TVSquad

TCA parties are known for loud music, tons of actors, executives and producers, and lots and lots of reporters.

Friday night's bash thrown by Garth Ancier, the new president of US Operations BBC Worldwide America, had none of those things. As a result, it's become the party of the tour. Who talked the exec into opening up his private home to members of the TCA ? "Nobody," he tells TV Squad. "This way my idea. I've had many great parties here over the years."

Ancier entertained TCA members with stories of working with the late great Aaron Spelling and how the ex-head of The WB arranged a meeting with the series-making mogul. "He might have thought we were going to cancel Charmed," Ancier theorized.

Hey gang, here's what happening in the world of cartoons:

A new Simpsons game, possibly created to coincide with the movie, has been showing up on some retailer's list as "The Simpsons Game." Electronic Arts is publishing the game, which will be available for pretty much all the major platforms, including Wii.

The latest from the land of CNN, MSNBC, and FOX News:

1. Jeff Greenfield is leaving CNN. He's going over to CBS to become part of their Election 2008 (or whatever CBS is calling it) coverage. The Washington Post's Howard Kurtz says that Greenfield hasn't been too happy with the way CNN has been using him lately.

2. Dan Abrams to lose his title at MSNBC. Last year he got a promotion from on-air host/analyst to general manager, but it looks like Abrams will lose that title when the cable network moves from New Jersey to 30 Rock in NYC. The move probably won't happen until the end of the year.

3. Nancy Grace and John Gibson news. Both of their shows (Grace on CNN Headline News and Gibson over on FOX News) had "Breaking News" reports that Michael Jackson was really ill in the hospital, when he actually is just a little sick and not in the hospital at all. Yet more evidence that the "Breaking News" and "This Just In" and "Developing News" graphics are waaaaay overused. Don't the networks use judgment anymore?

[via TV Newser]

The History Channel has five new weekly series currently in development and set to premiere in 2007 and 2008.

The first series, Ice Road Truckers, is a documentary series focusing on long haul truck drivers in northern North America who drive their rigs across frozen lakes and risk falling through the ice, therefore having to keep one hand on the door at all times in case they need to bail out. The series will focus both on the truckers and on the miners who rely on them. If you're into shows like Deadliest Catch on the Discovery, this show may also be right up your alley.

Despite the efforts of ColorOfChange.org and other black activists online, Fox News and the Congressional Black Caucus Political Education and Leadership Institute will be co-sponsoring primary debates this fall. The CBC Institute, which includes members of the Congressional Black Caucus, decided that the reach of Fox News was worth it, despite allegations of the channel's "marginalization" of blacks, allegations I don't fully comprehend. I'm not sure how Fox News would benefit from making a conscious decision to show black politicians and pundits in a negative light, unless one's perspective is based on the dubious theory that all black people are liberal.

I couldn't care less about whatever bias guides Fox News, or any other news outlet for that matter, but it seems that any political party would be remiss if it didn't take advantage of this kind of exposure.

After years of blissful silence (or disruptful screaming) in your minivan, thanks to the built-in DVD player that's standard in many models these days, another advancement in technology has popped up to put your children into a further catatonic state. On Thursday DaimlerChrysler announced it was pairing with Sirius Satellite Radio (?) to begin broadcasting limited satellite TV service in its 2008 Dodge and Chrysler minivans.

According to the Associated Press, Sirius will broadcast three kid-friendly channels -- Cartoon Network, The Disney Channel and Nickelodeon. This deal will be exclusive between Sirius and the automotive company until next year (or until Sirius and XM merge, I guess.) After that, the satellite company can sell there wares to other organizations. This little addition doesn't come free, however. An extra $500 will be added to the cost of the vehicle for this service and, after one year, you will need to pay $20 a month for the Sirius radio service and TV channels. In the future more channels may be added to the lineup.

The Miss America Pageant just can't get a break.

It lost its major network contract a few years ago and went to CMT for two years, and now the show is homeless again. CMT has decided not to renew the contract for the show. Producers are looking for another network for the show.

I have no doubt they'll find another outlet, but I wonder why this show is having so much trouble when The Miss USA Pageant and Miss Universe Pageant get so-so ratings and still get renewed until 2011. Is it because Donald Trump is behind those events? Does Miss America have to be involved in some scandal to get attention? Maybe one of the Miss America contestants can kill a guy with her bare hands, or be photographed coming out of a car without underwear on? How about putting them all on an island?

Readers, lets help the producers out. How can this show compete in this new television landscape?

• Charlie Rose: Jessica Mathews, President of the Carnegie Endowment For International Peace, and Kanan Makiya of Brandeis University
• The Daily Show: Philip Zimbardo
• The Colbert Report: Clive James
• The Late Show With David Letterman: Rosario Dawson and Bloc Party
• Jay Leno: Will Arnett, Campbell Brown, Johnny Mathis, and Dave Koz
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Kiele Sanchez and Josh Gardner
• Tavis Smiley: Benjamin Barber and Cyrus Chestnut
• Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Martha Stewart, Brian Poeshn, and My Morning Jacket (repeat)
• The Late, Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Jeff Goldblum and Nia Long
• Last Call With Carson Daly: Sofia Vergara and The Bird and the Bee (repeat)

Here are the weekly cable ratings, by number of viewers.

1. WWE Monday Night RAW - 10pm (USA)
2. Planet Earth - Mountains (Discovery)
3. Planet Earth - Pole to Pole (Discovery)
4. Bring It On: All Or Nothing (ABC Family)
5. Planet Earth - Deep Ocean (Discovery)
6. WWE Monday Night RAW - 9pm (USA)
7. I Love New York (VH-1)
8. House (USA)
9. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
10. House (USA)

Picture This Television, the production team behind Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List and Celebrity Poker Showdown is creating a new game show for Bravo called Paycheck. The game show pits seven contestants against one another to try and figure out how much money they each make. The players must guess with the aid of questions, clues, and just plain, well, guessing. The person who guesses the correct salaries of all the players wins $25,000.

The whole "try to guess something about someone" idea sounds awfully close to Identity, and that game show isn't exactly the most compelling one on TV right now. Still, Celebrity Poker Showdown isn't a bad show, so maybe the folks behind this one have a way to make it more exciting than it sounds. Bravo has placed an order for the game show pilot.

(S01E13) That was... interesting. The writers definitely kicked it up a notch with this episode as things certainly felt more dramatic than they have throughout most of the freshman season of Dirt. A lot of that feel was do in part to simple things that were used very effectively. Numerous times in the episode, the power of silence coupled with the rhythmic sounds of a beating heart helped to cut together some very cool scenes unlike anything this show has tried before.

Add to that a rather off-beat cameo from Jennifer Aniston as well as the proper outcome for some of the show's minor characters, and we had ourselves a pretty decent finale. Savor it though, because unless FX is feeling brave (Starved and Over*There tells me they aren't), then I don't think we'll find out what happens next. Dirt may very well be the latest FX one-hit wonder.

• Charlie Rose: The science of living longer
• The Daily Show: Governor Bill Richardson
• The Colbert Report: Jabari Asim
• The Late Show With David Letterman: Al Franken and Isla Fisher
• Jay Leno: Hilary Swank, Carlos Mencia, and Gym Class Heroes
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Heather Mills, Laura Prepon, and Young Buck
• Tavis Smiley: Jane Arraf and Anne Lamott
• Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Will Ferrell, Tom Everett Scott, and Death Cab For Cutie (repeat)
• The Late, Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Sigourney Weaver, Kal Penn, and The Ataris
• Last Call With Carson Daly: Eric Balfour and Andy McKee (repeat)