Through the Wire

What every network needs, it seems, is a good in-house screening room. But that’s something Showtime’s West Los Angeles office didn’t have.

Until recently. Entertainment president Robert Greenblatt said none of the premium programmer’s cubicles even had a decent TV set-up until he recently decided to have a viewing room constructed at the Wilshire Boulevard location’s 16th floor.

Greenblatt hosted an intimate screening on Feb. 21 to show off the suite — a sleek digital living room with dark walls, plum rug and cushy leather furniture.

And, of course, many remotes.

He took the opportunity offer a sneak peak at two March 30 debuts: the second season of The Tudors and the new, four-episode Tracey Ullman’s State of the Union.

Ullman herself even stopped by, en route to a parent-teacher conference, to say “hi” to staff and scribes.

We can tell you some of the characters to particularly watch out for: Ullman’s version of Tony Sirico, a.k.a. Paulie Walnuts of The Sopranos; her Rita Cosby of MSNBC; environmental activist Laurie David and Lindsay Lohan’s mother. Most will leave you saying “Oh no — she didn’t!”

Paulie just may put a hit out on her.

In political races, a win or a loss can hinge on targeting the right affinity groups. According to a recent poll by The Sportsman Channel, the Democrats would be barking up the wrong tree trying to attract the hunters and fishermen which patronize the cable network’s Web site, Thesportsmanchannel.com.

At that site, U.S. Sen. John McCain’s the man. Participants in a poll on the site, which ended last week, picked the Arizona Republican, with 46 % of the vote, as the candidate who would most have a positive impact on sportsmen.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee — McCain’s biggest rival in the current primary races, unless you count The New York Times —was a close second with 42% of the vote.

We’ll let you math whizzes guess what percentage of the remaining 12% was split between Democratic Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois.

The cable channel notes that the programmer itself does not endorse any candidate but added that its viewers “don’t just hunt and fish — they vote!”

Here’s your “awwww!” for the week. The Time Warner Cable system in Buffalo, N.Y., has entered a multiyear partnership with the zoo there to spread the word about animal conservation.

The cable company is the main sponsor of an exhibit of two Amur tiger cubs, the first cubs to survive at the zoo since 1988. Given the role the cable company will play with the facility, the cubs, born Oct. 7, 2007, have been named Thyme (the female) and Warner (her brother).

The local system is creating and distributing 10,000 educational bookmarks explaining proper zoo etiquette.

The company’s namesakes went on public display Feb. 20.

CN8 host and political director Lynn Doyle is seen walking the catwalk in New York City on Feb. 21. She finished fourth in the Eighth Annual 'MORE Magazine’ and Wilhelmina 40-Plus Model Search. Oldest of the 10 finalists, Doyle celebrated her 51st birthday in January and announced the continuation of her popular year-long programming segment on her show 'It’s Your Call’ — “50 and Fabulous.”