Why is TV so blah right now?

And why can't Shari Elliker and I stop talking about Showtime? Also, we take your calls!
Download WBAL_20080331.mp3

"If I wanted a DVR with less features, I would've stayed with Everest"

To Time Warner Cable:

The new Navigator software looks pretty, but I can't see any useful, added
features.

You forced on "upgrade" upon me that I don't want or need. Many of my
settings have been lost or overwritten, even when there was a strong
correspondence between my old settings and the new values.

_ The DVR crashed while trying to watch a recorded program. The player
wouldn't stop fast-forwarding. I pressed play repeatedly, but it
continued fast-forwarding through my program. I pressed pause and the DVR
crashed and rebooted. This has not happened again, thankfully.

_ The DVR no longer prompts me to confirm that I want to delete a
program. The old software used to ask me to verify by pushing a specific
button. Now, it just deletes the recording. I hope I don't press delete by
accident! This happens when I'm viewing a recording and press stop. The
prompt asks to stop and save or stop and delete. There is no confirmation
if I chose to delete.

_ At least half a dozen series set for recording are missing. Monk,
Desperate Housewives, ER, 30 Rock, The Office and more are no longer
listed under the Series Recording Manager. Fortunately, we found this
problem before missing any of our favorite shows. Unfortunately, I can't
add a series to record until it appears again in the program guide. My
first impression is that every program in the Series Manager that wasn't
in the current guide listings was deleted.

_ I used to be able to use the Favorites button while using the channel
guide. Previously, when I pressed the Favorites button while the channel
guide was on, it scrolled the channel guide to the next favorite. Now, it
closes the channel guide and jumps to that channel. This is a loss of
functionality.

_ When I pause a PPV movie, the screen saver ends after I few minutes and
I have to navigate through the menus, find my program in the listings and
select the movie all over again. Play resumes where left off, thankfully.
However, after resuming, I pressed the instant replay to back up the
movie, the movie restarted from the beginning instead of backing up a few
seconds.

_ If I want to see the rating for a movie, I now have to press the Info
button to see how many stars the movie is rated. This previously was
displayed in the guide. Admittedly, the movie ratings are pretty liberal,
but are better than nothing.

_ I can't find the default volume control. I used to be able to set the
recording volume and now I can't. Maybe it's there somewhere, I just can't
find it.

- All new recordings marked "Do not delete until manually erased". I
can't find where to reset the default.

- It takes more steps to mark as recorded show as "Do not delete until
manually erased". I'm referring to recordings already on the hard drive
when you upgraded the system.

_ It seems like I have to press more buttons and navigate more menus
before I can do anything.

I'm also not happy about losing many of my movie channels. Are you
replacing Action West, Mystery West, etc., etc., with new content?

Overall, it looks like you prettied it up and added some new features I
don't know how to use while dropping some features I used frequently. I
have to press more buttons to do the same things and the crash when
playing back a saved show really shows me that the new software wasn't
tested well before being deployed.

If I wanted a DVR with less features and a less easy to use interface and
fewer digital channels, I would have stayed with Everest Cable.

On an unrelated matter, I'm not happy about the lack of widescreen movies
available on PPV. I don't have HDTV, but I don't want to see a reformatted
film. I'm not planning to buy and more PPV movies unless I can view the
film in it's original format, not pan-and-scan. Unfortunately, most of
your PPV offerings are not widescreen.

~ Jeffery Pyle

Maybe he was confusing it with "Idol"

Interesting ad from my Time Warner monthly promo "magazine" that was mailed to my home.

Only one problem: "Survivor" doesn't air in HD. Never has and likely never will. So that's not going to be a very effective way to move HD. (Or convince customers you know what the hell you're talking about.)

UPDATE: No sooner do I write this than ... "Survivor" announces it's going HD. Maybe Time Warner knew something we didn't.

A blast from the past, a suture into the future

Two series return this week with fresh episodes for their faithful cliques of fans, who have proven twice again that buzz conquers all.

Wally Phillips, RIP

Perhaps The Tribune will update this story as the day goes on, but I am surprised that the sister company of WGN Radio had so little material ready for arguably the greatest broadcaster who ever graced the airwaves of that station.

Link: Longtime WGN radio host Wally Phillips dead at 82 -- chicagotribune.com.

Maybe they should have interviewed a few of his listeners, like me.

"Friday Night Lights": Not dead! For sure! No foolin'!

If you're one of the six million faithful who've tuned in to NBC's "Friday Night Lights," it's been quite the roller-coaster ride since the show signed off in early February.  First you were told the show almost certainly was NOT coming back.  Then Nikki overjoyed you with the news that satellite service DirecTV was on the prowl for original content and had done some sort of deal with NBC to keep the show going. Then those reports got swatted down as someone jumping the gun (though that seemed odd because Nikki usually doesn't screw up things like that) ...

