September 5 - September 11, 2010

So it begins, a new Fall schedule; some new and some renewed. How can something be new again? Renewed is a strange term. Let's say some are returning.

September 7

10:00 PM
Sons of Anarchy (FX)
Filming somewhere in California. Charming California has been spotted all over the San Joaquin Valley.

September 8

8:00 PM
America's Next Top Model (CW)<
Flip flops between NY and LA; currently flipped to LA

9:00 PM
Hellcats (CW)
New
Vancouver

10:00 PM
Terriers (FX)
New
San Diego

September 9

8:00 PM
The Vampire Diaries (CW)
Georgia? Really?

9:00 PM
Nikita (CW)
New
Toronto & LA

September 11

8:00 PM
Cops (Fox)
Films all over. 140 cites and counting. Do we really want them filming here? It's disgusting

9:00 PM
America's Most Wanted (Fox)
Washington DC

So, you can watch Sons of Anarchy, America's Next Top Model, Terriers and half of Nikita. Just kidding, you watch what you would like, just consider these as a strong option.

Sharon

There Isn't Any

There really isn't any TV worth watching right now. I did see something quite extraordinary on KOCE however; Katherine Jenkins, a mezzo soprano with a range and a compelling delivery that comes maybe once in a life time. If it's on again, try to catch her show. She's an amazing entertainer from Wales who is absolutely beautiful. It would even be great to watch her with the sound off, that's how beautiful she is.

I spent the afternoon researching the new Fall offerings, but I'm not quite ready to publish my findings. The Fall season starts September 7th, and I'm compiling a schedule of new shows and renewed shows and where they were filmed. I will asterisk those that sound interesting to me, but you will have to make your own decisions. There is a lot to choose from this year; lets hope there is some quality programming in the mix.

And hopefully, the studios will give the good ones a chance to settle in and find their audience. With all the work that goes into the creation of TV programming, sometimes I think the studios are too quite with the hook. How many people need to watch something for it to stay on the air? Currently, not a single show on TV during the last few weeks has pulled a double digit audience.

Anyway, watch for the September TV viewing schedule next Sunday.

Sharon

September TV Schedule

This is the September TV Schedule I have been compiling. I have not identified all the filming locations yet, but I will try to fill in the blanks as we go along. There are a lot of new shows, and if you watched the Emmys, you saw some of this years newbies win some awards as well as some of the old standbys. So here we go, another season, cross your fingers for some great programming.

Sharon



September 7
10:00 PM
Sons of Anarchy (FX)

September 8
8:00 PM
America's Next Top Model (CW)

9:00 PM
Hellcats (CW) New Vancouver

10:00 PM
Terriers (FX) New San Diego

September 9
8:00 PM
The Vampire Diaries (CW)

9:00 PM
Nikita (CW) New Toronto

September 11
8:00 PM
Cops (Fox)

9:00 PM
America's Most Wanted (Fox)

September 13
8:00 PM
90210 (CW)Los Angeles
9:00 PM
Gossip Girl (CW)Los Angeles
September 14
8:00 PM
One Tree Hill (CW)

9:00 PM
Life Unexpected (CW)

10:00 PM
Parenthood (NBC)

September 15
8:00 PM
Survivor: Nicaragua (CBS)Nicaragua

10:00 PM
Outlaw (NBC) New

September 16
10:00 PM
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX)Los Angeles & Philadelphia
The Apprentice (NBC)

10:30 PM
The League (FX)

September 19
8:00 PM
Boardwalk Empire (HBO) New

September 20
8:00 PM
Dancing with the Stars (ABC)

House (Fox)

Chuck (NBC)

How I Met Your Mother (CBS)

8:30 PM
Rules of Engagement (CBS)

9:00 PM
Lone Star (Fox) New Dallas

The Event (NBC) New

Two and a Half Men (CBS)Los Angeles
9:30 PM
Mike & Molly (CBS) New

10:00 PM
Castle (ABC)

Chase (NBC) New

Hawaii Five-0 (CBS)Hawaii

September 21
8:00 PM
Glee (Fox)

The Biggest Loser (NBC)

NCIS (CBS)

