NJRadioGuy
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Posts posted by NJRadioGuy
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23 hours ago, Norma Desmond said:
I don't understand why someone would leave a cushy, safe job, especially in an unstable profession like acting
Just like potential character deaths on the other two One Chicago shows, I think this one may be budget related. These are old and expensive shows to produce and they were given a budget of X per season or X per episode. My hunch is they approached Nick and asked for a salary reduction and he refused. So instead they both make it look like his leaving is voluntary. I could be way off base, but I really don't think so.
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57 minutes ago, MsJamieDornan said:
What prompted all this ?
A lot of factors are in play, but the most significant is that C3 ratings for all scripted broadcast series continue to plummet. Ignore pretty much any and every rating number you read except for the 18-49 totals, and even there, the ratings that allow a show to continue or not are never made public. The C3 numbers are the numbers of people (in that all-important 18-49 demo) who are Neilsen households with measuring devices and who watch the show live or within 3 days with the commercials intact. i.e. they actually watch the ads. Advertisers pay for the show, and they won't pay for something where people aren't watching their expensive commercials, regardless how popular the show is.
Fire is a very popular show and the publicly-released ratings (typically overnights and 2-day, and Live+7, in which ad viewing is not included) are good but not stellar. Survivor is opposite One Chicago; it's not scripted, cheaper to produce and it eats Dick Wolf's proverbial ham sandwich for lunch. Here's last Wednesday's finale numbers:
Again, the ONLY numbers here that matter (and at that, not fully since they don't factor ads) are the Sales Demo Ratings 18-49, second column. 0.4something. Two or three years ago a 0.4something would be cause for immediate cancellation. In 2023 those are just enough to warrant renewal, albeit at lower prices going forward. One Chicago series are old shows with expensive actors, expensive production costs and have to make the network money and get eyeballs on ads.
There are other inside-baseball factors at play but compared to C3, nothing matters anywhere near as much. The only programming that makes any sort of money for networks in 2023 is live sports, and at that, mostly NFL football or NBA basketball. Everything else is just to help build the brand.If, like me, you have little use for sportsball, the headwinds are getting stronger and network scripted series will likely be a thing of the past within 10 years and possibly less. There's talk of dropping 10pm from networks for the same reason. Enjoy CM/CF/CPD while you can because the model that pays for them is failing worse and worse every year. Sportsball subsidizes the shows, to a degree, as well.
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The takeaway for me from reading the conditions of renewal in the trades a few weeks back was (I think) no more than 15 episodes per actor. If they keep the episode count at 22 then it will look nothing like what we're used to. Obviously there's no budget going forward for complex technical or water rescues, major fire scenes and similar VFX-laden calls, so probably a lot more MVAs and ambo calls--which quite frankly is closer to real FD responses these days anyways, but not as much for TV viewers to engage with.
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11 hours ago, Josh371982 said:
Yeah with the reported budget cuts for next season and after seeing this episode I am wondering if they are going to kill off Mouch and actually risk having Brett, Casey and Severide gone as well. I read something like the episode counts for all the regulars is gonna be 15 episodes.
In a show about a firehouse these kinds of budgets problems will be especially hard to deal with. It's not like T81 and R3 can operate with 3 crew every shift. It's easy to sideline Boden since as a Chief he would respond to calls that the apparatus in his house aren't assigned to. Kiley will be off to the academy, but how much more cutting can they do to the core cast? In Chicago PD they can alternate between storylines sidelining half the squad every other episode, and that works just fine. Even in Med, they can focus more on the case of the week and not feature certain members who aren't involved. But when you have a firehouse with two featured pieces of fire apparatus, both of which need a 4-person crew to be functional, it's a vastly different story. If they take Engine 51 out of the equation, as it had been for most of the show's run, then what do you do with Hermann? If Kinney leaves the show Cruz likely gets promoted to LT on Squad, and that leaves a vacancy. Gallo to Squad, Hermann back to T81 (a demotion) as a crewman, then? But still they can only appear in 15 episodes. This is going to be increasingly difficult to watch and retain any ability to suspend what little disbelief is left.
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On 5/24/2023 at 11:53 AM, Sake614 said:
For real, I mean is there no other crime in Chicago? Although at this point I’m not sure the writers are even capable of something more interesting.
In real-world policing that's the main focus and the source of the most high-level crime. Dope importation and mass distribution, guns, and gangs just go together. Regular precinct detectives will handle robberies, burglaries and even many homicides, but every department has units like Intelligence or some variation of it—most likely without a torture cage in the basement, however.
