Primetime for the Planet

Sundance Channel will continue its green programming.

Way back on April 17, 2007, Sundance unveiled a programming block called Green, which was comprised of three ecoprograms:

• "Big Ideas for a Small Planet"
• "Ecoists"
• "Eco Biz"

Just last week Sundance filed a trademark app to protect Primetime for the Planet for "television programming services." I'm guessing that "Primetime for the Planet" will be a programming block, like Green, since the application did not specifically call it a series. (If you look at the apps for the three programs listed above, the goods and services descriptions include "on-going documentary television series." Quite specific. Sundance did not trademark Green.)

Maui Chopper

A reality show about police helicopters in Maui? Or maybe highway patrol on motorcycles?

Regardless, you'll be able to watch the show on TruTV. Courtroom Television Network filed a trademark app on November 20, 2007 to protect Maui Chopper for use as the title of a TV series. And we all know, by the time it airs Court TV will be TruTV.

Hole in the Wall

Have you seen this Japanese game show? It's often called Human Tetris, and if you watch this clip you'll know why. The show is so popular in Japan, that FremantleMedia recently signed deals with broadcasters in multiple countries.

Turns out, there may even be an American version of this wacky show. FremantleMedia North America, Inc. filed a trademark app on November 21, 2007 to protect Hole in the Wall for "entertainment services in the nature of a television game show."

I'm not a huge fan of celebrity shows, but "Celebrity Hole in the Wall" would rule. Can you imagine watching Britney get knocked on her butt into a small pool of water?

Too Many Eps Spoil the Broth

I was in a meeting yesterday and somebody uttered an idiom I hadn't heard in ages — too many chefs spoil the broth. That sounds like the perfect phrase for TV writers of old to have fun for the typical sitcom and for TV writers today to honor for cooking-related shows. Here's the short list of eps:

• The Many Robots Spoil the Broth (''Daigunder,'' 11/8/2003)
• Too Many Cooks Are Murder (''Hart to Hart,'' 5/6/1980)
• Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen (''The Party Planner with David Tutera'')
• Too Many Cooks Spoil the Troop (''F Troop,'' 3/29/1966)
• Too Many Greens Spoil the Bath (''Bad, Bad Bath,'' 5/16/2006)
• Too Many Kooks Spoil the Broth (''The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis,'' 1/9/1963)
• Too Many Limburgers Spoil the Cheese (''Biker Mice from Mars,'' 11/11/1995)
• Too Many Waiters Spoil the Bistro (''Robin's Nest,'' 3/15/1979)

New Eps Online: November, Week 4

New series and seasons (full eps only) released online since 20 November 2007:

• ''Combat Zone'' (Military; iTunes): season 1
• ''Dress My Nest'' (style; iTunes): current season (2)
• ''Jacob Two-Two'' (YTV; Unbox): season 3, 4 & 5
• ''My War Diary'' (Military; iTunes): season 1
• ''October Road'' (ABC; iTunes): current season (2)
• ''The Standard Snowboard Show'' (FuelTV; iTunes, Unbox): current season (4)
• ''Top Ten'' (Military; iTunes): season 1
• ''Weaponology'' (Military; iTunes): current season (2)

Speed Racer: The Next Generation

That's it. That's the new logo.

I have to say I'm a little disappointed. Not sure what I expected, but it wasn't that.

I found the image in the USPTO Trademark Database. Speed Racer Enterprises, Inc. filed a trademark app on November 14, 2007 to protect that image with the main focus on the "lines depicting speed, propulsion, heat or wind."

Dance 'Til You Drop Weight

What happens if you cross "Dancing with the Stars" with "The Biggest Loser" and throw in a dash of typical "American Idol"/"Next Great American Band" production qualities? I know. I know. The obvious answer is "Dancing with America's Biggest Loser." But that's not quite the answer I was looking for.

FremantleMedia North America, Inc. filed a trademark app on November 16, 2007 to protect Dance 'Til You Drop Weight for "entertainment services in the nature of a television game show."

