DaveSpin

July 25, 2007 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

Tuesday was a pretty bloody day for fledgling mobile-TV companies -- well, for those that weren’t fortunate enough to align themselves with AT&T or Verizon Wireless, anyway.

The first news to break on this front was the impending shutdown of Amp’d Mobile. Amp’d sort of aligned itself with Verizon Wireless, if you want to call owing the telecommunications giant some $54 million aligning. Its service functioned as a mobile virtual network operator piggybacking on Verizon Wireless’ network.

However, despite some programming successes -- notably Lil’ Bush, which evolved into a series on Comedy Central -- Amp’d may go the way of the E...Read More

July 20, 2007 | Link This | Email this | Comments (1)

Despite the fact that David Cohen is a fairly common name -- ask anyone who’s ever had to deal with Comcast, or, for that matter, anyone who lives in Manhattan -- I can honestly say I don’t remember any TV characters named David Cohen until Thursday night’s debut episode of AMC’s Mad Men.

Sadly, it appears that my namesake will be a one-and-done character, as he was merely the token Jew brought upstairs from the mailroom to try to influence a potential Jewish client.

But despite the likely demise of my namesake, I loved the show. I thought everything about it was well done, from the acting, to the scenery, to the music.

And...Read More

July 18, 2007 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

Did somebody officially declare July to be “Technology Company CFO Switch Month” and neglect to tell me?

In just the past few days:

• TiVo chief financial officer Steve Sordello left the digital-video-recorder vendor to become CFO of online professional network LinkedIn. Financial Leadership Group principal Cal Hoagland stepped in as interim CFO.

• Former Knology CFO Robert Mills, who had been serving as CFO of Tri-S Security, now sits in the CFO seat at broadband-...Read More

July 13, 2007 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

OK, I’ve had it. Enough is enough. I want a simple yes or no answer to this question: Is there going to be a Deadwood movie?

I was a Deadwood addict from episode one, and the sudden announcement that HBO was pulling the plug on the series, followed by the rather anticlimactic ending to the final episode, left me with a bad taste.

Prior to this week’s Television Critics Association tour, I had given up all hope for the Deadwood movie HBO mentioned when the show was canceled.

But now, the fire is stoked again. Or is it?

If you listen to HBO co-president Richard Plepler, the chances of a Deadwood movie are 50-50.

July 11, 2007 | Link This | Email this | Comments (3)

As a Yankee fan (in case my caricature didn’t give that away), I felt that it was almost my duty to watch the debut episode of ESPN’s new series, The Bronx Is Burning.

I was nine years old during the 1977 season, so I remember a lot of the baseball. Naturally, I also remember the Son of Sam killings and the chaos they caused in New York. But between my age and the dramatic difference in media coverage back then -- obvious difference No. 1: no Internet -- I didn’t have the same depth of knowledge on either topic that I would have if they occurred today.

So, my impressions of the first installment of The Bronx Is Burning:

The good:

• Lunatic serial killers aside, the 1977 and 1978 baseball seasons fueled my passion ...Read More