Watching Studio60

It really does get harder and harder to stay on top of everything that life throws at you, but we struggle on and keep smiling and putting forward our best foot, and any other cliche that comes to mind. And as the Friday workday begins we start to think about the weekend - all too short for most and too busy for others, only to realize that it will be followed by yet another Monday without Studio 60. Are we getting tired of this - I know I am. In my relentless search for news and gossip I went to the TV Guide web site and the blog dedicated to the show, only to find that the writer has already given up and in fact hasn’t updated her site since February 19th, when she actually bid farewell to our show. I sincerely hope she is wrong, and that we at least get to see the remaining 6 episodes.
On another note - many new movies to catch over the weekend and while you are out and about or just relaxing at home, I will be working at the HP Pavilion where the Sharks have three games in the regular season left before they start the playoffs. I do not profess to be a hockey enthusiast, nor even a Sharks fan, but it is hard to work at the Tank and not get caught up in the spirit of the events. So I will be rooting for the home team, wishing them well, and hopefully, selling lots of Shark’s merchandize to loyal and supportive fans. If you’re in the neighbourhood, come check us out.:

THhe first petition to save Studio 60 is still going strong and now has nearly 17,000 signatures. I also found a second petition at Blue State Digital (amazing name for a web site), so, again, I urge you to head on over and add your name to the list of discerning people who want to continue to see great programming on our screens. This petition also gives you the opportunity to email friends and family and ask them to sign up - so go for it - lets get the word out there that we like this show, we want this show, we need this show to stimulate our brains and senses!! Too much Oh well, just go sign up anyway.

This is a quote: “But the CSI: Miami second-run should still be congratulated for significantly beating NBC’s waiting-to-be axed The Black Donnellys (Viewers: #3, 5.77 million; A18-49: #3, 2.3/ and ABC’s aforementioned What About Brian.” It came from the AVS forum website, which posts weekly ratings and does a brief analysis of TV shows. So, back to my question - How much longer must we wait for the Black Donnelly’s to be sent into oblivion and Studio 60 to return.
Also on the same website is a list of shows that have been renewed, picked up for the season or cancelled. I was very disappointed to see that Justice has been cancelled. I enjoyed that show, as well as In Justice. But I have come to the conclusion that I am not hard to please. If you put good looking leading men in a show, make the writing somewhat intelligent and witty, have an interesting theme or story line, then I am happy to escape for an hour or so every evening into a world where the creditors aren’t calling, the children aren’t asking for money and the pets aren’t clamouring to be taken for a walk.
I didn’t mean to stir up angry feelings when I posted yesterday blog about Heather Mills. As I said in my response to a comment, having never met the lady in person, I do not feel that I can express an opinion about her, but as I said in the entry, I do question her motives for being on the show. Even if you believe only a fraction of the press, she has been outspoken in her condemnation of publicity and yet she seems to be courting it by appearing on this show. And it has already paid off, as she appeared at the 2007 Starlight - Starbright foundation gala last month with Jamie Lee Curtis. But again, we dont know whether this had been planned before Dancing With the Stars, or came about as a result of it. Either way, if the lady is doing some good, helping children and people in need, then maybe we should applaud her for that and take everything else with a pinch of salt. Sadly the bad stuff sells more newspapers then the good stuff - and let Princess Diana be our proof of that.
Till tomorrow…

Even if you are not a big fan of HEather Mills and actually buy into the press hype surrounding her divorce from Paul McCartney, you have to admire her performance last night on Dancing with the Stars. Although I am questioning her motives for being on the show when she has been very vocal in her condemnation of publicity, I was stunned by her rendition of the Mambo last night. Results tonight will reveal the first contender to be eliminated and I am really hoping it won’t be Heather.
On another note I found a good web site for the Return Watch, menaing if you want to find out when Studio 60 is returning it appears to be updated regularly and have information that is relevant.
Another interesting web site called Tabloid Whore Has some comments on the line up of this season of Dancing with the Stars. I applaud people who not only have opinions but are happy to share them but it really bugs me when they won’t put their name to it - there are too many Anonymous people out there. I say - if your opinion is worth sharing it is worth taking credit for, and believe me - carries more weight when you are prepared to own it.
So I leave you still Studio 60 - less but hangin on in there!

Well it’s another Monday morning and we all start the work week one more time. Every one I have spoken to agrees that so far 2007 has just been flying by - it’s almost April and yet it seems just a few weeks ago that I was writing about cutting down my Christmas tree.
One thing that is a given, I will not be watching NBC tonight. For your entertainment we have not 1 but 2 doses of mindless greed (wasn’t that another game show that failed?) with Deal or no Deal, (and 1 of them is a repeat, just in case you missed any highlights the first time around!!)where contestants get to show how greedy they really are and get rewarded for having shown no skill or intelligence whatsoever. Oh and if that isn’t enough you can sit and watch mindless violence for another hour with the Black Donnelly’s. NBC deserves to lose Monday nights as they do not offer anything even remotely close to good TV viewing.
Compare that with Fox’s offerings of a new Prison Break followed by a new 24, and there really is no contest. And at 10 you can watch Dancing With the Stars that you had to record at 8.00pm because it conflicts with Prison Break. So Monday night is a good night for TV watching but not NBC, or CBS or even ABC. Fox wins!!!

