Those funny folks at "Scrubs" have announced that they're adding to their cast. Rowdy the dog, the, um, pet of medical residents J.D. and Turk, will now be a regular on NBC's Thursday-night sitcom.
"We are very pleased that Rowdy has become a permanent fixture on the show," said executive producer Bill Lawrence in a statement. "He is a consistent performer with a timeless quality about him that the cast and the audience has embraced. We are very lucky to have discovered him before his talent went to waste."
It isn't often that press releases make me laugh out loud, but this one did. For those of you who haven't seen "Scrubs" — or have missed Rowdy's apperances on that show — he's the stiff golden retriever in J.D. (Zach Braff) and Turk's (Donald Faison) apartment. Stiff as in stuffed, that is.
"It's just a shame that it is happening for Rowdy now," Lawrence said. "I wish he had this much success when he was alive."
MORE CANINE WEIRDNESS: And that's not the only strange, dog-related item that's arrived in the mail of late. Our friends at Animal Planet sent out a press release promoting the upcoming AKC/Eukanuba National Invitational Championship that's set to air on the cable channel on Saturday, Jan. 25.
It included the standard information — date, time (6 p.m.), host (Ron Reagan Jr.) and so on. The weird part is that it was printed on a thick material that seemed sort of cardboard-ish.
But it wasn't cardboard. The last bit of information on the page was that "This press release is a 100 percent-edible dog treat."
I'll take their word for it.
READER FEEDBACK: Well, somebody out there in cyber-land is reading this TV column — at least when it has to do with their show.
I recently heard from Matt Kunitz, one of the executive producers of NBC's gross-out reality show "Fear Factor" regarding a column about the Christmas episode of that show. I wrote, "It's not exactly my idea of holiday cheer to watch idiots consume roasted reindeer testicles and rotten eggnog. 'Fear Factor; is, um, distasteful every week. But this is just . . . especially icky."
Which prompted Kunitz to send the following e-mail:
Yesterday, you wrote about the 'Fear Factor Christmas Special,' "Apparently this is supposed to be funny. I wonder who will be laughing."
In answer to your question, over 14 million people laughed at our highest-rated episode of the season. The Christmas episode of "Fear Factor" beat every show on the air during its time period.
Being that I am who I am, I couldn't let that go unanswered. So I replied:
My question was not about the number of people who would laugh, it was about the type of people who would find it amusing or entertaining.
Citing ratings doesn't answer that question. I've never confused popularity with quality.
I have to thank you for brightening my day, however. Gee, does a big-time executive producer actually care what some little guy in the No. 36 market thinks?
Which, in turn, prompted this e-mail from Kunitz:
I care what all of our viewers think (even in the 36th market), that's why we work so hard to put out a good show. Please don't confuse "gross" with "quality."
I left it at that. Until now.
"Fear Factor" may be many things, but "quality" television isn't one of them.
You don't need to take my word for it. NBC Entertainment president Jeff Zucker, pinned down by critics, refused to say he was "proud" of airing "Fear Factor" and refused to call it "quality" programming.
"Let's cut to the chase," Zucker said. " 'Fear Factor' and 'Spy TV' are not in the same league with 'West Wing' and 'ER' and 'Law & Order' and 'Will & Grace,' and we're not here to pretend they are."
Which is not to say they're not happy about the show's ratings. But, again, popularity does not necessarily equal quality.
E-mail: pierce@desnews.com