Q&A with Kay & Pam: TV sweeps

What do you love or hate this fall on TV?

TV critic Kay McFadden and TV Addict writer Pamela Sitt answered your questions during a live lunchtime Q&A.

Thanks to all who participated!

Hi guys, how do you feel about "Nip/Tuck," one of the most racy and daring shows on TV in terms of sex, gore and black humor/drama content? I thought its writing improved considerably in its second season, but has tapered off a little in its third.
— Peter, Seattle

Kay McFadden: "Nip/Tuck" always has been predicated on pushing the envelope. In earlier seasons, that was accomplished through finding new angles in people and relationships. Now, however, creator Sean Ryan is relying on external gimmicks -- and they're growing outlandish and unbelievable. The action seems to be disconnecting from the characters. I agree with your perception of third-season "tapering off."

Pam: I lost interest in the Carver storyline, and the thought of Christian getting married makes me want to cry my eyes out.

---

Something's bugging me. Why are all these sitcoms and shows developed for Freddie Prinze Jr. — and none of them is ever any good — but his incredibly talented wife, Sarah Michelle Geller, is unemployed? She's more than proven she can carry a great show. What the heck is UP with that?
— Laurie K., Seattle

Kay: Well, Sarah made it clear after "Buffy" that she was ready for movies and not interested in another TV series. That kinda leaves it up to Freddie — who's actually a much smarter guy than his TV characters turn out to be. I can't figure out how Freddie became "Freddie."

---

Pam, I seem to remember you're a big "Gilmore Girls" fan. But I feel like this season it's kind of treading water. Now Luke has a kid? Where do you think the show is going? I'm still committed but I don't love it as much as I did last year. Waaah!
— Sallie T., Redmond

Pamela Sitt: I think the season got off to a slow start because of the Lorelai/Rory separation. But since they made up and Rory is back at Yale, things are picking up. The Luke having a kid thing makes me nervous, but so did Lorelai having a dog at first and now I love Paul Anka.

---

One of my favorite new shows this season has been "How I Met Your Mother"? While it hasn't gotten the critical acclaim of "Earl" or "Chris," I really feel that it's a great sitcom with funny writing and wonderful characters. Am I off base or has it slipped under the radar? (also Neal Patrick Harris' character is absolutely hilarious).
— Frank, Seattle

Kay: It got critical acclaim from me, but I see your point. My sense is that many critics automatically look for something edgy and "How I Met Your Mother" is more of a classic sitcom. But Neil Patrick Harris ("Doogie" forever!) actually has gotten quite a bit of buzz. He made Entertainment Weekly's list of break-out stars this fall.

Pam: Barney rules. Suit up!

---

I'm a fan of the big three new sci-fi shows that the networks put out this year. I've heard that Invasion and Surface have been at least picked up for a full season. Is there any way "Threshold" could still be saved?
— Jonathan, Issaquah

Kay: I'm afraid not. "Threshold" was pretty expensive to produce and CBS feels it gave the show a good shot in two different time slots. Too bad.

And I think we have to still wonder if ABC's equally pricey "Invasion" will make it past this season. My hunch is it would do better separated from "Lost" and put on another night. Right now, it's a little too much of the same thing.

As to "Surface," NBC seems to be happy with its Monday night lineup and that show's performance -- partly because fourth-place NBC has slightly lower expectations these days.

---

Kinda unrelated to what you're talking about, but I would appreciate your advice. Should I get TiVo? Is it worth it?
— Soula, Portland

Pam: YES. TiVo changed my life. And the remote makes a pleasant bubble-popping noise.

---

I love "Arrested Development"! Are there going to be new episodes, or is it going to be canceled? It doesn't seem to be getting the air time it deserves.
— Michelle Johnson, Seattle

Kay: Fox never announces cancellations — the shows just kind of disappear from the schedule. But I do know Fox just cut this season's "Arrested Development" episode order from 22 to 13. By my count, that means you'd better revel in the last couple of episodes this December. Alas.

---

About this time last year I asked about the potential fate of three of my favorite shows, "The Wire," "Arrested Development," and "Veronica Mars." Since then "The Wire' was picked up for a fourth season and "AD" got the axe, but I haven't heard anything about "VM's" potential for a third season...any news?
— Chris, San Antonio

Pam: No official word from UPN until May, but it seems likely "Veronica Mars" will return since it's one of the few buzzworthy shows the network has. I just hope they move it to a friendlier timeslot because right now it is wreaking havoc on my Wednesday nights!

