The Cast Of Scrubs Performs "A Charlie Brown Christmas"

Scrubs Is Back Tonight At Nine

NBC. Tonight. Nine. Watch it.

NBC Daringly Tries Airing "Comedies" on "Thursdays"

NBC moves 30 Rock, returns Scrubs to Thursday lineup:

NBC will return the Emmy Award-nominated “Scrubs” and move freshman comedy “30 Rock” to Thursday nights beginning November 30 to form a new two-hour 8-10 p.m. (ET) comedy block with “My Name Is Earl” and “The Office.” The change will follow a special super-sized night of comedy two weeks earlier on Thursday, November 16, with three 40-minute episodes of “My Name Is Earl,” “The Office” and “30 Rock.”

My ambivalent feelings towards 30 Rock aside (love Alec, Tracy; undecided on Tina, plot), this may be their most consistent lineup ever.

CBS To Shoot Pilot Based On Apple's "Genius Bars"

• CBS inspired by “Genius” pilot

  LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - CBS has committed to shoot a comedy pilot called “Genius Bar,” written by two former producers of “That ’70s Show.”

  Based on an idea by consumer marketing expert Krishnan Menon, the project explores the interactions between people who work at a place similar to the Genius Bar at the Apple stores and the cool, hip and beautiful employees at a nearby Abercrombie & Fitch-type store.

Because if there’s two things that go together, it’s “genius” and “former producers of That ’70s Show”.

Daily Brief: 2006 Sept 07: Of Mice And Vast Right Wing Conspiracies

Because nothing you see on TV is allowed to be true, scientists discovered that mice don’t like cheese:

Researchers at Manchester Metropolitan University, backed by the Stilton Cheese Makers’ Association, have found that mice prefer foods with a high sugar content. What will really attract a mouse into the trap is muesli.

Following up the ABC “Path to 9/11” issue, Glenn Greenwald rounds-up some unlikely support, and notes:

Unlike CBS did for the much less consequential The Reagans, Disney/ABC, at least for now, is refusing to refrain from broadcasting this proaganda. C&L has the video (and transcript) of the statement from Disney/ABC here, in which they attack critics of the film by claiming: “No one has seen the final version of the film–because the editing process is not yet complete, so criticisms of film specifics are premature and irresponsible.”

That makes no sense. The only reason anyone knows anything about the content of the film is because they sent it around to the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Hugh Hewitt precisely to induce them to comment (favorably) on it. If it’s “premature and irresponsible” to comment on the film because it’s not complete yet, why did they send around screeners to (right-wing) commentators? It only became “irresponsible” once the commentary went from drooling partisan praise to critiques of the film’s fabrications and inaccuracies.

In addition to the obvious inequities, CBS’ quick and complete cave-in to conservative protests over The Regans, set next to ABC’s combative attack on critics of this film, tell you all you need to know about the merits of the incessent, petulant complaints from Bush supporters about the “liberal MSM.”

Scholastic, who prepared a classroom companion for the “docudrama”, pulled their existing guides:

Educational media giant Scholastic, Inc. announced it’s dropping its original classroom companion guides to a controversial new docudrama, and replacing them with materials stressing critical thinking and media literacy.

Instead, new materials will focus on:

1. Media Literacy - what is a docudrama; how does it differ from a documentary; what are the differences between factual reporting and a dramatization?

2. Background to 9/11 - what are some of the causes of unrest in the Middle East and other parts of the world that give rise to attacks on the U.S. and other countries?

3. Geography and Culture — there is a long history of conflict in the Middle East. How well do students understand each of the countries involved and what influences their behavior?

Actual dissemination of complex issues? Like media literacy? That’s just silly.

And from the TV Sometimes Helps department, a nice write-up of Steve Irwin:

A blond surfer-ish conservationist-cum-cable star who mugs for the camera and waxes poetic in the presence of venomous snakes can’t be a major force for good in the worldwide roulette game that is species survival. Or can he?

