Charlie McCollum's San Jose Mercury News TV blog

NOTES FROM THE TOUR: Well, I was wrong about the Fox party the other night. Usually, the network throws one of the better bashes and the idea of doing it on the 20th Century Fox backlot sounded promising. It started out OK with a small cocktail party on the set of "Method & Red'' and then a larger one on the New York street that covers a good chunk of the 20th back lot. (Originally constructed for "Hello, Dolly,'' it is now used most often by shows such as "NYPD Blue.'') But then it transferred over to the studio's huge sound stage 15 (last home of "Firefly'') for dinner. Problem was that the stars disappeared and the sound stage had been dressed in an all-white design that made it look like the worst senior prom in history or a fever dream from "Six Feet Under.'' No thumbs up. ... On the other hand, The Tour threw its own bash Saturday night: the annual Television Critics Association Awards. As such events go, it wasn't bad. Certainly, it went a lot faster than most awards ceremonies with some very funny (and very political) opening remarks from Bill Maher. (Forgotten how sharp Maher can be when he isn't being self-indulgent.) Folks like Mike Nichols of "Angels In America,'' Edie Falco of "The Sopranos,'' most of the cast of "Arrested Development'' and Ian McShane of "Deadwood'' showed up to accept. (Come on, these aren't exactly the Oscars or even the Emmys.) And there were rowdy acceptance speeches, on tape, from Jon Stewart of "The Daily Show'' and Ricky Gervais of "The Office.'' In case you're wondering, program of the year and best film or mini-series went to "Angels'' and best comedy and best new show went to "Arrested.'' "Sopranos'' got best drama; "Daily Show,'' best news  show; "Nick News,'' best children's show; McShane, outstanding achievement in drama; and Gervais, outstanding achievement in comedy. The TCA's Heritage Award went to "60 Minutes'' while Don Hewitt, producer of "60 Minutes,'' got a career achievement award. In the interests of full disclosure, I voted for all of the above except for "The Daily Show'' (I preferred "Nightline,'' which is -- afterall --  a real news show) and "Arrested Development'' for best comedy (my vote to "The Office.'') ... Attracting as much attention as the winners at the event was Lucy Lawless, Xena herself, who came as the date of a Canadian TV writer. Lawless, who looks marvelous, was absolutely delightful: charming, fun and, well, Xena-esque. ... CBS got the sometimes unenviable spot of following the TCA Awards today. (Did I mention TV writers tend to drink a lot at the TCA event?) But CBS is so fat and happy these days that they probably don't care. While the other networks made much of how they were going to go to 52-week-a-year programming and put all kinds of new stuff in the summer, CBS stuck to repeats with some reality shows ("Amazing Race,'' "Big Brother'') dropped in. Guess what? The only network whose viewership isn't down this summer is CBS. (It probably helps that most of the new shows on the other nets were pretty bad or dead on arrival.) ... The problem CBS does have on its hands is that it has one new show that is a sure hit ("CSI: New York'') and a bunch that are sending up a fairly pronounced odor. In fact, the sessions today for "dr. vegas'' (bad) and "Center of the Universe'' (even worse) were pretty dreary. The one for "Clubhouse'' -- a coming of age drama about a baseball batboy -- was OK but no one really believes it will be a hit and it's not quite good enough (yet) to stir any outrage if it goes away. On Monday, there's a session for "Listen Up'' -- the new Jason Alexander comedy that is even worse than "dr. vegas'' or "Center of the Universe.'' But, hey, CBS is still in better shape than any other net. ... CBS took The Tour (plus a ton of series stars) out to Dodger Stadium for batting practice. It's actually a hoot to play some ball on Dodger turf, although Bay Area TV writers defiantly wore Giants caps. While none of the writers will be signed to a major league contract any time soon, a couple of actors actually showed some game. Ex-Superman Dean Cain (a former NFL player) hit some shots to the warning track and Carmine Giovinazzo of "CSI: New York'' actually knocked one out of the park, curling a 330-foot shot just inside the left field foul pole. ... And, finally, look for some unexpected changes when the original "CSI'' returns in the fall. Long-time regulars George Eads and Jorja Fox asked for raises and, when they didn't get the dough, didn't show up for the first day of filming. Unlike previous salary disputes -- and perhaps because the actors in "CSI'' aren't as important as the formula -- Eads and Fox were promptly dumped. The start of production has been postponed a week and new actors will be added to the show. 

