Lucky 7 not so lucky; zombies infiltrate Web
Here’s the list of new and returning shows this week. Note that there is only one freshman arriving on campus (title in bold).
Today: 8 p.m. The Walking Dead (AMC).
Tuesday: 8 p.m. Supernatural (The CW).
Thursday: 8 p.m. Reign (The CW); White Collar (USA). 9 p.m. Covert Affairs (USA).
More on the lone newbie from The CW in Thursday’s column.
Meanwhile, be sure to check out today’s TV Week insert for my preview of Season 4 of The Walking Dead.
For fans who just can’t get enough of the show, the three latest “webisodes” are posted online at AMCtv.com. The three parts of “The Oath” last between seven and 11 minutes and tell the saga of Paul and Karina, who escape their ravaged and overrun camp. Then bad things happen because Paul is badly hurt.
You don’t have to watch the webisodes to be informed on the regular series, but it’s interesting to see something from the same world as Walking Dead that doesn’t involve familiar characters.
There are also fun games on the website. Games such as “Zombify Yourself Challenge.” I’ve got that app on my iPhone and spend many happy hours turning photos of myself into zombies. Yes. I’m that easily amused. You can also take a personality test to discover which character you are. I took the test and found out “based on your choices, you are … Rick.” I’ll have to wait until this season rolls along to see if that’s a good thing.
Finally there’s the “Ultimate Fan Game” for total Walking Dead nerds who dissect every episode and think they know it all. Sample questions: “Which character in Season 3 kills a walker using a car trunk door?” (Daryl).
“He’s lethal with a hammer, but what is burly survivor Tyresse terrible at?” (Shooting).
And those were the easy ones.
Finally, if you have money to burn and want the latest Walking Dead gear, action figures go from $12.50 up to around $50 for the 5-inch Rick Grimes figure with kung fu grip and 14 points of articulation.
There’s also a board game ($25); a Zombie Hunting Permit bumper sticker ($4); bobbleheads ($11); T-shirts and more.
The bottom line: There’s far more to a hit TV show than just watching the episodes these days.
First loser. We have the first casualty of the new fall season. ABC quickly pulled the trigger on its new drama Lucky 7 after two dismal episodes.
The series, about a group of blue-collar workers who win the lottery, started poorly (4.4 million viewers) and went downhill (2.2 million). It was the lowest-rated fall premiere in ABC history.
ABC must have realized the series was doomed from the beginning since barely any publicity was wasted on it.
The show also aired in a jinxed spot against veterans Chicago Fire on NBC and Person of Interest on CBS.
ABC will fill the void with repeats of Scandal for the time being.
The Blacklist. Meanwhile, after only two episodes, NBC has ordered an additional nine episodes of its James Spader drama to give it a full 22-episode season. The series is averaging about 12.6 million viewers, making it TV’s top new drama.
Dove Awards. For those who enjoy gospel and contemporary Christian music, the 44th Annual GMA Dove Awards should be just the thing.
You’ll need to have access to cable’s UP channel to see the broadcast at 7 p.m. Oct. 21.
The Gospel Music Association has added Needtobreathe to the previously announced performers that include Big Daddy Weave, Capital Kings, Colton Dixon, For King & Country, Gaither Vocal Band, Jason Crabb, Passion band featuring Kristian Stanfill and Brian & Jenn Johnson, Michael W. Smith, Newsboys, Rhett Walker Band, Tamela Mann, Tasha Cobbs and TobyMac.
The Atlanta-based UP bills itself as “America’s favorite network for uplifting family entertainment” and is available on Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications, Charter Communications, DirectTV and Dish.
You can check for your local provider’s channel (if available) using the “Get It” link at UPtv.com.
Projects fizzle. In case you missed the memo, NBC and CNN have bailed out of separate projects they were working on about Hillary Rodham Clinton.
NBC had a four-hour miniseries in the works that was going to star Diane Lane, and CNN had a documentary that was having trouble getting folks (including Hillary) to speak on camera.
The Associated Press reports that “the Republican National Committee had protested both projects, fearing they would lionize Clinton when she might be a candidate for president. The RNC said it would not allow either network to air televised debates among potential GOP candidates for president for 2016 if the films continued.”
Even the NBC News division was uneasy that the NBC Entertainment Division planned to have the project air before the 2016 elections.