The TV Zone

This war was of course the story of Walter Cronkite's career - the war that never seemed to end, while devouring 58,000 American lives (and countless more Vietnamese, Laotian, and Cambodian lives.) It was the steady drumbeat of "Evening News" - a presence virtually every night on the program until the war's end in 1975.

The general sense - usually voiced as veiled criticism - is that Cronkite didn't come out against the war until the rest of the country had. In fact, Cronkite never saw his role to come out "against" anything - but to report what he saw or learned. What he saw and learned on a trip to the country in 1967 was inescapable, and he said as much in this famous commentary, which aired outside the confines of "Evening News."

Was he an early "booster" in private? That's what some critics have said, but there's evidence to the contrary as well. Here's an early interview with JFK, a couple of months before his death. On the jump, historian Douglas Brinkley says Cronkite was against the war long before his '68 declaration.

My question: Could any single anchor, critic, or news organization have changed the course of this tragic history?

Continue reading "Cronkite: Vietnam " »

Here's a clip that didn't make the tributes: Johnny's own particularly fond farewell to Cronkite, on the eve of his last broadcast for the "CBS Evening News" in 1981. Take a look...unforgettable...one legend does another legend...

As mentioned this morning, I wanted to give the few readers who happened by today - the eve of Cronkite's funeral tomorrow - a quick flavor for his style, work, approach and (above all) professionalism. Here's the April 4 1968 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. assassination broadcast, notable for a few things.

First, Cronkite is - as always - straight ahead, matter if fact, and completely unemotional, which pretty much characterized his style the day of JFK's murder.

Second, he reads from a paper, eschewing a TelePrompter for reasons I can't begin to explain. I believe the TelePrompter had been invented by 1968 (and in fact, originated in the 1950s) though may not have been in widespread use. Or perhaps it's possible Cronkite saw the device as a frivolity, or (worse) something that would inject artifice into a broadcast where no artifice was welcome.

He did embrace it, eventually, and I've posted his opening of the 1979 broadcast on the Three Mile Island disaster. In the space of a decade, Cronkite's style had morphed from a just-the-facts to a just-the-facts with a little more oomph and rhythm.

Third, and - oh yes - there's this observation too, from Andrew Tyndall, w ho did a content analysis of Cronkite's broadcasts from '68 (he wrote this up a decade later). Says Andrew, a respected news content analyst: "To a modern sensibility, the television news of Cronkite's time seems ponderous, unidimensional, monotonously male--almost unwatchable. To a modern ear, accustomed to the noisy skepticism of the White House press corps, icons of television journalism, such as Marvin Kalb, sound timid and uncritical."

As you watch the MLK open, it's helpful to realize that perhaps as many as 30 million people were watching. For many of those, this may have been the first they had heard...

Continue reading "Cronkite: MLK " »

Here's what I love about the Internet: You can watch Jay Leno's set get built, to the accompaniment of crickets.

I mean, when else in the history of communications could you have watched Jay Leno's set get built?

Go right here, right now for something that will both excite and stupefy at the same time. (Is that guy wandering by Jay? or the do-nut delivery man?) I think there are quite literally some bugs with this though: I get a sound effect on my machine which sounds suspiciously like deranged crickets.

Meanwhile, NBC launched Jay's new site today. There's much to explore. Go now before the crickets attack...

Meanwhile, here's Jay...

Remember "Cronkite Remembers?" It was sort of the TV companion to Cronkite's Knopf bio, and aired on Discovery. Well...TDC is re-airing this Sunday. The details: "...features the esteemed veteran journalist Walter Cronkite as he takes a retrospective look at events in world history, primarily in the 20th century. He gives a personal account of the last seven decades, mixing film, still pictures, videotape, music, artifacts, and anecdotes. Eight episodes are the Early Years, World War 2, The Cold War, Television and Politics, Vietnam and Civil Rights,
Man on the Moon, The Seventies, Summing Up." Starts at 11 a.m.

Alec B on Jimmy F last night.

You missed?

Click away...

Continue reading "Alec Baldwin on "Fallon" " »

Here's was/is Meredith's "Today" interview, which is a substantially abbreviated version, I gather, of the forthcoming one on "AGT:"

Dave Matthews Band on "Late Show with Dave," 'twas just announced. Check 'em out July 27 and Friday, July 31. Per "LS:" "On the broadcasts, the band will perform songs from their latest hit release, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King. Additionally, Dave Matthews will sit down for an interview with Letterman on Monday, July 27, the night of the band's first performance that week."

Ah, "Melrose Place." On the air again, this fall, but what will the freshened up old tart look like?

Do not ask, but watch: The CW sent these new promos out, and here they are...

Continue reading ""Melrose Place:" First Look " »

Walter Cronkite's funeral is tomorrow afternoon, and so I'd like to take a look back at this career in a handful of posts today that I hope might convey to a reader exactly why this passing is so important.

(And don't worry: I'll be posting plenty of other TV stuff too...)

Been a lot written and posted over the last few days, though what I will do here is dig just a little bit deeper and (if and where possible) go back to the United Press days too. But mostly, let's just stick to TV here, and go to some of the landmark events that Cronkite covered.

If you are too young to remember the guy, and he hasn't been on TV as an employed anchorman for nearly 30 years, than I'm hoping you might find some of this of interest. Not to be trite, my friends, but it was a profoundly different time and place. TV news was still nascent, while the major news force in the U.S. remained print, though the eclipse had begun in earnest on Nov. 22, 1963.

You'll look at Cronkite and maybe wonder, "eh, what's the big deal? He was doing his job." Yup, he was, but he did it with a rock-solid professional absent any emotional or political baggage. This was - you should also realize - the man most people were looking to for their news.