Personally, I hope a show like this one becomes highly interactive in the near future. Have each viewer play DDR on Xbox Live so that s/he can compete against others in a regional competition — these regions should based on time zones, just like "Deal or No Deal" has regional contests.

Double Jumble

If you enjoy your daily Jumble online or in the newspaper, then you'll love this item. "Double Jumble" may be coming to your small screen soon.

Tribune Media Services filed a trademark app on November 15 to protect Double Jumble for a few items, including "production of television game show." Plus, this type of a show fits the current model — a show that can be produced on a shoestring budget, without writers and that will probably follow the successful formula of "Merv Griffin's Crosswords."

I couldn't find anything else about this show, but I'd love to know how the game play will be different from previous Jumble-like game shows.

Big Girls Don't Cry in the Jailhouse Rock

Let's turn on the music wayback machine. Twice. First 1962 and then 1957.

On today's date in 1962, The Four Seasons hit, Big Girls Don't Cry, just started it's five-week run at #1 on the Billboard charts. The song permeated pop culture enough that even "The Sopranos" had an ep named after the song. Of course, there's the obvious take-off, Big Boys Don't Cry, which a few series used for ep titles. Some series were more creative though:

• Big Bird Don't Fly (''Animal Atlas'')
• Big Girls Don't Fly (''Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,'' 5/12/1996)
• Big Gumps Don't Cry (''Little Wizards'')

Just five years earlier, Elvis dominated the charts for most of the year. On this date in 1957, "Jailhouse Rock" continued it's run at #1. What an easy target for TV scribes. Popular song. Easy word to rhyme. Here's how writers honored this song through ep titles:

• Jail House Flock (''Captain Planet and the Planeteers,'' 3/26/1994)
• Jailhouse Crock (''Captain Butler,'' 2/7/1997)
• Jailhouse Dick (''3rd Rock from the Sun,'' 12/17/1997)
• Jailhouse Doc (''House Calls,'' 11/14/1980)
• Jailhouse Notch (Part 2 of 3) (''Son of the Beach,'' 9/24/2002)
• Jailhouse Shock (''Timon & Pumbaa'')
• Jailhouse Shock (''The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat'')

New Eps Online: November, Week 3

New series and seasons (full eps only) released online since 13 November 2007:

• ''Bob and Margaret'' (Comedy Central; Unbox): complete series
• ''Class of the Titans'' (Teletoon; Unbox): seasons 1 & 2
• ''Cory in the House'' (Disney; iTunes): current season (2)
• ''Gangland'' (History; iTunes): current season (1)
• ''Lizzie McGuire'' (Disney; iTunes): seasons 1 & 2
• ''Lou Grant'' (CBS; Unbox): seasons 1, 2 & 3
• ''Nimrod Nation'' (Sundance; iTunes): current season (1)
• ''Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!'' (Adult Swim; iTunes): current season (2)
• ''Tokko'' (Unbox): complete series

Awards Update

I've added 725 records to the trivialTV Awards Db for the following:

• Artios Award: 2007 winners
• CIMA Award: 2007 winners
• Cult TV Award: 2007 noms & winners
• Diversity Award: 2007 winners
• Emmy Award: 2007 winners
• Environmental Media Association Award: 2007 noms & winners
• Freddie Award: 2007 winners
• Golden Laurel Award: 2008 noms
• Golden Tater Award: 2007 winners
• Hugo Award: 2007 winner
• Human Rights First Award: 2007 noms & winners
• Media Access Award: 2007 winners
• Panda Award: 2006 finalists & winners
• People’s Choice Award: 2008 noms
• Reality Remix Reality Awarda: 2007 noms & winners
• Scream Award: 2007 noms & winners
• Stony Award: 2007 winners
• SyFy Genre Award: 2007 winners
• TV DVD Awards: 2007 noms & winners
• Time Magazine’s 100 Best TV Shows
• Tubey Award: 2007 winners
• Viewers Voice Award: 2006 winners

You now search nearly 60,000 records every time you look for award info. Enjoy!

