Caught in  a harsh economy that is that taking a stiff toll on public broadcasters across the country, Maryland Public Television (MPT) Monday laid off 18 employees -- about 10 percent of the  work force.

Two senior managers are among those laid off, including one senior vice president for content. Calls to MPT were not returned Monday afternoon.

"The staff reductions at MPT, while extremely painful, will result in no loss of programming and no on-air talent will be affected," Robert J. Shuman, president of MPT said in a statement. "We realize that there will an end to the current fiscal crisis we and our sister stations are facing at some time in the future. But for now, we have been forced to make a difficult decision that I'm sorry to say impacts the most important resources Maryland Public Television has -- it's people."

One of the manager who laid off was Mike Golden, managing director of corporate communications. Golden recently helped the station develop a widely praised documentary of former Baltimore mayor and Maryland governor William Donald Schaefer, for whom he once worked as press secretary.

"I know there was nothing personal behind this decision, it was just basic economics," Golden said in a phone interview Monday. "The station is not getting the kind of revenue it needs to sustain the level of employment that it had. It's as simple as that."

Continue reading "Maryland Public Television (MPT) lays off 18 " »

Posted by David Zurawik at 2:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)
Categories: Baltimore Television
        

After more than two decades at the Baltimore TV anchor desk, WJZ newswoman Sally Thorner said Tuesday that she is retiring. The 54-year-old anchorwoman said her last day at the station will be Dec. 18.

During her career in Baltimore, the Smith College graduate has come to represent local broadcast news at its best -- serious, trustworthy and non-sensational, but also reassuring and friendly.

Thorner, who was on the air for 10 years at WMAR before she joined WJZ in 1993 in one of the most highly publicized anchor moves in Baltimore TV history, could certainly ask the hard questions. She was an excellent reporter.

But it is her calm and solid presence at the anchor desk that will be missed and remembered most by Baltimore viewers when she steps down.

Thorner also came to embody some of the challenges facing women of her generation, as she was always open in discussing the choices she made professionally in relation to goals she had for her family life. She lent her on-air prominence to many fund-raising efforts during the past 25 years, particularly those for women.

"As I look back, the overwhelming feeling I have is gratitude for my career," Thorner said in a "Sun" interview Tuesday. "I was blessed that I was always able to do it on my terms. When I got married and had a baby, that was when I chose to get off nights and now that we're reaching another sort of chapter in my family, I'm able to do this on my terms, too. And that's sort of unheard of in any business, but particularly in this one."

Continue reading "WJZ's Sally Thorner retiring after 25 years" »

Posted by David Zurawik at 1:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (36)
Categories: Baltimore Television
        

Former WJZ newsman Richard Sher reports that his new "Square Off" production taped its first show Friday -- and, if he must say so himself, "it was fantastic!!!" (The three exclamation points are all Sher's, and good for him and the enthusiasm he is bringing to this project.)

The new version of the long-running Baltimore TV staple debuts Sept. 13 on WMAR (Channel 2), and a lot of folks seem to be looking forward to it.

The picture (provided by Sher) shows the one-time co-hosting partner of Oprah Winfrey standing in front of his new set. According to Sher, the set of recurring panelists on the public affairs show will include: Billy Murphy, Ed Norris, Kendel Ehrlich, Bob Ehrlich, Larry Young, Kweisi Mfume and others.

Continue reading "A first look at Richard Sher's new 'Square Off' " »

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 6:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Baltimore Television
        

Monday morning, one of Baltimore's longest running radio shows turns the page with a new sound and reconfigured lineup at WBAL as "Dave Durian and the WBAL Morning Team" becomes "Maryland's Morning News."

I have a story in the Sunday "Sun" that includes a preview of the new show and interviews with some of the key players. Here is a bit of it, with a link to the online version to follow. Let me know right here what you think after reading the story today or listening to the new version of WBAL's morning drivetime show tomorrow. 

For nearly two decades, tens of thousands of Maryland listeners have been starting their days with "Dave Durian and the WBAL Morning Team" - an easy-to-take mix of news and talk airing on the one of the oldest and most honored local news stations in the country.

Monday at 5 a.m., that Baltimore media institution will be replaced by "Maryland's Morning News" -a clock-driven, harder-news and information-focused program designed for the Internet Age with more and shorter stories, an intensely local orientation, higher production values and much tighter format.

