Hulu

"IN A very short time, Hulu has rocketed from nothing to being one of the top video destinations on the Internet. We've all heard the years of trade-show claptrap about television-Web "convergence," but Hulu has come as close as possible to turning your computer into a TV without actually sending a tech to monkey around with the hardware and wiring.

Maybe more important, it's also shaping up as a key proving ground in the ongoing philosophical debate about what people want from Web-based entertainment.

How do you Hulu? You don't have to pay anything, download a special player or even register your name or e-mail address. The site, which went up in mid-March, is free; in exchange for watching relatively brief ads, you get access to complete high-resolution episodes of top TV series such as "24" and "30 Rock," as well as impressively cataloged clips from "Saturday Night Live" and other shows. (The movie roster is somewhat less formidable, unless you consider "The Payaso Comedy Slam" or "Snake Eater" the apex of cinematic art.)"

Nielsen: Reading Online

"Print is having some issues at the moment, which may be like saying New Orleans took on some water. Insults fly, playground-style, about how long one published entity or another will be alive. Microsoft's CEO says no ink-on-paper newspapers or magazines by 2018; someone else says there'll be no Microsoft by then either. Newsweek will be gone in five years, predicts a columnist willing to bet dinner on it; I prefer steak, the magazine's editor shoots back.

A study released last week by the Internet research firm Nielsen Online revealed a part of the problem: People in the computer age are probably reading more than they ever have, so it's difficult to convince them to do more of it. It's the same 24-hour day that's always existed, recalling Mark Twain's quote about the wisdom of investing in land because they're not making any more of it.

People on average spend two hours a day, or more in many cases, reading online at work or home, according to the latest Nielsen study involving about 30,000 users.

Little wonder that they have less inclination, or time, to read apart from that. If my job required me to go to the gym for two hours a day, I'd probably have less need, and even less desire, to go before or after work."

Blackjack Fairgrounds Blog Carnival Returns

"Blackjack Fairgrounds, the Jericho Blog Carnival started by Amy Vernon at Remote Access, is back open for business. Amy has agreed to let JKI take over the operation of Blackjack Fairgrounds.

For those of you who have not heard of a Blog Carnival, it is a collection of links about a particular subject. Blackjack Fairgrounds is looking for submissions that are of interest to Jericho fans. These submissions can be announcements, articles, blog entries, discussions, fan fiction, humor or anything else that might interest a Jericho fan. As long as you can provide a link you can submit it! The submission deadline is June 25th, and the current edition of Blackjack Fairgrounds will open on June 30th. Submissions can be made here or you can e-mail blackjack@jerichojki.com.

Blackjack Fairgrounds is also looking for hosts. If you want Blackjack Fairgrounds to come to your corner of the Jericho fandom, then offer to host one of the road show editions. Our host for the June road show edition is The Monster."

Supernatural Fun

Thanks Taylor.

"I have been chatting with a couple of people lately, Jessica and LisiBee and how I haven’t been able to watch the season finale of Supernatural yet. Well I finally did! And thank goodness I know Jensen Ackles‘ character comes back…poor Dean hanging on those hooks all summer!!


On another note…I have to tell you all I won a Supernatural comic book/graphix (that’s the right term for it right?) book…it’s signed by Eric Kripke. And the person who created the book. I will give you more details when I get it in the mail!

So because I love Jensen so much here are some awesome screen caps I found from the shows in the past."



What does the future hold for you and Jensen or you and Jared? Here's a way to find out.

Mash Game: Predict Your Future at eSPIN-the-Bottle



"SUPERNATURAL fans have been going crazy since the season finale of the show this past May.

Since the cliffhanger of SUPERNATURAL Season 3 ending with Dean (Jensen Ackles) being sent to Hell, fans of the CW series have many questions on their minds. Questions like - how long Dean will be in Hell, what will he be like when he comes back, will he come back, and how will his time away affect his relationship with Sam (Jared Padalecki)?

On the set of Friday the 13th this past weekend, Jared Padalecki spoke about the upcoming season to the IESB."

BSG and Jericho

"Welcome to the weekly So Say We All: The Battlestar Galactica Blog Carnival.

An excellent penultimate episode of the first half of the last season. Wow. That was a mouthful.

Yes, I am extremely sad to say, this Friday’s episode, Revelations, is the mid-season finale. No word yet on when the second half will be aired, but conventional wisdom has it at next spring. I might have an aneurysm before then."



"Series: Jericho: The Complete Second Season comes out on DVD next Tuesday, the show itself having survived numerous corporate assaults, a premature cancellation and then a second cancellation after CBS gave fans seven episodes to tie up most of the loose plot threads. I was a late bloomer to the series but having watched it last year in the form of the boxed set I reviewed (Jericho Season One), I found it much more appealing than the intermittent schedule it was placed on by the network. Before I go into detail about this upcoming set where the entire season was compressed into a mere seven episodes on two discs, here's a recap of my comments from before to set the stage for newcomers (because if you're a fan of the show, you'll already have several copies pre-ordered to send out to your closest friends)."

The Upfront Market

"When it comes to the $9 billion-plus upfront market, it's easy for marketers to get distracted by the horse race of TV networks trying to outdo each other in terms of price increases or volume. Do that this year, and you'll lose sight of the dangers that may lie ahead when it comes to getting your ads on TV.

"Lost in all the numbers, however, is a serious consideration of the ramifications advertisers are bound to face come fall. With more viewers getting entertainment and information from the web and other emerging venues, the networks' supply of ratings is dwindling -- and so is a marketer's ability to get ads on TV without advance planning.

"The question that really remains is: What will be left later on in scatter?" asked Gary Carr, senior VP-director of national broadcast at independent media buyer TargetCast TCM, referring to ad time that is purchased closer to a show's air date. "Are [the networks] going to higher sellout levels, and only a little bit will be left later on?"

Hallmark and CBS

"Jed Clampett of the Beverly Hillbillies could be a Hallmark ornament hanging on Christmas trees this year.

Hallmark will get access to CBS Consumer Products' entire television library thanks to a licensing deal that will be announced this week.

The new agreement not only opens the doors to more than 150 properties including Beverly Hills 90210, Happy Days and Rawhide for greeting cards, but also for party goods, collectibles and other gift categories.

The deal could be lucrative for venerable CBS as it will receive a portion of online sales and purchases in more than 43,000 retail outlets, including Hallmark Gold Crown stores.

"There is an emotional connection with these shows, and there's nothing more emotional than having your brand used as a social expression," said Liz Kalodner, evp/gm of CBS Consumer Products, New York.

CBS' TV icons have been grouped under an umbrella dubbed Television City. A Television City logo will be included on Hallmark products and in upcoming marketing outreaches.

Television City shows are in the process of being licensed for use in other categories and already have been tapped by University Games for board games and Steve & Barry's and NTD Apparel for T-shirts and other clothing.

CBS and Hallmark, meanwhile, are preparing anniversary promotions this year for The Twilight Zone (50th), Rawhide (50th), The Brady Bunch (40th) and Happy Days (35th)."