So let's step back. The first is the well-thumbed look at the JFK coverage. I post this extended version because it negates that old saw that Walter wiped away tears when he reported the news of the death. In fact, he notes the death via unofficial sources at least two or three times in this report. No emotion. Just the facts as he knew them.

On the jump: The first clip is interesting because this is the first instance CBS broke in at 1:40 with news of the shots fired, at about 1:40 p.m. Cronkite's reporting from a radio booth somewhere in the Graybar building because the TV camera needed to warm up. I've also got Eddie Barker's first reports. Eddie was a CBS stringer, and Cronkite cites his reporting...

Continue reading "Walter Cronkite: A Look Back" »

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Good Lord, out a week and a few days and all heck breaks loose on the "AI" front.

Paula Abdul hires a new agent who calls up the Los Angeles Times to say, "sadly, it does not appear Paula will be back next season..."

Or words to that effect. "Sadly" was definitely used, and presumably the agent had a straight face when he said this.

So, gang. Let's break this down, in the easiest way possible. Via the trusty question and answer format.

Is Paula really "gone?"

No, or highly unlikely. Agents - I learned from "Entourage" - have been known to either stretch the truth, or disfigure it so completely as to be beyond recognizable. Also, weasel words were employed - "does not appear." This phrase could be inserted into just about any statement you could think of, and it would be equally meaningless. Sadly, it does not appear the moon is made of green cheese. Sadly, it does not appear the Jets will win the Super Bowl next year. Sadly, it does not appear Simon Cowell will stop wearing t-shirts.

Why is Paula, poor Paula, unhappy?

Because the network/Dr. Evil/19 Entertainment already sealed Ryan Seacrest's deal for $15 million a year. They probably did that because Paula wanted $20 mill - so says Radar - and figured they could at least set the bar with RyCrest. But that feisty old girl wasn't going to be dissuaded from her $20 mill payday; she fired the old agent, hired the new one, who called up the LATimes, and said that sadly, Paula's feeling were hurt.

Why is Fox, 19 Entertainment, Dr. Evil, et al, throwing all this money around?

Because they are afraid. They are afraid that the formula that's kept this thing going is fraying at the seams. They are afraid that viewers now realize the whole voting process is a fraud. They are afraid because teens wouldn't be caught dead watching "Idol" any more. They are afraid because only old people - "old" meaning the over 30 crowd - seem to actually still care. They are afraid because they know the best singer didn't win this season. They are afraid because they know Simon is gonna go soon, and there's nothing they can do about it. They are afraid because they know there is absolutely no way in heaven or in hell that an aging franchise can be restored to its former luster. They are afraid because their bag of tricks is rapidly depleting. So what do fearful producers and suppliers do? They throw money at what they believe are the "sure bets" - the stuff that represents continuity, or presumed viewer interest, or what they think is the rock-solid part of the formula that should be kept intact.

Is it good to be fearful?

No, it's bad to be fearful. Big bucks of this magnitude given to the judges is something, I suspect, akin to an early death rattle. Whenever a show - any show you can name or think of - begins to cave in to exorbitant salary demands, then this is what might be called a "last resort" strategy. Let me put it this way - in three years time, you aren't going to treble RyCrest's salary again, are you? He would then be making $45 mill per year - on a show where the ratings had continued to decline and in an industry (television) where advertising dollars had continued to be drained to new media, and where viewership continued to fragment. All Fox/Dr.Evil/19 Entertainment is doing is buying time, and a very brief window of time at that.

So, will Paula get her dough?

Of course, though I'm guessing close to 15 or a slight increase over RyCrest to assuage her ego. SiCo wants her back because he doesn't want to see this franchise - which he has a considerable financial stake in - crash and burn just as he negotiates his own new deal with Fox, which will almost certainly include new projects and maybe even "The X Factor."
But consider this: They can't give Paula TOO much of a hike over RyCrest or Randy, because if they did, those two would be furious and demand that their contracts be re-negotiated. In other words, Fox et al are tied to about $135 million in judge/host commitments over the next three years whether they like it or not - and that doesn't begin to include SiCo.
You can now see how great hits contain the seeds of their own demise...

Oh, would "AI" crash without Paula?

As fond as I am of the dear girl - as fond as I am of all of them, including RyCrest - no. Life would go on. It might accelerate the inevitable decline and fall though. And after reading this far into this post, you now know what the inevitable is. But the chemistry of this foursome works (Kara simply does not) and if you had your druthers...

What should Fox et al do?

Ah, that's fodder for another post...

Larry King had on Joe Jackson last night.

Here's a "highlight:"

KING: Where is -- where is Michael's body?

JACKSON: I don't know. You'd have to ask somebody that knows. I don't know. All I know is that...

KING: You're the father.

JACKSON: I was at the memorial and where they took him from there, I have to find out. I'll let you know later, Larry.

KING: OK. But as the father, one would think you would have the most imminent right to know.

JACKSON: I do have that right. But I'm not talking about that right now.

[Question not asked by LK last night: Do you know ANYTHING Joe?]

(AP)

Back, gang, to sober news: The death of an old and cherished acquaintance.

Sorry for this late post, but due to circumstances beyond my immediate control - I have been away and the good people at Newsday.com are undertaking a major overhaul that should result in a beautiful and substantially enriched site but requires key adjustments in blogging - I am just now getting to Cronkite's death in this space.

