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UPDATED: Forget broadcast, now NBC’s “The Jay Leno Show” is fighting off a challenger from basic cable.
For the first time, NBC’s Leno experiment was beaten in the ratings by a non-sports program that wasn’t airing on the Big Four networks.
FX’s critically acclaimed outlaw motorcycle drama “Sons of Anarchy” bested “Leno Show” on Tuesday evening in the advertiser-coveted adult demo — drawing a 2.05 rating among adults 18-49 to Leno’s 1.8. “Anarchy” also topped ABC’s “The Forgotten” (1.9).
The news comes as Leno’s ratings continue to soften. Six weeks since his 10 p.m. debut, “Leno Show” hit a series low on Friday (1.2). Then episodes on Monday (1.4) and Wednesday (1.5) were the lowest yet for those respective nights, with Tuesday (1.8) matching its low.
NBC points out that recent baseball playoffs likely impacted Leno’s ratings. But while “Leno Show” fell, some of NBC’s 9 p.m. shows made gains. Tuesday’s “Biggest Loser” and Wednesday’s “Law & Order: SVU” hit season highs, yet didn’t help Leno. That could be worrisome, since one of the positive signs about Leno’s first few weeks at 10 p.m. was his ability to capitalize on a strong lead-in. The network notes that since “SVU” and “Loser” skew female, competitors airing baseball might have disproportionately helped the 9 p.m. shows by pre-empting some competition. 
That FX was the channel to overtake Leno will surely please the network’s showrunners, who had harsh words for Leno at the Television Critics Assn.’s press tour in July. NBC’s move to replace its dramas with Leno rankled some in the entertainment industry, particularly TV writers.

Source: http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/10/sons-of-anarchy-beats-leno-forgotten-for-first-time.html

By MICHAEL STARR NY Post

Sons of Anarchy,” the hardcore series about a gun-run ning motorcycle club, is starting to leave tire tracks all over the competition.

Without a lot of fanfare, “Sons,” now in its second season on cable channel FX, is outdrawing nearly all the competition Tuesdays at 10 p.m. — even NBC’s Jay Leno (in adults 18-49).

It’s averaging 4 million viewers each week, making it one of the top-rated shows on cable — and the surprise hit of the season.

“Sons,” in fact, is one of the rarest phenomenons on TV — a genuine word-of-mouth hit.

“It has a strong voice and a hot look, two elements that resonate on TV,” says Todd Gold, who covers pop culture for TV site fancast.com. “It provides an intense look into a sexy subculture.”

“Sons” is about members of the close-knit Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original — nicknamed SAMCRO — who more or less run the town of Charming, Calif. (even the cops fear them).

The show’s central figure is young Jax (Charlie Hunnam), who questions the club’s code and wants to ease SAMCRO into the mainstream.

The gang makes its money mostly by dealing illegal guns — but they have a strong internal code that has made fans compare the show to “The Sopranos,” another show about bad guys you can root for.

“There’s a sense of danger, and the illicit, that has an allure,” says Gold. “It’s the kind of show you watch and then want to talk about the next day at work.

“And people have always been curious about motorcycle gangs.”

“Sons” creator Kurt Sutter has watched while his show — which debuted last year to solid reviews but not much buzz — has picked up a growing number of loyal and vocal viewers since it returned for a second season in early September.

“What I love is how committed the fans are,” says Sutter, who’s married to the show’s co-star, Katey Sagal. “I get notes on Twitter and on my blog . . . [the fans] are plugged in and really invested in it and I think that can’t help but get people to tune in.

“And this was the perfect storm for us,” he says. “FX really spent the dough and did a really fabulous job promoting it . . . When people tuned in, there was enough going on that they decided to come back.”

Sutter acknowledges the “Sopranos” comparisons — while at the same time distancing his show from that series.

“Our show is much more of an ensemble piece . . . just by the nature of outlaw clubs . . . ‘The Sopranos’ was really Tony and everyone else in his orbit,” Sutter says.

“I think what really appeals to a lot of viewers is ['Sons' '] sense of camaraderie about a band of guys — and their dedication, commitment and love for each other.”

BY LINDA MOSS

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Kurt Sutter, the creator and executive producer of FX’s motorcycle-club saga “Sons of Anarchy,” was “raised in the soul-numbing, homogenous suburbs of Central New Jersey.”

