Nbc Performs Well For Olympics
As we near the midway point of the Summer Olympics, NBC gets high marks for its coverage.
The network has made good on its promise to cut the number of commercials by 10 percent.
Some of that time, apparently, has gone to a higher volume of spots promoting NBC’s fall season and other network programming. But hey, for many viewers, those promos have been more entertaining than some of the events.
Spots for “The Jeff Foxworthy Show” have been notably clever.
As to the coverage itself, NBC seems to have heard the complaints of critics and viewers who said they wanted more competition and fewer features. The tone was set Sunday in women’s gymnastics as the U.S. team finished second in the compulsories.
We saw not only the Americans but also most of the performances of the Romanian, Chinese and Russian gymnasts. The profiles were concise and flowed naturally with the competition.
Commentator John Tesh has toned it down a bit (He seems to have broken his habit of continually referring to the young gymnasts as darlings, princesses and sweethearts). Analyst Elfi Schlegel adds an honest edge to Tesh’s gushy descriptions.
Between events, anchor Bob Costas has been silky smooth. Most of the time he doesn’t lose sight of the fact he’s the traffic cop, not the star of the show.
Coverage resumes today at 9 a.m. and 4:30 and 9:40 p.m. Prime-time coverage features the first appearance by Michael Johnson in the 400m, as well as other track-and-field events, diving, volleyball, canoeing and more basketball. The evening telecast will include boxing, weightlifting, water polo and cycling.
Highlights
“Diagnosis Murder,” CBS at 8: The diagnosis: another formula whodunit. Sloan (Dick Van Dyke) steps in when the investigation of the murder of an old friend (Pernell Roberts) points to the dead man’s wife (Dyan Cannon). It beats the heck out of me how this series made it back for another season. Repeat.
“Family Matters,” ABC at 8: Honey, they shrank the sitcom stars. In a nutty repeat, Urkel (Jaleel White) wreaks havoc with his transformation chamber by shrinking himself and Carl.
“Sliders,” FOX at 8: The sliders land in a world that seems to mirror their last stop, where a murder had taken place. Wade (Sabrina Lloyd) tries to avert the killing this time around but ends up getting her fellow travelers involved in a mysterious plot. Repeat.
“Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper,” ABC at 9:30: Vanessa (Holly Robinson Peete) finds a way to get Cooper (Mark Curry) a personal visit by the Harlem Globetrotters. The hoop aces make a special appearance in a fun half-hour. Repeat.
“Nash Bridges,” CBS at 10: Bridges (Don Johnson) just says no to a new heroin dealer who sets up business in San Francisco. Dominguez (Cheech Marin), needing a few more days on the force to qualify for his pension, becomes a traffic cop. Repeat.
Cable Calls
“Biography,” A&E at 5 and 9: The nightly series wraps up its week of Wild West-themed shows with first-run “Buffalo Bill: Showman of the West.”
An icon of the West, William F. Cody was a buffalo hunter, Army scout and Pony Express rider. But he became a legend with his Wild West Show.
The hour shows how he rose from humble beginnings to earn a place in American history.
“Alien” (1979), USA at 9: This sci-fi adventure won an Oscar for special effects. But if they gave one for courage under extreme filmmaking conditions, Sigourney Weaver would win hands down as she does battle with an alien creature hidden aboard an interstellar cargo ship.