The TV Addict 

GMMR is reporting this morning [via E!Online] that JOURNEYMAN’S journey may be over following episodes 11 and 12, set to air December 17 and 19 respectively. Thankfully, showrunner Kevin Falls saw the writing on the wall and promised in an interview with EW.com that “We do answer quite a few questions so fans will get a feeling of closure.”

Needless to say, fans wishing to save the show need to make their voices heard now. Head on over to savejourneyman.net to find out how you can help.

On a totally unrelated note, is anyone else wishing we could harness Dan Vasser’s time-traveling abilities and knock some sense into VERONICA MARS mastermind Rob Thomas. How nice would it have been if Thomas saw “the writing on the wall” and crafted a proper ending for everybody’s favorite spunky blonde detective? Just a thought.

Aint It Cool News has some great news for JOURNEYMAN fans. Contrary to the rumors, NBC will indeed air the 12th [and possibly] final episode of the show on Wednesday December 19th at 10PM. Explained JOURNEYMAN Mastermind Kevin Falls in an email to AICN, “There’s still no news on our long term future, but we can promise you this: three terrific episodes inside of ten days. Oh, yeah, and you’ll get some answers, too” Falls added, “But don’t rest. We need you. We want a back nine–and beyond.”

So JOURNEYMAN fans, the proverbial ball it seems is in your court. What’s next? What’s the plan? Aside from pleading with friends, family and relatives — how are you going to help spread the word that JOURNEYMAN is this season’s best new show that nobody’s watching.”

What does NBC’s surprise full season pick-up for CHUCK and LIFE mean? Does network president Ben Silverman knows something we don’t? Could Deadline Hollywood Daily’s assertion that “it’s possible that the strike could be settled before Christmas” become a reality? And what does this mean for the season’s most under-appreciated new gem JOURNEYMAN? Or the season’s biggest bust BIONIC WOMAN? Post away with your thoughts below, and stay tuned to theTVaddict.com. Things are just starting to get interesting.

When we last left 30 ROCK two weeks ago, Jenna accidently burned Kenneth’s NBC Page jacket leading to an unexpected yet hilarious fight club style “Page-off” in the bowels of 30 Rockefellar Centre.
Yet before the fight/NBC Trivia contest could commence, uber-page Donne and newbie page Kenneth were interrupted by a very angry Pete. Which left this TV Addict disappointed. Not so much because I didn’t get to witness what would undoubtedly be one really funny fight. Rather I was excited to see how I’d fare in the NBC Trivia contest.

Which naturally led to thinking, why not run our very own NBC “Page-Off”?

Think you’ve got the smarts to outwit Kenneth? Have what it takes to wear the illustrious navy blue jacket? Click the link below to answer 10 not-so-simple NBC related questions, leaving your answer in the comments below.

Read the rest of this entry »

Michael Ausiello is reporting today that NBC is developing a spin-off of THE OFFICE. Yet if you were one of the tens thousands of fans hoping to see STANLEY THE SERIES, or CREED’S HEAD! [remember HERMAN’S HEAD?!] — this TV Addict, well really Michael Ausiello has some bad news for you. Unlike PRIVATE PRACTICE, the new show is not expected to spin-off one of your current favorite  paper pushers. In fact, Ausiello claims that the producers are already casting about for a “name” to headline the potential show. Got any ideas? Think an OFFICE spin-off is yet another sign of Hollywood’s complete lack of creativity and originality. Post away with your thoughts.

Jerry Seinfeld’s BEE MOVIE TV JUNIORS remind this TV Addict of two things. One, there wouldn’t be a need for DVRs, PVRs and TiVos if all television commercials were that entertaining and original. And two, between last week’s appearance on 30 ROCK and this week’s BEE MOVIE interstitials, Jerry Seinfeld is sorely missed on Thursay nights. Here’s hoping that once he conquers the big screen, he’ll take a second stab at the small screen. Putting an end to those ‘Seinfeld Curse’ rumors forever.

Question. How do you reward the service that helped save THE OFFICE from the brink of cancellation? If you answered, allow your contract to expire and attempt to start a competing venture, you my friend have been taking Michael Scott’s business advice a little too seriously.

Unfortunately, a competing service is exactly what NBC Universal is hoping to launch, with the NY Times reporting today that the company has decided not to renew its contract to sell digital downloads of television shows on iTunes. Brilliant move NBC! Just ask MTV how their URGE music store is doing against iTunes!

Yes, it’s understandable that NBC UNIVERSAL is nervous about giving Apple too much power and that they’re getting ready to launch their own online venture, but the reality of the situation is that iTunes works. Not only does iTunes allows fans to catch up on shows they may have missed. It gives audiences a chance to discover shows they never would have bothered watching and more importantly, helps generate new viewers for shows that are currently on the air.

Case in point BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. When the show initially premiered, this TV Addict had absolutely zero interest in watching a re-imagined take on a cheesy 70’s space odyssey. Yet when it came time for the second season to start, the critical rumbling was too strong to ignore — Ronald D. Moore’s take on GALACTICA was a must watch. So this TV Addict went straight to iTunes and downloaded the mini-series. Not surprisingly, we were hooked and quickly downloaded the rest of season one and two in order to catch up. Thanks to iTunes, SCI FI gained a fan and a powerful cheerleader for the show.

How about THE OFFICE? Anyone else excited to watch Pam and Jim’s relationship play out this season? If so, you have iTunes to thank. Said Angela Bromstead, president of NBC Universal Television, “I’m not sure that we’d still have the show on the air. The network had only ordered so many episodes, but when it went on iTunes and really started taking off, that gave us another way to see the true potential other than just Nielsen. It just kind of happened at a great time.” In their own words, NBC admits that iTunes played an integral role in saving one of their most important assets. Imagine NBC without THE OFFICE or SCI FI without BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. Is NBC Universal really that short-sighted to take their shows off the one service that helps generate viewers (and dollars) for them?