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To me, a more fitting end would have been for the father to discover that his new best buddy Ruzek was not just an undercover cop but an undercover cop with an adopted black daughter. He goes to their apartment, breaks in, fade-to-black, and two shots ring out. That's the cliffhanger you leave viewers with until next fall (or winter, or spring, or whenever the damned writers' strike is over).
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Oh, I forgot to add that just one of those bricks of C4 would probably level half a city block. That much? Ain't nobody on that property is walking, running, or crawling away. They'd still be finding bits of Kevlar and police gear in trees a half-mile away a year from now.
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1 minute ago, Guildford said:
afterall they have some magic elixer at Chicago Med. The magic of TV hey?
Just, please, don't send him to O.R. 2.0. That won't end well.
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12 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:
I think Maggie has been begged to stay enough. Maybe, they left it open so that if she doesn’t return, the groundwork was laid.
Agreed. The actor has cancer IRL, and it sounded quite bad over the winter, although she's looking a lot better now. I hope she pulls through and wishes to stay on the show. But she's one I'll miss if she leaves.
The rest of that mess? Meh. Bye, Will. Don't let the door hit you where the good lord split you.-
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4 hours ago, MsJamieDornan said:
I think that will be over now that her kid shot Adam and she left him there.
They'll look for any opportunity to yank that deal, and criminal negligence would be a good start. But for the deal itself, it sucks, but sometimes you have to make a terrible deal with the devil. For those interested, do a Google search on a woman named Karla Homolka in Canada. She didn't get immunity, thankfully. Her ex will die in prison as a result.
Nobody who gets hit center-mass from 5 yards or less will crawl away (to film another season). They'll be carried by six with an honor guard. But I don't see then killing off Ruzek to be honest. With the One Chicago budget cuts I can see them having him "rehab" for the first half of the season. But the reality is that was pretty much a shot to the heart from where the squib was placed on the actor's chest.
The episode was a B+ to an A- for me overall. Tight editing, great fight choreography, good lighting, clear sound, and nice camera work, plus a decent on-camera performance by all, But points docked for the shot nonsense above, and for the Big Bad always being a step ahead of the Best Intelligence Unit In All Of The World. Criminals are generally dumb and mistakes are so easy for trained investigators to find. -
Why would they have various scanners running if, as they said, they are monitoring every CFD call? THEY HAVE REAL CFD MOTOROLA RADIOS, and IRL there is always radio chatter going on and every FF knows what they're listening for all the time! There are only two dispatch channels for the entire city (Main and Englewood; North Side and South Side respectively). And I laughed at the ~40 year old Bearcat 215 first-gen digital scanner (receiver) with a Regency CB mic plugged in the side, displaying 10.745 MHz. I did like the SDS-200 above it, though. Best scanner ever made. Too bad it was locked on a FD dispatch channel for some place called Steger Estates, IL., well south of Chicago. Very curious. I wonder If that $750 scanner is actually in the real CFD Station 18 or just on the filming set? The RadioGuy/dispatch geek in me asks questions like this <grin>. I replaced one of my pictured 996p2 scanners with that SDS last month. Worth every penny!
The power station/switch yard. That first callout was not a transformer on fire. It was the base of an insulator that was burning, and for no more than medium voltage levels at that. They don't burn. Because they're insulators. Made of porcelain. That's their job description. A 240V or 480V disconnect lever switch would *not* de-energize primary wires going into or out of the actual transformer. They would almost certainly be carrying 5-figure voltage levels and the arc flashes would be substantial. I didn't closely look at that substation to see the layout but it didn't look like a major distribution point. One guy, with no PPE, pulling a handle? I don't teeeeenk so, Lucy. Call the system operator on the landline and get the substation bypassed and de-energized PDFQ. There are three high voltage "phases" leading into the yard and three phases out of the yard. All six lines have to be remotely disconnected to completely de-energize the substation, and those de-energized lines inside the yard must be verified connected to earth ground before it's considered "safe." That process is absolutely non trivial. Often it's done remotely with motorized contactors, but in a smaller switch yard it can be done manually but painstakingly slowly and carefully. One guy in a hard hat is laughable. Same as sending a fireman into a fully involved house fire with a garden hose and a raincoat.
Keep sending 10-1s on the radio until every blue flashing light in northern Illinois rolls in. You can bet black SUVs with black tinted windows would be on scene within 5 minutes given the state of alert.