---

It seems like we're hearing daily about TV being available for phone broadcast, or podcast, etc. How many people do you really think want to watch their TV on a tiny screen? Do you think it's a gimmick, or if not, what is the real future there? I'm really curious about your opinions.
— Ted Bartlett, Seattle

Pam: I can barely figure out how to work my six remotes. I have no desire to watch TV on my iPod, laptop, alarm clock, toaster or anywhere else. I am old school! Keep the TV pure!

Kay: I think certain forms of programming -- sports, news and stock-market stuff -- actually will work well for the overwhelmingly male group of tiny-screen users. But I'm not going to watch a shrunken Conan O'Brien on an iPod. For one thing, he won't fit.

---

I have to be honest: I don't recall the reviews either of you gave to "Related." The first few episodes seemed confused, (perhaps trying to be a "Sex In The City" ripoff?) with little character development. But lately the writing seems to have improved immensely, and the recent Thanksgiving dinner episode with flashbacks to Dana Delany as the sisters' late mother was one of the finest examples of quality episodic TV I have seen in a couple of years. Have either of you revisited the show (which seems to be slowly, very slowly, getting slightly better ratings lately)?
— Fred, Los Angeles

Kay: Hey, Fred, your take reads like my review. This series was oddly scattered out of the gate, but by Episode 3 had become a firmly updated tribute to family series like "Eight Is Enough." My bet is The WB will give it a ride for the rest of the season. And ain't it great that the SOAP-net channel's decision this fall to re-run the prematurely canceled Fox series "Pasadena" has reminded network casting executives of Dana Delany's talent?

---

I can't believe that "Arrested Development" gets less viewers than any one showing of a show on FX ("The Shield," "Rescue Me") or, for that matter, cost more per episode. Why couldn't Fox move "AD" to FX and show it numerous times, at least to give us a full season 3?
— Larry Davenport, Seattle

Kay: I think that's a brilliant idea. Or how about HBO or Comedy Central, both places where edgy, anti-nice comedies have comfortable homes? Seriously: I'll ask Fox president Peter Liguori, who used to be president of "FX," about this possibility when I see him in January.

---

What do you ladies like for kids shows — ones that grownups won't barf while watching (please, please don't say "Bratz"). Is "SpongeBob" the only one out there?
— Pat Schmidt, Seattle

Kay: Pat — I need a little more information here because (as you know) there's such a vast difference between two-year-olds versus four-year-olds versus six-year-olds. And "SpongeBob" doesn't quite clear up the picture because I watch it. What age is your child?

---

Re: "How I Met Your Mother." I love the show but wish they would drop the opening set in the future. I would rather not know at the end of the episode that the girl Ted goes out with is NOT the future mother of his kids. What do you think?
— Larry Davenport, Seattle

Pam: I like hearing Bob Saget's soothing Dad voice. I think it would be funnier if Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were the kids.

---

I saw a preview saying that "Scrubs" was coming back. I've always thought it was a brilliant show but still wildly underrated. I'm a little confused as to why a tanking NBC would push it to the winter break when it was a moderately successful rates keeper.
— Garrett, Bellevue

Kay: Amen, brother! The short answer is that NBC is tanking precisely because it doesn't support some of its better shows, apparently preferring crap like "The Apprentice" and "Joey," which got twice as much promotion as either "Scrubs" or "West Wing."

On the other hand, at least "Scrubs" is coming back.

---

What's the longest amount of time either of you have gone without watching TV? Be honest.
— Tom, Seattle

Kay: I go every year to a swing dance camp in New Hampshire that has no TV, which I usually follow with a little touring through New England. So -- two weeks is my answer, unless an errant glance in a Boston sports bar turns me into a pillar of salt.

Pam: When I was growing up in the country and my parents made me read books instead of watch TV. Mean!

---

If you worked at ABC, what would you do to fix either "Desperate Housewives," "Lost" or both? Also I love "My Name Is Earl," so why aren't more people doing sophisticated sitcoms?
— Sam Southern, Seattle

Kay: The S.S. "Housewives" may be OK again when creator Marc Cherry returns. Meanwhile, the series desperately (ha!) needs depth in its characters. The cartoonishness of these ladies was fun when the show was a spoof — now that it's morphed into soapy melodrama, it requires more psychological dimension. Felicity Huffman manages convey this with acting alone, but the rest of the team needs and deserves support from the writers.

Pam: The storylines on "Housewives" give me whiplash. The characters have all become caricatures of themselves. It's exhausting to watch. I think "Lost" is in danger of spreading itself too thin with the introduction of the Tailies. Both shows need to just calm down.

Kay: In other words, perhaps there's no way to fix "Lost," because it's succumbing to its own many-splendored premise.

