While trolling through Super Bowl material, I came across this ad, run at the 2002 Super Bowl, after 9/11. Still chokes me up.

Drew Peterson, one of those people who seems to believe he can talk his way out of anything, apparently said a little too much on "Nightline." This item arrived in today's e-mail:

Drew Peterson told ABC News today that his fiancee dumped him as they watched his interview Thursday on "Nightline." Peterson told anchor Martin Bashir that his fiancee called him a liar, packed her bags, and left. Peterson told Bashir, "The engagement is over because of your interviews."

The ratings for "CSI" apparently rebounded from Laurence Fishburne's first week, but that's deceptive since "Grey's Anatomy" was a rerun. Still, I've been sitting in with the show, and am not displeased. ...

Am tied up with writing and errands so far today, but had to drop a note here. I was listening to a recording of Aretha Franklin's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" last night, and haven't been able to forget it since. This is a somewhat different version, but possibly more impressive. I know Aretha is an iconic figure now, but when I hear labored vocals like hers at the Obama inaugural, I have to go back to the days when she could sing anything. Anything! All right, so "Elusive Butterfly" defeated her. But pretty much anything.

Notes after the jump. ...

Both TV Tattle and Vote for the Worst made note of an apology that showed up on the "American Idol" site. You may recall Mark Mudd Jr., the Louisville auditioner who seemed to spook the judges when he told them to "be careful." "Idol" has posted this note:

We apologize to any viewers who were offended by the misinterpretation of the contestant's comment to "be careful" upon completion of his audition in Louisville, KY. Our visits to audition cities are relatively brief and sometimes regional greetings and salutations are lost in translation. We had not heard that phrase from any other contestants during the day, so it took everyone by surprise. We now know better and look forward to visiting Louisville again someday.

Sepinwall passed this one along. Content is semi-adult but what kid would care about a "Mad Men" parody anyway?

   Because we try to serve all demographics here at the HeldenFiles, I have to mention "Crush Night" on Feb. 7 (with a replay adding new material on Feb. 15), with new episodes of "The Naked Brothers Band," "True Jackson" and "iCarly," with "iCarly" featuring the acting debut of David Archuleta. Archie will also co-host the night with Miranda Cosgrove, and promote his musical career.

The full announcement is after the jump.

Well, the roads were passable today. With more snow due tomorrow, we'll see how long this era of good feelings lasts, since more snow is expected tonight and tomorrow.

(Akron Beacon Journal photo)
 

I had planned to take the day off anyway, and the snowfall gave me one more reason. Much snow-blowing this morning, and I'll have to go at it again this afternoon. I will be posting later tonight after "Lost," which I have seen but will hold discussion until after it has aired on the East Coast, and possibly "Lie to Me," which has had me curious about a second episode. And the usual "American Idol" post.

Notes from watching, including a frisky and briefly irked Paula, after the jump ...

The Super Bowl has been a place for scantily clad women, erectile-dysfunction ads, at least one controversial commercial a year and the occasional unbleeped expression of rudeness from the sidelines. But somehow, a sexy PETA reportedly did not make the cut. To be sure, the ad looks like an act of provocation. But so does a lot that does get on television.

I have posted the ad AFTER the jump, so as not to offend some blog readers and people who refuse to be clean plate rangers. This will be your only content warning.

Includes actor-writer-director Mike White -- "School of Rock," "Year of the Dog" teamed with his clergyman father! Plus small stuntmen, lawyer siblings, flight attendants, cheerleaders and more. Full list and info after the jump. The series returns Feb. 15.

(UPDATE: Mickey's rep says he's not going to do "Wrestlemania." Well, not now at least. Let's see what happens if his career goes back to its pre-"Wrestler" level.)

With new and returning shows occupying more and more of winter nights, and with a couple of evening classes on my plate, I've been hoping to find a way to free up some hours. And I think I got two this week. ...

Coming later: Comments about "CSI" (the first post-Grissom episode), "The Office," "30 Rock," a contemplation of "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" and, I hope, at last, my discussion of "Frost/Nixon."

An expanded and revised version of my "drop dead" rant about the Oscars, "The Dark Knight" and "WALL-E" is here.