Why a deck gun? The only thing that could possibly burn (once power was removed) would be the transformer oil from the burst tank, and you'd want foam or some other chemical agent for that, and it might even self-extinguish. Spraying water on equipment that might possibly still have been energized would be a very quick and permanent exit. No matter how you slice it that facility will be down for days, and likely weeks. It's far too small to power the entire city; more likely a transit or heavy-rail type thing by the looks of it. Still a major PITA, though.Sylvie. Baaaayyyyybeeeeeeeeeee! Not just no, but Oh F--K NO. Bad enough we had to endure Louie. Bad enough we have to endure Burgess' foundling on PD. Can't anybody on One Chicago acquire their babies the normal way? I really like Brett as a character (nice moral center of niceness that this show does so well with) but if all this plays out then take Casey and Julia back to PDX. I just don't want any more manufactured BS baby drama.
Great pain is quite likely Mouch dying, I hate to say. He's my favourite character on the whole show but how much of his story is left to tell? I hope it's a false flag, but I got a bad feeling. Given the reduced One Chicago budgets for next year I can see them chopping off a few members of each show's cast.
I don't care about Severide that much at this point. With Casey it was a great pairing. Each by themselves? Not so much. If he leaves he leaves, let Stella cry and then fall into Carver's arms next season.
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13 hours ago, iMonrey said:
I thought it was pretty meta to show the firefighters watching a TV show with firefighters and complaining that it wasn't realistic.
12 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:That was great. I remember back a few seasons when the 51 crew had to cover CFD Station 19, and they just unloaded on the condition of the firehouse.
"Rat infested" comes to mind.
From the half-second of the "show" they were watching, it looked like two guys fighting a brush fire. Now which awful show about brush firefighting could they be taking a potshot at? Hey, at least Three Rock puts actual water on actual fires so...pot, kettle.
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23 hours ago, possibilities said:
I'm trying to imagine a line up where they have someone sniffing the suspects rathe than looking at them through glass.
I guess this show doesn't use line ups, though.
5 hours ago, Clanstarling said:That sounds like fun though...I can think of scenarios where that might actually be a better means of identification.
IRL, lineups are almost never done in person. Investigators use what they call a "six pack"—six head shot photos of similarly-looking faces, where one of them is the potential suspect. Usually it's just head and shoulders, with each image being about the size of a passport photo. Some departments will have six individual 5x7 or 4 x 6 photos shown one after the other. Witnesses are asked to circle and initial their choice, if they make one. The days of the in-person lineup are LONG gone. Sample as found online:
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I was just smiling when Sandeford was talking about Homicide: Life On The Street! Yes, that was still the best cop show ever made, hands down.
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On 5/7/2023 at 12:14 PM, tv echo said:
Ratings: Fire Country Eyes Lows; SmackDown, Blue Bloods Lead Friday
By Matt Webb Mitovich / May 6 2023
https://tvline.com/2023/05/06/ratings-fire-country-season-1-episode-20/It's pretty typical for late-season original episodes. Nice weather after a long winter = fewer people watching TV live with commercials, which is what they're measuring for ratings that determine a show's fate (C3).
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Plea agreements are that common because in the VAST majority of cases the accused did what he/she was accused of doing or at least being partially culpable and it's a way to come to a conclusion that's fair to the victim or the victim's family, the state, and the accused. Some railroading does occur, unfortunately, and the poorer the accused the worse it gets. A half-decent attorney will know if there's something to work with or not. But from my understanding, and granted I could be way off here, but public defenders in felony cases generally look to get a lenient sentence from the court in exchange for expediency and not bogging down the system with unnecessary trials where the accused is pretty evidently guilty. Freddy's case should probably have gone to trial but....
As a Game of Thrones survivor, the second-to-last episode of a season in a dramatic show is where I expect someone (or multiple someones) to get whacked, and my guess is Freddy won't make it out of next week's episode alive or intact. What sealed it for me was everybody high-fiving around the station when they believe they found exculpatory evidence. I turned to my wife and we both agreed: Dead man walking from that point forward.
The mine. Holy crap what utter nonsense. To add to everyone else's comments, when the blast knocked out the sealed up wall everybody was waiting for them on the other side. So WHY WEREN'T THEY ACTIVELY WORKING TO BUST A HOLE THROUGH WITH ALL THE TOOLS FROM THE APPARATUS INSTEAD OF LETTING THEM USE HIGH EXPLOSIVES WITH CHILDREN NEARBY?
Giving this episode a D is an insult to D-students everywhere. The writers phoned this one in as far as I'm concerned.
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Re: Anthony and his witness. What a load of crap! Any seasoned investigator shows up with a 6-pack photo array and enough sweet talk to get he witness to make an I.D. There are virtually no such things as in-person lineups anymore. It's not the 1920s!
