Commentary

Jumpy Summer Thoughts On TV Sports Achilles, Stocks, Dancing Leaps, And Gold

Well, Glenn Beck is at least right about one thing: We all should have jumped and bought gold.

That's just one of the key images and thoughts about summer television that creeps into the minds at TV Watch.

Then there's the NFL. For some, that shouldn't have been a jump.

Seems a lot of players are having injuries in their pre-season training, especially Achilles problems and other leg muscle pulls, according to ESPN. You don't need to be a math expert or doctor to know that, in a rush by the players and owners to get back to some normal summer schedule and keep TV viewers and advertisers happy, there weren't enough training days available for proper ramping up of physical activity.

More rushing back too soon: A stoic image of Tiger Woods coming off the 18th green in the PGA Championship wasn't all that good for TV golf executives on Thursday. TNT televised the early rounds.

Woods may have felt good coming off his last event. But the first round of the PGA gave him a rather humbling, seven over par, 77 -- even after multiple early morning practice tee outings. That means he's 14 strokes back of the leader and probably not all that TV-worthy in the coming days.

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Harried financial experts have dotted CNBC's airwaves over the last several days. Scared? Angry? Confused? Viewers need to know something about the stock market - and not just about the worsening economic conditions. Annoyed, many experts are just saying the wildly up and down conditions elicit a "traders' market." Hey, but ratings are up at CNBC.

So big-time investors flocked to gold -- a Beck favorite, at least according to those sponsorships deals -- and federal treasury bills.

There have been glowing remarks from just about every guest judge and regular judge on Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance?" But, overall, Neil Patrick Harris, Lady Gaga, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Christina Applegate, and Carman Electra made the show somewhat of a yawn. (Look at the ratings ). However, Harris once took a verbal swipe at one choreographer and even at the music -- a seemingly faux pas jete.

USA Network's "Covert Affairs" finale may not have been all that it should have been. (Anne Walker finally telling her sister she is a CIA agent? That's it?)

TBS pulled the plug on "Lopez Tonight" -- without much notice. In his monologue, George Lopez said he is fine but "my goddesses are a wreck." (See, Charlie Sheen is affecting everyone).

Describing the overall specific TV tone of the stock market, the NFL, late-night talk shows, and frantic TV writers trying to find something new for cable dramas and dance competitions, is difficult. But if summer TV feels rushed, nervous, and jumpy, there's good reason.

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