It's now been about four hours since the Academy Awards nominations were announced. You can find other posts about them, including a look at where you might see the films, below. But as I have chewed on the nominations, the biggest message remains: Oscar hates television.

Here's the second of my two segments Oscar-iziing:

I'm still working on the list of what's in theaters and what's on DVD. And for those of you not in Northeast Ohio, this may be of limited usefulness. But I have some guidance after the jump.

 
"Six nominations? How long before I win one of these Oscars? I mean, I just showed up at the Golden Globes and they gave me TWO in one night!"
 

"Is it because I'm animated? Because I made too much money?"

At about 5 o'clock this morning I was pulling into the parking lot at WEWS (Channel 5) in Cleveland. Folks at the station had asked me to talk about what might happen at this morning's Oscar nominations ...

... and to do it in their studio. So I was up at 3, on the road at 4, hanging around the studio at 5 and on the air at about 5:40 and again an hour later. The people at Channel 5 were very nice and did their best to help me not look like what I am -- an overly talkative, overweight, semi-old guy.

(Photo from CBS)

Field conditions: Cedar Lee theater, 2 p.m. Saturday show. Small theater, well filled, but still chilly. Trailers: "Che, "I've Loved You For So Long," "The Wrestler."

If you're looking for my posts about the inauguration, they are below. In this post, a little bit of this, that and Virginia Woolf, after the jump.

I've watched bits of three different inaugural balls tonight, and at every one the Obamas have danced to "At Last." I never get tired of the Etta James classic. But since Beyonce sang it at one of the balls, here's one of her renditions:

 (Photo from ABC News)

Reports on CNN that a Senator has collapsed at the luncheon; talk at first that it was Robert Byrd, then that it's Ted Kennedy. The luncheon appears to be proceeding routinely, presentations of gifts and photographs. ABC says there is an ambulance on the scene and that Kennedy has been taken out of the luncheon, but Gibson admits some uncertainty. CBS also notes that he has left the luncheon.

NBC's Kelly O'Donnell offers a report, but is saying the medical emergency involves Robert Byrd. CNN graphic is now saying just that a "senator collapsed."

Here's the way things go right now: On CBS, Bob Schieffer was quite passionately explaining how much race in America has changed in his lifetime -- especially for someone like him, who grew up in segregated America. Then I switch over to NBC, where they're discussing the designer who came up with Mrs. Obama's dress. CNN keeps promising an "exclusive satellite view of inaugural crowds" (at least it's not a hologram), while one of its reporters has trouble getting out the words "I have a dream" when talking about Martin Luther King Jr. A rather young-looking reporter, I should add.

Late last week, Channel 8 indicated it would go to regular programming this afternoon; it's even still listed that way in my onscreen menu. But now it is carrying coverage instead. Doesn't appear to be Fox coverage, but it's something.

Is it a new day or the same old partisanship that Obama decried in his speech?

On Fox News, commentator Peter Robinson praises the speech as an event and calls Obama "a very formidable figure," a man of energy and intelligence. But he says the speech as text did not contain any phrases that will ring through history -- and that Obama is still "fundamentally liberal," since he talked about global warming.

I just settled into one station for the speech. It was the one he has been warning us about for months, one about getting to work, and facing hard times. It didn't inspire or move me the way some of his other speeches have, but it was the speech needed at this moment. No sugar-coating, as someone said before the speech.

Dianne Feinstein welcomes the crowd. "The world is watching today," she says. The commentariat has gone silent, although there are explanatory graphics.

Pause in the proceedings. Crowd noise more audible, including what sounds like a chant for Obama. Then shots of more people heading toward the stage, including "poor Dick Cheney," as Chris Wallace describes the veep being in a wheelchair because he was "being a good husband" moving boxes.

11:35: President Bush and Dick Cheney are introduced to the audience. Bush mingles with folks, including the Clintons, as he heads toward his seat. The commentary is beginning to diminish on some networks.

On CNN Steven Spielberg looks at crowd and says, "I couldn't afford to do this shot in a movie."

The focus is on Supreme Court justices, new administration officials, others arriving, with chat about them. I am looking forward to the formal start of the ceremony, and an end to the talk, so we can all soak up the moment.