9:00 PM
Raising Hope (Fox) New

NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS)Los Angeles

9:30 PM
Running Wilde (Fox) New

10:00 PM
Detroit 1-8-7 (ABC) New

September 22
8:00 PM
Hell's Kitchen (Fox)

The Middle (ABC)

Undercovers (NBC) New

8:30 PM
Better With You (ABC) New

9:00 PM
Law & Order: SVU (NBC)

Criminal Minds (CBS)

Modern Family (ABC)Los Angeles
9:30 PM
Cougar Town (ABC)

10:00 PM
The Whole Truth (ABC) New Los Angeles

The Defenders (CBS) New

September 23
8:00 PM
My Generation (ABC) New

Bones (Fox)

Community (NBC)

The Big Bang Theory (CBS)

8:30 PM
30 Rock (NBC)

S#*! My Dad Says (CBS) New Los Angles

9:00 PM
Fringe (Fox)

Grey's Anatomy (ABC)

The Office (NBC)

CSI (CBS)

9:30 PM
Outsourced (NBC) New

10:00 PM
Private Practice (ABC)

The Mentalist (CBS)Los Angeles
September 24
8:00 PM
Smallville (CW)

School Pride (NBC) New

Medium (CBS)

9:00 PM
The Good Guys (Fox)

Supernatural (CW)

Dateline (NBC)

CSI: NY (CBS)

10:00 PM
20/20 (ABC)

Blue Bloods (CBS) New New York

September 25
10:00 PM
48 Hours Mystery (CBS)

September 26
7:00 PM
America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC)

7:30 PM
60 Minutes (CBS)

8:00 PM
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC)

The Simpsons (Fox)

8:30 PM
The Cleveland Show (Fox)

The Amazing Race (CBS)

9:00 PM
Desperate Housewives (ABC)

Family Guy (Fox)

Dexter (Showtime)

10:00 PM
Brothers & Sisters (ABC)

Undercover Boss (CBS)

Bored to Death (HBO)

10:30 PM
Eastbound & Down (HBO)

September 28
8:00 PM
No Ordinary Family (ABC) New

The Good Wife (CBS)New York

September 29
10:00 PM
Law & Order: Los Angeles (NBC) New Los Angeles

I Do Brain Exercises

It's not a coincidence that I'm telling you I do brain exercises on the day I'm supposed to blog about television production. I'm not suggesting I need to do brain exercises because I watch TV, although much of what I watch doesn't add anything to my IQ or store of knowledge. The only thing that TV adds is pounds to my ass. But still I choose to watch some pretty mind numbing/brain draining shows.

My daughters gave me a nifty package of brain exercises that is supposed to improve my brain's functionality by 300%. I've been doing these exercises almost daily for two months, and I have to tell you that I think I am getting sharper. Hooray for that. Does that mean that I've gotten too smart to accept the standard fare on TV? Probably not. But why aren't any of us more selective? When I pick a book to read, I am careful to read reviews, follow authors I have enjoyed in the past, ask my friends what they are reading that's good. But TV? I'm not so selective. If I had to pay for every show I watched, would I be more careful? Maybe. But I'm spending my time, isn't that more valuable than money?

I'm trying to convince you to watch TV shows that are filmed here, or at least check them out to see if you might like them, but I don't get into their worthiness as good fertilizer for the mind. Frankly, most of what's on TV isn't going to stimulate anything to grow.

And what's this about summer programming. Why do I feel it's a desert out there from June to September. Has anyone seen anything worthwhile on TV this summer? Is it all reruns and talent shows? At least I'm reading a good book, Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett who usually writes spy novels. It's about the building of a cathedral in England in the middle of the twelfth century. A TV series has been made of the book, and even though it was filmed in Austria and Hungary, Ridley Scott had a hand in it, and it is showing right now on Starz. I may wait for it to go to DVD so I can finish the book and watch the series in one sitting. The book is absolutely excellent. So now I'm suggesting what you should read too. Such arrogance.

Sharon

HBO

Home Box Office (HBO) is another cable channel to which I don't subscribe. So I never caught the Sex and the City or the Soprano's bug. I related to both from a distance because I lived in Manhattan, and even knew a few mafioso types when I lived in Brooklyn. But after spending some time researching where HBO films their series and miniseries, I realized I have missed a lot of quality TV viewing. Plus there are no commercials, which means uninterrupted viewing and more creative freedom because of the lack of sponsors to please.

