TV Q&A with Rob Owen

Friday, July 18, 2008

This week's TV Q&A responds to questions about "The First 48," "Wendy Bell and Comcast moving to MSNBC. As always, thanks for reading, and keep those questions coming.

-- Rob Owen, Post-Gazette TV editor

Q: I was wondering what you have heard about "Sons of Anarchy" coming soon on FX? The promos look intriguing. Will this be a good FX series like "Nip/Tuck," "Rescue Me" and "Damages" or will this be more like "Dirt"?

Speaking of "Damages," have you heard anything about the second season? The first season was amazing and I cannot wait for more.

-- Benjamin, 26, Pittsburgh

Rob: I got a chance to see the first episode of "Sons of Anarchy" this week and I enjoyed it. I won't review it until I can see more episodes (and watch it while writing a story), but my first impression was positive.

"Damages" returns in January and I wrote a little bit about the new season in Wednesday's column.

Q: On A&E's "First 48," why is there never an attorney present during any of the suspects' questioning? Or do they not show any video where a counselor may be present due to attorney-client privilege? I find it odd that every single suspect on the show would refuse the right to speak with an attorney.

-- Tyler, 17, Penn Hills

Rob: Interesting question.

"Many people choose to speak to the police without invoking their right to have an attorney present," said a publicist for "The First 48." "In some cases, suspects do invoke their right to have an attorney present, and in those cases it is up to the lawyer to determine whether or not they may appear on camera."

Q: Several years ago, there was a show called "The PJs" that aired on Fox and then on The WB. I want to know why/who did the voice of Eddie Murphy's character in the later episodes? How many of them were not aired due to the cancellation?

-- Brendan, 21, West Chester

Rob: I usually skip questions about shows that were long ago canceled because if I don't know the answer offhand, it's nearly impossible to get answers from the creators who have moved on to other projects. But this one was sort of easy: IMDB makes it clear that Murphy voiced Thurgoode Orenthal Stubbs for the early episodes. IMDB indicates Mark Moseley took over the role but according to "PJs" creator Larry Wilmore, who happened to be at press tour this week, Phil Morris actually took over the part and Moseley looped just a few bits of dialogue when Murphy wasn't available.

As to why Murphy left, Wilmore didn't know, but it coincided with when Wilmore left "The PJs." He didn't think there were any unaired episodes and he doesn't know if or when "The PJs" will come out on DVD.

Q: When taping the "Bachelor"/"Bachelorette" series, what is the time span of production when meeting the 25 candidates to the end of selecting the "winner"?

-- Cathy McGrath, 56, Speers

Rob: It takes about six weeks to film each season.

Q: I noticed that Wendy Bell on WTAE was only gone from the air for a very short while (maybe only a week or so) after she apparently had her baby. Do you know when she had her baby and what she had (boy or girl)? Why did she come back to work after only a short leave?

-- Dee, 37, McKeesport

Rob: Her twin boys were born early and she returned to the air while they were still in the hospital, saving her maternity leave for when they came home.

Q: Is Marilyn Brooks, WTAE medical reporter, on vacation, retired, ailing or something else? I've missed her reports and got a little concerned.

-- Marge, 67, Mt. Lebanon

Rob: Brooks had knee replacement surgery and is "rehabbing nicely," according to Channel 4 news director Bob Longo. "We expect her to make a full recovery and re-join us in the weeks ahead."

Q: In February, all local channels will be broadcast in digital only, and the ads on TV tell me I'm covered if I'm a cable customer. But next week Comcast is moving a few channels to digital, it says, to make room for more high-def channels. Is Comcast starting to make the move before everyone else? I'm confused.

-- Jeff, McCandless

Rob: It is confusing because the term "digital" is used for two different things.

The digital switch that's been instigated by the government refers to moving broadcasters' over-the-air signal from the analog spectrum to the digital spectrum.

The Comcast switch involves moving channels between tiers on the cable system, not over the air. The Comcast moves have nothing to do with the government mandate. The government did not tell Comcast to move these channels; it was the company's choice.

Q: More a rant than a question. This week in Comcast's infinite wisdom, among other channel moves, MSNBC was moved by Comcast from channel 31 to 183. Why? It was nice and logical to have the tier of CNBC (30), MSNBC (31), CNN (32), Headline News (33) and Fox News (34). For political and news junkies it was so easy to move between these stations. Why was only MSNBC moved? I'll admit I'm a Democrat and a liberal. It is fueling conspiracy theories among many liberal viewers. I've been hoping Verizon gets their FiOS TV to my neighborhood. I would really like to get off Comcast's expensive system! I'm also considering DirectTV.

-- Rita, 55, McKeesport

Rob: We reported this move would occur last month. Yes, the conspiracy theorists are all riled up but I can't share their outrage. The TV business rarely has any regard for ideology; it's all about money. I'm not saying that's how it should be, just that it's how it is.

My guess is MSNBC would not agree to the financial terms that Comcast wanted so Comcast moved them. Or perhaps Comcast knows MSNBC is popular in Pittsburgh and so they moved it as an inducement to get more people to sign up for a digital tier. (Comcast also moved MSNBC to digital in Democrat-leaning Portland, Ore., last year). These are not the first moves to digital (Sci Fi Channel migrated several years ago; Comcast-owned G4 was among the channels to move this week) and they won't be the last. I imagine CNN and FNC will make the move eventually, too, and then all that will be left on analog are over-the-air channels.

Also, despite MSNBC's protests in last month's column, the move isn't altogether bad for the network from a demographic point of view. MSNBC has been known to tout its upscale ratings. Getting on a digital tier ensures a greater concentration of upscale viewers in the Pittsburgh market.

As for making the switch to DirecTV, the situation will not necessarily be different. DirecTV, DISH and Verizon are totally digital with no analog options. But perhaps you can get their digital cheaper than Comcast's digital tier. I'd always encourage you to shop around.

Q: I miss Keith Olbermann and MSNBC. Does Comcast ever reverse its choices about channel lineups? Is there anything that can be done to move MSNBC back to a lower channel?

-- Chase, 24, Robinson

Q: I am sure you have had thousands of comments regarding Comcast's move of MSNBC to the digital tier. Any chance they might rescind the move?

-- Charlotte, 70, Sewickley

Rob: More like a dozen rather than "thousands." And, no, Comcast is not known for responding to customer complaints such as these, so I don't expect them to rescind the move. Just as many viewers complained to me in 2003 when Comcast kicked Sci Fi Channel from standard to digital, but there it still sits today.

Q: What happened to the TV gossip that used to be on the left side of the Web page of the TV/Radio page of the Web site? I miss reading it.

-- Kathy, Northside

Rob: I, too, was disappointed to see that disappear when the Web site was redesigned recently. But the Web folks assure me they're working to bring back the links to Associated Press TV news reports on the Post-Gazette's TV page.

First published on July 18, 2008 at 12:00 am