(Bill Vanko and Dave Durian -- Baltimore Sun Photo By Kim Hairston)

Continue reading "A sneak peek at WBAL Radio's new morning show" »

Posted by David Zurawik at 9:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (18)
Categories: Baltimore Television
        

"The Band That Wouldn't Die," Barry Levinson's documentary on the Baltimore Colts Marching Band, will premiere Oct. 13 on ESPN, the sports cable channel announced Thursday.

It will be the second documentary shown in a "30 on 30" film series designed by ESPN to celebrate its 30th anniversary. Other filmmakers presenting sports-themed dpocumentaries in the series include Peter Berg, Albert Maysles and Mike Tollin.

Kirk Fraser's "Without Bias," a documentary about Len Bias, the late University of Maryland basketball star, will also be part of the series, with a premiere date of Nov. 3.

Berg's film, "King's Ransom," which explores the landmark trade of hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky from Canada's Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings, kicks off the series this fall on Oct. 6.

(Barry Levinson by DOUG KAPUSTIN / BALTIMORE SUN STAFF DIGITAL IMAGE# _DSK0154)

Continue reading "Barry Levinson's film on Colts band set for ESPN" »

Posted by David Zurawik at 5:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Baltimore Television
        

MTV is going to make an American version of the hit British teen series "Skins," and it is going to be set in Baltimore, the cable channel announced Monday.

Here's how MTV is describing the project and its connection to Baltimore:

Created by father and son team, Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain, the E4 and Channel 4 series is about a group of British teenagers who are trying to grow up and find love and happiness. Brian Elsley will be writing and executive producing the U.S. version.

In an effort to maintain the original production's successful model wherein all the stories were written by a group of British teenagers, MTV will similarly join together unknown teenagers to write and star in the series. The producers intend to set the show in Baltimore, Maryland.

Continue reading "MTV to set U.S. version of 'Skins' in Baltimore " »

Posted by David Zurawik at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)
Categories: Baltimore Television
        

The paperwork might be a mess and the White House might have seemed as if it was making things up as it went along, buy the "cash for clunkers" program that ends Monday has been good news for Baltimore's top-rated TV stations, according to general managers at WJZ and WBAL.

"It has definitely helped," Jordan Wertlieb, general manager at WBAL (Channel 11), said when asked this weekend if the government program that provides rebates for customers who trade in gas guzzlers for more fuel efficient new vehicles meant more auto advertising for his station during the last month.

Jay Newman, general manager of WJZ (Channel 13), also answered "yes" to the question of whether or not the program helped perk up auto advertising, a category that has suffered for all local media during this deep recession.

"Automotive advertising was improved in August and some other categories were also somewhat better," Newman said in an email response. "Overall, August was our best paced month of the year as compared to last August."

Continue reading "'Cash for clunkers' boosts Baltimore TV stations" »

Posted by David Zurawik at 7:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Baltimore Television
        

So Shaquille O'Neal is coming to Baltimore this weekend to take on Michael Phelps in his new sports reality show, "Shaq Vs.," and that's pretty big.

But what are the ratings like for the new series that pits the basketball star against other top athletes on their turf?

So far, those are not so big.

Tuesday's episode that pitted O'Neal against Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger finished third in its time period -- losing out to "America's Got Talent" (NBC) and "Big Brother" (CBS), while barely beating "More to Love" (Fox)

Continue reading "Shaq in Baltimore: Seeking Phelps help in ratings " »

Posted by David Zurawik at 9:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Baltimore Television
        

WBAL-TV weathercaster Sandra Shaw got a shot on the national TV stage Wednesday as co-host for a day on "Live with Regis and Kelly," and she delivered a strong performance.

As reported on this blog, Shaw was one of 10 broadcasters who work for stations that carry the show to win a chance to co-host based on votes from viewers. The competition was sponsored by Disney-ABC, which syndicates the show nationally.

Wednesday was Shaw's day in the chair next to Regis Philbin, and it only took the veteran broadcaster a few minutes on stage with the high-energy Shaw to realize he wasn't going to have to be doing any hand holding with this guest host.

 "I am ready to go," she said when she hit the stage.

 "You look like it," Philbin said with emphasis in reaction to her intensity.