HBO started out as a cable company in Manhattan in the 60's. Now look at them. They never leave an Emmy Show empty handed. I was expecting to see most of their production back east or overseas, but was pleasantly surprised to find that not to be the case. The California tax incentives are not available to TV producers, even when they are making full length features; hopefully that will be corrected in the future.

In the meantime, True Blood, perhaps HBO's most popular show, and another vampire saga, is filmed primarily in California, even though, as everyone knows, Louisiana is the usual home for those pointy toothed creatures. In fact, the story is based in Louisiana, and some of the opening shots are from a plantation located there. But guess what, HBO built a replica of the plantation in the Santa Monica Mountains. The Bon Temps graveyard and Sookies house are there too.

Big Love is another big HBO hit, and I was sure they must be filming in Utah, because it's about a polygamous family. Nope. Right here in Santa Clarita and at a bunch of other California locations. I haven't seen this show either, but I have seen the little boy who plays one of the characters. Actually he is twins and he shares the role with his brother. They were in my store the other day with their mother. They were quite the handful, but cute.

There is a new series that HBO is working on called Luck. It is filmed at the Santa Anita Racetrack and stars Dustin Hoffman. There's another called Tilda starring Ellen Page which is filming here too.

If anyone has a favorite HBO show they would like me to research, I'd be glad to give it the made in California test. So far, HBO is on my good list.

Sharon

Sunday is TV Fundamentals

I don't subscribe to Showtime, but I'm going to try it for the month of August. It costs $15.99 a month, but I think it may be worth it. Not only does Showtime have some critically acclaimed programing that frequently ends up receiving Emmys and Golden Globes, they are filming much of it in California. Weeds and Californication are both filmed here; Dexter is filmed here and in Miami; and the new reality show The Real L Word is also filmed here. As we get further into the season I will research more of Showtime's schedule, but this is a pretty good start.

One thing that Showtime seems to specialize in is dark comedy that skirts an outrageously fine line. All the way from a suburban mom who sells drugs, to a serial murderer who is trying to lead a normal life, to a writer who appears to have a sex addiction, to a reality show following six lesbians. Cable TV can't boast the audiences that the networks have, but by the blogosphere conversations, they engender some fanatical fans.

The only one of these shows I have seen is Dexter and I found the serial killer very appealing. I know that sounds strange, but if you watch it you'll see what I mean. Dexter is a serial killer with rules and principles; that doesn't make the killings right, but since he focuses on bad guys, somehow it becomes more acceptable.

I'm going to try to contact someone from Showtime. I want to understand the reasoning behind their decisions to shoot so much of their schedule here. If they can do it, why can't others? I'll get back to you on this one, but in the meantime, check out Showtime if you're tired of the more homogenized fare the networks provide.

Sharon

Did You Notice?

The Fall TV schedule is shaping up nicely to include less reality and more fiction. Scripted shows tend to be more expensive to produce. I mean how expensive can Big Brother be, they never go anywhere. Amazing Race may be more pricey, especially now that airlines charge for every little thing, but Survivor? No budget for stylist or caterers there. But in general, reality shows cost less to produce, and consequently employ fewer people. So it is good news to see that we have some interesting new fictional fare to sample this Fall. The advertisers must like it too. Scripted shows, especially the family type of drama or comedy are more predictable and the sleaze factor can be controlled better.

I'll let you know where the new slate of shows will be filming. All I ask is that you check out those that are filmed in California.

Sharon

Castle

I met a sound man who operates a boom (overhead microphone on a stick) that is used to capture actor's dialogue. He works on one of my favorite shows, Castle, Mondays at 10:00 PM on ABC.

Castle is a comedy/drama that features a famous novelist Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) and Det. Kate Beckett (Stana Katic). Castle follows Beckett around and helps her solve grisly murder cases. The ensemble cast works wonderfully well together and I find the writing and acting entertaining. I recommend you give it a chance. And of course, it is filmed in California.

I always like to hear that the actors whose work I admire are nice people. It seems to be difficult to remain 'nice' when one becomes famous. So when the sound man told me the whole cast was easy to work with and genuinely nice, it made me want to support the show even more. I asked him why he thought Castle, based in New York, is filmed right here in LA. He said; "it's cheaper; the producer lives here; it's very easy to use NY stock footage when they need it, and then film everything else here".