---

Who do you consider to be the best anchor people working now — whether on the national broadcasts, cable news or locally? Do you have favorites?
— Josh Bell, Seattle

Kay: I have no local favorites, because that's Pam's department. Nationally, I'm partial to Soledad O'Brien of CNN, who is quick on her feet as an interviewer, an excellent synthesizer of news and a genuinely warm human being. Sounds awfully basic, but seldom does the combination comes together. Other faves are Lou Dobbs of CNN, CBS's Bob Schieffer, Fox News' Shepard Smith and MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, who's really a pundit. But good.

Had you asked me this question six months ago, my unhesitating answer would have been ABC's Peter Jennings. He had a global point of view and an unsurpassed ability to analyze — along with arrogance and good looks. I'm now sort of waiting to see how NBC's Brian Williams and others settle in without a hurricane to cover.

Pam: Oh, wow. I kind of hate to name local favorites since I actually cover the local news beat ... but I'll give a shout-out to Q13 meteorologist M.J. McDermott because she just makes me laugh. She's kooky and warm and real, which is exactly what I like to see in the mornings. And she doesn't have TV hair. Nationally, I have a crush on Anderson Cooper. Is that bad?

---

Katie Couric — pro or con?
— Ursula K., Seattle

Kay: Not a fan, but what do I know? "Today" has been a ratings leader for a decade. Clearly it has something to do with Katie Couric — perhaps her non-threatening, girl-next-door, I'm-just-like-anyone-who-makes-$17-million-a-year persona.

Pam: Ew. Con.

---

How did cable TV news get so shrill? Where do you see all that madness going in the next, say 5 years?
— Terri Poe, Seattle

Kay: I think cable TV news has a more seismic reaction to whatever trends are sweeping the country. When rude political discourse was the order of the land, it followed suit. Now, viewers are enthusiastic about all the verbal hand-wringing from coverage of Hurricane Katrina, so we're seeing a rise in emotive types like Anderson Cooper.

Why is cable like this and not network news? The average amount of time a viewer watches any given stretch of cable news is 12 minutes. It's like some forlorn kind that doesn't get enough love and has to scream for attention.

---

This is more of a complaint than a question, but I'd like to hear your thoughts too. The proliferation of gore on TV, even on "nature" channels, is appalling. Big animal chases little animal, rips it to pieces. Medium size animal chases really little animal, rips it to pieces. Big snake with venom strikes at camera. (voice over: Monster voice about deadly deadly deadly whatever...) What does this say to our children? Or to the world about our world? Do these programs ever put anything in context or is it all about the shock value?
— Susan, Seattle

Kay: Here's my theory about why gory shows are popular: The onset of technology — be it TV or the Internet or sitting in your car for two hours on the I-90 bridge — has estranged us from intimate contact with each other and ourselves. In an admittedly twisted way, our appetite for that lost visceral experience expresses itself in watching gory stuff. The great film "Crash" starts with a narrator expressing the idea that maybe car accidents in Los Angeles are a longing to touch. I can totally see that. Unfortunately, few television shows that dwell in the land of torn flesh are interested in context; they use the shock to get our attention and subsequently forget to provide a proportional measure of humanity.

---

Best bonding shows to watch with relatives over the holidays? My wife and daughters do "Gilmore Girls" but what else, for guys, for older parents?
— Bob Tyler, Seattle

Pam: For guys: "Entourage." You can get the first season on DVD and the second might still be on HBO On Demand. That show almost makes me want to be a dude.

Kay: I love "Entourage," but I'm not sure my dad and grandfather would bond over it. Now "Curb Your Enthusiasm," yes — if your male relatives are as ornery as mine. And I find that men actually bond over a lot of those CBS police procedurals that feature the older head of the squad and some younger dudes: "Without A Trace," "NCIS."

---

Pam, I heard a rumor that "Gilmore Girls" was going to be canceled at the end of this season. I know that Amy S-P. is moving on to greener pastures, but can we start a fund to keep her? First i lost "Sex and the City"... I can't handle the loss of GG.
— Merideth, Seattle

Pam: Merideth, if "GG" gets cancelled, I'll still dance around and sing the theme song with you.

---

Hi Kay. I remember you gave "Hot Dog on a Stick" a good review. I loved it too, but I think it was cancelled about :15 minutes into the first show. So what do you look for in a TV pilot? Is it your own personal tastes, or are you trying to decide what will appeal to viewers? I know you also liked "Jake in Progress," which didn't do well in its first run.
— Jeff Ernson, Seattle

Kay: "Life on A Stick" — well, you're right. It could have been "Hot Dog on A Stick" or even "Pilot on A Stick" for all its memorability. But it aired adjacent to "That '70s Show" and seemed very compatible with the tastes of that audience.