Continue reading "WBAL's Sandra Shaw shines alongside Regis" »

Posted by David Zurawik at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Baltimore Television
        

A new ABC sports reality series starring NBA center Shaquille O'Neal will be filming a segment in Baltimore Sunday at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club. Called "Shaq Vs.," the show pits O'Neal against other top athletes. Sunday's taping will find the wide-bodied O'Neal competing against Baltimore's Olympic champ Michael Phelps in the pool.

Members of Meadowbrook, where the pool is housed, were told in an e-mail this week that they would be able to watch the competition -- with only the area where the ABC crew is filming closed off. In addition to Phelps, other competitors in the series will include tennis star Serena Williams, baseball slugger Albert Pujols and retired boxer Oscar De La Hoya.

Continue reading "Shaquille O'Neal vs. Michael Phelps - in Baltimore" »

Posted by David Zurawik at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)
Categories: Baltimore Television
        

WBAL-TV weathercaster Sandra Shaw will be joining Regis Philbin as co-host of "Live with Regis and Kelly" on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the syndicated show said Friday.

As reported on this blog, Shaw was one of 10 broadcasters who work for stations that carry the show to win a chance to co-host based on votes from viewers.

Guests on the show Wednesday will be Tim Gunn from "Project Runway" and Dr. Doris Day discussing skin cancer.

Continue reading "WBAL's Sandra Shaw teams with Regis Wednesday" »

Posted by David Zurawik at 1:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Baltimore Television
        

While all the general managers at all the stations in Baltimore warn about making too much of the July sweeps ratings period with the new Local People Meters, there is one local race that is sure to cause some eyebrows to be raised: weekdays at 4 p.m. -- the Oprah Winfrey time period.

Forget years, for decades, it seemed Oprah dominated. But not in July where WJZ's Eyewitness News beat Winfrey's show on WBAL both in households and in adults 25-to-54 years of age, the key sales demographic in news.

And worse news yet for Oprah, it looks like Baltimore could be part of national pattern of possible decline for Oprah.

Continue reading "Baltimore TV Ratings: Is Oprah in decline?" »

Posted by David Zurawik at 2:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)
Categories: Baltimore Television
        

WBAL weathercaster Sandra Shaw is one of 20 finalists in a contest run by Disney-ABC to select  local broadcasters from 10 of the stations that carry its syndicated show, Live with Regis and Kelly, to be co-hosts for a day.

Viewers can vote online through 10 p.m. Tuesday for any one of the 20, and the 10 who get the most votes will be announced Wednesday on the show. Five men and five women will be selected. To vote, go here.

Each of the 10 will co-host with Regis Philbin or Kelly Ripa for a day during the weeks of Aug. 3-7 and 17-21. 

Live with Regis and Kelly airs at 10 a.m. weekdays on WBAL (Channel 11).

UPDATE: Wednesday 11 a.m. -- Shaw was selected as one of the 10 broadcasters to co-host for a day in August on Live with Regis and Kelly, according to a WBAL spokeswoman.

Continue reading "A chance to vote for WBAL's Sandra Shaw " »

Posted by David Zurawik at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)
Categories: Baltimore Television
        

If you read my Monday morning post, you know I wasn't too excited about Anthony Bourdain's trip to Baltimore for his No Reservations show on the Travel Channel Monday night.

For one thing, I was troubled by him lumping Baltimore in with Detroit and Buffalo and calling the episode "Rust Belt." I lived in Detroit for eight years when I worked for the Detroit Free Press, and I can tell you that's the Rust Belt -- not Baltimore.

I also feared Bourdain was going to look at Baltimore only through the prism of HBO's The Wire, a fictional TV show.

Now that I have seen the whole Baltimore segment, forget being fearful and troubled, I absolutely hate what Bourdain did. He ignored any sense of the real diversity of Baltimore's rich ethnic mix to try and imitate a narrow slice of it found in a TV show.

Continue reading "Anthony Bourdain savors Baltimore TV stereotypes " »

Posted by David Zurawik at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (57)
Categories: Baltimore Television
        

Anthony Bourdain's Emmy-nominated No Reservations cable TV show features Baltimore Monday night at 10 on the Travel Channel.