On TV One, Tom Joyner reminisces about Obama, "a regular guy who had the same mission in mind that I have on the radio every day, and that is to super-serve the African-American community."

Chris Wallace at FNC: "There was a feeling of a street fair. First you saw dozens, then hundreds, then thousands of people heading to the Capitol. ... There were vendors out on every street corner. ... A real celebratory air."

Obamas arrive at White House. Blanket coverage. The Bushes greet them. Mrs. Obama brings a gift. Someone on NBC says "I'll bet it's not Tupperware."

CNN graphic: "The FBI is deploying four times more resources for security than at the last inauguration."

CNN's John Roberts calls this a "monumentous" occasion.

FNC shows off a Barack Obama tie for sale on the parade route.

C-SPAN discusses the presidential oath of office: only oath that is in the Constitution.

TV One has an Obama documentary noting that he almost gave up politics after losing a 2000 campaign for Congress.

"It's just extraordinary to me how many people have come," says Charlie Gibson on ABC. He also sees an ebullience and joy that transcends other inaugurations he has seen.

Katie Couric on CBS explains that she needed help getting through the crowds -- that she had to say "excuse me, I have to be on television. ... Luckily, a few of them recognized me and let me through."

Fox News Channel, even in commercials, splits the screen so it also has two shots from D.C.

9 a.m.: Fox Broadcasting coverage comes in; the other broadcast nets are in expanded editions of their morning programs. Shep Smith notes all the places he has been and "I have never in all my born days seen crowds like this. ... The city of D.C. is packed. ... It is destination central."

8:47: Obamas emerge. Networks show. A band playing "America the Beautiful" can be heard on some channels. Motorcade. CNN notes they are running late. But it is literally a couple of minutes to the church. NBC's Brokaw has more than once brought up Mrs. Obama's clothes; he attributes it to "living with four women. ... I pay attention."

"Now the day is basically out of the Obama's control," says Matt Lauer. Since the church service is a private, several networks go to commercial.

At moments like this, I am happy to have C-SPAN. Instead of chatter, there is simply footage: at the moment a split screen with the inauguration site on one side and the Obama cars on the other. It's not the greatest video, to be sure, but it's a chance to just reflect on the event without a lot of talking from the news crowd. (Over at ABC, Cokie Roberts is recalling the church-going habits of previous president.)

The car shot dominates network shots at the moment, sometimes filling the screen, sometimes sharing. Fox has a three-shot split or the cars, the mall and a clergyman waiting in the door of the church.

CNN reporter reports surrounded by what he calls "all of these smiling African-American faces." Crowd cheers during his report. Someone says, "Yeah, Cleveland!"

The speech-expectation issue comes up again on NBC, as Matt Lauer talks with Peggy Noonan; Noonan says the speech was done 10 days ago and Obama has been preparing to deliver it since.

Fox News says there are already more than 200,000 people at the mall. Brian Kilmeade says expectations are high for his speech since he has been "knocking it out of the park" in speeches for so long.

Amazing crowd shot on NBC.

On C-SPAN, Ann Compton says the blocked-off streets have made the inauguration area "a pedestrian's paradise." Crawls and graphics on several channels are noting inauguration trivia (first televised inauguration: Harry Truman, 1949).

It's not all party-party. On CNN, San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom is asked about Rick Warren's involvement in the inauguration -- since Warren has made anti-gay comments. Newsom gently indicates both his respect for Warren and his feeling that Warren should not have been part of today's events. "Today" has a taped piece about the challenges facing the new president, followed by discussion with Tom Brokaw and David Gregory. Brokaw says Obama team believes "a crisis is a terrible thing to waste -- because they have the country paying attention and so much good will out there." Did he think before drawing on a United Negro College Fund slogan for his comment?

Good morning! Over the next 90 minutes or so, I will be adding notes here from time to time; at about 9 a.m., I will begin continuous posting. It will be a snapshot approach, bouncing among the various channels covering events.

By 7 a.m., much coverage was in progress. The tone is celebratory overall. I have heard numerous networks talking about security in D.C., about the weather, about the already huge crowds -- and about the Biden gaffe on "Oprah" yesterday. President-elect Obama's press secretary is making the news rounds. Ohio's Ken Blackwell as on CNN about half an hour ago. Channel 8 at this moment has a dog in patriotic garb on the set.