What more to be said about Cronkite that has not been said already? (If you care to read, I've posted my appreciation for the Sunday paper on the jump.) Possibly just a personal aside. I've known Cronkite as a TV beat reporter for a little over twenty years, and first met him at a TV conference in Cannes back in '88 (or was it '87? Cronkite would chide me if I got the date wrong.) We shared a few bottles of wine under a warm Riviera sun, and basking in the glow of a seasonably warm day and Cronkite's perfect recall of years gone by and old stories both famous and obscure, I fancied I had died and gone to some sort of wonderfully unexpected heaven for reporters. This was Walter Cronkite sitting before me - not a TV icon but a figure of human dimension who affected little to no regard for his illustrious past.

We maintained a friendly relationship for years - though never as source-to-reporter (Walter really had no idea what was going on inside CBS after he left, in part because he didn't want to know and in part because the new power structure, controlled by Dan Rather, made sure he was kept out of the loop.)

In fact, Walter was - many believe - the key source for some reporters during the big boardroom brawls of the mid-80s, when Ted Turner tried to take over CBS, then Larry Tisch fooled the board into letting him control the company. (Cronkite was a board member.) Tisch was a disaster, gutted CBS News, and earned the enmity of Walter. That last bit is pure supposition - I never heard Cronkite say a negative word about Tisch, but I'm reasonably certain Tisch came to despise the great Cronkite.

But I digress. I wrote stories about Cronkite. Reviewed his occasional specials. Reviewed his book, too and - if my recollection is correct on this matter - encouraged him to write it. (I wasn't the only one - everyone told Walter to just write the damn book for Knopf but everyone suspected he was having too much fun in retirement to subject himself to the torture or suspected he was afraid he wouldn't come off sufficiently distinguished in the accounting of his own life; whatever the reason, the book was finally written.)

I learned many things about Cronkite over the years.

He loved Manhattans (that's a drink, BTW).

He loved people, especially young people.

He was generous with his stories and his time.

He loved car racing (and did race, to CBS's great chagrin) and boats, and sailing, and CBS, and CBS News, and his cherished colleagues there, and Martha's Vineyard, and his children, and his wife Betsy - who was truly the power behind Cronkite - and New York, and good wine, and good food, and his fame, and science, and NASA, and the country, and Democrats (Republicans less so). He loved to be recognized on the streets, and he was everywhere.

Mostly, he just loved life. I think that was Cronkite's great and not so-well hidden secret - that life is a great and joyous adventure, and best to live it as if it were the most thrilling movie you had ever seen, except for the extremely wonderful fact that you were actually the STAR of it.

Walter - I guess he wouldn't mind if I just called him "Walter" now - was a wonderful human being. I miss him already and always will.

Continue reading "Cronkite " »

Walter Cronkite, once known as the "Most Trusted Man in America" and the reigning symbol of broadcast journalism itself, died Friday at age 92.

Take a look back at some of his most memorable moments on television.

>> Walter Cronkite photos
>> Sign Walter Cronkite's guestbook

Out of pocket for a few days, gang.

Please check back next week, and thanks as always for your support, interest, passion, and shared mutual love of all matters relating to that small/large appliance in your living room or wherever.

And remember: Thursday is Emmy day. Watch Newsday.com for the list, or go right here...(Will "Breaking Bad" crack the best drama list? Only if there is justice, or fairness, or taste, or all three among voting Academy members. I know there is...)

(Getty Images Photo)

This is big "Late Show with Dave" news -- Paul McCartney is gonna be in the house on Wednesday.

Most famous time on this particular stage was about half a century or so. And how memorable was THAT last time? (A correspondent, "Laurie," scolds me for saying this will be the first time back; she insists he was back on the stage in the early '90s for a special. Thanks, L.)

Details/clips on the jump...And a walk down memory lane...

Continue reading "Paul McCartney to 'Late Show'" »

Have you seen enough "SpongeBob SquarePants" yet?

Never!

As you know, the 10th anniversary is upon us - next weekend will be that 50-hour marathon, or whatever they're calling it; hard to tell whether it's a marathon because Nick already airs 50 hours of "SB" every day anyway...

Here's the line from Nick: "The event airs July 17-19 and includes 50 hours of programming, including 11 SpongeBob premieres, all hosted by Patchy the Pirate. It also will include a top-10 countdown of celebrities’ favorite SpongeBob episodes, and the top-10 episodes chosen by fans at Nick.com."

[An aside: One of my few claims to fame, and indeed my only claim to fame, was in writing up the first review of "SB" in a newspaper 10 long years ago; I called this show - if I can remember - brilliant, a work of geeeenius, and easily the best show in history featuring a pineapple for a house, a snail named Gary, or a restaurant called the Chum Bucket. In fact, my favorite character was and remains Plankton - 1 percent evil, 99 percent hot gas.

I love you "SpongeBob," and I guess I always will...Happy Birthday, 'Bob, Patrick, Mr. Crabs, Squidward, Sandy...]

Check this out - an FNC reporter, Reena Ninan, was tear-gassed by Israeli troops at a protest at the so-called "separation barrier." (Fox says Eli Fastman, FNC’s Jerusalem bureau chief, also visible in this video, led her out...) Highly unusual, to say the least...

Yes! "GMA" has the big story of the day. Was the Prez checking out the scenery? Was 'Kozy?

-Photos: Barack Obama and his family

The network's investigative unit put together a hard look at the controversy.

Watch!

Broke yesterday, just posting on 'Zone now...sorry for delay...been enjoying the latest from Alec Baldwin (see below) too much:

Heder's coming to CC.

Jon Heder. Napoleon Dynamite Heder.

Here's the pull-quote from the release; show bows next year, and it's a ten-episode order.