Before you get too excited about that, though, you should consider the context in which Baltimore eateries are being presented to a national and global audience. The title of the episode is "Rust Belt" and along with the magical cities of Buffalo and Detroit, Baltimore is described on the show's website as the "heart of the Rust Belt."

You should also be warned that it appears Bourdain and his producers view Baltimore mostly through the prism of HBO's The Wire -- with all too familiar images of boarded-up rowhouses in the background of promotional shots and Bourdain visiting the favorite eating spots of actress Felicia "Snoop" Pearson and actor Jay Landsman. The episode features Bourdain dining at The Roost, Mo's Seafood and Chap's Pit Beef.

Continue reading "Anthony Bourdain takes a TV bite of Baltimore" »

Posted by David Zurawik at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (28)
Categories: Baltimore Television
        

Today is the day that they start measuring TV audiences differently in Baltimore. As one general manager of a Baltimore TV station put it in a memo to his staff: "Television starts anew in Baltimore today! Let’s move out of the past – and position ourselves to be the leaders of the future!"

What's new is the use of Local People Meters, an electronic device, to measure viewing patterns of Baltimore area residents.The new Nielsen system replaces a way of counting viewers that relied in part on diaries that some researchers considered unreliable and out of date given new digital technology.

The general manager's memo went on to succinctly described the advantages of the new technology this way: "The local people meters include a larger sample and daily extensive demographic data that was not available under the traditional set meter ratings. The new LPMs allow multiple individuals in the same household to record their television viewing simultaneously. The sample includes for the first time cell phone only homes...."

But the meters have also brought shakeups in the ratings and controversy in some other cities, like Miami where they introduced this spring.

Continue reading "People meters start today - a new era in Baltimore TV" »

Posted by David Zurawik at 6:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Baltimore Television
        

Former WJZ newsman Richard Sher's lifetime achievement honor at the area Emmy Awards dinner in Washington Saturday night brought a surprise visitor: Oprah Winfrey.

Winfrey, who once worked at WJZ-TV in Baltimore as co-host with Sher of a local talk show, arrived at Washington's Ritz-Carlton Hotel Saturday night to help present the award to Sher.

Here's how Sher described the moment in an e-mail Monday: "David, since it's a lifetime achievement award and working with and being good friends with Oprah is certainly one of my lifetime achievements, I asked Oprah if she'd like to fly to DC to surprise the crowd and present the Emmy to me." 

Continue reading "Oprah Winfrey shows up at Baltimore-D.C. Emmy event" »

Posted by David Zurawik at 9:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Baltimore Television
        

Baltimore's WBFF-TV was the most honored station Saturday night at the 51st annual National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter Emmy Awards.

WBFF, Baltimore's Fox affiliate, won 14 local Emmys, topping Washington's WJLA-TV and WTTG-TV, which took home 8 and 6, respectively, as the two closest competitors.

It should be noted, however, that in the major news categories for best newscasts, Baltimore stations, like WBFF, competed in the "medium market" category, while the Washington stations were judged in the "larger market" category because of the difference in the size of the TV markets in which the stations are located.

Nevertheless, WBFF's dominance when it came to Emmys for news excellence is impressive.

Continue reading "WBFF wins most Baltimore-Washington local Emmys" »

Posted by David Zurawik at 12:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Baltimore Television
        

Jennifer Gladstone is out as co-anchor of the Morning News on Baltimore's WBFF-TV, and has left the station.

As of Tuesday, the new lineup featured Patrice Harris as solo anchor for the morning newscast. The station is expected to hire a morning-show reporter in coming weeks.

In a move made earlier in the month, Jennifer Gilbert and Jeff Barnd added the 11 p.m. late newscast to their nightly duties. Joy Lepola, who previosuly anchored the broadcast, is now the station's investigative reporter.

Continue reading "Jennifer Gladstone loses WBFF morning anchor role " »

Posted by David Zurawik at 3:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (51)
Categories: Baltimore Television
        

The crowd at Pimlico in Baltimore Saturday was smaller, but the national TV audience for NBC's telecast of the Preakness Stakes was larger than it has been in five years, according to data from the Nielsen Co.

The race portion of the Preakness (from 5:56-6:50 p.m. Saturday) drew 10.9 million viewers, 3 million more than last year’s race. 

The national rating for Saturday's race was a 6.8 with a 16 share, the highest since 2004 and the second highest since 1990.

