2008 rewind
LOOKING BACK AT AN AMUSING, BUT SOMETIMES TROUBLING, YEAR ON LOCAL AND NETWORK TV
It was a television year that started with the writers’ strike, included the shocking midyear death of Buffalo’s favorite son Tim Russert and ended with the layoffs of well-known local television personalities.
And going into 2009, things aren’t looking any better.
Without further ado, here are some of the more important and amusing moments of 2008:
Sundays Will Never Be the Same: The June death of Russert led to a week of media mourning that eventually was criticized as excessive. Not in Buffalo, where he was deeply loved.
The Icemen Cometh: The year started with NBC’s coverage of the Ice Bowl from snowy Ralph Wilson Stadium on Jan. 1 in which the Buffalo Sabres lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Sam Flood, NBC’s producer, said “We couldn’t have asked for anything better.”
Legal Argument: In its semifinal episode of ABC’s “Boston Legal,” Alan Shore (James Spader) made a case against the ageism practiced by network TV programmers who seek young viewers at the expense of older ones who want more intelligent programming.
Money Matters: Channel 2 consumer reporter Mike Igoe took a buyout in December that was offered by owner Gannett to people who were as old as the ones Shore addressed in “Legal.”
Thirtysomething Farewells: Ellen Maxwell and Lisa Scott, who are in their 30s, discovered that no age group was immune to the economic downturn when they were let go by Channel 4. Months earlier, Melanie
Pritchard, 40, left Channel 7 on her own terms.
Desperation Move: After years of prime time failures, NBC decided to save money by giving Jay Leno a 10 p. m. weekday slot next fall rather than lose him to a competitor. In effect, NBC is practically a cable network now.
Turtle Finds Love on “Entourage”: No one could believe that Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) on “Entourage” could actually date Jamie- Lynn Sigler (“The Sopranos”) on the HBO comedy. It was the silliest TV pairing since the characters played by Michael Tucker and Jill Eikenberry — who actually were married in real life — were on “L. A. Law.” But guess what? Ferrara and Sigler reportedly were dating in real life, proving there is hope for lovable, overweight men.
Silliest Romance of the Year: Hard to top Izzie’s (Katherine Heigl) rekindling of her love for the dead guy, Denny, on “Grey’s Anatomy.” Even for “Grey’s,” it is out there. She would have been better off dating Turtle, who at least is alive.
Future Shock: In the May season finale of “Desperate Housewives,” the characters were moved five years ahead by creator Marc Cherry. Amazingly, it has worked very well this fall.
Lost on the Horizon: In the shocking moment that apparently inspired Cherry’s “Desperate” move, ABC’s “Lost” revealed that six characters — dubbed the “Oceanic Six” — escaped the mysterious island. When the show returns Jan. 21, they have to go back to save everyone else.
Comedy Central Comes to UB: Within seven months, Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart both were “distinguished speakers” at the University at Buffalo. Both had fun with a fake Bull on the stage of Alumni Arena.
Technological Advance of the Year: Rabbit Ears. Cable viewers rediscovered them when Channel 4 went off local cable in a dispute between its owner, LIN TV, and Time Warner. And many subscribers discovered the old way of getting TV actually leads to a better HD picture.
News Personality of the Year: Katie Couric. She survived April reports that she was about to be finished as the anchor of “The CBS Evening News” and ended up with the most significant interview of the year — with John McCain’s running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Unfortunately, ratings haven’t followed.
Dahm, Dahm, Dahm: Channel 7 brought back the Eyewitness News theme, thereby reversing the dumbest move in local television in years when it dropped it.
Bad, Mad Cable Triumphs: With network television losing its way, AMC’s little-watched “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad” led cable’s deserved control of the Emmy Awards.
Sports Trade of the Year: Channel 4 waived Dennis Williams (who now is in sales at Channel 2) and hired free-agent sports director John Murphy after his Channel 7 noncompete expired.
Olympic Triumph: The incredible and incredibly expensive opening ceremonies carried by NBC in Beijing by filmmaker Li Ning will never be topped, especially in this global recession.
Taking the Heat: Western New Yorkers Bobby Anderson and Shyna Rachilson- Zadok got their 15 minutes of fame being yelled at by Gordon Ramsay on “Hell’s Kitchen.” And they said he was a nice guy after it was over.
Grab a Six-Pack: Most of the local coverage of the unfortunate death of former Buffalo Mayor Jimmy Griffin was so flattering that it took a Channel 2 special on “The Griffin Years” that ran after his funeral to put his legacy in a better perspective.
The Hugh Grant What Were You Thinking Award: To ABC’s Barbara Walters, who revealed things about her personal life in her autobiography that led her to debate the definition of “mistress” in an appearance on Oprah Winfrey’s show.
Idol Worship Diminishes: It remains TV’s top show, but “American Idol” saw its ratings slip to the point that its producers have decided to add a new judge for the upcoming season.
Thruway Madness: Local TV News went way overboard covering a guy who put a gun to his head and stopped traffic on the Thruway during rush hour.
It May Be Better Job Security: Channel 4’s Don Postles and Channel 2’s Scott Levin said they were approached to run for Congress. They quickly passed on trying to get two-year terms. The way things are going in local TV, party leaders should check back in 2010.
Dirty Sexy Money: The fall of the disgraced New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer played out on TV like an episode of the ABC drama. Like Spitzer’s political career, the show was canceled.
Woman of the Year: Tina Fey. In February, she deadpanned on “Saturday Night Live” that “women feel perfectly free to make whatever choice Oprah tells them to.” In September, she won more Emmys for “30 Rock.” In October, she delivered the classic line as Palin: “I can see Russia from my house” and started another terrific season of “30 Rock.” Forget Caroline Kennedy: Tina Fey for Senator.
He’s No Irv Weinstein as a Movie Critic: After a Channel 7 cameraman, who didn’t realize he could be heard on TV, used an expletive to describe what he thought of the Academy Awards show, Channel 7 anchor Keith Radford gave this brief summary of winner “No Country for Old Men”: “A guy with no expression keeps blowing up everything.”
What, No Tough Questions: Channel 2 News, which constantly tells viewers it is standing up for them, was strangely silent for a long time during the Jayvonna Kincannon story that rocked McKinley High School and Buffalo schools for weeks.
Quote of the Year: Republican strategist Alex Castellanos on Election night: “If Republicans can’t beat a lunatic like Al Franken, we’re in bad shape.” Franken’s race hasn’t been decided.
Best in Show: “Lost,” “True Blood,” “House,” “Entourage,” “Saturday Night Live,” “CSI,” “NCIS”; “The Colbert Report,” “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” “Anderson Cooper 360,” “The View,” “The Rachel Maddow Show,” “Bones,” “Real Time with Bill Maher,” “The Mentalist,” “Boston Legal,” “30 Rock,” “The Office,” “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad,” “The Closer,” “Life on Mars,” “Eli Stone,” “You Must Remember This: The Warner Brothers Story”; “The Choice” and “Bush’s War” on Frontline; The Beijing Olympics; “Recount” on HBO; “Californication”; “Dexter”; “Marvin Gaye: What’s Going On”; “The Deadliest Catch”; “Black Magic.”
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