Field conditions: Seen at Plaza Cinemas at Chapel Hill. 5 p.m. Sunday show. Light attendance. Trailers preceding: "Defiance," "Last Chance Harvey," "Angels and Demons," "Revolutionary Road," "Wolverine."

This was a long movie weekend. Besides "Gran Torino," written about below, I saw "Milk" and "Frost/Nixon" on Saturday, then "Slumdog Millionaire" today. I expect to post full writeups about those three movies at some point, maybe on Monday.

I have some rather large gaps in my recent moviegoing, especially considering that the Oscar nominations will be announced on Jan. 22. So I am hoping to do at least a little catching up this weekend. I started tonight with "Gran Torino," directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. ...

Having let DirecTV have first crack at the 13 third-season episodes of "Friday Night Lights," NBC begins airing them tonight. And if you have been eagerly awaiting the show's return to first-season form, you will most likely get it tonight. I will explain the "most likely" and talk a bit more about the show after the jump.

The movie will be back on Jan. 23, in both regular cinemas and IMAX houses, according to an announcement from Warner Bros. (The announcement is after the jump.) The movie, one of my favorites, took in $531 million at the North American box office and $466 million overseas. It is also on DVD and Blu-ray. But, as I said in reviewing the DVD, it's not quite the same as seeing it on a big screen. And, so very conveniently, this new theatrical run begins the day after the Oscar nominations are announced -- and those may inspire new curiosity about the film.

As I noted earlier, Ricardo Montalban has died. Here's a lineup for movies with Montalban that TCM is running on Jan. 23,. (Descriptions are all from TCM.)

7:30 a.m. Fiesta (1947) – In his first leading role, Montalban plays a young man whose parents want him to become a toreador, but he is more interested in music. Esther Williams and Cyd Charisse also star in this musical shot on location in Mexico.

In case you missed it, my Sunday review of "The Beast," which premieres tonight, is after the jump.

The veteran actor has died. Obit here. I have a large reserve of affection for Montalaban. The Khan appearances on "Star Trek," of course (and "Wrath of Khan" may be the best of the big-screen "Treks"). I saw him on tour in the '70s in staged readings of "Don Juan in Hell," with Myrna Loy and others. Wasn't a "Fantasy Island" fan but he certainly made a lasting impression with it. The obit I linked to also notes that he was active in getting work for Latino actors. "Saturday Night Live" added to his legend in the "Quien es mas macho?" sketch. And for those of us of a certain age, Montalban stuck the words "Corinthian leather" in our heads forever thanks to those Chrysler Cordoba commercials.

In my overlong adolescence, there were few guys as cool as Patrick McGoohan, who has died at the age of 80.

Premieres tonight on DirecTV

As "Friday Night Lights" finishes its third-season run on DirecTV tonight (and then begins replays on NBC on Friday), DirecTV launches a piece from the vault, "Wonderland." The show was created and produced by Peter Berg, who also brought "Friday Night Lights" to the movie screen and later TV, and aired very briefly on ABC in 2000. DirecTV will run all eight episodes that were produced, six of which never made it on ABC. ...

Notes from the telecast, after the jump.

... and other bits, after the jump.

Had high hopes for Neil Patrick Harris as host of "Saturday Night Live" last night, and held onto them during his opening monologue, where the Fred Savage-envy was very nicely done, especially the aside about Harris having had a girlfriend. After that, though, the show dragged. Even the digital short was a nice idea stretched out a bit too long -- although the tear was a good payoff. Still, generally blah. And I tune out anytime there's a Penelope sketch, and backed up the playback only to see the Liza Minnelli cameo. Nice to see Kenan Thompson get a lot of air time, though.

This is a tough one for us middle-agers. Cheryl Holdridge of "Mickey Mouse Club" and "Leave It to Beaver" fame has died. An obit is here. I was a fan, and remember Holdridge for playing Julie Foster on "Leave It to Beaver" as much as for "MMC; she also did a nice guest-starring bit on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" as a young dancer who seemed very interested in Rob. As the obit notes, she basically left show business after marrying the Woolworth heir Lance Reventlow, but she did not live happily ever after.
(Photo from OriginalMMC.com)

"Grey's Anatomy" had one of those passages that sounds suspiciously like a producer-to-audience mea culpa last night, with the Chief lamenting once again about Seattle Grace's ranking 12th, and going through a laundry list of departures and problems that have afflicted the hospital. He also vowed not to leave his little zone of privacy until he figured out to right things.

