This one just struck me as a bit odd. HBO has signed long time NY Times columnist Frank Rich on as a creative consultant. The two are tight-lipped about what projects he may or may not be working on already, but his new position is described as contributing to original program development. Apparently there will also be the opportunity for Rich to become a producer of projects that he helps with.

He's going to keep his gig at the Times while working with HBO, although he will avoid writing about the network, or their corporate overlords (and ours), Time Warner. Hiring creative consultants isn't the usual modus operandi for HBO, and programming group president Richard Plepler added that "it is not something the network is looking to do on a regular basis." Odd as it sounds on the surface, Rich did spend 13 years as the Times' chief theater critic, so he has some background for the gig. And anything that gets us closer to Jay Black, creative consultant to The CW, has to be a good thing, right?

News about NBC's fall schedule continues to trickle out, this time from Bill Carter over at the New York Times.

Looks like the network is going to pick up five dramas: Lipstick Jungle (from Sex and the City creator Candace Bushnell), Chuck, Life, Journeyman, and The Bionic Woman. The network has not made a decision on Law and Order or Law and Order: CI yet, but it looks like Friday Night Lights is coming back for a full season.

The shows being canceled? No surprise that Studio 60, The Black Donnellys, and Crossing Jordan are gone, but it's a little bit of a surprise that Scrubs isn't coming back. There's been talk that ABC might take the show, but no official word on that yet.

NBC's upfront announcement is this Monday.

Update: Nikki Finke is reporting that Scrubs has been picked up by NBC, but no other info is available about it.

Nielsen Media Research is making a change to their television ratings. In the past, children of a Nielsen family that were away at college were not factored into the numbers. After doing some research, sponsored by Turner, WB, CBS, MTV, Fox, and ESPN, those college kids will now count in the regular Nielsen ratings.

The NY Times article (possible login) points to America's Next Top Model, Family Guy, Ugly Betty, and [adult swim] as programming that should see a boost in their ratings. Disturbingly, it also mentions that in a test done last November the most popular show among college men was Drawn Together. The audience for the Comedy Central cartoon jumped from 272,000 to 435,000. What are they teaching our youth on these campuses?

This certainly isn't the final answer in the ratings question. There are still plenty of problems and issues with the system, but it is a positive change. Especially so if it gives a much needed boost to the struggling Veronica Mars numbers.

VH1 doesn't seem to get as much of the 'they don't play music anymore' criticism as MTV, but I think they are following a very similar track. And that direction is what brought about Flavor of Love. I was surprised to learn that the premiere for season two of the Bachelor spoof drew 3 million viewers. Not only that, but the audience for the season one finale was nearly 6 million. That is the highest rated show in VH1's history.

The NY Times has an interesting article about Flavor Flav and the show. The opinions range from the show being another reality goof to a slap in the face to all people of color. I've always fallen in the spoof camp, putting Flavor of Love in the same category as The Joe Schmo Show. I think Joe Schmo was a better concept. I tuned into Flavor of Love a couple times out of curiosity, but it seemed like the same joke over and over.