What To Watch: TNT's "Inside The NBA" Best In Show

[duncan228]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/s....e5fef1fa.html

What to Watch: TNT’s “Inside the NBA” Best In Show
Jerry Garcia
San Antonio Express-News

There are rare times in the World of Television when a network’s programming and the day of the week a show is televised, for some unexplained reason, would align themselves into the perfect balance of critical acclaim, audience affection and solid ratings.

The show would become either something you saw live or heard about at the water cooler the next day. For older generations, Ed Sullivan and Sunday nights were synonymous; for a younger generation Saturdays without “Saturday Night Live” would be sacrilegious; while TV critics may say show quality varies, NBC’s Thursday night lineup of “Must-See TV” is still providing loyal viewers standout comedies & dramas for over 20 years.

Even with NFL games telecast on ESPN Mondays in the fall, with apologies to the fine folks at the WorldWide Leader and even with Dennis Miller, Eric erson and Lisa Guerrero, “Monday Night Football” just isn’t the same without it on ABC.

So on Thursday night, settling down on a couch with a remote control, pizza and a frothy beverages adults may enjoy nearby, Game 3 of the Spurs-New Orleans Hornets series had begun on Fox Sports Net Southwest with hometown announcers while ESPN’s national telecast was delayed because the Boston-Cleveland game ran past its broadcast window. Viewers were told by on-screen messages that they could watch the start of the game on ESPN360.com instead of a real TV channel.

While San Antonio viewers had an alternative TV viewing choice, nationwide viewers did not. Beside that thought and the oddity of Thursday night NBA on ESPN, the other one that race though one writer’s mind was this: where are E.J., Kenny and Charles on a night like this?

Basketball fans know whom I’m talking about. For the casual or bandwagon fans, their names are Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkey, the on-air nucleus that powers the Emmy Award winning “Inside the NBA” on cable network TNT. The show won its latest Emmy just two weeks ago for best daily studio show on sports TV.

The crew has a few days off after showing 28 playoff games since April 20. The trio returns Sunday along with Marv Albert, Reggie Miller and Craig Sager who will announce Games 4 and 5 of the Spurs-Hornets Western Conference semifinal series (7 p.m. Sunday and 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday).

With HBO’s “Inside the NFL” now canceled, “Inside the NBA” can now be called the show the pros watch. It’s also the show that truly makes Thursdays — and any night it’s on during the playoffs — Must-See TV.

“Inside” is the postgame studio show that normally follows Thursday night regular-season doubleheaders with game highlights, criticism and because of its late-night time slot, sometimes airing well past midnight here in the Central time zone, prone to some lunacy that matches the tone that past late night news shows like “NBC News Overnight” in the early 1980s or ABC’s “World News Now” in the early 1990s established — the tone that it’s late, who’s watching and let’s not take ourselves too seriously.

Unlike the constant shuffling of talent on ESPN and ABC NBA studio shows, the on-air TNT crew has remained the same for the last few years because the chemistry is right. Johnson is the traffic cop directing Smith, Barkley and Magic Johnson on occasion. Credit executive producers Jeff Behnke and senior producers Tim Kiely and Howard Zalkowitz for letting the on-air talent and the behind-the-scenes personnel to add to sports TV’s best continuing broadcasts.

During the playoffs run, the producers let a studio camera operator act as translator when Tony Parker ended a postgame interview with a message in French to his wife Eva — the camera operator studied French in college with Barkley mocking her saying she could have made the translation all up. The studio crew set up a flaming hula hoop and backboard as a response to Barkley’s challenge that he could do the same stunt in TNT’s parking lot similar to Hugo the Hornet’s antics. That same stunt caused a 19-minute delay in the Spurs-Hornets Game 2 on May 3.

Continuing a tradition that began a few season back is Smith’s "Gone Fishin'" segment where graphic artist Alex Houvouras takes photos from the Internet of people fishing and Photoshops the heads of players on teams that have been eliminated from the playoffs. So far, the 2008 haven’t been posted to the Internet, but photos from the 2005, 2006, and 2007 playoffs are archived online.

