The Bills and Titans will renew acquaintances tonight, which is bad news for fans of "The Voice."
This is what I’m thinking:
With the Buffalo Bills game against the Tennessee Titans on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” being simulcast on NBC affiliate WGRZ-TV (Channel 2), the season premiere of “The Voice” is being silenced on the broadcast channel and the series premiere of the reboot of “Quantum Leap” is time traveling.
Both shows are available as scheduled tonight on one of Channel 2's digital channels, which is carried on Spectrum cable on channel 1245 and on Fios on Channel 460. Those channels normally carry Antenna TV programs.
The shows also will be available Tuesday on NBC’s streaming service Peacock.
NBC also is repeating “The Quantum Leap” premiere at 8 p.m. Saturday so it will be available on Channel 2. Both series also should be available On Demand on cable and satellite systems.
The Bills game starts at 7:15 p.m. and should be over by 10:15 or 10:30 p.m. and is followed by a Channel 2 post-game show that leads into the 11 p.m. news.
I’ve seen the premiere of “Quantum Leap,” which sets broadcast TV back at least 40 years. It’s a mess, full of wooden writing and acting and the resolution of the complicated pilot is given verbally, which serves to remind viewers how little the plot matters.
The two-hour premiere of the 22nd season of “The Voice” is notable for introducing Camila Cabello as a new judge.
Local viewers of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” saw a Western New Yorker perform with a much-talked about group known as Metaphysic AI (artificial intelligence) that made it to last week’s finals before finishing fourth.
Buffalo tenor and actor John Riesen was joined by tenors Daniel Emmet and John Patrick Dailey, who teamed with technology wizards, Thomas Graham and Chris Umé, co-founders of Metaphysic.
The act’s audition featured a deepfake of a tenor singing as judge Simon Cowell appeared to be performing “You’re the Inspiration.” It impressed Cowell, instantly awed the audience watching live in Los Angeles and led to millions watching on YouTube.
In the semifinals, Metaphysic performed the operatic classic “Nessun Dorma,” using AI projections of “AGT” judges Cowell and Howie Mandel, and host Terry Crews. A Detroit native who now lives in Lancaster, Riesen performed as the voice of Mandel. He has a very active concert career and also appears in operas and other musical productions.
WLVL (1340 AM, 105.3 FM) in Lockport is changing hands, pending the approval of the FCC.
Dick Greene, who has owned the station for more than 40 years, is selling the station to Bill Yuhnke, the owner of Liberty Taxi and WEBR AM 1440. WEBR carries adult standards and talk and specialty shows.
"I am very excited to have this opportunity to broaden my radio footprint and continue to deliver for the people of Western New York, my home," said Yuhnke in a release.
In the same release, Greene, who began his radio career in 1968 and worked at multiple stations in Western New York, said he plans to retire at age 78 and maybe do some traveling to see his out-of-town children.
"I've been talking to Bill (Yuhnke) for some time about selling and the talks got serious last January," said Greene in the release. "We finally signed a purchase agreement on Sept. 9 and are now awaiting FCC approval.”
The Fox series from chef Gordon Ramsay, “Hell’s Kitchen: Battle of the Ages,” has a Buffalo angle. Its second episode at 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, is titled “Just Wingin’ It.” Here’s a description supplied by Fox: “Both teams are put to the test as each contestant has to make their best chicken wings and then take on their first dinner service preparing dinner for legendary singer Gene Simmons (KISS) and singer/actress Jojo.”
Former WIVB-TV (Channel 4) reporter Gabby Mediak made her premiere last week as a morning anchor in Harrisburg, Pa. She is on the Fox station in the market, WPMT, Fox 43.
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Alan Pergament has had a variety of roles at The News since 1970, including as a news and sports reporter. He has been the TV columnist since 1982, with more than year off for good behavior. He is a member of the national Television Critics Association.
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Gillian Lynn Cotter, Kyle Van Schoonhoven move on to regional
The Bills and Titans will renew acquaintances tonight, which is bad news for fans of "The Voice."
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