• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, November 14, 2006

It's already incredibly hard to devise new TV channels with any originality these days. With nowhere left to turn, our TV leaders now turn to Hollywood's actors and directors to offer up some viewing referrals.

TiVo and International Creative Management are teaming on an effort giving viewers recommendations from ICM's actor and director clients, through specially designed "artists" channels.

No longer do we need to depend on cigar-smoking, beer-swilling TV executives.  Instead, these executives now turn to the hired help.  Do they have a better clue of what we should watch? Maybe. 

 I would agree, under one condition. Artists can't recommend any movie they're associated with. So Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman can't recommend "Ishtar." Elizabeth Berkley and Gina Gershon can't recommend "Showgirls." But, yes, Leonardo DiCaprio can suggest "Goodfellas." Nicole Kidman can advise us on "The English Patient."

Viewers might tune in for a bit of ironic viewing. Who knows? Maybe Martin Scorsese likes a home decorating show on HGTV and "The Princess Diaries."  Maybe Will Smith likes ESPN Classic and "Sabado Gigante."

All this doesn't really offer up much--just a sliver of differentiation in a world where there is plenty of overpackaging of TV programs and channels.  So I recommend going in another direction.

TV viewers already get tons of advice. Why not offer up entertainment products to avoid? Let's hear from artists concerning TV or film stuff they would hurl at when flipping their remotes during late night TV journeys. That would be more fun. Mean, but fun.

That's just the stuff of good TV--a cornerstone of the most popular show in the land. If Simon Cowell of "American Idol" can rip into singers, why shouldn't Tom Cruise and Mel Gibson be able to rip into bad movies and TV, including actors and directors? That would be worth watching. We could then hold them accountable for any movies or TV they make in the future.