Rob Owen stories, Page 41
TV Talk: Shonda Rhimes invents another winner: ‘Inventing Anna;’ ‘Book of Boba Fett’ closes a chapterVideo
With “Inventing Anna,” writer/uber-producer Shonda Rhimes once again proves why she’s one of the most successful TV writers working today. Rhimes innately understands what viewers want — a juicy story — and happily serves it up on a cafeteria tray. Rhimes isn’t a showrunner who puts out meditative (re: boring),...
TV Talk: ‘Fresh Prince’ becomes ‘Bel-Air’ in dramatic rebootVideo
When director Morgan Cooper’s 2019 trailer for an imagined gritty reboot of the Will Smith-starring ‘90s sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” went viral, it was probably for a few reasons. The homemade trailer looked great and captured all the elements of the sitcom and then turned them into what...
TV Q&A: Why did WTAE-TV make so many anchor changes?Video
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions every Wednesday at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review. Q: Any perspective on the WTAE-TV anchor changes? Were their 11 p.m. numbers that bad? – Sally, via Facebook Rob: My first thought was less about...
Pittsburgh Pop podcast: Talking ‘Terry Bradshaw: Going Deep,’ terrible Olympics ratings and ‘Pam & Tommy’
In this episode of the “Pittsburgh Pop” podcast, host Tim Benz and TV Talk columnist Rob Owen discuss Pittsburgh pop culture news of the moment, including the HBO Sports documentary “Terry Bradshaw: Going Deep.” Benz and Owen theorize on possible reasons for the terrible ratings for NBC’s Winter Olympics opening...
TV Talk: Westmoreland County native explores China’s impact on Hollywood in ‘Red Carpet’
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing – or TV adjacent — tip for the coming week. Former Pittsburgh journalist Erich Schwartzel probably shouldn’t expect China to roll out the red carpet once its political leaders get their hands on a copy of his first book, “Red...
TV Talk: Comic actors improvise their way through ‘Murderville;’ PBS delivers a history of jeansVideo
In an era of plenty of TV, including many reboots, it’s refreshing to see some outlets take chances on offbeat programming. Sometimes those risks pay off creatively and ratings-wise (see: CBS’s “Ghosts,” not exactly a match with CBS’s multi-cam sitcoms) and sometimes they don’t. Creatively, Netflix’s “Murderville,” now streaming, falls...
TV Q&A: What degrees do Pittsburgh TV meteorologists have?
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions every Wednesday at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review. Q: Of all of the “meteorologists” that are on the Big Three Pittsburgh news stations, do you know how many actually have a four-year degree in...
TV Talk: Janelle Hall moves to mornings on WTAE as part of shakeup
The other shoe finally dropped following the abrupt departure of Kelly Frey from WTAE-TV last fall: Janelle Hall, most recently an anchor at 6 and 11 p.m., will join Michelle Wright weekday mornings, 4:30-7 a.m. Ryan Recker, who has been filling in since Frey’s departure, will also be a co-anchor...
TV Talk: Tori Yorgey on ‘Ellen;’ equipment failure bedevils WQED-TV scheduleVideo
Looks like Tori Yorgey’s start date with WTAE-TV, scheduled for Feb. 1, will push back just a few days. She tweeted a photo Monday from the makeup room of daytime chat show “Ellen,” which tapes in Burbank, Calif. Presumably Yorgey is appearing to talk about getting hit by a car...
Pittsburgh Pop podcast: A Steelers fans’ ‘True Story,’ Steelers TV ratings drop, ‘American Rust’ canceled
In this episode of the “Pittsburgh Pop” podcast, host Tim Benz and TV Talk columnist Rob Owen discuss Pittsburgh pop culture news of the moment, including the decline of TV ratings for Steelers games in a season where NFL ratings generally rebounded. Benz and Owen discuss the “True Story” episode...
TV Talk: Pittsburgh native directs HBO special on Steelers great Terry BradshawVideo
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip for this week. Part stand-up comedy, part concert film, part biography, the new 75-minute HBO special “Terry Bradshaw: Going Deep” aims to give viewers new insights on the Hall of Fame Steelers quarterback. “I’m not looking to push anybody...
TV Talk: ‘Pam & Tommy’ offers a wild, weird ride; ‘Ghosts’ renewed
There are some moments in Hulu’s “Pam & Tommy” that will make viewers take notice one way or another, but early episodes of this limited series are fairly hum-drum when they’re not way over-the-top. Then it improves, becoming more nuanced in later episodes. Streaming Wednesday, “Pam & Tommy” is one...
TV Talk: CMU grad Denée Benton helped craft, advocate for her ‘Gilded Age’ characterVideo
Denée Benton, a 2014 graduate of Carnegie Mellon University’s musical theater program, stars in HBO’s “The Gilded Age” (9 p.m. Monday, HBO; also streaming on HBO Max), as Peggy Scott, a young Black woman striving to make it as a writer while working as a secretary for old money matriarch...