In the end, all NBC Universal [and every other Hollywood Studio for that matter] needs to know is this. Television fans like things the way they are, or to quote a recent poster on MacRumors.com, “Either I can buy a season of SCRUBS and THE OFFICE when it starts again or I can find it in some other manner that will not benefit NBC at all.”

Instead of yet again rambling on about how FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS is the best show you’re not watching, we thought we’d take a different approach. In honor of FNL’s first season DVD release today, here’s a real-life testament from a genuine FNL virgin, courtesty of towriteablog.com.

What’s new? I took the TV Addict’s advice and watched the first season of Friday Night Lights all in one weekend. I must say that after 23 episodes and quite a few games I still don’t really get the rules but at least I can recognise a touch down when it happens. I really look forward to the season premiere in October where we will find out whether Coach Tylor will move to Austin to take that job at TMU or not.

So what are you waiting for? Support quality television! More FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS means less ARE YOU SMARTER THAT A BIG BROTHER IDOL WHO’S DANCING WITH THE STARS: EXTREME CELEBRITY EDITION 47? The phenomenal first season is available today for a mere $19.99 [The cost of four Frappuccinos at Starbucks!]. Check it out on Amazon by clicking here.

And just in case you need even more convincing — FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS comes with a money back guarantee. Simply head on over to fnlguarantee.com for more information.

With the new fall TV season creeping closer and closer [does anyone else think that ‘with the new fall TV season…’ should to be my de-facto opening sentence for every post from now until September?] this TV Addict thought he’d take the opportunity to talk about the level of online buzz surrounding each network’s new fall lineup.

Now I know what you’re thinking — why measure buzz? Well quite frankly, the better job networks do at generating buzz online with regards to their new slate of shows, the better chance they have of staying on the air. Remember last season’s short-lived Ray Liotta series SMITH? Didn’t think so.

This year, the networks seem to putting their online marketing muscle behind one or two shows, leaving the rest of their lineup to chance. NBC’s betting big on BIONIC, CBS is hoping KID NATION is the next SURVIVOR, ABC is all about DAISIES, the CW can only GOSSIP about one thing and FOX, well, outside of K-Ville, I think it’s safe to say that they’d like to fast forward to January and let IDOL speak for itself.

NBC
The Good: Let’s face it, to have not heard about NBC’s re-imagined take on THE BIONIC WOMAN, you’d pretty much have to have been in a coma. From their jam-packed panel at the recent San Diego Comic Con to the seemingly endless online ads and tie-ins (see bat-test.com) — THE BIONIC WOMAN is going to really have to stink to fail.
The Bad: HEROES. Memo to NBC — we get it, HEROES is your pride and joy, the saviour of the Peacock network, your beloved first born. One problem — the rest of your fall line-up is starting to develop middle child syndrome. When are you going to start promoting CHUCK (a hilarious new action/comedy hyrbrid from Josh Schwartz), JOURNEYMAN and LIFE? Do you not realize the new fall TV season is creeping closer and closer (okay, I’ll stop!)

CBS
The Good: If you subscribe to the theory that there’s no such thing as bad buzz, then CBS has had a remarkable summer. From abuse claims surrounding the new reality show KID NATION, to the whole CRIMINAL MINDS/Mandy Patinkin fiasco, CBS hasn’t had to work too hard to generate headlines.
The Bad: None of these headlines have anything to do with CBS’ new fall lineup. Is anyone talking about THE BIG BANG THEORY or VIVA LAUGHLIN? Sorry, let me rephrase — Is anyone saying anything positive about THE BIG BANG THEORY or VIVA LAUGHLIN?

ABC
The Good: While PUSHING DAISIES may have started off the summer as the little-show-that-could, it’s quickly evolved into the fall’s must see show. Thanks to tireless marketing and one timely internet leak, PUSHING DAISIES is officially the most buzzed about show of the summer. One that’s well positioned to — in this TV Addict’s opinion — become the biggest hit of the fall.
The Bad: SAMANTHA WHO doesn’t simply describe ABC’s new Christina Applegate vehicle. It summarizes ABC’s entire comedy lineup. Quick — name me another ABC comedy premiering this fall?

FOX
The Good: Kelsey Grammer is returning to television with BACK TO YOU. We’re also incredibly excited for THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES, THE RETURN OF JEZEBEL JAMES and NEW AMSTERDAM. Which brings us to… the bad.
The Bad: Most of FOX’s hot new shows don’t premiere until January 2008! Premiering this fall, a slew of reality television shows this TV Addict couldn’t care less about. KITCHEN NIGHTMARES, ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5th GRADER, DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS, THE NEXT GREAT AMERICAN BAND, NASHVILLE, COPS, more COPS and AMERICA’S MOST WANTED. Call me when it’s 2008.

THE CW
The Good: Thanks to GOSSIP GIRL, we’re confident that regardless of what happens with CHUCK, Josh Schwartz won’t be looking for employment anytime soon
The Bad: The rest of the CW’s lineup. Where’s the much deserved hype for REAPER and ALIENS IN AMERICA? Is anyone else sensing two more JACK & BOBBY’S in the new future? (ie. brilliant but cancelled).

In an effort to remind television viewers that TINA FEY is indeed hilarious, NBC has put together a ‘Best of Tina Fey Weekend Update Edition’ for viewers to check out. Want more Tina Fey? Why not tune into 30 ROCK tonight (and every Thursday) on NBC at 8:30PM.

Thanks to TVSQUAD for the Tip!