Everybody knows the concept of dinner and a movie. But tonight, get ready for (drum roll please ....) WEATHER AND A MOVIE!

That's because The Weather Channel, the place most people turn to either get their "Local on the 8s" while listening to extra-smooth jazz or see Jim Cantore get blown around in a Category 3 hurricane, will begin showing feature films with commercial interruptions every eight minutes for the local forecast.

According to Entertainment Weekly's Web site, www.ew.com, this will appropriately kick off with "The Perfect Storm," the film starring George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg based on an actual horrific storm that took place 18 years ago today. I guess if they're going to make this cinematic jump, "The Perfect Storm" would be a perfect choice. Another Friday evening, you might catch the acclaimed documentary "March of the Penguins," another worthy choice in regards to weather-related drama.

But from there, the selections get a little dicey.

Also on the lineup: Stephen King's "Misery." Why? Because the plot kicks into gear thanks to a blinding blizzard. Then, they've decided to show the B-movie action flick "Deep Blue Sea." I'm assuming that's because it takes place in the ocean and not because genetically mutated sharks with extra large brains are involved.

If The Weather Channel is going to make such loose climate connections to justify the reasoning behind its choice of feature films, the choice of possible cinematic selections could basically be opened up to almost every film ever made. "Titanic" had an iceberg. "Gone With the Wind" is a no-brainer. And wasn't it an overcast day when Vito Corleone went to the market and nearly got wacked in "The Godfather?" Great! Throw it in.

The move to include movies in The Weather Channel's Friday schedule has been said to be a way to get more people to tune in for longer periods of time, which will lure more advertisers. But more than that, it speaks to the increased homogenization of cable television networks.

Over the years, many cable networks that immediately emerged to appeal to a niche demographic have gradually lost their original identities in the quest for bigger ratings. Did you know that you can now watch ECW Wrestling on the Sci-Fi Channel? Correction: It's now called "SyFy" to further make the channel's content more ambiguous. The only thing most people tune in to learn about on TLC (The Learning Channel) is Jon and Kate Gosselin's personal life. Bravo! used to showcase real talent on "Inside The Actor's Studio" before deciding to show-off the "Real Housewives" of whatever major metropolis they decide to shove a camera crew into. And don't even get me started on the current state of MTV. History and the MTV Video Music Awards are the only things reminding people what that channel used to be about.

We'll see if people decide to tune in to The Weather Channel to watch movies that they've already seen a handful of times on TNT or other networks. I hope the forecast is failure. That way, at least one channel can get back to focusing on what it originally did best.