Author Archive
 

 

THE SKED PILOT REPORT: Showtime’s “Homeland”

> Disclaimer:  Network pilots now in circulation are not necessarily in the form that will air in the Fall.  Pilots are often reedited and rescored, and in some cases even recast or reshot.  So these critiques sh...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

THE BIJOU’S FRIDAY STUDIO SCORECARD – 12/16/11

> The last 2 weeks of the year will almost certainly bring better news for Hollywood, for reasons of tonnage alone:  there are 6 wide openings to come next week, compared to only 3 in the final weeks of 2010.  But for...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

SHOWBUZZDAILY Series Premiere Review: “Of Kings and Prophets”

  OF KINGS AND PROPHETS:  Tuesday 10PM on ABC – Change the Channel ABC’s biblical saga OF KINGS AND PROPHETS was a big swing for the network administration headed by Paul Lee, but the fact that he’s not ...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

SHOWBUZZDAILY Series Finale Review: “Mr. Robot”

  “I understand why you’re confused,” said the figure who wasn’t Elliot Alderson’s therapist Krista (Gloria Reuben) to the figure who wasn’t Elliot (Rami Malek) toward the end of the fin...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

THE SKED Series Premiere Review: “Getting On”

  GETTING ON:  Sunday 10PM on HBO – Worth A Look It’s probably safe to assume that when a network launches a short run of a new series to air only during the holiday season, and that show isn’t at all ho...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

SHOWBUZZDAILY’s Thursday 11.17.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals UPDATED

  BROADCAST FINALS ABC:  After a run of ENCHANTED (to tie in with Disney+’s new sequel) at 0.32, the midseason finale of ALASKA DAILY gained 0.03 to 0.20. CBS:  After reruns at 0.36/0.34, a PICKLED special was at 0...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

What Are Legendary, Dune and RatPac and Why Should We Care?

  There is tumult in the movie business, we’re told.  Reports warn that several studios as we know them are about to undergo seismic change for years to come.  And why?  Because Legendary Entertainment may shift i...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

Sundance 2024 Film Review: “A Real Pain”

  A REAL PAIN (Searchlight/Disney – TBD):  David (Jesse Eisenberg, who also wrote and directed) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) are cousins born just months apart and raised in close companionship.  Over the years, thoug...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

US/Worldwide Weekend Box Office Report – 1.31.2021

  OPENINGS:  The second entry in the studio’s experiment with split theatrical/HBO Max distribution THE LITTLE THINGS (Warners) arrived with $4.8M in theatres, on the higher end of recent action movie openings ($3.1...
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
 

 

 

US/Worldwide Weekend Box Office Report – 2.14.2021

  OPENINGS:  The Presidents Day weekend wide releases were Sundance titles seeking to take advantage of the expanded “2020” Oscar calendar, which includes films released through February 2021.  Both would lik...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

SHOWBUZZDAILY OSCAR WATCH: The WGA Nominations

  The Writers Guild of America, it should quickly be noted, operates under very strict eligibility rules, only allowing awards to go to films produced under WGA or WGA-affiliated contracts.  That disqualified a number of ...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

THE SKED: CBS Fall Schedule and Instant Analysis

  When you’re CBS, you don’t have to do much.   J   Let’s take a look, night by night: MONDAY:  CBS confounded expectations by not expanding its comedy presence on Thursdays.  So it was less i...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

NOTE TO READERS

  Due to jury duty demands, beginning on Friday April 27 and for roughly 2 weeks afterward, there will be no text for most morning ratings posts.  In addition, afternoon cable text will appear during early evening at best...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

SHOWBUZZDAILY SUNDANCE REVIEW: “Low Down”

  No one can accuse LOW DOWN of attempting to glamorize the true story it tells.  Jeff Preiss’s first film as a director is a slow, grim dirge set in an underbelly of the jazz world in 1970s Los Angeles, and it...
by Mitch Salem