The very thought of choosing specific individuals to receive special memorial tributes during an awards show outside of a traditional segment honoring all the gifted people in a certain business who passed away during the previous year strikes me as unwise, if not outright tasteless. One would have to be completely out of touch with reality not to expect a public fuss. That's exactly what happened following a telephone press conference yesterday with Ken Ehrlich, the executive producer of this year's Emmy telecast, during which journalists wanted to know why Larry Hagman, who passed away last November, was not one …

Has any network done as much as AMC this month to change long-held perceptions about how an American television series should be presented and how an established franchise can be maximized without damaging the core property? Consider what AMC has been up to. First came its decision to telecast the final eight episodes of "Breaking Bad" as a mini-season -- a programming strategy that is currently yielding spectacular ratings results and propelling this unlikeliest of hits to the forefront of American popular culture.

In one of those strange circumstances of television scheduling, Fox tonight will premiere the best new sitcom of the season -- and one that many critics have already dismissed as the worst.

The ratings issues faced by "MSQ" will only intensify tonight as it goes up against early-season premieres of two popular returning shows on other networks -- ABC's flashy "Dancing with the Stars" and Fox's durable "Bones." "Dancing" has put together one of its most appealing rosters of celebrity dancers in years, including Valerie Harper -- one of the most beloved and most awarded television performers of the Seventies -- so much so that her popularity has never dimmed.

It was almost impossible on the night of September 11, 2001 -- and for a long time thereafter -- to imagine that at some time in the future a major broadcast network would televise two separate live entertainment series from striking locations in midtown Manhattan. So let's give credit to NBC. More than any other entertainment company, this network consistently showcases New York City in a way no others do.

We have lately been led to believe that the oldest way of enjoying television isn't necessarily the most powerful -- one show at a time, as it is telecast, with a span of a week or more between each episode. I disagree. Just consider the state that fans of "Breaking Bad" have found themselves in this week. Those who watched last Sunday's episode are half-crazed right now with anticipation for this weekend's show ... and they have no choice but to surrender and watch AMC on Sunday at 9 p.m. ET.

I would like nothing better than for "The X Factor" to be every bit as enjoyable as "American Idol" and "The Voice" at their best. From the beginning, the American adaptation of this hit international franchise has attempted to be the biggest and best of its genre. But the end result has been a series of little entertainment value -- a show that managed to be simultaneously overproduced and underwhelming as it rolled along.

All people are talking about today is ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" -- specifically, the YouTube sensation "Worst Twerk Fail EVER - Girl Catches on Fire!," now known as a wide-ranging video hoax that Jimmy Kimmel played on the world at large, which in recent weeks was widely pumped by dozens of news and media outlets, and which Kimmel entertainingly came clean about Monday night on his show.

Will "The Million Second Quiz" make NBC once again as proud as a peacock? Or will it be a big-budget bust that compromises the network just as the 2013-14 television season officially gets underway? Will it prove more popular online than on TV? These and other questions will be answered as the show plays out over the next two weeks, making what are usually the dog days of broadcast's summer season much more interesting than usual.

Marketing of electronic cigarettes (e-cigs for short) continues to generate immense interest and controversy. So, with the controversy, where can e-cig marketers air TV spots? Check out this buyer's guide. Based on communications with networks and others, it asks the question whether a particular TV outlet accepts the ads?