SueTube – Let’s talk TV with critic Susan Young

NBC’s new schedule family-friendly in the first hour? Are you joking me?

The Parents Television Council issued a press release on Friday commending NBC for announcing its commitment to the “Family Hour,” an hour of television from 8 to 9 p.m.

Obviously, the PTC simply read a press release about NBC’s fall strategy and failed to actually look at what the network was scheduling in that hour. In fact, “My Name is Earl” has been singled out by the PTC for raunchy content.

With a picture like this, need we say more about “My Name is Earl” perhaps not fitting the family-friendly label? (l-r) John Farley as Annie, Jason Lee as Earl — NBC Photo: Justin Lubin
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NBC entertainment co-chairman Ben Silverman told TV writers today that he chased Christian Slater down until he agreed to star in “My Own Worst Enemy.”

When we had our star, Ben says, we had our show. Gosh darn it Ben, don’t make me have to grab those tissues.

Christian Slater guest-starred last year as Woody with Jason Lee (Earl) in NBC’s “My Name is Earl.” — NBC Photo: Karen Neal
2008-09 NEW SERIES DESCRIPTIONS, ADJECTIVES COURTESY OF NBC PUBLICITY: Read the rest of this entry »

Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can’t lose.

As previous reports had predicted, NBC has found a way to keep the lights on.

(For David Bianculli’s podcast with Kyle Chandler, go here.)

NBC Entertainment honcho Ben Silverman told writers on a conference call today that if he had to sit next to somebody on the plane telling him this was their favorite show and not to cancel it, he couldn’t take it.

See? You don’t have to ship tons of peanuts to an executive. Just book the same flights he or she is on and make them want to scratch their eyes out.

What wife hasn’t looked at her husband just like this when he’s been making a horse’s hind-end out of himself. The fabulous team of Connie Britton as Tami Taylor and Kyle Chandler as Eric Taylor make “Friday Night Lights” one show that shouldn’t be missed. NBC Photo: Bill Records

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It looks as if the picket signs will be taken down and the writers will be back to work on Wednesday. You can check out the details on Nikki Finke’s fine blog Deadline Hollywood or the most recent Bloomberg report.

That’s just two days before the “drop-dead deadline” to preserve the remainder of the season and allow some bit of a pilot season. The fact that it also saves the Oscars is just an added bonus that makes the writers and actors happy. It’s one thing to miss out on the Golden Globes, that bloated tribute by a small group of foreign press. It’s quite another to miss out on your Uncle Oscar.

Jon Stewart won’t have to cross any picket lines when he hosts the 80th Academy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 24. This is the second time Stewart has hosted the Oscars. Photo: Bob D’Amico/ABC

Oddly enough, on the eve of the strike vote three months ago, I was in the middle of e-chatting with Bryan Fuller of “Pushing Daisies” and again today we spent part of today e-talking.

Bryan’s a fabulous person. But as noted in an earlier post, even with the strike being over, some shows won’t be back on the air this season. And that includes “Daisies.” In fact, this coming fall season looks more like a restart of this past fall. Shows like “Daisies,” “Chuck” and maybe even “Reaper” could get a second shot this fall.

There are a lot of shows on the fence, but it looks like lights out for shows like “Bionic Woman” and “Friday Night Lights.” “FNL” was the passion project of NBC’s former entertainment president Kevin Reilly, who is now Fox’s entertainment honcho. He was replaced by veteran producer Ben Silverman. (“The Office”) and Marc Graboff.

While there has been talk of “FNL” going to one of NBC’s cable siblings like USA or Bravo, that hasn’t been announced, nor does it seem likely. Last March, the series aired unspectacularly on Bravo.

On the season, or series, finale last Friday, Kyle Chandler as Eric Taylor, Connie Britton as Tami Taylor and Peter Berg as Morris “Mo” McArnold — NBC Photo: Bill Records

And the jury is still out on “Jericho,” which returns this week after fans threw mountains of nuts at CBS execs, causing them to rethink the show’s cancellation.

But last summer, viewers tuned out in droves to a repeat of the series. We can only hope that they will come back on board with the slate of new episodes.

Things heat up in the kitchen when “Jericho” returns on Tuesday. Emily (Ashley Scott) tries to make Jake’s (Skeet Ulrich) mother feel better mourn the loss of her husband by baking her favorite cake, on the second season premiere of “Jericho” at 10 p.m. Tuesday on CBS. Photo: Mitch Haddad/CBS ©2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc.

Meanwhile, it’s all good news about Hollywood getting back to work. Now that sure beats candy and flowers, doesn’t it?

You’ve gotta love the new NBC co-chairman, or whatever the hell title they are handing out these days.

Bottom line is that this is the guy who makes the decisions about what you’re going to be watching on the network. He talks about a mile a minute and, right now, likes talking to critics.

That could change.

But what we really like about him is that his ringtone is “This Is Why I’m Hot” and he still thinks it’s funny when David Spade takes shots at him.