TV Q&A: Where can I see new ‘Judge Judy’ episodes?Video
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions every Wednesday at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review. Q: Does any station in Pittsburgh carry new episodes of “Judge Judy”? – Mike, Whitehall Rob: Channel 11 continues to carry “Judge Judy” reruns at 3...
TV Talk: Showtime cancels filmed-in-Pittsburgh ‘American Rust’
Almost three months after its first-season finale, Showtime canceled filmed-in-Pittsburgh “American Rust.” “We can confirm that ‘American Rust’ will not be moving forward with a second season,” read a Showtime statement. “We would like to thank our partners at Boat Rocker, our talented showrunner Dan Futterman and the rest of...
TV Talk: Point Park celebrates 1st Myron Cope Day, ‘Proud Family’ on Disney+Video
The School of Communication at Point Park University will celebrate its first Myron Cope Day on Feb. 7, celebrating the Pittsburgh broadcasting legend at 200 Lawrence Hall. Three panels will include a look at his career as a print journalist (10-10:45 a.m.), broadcast journalist (10:45-11:30 a.m.) and as a radio...
Pittsburgh Pop podcast: Talking Tori Yorgey, ‘Fraggle Rock’ and ‘The Pale Blue Eye’
In this episode of the “Pittsburgh Pop” podcast, host Tim Benz and TV Talk columnist Rob Owen discuss Pittsburgh pop culture news of the moment, including WTAE-TV (as of next week) reporter Tori Yorgey and her viral live shot, the latest Tom Hanks movie to film in Pittsburgh, Netflix’s “The...
Reporter Tori Yorgey talks live shot fame after being hit by car, joining WTAE
Praised for her dedication and good humor while also instigating discourse around television reporter safety, it’s been a whirlwind for future WTAE reporter Tori Yorgey in the days days after she was hit by a car while reporting live from a water main break in Dunbar, W.Va. The Philadelphia-area native...
TV Talk: Soapy ‘Promised Land,’ comedies ‘The Afterparty’ and ‘Astrid & Lilly’ premiereVideo
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers viewing tips for the coming week. There’s promise in ABC’s latest prime-time soap, but its makers sure don’t make it easy on viewers initially. Premiering at 10 p.m. Monday on WTAE-TV, “Promised Land” introduces the large, wealthy Hispanic family that owns Heritage...
TV Talk: Pittsburgh native’s Zachary Quinto film gets Sundance screening; gorgeous ‘Gilded Age’ debuts
Most viewers first got to know Pittsburgh native Zachary Quinto as the sinister Sylar on NBC’s “Heroes.” He plays another dark, complex character in “Chaperone,” a 16-minute short film written/directed by Pittsburgh native Sam Max that’s now streaming through Jan. 30 as part of the virtual Sundance Film Festival. Max...
TV Talk: Future WTAE reporter hit by a car live on the airVideo
Local TV news reporter Tori Yorgey will begin her new job at Pittsburgh’s WTAE-TV in February, but her last week on the job at WSAZ-TV in Huntington, W.Va., has been eventful: She was struck by a car during a live broadcast and continued reporting, becoming a viral sensation on Twitter...
TV Q&A: What happened to WTAE-TV reporter Katelyn Sykes?
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions every Wednesday at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review. WARNING: The last question in this column includes spoilers for the finale of “Dexter: New Blood,” which aired on Jan. 9. Q: Could you please tell...
TV Talk: Steelers fan shares ‘True Story’ of sneaking into the 1979 Super BowlVideo
Retired Pittsburgh boxer and boxing referee Rick Steigerwald has previously shared his story of how, at age 24, he snuck into the 1979 Super Bowl, where the Steelers beat the Dallas Cowboys. But until now, he’s never had the tale re-enacted by a cast of professional comic actors, including Adam...
Pittsburgh Pop: Peacock profiles Western Pa. native Joe Montana, remembering Bob Saget, previewing ‘Peacemaker’Video
In this episode of the “Pittsburgh Pop” podcast, host Tim Benz and TV Talk columnist Rob Owen discuss Pittsburgh pop culture news of the moment, including Peacock’s six-episode docu-series about Joe Montana, who grew up in Monongahela, which is featured prominently in the first episode. Benz and Owen discuss the...
TV Talk: ‘How I Met Your Father’ delivers more complicated take on ‘How I Met Your Mother’Video
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip for the coming week. More a spiritual spin-off than a true sequel series, Hulu’s “How I Met Your Father” does a gender swap on the 2005-14 CBS comedy “How I Met Your Mother.” Streaming Tuesday, “How I Met Your...