Continue reading "Preakness draws big TV audience of 10.9 million" »

Posted by David Zurawik at 4:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Television
        

BBC America Wednesday focuses its cameras on crime in Baltimore -- and on Baltimore Sun crime reporter Peter Hermann (left).

BBC World News America, the cable channel's flagship newscast, will include a report in its 7 p.m. program in which producers followed Hermann as he made his rounds on the Sun's crime beat. One stop: a homicide scene in Southwest Baltimore.

"The streets were gritty and seedy enough to fit the image you get watching the cop-show dramas, and thus perfect for BBC's international audience." Hermann writes in a piece about the experience that runs in Wednesday's Sun.

Hermann will also be blogging about the BBC encounter bright and early Wednesday at his blog, Baltimore Crime Beat.

Besides the BBC America newscasts, the piece will also air on BBC's international outlets.

Here's a link, if you want to watch it online:

Posted by David Zurawik at 3:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Baltimore Television
        

For years, Baltimore has been one of the nation's most stable and predictable TV markets when it comes to local news ratings. Every ratings story followed some variation of the same theme: WBAL (Channel 11) and WJZ (Channel 13) jockeying for number one and two in ratings, with WMAR (Channel 2) a deep and distant third. WBFF (Channel 45) found its own niche programming news when the others weren't at 10 p.m.  But all that looks as if it could change dramatically in early July when The Nielsen Company introduces its Local People Meters into the market.

Continue reading "Will Nielsen People Meters rock TV news in Baltimore? " »

Posted by David Zurawik at 6:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Baltimore Television, Ratings
        

Several readers have written in recent days about announced changes in the analog and expanded HD reception of Maryland Public Television via Comcast cable.

The most recent comes from Molly Glassman who wrote: "...We're very upset that Comcast has moved MPT to a digital station that we can't get on our analog TV. We thought as long as we had cable, we wouldn't have to get a converter box...."

Comcast is providing converter boxes, and it looks like there is no way around getting one if you want to see MPT on Comcast in the future in the greater Washington area that includes suburban Maryland. Several readers have said they feel this sort of move is part of a larger attempt by the TV industry to force everyone to upgrade to HD TV. I don't think that is the case. Every business in America wants consumers to upgrade to a more expensive product. But in this case, broadcasters, at least, don't have much choice given that the government has forced the digital conversion. And digital does not necessarily mean HD TV.

Furthermore, MPT is not a commercial broadcaster. It's nonprofit. And, overall, it looks like an expansion of MPT programming in terms of HD and the Washington area to me. And that would be a good thing, wouldn't it?

Continue reading "Comcast, MPT changes affect some viewers" »

Posted by David Zurawik at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (27)
Categories: Baltimore Television
        

WBFF (Channel 45) has set a time for the replays of the Monday night episodes of House and 24 that were disrupted by problems in transmission.

House will air Saturday at 1 p.m. followed by 24 at 2 p.m., according to Bill Fanshawe, general manager of the station. The House replay is a bit of a victory, because normally episodes are delayed eight days even online. Fanshawe had to get permission from Fox and the Writers Guild of America for the Saturday replays.

"Again, we apologize to viewers," Fanshawe said Wednesday in an interview. "And we are grateful and excited that Fox and the Writers Guild are allowing us to air the shows Saturday."

(Right: Fox photo of Hugh Laurie as House by Nigel Parry)

Posted by David Zurawik at 10:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)
Categories: Baltimore Television, Fox, Scripted Series
        

Baltimore Orioles Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. is going to be doing some national TV hosting on April 25 in what seems like a match made in baseball and television heaven.

Ripken will serve as host on AMC for a showing of the 2002 film, The Rookie, starring Dennis Quaid. As host, Ripken will "talk candidly about the film, his love of baseball and his record-breaking career" in segments that were taped at the Cal Ripken Baseball Complex in Aberdeen, according to the movie channel.

In the film, Quaid plays Jim Morris, a former pitcher whose career was ended by injury, now trying to resurrect his major league dream.

The Rookie premieres at 8 p.m. April 25.

(Above: Sun photo of Cal Ripken Jr. filming his segment by Amy Davis)

Posted by David Zurawik at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Television, Coming Soon to TV
        

WBFF, Baltimore's Fox affiliate, offered an explanation and apology to fans of House and 24 who had their Monday night viewing interrupted.