But nothing in the episode indicates that either the Chief or the show has figured out how to get back on course.

In the NBC e-mail this morning:

Stephanie March returns to NBC'S Law and Order:SVU to reprise her role as Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot, Executive Producer Neal Baer announced today. March will return for six episodes, beginning Tuesday, February 17, (10-11 p.m. ET/PT).

Full announcement after the jump ...

The list is: Clint Black, Andrew Dice Clay, Annie Duke, Tom Green, Natalie Gulbis, Scott Hamilton, Jesse James, Claudia Jordan, Khloe Kardashian, Brian McKnight, Joan Rivers, Melissa Rivers, Brande Roderick, Dennis Rodman, Herschel Walker and Tionne (T-Boz) Watkins.

Which looks a pretty tiresome bunch, although I love this line from Jordan's bio:
"CLAUDIA JORDAN is a model for NBC's "Deal or No Deal" and currently holds the # 1 box, indicative of her rise up in the business." Also, this has a lot of people who have had more than enough time on TV already. Rodman long ago lost entertainment value, as did Tom Green. T-Boz already starred in a reality show, Annie Duke is probably playing poker on some channel as you read this and come on, another Kardashian showcase?

I'm on the SI.com e-mail list and today's missive included a link to the 1962 story presenting Ohio State's Jerry Lucas as Sportsman of the Year. The story is here and I loved it for a couple of reasons. One was this passage:

The full announcement is after the jump. Short take: There will be a new segment, "The Tenth Inning," in Spring 2010, covering events from 1993, when "Baseball" originally ended, to 2008.  The nine segments from the original series will also be replayed.

When I think of "Baseball," I always remember a scene where Billy Crystal is going into incredible detail about a baseball memory. "I'm sorry that I'm like this," he says, "but it's baseball." Still, I said at the time that the documentary went on longer than necessary -- although I still love parts of it, including Crystal's. I'm pasting my original review after the jump, and after the "Tenth Inning" announcement.

If "Damages" -- which begins its second season tonight -- was presented purely as an acting demonstration, where the cast members would simply do a marvelous scene and then stop, leading into another actor doing a marvelous scene, and then stop -- but wait. That's kind of what "Damages" already is ...

Timely or Tacky? You have probably marked your calendar already, but Jan. 20 is the day Barack Obama will be inaugurated president. It's also the day Warner Home Video will release the miniseries "George Wallace" on DVD. ...

In the wake of another Ohio State BCS bowl loss, I can't help but think of Fran Tarkenton's old monologue on "Saturday Night Live" after the Vikings lost yet another Super Bowl:

Now, I want everyone to know -- especially you Vikings fans out there -- that the Vikings aren't dead yet. [ the audience cheers ] Uh -- we're a team, uh, built on pride and discipline. And, next July, we're going back to Mankato, Minnesota -- we're gonna work harder than ever. We're gonna put on those bonnets and purple jerseys, and strap those little shoulder pads on, and I guarantee ya' that... we'll BE in that Super Bowl next season! And I predict... we'll lose again.
(Lines via the SNL Transcripts site)

Reuters says they're becoming much harder to get because the funding for them is running out. From the story:

Due to a last-minute rush of coupon requests, demand may exceed supply in the coming month, said the Department of Commerce official overseeing the subsidy program.

Now that the fog has cleared from dealing with the ongoing changes in the Time Warner/MTV Networks dispute, part of me is thinking that I should have spent yesterday more enjoyably. For more years than I can remember I have seen these deals go to the brink, with lots of alarms going off -- and then the two parties make a deal at the last minute (or, in yesterday's case, a little bit after the last minute). So why go crazy? ...

Time Warner Cable and MTV Networks have made a tentative deal. The channels stay on. I have lost track of how many times I have updated/rewritten my story. So Happy New Year one and all, including you "iCarly" fans worrying that you wouldn't have cable for that new episode. I am going to sleep, and I hope that this time I mean it.