As the working week comes to an end we can look forward to a weekend of down time, rest, relaxation and good TV - well there’s the finale of Grease - You’re the One that I Want! (Has anybody been following that?), Miss USA 2007, Basketball ad nauseam, and if you’re in my house you’ll be watching the last two rounds of the World Golf CA Championship from Dorel in Florida - and cheering for Ernie Els to bring it home. I also get to see the child that I advocate for this weekend, and because it is supposed to be warm and sunny, I am sure there will be some sunbathing involved somewhere along the line.
For those of you who have fallen into the Sudoku craze, I have found this wonderful web site: MM Multimedia Products where you can do a daily online Sudoku puzzle, a Jigsaw Sudoku puzzle and, my favourite, the Killer Sudoku. Go check it out!

So - have a great weekend and I’ll catch you back here on Monday ready for another riveting work week and of course, TV viewing.

I read on another blog site that this hiatus for Studio 60 is 10 weeks. That is based on the fact that there are 10 episodes of the Black Donnelly’s, but as that show is doing soooo badly maybe we won’t have to wait the full 10 weeks. As it is we have been 4 weeks without Studio 60 and I am sure that a lot of people have already forgotten about the show. The episode that got pulled on Feb 26th is called Breaking News and promises drama about Jordan’s pregnancy and Matt’s pill popping. Of course it was filmed before the birth of the baby but the later episodes were filmed after the birth, so there has to be a birth on the show so that Amanda Peet can be NOT pregnant again. I look forward to that and only hope that they dont do something drk and nasty like have her loose the baby on the show. That would be toooo awful.
Another area of massive speculation is the time slot being allocated to this show. Monday nights at 10.00pm puts it against CSI-Miami which continues to astound me by being very popular. Maybe NBC should not only read all the opinions out there but also think about a different night and time for Studio 60 to give it a chance.
Cute picture of Matt and Harriet:

Again, no news on the return of Studio 60 but I did do some research on the ratings and after 4 episodes The Black Donnelly’s are performing much worse then Studio 60 at the same point. I went to the length of charting the ratings and The Donnelly’s are running below Studio 60 on all four points (see below). But looking at TV Guide they are showing new episodes on March 26th and April 2nd and saying no scheduled airings for Studio 60, which tells me that the powers that be at NBC have not made any decisions other then to let The Donnelly’s continue for at least 2 more weeks.

My apologies for being a tad late with this posting - it takes longer and longer to find newsworthy information on Studio 60 and I am not sure how far off that particular track I am allowed to go with my blogging. I can report that the petition is still going and is now at 16,000 signatures. In the bigger scheme of, 16,000 people is probably just a blip on the radar of TV viewers but it certainly heartens my soul to know that there are 15,999 other people out there who love the show and want to see it back on the air. All the comments are of the same ilk - witty writing, intelligent show and so on… but it does appear to be falling on deaf ears at NBC studio.
I will continue to research and hopefully have more news tomorrow.

Again - not much to report on the Studio 60 front. The petition is up to 14,943 and continues to roll along although I am not sure what the final goal is now or what it is supposed to be achieving but it does seem that people like to use it as a forum for their opinions and I like it because all the comments are positive by default. Ths one gave me pause for thougth though - what do you make of it:
“I think this show is awesome and it deals withevery day life of teenagers today. It’s a Great Family show. You should definitly keep it. I played High School Football and Semi Pro. I would love to be on the show as a coach or something if it would help”.
While I really appreciate the signature, I cannot but think that the author is a little confused, but then again, maybe that’s where we’ve all been going wrong - it is a family show about teenagers!!!!
On another note - I have just returned from my “Sideways” weekend - that is to say that I spent the weekend in Sonoma county tasting some of the local brews, otherwise known as Wine, and what a time it was… Lots of fun, rest and relaxation to be had between the gentle imbibing and hot tubbing. Recommended to one and all! Favourite moment - the 7 course lunch and wine tasting at the Mayo Family Winery in Healdsburg. You get 7 differnent wines each accompanied by a taste of food that is wonderfully paired. An experience not to be missed for a mere $20 - and well worth every bite!

The 5 Nations Rugby is over for another year - won by France who finished with the same points as Ireland but had a better goal difference. Oh Well - so close but there’s always next year.
Off to work for another Monday - go sign the petition and keep putting out those positive thoughts that Studio 60 will return to our screens in the not too distant future.