Bill Fanshawe, general manager of the station, Tuesday morning said he is in the process of asking the Fox network for permission to re-air the two episodes.

Furthermore, Fanshawe said he is seeking clearance from Fox for permission to put  House online immediately so that viewers can see the Monday episode without the normal eight-day delay. Fanshaw said he would have a link at his station's Web site by 1 p.m. Tuesday offering viewers a chance to go online and see Monday's full episode of 24. 

Here's the statement from Fanshawe followed by further details from our interview as to what happened Monday night to cause viewers to miss 15 minutes of House and 24 minutes of of 24. The statement is also followed by details as to how CW fans can see the Monday night episodes of Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill, which were also affected.

Continue reading "WBFF offers apology and explanation on House, 24" »

Posted by David Zurawik at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (24)
Categories: Baltimore Television, Fox, Scripted Series
        

Some area viewers who were hoping to find out how the doctors on House were going to deal with the suicide of Dr. Kutner were in for deep frustration Monday night when the medical drama disappeared about 8:45 p.m. only to be replaced by Gossip Girl without the audio.

Could it be worse?

Yes, the screen went entirely dark on WBFF at times during a foul-up that appears to be the fault of WBFF (Channel 45) and WNUV (Channel 54), which are owned and managed, respectively, by Sinclair Broadcast Group.

As if all of that was not maddening enough, the first 20 minutes or so of 24 were also lost on Channel 45. Good luck trying to join 24 after the first 20 minutes and figure out what is going on.

Continue reading "Baltimore viewers miss parts of House and 24 on WBFF" »

Posted by David Zurawik at 10:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (48)
Categories: Baltimore Television, CW, Fox, Scripted Series
        

The commander of the Navy ship that rescued an American captain from Somali pirates cited his Annapolis training and a conviction that such kidnappers only understand force in an interview with NBC's Brian Williams Monday night.

Here is some of what Commander Frank Castellano, commanding officer of the USS Bainbridge, says on the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams Monday:

Williams: Have you had any contact with the Commander-in-Chief other than receiving orders indirectly from him on engagement in this matter?

Castellano: I can tell you I had the pleasure of receiving a phone call from the President last evening. And we had a very wonderful conversation in which he wanted me to pass on to my crew that they did a wonderful job and he was very proud of them and it was a job well done.

Continue reading "Commander cites Annapolis training in pirate mission " »

Posted by David Zurawik at 4:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Baltimore Television, Cable and Network News, NBC
        

If you have HBO, tonight is the night to see Aaron Shaw, a 12-year-old actor from Baltimore County, make his debut in a featured role on the premium cable channel's acclaimed drama In Treatment.

The second season of the series started Sunday night with Golden Globe winner Gabriel Byrne back as psychologist Paul Weston and Emmy Award winner Dianne Wiest as his Maryland-based therapist. 

Those who tuned in Sunday night met two new patients of Dr. Weston's played with edge and bite by Hope Davis and Alison Pill. Tonight, they will meet two more -- John Mahoney as a CEO losing control, and Shaw as a child patient with eating and body issues complicated by the abandonment he feels as his parents go through divorce. Shaw, who never had a formal acting class, is terrific.

Continue reading "12-year-old Baltimore actor debuts on HBO tonight" »

Posted by David Zurawik at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Television, HBO, Scripted Series
        

For those many readers of this blog who expressed their anger over Maryland Public Television preempting Frontline's "Inside the Meltdown" when it premiered nationally on PBS on Feb. 17, I have some good news: The documentary will air Tuesday at 10 p.m. on MPT.

This is the finest single piece of TV reporting to date on the politics that led to and helped cause the economic meltdown with which we now struggle so desperately. If you weren't able to see it in February because you couldn't access WETA (Channel 26), the Washington PBS outlet that did air it then, Tuesday's your chance.

Speaking of great documentaries that MPT has pre-empted in recent months, about 400 persons gathered Sunday night at Goucher College to see Inheritance, the soul-stirring account of the relationship between the adult daughter of a Nazi concentration commandant and a Jewish woman who worked as slave labor in the commandant's villa during the war. MPT pre-empted this film as well on its national premiere date in December.