" Produced by Gary Sanchez Productions, the production company led by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Chris Henchy, distributed by Debmar-Mercury, the untitled, multi-camera sitcom for COMEDY CENTRAL will star Jon Heder as an out of work computer IT specialist who leaves the big city and returns to his small home town, where he moves back in with his parents and younger brother. Ferrell, McKay and Henchy will write and produce the series."

Naturally, this is a big deal...Heder's wonderful.

Now, if the series adds the great Jon Gries (Uncle Rico), Aaron Ruell (Kip), Efren Ramirez (Pedro), Tina Majorino (Deb), Haylie Duff (Summer), and OF COURSE, Shondrella Avery (Lafawnduh)....then I'll get really trully excited about this show.

But only until it does....

Below, a Top Tenner frrom '07; not even gonna bother adding a "favorite scene" from the movie. Just too darned many.

The Jackson TV crush may soon be even more crushing; as you may be aware, the LAPD is awaiting certain toxicology results from the coroner to decide whether to determine whether Michael Jackson's death was accidental or a homicide.

Just to add to all this, Joe Jackson said on "Nightline" last night, ""I do believe it was foul play. I do believe that. Yes."

Here's the link to ABC for the clip.

Or...

Some "So You Think You Can Dance" news - Black Eyed Peas on next Thursday's results show.

And...with the elimination last night of Caitlin Kinney and Phillip Chbeeb, the show is now down to a special benchmark in each season - the top ten.

For that list, on to the jump!

Continue reading ""SYTYCD:" Top Ten and Black Eyed Peas" »

"Lemon, Could you fire that moron Cafferty please..."

Before I sign off for the day, must share this with whomever may be wandering by in the night...

Alec Baldwin's rebuke to Jack Cafferty.

This is what I love about Alec Baldwin. He says...whatever the hell comes to mind...

This is Alec B's latest in HuffPo, on the Jump. Entirely self explanatory and ABSOLUTELY worth reading. A hoot...

When I think of it, I'll go fishing for a response from Jack tomorrow...

Continue reading "Alec Baldwin to CNN's Cafferty: You Are a Loser, Sir " »

Ringo HW Chiu/Getty

Interesting study by Horizon Media - the big media buying company - on the Memorial telecast figures.

31.1 million watched, as has been widely reported.

This study says: Meh. Not so hot. Maybe viewer "fatigue."

Here's the takeaway from the press release:

"While this is a relatively high number of TV viewers for Tuesday afternoon in July, there have been similar televised events that have attracted more viewers. The audience could climb higher, however, when live + seven day becomes available.

“'The extensive media coverage of Michael Jackson’s death across broadcast and cable news network’s as well as the internet coverage, may have led to some fatigue of viewers by the time the funeral came twelve days later on a summer weekday afternoon,' said Bill Koenigsberg, President, CEO and Founder of Horizon Media."

Head to the jump for the full list of other big-ticket events and how they rated...

Continue reading "Jackson Memorial Numbers Only So-So" »

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And it's about time!

(What took NATAS so long?)

But good for Babs.

It'll be presented September 21, 2009 at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, located in the Time Warner Center in New York City. These awards are very big deals, by the way; this is not some rubber chicken dinner citation, but the biggest and best that NATAS hands out.

“NATAS is delighted to honor this very special woman,” said Frank Radice, President of the Academy. “Barbara’s career is a remarkable one with few in broadcast journalism coming close to matching it. Many years ago I worked as a field producer with Barbara at ABC News and I never saw anyone work as hard. She was, and continues to be, an inspiration.”

Bill Small, Chairman of the News and Documentary Emmy Awards, cited her long and distinguished service at ABC, and before that at NBC. “Barbara is one of a kind,” he said, “a prime example of what journalists can achieve in television news. She remains one of the medium’s great interviewers and also an inspiration to women who, as a result of Barbara’s pioneering role, now work in every phase of broadcast journalism. When Barbara began her career few women could expect to get ahead in news, but she did, with skill, intelligence and perseverance."

As you know, 6th season of "Entourage" is this Sunday, and HBO gave up the first two episodes for review.

Bottom line: I loved 'em. Show's as good as ever; better even than that.

Vince, as you also probably know, is back on top again because the Scorsese re-imagining of "Gatsby" is a success (at least the reviews are; we don't know about the BO is just yet).

Meanwhile, he's on the promotion circuit. Here's the clip of "Leno." Yes, it has a certain yesteryear feel to it insofar as Jay is no longer at the "Tonight Show," but maybe we should all pretend this is Jay at 10.

Clip on the jump is (I believe) Turtle's obsession with Seth Rogen.

Continue reading ""Entourage:" The Leno Clip" »

Peter King on "The Factor" last night. His first TV comments on the Youtube business since Sunday, I believe.

You missed? You've come to the right place.

PK was on remote from DC, and Bill O'Reilly brought up the business that the comments were "racist," to which King said, "absolute nonsense" - he called for Cardinal Law's resignation when sordid business surfaced too, and the first Catholic pol to do so, he claimed.

"I don't see how pointing out a person's horrible record, when someone is...abusing children. How is that racial?"

Well, says Bill. Why not wait a week then? The day before the guy's funeral?

And, says, King: "I spent the whole weekend with...as you'd say, been with the folks [and] they wanted to know, why is this guy getting all this adoration, getting this coverage...?

"I had to cut through this ten-day cacophony" - by this I presume he was talking about Newsday's coverage - "this onslaught where he was being made out to be a saint. So I wanted to cut through the psychobabble. He was a child molester. He slept with boys."

Bill O brought up the point that many have said it had nothing to do with deviancy and that the guy was sort of a Peter Pan figure - "he says he slept with them only because he loved them, involved no sexuality..."

