TV ratings: 'Glee,' 'Last Man Standing,' and
'NCIS' hit lows; 'The Voice' wins

post from Matt Carter's feed on 18 April 2012 12:00:52 PM. © Matt Carter's feed

There's some bad news coming out for "Glee" fans at the moment. After the show became a cultural phenomenon just a matter of weeks into its first season, it now appears to be sliding down to...

Read The Full Article:
https://www.examiner.com/tv-in-national/tv-ratings-glee-last-man-standing-and-nci
s-hit-lows-the-voice-wins

Digg this

Bethany McHugh: Television Versus the Computer

post from TV on HuffingtonPost.com on 18 April 2012 11:59:31 AM. © TV on HuffingtonPost.com

Accessing television shows has never been easier, but this blessing has a lot of consequences. Now that TV-watchers are no longer confined to viewings during prime-time hours with the onslaught of DVR and VoD -- not to mention the hundreds of other new media outlets -- the question isn't when are you going to watch your favorite shows, but how?

I strongly believe that the best dramas aren't appearing on the Big Four (ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox). They're on cable or Pay-Per-View stations. HBO, for example, is about to launch three new dramas already receiving a monumental amount of buzz: Girls, Veep, and The Newsroom. As a college student, it's impossible to watch any of these without being able to watch it online. I began to ponder my options, and was immediately overwhelmed. It's not just about wanting to watch shows not available on basic cable: how do I watch even the most basic shows when I don't have a DVR? When I have an exam the next day? When I have work? How do I catch up?

I went through the three most popular ways to watch television every other way than on your television: iTunes, Netlfix, and HuluPlus. These three options don't require you to have a certain cable provider and/or Pay-Per-View service (like Comcast/Xfinity or HBO/HBOgo). While each have their pros and cons, no service truly does everything I'd like it to do, and in order to fulfill all of my needs I'd need to use two services. Maybe this will be rectified with the upcoming Amazon on-demand player, or even the new AppleTV, but for now, the following should temporarily satisfy all you binge-watchers.

iTunes

The gist: The idea that you can not only watch television on not your television, but on your various Apple products, changed forever how television is viewed, literally. Networks were skeptic of this new scheme, and it took quite a while to get many of them on-board. NBC famously pulled its shows from the service, only to offer them a few months later at a new price. Now, almost every television show currently airing can be downloaded the following morning to be viewed on any of your account-approved devices, which includes streaming to your television. But watching more than one show on iTunes is expensive: a season pass for any one show (especially if it's currently airing) is upwards of $35. Then again, that content is yours to keep forever, unlike HuluPlus or Netflix.

Pros: Ability to own all of your own shows, and being able to watch it on multiple devices.

Cons: Price -- watching more than one show becomes expensive. The bottom line: Apple will soon be announcing it's long awaited TV (not to be confused with the already-on-the-market iTV), which will definitely bring more options to the field. Hang around for that before spending your money here.

Per month: $1.99 per episode SD/$2.99 per episode HD.

HuluPlus

The gist: While anyone can make a normal Hulu account and see recent episodes -- which is an advantage -- most episodes aren't available past the four most recently aired. With possibly the largest backlog of old television series, the HuluPlus system is quite efficient: like Netflix and Xfinity, you can catch up on shows en masse, but you can also watch current episodes after they air. What HuluPlus lacks is many cable shows, including those on AMC (due their contract with Netflix) or Pay-Per-View channels (like HBO and Showtime). HuluPlus also features a large backlog of films, but many are dated.

Pros: Offers a wide variety of Big Four shows available to watch the next day, and is compatible with many devices including iPhone, iPad, and PS3.

Cons: No Pay-Per-View shows.

The bottom line: Being able to watch shows in bulk and essentially doubling as a DVR makes this a service worthy of consideration.

Per month: $7.99/month

Netflix

The gist: Netflix started the idea of watching shows in excess -- that is, watching seasons of a show all at once based on various reccomendations. This idea has become the mode of how people watch shows today. Netflix has a deal with AMC to exclusively stream shows like Mad Men and Breaking Bad. Furthermore, it will be premiering the long-awaited return of Arrested Development. Depending on your plan, you can get movies delivered to your home as well. What it doesn't have are shows available to watch next-day, and the instant-watch film service isn't that significant (though may change with their forthcoming deal with Miramax.)

Pros: It's worth it just for the upcoming Arrested Development series.

Cons: For a monthly service, it's the most expensive option out there, but the ability to rent movies is an addition that HuluPlus has yet to offer.

The bottom line: There's certainly a lot to consider in terms of content, making this one of the best options out there.

Per month: Starting at $7.99/month; additional fees apply for other services.