DAYS 8 & 9: Foxy doings The Emmys took centerstage on Thursday and pretty ate up the night. If you haven't seen my vent elsewhere on this site, just let me say that I wasn't pleased or amused by the nominations. Sure, the nods for shows such as "Arrested Development'' were nice surprises. But Ian McShane left off the best actor list? "CSI,'' "24,'' ''Joan of Arcadia'' and "The West Wing''  ("The West Wing''!) making the cut for best drama? I like or sort of like all those shows but they're taking slots that should have gone to "The Shield,'' "The Wire,'' "Deadwood'' and "The Wire.'' Well, OK, enough of that. I'm over it -- at least until September 19 when the same voters will make some equally outrageous choices when actually handing out the Emmys. The other big news was the ongoing spitting contest between Fox (here to make its presentation) and other networks over whether Fox is ripping off some reality show concepts. What's unusual is not that these accusations are flying around but that they're being made in public. Normally, TV executives make nasty off the record in a string of blind quotes. But in this case, people are calling each other names in front of a room full of reporters from every major newspaper and magazine in the country. It's nice theater and spices up The Tour but what does it mean to most viewers? Well, it does point up just how valuable reality concepts have become to network TV and it could lead to some decent reality shows (no, that's not oxymoron) getting eclipsed by knockoff versions. So I suppose it has some weight ... Other than that, Fox didn't have much to show and tell. The "Arrested Development'' cast and creators got to pump up the volume for their very good comedy. "The O.C.'' session was fun, thanks for creator Josh Schwartz and star Peter Gallagher who are both witty, articulate guys. (Co-star Melinda Clark isn't bad.) But the fact is that Fox doesn't have much for the fall or even January that is knocking anybody's socks off. And that's unusual because the network traditionally has one of the better batches of new shows. Yet, today, the best thing presented was an absolutely terrific series -- "Rescue Me,'' created by and starring Denis Leary -- on Fox's sister cable channel, FX. The show about New York City firefighters debuts Wednesday at 10 and you should make time for it. The first three episodes are the best things I've seen in recent weeks, eclipsing anything from the networks, and FX showed some clips today that were truly stunning. Next up: the Fox party on the backlot of 20th Century Fox. Since Fox always gives good party, I suspect there will be juicy details tomorrow so stay tuned.

DAY SEVEN: BITS AND PIECES Sorry, folks, we missed a day in there because of late-night problems with Internet access here at the lovely Century Plaza Hotel. (In fairness, it was as much operator error as a real system problem.) So, anyway, where were we? Oh, yes, let's wrap up ABC which finished its two days with a flourish Tuesday night. The network threw a big bash at a party space called C2, right across the street from the hotel. Even when it wasn't doing great in the ratings, ABC always did know how to throw a party, turning out a bigger array of its stars than the other networks. And they actually seemed to having a good time even if us pesky journalists can be bothersome. Actually, most of them are rather cheerful about chatting up the TV writers. Dennis Franz of "NYPD Blue,'' for example, is always willing to talk expansively about his show. Tuesday night, he talked at some length about the absence of his wife Connie in the coming season (Charlotte Ross, who played the role, left the series) which doesn't make him very happy. ("We worked hard to establish that relationship,'' he said.) And while he said he was more than willing to stay with the series another year, Franz seemed resigned to "Blue'' ending in February -- after which he would take time off at his ranch in Idaho and only later look for some film work. Also holding court to a large cluster of reporters: Marc Cherry, the executive producer of the new "Desperate Housewives,'' who had brightened the whole Tour during the presentation on his show with some very funny comments and stories. If "Desperate Housewives'' proves to be as witty and smart as Cherry, it'll be a hit -- at least critically. Certainly, Cherry built a lot of good will for the series. But as good as the two days of ABC were for the network -- good impressions of the new shows and the new executives running the network -- today has been rather bad for the WB. In the four years I've been on The Tour, the WB has traditionally drawn a good response from writers for its series and the willingness of its executives to give good answer. Not this time. Except for "Jack & Bobby,'' its new and quite good Sunday drama, none of the WB's new offerings are exactly setting the writers and critics atwitter. Some of its returning shows -- "Gilmore Girls,'' "Smallville'' -- look in need of a creative jolt, although the former displayed signs of life toward the end of last season. And there's a new executive team in place and their first joint appearance at The Tour was something of a bust. Garth Ancier, the chairman of the network, and David Janollari, president of entertainment, didn't seem to have clear sense of what they wanted to do with the WB or a clear message to deliver to writers about the network's future plans. In fact, at times, it appeared they haven't watched the WB lately, stumbling over questions on returning shows. It didn't exactly generate a lot of enthusiasm or inspire a lot of confidence among writers who have, in general, been kind to the WB over the years. The fact that many liked and respected Jordan Levin, who ran the creative of the network for a number of years and recently got bounced in an executive shakeup, certainly didn't help. (We may all know how the TV game is played but we don't necessarily like it at times.) Of course, one bad performance doesn't mean the network is going in the toilet. After all, Ancier has a lot of experience is the business and Janollari has produced such quality shows as "Six Feet Under.'' But Wednesday's showing had both writers and some TV people from outside the WB who happened to be in the house rolling their eyes and shaking their heads. Next up: Fox and the fun should really begin when the network has to answer charges it ripped off two new reality shows on ABC and NBC. Now, that'll be entertainment.

