Monday, May 23, 2011

What is behind the axing of decent television sit com shows like Paul Reiser?

I generally don't like sit coms. I don't like that sit coms are supposed to generate a laugh every 10 to 15 seconds. I don't like too much canned laughter. I don't like witty, dim-witted one liners that if said in real life would end a friendship, yet occur every minute on a sit com.

And yet, I prefer sit coms to shows that care more about how people were murdered, then when that person was alive. I also prefer sit coms to shows that have guns, or car chases. I also like sit coms more than news because the news purposely avoids issues that would energize those in the middle politically.

I don't like reality television because it gives way too much self importance to people who are being paid not to work while fretting over the most trivial issues.

There is something going on with sitcoms that I find intriguing. I think there have been a lot of decent cancelled sit coms in the past few years that have been summarily cancelled due to low ratings, and more importantly, panic and desperation from the networks.

Did you know the two greatest sit coms of all time, Seinfeld and Everybody Loves Raymond, were both almost cancelled due to low ratings after their first season? Paul Reiser's new sit com was recently cancelled AFTER TWO EPISODES!

It seems that shows with less violent, good guy types get the quick axe from the Networks. Paul Reiser, Gary Unmarried, Outsourced, probably had the nicest casts, were fun to watch, and were summarily axed well before their time.

I think the cable networks have spent so much time trying to compete with the networks that they are missing an excellent opportunity to raid cancelled network shows.


Which makes me wonder about payroll for the actors. I'm guessing that Paul Reiser must have been pulling down a million dollars an episode. If Reiser's ratings were so low that the show had to be pulled after two episodes, was Reiser's salary a factor in dumping the show so soon?

If I were Reiser, and NBC offered me a sit com with a guarantee of 13 episodes, and 100,000 dollar salary per episode, or a one million dollar a show salary, and no guarantee, I would take the 100,000 dollars an episode and try to build my show.

Really poor ratings means the networks have to charge less money to their advertisers, and so even saving 900,000 dollars per episode may not make a dent versus what the networks could charge per episode if the shows ratings were higher.

But there is a bigger issue here. Maybe it's ok to have a low rated television show that has potential to pick up steam specifically because that show could be used to offer advertisers "make goods", and to possibly lure new advertisers who can't afford to be on a hit show, but could afford to be on a lower rated show.

I'd rather have a show with low ratings and potential, and use those early on lower ratings to pull in new advertisers and appease unhappy ones as well, then simply focus on the ultra highest ratings for each and every show. At some point, if the show is pleasant and entertaining to watch, it will eventually find an audience.

Otherwise, expect more reality tv shows with trashy people gaining more traction as the networks continue their addiction to the worst demographic for knowing good programming when they see it, and ironically, who also have the least spendable cash.

But then again, it's not the amount of cash that youth spend that interests the networks, it's the debt they can create within our youth so that our banking interests can feed off of our youth's debt for the rest of their lives.



If you are planning on creating or broadcasting a commercial and want an objective, outsiders point of view about your commercial, contact Alessandro Machi about his consulting services at...
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Thursday, May 19, 2011

World's most famous extra, Jesse Heiman, featured in Metro PCS commercial as Billy the Intern.



(Updated Feb. 06, 2013, Congratulations to Jesse Heiman, who appeared in a Go Daddy Super Bowl ad sloppy kissing Bar Refaeli, and who I've seen on a couple more commercials in just the past few days. 
Maybe in some meandering way this AlexLOGIC.com article from May 19th, 2011 helped in some ever so small way, end of update.)

Props to Jesse Heiman, the reigning "most famous extra on the planet". After being noticed for being in a lot of movies as a background extra and then some, a "fan" put together a demo reel of Jesse's exploits and put it on youtube. Jesse became a celebrity as a result of that demo video.

Most recently Jesse appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Jesse's fame has grown and now he's a featured extra on the "Billy the Intern" Metro PCS commercial. In this commercial, Billy is the one who ends up upside down. I hope they paid you well, Jesse.

If you are planning on creating or broadcasting a commercial and want an objective, outsiders point of view about your commercial, contact Alessandro Machi about his consulting services at...
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Saturday, May 14, 2011

Cutest 2011 commercial on television, Susie's lemonade Stand Small Business Verizon Commercial.


Alex LOGIC commends the makers of Verizon's small business commercial, Susie's Lemoade Stand, for getting ALL of the video technical aspects perfect. The editing, sound mix, sound clarity of voice within the sound mix, the acting / directing, the casting, cinematography, all perfect.

The only thing I partially disagree with in the ad is the ending slogan, "The small business with the best technology, rules".

Maybe Verizon should make a one minute version of this ad and intercut "Jack's lemonade stand". Jack does everything that Susie does, but does not have the same success as Susie because his product is awful. (picture the three executives spitting out his drink).


If you are planning on creating or broadcasting a commercial and want an objective, outsiders point of view about your commercial, contact Alessandro Machi about his consulting services at...
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Tuesday, May 10, 2011

2012 Honda Civic Zombie commercial, kind of bad timing considering the nuclear reactor meltdowns, no?


Sometimes I wonder if my previous article will contain my last good consulting idea. but then the 2012 Honda Civic Zombie commercial comes along and I realize that after 150 Alex LOGIC consulting articles, the skies the limit when it comes to those who can still benefit from my consulting ideas.

The Honda Zombie commercial seems inappropriately timed to me. When I see Honda Zombies luxuriating in their Honda cars, I easily connect those zombies to the Japanese nuclear power plant meltdowns.