And, Bill pressed, is it fair to hit the guy after he was acquitted?

I don't recall PK actually responding to the latter question; of the former point, he said this:

"I would say that an adult male who sleeps with young boys is a child molester. How are they going to grow up normal after spending nights in bed with Michael Jackson?

"It was a deviant lifestyle...

Of the coverage, "it went on and on, round the clock and at the same time with Americans dying in Iraq and Afghanistan...and you talk about a culture war, I think the media and elite class failed, defining deviancy down and it can't be much more down than what Michael did with young boys."

Rev. Al Sharpton was up next and - if you missed that part - Bill O pressed him on the line about MJ not being "strange;" Rev Al danced quickly away from that, and went straight to a rebuke, and relatively mild one at that, against PK:

"It's totally irresponsible for a lawmaker to disregard the law; charges were made against [MJ] and a jury of twelve said he's not guilty of child molesting...it's reckless and irresponsible..."

[Below, a clip of last night, but first, maybe you'd like to know MY thoughts on all this. As I said in this space and in an interview with News 12 Lea Tyrrell the other night, I think PK is genuinely off-base on this one for the simple and inescapable reason that the media HAS covered the molestation charges since Jackson's death. In fact, media coverage on this point has been unremitting, and I recall seeing a tick-tock on E! of all places that lasted for many minutes. Each of the major networks, cable and broadcast, has gone over the same ground pretty exhaustively too. Yes - TV has cited endlessly and at times hyperbolically his artistic achievements but also cited endlessly (at times hyperbolically) the pedophile charges too.]

So that is a big number, especially for mid-day..

Here's the statement, directly from Nielsen:

"A memorial service was held in honor of singer Michael Jackson on Tuesday July 7, 2009. The event was carried live from approximately 1pm ET to 4pm ET on 19 networks. The sum of average audience for those networks was 30,919,882 and had a combined household rating of 20.5. The networks carrying the memorial service were ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, Telefutura, Telemundo, Univision, CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, Headline News, BET, E!, MTV, VH1, VH1 Classic, TV Guide Network, TV ONE, and MUN2."

And in the meantime, if you are tired of words, words, words (see post below), then here are my four favorite moments from today's Memorial. Maybe they were yours too...

They need no intro...

Continue reading "MJ: The Memorial, Part 3" »

Sorry, gang, but nothing else to add about today's Memorial and attendant coverage. You've seen it all (above). Heard it all. .

And maybe - I have a sneaking suspicion - you may not be able to read another word about it all.

But in the off-chance you do, here's my wrap in tomorrow's paper.

R.I.P., MJ.

What a day on TV. It seemed like two days, really. Or three. Enough comments, observations, and declarations to fill all the days of the week, in fact. From morning till night, the Memorial dominated the airwaves as nothing has since the Obama inauguration, which seems so very long ago.

In tone, there were two sharp contrasts to the day. The Memorial was a made-for-TV event produced by TV pros Kenny Ortega ("High School Musical") and Ken Ehrlich - a veteran of numerous Oscar, Emmy and Grammy telecasts - who combined grand spectacle with almost painful intimacy. The coffin, draped in brilliant red flowers, commanded the center of the screen, while the towering vidwall, orchestra, choir, performers and speakers themselves seemed to radiate above and beyond it. The audience, those thousands of ticket holders, were out in the dark somewhere – apart from the spectacle instead of a part of it.

And while memorials are not meant to be entertainment, this one often was. With performances by Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, or Jermaine Jackson, that was inevitable. But the real TV takeaway moments had less to do with music and more with image - of a distraught family huddling in a protective cocoon, or (especially) of a daughter, Paris, in a moment of pure unguarded anguish.

Those emotions seemed too concentrated, to intense, for casual viewing. You almost wanted to turn away. Of course, you could not.

-Photos: Michael Jackson Memorial

-Photos: Fans react

Then, there was cable coverage – that yeasty doughnut surrounding the Memorial. The chatter started first thing the morning, then the networks ceded territory to cable networks like E! BET, MTV, MSNBC, CNN and Fox. There wasn't much to talk about. That didn't stop cable, and never has.

To be polite, some morning coverage was often unrestrained. To be impolite, the networks occasionally coughed up volcanic, gaseous, steaming clouds of hyperbole and hooey. "Even the funeral of Princess Diana didn't take on this importance," declared Chris Jansing, the anchorwoman at MSNBC. "Probably the biggest media event, the biggest Internet event ever," someone announced on CNN.

"It's notable that even on the day of his funeral, the whole thing is kind of a freak show," said Fox News' Shepard Smith, who noted that the "elephants" were forthcoming - the parade, tomorrow (remember?)

Facts were elusive, and for the most part irrelevant. Relying on police estimates, the networks predicted a million outside the Staple Center, then half a million…75,000… 5,000…and finally, "it looks it looks like a big crowd, “ said a reporter on CBS, “but here we think it's only about 500 people."

There were curious non-sequiturs. E!'s Giuliana Rancic, for example, noted, "there will be a lot of surprise celebrity appearances [and] we just saw Larry King make his way into the Staples Center…”

Then, there was at least one prediction that sent a cold chill up the spine of some viewers, when Fox analyst, former Jackson attorney, Brian Oxman promised, "we're going to be dissecting this for a long long time."

-Photos: Michael Jackson Memorial

-Photos: Fans react

My reaction to the TV memorial?

All in all - good.

Moving, often.

Deeply felt, often. (And jarring, on occasion. Should politicians ever speak at memorials? )

Best of the day: The music (Stevie, Usher, Jermaine, that cute kid from "Britain's Got Talent," even.)