Well folks, last night I had the pleasure of going to see Rod Stewart in concert at the HP Pavillion in San Jose. If you recall I also went to see The Who at the same venue last year, so it seems I am reliving the high spots of my youth in sunny San Jose.
The stage was fabulous, set in a figure of 8 design, with the center stage built up in the middle, giving the audience access to the artist when he danced around the figure. And dance he did - he looked amazing, sounded amazing and for 2 hours and then some, he entertained us magnificently. All the old favourites were delivered in that Oh So Familar voice, and he even threw in an very old favourite of mine - Dirty Old Town, to which he accompanied himself on an accoustic guitar. I had a great time, remembering days gone by, but also admiring the artist for his longevity and talent.

But enough about me - back to Studio 60 - the petition is up to 14559 and still growing apparantly and I am taking the liberty of reproducing Cherine’s comment here - it sums up everything we have been saying very nicely:
“You already cancelled Ed, which (like Studio 60)had a good core audience that was educated and wealthy. You threw Ed away, and - surprise! - the next season the network bombed. Please, don’t make the same mistake with Studio 60. It may not attract the viewers that American Idol does, but the viewers it DOES attract are the ones who actually SPEND money on advertisers they view on TV. Don’t just pay attention to ratings, pay attention to logic too.”
Thank you Cherine!

I never understood the term March Madness before, and not having grown up in the States, have not really followed the typical American sports of Football, Basketball and Baseball. So, as I understand it now, March madness is about Basketball, when 65 of the best teams across America compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men’s Division I basketball tournament to be precise, which in turn appears to ignite frenzy among sports fans across the country. On another front, we are moving into the Hockey playoffs, which take place in April, and I know this, not because I am a hockey fan, but because I happen to work at the HP Pavillion whenever the Sharks are playing at home, but this doesn’t seem to deserve it’s own special title - maybe April Absurdity will catch on!! But my point, with all this exposure to sports on TV during the next few months, it is no wonder that there appears to be little attention paid to regular programs, or that we have to wait until later on in April and into May before we get another round of new episodes to enjoy. ANd shortly after that we get the Season or Series Finales, and then wait again until September before things start all over again. Thank God for shows like The Closer which actually run through the summer hiatus and give us something to look forward to other then reruns and sports, although having said that - being a huge golf fan, I look forward to the big 4 golf events, The Masters, The US OPen, The British Open and the PGA tournament, which is enough to give me my sporting fix for a year.
For those of you who want some Studio 60 reading head on over to Buddy TV and then feast your eyes on Matthew:

While I completly Get IT - that deosn’t mean I like it. I am talking about the fact that commercial TV is ruled by ratings, which in turn drive the cost of advertising and higher ratings means higher prices which means more money and more profit for the networks. But We, the viewing public, are losing out because we get interested in a show, look forward to watching it on a weekly basis, get involved in the characters and the plots, and then the networks run repeats or, worse still, try out new shows in the non sweeps months, and we have to wait 6 weeks or more for our show to reappear, by which time we have started to forget where we were, or maybe have started to get caught up in the try out shows, which then go off the air to make way for the original show and we start the circle all over again. Enough I say - Enough. Run the shows from start to finish for a season, then if you have to, run reruns, or run the new shows from start to finish too. If each show runs to 22 episode, you can break the year into 2 full seasons with 8 weeks of reruns to fill in. But what do I know - I am just the frustrated viewer who looks forward to a few shows to de-stress after a hard day at work. I do not claim to be a network executive, nor to understand the finer points of TV scheduling - all I can talk to is the fact that I am rapidly losing interest in NBC as a network and continue to admire my ever increasing collection of DVD’s.
Happy Birthday to my Dad, who, were he still with us, would be 82 today!

Again - I was out there surfing and on a Matthew Perry web site:matthewperry.one-breath.org I found a link to an interview with Nate Corddry, given on March 5th, in which he states that the cast were resuming the shooting on Studio 60 the following day and they were shooting the Whole Season. You can listen to the whole interview here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7773229 but I have reprinted the important part:
“Nate said they’re resuming shooting the show TOMORROW and they’re shooting the WHOLE SEASON and that they’ll be on the air “eventually”.”
Great news for the fans out there and maybe NBC will re-schedule the return for a different time slot to give the show a chance.

We are still waiting for news of the show’s return, and still counting signatures on the petition (up to 33,000 at the last visit), and still scratching around for things to write about, but I did find a very interesting web site today: Marketing Pilgrim, and while I have no idea what the concept of the site is, I was intrigued to see that they are using Studio 60 as a learning model and example of how to create better blogs. There are 5 lessons to be learned and the lead in certainly sets the scene:
“The lessons from Studio 60 are not about content, they are about management and production. Without great management and production you cannot create and maintain a great blog.” I encourage you to head on over and read for yourselves - Happy Blogging!