So long Andy Griffith – a memoir from Ron Howard

A memoir of Andy Griffith from Ron Howard: Early in the second season of “The Andy Griffith Show,” I ventured a suggestion for a line change to make it sound more “like the way a kid would say it.” I was just 7 years old. But my idea was accepted and I remember standing frozen, …

New stadium rules for NFL games – free wifi, unlimited noise, more instant replay

Professional football, America’s most popular and profitable sport, is preparing to tackle a glaring weakness: Stadiums are increasingly empty. As part of sweeping changes designed to give teams more flexibility to fill their seats, the National Football League is watering down its controversial TV “blackout” rule. And this season, for the first time, fans in …

Amazing (gross) limited edition – Walking Dead Season 2

  The Walking Dead: The Complete Second Season Having trouble waiting until October to get your zombie suspense fix? Pick up The Walking Dead: The Complete Second Season ($70) on Blu-ray. This limited edition set includes all 13 episodes from the second season, as well as audio commentaries, webisodes, deleted scenes, over 10 new featurettes, all spread …

The Golden Age of ‘computer-generated effects’ in Television

That the new Golden Age of Television coincided with huge advancements in computer-generated effects can’t be a coincidence, right? Sure, celebrated shows like The Wire and Deadwood were maaaybe better known for their writing than they were for CGI, but these days it’s hard to find a classic show that doesn’t somehow include seamless special …

Netflix – Just for Kids – continues to roll-out to all devices

Netflix continued the roll-out of its Just for Kids UI to a number of connected devices this week. Upon launch, the app prompts viewers to either access the regular Netflix experience or Just for Kids. The kids section adds TV show characters as categories and allows children to find episodes of a show without relying …

Reading Rainbow turns into a startup, releases an iPad app

Back in 2009, NPR ran a story titled “‘Reading Rainbow’ Reaches Its Final Chapter.” At the time, that probably seemed like a reasonable headline — after all, after 26 years, the beloved TV show was going off the air, the victim of changing government funding priorities. But it looks like there’s actually a lot more …

I think my dad is a space alien

In “Alien,” the most recent TV spot from Audi, viewers are transported into the world of a child who misunderstands her dad’s looks, actions and most notably all of the technological innovations inside the Audi A6 as proof that he is a space alien.

Rick Steves episode diary – filming in Venice – an enchanting behind-the-scenes

We’re nearly finished filming two new TV shows on Venice. Thinking back over a very productive day, I realize how much I love this work. Our scripts are about 3,400 words per half-hour show. They are split between “on-cameras,” with me talking directly to the camera, and “B-roll,” where we “cover the script” with footage …

Sneak Peek – 30 upcoming TV shows for the Fall (with trailers)

The Los Angeles Times has put together this great page of upcoming TV shows. Called the Fall TV Previews it lists every new show with a description and trailer. I’ve already found four I want to watch – Elementary, Next Caller, Arrow, & Vegas. Every May, the television networks unveil their fall schedules to advertisers …