Nuclear plant meltdowns that are still being problem solved at this very moment.
I question the wisdom of Honda using zombies in their commercials when The Zombie Handbook for Dummies clearly states that zombies can be spawned from the aftermath of nuclear energy radioactive spills.
If Honda wanted to use zombies so badly, maybe the zombies should have been driving the competition's car, and not Honda's car.
Or, maybe it's just not the right time for zombies and Japanese cars, no matter what car the zombie is driving.
Although now that I think about it, the zombies punch dubbing each other might make a real funny volkswagen commercial.

If you are planning on creating or broadcasting a commercial and want an objective, outsiders point of view about your commercial, contact Alessandro Machi about his consulting services at...
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You can also view more
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by Alessandro Machi at

Monday, May 9, 2011

Hyundai Assurance Commercial, a good idea that is well written and beautifully voiced over by Jeff Bridges.

Awesome win by Hyundai with their new Assurance Commercial starring Jeff Bridges. It's well written, a great idea, and Jeff Bridges does a fantastic job with the voice over, hitting all the nuances so softly they have even more impact.
The consumer advocate in me does have one question however. Hyundai promises a certain value on a Hyundai trade in, but to get that trade in value, one must buy another Hyundai, no? Will Hyundai actually pay an assured amount in cash back if no new Hyundai car is purchased? (Alex LOGIC Alert, below is the type of ingenuity you can expect from Alex LOGIC consulting services)
Imagine the power of Jeff Bridge's voice saying in his laid back and ultra effective manner, ..."Cash back when you trade in your used Hyundai car even if you don't purchase another Hyundai". (the cash back amount does not have to be as much as the assurance value given on a trade in for a new Hyundai and the cash back could be limited to a certain age range for Hyundai cars, or not.)
And then there is the possible issue of Hyundai not offering as much of a price discount on a new Hyundai to a customer trading in a used Hyundai with the assurance trade in value, versus a first time Hyundai car buyer. Just sayin.

If you are planning on creating or broadcasting a commercial and want an objective, outsiders point of view about your commercial, contact Alessandro Machi about his consulting services at...
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Sunday, May 8, 2011

MTV CEO NOT FIRED for airing Audrina, Made, and Mobster's Wives after historically devastating Tornados, but for disliking a show about all girl band!



Is it a good thing when ONE nine year old girl can raise more money than two well known television channels?

On April 28th, 2011, I wrote on my Wall Street Change blog that I found it pathetic that MTV continued to air their standard programming even after reports of the worst tornados in the United States in several decades, (later it was stated as the past 80 years).

How dare a station like MTV claim to be about more than music and reality tv programming, how dare MTV do stories about global responsibilities while MTV ignores tornados in america's heartland so severe that over 300 people died (and others are still missing). So when I read that the CEO of recently MTV resigned, I initially presumed it had something to with MTV's unwillingness to devote any of their daytime programming slots to the victims of the worst tornados in the past 80 years.

I was wrong. MTV kept broadcasting episodes of Audrina, Mobster's Wives, and Made right after the heartland of America had been devastated by dozens of killer tornados, yet this is not what made MTV CEO Judy McGrath resign her position.

McGrath resigned because she didn't like a new reality tv show about an all girl rock band that Sumner Redstone had pushed through. wow. Is not this the perfect example of unhinged narcissism courtesy of MTV, McGrath, and Redstone?

The CEO does not resign over lack of coverage of killer tornados that literally wiped rural cities off of the U.S. map, but CEO of MTV does resign over objections to a new reality television show.

If you are planning on creating or broadcasting a commercial and want an objective, outsiders point of view about your commercial, contact Alessandro Machi about his consulting services at...
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Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Free Screening of The Homeless Movies of Emmett Deemus in Venice, Calfornia, May 5th, 2011 starring Larry Hankin of Seinfeld and Friends Fame.


Larry Hankin has appeared in both Friends and Seinfeld in roles that everybody remembers.

On Seinfeld, Hankin played the actor who was auditioning for the role of Kramer for the TV Pilot of the show that Jerry and George were writing for NBC, and who then stole George Costanza's raisins.

On Friends, Hankin played the irrascible neighbor, Mr. Heckles. In between acting gigs, Larry Hankin Produces and acts in his own films.
If you live in the Venice California area and are a Larry Hankin fan, you can see the premiere of The Homeless Movies of Emmett Deemus for free, May 5th, 2011, at the Talking Stick Coffee Lounge, 1411 Lincoln Blvd, Venice California, 8 pm.

If you are planning on creating or broadcasting a commercial and want an objective, outsiders point of view about your commercial, contact Alessandro Machi about his consulting services at...
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Monday, May 2, 2011

AT&T ski lift commercial one of the funniest all time commercials


(Updated January 24, 2018 to add 2 new links.)
Is it fair to say that the AT&T ski lift commercial is one of the top ten funniest commercials of all time? The commercial is well written, edited and directed, and the sound quality is tremendous. The voice and acting of the bearded, forlorn boyfriend is excellent. Here is a short interview with Derek Reckley.

I don't know who the bearded actor is, but he reminds me of a combination John Belushi / Jack Black, but with a better voice. Even the barely heard off camera "Whaaaat" when his ex girlfriend begins sending his buddy rapid fire text messages is hilarious.

I really wouldn't change a thing about the commercial.

And yet, if I were hired as a video consultant for this commercial, there is a suggestion I would make that I think the agency and AT & T would love.

If you are planning on creating or broadcasting a commercial and want an objective, outsiders point of view about your commercial, contact Alessandro Machi about his consulting services at...
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You can also view more
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