It's Party Time

Lifetime is pretty busy pumping out ideas for new reality shows...and changing their titles.

"Matched in Manhattan" preems on January 4, 2008. It's original name? "Matt Titus: Matchmaker"

Two other shows are set to debut on the same day — "It's My Party" and "How to Look Good Naked." As far as I know, "Naked" still has the same name. As for "It's My Party"? Well....

According to this press release on October 10, "It's My Party" is just the working title of the show. Usually a sure sign it's gonna' change when the official announcement still has '(wt)' after the name.

And then on November 6, 2007 Lifetime filed a trademark application for "It's Party Time." Coincidence? I think not.

It's probably safe to say you'll be watching "It's Party Time" on Lifetime on January 4, 2008.

Fred Roggin's New Challenge?

You heard it hear first. There are rumors that Fred Roggin (KNBC | Los Angeles) is developing a new weekly TV show. Something that's never been tried in LA TV history. Premieres January 2008.

Want more details? You'll just have to wait. Sometime before Christmas I'll spill the details.

Episode M*A*S*H

Eighty years ago today, McLean Stevenson was born. We knew him best as the late Lt. Col. Henry Blake. After leaving "M*A*S*H," Stevenson appeared in only one theatrical film, The Cat from Outer Space (1978). Definitely not a blockbuster, but a great title for TV.

Think about some TV shows with "Outer Space" in the title.

• "Homeboys in Outer Space" (UPN, 1996)
• "Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space" (CBS, 1972)
• "They Came from Outer Space" (Syn, 1991)

Not much of a list. Good thing it's Wednesday — that way we can take a look at episode titles with the form, "_____ from Outer Space."

• A Scary Face from Outer Space (''Shake, Rattle and Roll'')
• Ace From Outer Space (''G-Force: Guardians of Space'')
• Birthday Party from Outer Space (''Denver, the Last Dinosaur'')
• Brother from Outer Space (''The Astronut Show'')
• Gomer and the Little Men from Outer Space (''Gomer Pyle, USMC,'' 10/26/1966)
• Little Ace from Outer Space (''Beany and Cecil'')
• Meatballs from Outer Space (''Cookin' Cheap'')
• Menace from Outer Space (1956) (''Rocky Jones, Space Ranger,'' )
• Microducks from Outer Space (''DuckTales,'' 6/24/1988)
• Mind Stealers from Outer Space (''Wonder Woman,'' 12/2/1977)
• Monster from Outer Space (''Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse'')
• Oinks from Outer Space (''Tokyo Pig,'' 1/4/2003)
• Raiders from Outer Space (''The Time Tunnel,'' 3/31/1967)
• Revenge of the Chicken from Outer Space; (''Courage the Cowardly Dog,'' 3/23/2001)
• Strange Trout from Outer Space (''Camp Lazlo'')
• Strangers from Outer Space (''Rod Brown of the Rocket Rangers,'' 6/27/1953)
• The Ace from Outer Space (''Medabots,'' 3/9/2002)
• The Alien Brain From Outer Space (''Frankenstein Jr.'')
• The Big Angry Virgin from Outer Space (''3rd Rock from the Sun,'' 10/6/1996)
• The Boy from Outer Space (''Astro Boy'')
• The Chicken from Outer Space (''The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis,'' 3/8/1960)
• Son of the Chicken from Outer Space (''Courage the Cowardly Dog,'' 11/1/2002)
• The Monster from Outer Space (''Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,'' 12/19/1965)
• The Pied Piper from Outer Space (''The World's Greatest SuperFriends'')
• The Survivors from Outer Space (''Highlander: The Animated Series,'' 11/16/1995)
• The Thief from Outer Space (''Lost in Space,'' 11/9/1966)

And even though McLean Stevenson may have only watched Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959), these eps are also from outer space:

