DirecTV picks beverage and cosmetics executive as its new chief

DirecTV, the nation's largest satellite television provider, has named Pepsico International chief executive Michael White, who also serves as vice chairman of the beverage giant, to its top job. He replaces former chief executive Chase Carey, who was named chief operating officer of News Corp. in July.

White has no experience in the television or satellite industries. He worked at Pepsico for 18 years, rising from vice president of planning for subsidiary Frito-Lay North America to his most recent post. Prior to that he worked for cosmetics company Avon Products Inc. and consultancies Bain & Co. and Anderson & Co.

White, who starts his job Jan. 1, will report to DirecTV chairman John Malone, whose Liberty Media took a controlling stake in the satellite broadcaster as part of a deal with News Corp. completed last year.

-- Ben Fritz

Worth sticking with? Another look at 'Modern Family,' 'FlashForward,' 'Community' and other new(ish) shows
I've devoted a lot of thought lately to how long to stick with at TV show.

Quite often I hear from readers, commenters on this site or Twitter followers that I should have given a particular show "more of a chance." But what's a fair chance? Chances are, we all define that differently.

There are times when I know that I'll probably only watch a given show one time (hello "Hank," which has unsurprisingly been canceled). There are other times when I'll watch six or eight episodes before deciding that a given show might not be for me. I think a person giving a television program five or six or eight hours of his or her life is a great gift. And if a show hasn't hooked me by that point, there's a pretty good chance it never will.

But there are no hard and fast rules. After giving "Chuck" many chances in its first season, it well and truly hooked me in its second. As for reviews of new programs, if a network sends four episodes before a show premieres, I'll watch all of them. If I only get one, I have to base my review on that. If I've given a new show a fairly positive review or I think it has potential, I'll try to watch it again after my review is posted.

And even for veteran shows, nothing is set in stone. I sometimes stick with a show for years before I find myself letting it stack up, unwatched, on my DVR.

For instance, I watched -- and frequently enjoyed -- "House" for several seasons, but at least a season or two ago, I began to feel uneasy about the overall direction of the show. What the writers wanted to do and what I enjoyed about the show -- well, those two things diverged.

I don't rule out ever watching it again, but the second episode of the current season gave pride of place to many things that I don't like about the present era of "House." And my reaction was, "I just don't want to resent this show any more. The writers want to go in a different direction, and that's their right. But I'm not going to sit on the couch and snipe at it any more. I have too much fondness for the show's great moments."

So "House" and I parted ways. I may watch it again -- Hugh Laurie is still wonderful and I may someday need a fix of House's banter with Wilson -- but the show is no longer a must-see for me.

Similarly, I will probably check out "Project Runway" when it returns next year, but I stopped watching mid-way though the current season due to the maddeningly inconsistent judging and the blah designers and designs. I think Choire Sicha summed up the show's current problems well Twitter. (And by the way, Lifetime did not do itself any favors by scheduling the show on the already-crowded Thursday night.)

As for newer shows, I try, where possible, to give shows that had uneven but promising first seasons another chance when they return with their second seasons. It can take a show six or 10 or 12 episodes to really find itself -- that's not uncommon. As for first-season shows I didn't think were that great, if I've only seen a few episodes but keep hearing from readers, commenters, Twitter folks and other TV writers that the show has had a quality surge, I'll try to revisit it.

Given the number of DVDs of new shows, documentaries and reality shows I get in the mail, not to mention the number of existing TV shows on TV, it's just not possible to consistently watch or even give a cursory look to everything. If you're wondering why I'm not giving Show X more chances, it may be because I'm watching a worthy documentary or a crappy new sitcom or an interesting new cable offering. To do this job is to never, ever feel adequately caught up with what's on my DVR (or in my "new/returning shows I should watch" DVD pile).

But when I feel that a particular show has a spark of potential or is doing at least a couple of things well, I'll give it as many chances as I realistically can. One of the great aspects of having so many opportunities to communicate with readers is that they often function as my eyes and ears and let me know when they think I'm missing out on something good.

So in the spirit of second (and third, and fourth, and fifth...) chances, I thought I'd briefly revisit a few shows in their first and second seasons to see where they're at and whether I think I'll stick with them.

Below are further thoughts on "Fringe," "Community," "Parks and Recreation," "Lie to Me," "FlashForward," "Sons of Anarchy" and "Modern Family." (And by the way, there are clips for many of these shows in the video player on the right side of this page. The photo above is of Joseph Fiennes of "FlashForward.")

Here goes:

"Fringe," 8 p.m. Central Thursday, Fox: As I wrote recently, "Fringe" has developed into a relatively pleasing show most weeks. Thursday's episode, which delves into the history of the show's enigmatic Observer, is by far the best of the season. Quite often the best "Fringe" episodes revel in the show's mythology, which doesn't always hang together perfectly but is generally more interesting than what transpires in the monster-of-the-week episodes. I'm not advocating that "Fringe" turn into a show that exclusively explores complicated over-arching stories, and at this point the characters are gelling so well that their banter and relationships often make the show worth watching. But the monster-of-the-week episodes need to be more consistently good or they will remain less interesting as the stories of William Bell, the alternate dimension and the Observer. 
(There's a clip from Thursday's "Fringe" here; my other stories about the show are here.)

Will I stick with it? Yes

Grade: B

"Parks and Recreation," 7:30 p.m. Central Thursday, NBC: What a pleasure this show has turned out to be in its second season. Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) is far more engaging and most of the show's fine supporting cast are getting plenty of chances to show off their comic skills. The recent episode in which Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) tangled with his ex, Tammy (Megan Mullally), was a comic masterpiece. Not every episode is on that level, and I'm still not quite sure why Ann (Rashida Jones) is friends with the hyperactive yet well-intentioned Leslie. But this series has nicely developed its own oddball little world, and in doing so, it has become a must-see comedy. (The awesome image at right is of Ron Swanson in Thursday's episode, "Hunting Trip.")

