KCRW's THE SPIN-OFF: Creativity Abounds in Fall TV, and Analyzing Debate Ratings

On the latest edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off, Joe and I were joined by Vulture's Jen Chaney, and we talked about the highs and lows of the new fall TV season so far... plus our instant analysis of the first presidential debate:

As the new fall TV season kicks into gear, there's a pleasantly surprising number of shows that look like they could have long-term potential. There are already a lot of new shows to love in broadcast (The Good Place, Speechless, This is Us), cable (Better Things, Atlanta, High Maintenance) and streaming (Fleabag, One Mississippi). Some shows like Pitch and Son of Zorn, both on Fox, show potential, but may need a little more time to find an audience.

On the other side of the spectrum, Kevin Can Wait on CBS feels like a dated sitcom beamed in from 20 years ago. Plenty of people are watching it now, but will that audience keep coming back to be faced with the same tired tropes? And Notorious on ABC may be not long for this world.

We also talk about the ratings for the first presidential debate. They were indeed record-breaking in terms of raw numbers, but in terms of the percentage of households that watched, older debates like Kennedy and Nixon still got a high tune-in rate percentage-wise. As the debates continue this fall, several late night shows are using them as an opportunity to do their shows live, which so far, is working out better in some cases than in others.

Listen below!

The 11th Annual Great Los Angeles Walk Returns to Pico Boulevard

(Photo by Will Campbell)

It's time to take another peek at Pico.

For the 11th Annual Great Los Angeles Walk, we're heading back to PICO BOULEVARD (the locale for our second-ever Walk, in 2007)!



This year's walk also doubles as my own personal celebration of my 20th anniversary in Los Angeles. As you may know, I began the Great Los Angeles Walk in 2006 as a way to mark my first decade in our city. And now here we are, a decade later, and the Walk lives on!

Pico was one of my favorite Great Los Angeles Walk locales, because we made a point to eat our way across town. Here's how I summed up the walk in 2007:

Great Los Angeles Walkers who made it from end-to-end got to experience, along the way, the bustling (even at 9 in the morning) fashion district; the Convention Center (currently home to the Auto Show); the Central American-dominated Byzantine-Latino Quarter; the city's shortest street (Powers Place); the beautiful old homes of Alvarado Terrace; a slice of Koreatown; the gut-busting food of spots like Oki-Dog and Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles; the sight of a massive crane that tipped over (smashing the roof of a yoga studio) in Mid-City; the closed (for the Sabbath) Jewish shops and restaurants west of Fairfax; the Fox lot; dodging golf balls next to the Rancho Park golf course; the cool ocean breeze once we hit Santa Monica; and much more.

Who knows if we'll get all that excitement this time, but you never know!

Our downtown-to-the-ocean urban hike will start at downtown location to be announced later. And as you are surely well aware, this will be the easiest Great Los Angeles Walk ever to get to and from the start and end points, thanks to the arrival of the Metro Expo Line! Stay tuned for more details! Always check www.greatlawalk.com for updates, and feel free to drop us a line at greatlawalk@mail.com to let us know you're coming! Most importantly: The date for the walk is SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2016 at 9 am. (It's always the Saturday before Thanksgiving -- just remember that!) More details to come! But in the meantime, to get our Great Los Angeles Walk: Pico Boulevard Revisited started, here are a few videos about the street.

Rate-A-Restaurant #374: Bengees (Pasadena)

Restaurant: Bengees Ice Cream Crafters

Location: 901 E Del Mar Blvd (Pasadena)



Type of restaurant: Dessert (Ice Cream)



We stipulated: Maria and I had just finished watching a movie in Pasadena, and had a bit of time to spare before we had to pick up the boys. The answer? Ice cream. I searched for a spot in Pasadena, and Bengees looked promising.



They stipulated: "Treat yo' self." Bengees offers a rotating mix of flavors, including several vegan choices. Also cronut ice cream sandwiches and a toasted marshmallow topping option



What we ordered: Mike: Scoop of churro ice cream, $3.50; Maria: English toffee ice cream, $3.50


High point:  Nice choice of flavors, and free samples.

Low point:  The flavors were ultimately just OK, but not exceptional.

Overall impression: Go for the signature items -- the cronut ice cream sandwich or the toasted marshmallow topping. Otherwise, it's just another ice cream shop.

Will we return: Not sure. There are many ice cream joints popping up all the time, and not sure Bengees made enough of an impression to be back.

License Plate of the Day: Kobe Bryant Fan Edition

Black Mamba, on the streets of L.A.

Pumpkin Spice Mania Returns, As We Head Into Fall

Remember when I asked last year if the Pumpkin craze had gone too far?

I'm inclined to say no, but I'm a sucker for pumpkin flavors -- and every year, more mainstream products get into the act. This year, pumpkin is invading the cereal aisle. Above, pumpkin flavors of Mini Frosted Wheats, Life and Special K cereals. (All found at Target). I haven't been to Trader Joe's yet this week, but I assume the aisles are starting to look a lot like this, from last year:



Fall is here!