They also have fun with guest analysts like prodding the Miami Heat’s Dywane Wade about his supposed dating of Star Jones to the five-question quiz the crew gave new Turner Sports contributor Chris Webber on April 27.

After throwing Webber softball questions (such as “What’s the name of this show?” “What is Charles’ favorite donut” and “Who is the only white guy on the set?”), Johnson surprises Webber with the last question “In college basketball how many timeouts do you get in a game?” Webber’s answer: “That’s messed up. I still don’t know the answer. This is the type of love I get?”

The quiz, part of the show’s last segment called “E.J.’s Neat-O Stat of the Night (sponsored by nobody)” that adds the last touch of unexpectedness that caps the show off. Since the playoffs began, Neat-O Stat segments have included real and doctored photos of the trio’s high school prom night photos , a parody of Kobe Bryant’s commercial of him jumping over a speeding car Smith tries the same thing only to get hit by a car E.J. is driving that was sponsored by an insurance company that night. The latest Neato-O Stat had Johnson pulling a Ron Burgundy-type of joke on Barkley with a TelePrompTer.

But that humor is also put to good use. The crew will go on the show barefoot to raise awareness for Samaritan’s Feet, a charity hoping to raise $64,000 on Mother’s Day as part of its mission to provide 10 million impoverished children worldwide with 10 million pairs of shoes in 10 years. Feet’s founder Emmanuel “Manny” Ohonme will appear.

When this column started back in 2006, Kiely sent this reporter a “thank you” e-mail for positive comments written about the show. Kiely said to write back if the show ever has to be reeled in.

Great TV like this doesn’t come along too often. So, Mr. Kiely, don’t reel it in — it works best the way it is.

But two notes to TNT: No. 1, Will the 2008 edition of “Gone Fishin’ ” photos be on the Internet soon? And No. 2, since the show in telecast in high definition and with the recent Emmy win, is there any chance Turner Sports will pony up the cash for manicures for E.J., Kenny and Charles before the cameras close-up on them?

RATINGS NEWS

NBA Playoffs: All three networks partners are recording double-digit gains for first-round playoff coverage. The games on ESPN have jumped 33 percent with an average of 3 million viewers for its’ nine games with the April 25 telecast of Game 3 of the Spurs-Phoenix Suns series drawing ESPN’s largest audience with 3.9 million viewers. Ratings for ESPN on ABC games averaged a 3.2 rating for a 19 percent increase over 2007 playoff games. TNT’s playoff games are up 11 percent after 22 first-round games. In viewership numbers compared from the 2007 playoffs, the tally is ABC is averaging 4.7 million for a 16 percent increase, ESPN is averaging 3 million for a 36 percent increase and TNT is averaging 3 million for an 11 percent increase.

Both ESPN and TNT had double-digit increases for regular season coverage. ESPN averaged a 1.3 cable household rating with an average of 1.5 million watching its games for an 18 percent rise in ratings compared to its 2006-07 numbers. TNT averaged a 1.3 cable rating, a 1.1 national rating and averaged 1.47 million viewers for 2007-08 regular season coverage. Those numbers translate to a 13 percent increase from 2006-07’s numbers, a nine percent rise in national ratings (1.2 for 2006-07), a 14 percent rise in cable ratings (up from 1.21) and a 12 percent rise in viewership.

[Princess Pimp]

RATINGS NEWS

NBA Playoffs: All three networks partners are recording double-digit gains for first-round playoff coverage. The games on ESPN have jumped 33 percent with an average of 3 million viewers for its’ nine games with the April 25 telecast of Game 3 of the Spurs-Phoenix Suns series drawing ESPN’s largest audience with 3.9 million viewers. Ratings for ESPN on ABC games averaged a 3.2 rating for a 19 percent increase over 2007 playoff games. TNT’s playoff games are up 11 percent after 22 first-round games. In viewership numbers compared from the 2007 playoffs, the tally is ABC is averaging 4.7 million for a 16 percent increase, ESPN is averaging 3 million for a 36 percent increase and TNT is averaging 3 million for an 11 percent increase.