And the moment of painful intimacy - the moment that will be the great and enduring takeaway image of this whole day? At the end of course: Marlon, and Paris, and the family, huddled in a protective cocoon.

Millions, no doubt, sobbed in unison.

Worst of the day: Some of the cable coverage. Just ghastly.

More on all this, later.

-Photos: Michael Jackson Memorial

-Photos: Fans react

When is a shadow just a shadow?

Now, a little more news from another King - Larry, this time.

There is, repeat, NO ghost at Neverland Ranch.

LK solved the mystery last night.

The ghost, presumably of MJ himself, was caught on camera during last week's CNN Neverland visit. The terrifying apparition was seen during a live mansion tour, and for a moment, "LKL" turned into "Ghost Hunters: The Neverland Edition." Millions - most of these millions, I should note, of questionable mental competence - were convinced they had just seen the King of Pop. Millions of others were convinced they had just seen a shadow.

-Photos: Michael Jackson Memorial

-Photos: Fans react

Never one to let a question go unasked, or a ghost go un-hounded, Larry investigated.

Watch the ITN (who else?) clip! Be prepared to be shocked, or appalled...And if there's no ghost, then what about that face of MJ on the tree? Just to establish how insane they've become over at CNN, to the jump!

Continue reading "Larry King: No MJ Ghost; Miko Brando Bummed" »

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Hard to miss today's MJ Memorial, but for those who want a menu choice...

E!: Coverage begins at 7 a.m., with Sal Masekela ("Daily 10") from Forest Lawn in Hollywood Hills where Jackson is reported to be buried; with E! News' Giuliana Rancic in the studio, and Jason Kennedy from Staples.

CBS: Katie Couric from the Staples, while each major daily broadcast will originate from here. In addition, a "48 Hours" special tonight.

BET: Coverage begins at 12, with "guest" reporters Lola Ogunnaike and April Woodard, along with with correspondent Jina Johnson. Coverage (network says) last until 4 and include "celebrity guests, tributes, and special reports."

NBC: Meredith Vieira will anchor a split edition of "Today" from the Staples Center; network coverage anchored by Brian Williams begins at 1 p.m. In a special 10 p.m. edition of "Dateline," Lestor Holt will offer a refresher on the memorial with reactions.

CNN: Anderson Cooper from the Staples Center along with Larry King and Don Lemon. HLN anchors will be Robin Meade, A.J. Hammer and Jane Velez-Mitchell.

MSNBC: Begins at 11, with Chris Jansing on site, and Tamron Hall and David Shuster anchoring from NYC. (NBC's Jane Wells will be cover the biz angle, whatever that might be.) Meanwhile, MSNBC will follow on-linbe chatter via Twitter (hashtags #MJ and #msnbc or #nbc.)

MTV, VH1: Wall-to-wall begins at noon, and both will air the pool service from 1 to 2:30 p.m. MTV News correspondent Sway Ca lloway will be reporting from Staples, plus MTV News correspondents Tim Kash, Kim Stolz and Shaheem Reid and VH1's Jim Shearer and VH1 Classic's Mark Goodman to discuss, analyze.

Fox News: Shepard Smith will anchor coverage from New York, starting noon, while Greta Van Susteren will be at the Staples and anchor a special "On the Record" tonight. Megyn Kelly will handle the memorial.

ABC: Charles Gibson will be in New York, but “Nightline” anchor Martin Bashir “Good Morning America’s” Robin Roberts, “Nightline” anchor Cynthia McFadden and Senior Law and Justice Correspondent Jim Avila are all at the Staples; plus, a special "GMA" anchored by Roberts; a 9 p.m. "20/20" co-anchored by Diane Saywer and Barbara Walters; plus a 10 p.m. special, "Primetime: Family Secrets” on the children and custody battle. "Nightline" at 11:35, with Cynthia McFadden, from Staples.

TV One: Starts at 1, co-anchored by veteran journalists Art Fennell and Jacque Reid.

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A fine Alec Baldwin interview by Michael Fleming in the current Playboy; some of the outtakes were out a couple weeks ago (the business about "Today," TMZ, and so on.)

But the full interview closes with this interesting aside, which was all news to me:

PLAYBOY: Will you run for office?
BALDWIN: I’ll put it this way. The desire is there; that’s one component. The other component is opportunity. A law firm in a liberal Democratic bastion in Ohio state politics sent me a binder with a cover letter that read, “Mr. Baldwin, here’s who we represent, the kinds of cases we handle, our credentials in Ohio state politics. We want you to move to Ohio and run for governor. We will launch your career.”

PLAYBOY: Could you live in Ohio?
BALDWIN: I have sometimes thought I could move to New Jersey or Connecticut and run. I’d love to run against Joe Lieberman. I have no use for him. But it’s all fantasy. I’m a carry-me-out-in-a-box New Yorker. Here, anything can happen. Who thought Eliot Spitzer would go down the way he did? Senator Hillary Clinton left to serve as secretary of state. Two of the biggest forces gone. Maybe Andrew Cuomo will run for one of their old seats. How much longer will Chuck Schumer stay as senator? After 2013 Bloomberg will be gone. What happens then? Do I run for Congress on Long Island? What’s Tim Bishop going to do? He represents my district. People get sick, die. They’re offered lucrative deals and want to cash in and make money for their retirement. People misstep. Unfortunately, an opportunity for me may mean bad things for someone else. I don’t wish that.

PLAYBOY: How does all this factor into your career?
BALDWIN: I’m done in 2012. In March 2012 I’ll wake up and say, “What am I going to do now? Am I done?” I think I will be done. I may finish a play or something, but I’m retiring at the wrap party.