On the face of it, animals Down Under, especially the scary and uncuddly ones, seem to have had an easier time of it since Irwin went on the air. He strenuously protested wildlife hunts in his home country, and his personal objections to crocodile safaris had a lot to do with the Australian government’s decision to impose a ban.

The Parents Television Council Hates The English

Mirren’s Emmy Crack Draws FCC Complaint

The Parents Television Council called on federal regulators Thursday to fine NBC for “vulgar and obscene” comments by two actresses during Sunday’s broadcast of the Primetime Emmy Awards.

Walking up to the stage to accept a best actress Emmy for HBO’s “Elizabeth I,” Helen Mirren commented on her relief that she didn’t go “ass over tit” as she came up the stairs. A few minutes later, Calista Flockhart repeated the phrase before presenting another award.

…

“It is utterly irresponsible and atrocious for NBC to air this vulgar language — when millions of children were in the viewing audience,” Parents Television Council President L. Brent Bozell said in a written statement.

Reminding the PTC the only reason words like “tit” and “ass” are “indecent” is because they keep telling us words like “tit” and “ass” are indecent is pointless, so I’ll focus on what’s truly indecent: Why are children watching the Emmys at all?

There’s absolutely no value in watching the Emmys. They are cotton candy. Complaining about finding a hard piece of unspun sugar (a “tit”, if you will) in the middle of the sweet goodness is untenable; why eat it in the first place?

The only justifiable interest for watching the Emmys is the prurience of pure entertainment, the very interest the PTC claims to ever-so-vigilantly fights against. Shame on them.

The Fourth Wall

Jane Espenson (writer for many things, including Buffy) posts about breaking the fourth wall:

You know what it is, I’m sure, to break the fourth wall. That’s any reference that calls attention to the fictional nature of our enterprise. (Or the fictional nature of The Enterprise if we’re still in Star Trek land.)

Even if the show you’re specing routinely flirts with the fourth wall (as Boston Legal has done throughout this season), I would warn you against it.

I’m concurring (but as a fan, not a writer), and somewhere in me I have a long, well thought-out post about television shows, the fourth wall, and self-referential suicide, but it’s not for today.

Mr. Rogers Is A Better Person Than You

Mr. Rogers before the 1969 Senate hearing for funding of the newly formed Corporation For Public Broadcasting.

Scrubs Renewed For A Sixth (Mid)Season

'Scrubs' Gets Another Midseason Run

As for "Scrubs," which received a full-season order, it's the second year in a row the Emmy-nominated comedy has been held off the fall schedule. NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly says the decision was driven by the network's need to "bulk up" its schedule with one-hour shows and the somewhat fragile state of comedy on network TV -- NBC has just four on its fall schedule.

And don't forget, the third season is available on DVD.

Rethink Yourself

Hey DirectTV: You're a satellite TV provider. You need to stop with this "Rethink TV" nonsense. Of everyone involved in the television process, you are the least innovative. You do not create the content, you do not package the content, you do not make the viewing of the content possible, you do not enjoy the content. You are a glorified lead pipe, without even the usefulness of being an actual lead pipe, which at the very least is good for thwacking people and eventually bestowing cancer upon them.

If I see your sappy Carousel of Progress nonsense one more time, I will rig up a laser pointer, my rubber band, three paper clips, and a Batman action figure to shoot down all of your satellites and then we'll see who rethinks TV.

Stoned Slackers

You know why Jon Stewart commands a well-educated audience?

You know why Jon Stewart is arguably the most respected television personality involved in this election?

You know why THE DAILY SHOW is actually "Fair and Balanced"?

Because Jon Stewart calls bullshit on people.

They make shit up, and he says, "I call bullshit on that."

It's that simple.

I don't necessarily buy all this new age crap. One time I saw my mom knock my father unconscious with a frying pan and do you know what I did? I kept right on going with my birthday party.