• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, April 14, 2005

Everything is a TV show -- even announcing the TV schedule of National Football League games. For the second year, the NFL Network offered up a live show, "NFL Total Access Schedule Show" recently - to talk about "Monday Night Football" match-ups and holiday games. But, unlike the games themselves, there were no scores, post-game interviews, or player-of-the-game awards.

No, just two hours about the games that have yet to be played. Yes, the New York Jets are playing the Oakland Raiders on a high-gloss "Monday Night Football" game. The Colts, the Steelers, the Falcons, the Packers, and the Eagles will each play three games on Monday night.

So what of it? This is all-important to viewers, the NFL might say. We say, why just stop with football? Let the viewers look at all programming. A relatively emotionally secure broadcast network should follow the lead of the NFL Network, and air a program that would display, in dramatic tones, next season's big TV program battlegrounds.

For instance, can "Law & Order" recover to take over the lead spot from "CSI: Miami" on Wednesdays at 10 p.m.? Perhaps there could be a live discussion with CSI producer Jerry Bruckheimer and L&O producer Dick Wolf - both talking trash, of course.

What about newcomer "Grey's Anatomy?" What will CBS and NBC do to counteract ABC's still growing dominating presence on Sunday night? Will they need to bring some rookies off their respective benches?

Perhaps it could be a reality show - with contestants trying to program and schedule network lineups. TV development executives look for subjects that have yet to be covered, especially with a healthy amount of intrigue and backbiting. TV executives will, of course, need a little prodding in these areas. (Let me clear my throat.)

And if this might be boring, TV can always dig deeper and take the lead from "Seinfeld's" George Constanza. In one episode, when he and Jerry were pitching a TV show to NBC, Constanza asked the top NBC programming executive a question:

"What did you do today?" he asked.

"I came to work," replied the executive.

"That's a show!' said Constanza.

"But nothing happened," said the executive.

"That's a show!" said Constanza.

"Not yet," said the executive.