All things considered, I found that HuluPlus was the best option in terms of content being available when I immediately wanted it. Of course, my desire to watch anything on HBO, Showtime, or AMC goes unfulfilled, which reasserts the claim that two of these three are necessary to fulfill my needs. Television is about to be revolutionized, and the three services listed above are just a taste in what's to come.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bethany-mchugh/internet-tv_b_1433256.html?ref=tv

Digg this

'Dancing with the Stars': Jaleel White talks
controversy on 'The View'

post from Matt Carter's feed on 18 April 2012 11:51:16 AM. © Matt Carter's feed

Less than 24 hours after landing in the bottom two on "Dancing with the Stars," Jaleel White made an appearance on "The View," and in the process got the chance to visit a recently-eliminated contestant...

Read The Full Article:
http://www.examiner.com/tv-in-national/dancing-with-the-stars-jaleel-white-talks-
controversy-on-the-view

Digg this

Khloe Kardashian poses nude with Kim, Kourtney
for blanket ad

post from Matt Carter's feed on 18 April 2012 11:41:56 AM. © Matt Carter's feed

The Kardashian sisters are stripping down yet again, and on this occasion it is to promote their newest line of blankets for Sears.In a new post on her official blog, Khloe proclaimed that the ad was rather fun to...

Read The Full Article:
http://www.examiner.com/tv-in-national/khloe-kardashian-poses-nude-with-kim-kourt
ney-for-blanket-ad

Digg this

TV Ratings: NBC and Fox Share Tuesday, 'Private
Practice' Loses Viewers in Move

post from Hollywood Reporter - Live Feed on 18 April 2012 11:36:57 AM. © Hollywood Reporter - Live Feed

Michael O'Connell
Dips among the dominant "Voice," "Glee" and "New Girl" have the networks splitting adults 18-49 as "Biggest Loser" and "Raising Hope" rise.

Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/live_feed/~3/_C1Vnz4eMP8/tv-ratings-the-voice-danc
ing-stars-glee-new-girl-313697

Digg this

'Today Show': Madonna criticizes own motherhood
skills after smoking drama

post from Matt Carter's feed on 18 April 2012 11:29:53 AM. © Matt Carter's feed

After some photos surfaced online featuring her 15-year old daughter Lourdes smoking, Madonna quickly came under fire for whether or not she is serving as the right sort of role model for her daughter.In what comes as somewhat...

Read The Full Article:
http://www.examiner.com/tv-in-national/today-show-madonna-criticizes-own-motherho
od-skills-after-smoking-drama

Digg this

Tina Fey Picks 'Real Housewives' Faves.
Seriously.

post from TV on HuffingtonPost.com on 18 April 2012 11:26:06 AM. © TV on HuffingtonPost.com

Tina Fey is not one to mince words, especially when it comes to Bravo's "The Real Housewives" franchise. The "30 Rock" star and creator reveals her "Real Housewives" love is bi-coastal in a new NBC.com "Ask Tina" video.

"I like 'The Real Housewives of New York' and a little bit of 'Beverly Hills,' although it got a little too sad for me," Fey says in the video below.

In terms of favorite cast members, Fey says "New York City's" Sonja Morgan is her favorite to "watch on TV and goof on." Fey calls the toaster oven chef a "pretty amazing character." Next on her list: Countess LuAnn de Lesseps and Ramona Singer.

What if she had to spend the entire afternoon with one of them? That honor goes to "Beverly Hills'" Lisa Vanderpump because "her home is big enough that I could spend the afternoon there and she wouldn't find me. Also, she seems pretty OK." Camille Grammer also gets a shout-out from the "30 Rock" star for their shared friends.

If "30 Rock" really is ending after Season 7, would you want to see Fey on "Real Housewives of New York"?

Read The Full Article:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/18/tina-fey-real-housewives-favorites_n_143
4419.html

Digg this

'Real Housewives of Orange County': Heather
Dubrow talks 'glamping' trip

On Tuesday night's new episode of "The Real Housewives of Orange County," we saw a rather hilarious adventure courtesy of Heather Dubrow, as she went on a glamorous camping (or "glamping") trip with Alexis...

Read The Full Article:
http://www.examiner.com/tv-in-national/real-housewives-of-orange-county-heather-d
ubrow-talks-glamping-trip

Digg this

A Look Inside Don Draper's New Pad

"Mad Men" returned after its long hiatus Sunday, earning record ratings and a host of Midcentury Modern design fans newly obsessed with Don Draper's new Manhattan home. It's June 1966, and though Draper (played by Jon Hamm) might be a newlywed, he's traded in his dreary digs from last season for an Upper East Side spread complete with serious bachelor pad trappings.

Don Draper's apartmentApartment 17-B, right, set decorator Claudette Didul said, is "in a high-rise that feels like it was built in 1960 with a white-carpeted sunken living room and a fascinating fireplace and a Case Study-style kitchen with two pass through windows."

Read The Full Article:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/18/mad-men-don-draper-apartment_n_1434470.h
tml

Digg this

'30 Rock' video: Liz and a Princess Leia costume

On Thursday night's new episode of "30 Rock," we are going to see an episode that is focused around Jack Donaghy trying to give Liz Lemon a gift that she didn't exactly ask for...

Read The Full Article:
http://www.examiner.com/tv-in-national/30-rock-video-liz-and-a-princess-leia-cost
ume