Will I stick with it? Most definitely

Grade: B+ (verging on an A-)

"Community," 7 p.m. Central Thursday, NBC: Tonally, "Community" can't quite decide what it wants to be -- a parody of network comedies, a broad, loud sitcom full of stock characters or a subtle, "Office"-style mockumentary featuring real-seeming people. But at this point, most of the "Community" characters are still too one-dimensional and there's a swaggering smugness to Jeff (Joel McHale) that remains off-putting, despite the half-hearted attempts to humanize him. The most reliable source of comedy is the breakout character Abed (Danny Pudi), whose deadpan line readings are consistently hilarious. (My original review of "Community" is here.)

Will I stick with it? Not sure. I may check it out intermittently, mostly for Abed.

Grade: B-

"Modern Family," 7 p.m. Central Wednesday, ABC: This sterling comedy is still the season's best new show. Sure, not every episode is as gut-busting and perfectly crafted as "Modern Family's" best outings, but then, very few comedies on the air now can match "Modern Family" at its best. This show unites sharp-eyed observations about family life with characters who still seem believable (and believably flawed, not sitcom-fake). The best part? I can't pick my favorite character. Some weeks it's the dorky Phil (Ty Burrell), other weeks, I'm in stitches thanks to guest stars such as Shelley Long (Edward Norton and Fred Willard are among the upcoming guest stars). But it must be said that the delightful Cameron (Eric Stonestreet, pictured at left) steals every single scene he's in. (My original review of "Modern Family" is here.)

Will I stick with it? Absolutely

Grade: A

"Sons of Anarchy," 9 p.m. Central Tuesday, FX: I'll post an interview with "Sons" creator Kurt Sutter soon, but for now, suffice to say that this show is one of the finest character dramas on television. Forget what it's about -- though the world of bikers is an interesting one. Just settle in for a great ride with utterly compelling people trying to do good in a very confusing, difficult world. "Sons" is riveting drama. (My other stories on the show are here.)

Will I stick with it? Absolutely

Grade: A+

"Lie to Me," 8 p.m. Central Monday, Fox: In its second season, this Tim Roth vehicle has amped up the tension and the stories have more kick. Sure, it's a procedural of sorts, but it's the most satisfying kind. There are questions to be answered about who did what to whom and who's lying or hiding something, but the questions and answers have moral and personal repercussions for all the characters, who grow more interesting each week. Plots featuring Eli Loker (Brendan Hines) and Ria Torres (Monica Raymund) have been as interesting as the A-stories showcasing lie-buster Cal Lightman (Tim Roth). Side note: Thank you, Fox, for letting this Brit keep his accent. It gives the writers a chance to play up the character's rough-and-tumble London past, and it allows the actor to grow ever more comfortable as the combustible, relentless Lightman. (The photo above is of Abby Brammell, Ricky Jay and Roth in the Nov. 30 episode of "Lie to Me," the Las Vegas-set "Fold Equity." My previous "Lie to Me" stories and features are here.)

Will I stick with it? Yes

Grade: B+

"FlashForward," 7 p.m. Central Thursday, ABC: I'm out. Well, almost out. I tend to give shows with a genre elements much more of a chance (too much of a chance? Possibly).  But every time the characters on this slow-paced drama start discussing -- again -- their views on free will versus fate, I want to scream. People need to stop talking about what happened in their futures and start living more interesting present-day lives. Somewhere in here, there may be an interesting story about how and why the mysterious time lapse and flash-forward happened, but those reveals have come too slowly. Jack Davenport, Sonya Walger and Brian F. O'Byrne are very appealing actors, but their characters are often going around in circles. And watching the stiff Mark (Joseph Fiennes) construct his Wall of Clues is sometimes like watching a Wall of Paint dry. The self-fulfilling prophecy of the Clue Wall being assembled before our eyes just doesn't have much dramatic oomph. And if the characters were more compelling, it'd make it more possible to forgive the show's lapses in logic, but there are a lot of logic lapses, and so far the characters aren't distracting me from that. In general, the show too often relies on unearned sentiment and solemn montages shot through with golden light instead of good pacing and meaty, surprising personal stories. "FlashForward" has moments of tension and momentum, but it needs to have a lot more of them if it wants to hold my interest in the present -- or the future. (My original review of "FlashForward" is here. Photo: Sonya Walger as Olivia Benford.)

Will I stick with it? I may check it out on occasion, but there's very good chance that I'm done.

Grade: C-

This list obviously doesn't cover every scripted show in its first and second season. I've enjoyed "The Good Wife" and "Castle" this season but haven't watched them in the last couple of weeks, so I didn't want to weigh in here. I'm also keen on "Glee" and "V" but have written about them recently; those pieces are here and here.

What new (or new-ish) shows would you recommend that I check out? Shows in their first or second seasons only, please.

The Star Report: Is Johnny Depp double the sexy now?
People magazine bestows Johnny Depp with "Sexiest Man Alive" title again. Plus: Johnny poses with Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter, who really should do something with her renegade hair!
Celebrating The Johnny Mercer Centennial

Lyricist and composer Johnny Mercer — born Nov. 18, 1909 — wrote or co-wrote more than 1,000 songs, including American Songbook standards like "Skylark," "That Old Black Magic" and "Come Rain or Come Shine." His Academy Awards tally includes a statue for what's possibly his most famous tune, "Moon River." Fresh Air marks the anniversary of his birth with an in-studio concert starring Rebecca Kilgore and Dave Frishberg.