Most people today know George Foreman as the fatherly and charming grill salesman that stars in TV Land's new reality series Family Foreman, debuting tonight (July 16).  

But the rough and tumble sport of boxing is still in the 59-year old former heavyweight champion’s blood, and Foreman didn’t pull any punches when discussing the state of the sport during the recent Television Critics Association Tour.  

Foreman said boxing, which vaulted him to prominence first as a gold medal winner at the 1968 Olympics and then as a two-time world heavyweight champion over a remarkable 30-year pro career, lacks marketable superstars.

Indeed, with Oscar De La...Read More

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Summer doesn't officially begin for another three weeks, but for the broadcast networks school is already out and vacation has begun.

When networks start hyping such silly reality shows as Wipeout and I Survived a Japanese Game Show, you know the broadcast schedule-makers have shut it down and gone fishing.

Meanwhile, cable networks are just beginning to heat up with new and returning original series that are expected to draw millions of viewers seeking top-notch content from the comfort of their air-conditioned living rooms.

USA Network got the ball rolling June 1 with the debut of its newest original serie...Read More

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The magical, sanitized ride of Disney Channel's billion dollar baby Miley Cyrus came to a crashing halt this past weekend when semi-nude photos of the wholesome 15-year old Hannah Montana star were released as part of a photo shoot for the upcoming issue of ...Read More

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Fuse may have been on to something after all.

The music network’s Pants-Off Dance-Off show was labeled the “dumbest show on television” by TV Guide when it launched in 2004. Yet millions of viewers tuned in anyway to see everyday people take it all off while dancing to the beat of their favorite tunes.

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For Cablevision Systems subscribers, last week’s introduction of free video on demand from Scripps Networks’ Food Network and HGTV looked better than a plate of Paula Dean’s southern fried chicken.

But one ingredient in the recipe could leave a bitter aftertaste with some viewers: All Food and HGTV on-demand programs include helpings of ads.

Food Network on-demand shows, from such series as Good Eats, feature four 15- to 30-second network promo spots in each episode — four more than Cable­vision viewers are used to experiencing during the mostly subscription-based on-demand fare from networks ranging from HBO to Disney Channel.

Still, the exposure to ads...Read More

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Showtime’s March 1 boxing telecast featuring Rafael Marquez and Israel Vazquez was a delight for ring sports enthusiasts. 

The fight, in which both 122-pound warriors battled and battered each other over 12 action packed rounds in the rubber match of their fight trilogy, will certainly be a contender for fight of the year.

Too bad only 15.5 million Showtime pay TV subscribers could witness the slugfest (Showtime will air a replay of the event tonight (March 4) at 10 p.m. and March 5 at 11 p.m.).

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Earlier this month the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) handed out its annual Image Awards celebrating African-American achievements in the entertainment business.

With regard to television shows, TBS’ Tyler Perry House of Payne, Disney Channel’s That’s So Raven and CW’s Everybody Hates Chris deservedly took home honors in the best comedy, best kids and best comedy writing categories respectively.

The shows would have also merited praise if the civil rights organization offered awards in the category of best shows on television featuring predominately African-Amer...Read More

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Can you name the most-watched show on cable thus far in 2008?

Hillary and Barack tossing verbal jabs at each other on the debate stage? Floyd Mayweather tossing real jabs in the wrestling ring? LeBron getting jiggy on the court during the NBA All-Star Game? Or two animated, married fairies welcoming a little bundle of joy into their magical world?

If you correctly guessed the latter, then you either work for the Nielsen Media Research company that estimates the weekly ratings, or you’re employed by Nickelodeon, which aired the Feb. 18 kids-targeted special Fairly OddBaby.

The show -- an offshoot of Nick’s six-year-old animated series the Fairly OddParents about two, odd-looking  miniature fairy Godparents who grant wishes to a buck-tooth pre-teen -- drew 8.8 million viewers on President’s Day.

That&rs...Read More

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Who says crime doesn’t pay?

Not Discovery Communications. This past Sunday (Jan. 27) the company placed the spotlight on investigative and forensics programming with the launch of Investigative Discovery (I.D., for short.) 

The network is rebranding its documentary-based network Discovery Times Channel to make room for I.D. While the service will continue to offer some investigative and current affairs programming, it will also showcase such crime-busting, reality series as Fugitive Strike Force, which follows Las Vegas S.W.A.T., regional bounty hunters and U.S. Marshals as they wrangle with the baddest criminals in and around Sin City. 

In fact when the re...Read More

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