Cynthia McFadden

We've talked about this a lot here at TV Squad, how the word "exclusive" isn't used correctly in TV news these days. In fact I'll go one step further and say that networks often lie when they say something is an "exclusive." They'll say that an interview with a famous celebrity or a politician is an exclusive, but you realize you just watched an interview with the same person on another network the night before, or there's an interview with the same person the next day.

Now, some networks will say they have an exclusive before another interview airs, so in that case I guess we can say they're right (if we give them the benefit of the doubt that they didn't know the other interview was coming, that is), but more often than not they know it's not an exclusive.

Today is the last day of the 2007 summer TCA press tour and one of its panels in particular is highly anticipated as ABC rolls out more shows to present to the TV Critics membership.

Shonda Rhimes is coming to the Beverly Hilton today with Kate Walsh, Tim Daly and other cast members of Private Practice to tout the Grey's Anatomy spin-off. But you just know that Rhimes will be asked about the controversial exit of Isaiah Washington from GA at the end of the season.

Where's Dr. Bailey when you need her?

The New York Observer is reporting that ABC has filmed two secret pilots for a new hour-long version of Nightline. The shows were filmed on Feb. 9, but ABC and Disney haven't decided to go through with the new version of the show or not.

Of course, if this new hour-long show were to happen, that means it would air from 11:35PM to 12:35AM. Jimmy Kimmel Live starts every night at 12:05AM, so (one assumes) Kimmel's show would be pushed back to the 12:35 slot, starting at the same time as Late Night With Conan O'Brien and The Late, Late Show With Craig Ferguson. But the article also states that execs have said that Kimmel's show is losing "buckets of money." So could Kimmel be pushed out of the network completely?

If Kimmel stays and goes to 12:35, I probably won't watch the show anymore. As it is I usually only watch the monologue (he has one of the best in late night, in my opinion), but the rest of the show falls a little flat to me. Plus I'm getting old and can't stay up really late like I used to.

Related:

Andy Dick removed from Jimmy Kimmel set - VIDEO

I'll admit that I haven't watched Nightline since Ted Koppel left. And I also have to admit that I didn't really watch it that much when Ted Koppel was still there either. I'm a Letterman/Charlie Rose guy.

Anyway, Brian Lowry over at Variety has been watching it, and he thinks that the show has gotten much worse, and it's really a shadow of its former self:

"Divided into a trio of stories as opposed to Koppel's single-topic approach, the new Nightline betrays the demographic tyranny that has beset the news business in general - pressured to provide lighter, more culture-oriented coverage that feels particularly incongruous given the program's prestigious history."