At least, that’s how Sutter’s biography, part of the press kit for the gritty cable show “Sons,” starts off. When asked if the “soul-numbing” phrase is his wording, Sutter answered, “Absolutely.”

But then the 45-year-old Clark native, who also served as a writer and executive producer of FX’s ground-breaking police drama “The Shield,” eased up on the Garden State.

“Look, my whole family, everyone is back in New Jersey,” he said. “I just needed to get out pretty quick. For me, it wasn’t so much New Jersey as much as it was I needed to get out of the restraints of suburban living.”

He sure succeeded. “Sons of Anarchy” is the latest achievement in Sutter’s TV career, with the series winning critical acclaim and strong ratings in its second season.

The show’s Sept. 8 debut drew 4.29 million viewers, and since then it’s been averaging 3.82 million viewers, up 73 percent from its freshman season, according to Nielsen Media Research. And “Sons of Anarchy” has also been beating its basic-cable competition in its time slot.

The gripping drama, filled with sex and violence, is not for the squeamish. It stars Ron Perlman and Sutter’s wife, 55-year-old actress Katey Sagal, who has come a long way since her days in “Married With Children.” Sutter and Sagal live in Los Angeles with their three children.

Sutter, who has a small acting role in “Sons of Anarchy,” may not be like Bruce Springsteen, who wears his love of New Jersey on his sleeve.

But during a phone interview, Sutter was relatively kind about Jersey. And his wry and oft-times self-deprecating sense of humor came into play as he talked about his childhood in the Garden State and his work.

Sutter was raised in Clark, living just two blocks away from the Rahway border and a stone’s throw away from Rahway State Prison.

“Yeah, my dad is still out there,” Sutter said.

His two sisters are also still in New Jersey, with one living in Hoboken and the other one in Port Murray.

Sutter’s father, Albert Sutter Jr., worked for the General Motors plant in Linden, a distribution manager who would locate the cars that dealerships needed shipped to them. GM has since closed that factory.

Sutter’s Jersey childhood not surprisingly has influenced his TV work. “Sons of Anarchy” depicts motorcycle clubs as families, murderous families doing illegal gunrunning, but families nonetheless.

In his neighborhood in Clark, Sutter said, “Everyone was pretty much blue collar, and that’s what I know in terms of work ethic. It definitely informs my sense of family.”

He’s also a man of his word. Some Hollywood executives cancel and reschedule interviews again and again. But when Sutter’s assistant says he will call at 3 p.m., he does exactly that.

As a child Sutter, who attended St. John the Apostle elementary school in Linden, spent a lot of time in front of the TV set. The cartoons he watched turned out to be training for his profession.

“I joke about it, but the truth is I did learn the essentials of storytelling from Hanna Barbera,” he said.

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Lots more behind the scenes here

THE KATEY SAGAL BAND returns to MBar in Hollywood on Thursday, October 29 at 8 pm. This will be her last appearance at MBar this year. If you haven’t been to one of her shows yet, don’t miss the opportunity to hear the multi-talented Ms. Sagal perform in an intimate setting. “Katey Sagal is….a genuinely gifted singer…Her deep connection with the songs was clear….Her voice was powerful and effective…Sagal’s four-piece band also added strong musical support and effective harmonies….” Elliot Zweibach, Cabaret Scenes. Audience responses have been equally enthusiastic. To guarantee a seat, please pre-purchase tickets at www.plays411.net/kateysagal or via phone at 323.960.5563. Tickets can also be purchased at the door (cash only) if available.

***Please note: seating is on a first-come/first-served basis. Doors open at 7:00 pm.  Unpaid reservations will be guaranteed only until 10 minutes prior to showtime.

A critically acclaimed singer and songwriter, Katey has released  two solo CDs, “Well” and “Room” .   Katey can be currently seen on the FX original series “Sons of Anarchy” and as the colorful Leela, a beautiful one-eyed alien, in the animated series “Futurama”. (www.KateySagal.net)

Advance sales – www.plays411.net/kateysagal or 323.960.5563
$20cover (2 for $30)
$10 food minimum
valet parking available

