My Letter to TNT over the cancellation of Men of a Certain Age.

(quick update - Wednesday, Aug 10, 2011, 1:25am) Episode 209 from Men of Certain Age never appeared on my local cable tv provider's on demand feed. Even though I left a message with TNT, they were apparently too busy to upload the episode. I did find episode 209 of Men of a Certain Age elsewhere.

Dear Turner Network Television executive offices,

I just want to point out that it is ridiculous to compare ratings between television shows that feature guns and car chases, and those that do not. I find it the height of hypocrisy for Ted Turner, one of the most prominent champions of liberal political causes in the world, to bury a show that didn't have guns and car chases (Men of a Certain Age) so that ANOTHER show with car chases and guns can be added to their schedule.

Turner politically advocates funding for the disenfranchised in the United States yet forces the programming on his own channel to stand completely on its own. It's as if Turner is saying, "If it's somebody else's money, lets spend it all, but if it's on my network, a non violent show better get as good a rating as my gun shows and car chase shows or off it goes. This scenario is next to impossible since shows with guns and violence will usually draw a bigger crowd.

Can you name an "A" actor that does not use a gun? It's virtually impossible to be an A list actor nowadays without using a gun. I supposed Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts might fit that list, but for the most part, if you want to be an "A" actor, you'll use a gun, just ask Angelia Jolie and Brad Pitt.

How come the liberal political television executive hacks send their children to private schools but on their own networks they don't allow shows without guns and car chases to exist? Isn't that a double standard?

I

want my own children to have the best, but on my own network I'll dish up guns and violence and force quality shows to get the same ratings as my guns and violence shows.

Ray Romano was involved in the most important sit com of all time, Everybody Loves Raymond. If TNT's car chase and gun loving television shows don't create enough of a profit margin to allow shows like Men of a Certain Age to continue, YOU, Turner Network Television, are to blame.

Fox Television supported America's Most Wanted for 23 years even though it was a money losing show, yet on the liberal side of the media, shows without guns get axed for more car chase gun toting shows.

Please uncancel Men of a Certain Age.

(please sign up for "Fight to Save Men of a Certain Age from Cancellation" on Facebook)

May I also suggest going to the TNT forums for Men of a Certain Age and posting there as well.


Check out AlexLOGIC's best and worst commercials of 2011.

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...

info at alexlogic.com

You can also view more

commercial critiques

by Alessandro Machi at

Super Bowl Consulting

Miss America Beauty Pageant live public voting needs tweaking to help prevent voting fraud.

The advice I am giving in this article is very valuable and applies to all public voting tabulations done by live television. In my opinion there are at least two Miss America public voting improprieties that should be address.

1. When the public votes to help to determine the top ten contestants they may be voting based on loyalty, and not who they like the most. The voting public may like their own state's candidate best simply because they are from the same state.

2. Not only does the public vote based on loyalty, in the case of Miss America, the public may also call in and vote a LOW SCORE for opposing beauty contestants from other states.

Here is one solution: Clever mathematical algorithms could be designed that disqualify some of the scores that are "too low" or "too high". While someone may legitimately believe that a contestant was a "ten", the reality was that most contestants overall scored between a 5 and a 7.6 in the swimsuit competition.

While it is obvious that people were voting zero's for opposing contestants as scores ranging from 5 to 7.6 would clearly indicate, there is one more thing that the Miss America contest could do to INSTANTLY make the public vote literally 10 times more honest, and accurate.

That idea I shall save for a rainy day just in case the Miss America Pageant would like to hire Alex LOGIC as a consultant.

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...

info at alexlogic.com

You can also view more

commercial critiques

by Alessandro Machi at

Super Bowl Consulting

It's not a private conversation if you're in public talking on a cell phone.

lol, I guess the video was taken down.  Basically a woman is videotaped having a row with the train personnel.

To the upset woman on a train, It's not a private conversation if you're in public talking on a cell phone. The comment she made "Excuse me, I'm a well educated person", sent chills down my spine. In my opinion referring to ones education or what family one comes from as a first line of response is a sign of an over the top narcissist.

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...

info at alexlogic.com

You can also view more

commercial critiques

by Alessandro Machi at

Super Bowl Consulting

Audi Certified Pre-Owned TV Commercial is well written, edited, acted, directed, and produced, but Alex LOGIC thinks something does not add up.

Watch these two audi pre-owned commercials and see if you agree that they are well made, entertaining and memorable commercials.

Several years ago I had two experiences within the same week in which I thought I was notifying the driver about a possible car defect. Both times I was told they did not care because they were returning the car in the very near future.

Just who is the person in real life who is watching over the shoulder of the first Audi Driver to make sure the car is returned in great shape?

If we are to believe pre-owned Audi Cars receive a magical make-over before they are re-sold, then why not show that in the commercial instead?

The original owner will never meet the future owner, and therefore won't have that friendly "nudge" from the future owner to do the right thing when it comes to car maintenance.

The pre-owned commercials that Audi made probably tested well with market research audiences, but what is portrayed in both pre-owned Audi commercials actually has NOTHING to do with reality.

Some people may just giggle at how engaging and fun these two Audi pre-owned commercials are. Maybe Audi car owners who watch these commercials may even feel more compelled to take good care of their own Audi because of these commercials, and that is a good thing.

However, these two Audi Commercials are quite adept at taking fantasy (the meeting of the future owner with the first owner) and making it seem plausible. Deceiving future Audi pre-owned car owners into believing that somehow there is a magic force out there that makes the original Audi owner more responsible is somewhat pretentious. 


Maybe selling fake sizzle may make these commercials a success, but not in AlexLOGIC's book.

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...

info at alexlogic.com

You can also view more

commercial critiques

by Alessandro Machi at

Super Bowl Consulting

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.

Apparently, sit coms with nice guy middle aged white men as leads or co leads just don't click with the twitter crowd, and that apparently is what is driving the networks'

decision making.

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...

info at alexlogic.com

You can also view more

commercial critiques

by Alessandro Machi at

Super Bowl Consulting

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...

info at alexlogic.com

You can also view more

commercial critiques

by Alessandro Machi at

Super Bowl Consulting

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...

info at alexlogic.com

You can also view more

commercial critiques

by Alessandro Machi at

Super Bowl Consulting

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...

info at alexlogic.com

You can also view more

commercial critiques

by Alessandro Machi at

Super Bowl Consulting

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...

info at alexlogic.com

You can also view more

commercial critiques

by Alessandro Machi at

Super Bowl Consulting

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...

info at alexlogic.com

You can also view more

commercial critiques

by Alessandro Machi at

Super Bowl Consulting