Continue reading "MPT to air Inside the Meltdown - better late than never" »

Posted by David Zurawik at 11:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Baltimore Television
        

The second season of HBO's In Treatment series starts Sunday, and that's a weekend viewing pick that I can really get behind.

With Golden Globe winner Gabriel Byrne as a psychologist and Emmy Award winner Dianne Wiest as his therapist, this series boasts some of the best acting talent on television. And with Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning writers like Warren Leight and Marsha Norman, respectively, it is the richest and most literate drama on TV. The production returns Sunday night with two new patients for Byrne's Dr. Paul Weston to see, and they are played with edge and bite by Hope Davis and Alison Pill.

The series, which airs as five episodes a week for seven weeks, continues Monday at 9 with the debut of two other new patients: John Mahoney as a CEO losing control, and Aaron Shaw, a 12-year-old actor from Baltimore County, who is flat-out terrific as a child patient with eating and body issues complicated by the abandonment he feels as his parents go through divorce. I profiled Shaw last Sunday, and you can read that here.

Photo of Aaron Shaw as Oliver with Gabriel Byrne as Dr. Paul Weston courtesy of HBO

Continue reading "Baltimore's Aaron Shaw debuts in HBO's In Treatment" »

Posted by David Zurawik at 6:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Television
        

Peabody Awards for 2008 will go to one of the most diverse and socially-responsible lineups of programs in the history of television's oldest and most prestigious award. They range from ABC TV's serialized drama, Lost and HBO's John Adams miniseries to CNN's coverage of the presidential election and NBC's Opening Ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics. YouTube, Saturday Night Live and The Onion were also honored.

In terms of Baltimore flavor, ABC News won for its Hopkins documentary, a sequel to Hopkins 24/7 that followed the lives of doctors and patients at the world-renowned hospital. WBAL-TV (Channel 11), Baltimore's NBC affiliate, will share a Peabody with 24 other stations owned by Hearst-Argyle -- for reporting by a TV group on political candidates and races.

"All-access filmmaking in the corridors and operating rooms of a fabled teaching hospital produced human drama of open-heart intensity," the judges said of the Hopkins series.

Continue reading "From Hopkins series to SNL, Peabodys get it right" »

Posted by David Zurawik at 11:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: ABC, Baltimore Television, NBC, PBS
        

Every time Michael Steele goes on TV, it seems as if he says something that makes him seem like a bigger fool.

You would think that after the kind of disastrous TV appearances he has experienced since becoming chariman of the Republican National Committee, he would figure it out and stay as far away from the medium as he can.

But not Steele. Here's a great blog post today from Charles M. Blow, of the New York Times, on Steele's most recent TV embarrassment. Under the heading, "Steele Ridiculous," Blow explores the wacky exchange Steele had with CNN interviewer Don Lemon:

Michael Steele is the gift that keeps on giving. His latest entrée unto the absurd comes in the form of an interview with CNN’s Don Lemon. Steele now wants us to believe that his wayward ramblings are part of an elaborate ruse – some sort of Jedi mind trick. Really?

Continue reading "Why GOP's Michael Steele should stay off TV - way off" »

Posted by David Zurawik at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Baltimore Television, Cable and Network News, TV and Politics
        

A Baltimore trauma surgeon, Dr. Carnell Cooper, was named "Hero of the Week" by CNN today. He will be interviewed on Larry King Live at 9 tonight. Dr, Cooper will also be profiled Friday on CNN's American Morning.

CNN sent the following information in an e-mail explaining why Dr. Cooper, of the University of Maryland Medical System, was judged to be one of its “ordinary people doing extraordinary things.” 

Dr. Carnell Cooper is a Baltimore trauma surgeon who got tired of patching up young men, only to see them return with another violent injury. In 1998, he started the Violence Intervention Program, one of the country’s first hospital-based anti-violence efforts. To date, he estimates that his group has provided counseling and support services to nearly 500 people. What’s more, a 2006 study authored by Cooper and his colleagues – and published in the Journal of Trauma -- proved the program’s effectiveness. Program members were six times less likely to come back to the hospital with a violent injury, and three times less likely to be arrested for a violent crime.  It’s a track record of success that has made Cooper’s program a model for others around the country.

Posted by David Zurawik at 5:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Baltimore Television, CNN, Cable and Network News