #1 on this weekend’s boxoffice:  if The Dark Knight Rises is a blockbuster but everything else Warners releases this summer is a bomb, is the studio having a good summer?  Based on preliminary Friday numbers at...
by Mitch Salem