November 7, 2007 - Up and Cyber-Running

This is the third day of TV WORTH WATCHING. After all those decades of being a TV critic, I can't help but think of the launch of the website in terms of the launch of a new TV series. You plan for months to craft a "pilot," then have to turn right around and churn out additional episodes - all while having no idea whether your project will attract enough viewers to survive.

But here we are. And if you're still here, checking things out, on day three, then maybe I have a chance. In TV, second-week ratings are more important than the first, so we'll see, slowly but surely. If you like the site, and want to be deputized as a Johnny TV-WORTH-WATCHING-Seed, by all means tell your friends. If you don't like the site, tell your enemies.

Here's what's supposed to happen here as TV WORTH WATCHING takes shape.

Every day, there will be newly refreshed BEST BETS, to help you plan your viewing and recording evenings. When there's something really special for kids, that will be noted, too, as an aid for parents. Also every day, whenever possible, there will be a new BLOG entry, a freeform place to find almost anything.

Each Tuesday, when there's a newly released TV SHOW ON DVD or BOOK ABOUT TV to note, it'll be reviewed in that section. CLASSICS TO CONSIDER will be added less regularly, but often enough to build up a library of recommendations pretty quickly.

Lengthy interviews, vintage and new, will be added monthly, and other materials will be added - well, when they can. The plan, fort the next two weeks, is to get the final missing pages up and running, streamline everything and establish a user-friendly feedback and contact system. Come back daily for the BEST BETS, and see how quickly the site grows. Or doesn't.

One of my favorite compliments received so far said the site looked like it had been up for years instead of hours, and asked if I had a website designer. Actually, I have two. They're credited elsewhere, but deserve all the credit I can give them: Eric Gould turned my ideas into actual designed pages, and added brilliant ideas and jokes of his own as well, then Chris Spurgeon made it all work with his mixture of programming genius and infinite patience.

As for me, I'm off today for a TV-and-Broadway field trip, checking out a preview matinee performance of The Farnsworth Invention by Aaron Sorkin, creator of The West Wing, Sports Night, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and the movie and Broadway versions of A Few Good Men. It's his first Broadway play since A Few Good Men, it's in the same New York theater - and it's all about the creation of television.

Can't wait. And I should get back home in time to catch one of tonight's BEST BETS, Ace in the Hole.