What's working for me...

1. “24” calls it a day. The show many consider TV’s best thriller ever won’t come back for a ninth season. You know what that means — start the countdown for the “24” movie!

2. “Justified.” Is he McCloud or Rockford? The debate rages, but fans agree Timothy Olyphant’s FX character is endlessly watchable.

3. The Conan-hosting-the-Tonys rumor. Unlike Martin and Baldwin at the Oscars, Conan could make fun of Broadway all night long and it would be great TV.

... AND WHAT’S NOT

1. Fields of 65. Let’s go back to an NCAA tournament with 32 teams. Life was better then.

2. The Tiger in the room. CBS’s incessant promos for The Masters avoid mentioning its most famous entrant and favorite to win.

3. Networks to honor TV Turn-Off Day. I can’t believe that CBS, ABC, and other networks are going to cut off their shows for one day. I thought this was supposed to be a voluntar … oh, what’s that? April first, you say?

Remembering David Mills

In 2003, I profiled David Mills, the guy in focus above and the "other David" who paired with David Simon on "Homicide: Life on the Street" and "The Wire." The occasion was "Kingpin," which NBC had given him to run. It was designed to push the envelope at NBC — though at the moment I wrote my story, FX was on the verge of redefining what it meant to push the envelope with "The Shield."

More from my profile of David Mills, who collapsed and died on the set of "Tremé," the show he was writing in the latest collaboration with Simon.

Growing up in an all-black part of Washington, D.C., he says he loved "The White Shadow," which was about an urban boys' basketball team, because "it was the first TV show that looked like the world I was in."

Then came "Hill Street Blues," a life-changing show for Mills, one that stoked his ambition to someday write for the small screen. He made tapes of "Hill Street" and watched them over and over, absorbing the dense storytelling and tapestry of characters that made the show so revolutionary for its time.

After college, Mills was writing for the Washington Post when an old college mate, David Simon, asked him to help him on a script for a show based on Simon's book about Baltimore police life. Their episode of "Homicide: Life on the Street" aired in 1994, and shortly afterward Mills left the Post and headed west.

Mills has shown a certain fearlessness in his career choices. His first staff job was at the hot-button show "Picket Fences." Later he co-wrote a notorious episode of "NYPD Blue" in which Andy Sipowicz uses the N-word. In 2000 he teamed up again with Simon on "The Corner," a series with so much backstage turmoil - the director, Charles S. Dutton, chafed under HBO's mostly white production team - that the New York Times wrote about it as part of its series on race in America.

The Times does like to write long stories about Simon and Mills.

Anyway:

What viewers will see, Mills promises, is a type of storytelling rare to broadcast TV. A cardinal rule of network drama is that each episode's story lines wrap up by the end of the hour. On "Kingpin," each episode spills untidily into the next. The show has a large ensemble cast spread out over several locations, and not until the fourth hour will viewers really see their paths converge.

Big networks have avoided this kind of sprawling drama for the obvious reason: It demands perseverance, something mass TV audiences are not known for. And that is what makes "Kingpin," in this sense, very much like "The Sopranos."

"Can this work on a network?" Mills says. "Can it work? That's the fun of it - the intellectual puzzle."

It didn't work, but Mills can take credit for leading the influx of serious writers into the once frivolous medium of television. I'm planning to visit the "Tremé" set next month when I go down to New Orleans for French Quarter Fest. I was looking forward, in particular, to chatting with Mills, who was a friend to writers (see Alan Sepinwall's great tribute). I'm truly sorry that he won't be there, and I mourn his passing.

TV Barn Ticker for today ...

Here's a quick summary of all the news and comment from the world of TV and media that I published or read today, dispensed in bite-sized nuggets:

• From Cynopsis: HBO canceled its sports talk show Joe Buck Live after airing only three episodes. Again.

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TV Barn Ticker for today ...

Here's a quick summary of all the news and comment from the world of TV and media that I published or read today, dispensed in bite-sized nuggets:

• Chastity Bono is about to become Chaz Bono, part of a "gender transition." ow.ly/1saWM

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TV Barn Ticker for today ...

Here's a quick summary of all the news and comment from the world of TV and media that I published or read today, dispensed in bite-sized nuggets:

• My buddy Dan Coyne, from my old church in Chicago, donates a kidney to his supermarket cashier - a very Dan thing to do. ow.ly/1rMiP

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TV Barn Ticker for today ...

Here's a quick summary of all the news and comment from the world of TV and media that I published or read today, dispensed in bite-sized nuggets:

• #ESPN can call a T on me if it wants, but KU most certainly won the NCAAs in '88 in its home market, at Kemper Arena, 41 mi from Allen FH.

