Primetime TV

Rather than lap up the cricketing spotlight again, Shane Warne just hopes he won't be a prime time viewing embarrassment on Sunday night. Warne will go head-to-head with great mate Michael Clarke when he captains the Australian Cricket Association All Stars against Clarke's Australian XI in a Twenty20 friendly at the Gabba. The leg-spinning great will join with fellow former Test stars Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden in the All Stars line-up which also includes young guns like clean-hitting local boy Nathan Reardon.  

Here are the Nielsen's top prime-time shows for Nov. 9-15. National 1. "NBC Sunday Night Football: New England at Indianapolis," 22.3 million viewers. 2.  

The 2008 Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams' Cat On a Hot Tin Roof , which featured an African-American cast led by James Earl Jones as Big Daddy and Phylicia Rashad as Big Mama, begins performances Nov. 21 at the West End's Novello Theatre, prior to an official opening Dec. 1, for a limited run to April 10. Jones and Rashad reprise their roles. Also in the cast are British actor Adrian Lester replacing Terrence Howard as Brick, while Broadway's Sanaa Lathan (Tony Award-nominated for Best ...  

I can see it now. David Beckham hoisting the MLS Cup in triumph Sunday night on national TV as he conquers the league with the Los Angeles Galaxy and rides off into the sunset on a white horse to join star-studded AC Milan. Postgame, L.A. manager Bruce Arena lets us know it was a game that came down to a few plays, and Landon Donovan breaks the news that he is heading to AC Milan with Becks to continue their friendship.  

When broadcast stations and cable channels buy reruns of prime-time fare, they often use them in early evening hours because they have other material for prime time. As standards have eased in prime time, riskier content has ended up on the air earlier in the day. The FCC prohibits the broadcast of obscene material at any time and of profane and indecent material between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.That basically means:If it's OK for 9 p.m., it's OK for 5 p.m. Defining indecency and other terms is complicated.

it depicts or describes sexual or excretory organs or activities in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium.   -FCC

 

[TELEVISION WATCH] MLS Cup '09 will air on ESPN and Galavision Sunday at 8:30 pm ET. The title match, also available on ESPN360.com, is a television programmer's delight with David Beckham expected to make his first appearance. ESPN has committed six on-air personalities and 19 cameras.  

The Grinch and his pal Max are back for another seasonal run of "How The Grinch Stole Christmas." Television programmers decorate for the holidays much the same as we do. They haul out the carefully stored old favorites and try to place them where all can see.  

As producer of the ALMA awards honoring Latinos in television, music and sports, Olathe minority small-business owner David Chavez has brought recognition to famous Latino stars such as Penelope Cruz, Oscar De La Hoya and John Leguizamo.In October, Chavez was the focus of recognition himself. Chavez, chief executive officer of LatinPointe Inc., was honored by his alma mater as one of seven Washburn University graduates named Alumni Fellows.Alumni Fellows are individuals who have distinguished ...

I was producing a comedy special that same weekend in St. Joseph, Mo., so I spent a lot of time running back and forth between Topeka and St. Joe that weekend. There were several days of events, including dinners, lunches and a football game.   -David Chavez

 

Winfrey gets the final TV interview with pianist-showman Liberace, six weeks before his AIDS-related death, 1986. Winfrey travels to all-white Forsyth County, Ga., which had gained a reputation as being a hotbed for racism, 1987. It turns out that a majority of the county voices support for racial integration.  

The two teams ranked in the latest AP poll (No. 3 Texas and No. 12 Oklahoma State) represent the fewest in the league on this date in at least eight years. Last year on Nov. 20, there were five. The year of the quarterback in 2008 has turned into the year of a quarterback.

I would disagree with your assessment that this is not a big game   -Jim Tressel