What’s on TV tonight? Don’t ask

The AP’s David Bauder watches TV so you don’t have to.  And it’s not pretty: Last week seemed typical for CBS’ sitcoms on Monday night, television’s most popular — and raunchy — night of comedy. There was a strip club visit on “How I Met Your Mother,” lap dance included. The stars of “2 Broke [...]

A Catholic “Undercover Boss”

I’m a fan of the show, and can’t wait ’til it comes back this winter.  (I preached about it a couple years ago, in fact.) But this episode, airing in late January, sounds like something to see: Dina Dwyer-Owens, CEO of the Dwyer Group, a collection of home service franchises, donned a wig, pearls and [...]

The next big reality TV star just might be a priest

He’s Father Steve Porter, from California (of course!) and he’s getting a lot of buzz for a series now in development. From a press release on the program: The Rev. Steve Porter of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church and Derek Christopher of Lighthouse Blues Productions have spent the last year filming, editing and pitching [...]

What made Scott Pelley cry?

This: my vote for the best Christmas story this year.  God bless Steve Hartman.  And Scott Pelley, too.  (A grateful diaconal bow to Aggie Catholics, btw, for finding this!)

Remembering Bob Pierpoint

In 1982, my first job out of college was as a Production Secretary for the CBS Evening News in Washington.  I got up every morning and took the subway from Silver Spring to DuPont Circle, then walked a few blocks to the small, squat two-story building on M Street that was the home of the [...]

"Let's get out there and scratch that surface!"

When I first joined CBS News in 1982, typing and answering phones in the Washington bureau, one of the first calls I picked up was from New York, from a producer who said his name was “Elaine Benardos.”  Well, it was my first day on the job, and that was my first big blunder.   It [...]

How to make TV a source of happiness

For some unapologetic couch potatoes, that’s a little like saying “How to make beer a source of happiness.”  But — like beer — TV can also cause a few problems. Here are some helpful suggestions (courtesy, The Happiness Project) for avoiding those problems (other than just turning it off or giving it away): At lunch [...]

"Secret Access: The Vatican"

Thanks to my pal Dave Gibson, who alerted his readers to a History Channel special on the Vatican, airing tonight at 9 pm. As Dave notes: The show provides an overview of the history of the Vatican, and focuses on everyday life in the city-state today, and how it all works, or doesn’t, as the [...]

No "Mad Men" this summer?! Nooooooo!

Some people count the days until baseball’s opening day.  The rest of us measure our lives by the number of months until “Mad Men’s” return. But now, there’s this depressing news: Fans accustomed to spending their summer Sundays with Don Draper may have to wait a while longer. It looks increasingly likely that the fifth [...]

Pope will grant first-ever TV interview

Some authors do Oprah to plug their books.  The pope has other ideas. Details: Pontiffs utter and pronounce. They, well, pontificate. But on 22 April, Good Friday, Pope Benedict will– in a papal first – answer viewers’ questions on television. Rosario Carello, presenter of a special programme to be broadcast onItaly‘s publicly owned RAI network, [...]