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TV Barn Ticker for today ...

Here's a quick summary of all the news and comment from the world of TV and media that I published or read today, dispensed in bite-sized nuggets:

• What Dr. Oz would add to the new health care law - ow.ly/1reij
• Owner of last anti-Chavez TV channel owner arrested in Venezuela - ow.ly/1remo

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What Dr. Oz would add to the new health care law

The night after the House passed the President's sweeping health-care reform bill, I interviewed Dr. Mehmet Oz, host of the popular "Dr. Oz" show. Earlier this year he had focused on some three dozen Kansas Citians for his 60-day weight loss challenge. I wrote about that earlier, and in today's paper, page one, I wrote about one of the more remarkable turnarounds from that group, a social worker named Amanda Davis.

That was the jumping off point for our interview, which covered the nation's obesity epidemic, that mysterious RealAge system Dr. Oz uses on his show, and what Oz would add that currently isn't in the health care reform law.

d/l

TV Barn Ticker for today ...

Here's a quick summary of all the news and comment from the world of TV and media that I published or read today, dispensed in bite-sized nuggets:

• KCTV hires a sports director -- ow.ly/1qVvD
• KCUR to serve as Midwest hub for CPB's new Local Journalism Initiative ow.ly/1qWE0
• Same here. RT @KristenJane: Goodbye tweetdeck. Hello hootsuite!
• First one to 100 wins!
• Not a crackhead. RT @CarrieSimons: Better than ubertwitter? RT @TVBarn: Same here. RT @KristenJane: Goodbye tweetdeck. Hello hootsuite!
• Xmas day, too. RT @chancerubbage: The article says USPS delivers Express Mail on SUNDAYS. What? When has that ever happened?
• Watched it today. Is it me or is Drew expanding? RT @amnewsboy: Hot Guys From The Price is Right bit.ly/9N1yIf
• Amanda Davis, who's lost 66 pounds since appearing on "The Dr. Oz Show," makes an encore appearance Friday ow.ly/1r4W6

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KCTV gets back in the game

Lawrence native Michael Coleman is the new sports director at KCTV. Of course, the big news is that KCTV hired a sports director.

In 2003, the CBS affiliate made headlines when it announced it was closing its sports department and outsourcing the nightly report to Time Warner cable's Metro Sports. That experiment lasted five years, then KCTV decided it would just go without sports.

But now, the station has a new general manager, a new news director, and a new outlook.

"We are climbing right back into the belly of sports," declared Bobby Totsch, the new GM.

It's not as though KCTV has been sports-free all this time; the station owns broadcast rights to both the Chiefs and Jayhawks. The way Totsch looks at it, the sports anchor on a station that has those two teams will always have something to talk about.

"When the economy changed, what remained very high for us were the sports ratings. For us not to have someone to brand that with..." Totsch stops there. He said he understands why his predecessor, Kirk Black, tried to find cost savings in sports. Black is still with the company, running Meredith's Atlanta CBS affiliate.

Coleman, he said, is a "big time storyteller -- not a rip-and-reader." In other words, Totsch is not planning to do a scores-and-highlights sportscast, but a segment that revolves around features. In this day and age of continuous information, that makes sense.

Coleman, a 1976 graduate of Lawrence High School, played football at Coffeyville before transferring to Southern Illinois. For the past six years he has been the sports director at Cablevision's all-news station, News 12 Long Island.

When I spoke to him today, Coleman said he was excited about coming back to Kansas City and relaunching KCTV's sports desk. He's also looking forward to working with Channel 5 news director Blaise Labbé, who almost hired him a few years back when he was in Oklahoma City.

TV Barn Ticker for today ...

Here's a quick summary of all the news and comment from the world of TV and media that I published or read today, dispensed in bite-sized nuggets:

• Those of you who had #IFC in your pool as the channel that would do a deal to put @TheOnion News Net on real TV - cash in. 10 eps in 2011.
• RT @greggwinsor: "Use more Autotune" is the only professional advice that Miley Cyrus is qualified to give. #idol
• Well, there was the time Brad gave the look to the thing - HILARIOUS. RT @dbrugg: Was that your only laugh in connection w Til Death?
• Great quote David Frum gave NIGHTLINE. "We thought that Fox worked for us and now we're discovering we work for Fox." ow.ly/1qfFU
• I'm surprised Herzog's Wikipedia entry doesn't already include "voice of the talking bag." j.mp/bVFoxQ (via RT @ebertchicago)
• P.S. that was a joke.
• It's called a walking buddy, @DanaKCTV5 - my wife's had one 10 years and has averaged 1 hr/day exercise that whole time.
• At last second, God favors Baptist school over Holiness school in NAIA basketball final. ow.ly/1qho4
• Harry's "Turd Blossom Special" is a good song and better video. Rove on this: bit.ly/6fosHt
• RT @clairecmc: Disappointed. Rs refusing to allow hearings today. Had to cancel my oversight hrg on police training contracts in Afghnstn.
• With sample sizes that huge? @poniewozik: Their #s inconclusive thru semis.@landybham Dialidol prob not v useful as indicator [b/c texting]
• No one breaks the will of athletes like we do! RT @KCStar: One of Royals' top prospects quits baseball bit.ly/cjirXa
• Breaking: no more coffee smells! downtown Folgers plant to close after 104 yrs.
• I can't tell you how much I'm going to miss that aroma. Rhymes with Smuckers. ow.ly/1qppv
• The USPS delivers on Saturdays?? Coulda fooled me. ow.ly/1qprY
• It's not just you. RT @tjandjulie: Wikipedia! where are you? come back! this is terrible!
• RT @cspan: Congressional Hearing on Google and Internet Control in China – LIVE on C-SPAN3 at 2pm ET bit.ly/2vbiB6
• Pretty good case made here that Tiger was the PGA's economic bubble. s.nyt.com/u/Qxz

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TV Barn Ticker for today ...

Here's a quick summary of all the news and comment from the world of TV and media that I published or read today, dispensed in bite-sized nuggets:

• Randy Miller's latest ramblin' radio wreck - ow.ly/1pP3M
• Why Fox may NOT bite on Conan... ow.ly/1pQDo
• So Jon Stewart is back in the driver's seat when Letterman retires, I guess. ow.ly/1pS13
• Actually, the channel that brings you Alaska Week airing SARAH PALIN'S ALASKA makes frightening amounts of sense. ow.ly/1pS2W
• Rosie O'Donnell won't replace Oprah, unless, of course, she does. ow.ly/1pS5V
• That didn't take long! (Biden NSFW T shirt) ow.ly/1pYnw
• As a public service, here is what the person married to the Best Actress Oscar winner hit. (NSFW/WTF) ow.ly/1pZ5C
• KCPT honored for helping elementary science teachers - ow.ly/1q17M
• I'll check it out. Kindleizing was shockingly e-z. RT @chancerubbage: Make Tasteland a B&N eBook and its sold. Me read you long time.
• Let's be clear here. You're at a resort. In Wisconsin. In March. RT @moryan: Cafe sells French fried Mac n cheese. With ham, naturally.
• No lectures from me - just this classic link: ow.ly/1q6Zr RT @BrentBozell: I'd like no more 'civility' lectures from the media!
• Actually, Bozell's apology to Vince McMahon was a model of civility. It was what led up to it that makes you wonder. ow.ly/1q6Zr
• RT @timoreilly: Who knew? Grateful Dead and Gov Printing Office cooperated to jumpstart US paper recycling industry bit.ly/9623or
• This is what it looks like when you use 22 different pens to sign yer f#@!!ng name. ow.ly/1q72A
• RT @jimmyfallon Biden called the healthcare bill a “big f*cking deal." Then NBC picked him to host Big F*cking Deal or No Big F*cking Deal.
• Our TiVo's on it. RT @Zap2itRick: Your DVR may already know this, but in case it doesn't: "Lost" runs an hour and 6 minutes tonight.
• Just the thought of Brad Garrett telling Fox "If you give me one more month, I can take you to a zero" makes me laugh. ow.ly/1q79l
• Free plug here but: You know who sells the best ballpoint pens? @fieldnotesbrand that's who. RT @alokinaka: I hope those are Bic pens!
• Yes, and um, weighing in for Howard Stern. RT @cgeezy: Susan Powter's still around? www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfuh-x1Cky4
• It's just kinda funny that the last two Veeps are going to have quotes in Bartlett's Effing Book of Mother Effing Quotations.
• Seems odd that doctoring a German film has become as all-American as March Madness, but if it helps KU with their pain...ow.ly/1q7kk
• NYC's calorie counting fast-food signs become the law of the land. Bad news for Starbucks. ow.ly/1q8b7

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KCPT honored for helping elementary science teachers

PR follows ....

KCPT Receives National Award from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting

(Washington, DC) - - KCPT received a My Source Education Innovation Award from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) this weekend in Washington, D.C.

The My Source Education Innovation Awards recognize and showcase how public broadcasting stations use pioneering approaches and emerging digital technologies to serve the educational needs of their communities on-air, online and in the classroom.