Both ESPN and TNT had double-digit increases for regular season coverage. ESPN averaged a 1.3 cable household rating with an average of 1.5 million watching its games for an 18 percent rise in ratings compared to its 2006-07 numbers. TNT averaged a 1.3 cable rating, a 1.1 national rating and averaged 1.47 million viewers for 2007-08 regular season coverage. Those numbers translate to a 13 percent increase from 2006-07’s numbers, a nine percent rise in national ratings (1.2 for 2006-07), a 14 percent rise in cable ratings (up from 1.21) and a 12 percent rise in viewership.

L-a-k-e-r-s

[ClingingMars]

the fact that the Boston-Cleveland game was already decided made it even more painful.

- Mars

[tp2021]

The April 25 telecast of Game 3 of the Spurs-Phoenix Suns series drawing ESPN’s largest audience with 3.9 million viewers.

I guess even the boring Spurs couldn't stop the Suns on their march to the ratings championship.

[Avitus1]

I hate ESPN, Inside The NBA is so good it makes them look re ed

[lefty]

[jaffies]

L-a-k-e-r-s

L-e-a-v-e

[Man of Steel]

L-a-k-e-r-s

P R I N C E S S P I M P

S U C K S S P U R S' C O C K S

I N H E L L

[wildbill2u]

Somebody posted the video of Charles paying up on his bet to kiss Kenny Smith's ass if Yao Ming ever scored 18 points on anohter thread yesterday. Funny stuff.

[milkyway21]

Friday May 9, 3:26 AM
NBA playoff matchup No. 1 on cable for April 28-May 4

Rankings for the top 15 programs on cable networks as compiled by Nielsen Media Research for the week of April 28-May 4. Day and start time (EDT) are in parentheses:

1. NBA Playoffs: Phoenix vs. San Antonio (Tuesday, 9:39 p.m.), TNT, 3.53 million homes, 4.66 million viewers.

2. Movie: "Chasing Zoey" (Friday, 8 p.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.51 million homes, 5.1 million viewers.

3. "Zoey 101" (Friday, 9 p.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.45 million homes, 5.04 million viewers.

4. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 10 p.m.), USA, 3.32 million homes, 4.85 million viewers.

5. NBA Playoffs: L.A. Lakers vs. Denver (Monday, 10:58 p.m.), TNT, 3.14 million homes, 3.87 million viewers.


6. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 9 p.m.), USA, 3 million homes, 4.44 million viewers.

7. "The Hills" (Monday, 10 p.m.), MTV, 2.98 million homes, 4.03 million viewers.

8. NBA Playoffs: Atlanta vs. Boston (Wednesday, 8:48 p.m.), TNT, 2.96 million homes, 3.68 million viewers.

9. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 11:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.94 million homes, 3.85 million viewers.

10. NBA Playoffs: San Antonio vs. New Orleans (Saturday, 10:10 p.m.), TNT, 2.9, 3.85 million homes.

11. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 9:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.87 million homes, 3.71 million viewers.

12. "The O'Reilly Factor" (Wednesday, 8 p.m.), Fox News Channel, 2.84 million homes, 3.66 million viewers.

13. "iCarly" (Monday, 5:30 p.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.81 million homes, 3.85 million viewers.

14. "iCarly" (Monday, 5 p.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.8 million homes, 3.89 million viewers.

15. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 12 p.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.77 million homes, 3.58 million viewers.

___

Nickelodeon and MTV are owned by Viacom Inc. USA is owned by General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal. Fox News Channel is owned by News Corp.

___

On the Net:

Nielsen Media Research:

http://www.nielsenmedia.com