• Fruit 10 from Outer Space (Pomegranates) (''Good Eats'')
• Plan 10 from Outer Space (''Probe,'' 4/7/1988)
• Plan Ape From Outer Space (''Captain Simian and the Space Monkeys,'' 11/30/1996)
• Plan Brain from Outer Space (''Pinky & the Brain,'' 9/28/1996)
• Plan Eight From Outer Space (''Muppet Babies'')
• Plan Six from Outer Space (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'')

New Eps Online: November, Week 2

New series and seasons (full eps only) released online since 6 November 2007:

• ''Bunnytown'' (Disney; iTunes): current season (1)
• ''Clean House'' (style; iTunes): current season (6)
• ''411VM Skateboarding'' (iTunes): current season (15)
• ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (CBS; Unbox): season 1
• ''The Mr. Bill Show'' (Unbox): multiple volumes
• ''Murder by the Book'' (CourtTV; iTunes): current season (2)
• ''Noein'' (Unbox): season 1
• ''The Studio Exercise Collection'' (Unbox): multiple volumes
• ''Trick My Truck'' (CMT; iTunes, Unbox): current season (1)
• ''Wired Science'' (PBS; iTunes): current season (1)
• ''Xavier: Renegade Angel'' (Adult Swim; iTunes): current season (1)

TV Schedule Update

I've added 543 records for four more weeks in the TV schedule search. You can now search for dates through 10/28/2007.

Enjoy!

Connect. Play. Share.

Sounds like the perfect tagline for Nintendo or Sony, doesn't it? So imagine my surprise when I found that Lifetime was behind that slogan!

It's true.

On October 31, 2007 Lifetime Entertainment Services filed a trademark app for

Online services, namely providing a website featuring information regarding television and the distribution thereof and issues of interest and concern to women, namely sports, music, movies, books, celebrities, fashion, advocacy initiatives towards ending violence against women, biographies of everyday women, shopping, cooking, weddings, astrology, interior design and decorating, beauty, relationships, gardening, games, self-improvement and advocacy for breast cancer awareness and support.

Ep Title Medley

Today, let's take a walk through music history looking at Hot 100 chart toppers for early November.

40 years ago: Lulu's "To Sir, with Love" topped the charts for five consecutive weeks. Only one song — "I'm a Believer" — had a longer run in 1967. A number of TV scribes wrote, "To Lulu, with Love," by honoring her song:

• To Sewer With Love (''The Baby Huey Show'')
• To Sir, with ... Ah, What the Heck ... Love (''Night Court,'' 2/26/1992)
• To Sir, with Ed (''Ed, Edd 'n Eddy'')
• To Sir, with Love (''Cagney & Lacey,'' 2/16/1987)
• To Sir, with Lust (''Cybill,'' 11/5/1995)
• To Sir, with Mom (''Eve,'' 3/23/2006)
• To Soeur, with Love (''Encore! Encore!,'' 1/20/1999)

30 years ago: Debby Boone dominated the charts for ten weeks with "You Light Up My Life." It was a bigger musical hit than cultural hit though — this song didn't light up the lives of too many TV writers:

• Pooh, Light Up My Life (''My Friends Tigger and Pooh,'' 5/20/2007)
• You Gaslight Up My Life (''Scorch,'' 3/13/1992)
• You Light Up My Union (''Boy Meets World,'' 10/22/1999)

New Eps Online: November, Week 1

New series and seasons (full eps only) released online since 30 October 2007 (plus a few new ones I missed last week for Hulu):