-Photos: Alec Baldwin

Everyone loves to blame The Media for everything - and who knows precisely what "The Media" is anymore: ABC? Hulu? That message your aunt posted on Youtube last week reminding you to come over for the July 4 picnic? Is she now a member of The Media Elite too?

But I'm confused by Rep. Peter King's Youtube - speaking of Youtube - rant that's gotten so very much attention today.

He's blasting The Media for covering that "pervert" Michael Jackson but The Media includes (presumably) conservative Fox News too. And if you follow the trail to this Monica Crowley interview last week, which the King rant was supposedly made in response to (or so the link at his Youtube post would suggest), then you quickly realize that The Media is also being criticized for even covering Jackson's pedophile trials in the first place!

So: The Media is damned if it does, damned if it doesn't...

-Photos: Michael Jackson Memorial

-Photos: Fans react

My feeling about Pete King's rant: It was Ill-advised. Sure, many people feel the way he does, think what he thinks, but they ignore the simple, obvious, inescapable fact that Jackson was a huge star, and a worldwide cultural hero for millions for much of the '80s and '90s. "Thriller" was probably the best-selling album in history.

What's The Media supposed to do? Ignore him? And from what I can tell, The Media has covered every aspect of this story...

Check out Monica's interview...:

And she won't be alone!

Yes, Meredith will be there, along with a few million of her closest media friends.

Here's the press statement: "NBC News' Meredith Vieira will broadcast live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles Tuesday, July 7 on "Today." Vieira will also attend the Michael Jackson memorial service and report live from LA on "Today" Wednesday, July 8. Vieira will interview several insiders involved with the memorial service on "Today" Tuesday and Wednesday."

Matt was there last week for the Neverland tour...

And from Fox:

"Shepard Smith will anchor special live coverage of the Michael Jackson memorial beginning during the Noon ET hour on Tuesday, July 7th on FOX News Channel. Greta Van Susteren will be on-scene in Los Angeles providing live coverage updates throughout the day, and will anchor a special edition of On The Record w/ Greta Van Susteren from Los Angeles at 10:00pm ET.

Megyn Kelly will anchor special live coverage of the Jackson memorial on FOX (broadcast network) beginning at 1:00pm ET."

The FOX broadcast anchored by Kelly will also be streamed live on FOXNews.com. Both Smith and Kelly will anchor from New York.

Also: CBS now says that it (too) will provide live coverage: " In addition to the previously announced plans below, CBS News will provide live coverage of Michael Jackson's memorial on Tuesday, July 7 at 10:00 AM PT. CBS News' comprehensive coverage also will include reports via CBSNews.com and CBS Radio News. "

And - suffice it to say - more to come...

"TV One will air live, uninterrupted coverage of Michael Jackson’s Memorial Service from the Staples Center in Los Angeles Tuesday, July 7 beginning at 1 PM ET/10 AM PT. TV One’s coverage will be co-anchored by veteran journalists Art Fennell and Jacque Reid..."

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That is the question now, inevitable as the sunrise, as insistent as a jackhammer.

Now that she's about to be unencumbered by political office, will she cash in?

On Fox? That's the immediate knee-jerk reaction, certainly. "A natural for the Fox News Channel..." You'll see some analyst using those words, in generally the same order, over and over again.

Or her own syndicated show? The next Oprah! "Poprah!"

(Right! Forget the show - let's jump straight to the name: "Sarah, Plain and Tall;" Straightalk;" "Sarah!" "Palin!" "Momma Bear". )

And as usual, everyone's asking the wrong question. It's not WILL she jump to TV, but CAN she jump to TV? Plus, these subsidiary questions: What would the show be about? Would it service her political future, or end it - for it is said, the person who undertakes a daytime syndicated talk show will never reach the White House, except as a tourist.

In fact, Palin might have better luck reaching the White House if she goes into acting - scores a couple big-name movies (sensitive subjects, though ones letting her "breathe," while revealing the tough, compassionate, David Letterman-baiting side...) And then, like run for president. (Reagan did plan a slightly different approach, but it worked.)

Again, CAN she do it? Ask questions, listen to answers, undergo the daily nonsense involved in pulling together a show, be comfortable with producers, and story meetings, and the necessity for soft and hard interviews, and so on.

Or, if a syndicated talk show: Be prepared to joust with fashion experts, talk intelligently about weight loss programs, and maybe (like Ellen) do a standup and then dance before an enthusiastic and well-prepped studio audience?

Here's my point (and like Ellen, I do have one): Whenever a major political figure leaves public office, one of the first and most obvious reactions in the media-ocracy is to ask "when does the show begin?" Rarely, is that second one asked. It's the more important one.

There's another question: Does she even want to do TV? Best I can tell, that's almost never asked either.

(Dave Hogan/Getty)

Get ready for one of the major TV events of the year - on Tuesday, July 7.

The Michael Jackson memorial.

Network plans are starting to filter in now.

Here's CBS:

"Based on current plans, CBS News will provide comprehensive coverage anchored by Katie Couric of Michael Jackson’s memorial at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, as well as the events and activities surrounding the memorial via the CBS Television Network, CBSNews.com and CBS Radio News. "

The network adds that the following will orginate from there..."The Early Show...Evening News with Katie Couric"...AND a special "48 Hours" anchored by Katie Couric.

-Photos: Michael Jackson's final rehearsal
-Photos: Fans react to Jackson's death

Expect very similar plans by everyone else too.

Tuesday is MJ day. Get ready...The crush is on now for special interviews, "exclusives," and you-name-it.

Enjoy your Fourth.

Yes, those are the key facts. Whitney Houston's comeback album is due out then, and she'll launch "GMA's" fall concert series. This September. A big get for "GMA," suffice it to say. No other details at this point.