DAY FIVE: THE ABC OF TV The past couple of years, ABC presentations at The Tour have been rather sad affairs. The new shows were, in general, bland to bad. The ratings were going south. The few good series the network had were almost certain to be gone within a few episodes. My, how times can change -- at least a little bit. The fresh shows ABC is offering for the fall are, collectively, the best of any network. (The other net with a good batch is the much-abused UPN, so we are truly in a parallel universe this season.) It now has a new entertainment chief, Steve McPherson, who is quick on his feet with reporters and can sell his shows. (Even if he's doing it via satellite from his honeymoon in Paris as he did today and, folks, I'm not making this up.) More importantly, if the buzz around ABC is true, he seems capable of making a quick, assured decision instead of waiting for input from all the big bosses at ABC parent company, Disney. And the new ABC president, Anne Sweeney, seems like someone capable of shielding McPherson from too much top-down interference. But the important thing here is the new shows, which -- in general -- are not only very promising but could actually do some business in the ratings. The reality show "Wife Swap'' looks like it could actually be a hit even though it's up against "Law & Order'' and the new "CSI'' on Wednesday nights. "Desperate Housewives'' -- a quirky soap drama about surburban housewives -- is fun with some bite and could develop a following. Both the network's new sitcoms -- "Complete Savages'' and "Rodney'' -- could attract an audience and are decently-made, even if they're not ground-breaking comedy. "life as we know it'' has a tough slot on Thursdays but has some of the kick of "The O.C.'' with a very attractive young cast and good writing. Even the ABC mid-season shows have more potential than most of what the other networks are offering. I doubt ABC will suddenly challenge CBS and NBC for the really big ratings numbers but, at least, things may not be quite as dreary as they've been in recent years.

DAY FOUR: HONESTY AND THE MUMMY Can we have a moment here for the concept of honesty? Usually, the sessions between reporters and the executives who run the networks are exercises in disingenuous statements and historical revisionism. All new shows are just great and any mistakes of the past are dismissed with a (sometimes) glib comment. So imagine reporters' surprise when Jeff Zucker, the head of all things NBC-Universal Television Studios (NUTS, for short) and former boss of NBC Entertainment, actually gave some honest answers to a string of questions. Take, for example, the disaster that was "Coupling,'' a very bad remake of a fine British series that polluted the NBC schedule last September. Asked about that, Zucker admitted: "In all candor, we knew we were in trouble when we saw the first taping of 'Coupling,' quite frankly. I mean, we did. It just wasn't working. ''And you know, at the point, you say, 'Well, then why did you put it on?' I think that comes under the heading of you never know for sure, and sometimes miracles do happen, and that would have required a miracle.'' Folks, this is as honest as you get from a network suit and it was only one of a number of straight (OK, relatively straight) answers to some sharp questions. I tried to find out what drugs Zucker was given before the session but no one was talking. Tonight, NBC kicked off the start of The Big Party To Dazzle The Press season by shutting down a good chunk of the Universal Studios theme park so reporters could chat up the network stars, eat and drink and ride the rides. (Didn't NBC just buy Universal? Oh, yeah. So this is synergy, I guess.) So, over a couple of hours, you got to see the cast of "American Dreams'' sing (sometimes pretty well) karaoke, watch Donald Trump sweep through with entourage (which he does well) and have the creators and stars of the network's new shows explain once again why they're going to be terrific (which most do very well). Sometimes, there are some unexpected moments. Tonight's? Amidst a flood of very good-looking women, the most striking (and best-dressed) woman at the Universal party was Carolyn Kepcher, the Trump assistant on "The Apprentice'' who comes off as a bit icy on the show. Not only did she draw stares but she was also charming and funny. Tomorrow: ABC, struggling to reestablish itself as a major player in the TV wars. Surprisingly, it might just get back into the game.