So let's line up for Castle. It has wrapped for this season with Det. Kate obviously in love with Castle, and vice versa. You know how those stories end, where neither knows how the other feels? But that's ok, the friction between them is delicious and it's great to see her tie him into knots show after show.

Sharon

LOLA

Law & Order became a groundbreaking, procedural TV series, prolific in creating talented progeny that shaped our viewing habits. It was a predictable pleasure when all else failed; you could watch, knowing you would be entertained and never disappointed.

For 20 years it was a gift to the NY City economy. As Mayor Bloomberg said recently, L & O came to New York when there were almost no other TV series shot there. Now they have 150 other TV shows that film there regularly. Hmmm - 200 to 300 jobs per show; 30,000 to 45,000 jobs! Would they all have shot here in California? Maybe. We'll never know.

Now we have a second chance because Dick Wolf, master of all that is plot worthy, is going to bring L & O home to California in the form of Law & Order LA (LOLA). The Filmed in California Committee, consisting of Jim, Dave and I, have already reached out to Mr. Wolfe's office to let him know that we are here for him. Dave has contacts, Jim works for City Councilman Rosendahl, and I have this tremendous following that is waiting to view LOLA. (Well, by the time the show airs, I'm sure I will have more than family and friends following this blog.)

Sharon

3 & 1/2 Funny Men

One of these shows I love a lot, the other I like but don't love as much, although both are superbly acted by some very funny guys. I won't tell you which I love and which I like because we all have our own tastes. All I ask is that you check them out and give them a chance. Have you ever watched the credits role after a TV show or movie has aired? Those are working Californians. Lots of them.

The first TV comedy is Monk on the USA TV Network. Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk is a consultant to a police department, hired for his brilliant investigative skills. The problem is that Monk has an obsessive compulsive disorder which makes him very endearing and also very conflicted. For someone with OCD it may be painful to watch, but Monk is such a sympathetic character that he may even be responsible for creating some understanding about the disease. And that's a good thing. Just give it a chance, if you're stuck at home on a Friday night, or DVR it. Monk airs every Friday at 9 PM. Oh, and just so you know, the series ends in December 2010. More people out of a job.

The second TV comedy is Two & One-half Men, although it is close to being three men, because the kid is growing up. The series is less about a story line and more about funny one liners, but those set jokes are delivered with impeccable timing. With all of the headlines about Charlie Sheen's personal troubles, there are rumors that this show isn't going forward either, at least production was put on hold while he's in rehab.. What a shame Charlie's a talented guy with issues. I wanted to see what that kid was going to do when he grew up. Monday night at 9 PM on CBS.

Tomorrow, I'll talk about another TV show that's filming here, and a block buster movie that will also be shot on the streets of LA. Just remember, when you see a film crew on the street, thank them, they are going to help keep police on the street, teachers in the schools and fire fighters struggling with the hot dry summer that is coming up.

Sharon

Let's Start with TV

I'm going to start the discussion with television shows that are filmed in California, because they have potential for creating some long running jobs with a certain amount of security. Many, many TV pilots are shot in California; of course, many, many pilots are never picked up. It's a little better than it used to be when there were just three main networks. Now, with a gazillion different channels, there are lots of additional shows being aired.

So, if you're not used to slipping off to channel heaven, you are going to have to break out of the mold to support some of these productions.

The first series I want to talk about is not such a huge stretch, it's on Fox. I never watched "24" before I started this blog. I have been missing one of my favorite shows and didn't even know it, and now it's going to be cancelled? Kieffer Sutherland as Jack Bauer, savior of all we hold dear, does just that every season in a single 24 hour period. It's exhausting to think about, exciting to watch. They film all over LA County, and have for years: from Chatsworth to Santa Clarita to Los Angeles. Kieffer is an amazing actor, and I have no problem recommending this production wholeheartedly. It's on tonight on Fox from 9 to 10 PM. It's last episode is May 24, 2010.

So, it's as simple as that. I'm going to see if I can find out how many people the show has regularly employed that are going to be out of work soon.

Sharon