The three winning spots featured outstanding innovating teaching techniques from elementary classrooms in Blue Springs, Hickman Mills and Center School Districts, showing elementary school science teachers highlighting techniques that have enhanced student’s performances in the classroom.

The award was presented to KCPT’s Chief Development Officer, Michael Zeller, by Pat Harrison at the Council of Chief State School Officers/Public Media Executive Summit. KCPT will receive a $3,000 grant to further support the project.

Why Fox may NOT bite on Conan...

I've always assumed that Fox would be the best place for Conan O'Brien to land after his concert tour ends. But maybe not. Others have their doubts, and word on the street is that the two sides are not exactly rushing to the altar.

I put the question to Alisa Perren, whom I met last year when we took place in the Peabody-Loyless Seminar at the University of Georgia. Perren, who teaches at nearby Georgia State, wrote a stellar PhD thesis on the development of the Fox network (if you're into such things, you can get it here).

Alisa isn't so sure that there will ever be time for a new network late-night TV show.

"In its early years, Joan Rivers (and even Chevy Chase) made sense, at least in theory. These shows were strategic efforts in audience and brand-building. They were logical steps for a fledgling network to take. Fox doesn't have the same needs now, obviously. And it would seem odd for Fox — a company that historically has (effectively) straddled the line between broadcast and cable practices far more than any other broadcast network — to move MORE toward the broadcast model now.

"Taking on Jay Leno was supposed to be a cost-cutting measure by NBC; the same would not be true for Fox taking on Conan. Since Conan would likely go on earlier on Fox (at least in some markets), I also wonder whether his show would suffer going against The Daily Show/Colbert Report and other talk/comedy-oriented cable programs such as Chelsea Lately."

That's a good argument for not doing a deal with Conan. It's also a good argument for buying Conan at a discount — which is what I've been saying all along.

The news that Conan's 30-city tour will be filmed for a documentary underscores another angle to this story. He can take Fox's money and continue to expand his production company. After all, there's more than one way to make money in TV, and no one has demonstrated that better than David Letterman, who just happened to develop one of history's most successful sitcoms, "Everybody Loves Raymond."

Randy Miller's latest ramblin' radio wreck

It's nice to hear radio funnyman Randy Miller again — even if it is on Internet radio.

In yet another one of his clever marketing ideas (remember "Bucks Bus"?), the former morning menace is doing a midday show 9 am to noon weekdays for the Power & Light District at its new information station, kcplradio.com.

I paid Randy a visit last week to shill for Tasteland. We had a good time. Listen in:

Tasteland on KCPL Radio

TV Barn Ticker for today ...

Here's a quick summary of all the news and comment from the world of TV and media that I published or read today, dispensed in bite-sized nuggets:

• Conan O’Brien planning a concert tour documentary - assuming it's uncensored, could actually make some dough. ow.ly/1piRa
• I can't be the only one wondering why ESPN didn't send Erin Andrews to grill Tiger.
• Well, that's one way to keep William Shatner looking youthful and active — have Seth MacFarlane turn him into a cartoon. ow.ly/1po63
• OK, Klein was the good get on MSN last night. Then again, I suspect he's always available. RT @marymcnamara: but, but...@ezraklein ??
• AND, the avg person's now multitasking 3.5 hrs a WEEK. RT @badgate: From Nielsen, 34% of people online are watching TV,
• I don't know what #MusicMonday is, but I've been previewing the US release of Tony Allen's Secret Agent and cannot stop. ow.ly/1poPw
• I always loved the spinning dog, but maybe I'm sick of it now - I voted for the weird cat. ow.ly/1pts7
• NYM's take on Oprah Winfrey Network downplays the fact that she's played the Wizard of O before. The Magazine, remember? ow.ly/1puoV
• Jeffrey Toobin, who I hear has some legal know-how, with the two reasons health care reform ain't gettin' repealed: ow.ly/1pusE
• Also overexposed, plus: creepy. RT @danieldurchholz: My bracket's been destroyed. I had the bug-eyed lady going all the way.
• Reading this reminded me (a) of talking w our INK staff last week, all smart young women (b) that Congress is 16% female. ow.ly/1puZb
• And yet, ESPN still uses her on the sides. RT @Rhiannon_Ally: Bcuz she's practicing for DWTS...
• Anyone who's read Daniel Bell knows that having socialist views is hardly incompatible with being pro-markets or pro-American.
• Daniel Bell, or as the Tea Partiers know him, one of those Jews who controls all the banks.
• Poetically, as I was enjoying a pulled pork samwich at Oklahoma Joe's today, in walked the bard of barbecue, Doug Worgul. ow.ly/1pvmg
• RT @KenTremendous: DJA currently up 55 points. Thought the markets would have had a more negative reaction to our nation becoming Socialist.
• Times are tough when @TheOnion is stealing Henny Youngman jokes. RT Doctors Give Area Man Six Months To Pay onion.com/aj42WN
• RT @stayingin: #BurnNotice and #RoyalPains return in June. #CovertAffairs, #WhiteCollar and #Psych premiere in July. #usanetwork
• Writer says it's more impressive than 10 yrs ago. RT FREE BEER not the only reason to take the Boulevard brewery tour. bit.ly/9wcBcx
• Happy International Talk Like William Shatner Day! ow.ly/1pyzy
• RT @poniewozik: Computer makers: could you change the name from the "caps lock" key to the "crazy" key?
• All suburbs look like Kansafornia. RT @poniewozik: Always surprises when US of Tara reminds me it's set in Kansas. Looks like Kansasfornia.
• RT @inturnaround: RT @levarburton: You heard it here first... Reading Rainbow 2.0 is in the works!
• My man Hector Casanova won a National Headliner Award!! ow.ly/1pDQZ (scroll to the bot'm)