Scottish actor Tommy Flanagan plays Filip “Chibs” Telford on the FX drama series Sons of Anarchy. Chibs (a “chib” is Scottish street slang for a blade) was born in the ghettos of Glasgow, raised on the streets of Belfast and is scrapper tough.
Up until Season 2, it’s been a bit of a mystery as to how Chibs ended up in Charming, California with SAMCRO, but viewers are now learning more about his backstory. During a set visit in the San Fernando Valley, Tommy Flanagan gave some insight into what’s coming up for his character over the remainder of the season.
Q: What will Chibs be dealing with in Season 2?
Tommy: Chibs comes to life this season. His whole backstory comes into play this season, and you find out his history. He’s got a family, and stuff like that. You find out what he’s all about and how he got there. It’s actually been a really good season, for me especially. This character has come to life. I’m very happy this season.
Q: Did you have that information in the first season, or did you just learn about him yourself?
Tommy: Me and (executive producer) Kurt [Sutter] discussed it last season. I always knew that Chibs was going to come to life, but this season really brought it out. It was all discussed last year. It’s Kurt’s ideas and my ideas, and we came up with the backstory.
Q: Is there a lot more for you, physically and emotionally?
Tommy: A lot more. There’s a lot of really emotional and physical stuff. There are big explosions and guns, and lots of crying.
Q: These macho guys are actually much more emotional than you would expect them to be, wouldn’t you agree?
Tommy: Yeah. We love it. It’s all in the writing. The whole writing crew is fantastic. What they put on the page is very easy just to translate onto the screen.
Q: How has working with this ensemble changed since the first season?
Tommy: We were comfortable with each other from day one in the first season, anyway. I’ve known Charlie [Hunnam] for over 10 years. The rest of us just clicked, the second we got together, and it’s even more comfortable this year. We all bounce off each other. We all know more about each other’s characters now and we know how we work now, so we can play off each other. It’s actually really good.
Q: Do you ride motorcycles yourself?
Tommy: Yeah, I ride. We actually just got new bikes from the Eagles Nest, up near Sacramento. They gave us all free motorcycles for a year. They’re all custom made. Mine is the coolest one. I haven’t been off mine since. My girlfriend won’t talk to me anymore. I put 400 miles on my bike in three days. I just wouldn’t stop. She was like, “Get off that bike!,” and I was like, “I can’t hear you!” I love it. I live in Malibu, so it’s a great ride to work.
Q: Do you have to give them back, at the end of the year?
Tommy: The deal is that we give them back or we buy them for cost, which is great. If we give them back, they give us a brand new bike, customized again. I think they want to try to sell them on eBay as our characters. No, mine is staying with me.
Q: Did you get any input into your bike?
Tommy: I just wanted it all blacked out with a chrome engine. It has black rims and a black tank, and everything is all black with just a chrome engine. And, it’s got green LED lights that shine down at night.
Q: What is one of the more surprising things that viewers will learn about Chibs this season?
Tommy: He’s got quite an interesting past. He’s got this backstory of how he was involved with the IRA, and he’s got a wife and kid back in Ireland. Just watch it.
Q: Has a lot of what you’ve talked about with Kurt for your character made it to the show?
Tommy: Yeah. A lot of the stuff I talked about with Kurt made it to the page. He’s great that way. He listens to us all, even when he’s not supposed to be listening. He picks up what we’re saying to each other and he translates it onto the page, which is great. You’ll pick up a script and be like, “I said that last week.” It’s good stuff.
Q: Since the F-word is your favorite word, do you have to redo dialogue a lot?
Tommy: Oh, constantly. With my accent, I’m in ADR constantly. “Can you redo this line again Tommy?” “I can understand it.” “The Americans can’t.” So, I’m always in ADR. With the swearing, they just pull me out on the spot and say, “You can’t say that. You can’t say fuck.” I’ll get one in somewhere. I’ve tried frick and frack, but they didn’t want it.
Q: How do you relate to Chibs? Is this a character you really enjoy playing, compared to other roles that you’ve done?
Tommy: Chibs is personal to me, in some ways. Chib means to cut someone, or slice someone. I was involved in a knife fight, a long time ago. I was attacked by five guys. So, the whole knife thing is very personal to me. And, me and Kurt discussed that as well, as to whether I’d feel comfortable with that. As long as it doesn’t get too personal, I don’t mind.
Q: Do you guys ever do any practical jokes on each other?
Tommy: Are you kidding me? Constantly, yeah. We’re constantly doing shit to each other. All we do is do shit to each other, in between takes. We’re always punching and kicking and carrying on.
Q: Did you hang out with each other at all, during hiatus?
Tommy: A little bit, yeah. I was working. I went to Canada to do a movie, but when I got back, I saw the guys.
Q: What movie did you do?
Tommy: Smokin’ Aces 2: Blowback. Don’t rush out to see that one.
Q: Did you enjoy doing the first one?
Tommy: Oh, yeah. I loved the first one. It was fun. But, for the second one, I had to wear a rubber thing over my head because I was doing the show after it. It was kind of fun, though. There won’t be any Oscar nominees from that.
Q: So, will you be going skydiving with your co-star, Ryan Hurst, anytime soon?
Tommy: He’s done over 100 jumps. He’s a maniac, that boy. I’ve been telling him all season that I’ll jump out of a plane, so now he’s got a $1,000 bet. If I don’t do it, I have to give him a $1,000, so we’re going to ride our bikes to a place called Paris and jump out of a perfectly good airplane. That’s the plan. We’ve going to go up to Universal and do the wind thing, so we can be the Flying Anarchists.
Q: Do you have a clear idea in your head, as to where you’d like to see Chibs go in Season 3?
Tommy: Nope. I’ve not got a clue. I’ll leave it up to Kurt. I’ve got a few ideas, but we’ll see how it plays out. My character and his story, and the connection with the club, has really moved along, so next season, they’re really going to explore that stuff. We’ll see what happens. I hate being all vague, but I don’t want to tell you the plot. I don’t want to say too much.
Q: Is his history coming back to bite him in the ass?
Tommy: In a lot of ways, yeah. But, it’s also this big emotional thing with his wife, who is connected with this IRA guy. Chibs has his past with the IRA, and he had to leave the IRA and come here. There’s a big family thing with his wife and daughter, and the IRA.