"Jake in Progress" will be back on ABC at mid-season. I await the second-season pilot with great interest.

---

America is demanding an exit date and strategy. No, not for the war in Iraq — for PARIS HILTON. Why did she deserve a TV show to begin with? Please, networks of America, have a heart and cancel her forever.
— Tim Bonder, Seattle

Pam: Bad news, Tim. Paris and Nicole's "The Simple Life" just got picked up for a fourth season on E! The wife swap-style premise is subtitled "Till Death Do Us Part," so I'm hopeful that indicates some kind of fight to the death between the former BFFs, and then it will be over once and for all.

---

Can we please talk about bad plastic surgery? I couldn't bear to see even the promos for that "Knots Landing" reunion. Who's got the best and worst work done on the screen? And why won't some people just give in gracefully? Seriously.
— Francie Baker, Portland, Ore.

Pam: I'm really bad at judging plastic surgery. I'm always like, "Really? [Insert any actress here] got Botox?" I don't know if you've noticed, but lately Marcia Cross has started acting with her forehead. Kimberly Shaw, how could you?

Kay: People won't give in gracefully as long as viewers reward shows like "Desperate Housewives," a fantasy projection of how we'd all like to look 30 in our 40s. Marcia Cross acting with her forehead? I thought it didn't move anymore!

---

Favorite guilty pleasure TV, girls?
— Peter Bowlen, Kirkland

Pam: MTV's "Laguna Beach." I'm not even ashamed anymore. And "Gastineau Girls," which just started its second season on E!

Kay: Bull-riding on Outdoor Life Network. Seriously.

---

My favorite dinner and party game is to play "Who's the most annoying person on TV?" I'm curious what you ladies would respond to that. My own answers change a lot, especially since Doris Roberts THANKFULLY left the air, but Nancy Grace is right up there, along with those nitwits who are living with Hugh Hefner. Do you have any personal "worsts"?
— Viviane, West Seattle

Kay: You must throw big parties indeed with a game like that. Who doesn't have an annoying TV person?

Nancy Grace is only No. 2 on my list. She's surpassed by MSNBC's hyperventilating, thought-interrupted news anchor Rita Cosby, whose voice patterns seem to have been separated at birth from that handicapped kid on "Malcolm in the Middle." But Ms. Cosby is not playing it for laughs and not projecting as much intelligence.

Pam: Star Jones. 'Nuff said.

---

Do you see any of the networks the old shows like "Sisters" or "My So-Called Life" to DVD any time soon, or would I be better of waiting for "Saved By The Bell: 20 Year Class Reunion"?
— Sara, Seattle

Pam: I'm still waiting for "Melrose Place" to hit DVD! I've worn out my VHS tapes of "My So-Called Life" and I'm so disappointed that Jordan Catalano grew up to wear eyeliner and date Lindsay Lohan. You can watch Sela Ward in "Once and Again," which IS out on DVD. Did I succeed in totally not answering your question? OK here it is: I have no idea.

---

If you could fix public television, what would you do? There are some great shows buried there but if I see Peter, Paul and Mary or that bloody Roy Orbison special again, I'll scream and NEVER renew.
— Roberto P., Seattle

Kay: At the local level, public television needs to do a much better job of partnering with local groups. For example, why can't KCTS broadcast theater productions here the way WNET in New York does "Live from Broadway" every week? To be fair, KCTS has started in this direction by showcasing local filmmakers. And I think we'll start to see more. The station just crafted a new five-year plan that should be available for reading at www.kcts.org.

Nationally, PBS faces the big challenge of gradually letting go its age 60-plus viewer base and trying to find new audiences. It seems to work best with news and information programs like "Nova" and "Frontline," but the network just hasn't figured out how to do pure entertainment for people that don't want to sing along with the Bee Gees.

---

At the risk of beating a dead horse: taking "Arrested Development"off the air, while shows like "Joey" and "Freddie" are still on the air makes me want to puke all over my TiVo. Kay and Pam, please do something!
— BJ, Seattle

Kay: As a matter of fact, I JUST e-mailed the vice president of FX to ask if there's any chance "Arrested Development" could turn up there. Taking in the bigger picture, yes, there's "Joey" (bleagh) and "Freddie" (bleagh-o). But there's also "Scrubs" and "Entourage."

Pam: Kay, let's hop on our sweeps broomsticks and ... fly somewhere. Like to L.A.