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The Tiger Woods non-interviews....

Chip Franklin and I talked about two things this morning on San Diego's KOGO Radio: the health care bill and Tiger Woods. And managed to say some intelligent things about both of them.

First, though, Chip had to get Patrick Kennedy out of his colon.

d/l

What's working for me...

1. C-SPAN. Insofar as watching sausage getting made can be a pleasurable activity, it was certainly more enjoyable watching the live feed of Sunday’s health-care debate than having Wolf Blitzer or Bret Baier yammering in my ear.

2. MSNBC. The 24/5 news channel actually broke into its usual weekend “Lockup” marathon to carry the health-care bill’s passage, albeit with second-stringers like David Shuster and Luke Russert.

3. “Justified.” The best show you’re not DVR-ing is airing 9 p.m. CT Tuesdays on FX — but you can catch a repeat of this week’s excellent fugitive episode at 10 p.m. Friday.

...AND WHAT’S NOT

1. ESPN’s worthless Tiger Woods interview. Perhaps that’s because the Worldwide Leader sent a guy to do the Q-and-A. Golf Channel sent Kelly Tilghman, whose brains-beauty combo seemed to knock Tiger off his game. ESPN should’ve sent Erin Andrews.

2. Broadcasters carping about the weather. As The Star reported, this was one of those rare winters that did what it was supposed to — kill bugs and keep shoots down until spring.

3. “The Marriage Ref” wins its time slot. I don’t care if it was up against token opposition (reruns and NCAA hoops) ... this must never happen again.

TV Barn Ticker for today ...

Here's a quick summary of all the news and comment from the world of TV and media that I published or read today, dispensed in bite-sized nuggets:

• Tea Partiers called my black congressman you-know-what Saturday. Talk about true colors! ow.ly/1p1Wz
• My gosh, Luke Russert has improved 219%.
• Say this about #msnbc tonite: Horrible graphics, 2nd-string talent, but like the comprised bill they covered, it was better than nothing.
• RT @rcatlin: Surprise elimination on "Celebrity Apprentice:" John Boehner.

The above ticker was distilled from my daily posts to Twitter. You can follow me on twitter. Or join the thousands who follow TV Barn by email, RSS and podcasts.

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TV Barn Ticker for today ...

Here's a quick summary of all the news and comment from the world of TV and media that I published or read today, dispensed in bite-sized nuggets:

• ATTENTION ALL FEATURES WRITERS LOOKING FOR NEXT CELEBRITY TREND PIECE. ow.ly/1oPOu
• I hear what y'all are saying about Bret Baiter. I'm just saying: If EVERYONE did that we'd have better press conferences and meatier "gets."
• There's that, too. Just like law school days. RT @troycoverdale: I enjoyed it: he didn't let O dominate with his long, drawn out answer.
• I remember seeing this at Sundance and HOWLING. RT @ebertchicago: OMG. This John Lennon discovery is gobsmacking. j.mp/cbM1D0
• Backstory: Kid finds his way into Toronto hotel where John/Yoko staying, scores interview. 30 years later, animated. j.mp/cbM1D0
• "I Met the Walrus": Bet you can't watch it just once! ow.ly/1oQe5
• "The Pacific": Worth the time suck? Also, why I love "Justified." (PODCAST) ow.ly/1oQis
• Hey, that's funny — I just postponed a press conference too!

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