Yesterday I listened in on the FOX phone press conference where they announced the upcoming Fall season. It was sort of exciting to hear from Peter Liguori, (pictured at left), head of Fox, as he went through the lineup. Then journalists could ask questions, (by simply pressing *1, the conference call coordinator explained). It was sort of reminiscent of some of my NYU classes. There were the persistent reporters who kept asking the same questions again and again trying to get the answer they want, (Are you worried that American Idol has hit it's peak? Are you a little concerned about the ratings of American Idol? How do you respond to the drastic drop in American Idol's ratings in Buffalo, NY?), then there were the reporters who tried to make issues out of nothing, (Are you worried that by putting Family Guy one half hour earlier you'll corrupt more children?), and then there were the ones who asked questions that they knew they wouldn't get answers to, (So what are the drastic and surprising changes they've hinted at in the coming season of 24?). Listening to the conversations, it's clear that the heads of the networks are sort of freaked out. Their market shares are shrinking by the day and they're trying anything to get people watching. Luckily, that might also mean better and more interesting programming for us.In Clips & Quips news, next week we'll be throwing a big C&Q blowout right here on the blog. We'll be hearing from people who've worked on the show as well as fans and maybe even some past interviewees. So make sure to come by and if you want to participate in the festivities and write your own tribute you can send me an email at boaz(at)clipsquips(dot)com. Also, if Ken Marino is out there, maybe he can finally tell us how he broke his rib. Ken- are you there?
P.S. The question about the American Idol ratings drop in Buffalo, NY was a real question.