DAY THREE: Inside NBC Notes from the first of two days of NBC on The Tour: Much of NBC's schedule will turn up in late August immediately following the Olympics to take advantage of all the promotion the network can unleash during the Games. Some notable exceptions: all the "Law & Order'' series won't be back until late September and "The West Wing'' won't be back until Oct. 20. There are rampant rumors (denied by NBC executives on the record but not privately) that this season of "West Wing'' may be its last. ... NBC finally showed to reporters a full episode of "Father of the Pride,'' its animated series about lions about the home life of lions who work in the Siegfried & Roy show in Las Vegas. Rumors had it that the series was a total trainwreck but the episode shown was actually reasonably funny. The problem for the network, though, may be that the cute lions and other animals spew some of the most risque dialogue to air in network TV in a while. As much as NBC says it will promote the show as adult programming, I'm wondering how many parents will notice until their kids ask about all the sex jokes. ... The network has already made some changes in its fall lineup. (OK, that's hardly unexpected since all the networks will do it.) The more important shifts: "The Last Comic Standing,'' a semi-hit during the summer, will return for another installment in late August and run until November. "The Contender'' -- the new boxing reality show -- will start in November rather than come in mid-season to give it a headstart on its competition, something called "American Idol'' on Fox. And the next go-round of "Average Joe'' is on hold until NBC decides it needs to patch a hole in its schedule.

DAY TWO: Language and content It's just the second day of The Tour and already a theme is starting to emerge. PBS hardly seems a likely place for the start of a discussion of content, language, new Federal Communications Commission decency rules and the culture clash in America. But it turned out that way. Since Janet Jackson bared her breast during the Super Bowl halftime show earlier this year, there has been an ongoing debate over standards of language and decency on television, particularly broadcast television. The controversy died down briefly not long after Jackson's wardrobe "malfunction'' but in recent days, as we get closer to the November elections and pressure mounts on the FCC and Congress to take some action, it has flared up again. While the broadcast networks and cable channels haven't exactly been running scared -- even if the face of some substantial FCC fines for various violations of language and content standards on TV and radio -- PBS has found itself in a difficult position. Without deep corporate pockets to fight any fines legally and fearing that the system's cash-strapped stations would be hit by large monetary fines, PBS has started to carefully eye any and all of its shows for -- in particular -- the so-called "dirty words.'' The issue first cropped up earlier this year with "Prime Suspect 6,'' the critically-acclaimed miniseries. PBS executives were advised by attorneys to exorcise a number of f-words from the show and did so before sending it out to member stations. That instance went largely unnoticed, though, because most TV writers had been sent the unedited version and did not know some of the language had been censored until after "Prime Suspect'' aired. But today, the controversy broke out into the open when PBS did a presentation on "Cop Shop,'' an innovative drama scheduled to air in early October. Filmed eight months ago, before the current the furor, the show -- as originally shot -- featured at least some of the language you would expect to hear on a drama about cops, prostitutes and life on the streets. None of the more "colorful'' language (including several uses of the f-word) will be bleeped when "Cop Shop'' airs -- and those involved in the creation of the show aren't happy. Both creator David Black ("Law & Order'') and star Richard Dreyfuss blasted the FCC, Congress and the current atmosphere in passionate terms. (PBS was already absolved from any blame.) "We believe that the new FCC regulations represent an unacceptable assault on our First Amendment rights, on everyone's First Amendment rights,'' said Black. Forcing PBS to bleep the language was, he added, "an act unworthy of a free country, an act of censorship.'' The top creative executives at PBS now fear that public television will not be able to offer programming they were producing 10, even 20, years ago. Several pointed the risque miniseries version of "Moll Flanders'' that was shown in the mid-1990s with little controversy as the kind of the show that might not be telecast now. This debate -- and the issue of what language and content can be shown on TV and at what hour -- is not likely to go away anytime soon. And chances are good that it is going to dominate the proceedings when the networks made their presentations, starting with NBC tomorrow. As they say, stay tuned.