Danny and his jailhouse informant--good ghods. Have everything ready and put him into federal protective custody the instant he agrees. Next stop the witness protection plan.CBS procedurals are so predictable now. Unless the character is a main cast member, the perp will always be the older/experienced caucasian male. Bank on it.
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Please be too late, Please be too late, Please be too late, Please be too late....
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So with two episodes left this season what Big Cataclysmic Catastrophe™ will befall the hospital that will change Dayton's mind and put things back to status quo for the fall (or whenever it starts up again post-strike)?
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Jacob's got the work ethic but he has no tolerance for blowhards. I said this last week, but guys like Keith will find it increasingly difficult to find and retain younger, competent crew members. That generation won't put up with abuse. And in 2023, it's not like skilled crews grow on trees. So unless Kieth wants to only pick from the "recovering addict" and "ex-con" talent pools to keep his deck staffed he might need to seek anger management counseling.
Sean definitely needed to walk. The Aleutian Lady's crew and captain didn't seem to be a professional working vessel. But that boat's name sounds really familiar. Wasn't that one of the DC Chase boats for a while? Maybe they made their money hauling camera crews for so long they've let their fishing skills lapse? Or am I thinking of another vessel? Regardless, that was a lackadaisical crew and a captain looking for a bad reputation.
Count me amongst the others who are wondering why the Wizard and T.B. haven't been coordinating with the USCG in intercepting those trawlers. Especially if they suspect they're Russian, or perhaps Chinese factory ships. But here's the thing: those big ships act with impunity and obviously don't play by the laws of the sea. Messing with people like that is a very good way to end up with your boat burned to the waterline in the middle of the night or the crew wiped out and thrown into the sea. With millions or tens of millions of dollars at stake, that's not a far stretch. Keith's little stunt might have cost them $100,000 in profits. Do that enough times and certain people would become Very Angry. So yeah, why aren't there USCG planes in the sky and ships near the fishing fleet? I'm definitely smelling a Disco-scented rat.
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Yet another young'un chooses to mouth off to Keith. Don't they ever watch the show before hiring on? But this brings up an interesting point. As time marches on, fire breathing captains will find it increasingly difficult to find younger help. Nobody wants to work for a bully, and we see that playing out pretty much everywhere now. Help wanted ads going unfilled, staffing positions open for months on end, etc. How long until only the old veterans are left put up with that garbage from guys like Keith, Wild Bill and Jake Anderson? Millennials and Gen Z don't want any part of that nonsense, and I don't blame them.
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As for Frank's quip about suburban raccoons vs NYC rats, GIVE ME RACCOONS ANY DAY and twice on Sunday. Yes, they make a mess if you don't secure your bins but Trash Pandas are adorable little goofballs.
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An interesting story on the real-life inmate firefighter program in California.
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On 4/3/2023 at 11:07 AM, TVbitch said:
Just started watching Season 6 of Amazing Race Australia. Holy Moly, they started off with 18 teams! I understand why they did it, and it might have even been prudent given teams being sidelined for a week due to COVID in other AR's around the world...BUT it kind of left me a bit lost because no way can I keep track of or get to know that many teams. Already some teams are having to sit out legs due to COVID. Even Beau got quarantined. I have to admit I skipped ahead to Episode 7 where they are getting down to 13 teams in the hopes I can settle in and get to know these people, but I admit I am having a hard time getting invested in this season.
I've been watching this as well (one a week with the wife) and I love the format of the Aussie show. It takes far more risks than the Mothership, with challenges much more daunting than what we see on the U.S. version. The language is a lot saltier as well!
They spent 3 episodes in each country which I really liked, but to be honest, I vastly preferred when they spent the whole of season 5 in Australia, since I knew very little about that country before watching S5. Opel mines in Coober Pedy, the Ghan, fishing for barramundi in Humpty Doo, etc. Loved seeing northern QLD and NT, but wished they'd visited WA or the red center.
What I really liked about this season and the seasons before was eliminated teams coming back into the race later on, and the increased episode counts. There are 21 episodes in S6, and IIRC there were 24 or 26 in Season 5. The whole two sets of 9 teams was great, but admittedly difficult to follow--especially as select teams were waylaid with Covid and came back in later with a speed bump. One thing I noticed was that penalties in the Australian version are far shorter than in the U.S. show (typically 10 to 30 minutes) and it makes me wonder why teams don't take penalties far more when tasks are...extreme.
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The First 48 - General Discussion
in The First 48
I'm sure they realized he was dead but they simply didn't want to "get involved" and figured they could be far away before the cops came. How many of those not involved in the killing had warrants, I wonder?