Source:www.iesb.net

Brace yourselves, Samcro fans, because in an upcoming episode of FX’s ultragritty family drama Sons of Anarchy, someone close to the club gets dead. Majorly dead. Blood and brain matter dead. And when you learn who it is, your heart is going to break a little.

So is it Chibs (Tommy Flanagan), who just took a car bomb to the head…or could there be someone else on the chopping block? Read on for the clues we can share, plus more scoop from the cast!

The good news is the death ain’t Chibs.

The bad news is that it’s somebody else about whom the club cares deeply.

The terrible deed is done in episode nine, entitled “Potlatch,” and it involves a character known and loved since season one. Another clue? This killing doesn’t have a clear analogue in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, which many fans know sets up the general superstructure of the series.

Oh, and speaking of Hamlet, show runner Kurt Sutter confirms that Opie (Ryan Hurst) joins several other main characters in having Hamlet roots. Sutter says, “I tried not to identify every character in terms of Hamlet, but if we’re lucky enough to continue the series, some of those characters, some of those archetypes will continue to appear. I think, if anybody, Opie would come the closest to the Horatio character…His first name is Harry. Just saying.”

So what else is coming down the pike? One highlight in episode eight is a hilarious scene featuring Theo Rossi’s Juice. As Rossi tells us, “Let me put it this way, if you think last season was uncomfortable, there’s a couple really uncomfortable moments for everyone, including me. Very uncomfortable.” The moments in question take place in San Joaquin County’s correctional facility, where the majority of the Original Redwood Charter lands after making a major tactical error in their approach to Ethan Zobelle’s (Adam Arkin) League of American Nationalists.

As Charlie Hunnam told us earlier this year, this visit to jail raises the stakes for Jax and Clay (Ron Perlman), and they get into it. Let’s just say that you know a fight is serious business when hitman Happy (David Labrava) calls it brutal. The fight even did some collateral damage to Charlie’s face: “On the day we shot that, I ended up getting a tooth knocked out. Bam, slammed face-first into metal bars.” Poor baby!

Last but not least, Katey Sagal continues to make her 2010 Emmy nomination all but inevitable. Gemma’s pervasive melancholy remains, but she is getting her strength back in the coming episodes, as expressed by her resurgent control over the family and a little Tara (Maggie Siff) torture thrown in for good measure–only a little Tara torture, though. Gemma’s tendency to torment the good doctor is balanced by a fascinating, increasingly powerful and damn entertaining alliance between the two leading ladies of Charming.

Source: http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b147854_someone_on_sons_of_anarchy_getting.html

The guys enjoying softball, more pictures in gallery