FX to the "Rescue"

I haven't seen a lot written about INHD and INHD2, which offer 24-hour high-definition TV programming, but I watch more HDTV on those two channels than any other service on my high-def tier. INHD is offered exclusively to cable companies and it's obviously in Big Cable's interest to put as much interesting stuff on the channels to give cable the edge over satellite in this growing market of HDTV subscribers.

Thus, INHD offers two or three Major League Baseball games in high-def every week. When combined with ESPN HD, that means most nights of the week I can find a game in high-def (or, more accurately, my HD-DVR can). There are Phillies and Orioles games from Comcast; Red Sox games from Fenway Park thanks to NESN; and on Sunday I watched that jaw-dropping dinger derby against future Hall-of-Famer Randy Johnson courtesy of WGN. (The White Sox announcer Ken "Hawk" Harrelson's home run call, "You cannnnn put it on the booooard!" sounds even more impressive in Dolby stereo.)

INHD is also producing a series, "Cathedrals of the Game," offering crystal-clear tours of major league ballparks. They haven't come to Kansas City yet, but I'm sure that's just because they're waiting for the right time. Yup. That's it.

This just in:

• FX has placed a 13-episode third season order for its acclaimed drama series Rescue Me starring Denis Leary, announced FX Networks President and General Manager John Landgraf. Rescue Me has four all new episodes remaining this season with the season two finale airing on Tuesday, September 13th at 10 PM ET/PT. Production of its third season is scheduled to begin early next year and it is tentatively slated to launch in the second quarter of 2006. (FX PR) And to think they got through a whole season without that annoying, drug-crazed chimp.
• If you're just now finding out about the two reviews I wrote over the weekend (see below), fear not -- this is cable, and they'll repeat. The first part of "Inside 9/11"  will reair at 7 ET tonight, just before part two, and again at 11, right after it. And the "Six Feet Under" finale will reair at 10 tonight on HBO, then tomorrow on HBO2, and who knows, perhaps it will work its way down through all the HBO channels, though probably it will be tough to get it on HBO Family -- well, maybe overnights there.
• Bravo will air the eight-episode competition reality series "The Law Firm," beginning with back-to-back airings of the first two one-hour episodes Tuesday, August 30 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT.  The subsequent, never-before-aired episodes will roll out Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. for six consecutive weeks starting September 6. (NBC PR) I think I'll just wait for the DVD. What's that? There's not going to be a DVD? My point exactly.
• And from the Emails I'm Afraid to Open Dept.: CHUCK NORRIS RETURNS TO CBS FOR "WALKER TEXAS RANGER: TRIAL BY FIRE," A NEW TELEVISION MOVIE TO BE BROADCAST OCT. 16.

Update: On the jump page, a reader says there's even more MLB in hi-def if you know where to look.

I enjoy reading your columns and blogs.

You seem pretty up-to-date with your info.

But on the baseball on InHD, you leave out some information.

The MLB Extra Innings package, available on both DBS systems and some cable systems, too, HD games have become prevalent in the past month.

There were about a dozen last week: YES with Yankees games, FSN with Diamondbacks, Brewers, Astros, Dodgers, Mariners, Angels, and several other teams.

As you know, DirecTV has filed a formal complaint with the FCC over the InHD "exclusivity".

And the point seems pretty valid since Comcast, Cox and Time Warner all complained bitterly before the NewsCorp takeover of DirecTV that Rupert Murdoch would be able to control so much programming -- especially regional sports.

So the FCC made NewsCorp pledge to make all its programming accessible to all -- barring contractual agreements an arbitrator would be used.

Now, of course, the cable guys use the same tricks to keep "their" programming exclusive.

By the way I, too, look forward to seeing some Royals (and Padres and Phillies and Red Sox) games in HD.  I suspect by next season almost all baseball games will be available in HD.

I am already looking forward to next month, when ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD will begin more than 70 college football games in HD.

Anyhow, keep up the good work -- you make for very interesting reading!

 

Fred Farrar

(Also, INHD's spokesman wrote in to say that INHD always airs three games a week during baseball season.--AB)