• ''Airwolf'' (CBS; AOL): season 1
• ''Beer Nutz'' (MOJO; Unbox): season 1
• ''The Bob Newhart Show'' (CBS; iTunes, Unbox): seasons 1, 2 & 3
• ''Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'' (NBC; Hulu on AOL): volume 1
• ''Chicago Hope'' (CBS; Hulu on AOL): volume 1
• ''Chowder'' (Cartoon Network; iTunes): current season (1)
• ''Codename: Kids Next Door'' (Cartoon Network; iTunes): season 6
• ''Everest: Beyond the Limit'' (Discovery; iTunes): current season (2)
• ''Firsthand'' (FuelTV; iTunes): all seasons
• ''The Immortal'' (Syn; Unbox): complete series
• ''Johnny Bravo'' (Cartoon Network; iTunes): seasons 2 & 5
• ''Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is'' (BET; iTunes): current season (2)
• ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' (USA; Unbox): current season (7)
• ''The Legend of Guan Gong'' (Cinemanow): season 1
• ''Lou Grant'' (CBS; Hulu on AOL): volume 1
• ''The Mary Tyler Moore Hour'' (CBS; Hulu on AOL): volume 1
• ''McHale's Navy'' (ABC; Hulu on AOL): volume 1
• ''Mr. Moon's Magic Circus'' (Cinemanow): season 1
• ''MonsterQuest'' (History; iTunes, Unbox): current season (1)
• ''NASCAR in Primetime'' (ABC; iTunes): current season (1)
• ''Over There'' (FX; Hulu on AOL): season 1
• ''Popeye the Sailor'' (theaters; iTunes): volume 1
• ''Reaper'' (CW; iTunes): current season (1)
• ''Rehearsals'' (Unbox): season 1
• ''Roots: The Next Generation'' (ABC; iTunes, Unbox): complete miniseries
• ''Scrubs'' (NBC; iTunes): current season (7)
• ''The Shot'' (VH1; iTunes): current season (1)
• ''Three Sheets'' (MOJO; Unbox): season 2

I Survived...Split This House

Now that would be a fun series. Unfortunately, it doesn't exit. I just concatenated two upcoming A&E series for the title.

On October 26, 2007 A&E filed trademark apps to protect I Survived... and Split This House for new TV shows.

According to one filing, I Survived... will be an "on-going telelvision series featuring the stories of people who have overcome overwhelming circumstances, near death experiences and/or accidents." A&E really has hit rock-bottom. Talk about an inexpensive copycat concept. These stories have been around forever. ABC aired "I Survived a Disaster" specials in 1997 and 1998. Fox didn't want to be left out; so it aired its own series of specials — "Surviving the Moment of Impact" — from 1998 to 2001. Then the survival stories went to cable. Discovery aired "Impact: Stories of Survival" in 2002 and "Survive This" in 2007. I'm sure there are many more, but you get my point. A&E is pretty far down the pecking order on TV channels these days. I wonder how many times the same person appeared in multiple series?

Split This House is "on-going television series featuring stories about home decoration" according to its application. Now here's one show I can finally tell you something about. Kelley Moore, one of the co-hosts of "Split This House," posted a few items about the pilot on her blog (w/makeover pics).

Born Ready

Warner Music Group (WMG) and a TV sports show called "Born Ready"? That just doesn't make sense.

That's what I thought, too. But stick with me on this one.

On October 25, 2007 Warner Music Inc. filed a trademark application to protect Born Ready for "entertainment services in the nature of an ongoing web-based show and an ongoing television program in the field of sports." Odd. But the app is pretty specific about "Born Ready" being a web/TV sports program.

Wait. The plot thickens.

One month earlier on September 14, 2007, Den of Thieves registered the domain name, bornready.tv. As usual when I tell you about such things, the domain is just parked.

Are you confused yet? Let me clear things up for you. According to this NY Post article (May 8, 2007), Den of Thieves is a video unit of Warner Music Group Corp. and was formed to "drive New York-based Warner Music's digital sales of music as demand for compact discs declines."

Perfect. I e-mailed Evan Prager, one of the heads of the LA-based Den of Thieves, about the new project, but I received no reply. What else is new?

My guess? (And it's only a guess.) Den of Thieves will produce a short-form series that highlights extreme sports action set to new WMG music. Think about a web/TV-version of Ultimate X or any of Warren Miller's ski films. Or maybe think about it as a package of music videos with extreme sports as the common theme. It would also be a perfect product to market exclusively on AOL Video — it could be presented as an entire program or as individual music videos. It might also be one of many items required to raise the national profile of Time Warner Sports so AOL Time Warner can better compete with News Corp (Fox Sports, Fuel), Disney (ESPN), Comcast (Versus), etc.