Criminal Minds

IF Magazine listed Criminal Minds as its #4 show to watch for the week of November 12. In the upcoming episode, Jamie Kennedy plays a cannibalistic serial killer. If you’re looking for something else to watch this weekend, check out IF.

The Sydney Morning Herald is sassy again this morning. David Dale writers about the Hollywood Writers Strike. Since a lot of us Americans are egocentric (not me, though), it’s interesting to see what other places think of the strike.
It doesn’t seem Sydney will be affected too much in the short-term. According to Dale, Australia’s favorite US shows, Criminal Minds, House, The Simpsons, Ghost Whisperer, CSI, and My Name is Earl, have plenty of new episodes to last through the end of Australia’s ratings season, which ends in three weeks. Shows more affected by the strike, Heroes, Bionic Woman, and Prison Break, are not getting big audiences anyway.
Dale sees three big advantages to the US writers’ strike. First, better shows:

In the case of Heroes, which has been slow this season, the creator, Tim Kring, phoned Entertainment Weekly magazine from the picket line promising to make good use of his time off: “The message is that we’ve heard the complaints and we’re doing something about it.” According to EW, “The cliffhangers are back. Narrative purpose has been discovered. Old favourites such as Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) and Horn Rimmed Glasses (Jack Coleman) take centre stage.” A good omen for other strike-affected programs which have been disappointing us lately.

Second, Australia will start shopping around for shows in Canada and England. Dale believes this will “widen our understanding of the world,” while at the same time diverting funds directed to US shows. Hopefully, he says, the Australian networks, Seven, Nine, and Ten, will produce more Australian-made shows. Shows such as Kath & Kim, and City Homicide are home-grown successes.

Third, television writers will have a precedent for demanding more of a share in digital revenue, and “Australia’s best writers will be able to give up their part-time jobs as waiters and cleaners.”