NBC made it official over the weekend when it announced it would be picking up "Knight Rider" as a full-time series once more.
The TV-movie garnered big ratings during a time when the strike had knocked out original programming, and at this point, NBC needs a hit. I'm guessing, though, that people watched the movie because of a sense of nostalgia, heavy promotion and the lack of anything better on. I'm guessing a weekly version of "Knight Rider" probably won't do as well.
But it does underscore the notion that the networks are running out of ideas, between sequels, remakes and grabbing ideas off foreign TV. For every "Battlestar Galactica" that is remade and done better than the original version, you get many more "Bionic Woman"-type failures. (Ironically, both shows were recreated in part by David Eick.)
Newsday's Diane Werts writes about the phenomenon here: http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/wednesday/partii/ny-ettell5625063mar26,0,3166293.column.
BRAVES ON TV: A regular reader of this column e-mailed me a while ago, asking me where the Braves games would be shown in Macon when they were scheduled for the new Peachtree TV. The answer? Cox Cable Channel 15.
The games will be split between Peachtree TV and Fox SportsSouth, but the Braves will also take part in the national game of the week on both Fox and ESPN. On the radio, Maconites can listen to the team on ESPN 105.5 FM.
When I worked in The Telegraph's sports department, one of my biggest pet peeves was people calling and asking where the Braves' game was that night. It's pretty simple; check Channel 15 or Fox Sports South (Channel 64 on Cox Cable) first; if it's a Wednesday night or a Saturday afternoon, check ESPN or Fox, respectively.
MONDAY'S BEST BETS: Jason Alexander makes for a mini-"Seinfeld" reunion as Julia Louis-Dreyfus' physician on the season finale of "Old Christine" (CBS, 9:30 p.m.), part of a night of all-new CBS sitcoms, followed by a new "CSI: Miami." (BTW, anyone catch the David Caruso glasses takeoff on "The Simpsons" last night?)
Viewers meet another of John's many kids on "New Amsterdam" (Fox, 9 p.m.), while "Medium" (NBC, 10 p.m.) wraps up a two-parter.
Monday, March 31, 2008
When Old Becomes New Again
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5 comments:
I am enjoying "New Amsterdam" enough, but I can't say it's one of those shows that if it went away, I'd miss. It's about even with the other show if the same ilk, "Moonlight". Solid entertainment, unspectacular.
I will say, the knowledge that John Amsterdam has fathered 64 children, puts Kevin Federline to shame.
As I live in the DC area, I will have to live with the Braves visits to the Nats (last night was not a pleasant start) and watching the Braves games through MLB.com, where they have drastically improved the screen quality.
The fact that a part of my childhood, the Braves regularly on TBS, is no dead and gone, saddens me greatly.
It's hard to imagine watching a Braves game and not listening to Skip and Pete.
I'm a Cubs fan, but grew up with a Braves fan for a Father, so I saw many a game on TBS. Did TBS give up the rights completely? I had not heard. MLB TV has gotten much better; in fact I'll take it over the Extra Innings package on Comcast any day which is actually more expensive by 60 bucks or so.
Bud Selig, the worst commissioner in the history of professional sports, has religated Major League Baseball to Direct TV, and those of us with Cable who won't switch (like most of America) are royally pissed that I can't order a package and see my Braves regularly on normal TV.
There's a special place in HELL for people like Selig who would cut out MOST fans from their teams.
Phillip - the only times now I get to hear Skip & Pete is on my XM Satellite Radio and I am not in the car very much; it makes me sad not to hear them.
The Comcast/Direct TV MLB deal and the Braves no longer being on TBS are separate issues. The Braves' parent company made the decision to end the deal with TBS and move Pete and Skip to radio exclusively. They were also the people who didn't allow them to broadcast playoff games during last postseason, bringing in outside announcers instead.
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