... and now, actual from-the-horse's-mouth proof: TV critic and "Fresh Air" substitute host David Bianculli reports today that, in an interview he recorded for "Fresh Air" with Kyle Chandler, a third-season deal has all but been sealed, just "dot the i's and cross the t's" as Chandler put it, and "FNL" will begin production again in June in Austin.

Previously:

• Brilliant, insightful, handsome TV critics honor "FNL"
• "Friday Night" delight: Same team, new season

Why "Jericho" failed: One fan's opinion

So why did "Jericho" fail? This may seem a little out there but my thoughts are that they made a critical mistake in season one. They seemed to be edging towards a triangle between Ashley Scott's character Emily and Sprague Grayden's character Heather who was a school teacher and Jake. Then all of a sudden they shipped Heather off and even made it appear they killed her. By the time they brought her back it was to late. The way they used Ashley Scott as an almost cameo appearances this year I'm assuming the audience rejected her. I know personally i was hoping Jake and Heather would get together. When they had her off the show the show no longer was must see TV as I lost the emotional investment.

One of the first times I recall losing a character impact a show was on Knot's Landing. They had the actor Joseph Gian with Nicolette Sheridan's character Paige and they dropped him. They realized they made a mistake and brought him back but by then it was to late.

Just my thoughts.

Rick Murphy

Time to start demanding captions on videos

"Web video can't do captions." Someone said that to me just last week, no doubt echoing an impression that is widely shared among users of web video. Problem is, as we see below, it just isn't true:

"You should be tarred and feathered!!"

How dare you state that John Adams would authorize military force in Iraq or Vietnam. In another time you would be tarred and feathered!!

LouAnne Macco

WBAL: "Autism: The Musical"

And other things to watch this week.
Download wbal_20080324.mp3

Things to watch this week

KOGO's Chip Franklin has a "host" of ideas, some of which I "guest."
Download KOGO_20080324.mp3

"John Adams": Nasty, brutish and long

There's a signature moment at the end of the first part of “John Adams,” the new miniseries adaptation of David McCullough's bestselling biography that began last Sunday.

The year is 1774 and Adams, played by Paul Giamatti, has just given his maiden speech as a new delegate to the Continental Congress, the one that was created in order to form a more perfect union -- or run King George's redcoats out of New England, take your pick.

Walt Bodine Show, Part 1

Discussing what's coming up in March on TV on KCUR-FM in Kansas City.

Download kcur_walt_march2008_1.mp3

Walt Bodine Show, Part 2

Discussing what's coming up in March on TV on KCUR-FM in Kansas City.
Download kcur_walt_march2008_2.mp3

Walt Bodine Show, Part 3

Discussing what's coming up in March on TV on KCUR-FM in Kansas City.
Download kcur_walt_march2008_3.mp3

Walt Bodine Show, Part 4

Discussing what's coming up in March on TV on KCUR-FM in Kansas City.
Download kcur_walt_march2008_4.mp3

The troubles at HBO: "It's edgy PBS"

Lily Tomlin, in a scene you won't see on HBO.

Got the mailing from Harry Thomason and Linda Bloodworth today. Got the DVDs of "12 Miles of Bad Road" and the letter that reads, in part,

Knowing HBO has never done a series featuring the South or Texas, we are very appreciative of the twenty-five million dollars they have already invested in 12 Miles. However, we feel the current regime has been and remains uncomfortable with this new, inherited terrain. We are hoping that some critical reassurance might prompt them to reconsider their decision or at least help us move the show to a more receptive environment. We believe we know a hit show when we see it (having done the other kind).

Ouch! Even given the stacks of F.U. money that the Bloodworth-Thomasons are sitting on, could you imagine such a communique going out when Chris Albrecht was running HBO?

Newport TV: Now we're smokin'

As I reported in today's Kansas City Star (hey, thanks for the above-the-fold, biz eds!), Newport Television is a going concern — finally. Eleven months after the deal to acquire TV stations in 24 markets was announced, and two months after lawsuits began to fly between the three principal parties — Wachovia, Clear Channel and Providence Equity Partners — the private-equity got the stations it wanted at a lower price. Sandy DiPasquale and his management team are ensconced in the Country Club Plaza and our town has its first headquarters for a TV ownership group.

Read the story

"I got a converter box and I have to say, I was impressed"

We have one TV that was not on cable so I got my coupon and bought a converter box for it. I have to say I’m impressed. The quality is outstanding and I’m getting stations from as far away as St. Joseph. I showed it to several people, admittedly not videophiles, who have only basic cable due to poor reception. They were very impressed and plan to drop cable.

I know that each of the local channels can simulcast multiple programming like channel 19 does. Does this mean that maybe some of the cable only programming will make it to broadcast? Will MS NBC be simulcast by 41? This could be a real plus for the local channels and for the many people who hate paying for hundreds of channels they do not watch.

Mark Hastert

STOP PROMOTING HILLARY

Obama will get the scrutiny he deserves in the real election. Just let him get the nomination. You are promoting Hillary, think about it!

Micheal
Baja Escapee

(and listener to KOGO; I think he's referring to this)