---

For my money, "The Office" is the best show on TV. I hear NBC is moving it (and "Earl") to Thursday. I'm hoping both make it, and don't end up like Arrested Development in the great shows that no one watches heap. Thoughts?
— CD, Seattle

Kay: My thought is that NBC should have moved "Earl" and "The Office" to the 8 and 8:30 slots Thursday rather than pit them against "CSI" at 9 p.m. Who'd miss "Joey" and (at this point) "Will & Grace?"

---

I actually like those police procedurals but what I don't get is the appeal of the gory ones — like "CSI" and worse. Why do you think people watch that and sacrifice plot, character, etc?
— George Rasa, Woodinville

Kay: I think we live in an age where technology has insulated us from so much that is physical, people are turning to gory TV for the visceral sensation. But there never is a good reason to sacrifice plot and character; I just won't watch or recommend those shows. I find "Without A Trace" infinitely superior to "CSI" for that very reason.

---

Any predictions on where the Tyra's talk show will go? Can she be serious younger set competition for Oprah?
— Helen, Seattle

Pam: Serious competition for Oprah? Um, not so long as she keeps doing stuff like getting felt up ("My boobs are real!") and showing everyone her cellulite ("I'm fat, too!") on the air. As Aunt Sassy would say, "I don't want to see that!"

---

Recently, I was listening to a sports radio show and they were talking about a reporter at KOMO that now is on Commander in Chief. They implied that KOMO was trying to keep it a secret, or that there was something else to the story. Any idea what they are talking about?
— CJ, Bellevue

Pam: You sometimes see KOMO reporters and anchors pop up on TV screens in the background on ABC shows (like "Commander in Chief" and "Alias") because the station, which is an ABC affiliate, sold a library of old footage to the network. I'm not sure how big of a secret it can be if we can see it WITH OUR OWN EYES.

Kay: I doubt KOMO, which promotes ABC shows all the time via goofy stories in its 11 p.m. broadcast, even recognizes the potential liability of mixing news and entertainment.

---

Whatever happened to Roseanne? You always see her in magazines as kind of a professionally unemployed celebrity. But her show was great. Why isn't she back on TV?
— Wendy Rochman, Seattle

Kay: Roseanne's last TV effort, a syndicated series, failed. The great TV show "Roseanne" just may have been that once-in-a-lifetime convergence of fine writing and a talent at her peak. It really is rare to have more than one hit. P.S. I love "professionally unemployed celebrity." If there was such a job as "professionally unemployed columnist" that paid, I'd wear the badge proudly.

---

In a perfect world, why can't funny people be stars on both movies and TV? I mean, I miss Mike Myers every single Saturday night. Can't he be on TV too? Is there really still a stigma against it vs. movies?
— Paula Yancy, Seattle

Kay: British stars do this all the time -- cross from TV to film to theater and there's no loss of face. It always shocks people here to learn someone like Judi Dench was in too long-running television series.

Oddly enough, there's plenty of crossover between theater and TV here. Half the cast of NYPD Blue went into a great production of Glengarry Glen Ross right after the former ended.

It's just the movies that are somehow regarded as a higher art form here, even though the past three years suggest audiences are rejecting a lot of junk. But don't get me started -- TV critics feel very strongly about this topic.

---

Dear Kay & Pam: "My So Called Life" is already on DVD.
— Your friend, Larry Davenport, Seattle

---

Do you guys have the best jobs in the world or what?
— Irene Lander, Los Angeles

Pam: Yes. Speaking of, please check out my new column (with my friend and colleague Nicole Tsong) in the Food section today: "Cocktailing." Yeah!

Kay: Actually, my job is better than Pam's. I can watch TV and drink and only have to write about one of those things.

---

What do you think the chances are of the Roddenberry estate flogging "Star Trek" one more time?
— Janine Fallows, Seattle

Kay: I'd say they are excellent, especially since Brannon Braga is out of work with the cancellation of "Threshold."

---

If you could be a character on any show, who would you be and why?
— Jorge, Seattle

Kay: Well, I would have been Carrie on "Sex and the City" just to canoodle with Chris Noth. Sadly, I'd now have to be suspected of a serious crime to have that opportunity.

Pam: I would be that girl from "Wonderfalls" because she talks to animals.

---

I love cooking shows! Who do you ladies like to watch among the cooking shows, and why?
— Tara Brett, Seattle

Pam: "Cooking"? What?

Kay: Our managing editor, David Boardman, actually is the big cooking show fan at The Times. He just pretends to watch sports.

---

This just in! I've been told by the spokesman for FX that "Arrested Development" will not air on that cable channel because it's too expensive. (Example: An episode of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" costs about $400,000 an episode; "Arrested Development" costs four to five times as much.)
— Kay McFadden

---