C-VILLE Writers

Wednesday, May 17 –

Hatcher stays, Dempsey moves: Bonus for Gray TV?
ABC has some of TV’s biggest hits on the air—”Desperate Housewives,” “Grey’s Anatomy”—but despite that success the network felt compelled to tinker with its lineup, according to today’s Wall Street Journal. The change, if it works to stem declining viewership for some of the big programs, could be good news for Gray TV, which moved into the Charlottesville media market 19 months ago, bringing local ABC, CBS and Fox affiliates to the spectrum in an uphill battle to win viewers from the Richmond affiliates. “Desperate Housewives” will remain in ABC’s Sunday 9pm slot, but “Grey’s Anatomy” will move to Thursday 9pm. Replacing it on Sundays: “Brothers & Sisters,” starring Calista “Ally McBeal” Flockhart.

Friday, May 12
Daughtry’s “American Idol” dis breaks our collective heart
The Style Section of The Washington Post today can’t say enough about how the American public failed to do its duty and vote to keep rocker Chris Daughtry on the show. Both Robin Givhan’s Pulitzer Prize-winning fashion column and Lisa de Moraes’ TV column chronicle the exit of the Fluvanna native, who was widely favored to win the wildly popular karaoke competition.
“Daughtry glared. He glowered. He did the rock-star growl during which he looked to be at risk of popping his jugular,” wrote Givhan. “He wore cool shades. Oh sure, he was cocky. But he should have been. He was the best. America, have you no soul?”
Reports that Daughtry has been offered the job of lead singer for has-been ’90s rock band Fuel came as little consolation to his idolizing fans.