-Photos: Whitey Houston

Yes, the whole show, tomorrow:

" “20/20” will report on the latest details and questions surrounding Michael Jackson’s life and shocking death. Anchored by Elizabeth Vargas, the hour will feature interviews with those closest to the King of Pop in the last days of his life, never-before-seen home video of Jackson with his children, and will take viewers through the controversial change in his appearance over the years. Cynthia McFadden, Jim Avila and Chris Connelly will contribute to the program. “20/20” airs Friday, July 3 (10:00 - 11:00 p.m. ET) "

-Photos: Fans react to Michael Jackson's death
-Photos: Michael Jackson, year-by-year

Here's Matt's exclusive interview with Jermaine, if you haven't yet seen:

So so so much to catch up with before the long holiday weekend.

Let's get to it!

* "Law & Order: SVU" co-stars Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni have finally ended their months-long contract dispute with TV bosses, after signing two-year deals to remain on the show, per the June 30 report from The Associated Press. Surprise? Ha! You've got to be kidding. There would be no show without them, and Dick Wolf couldn't pull his old habit of dumping actors who got too big for their britches. These two are the britches. How much did they get? Not SiCo's $144 million, but something south of that.

* Rocky Carroll will do both versions of "NCIS." That's the scoop from TV Guide this morning. He's already on "NCIS" mo' ship, and will now move to baby "NCIS" - the Los Angeles spin-off. "I'll be keeping my normal routine on the 'mother ship,' and I'll be doing at least six of the first 13 episodes of NCIS: Los Angeles," he tells the mag.

* Chris Slater could be coming back to a TV set near you; he's in talks to join "The Forgotten," per "Hollywood Reporter." Slater was in one of my favorite new shows of '08, "My Own Worst Eneny." But I was apparently the only one. Gone quickly...

* Hilary Duff to "Gossip Girl," for a multi-ep arc, per Ausiello. Starts in October. HiDu's been quite the TV traveler since "Lizzie McGuire" days, landing bits and pieces in..."Ghost Whisperer," "Joan of Arcadia," "L&O;: SVU"...

* Neil Patrick Harris will probably host the Emmys. Good! He's a heck of a host. "Broadcasting and Cable" has the word on this this morning, and if the Academy is looking for my approval on the matter, I juseet gave it. Get NPH now!

* Jay Leno is still looking for material for his new show. It's not easy, this comedy thing...

* "America's Got Talent's" got viewers. Show was seen by nearly 13 million people Tuesday - and meanwhile, ABC's "The Superstars" is in trouble already - just about 3.5 million watched it at 10 on Tuesday, which is just about as low as you can go before the hook starts to make its way from beyond the curtains...That MJ special on "48 Hours?" Just over 8 million viewers; easily won the time period.

Another clip from my favorite talent show...The Gift that Keeps on Keeping On...

And now, Karl Malden is gone.

Please go to the jump for my obit. The LA Times obit crossed a few hours ago.

He was not a big TV star, by any means, though fans of "Streets of San Francisco" would beg to disagree.

-Photos: Karl Malden

He was just a big star, period. Well over 50 films during a career that began in 1940. (And of course, the ubiquitous American Express commercial.)

Here's the season four opening credit sequence of "Streets." May bring back some memories for those who were around for this one; it ended the year after another ABC show launched: "Charlie's Angels."

Continue reading "Karl Malden" »

The intrepid Corris Little of Newsday.com has brought these clips - via Mynetwork - to my attention and I now bring them to yours': Chris Brown and other MJ-related matters...

Next week - the 7th, to be exact - NBC bows another reality show. Entitled "Great American Road Trip," this one is of especial interest to LI'ers because...it stars an LI family.

Here they are, the Favereys...of Wantagh...

Great column by esteemed Washington Post TV critic Tom Shales on why the world needs TV critics - and it was not even remotely self-serving.

The second graph (and go here for the whole piece...):
"Sadly, there are people abroad and afoot in the land who maintain that TV critics are anachronisms, unnecessary luxuries in a fidgety digital age. Unfortunately, some of those people happen to be newspaper editors."

Like I said, a great Shales piece, as always.

But he forgot some points. I'll quickly cite those:

* TV critics are fun.

* TV critics are never wrong.

* TV critics watch TV so you don't have to.

* TV critics care about Jon AND Kate (less so about the kids).

* TV critics - the best ones - love "Americas Got Talent."

* TV critics are very adept at putting double entendres in reviews, especially ones relating to shows like "Hung."

* TV critics whine ceaselessly about "American Idol" - now, who ELSE is gonna do that?

* TV critics rarely drink too much at parties.

* TV critics have (however) been known to eat too much at parties, particularly ones that the networks are throwing.

* TV critics never allow their opinions to be swayed by the networks - except by networks that throw parties.

* TV critics are fair and unbalanced.

* TV critics know how to do lots of stuff - like rap. Those particular critics are called "cr******."

* TV critics are reasonable people, for the most part.

* TV critics care about YOU - unless you don't agree with them.

* TV critics also care about people like Racheal Ray (do you?)

* TV critics are functionally unemployable so if they lose their jobs, they won't be...umm, employed.

As we all wait anxiously for Susan Boyle to make a cameo on "America's Got Talent," we must - in the meantime - content ourselves with other grand possibilities.

Such as: Could America produce its own Susan Boyle?

Last night, you could see it in the Hoff's eyes - "I'm here at the outset of history," he thought. "I am about to witness greatness..."

And then, Carol Lugo danced.

(This is the fine entertainment we've come to expect of America's fourth-ranked network...)