The (TV) Show Must Go On...

Sunday, March 12, 2006

'Survivor' Scheduling Heads Up!

Folks --
Thanks to blog reader John, I went looking for this week's Survivor: Panama - Exile Island scheduling. Apparently there is no show on Thursday. On Wednesday at 8 PM ET/PT in most viewing areas will be the typical filler show we see each season full of recaps of what's gone on thus far and the oh-so-special previously unseen footage. (Can you tell how thrilled I am?)

Alas, I have plans to be at B.B. King's Blues Club in Manhattan on Wednesday night reviewing a concert for Blogcritics.org. Now I'll have to make the decision between taping a recap of Survivor or Bones. I'll probably go with Survivor, but it better be darned exciting unseen footage, not Shane scratching bug bites! American Idol is down to a half hour that night starting at 9 PM and I'm actually grateful that Lost is yet another repeat.

So, I feel safe rockin', rollin' and singing the blues in the city.
Okay.
I won't sing.

Friday, March 10, 2006

'Survivor" Exile Island' - Dan Barry on 'The Early Show'

CBS has posted its 'The Early Show' interview with the latest 'Survivor: Panama - Exile Island' castoff, retired astronaut Dan Barry. In the website article Astronaut Blasted Off 'Survivor' - CBS News Barry mentions his feeling of being let down by his friend Terry.

I found this bit interesting -

"I loved that place. It was so beautiful," he told Smith. "Every morning it became a saying around camp. I would get up and say, 'Another beautiful day in paradise.' I saw two new species of birds every day. The iguanas would come up to the fire and you could just pet them. They hadn't seen people. It was completely back to nature."

Cool!

Today's TV Newsy Bits - Mar. 10, 2006

Better bits with cheese! Oh, wait ... I don't think I've included any bits about Ryan Seacrest here.

Here are the television and entertainment related newsy bits links I found today one the web:

Thursday, March 09, 2006

'Survivor: Exile Island' Ep. 6 - or - "Alliances, Double Whammy and One Down From the Boys' Club'

Whoa! A topsy-turvy, good alliance, bad alliance, smokin', shoot 'em to the moon (or off the show), break up to make up, karate choppin' hoe down of a show tonight. As always, I named the episode myself. It's of no consequence that the producers name each episode when I can do it myself, right? Tonight's episode is named "Alliances, Double Whammy and One Down From the Boys' Club." Yep, that's it.

11 are left. Who will be voted out tonight?

The show opened looking in on the Casaya camp. Shane is fussing and fretting. (I know ... that's nothing new.) Now he wants out of his alliance with Courtney, Danielle and Aras. Well, out of the relationship with the two girls. Since he swore on his son, he wants them to take his name off of it and rescind the swear with their permission. Or, something odd to that effect. Oy! Of course, the girls want him gone, so they're fine with it. Aras is just befuddled. He thinks Shane is crazy. Well, they all think that, I guess. I think it and I bet you might think it, too! Not one person in the alliance trusts him. After allowing him to back out of the alliance, the plan goes into effect that he'll be the next voted off. Uh-oh, he realizes it after all is said and done. Poor crazy Shane. Meanwhile, Cirie is so loving it all. If Shane goes next, then it might be Bruce before it gets around to her.

Over at the La Mina camp, the Boys' Club and Sally are struggling with leftover beans and itsy bitsy minnows they're catching at the edge of the water. Dan decided he liked everyone so much that he first told Nick about his space travels on shuttle missions. Then he told everyone. The tribe, especially the men, have bonded very well. Both Nick and Austin are in awe of Dan and can't praise him enough. (C'mon, guys ... this is Survivor! Backstab! Stop being all truthfully friendly! What's wrong with you?) Sally, but of course, is the fifth wheel.

The tree mail was a creepy spooky smiling skull doohickey. Well, well ... the Rewards Challenge will be combined with the Immunity Challenge. This is the one the tribes must give their best effort - Immunity is at stake. But one tribe won't make the grade.

Both tribes met up with Jeff in a field where an obstacle course was all set up, skulls playing a big part in the challenge. Courtney sat out for Casaya as they were one person ahead. Three members of each tribe had to go through the course, untying knots and getting puzzle pieces. Once four puzzle pieces were brought back, the remaining two tribe members had to solve the puzzle. The Reward being played for was a Panamanian barbeque, party and delivering toys to native children. Also, the winning tribe would choose one member of the losing tribe to be exiled off to Exile Island. This exile would be a bit of a reward for the person chosen as that person would be safe from Tribal Council. So, a strategic decision must be made.

Shane slowed things down a bit for Casaya, but in the end it was Dan who just couldn't get the puzzle started right for La Mina. Casaya won immunity and they wisely chose Sally to go to Exile Island. Sally would have been the boot. She knew it; we knew it. They would make a dent in the Boys' Club - the one true alliance on the show.

Casaya headed off to the barbeque where fun and frolicking was had by all - the show folks and the Panamanians. The kids loved it. Shane bartered for a cigarette. And everything was all lovey-dovey betwixt the previously battling alliance, much to Cirie's chagrin. Good times can cure all kinds of ills. I doubt Cirie has too much to worry about. Those good times aren't going to be eternal. One bad challenge and all should rightfully turn on Shane despite his apologies.

Back at La Mina, everyone is in the doldrums. The Boys' Club guys really, really like each other. Who should go? Dan is obviously the weakest member of the tribe, plus he loused up the puzzle at the challenge. Terry and Dan had agreed to never vote for each other, but Terry decides to look at things from a managerial perspective for the good of the tribe. Dan hopes it will be a tie, but knows things won't go that way. Sure enough, at Tribal Council the whole thing was discussed and Dan was ousted. He took it well and said he had a great time although he would never have voted for Terry.

And, that was that.

Will Casaya stay all lovey-dovey? How will the Boys' Club react to Sally when she returns? Isn't the merge within the next few weeks? Will Cirie be able to keep flying under the radar? I guess we'll just have to keep watching!

Today's TV Newsy Bits - Mar. 9, 2006

Big Bits! No teensy bits! Major bits, is all I'm saying. And, they're yours for the peeking!

Of course, I'm talking about the television and entertainment related newsy bits links I found on the web today!

'American Idol' East Coast Update - Booted

Voted out tonight were:
Ayla, Kinnik, Will and Gedeon.

Dang! I liked Gedeon!

'Survivor' East Coast Update - Tribal Council

Dan was voted off.

'Survivor' East Coast Update - Reward/Immunity

Reward and Immunity Challenges were combined into one. Casaya won. They chose to send Sally to Exile Island, thus keeping her safe this week. La Mina has Tribal Council a'comin' up.

Tonight's 'Survivor" Panama - Exile Island' Blogging Schedule (3/09)

Once again, as important events on the show occur (deaths, who goes to Exile Island, reward challenge, immunity challenge and the boot)... I'll be slapping up quick details here. If you're on the West Coast and like East Coast airing show night spoilers, this is the place for you.

Within moments after an entry here, blog entry links will be added to my Jackie's Survivor Blog/Web Links Reference

There isn't an immediate way to get notice of an entry, but you can check here or there during the time the show airs in the east. A hint -- sometimes the new entries don't show immediately on the main blog page, but if you hit the February archive in the sidebar, it will show.

Sometime after the show (hopefully before 11 PM ET), I'll be posting a full recap and would love to know your thoughts about the episode!

* West Coast 'American Idol' fans who want East Coast spoilers -- after I post the 'Survivor' boot, I'll check my tape and post the 'American Idol' boots.

Survivor fans ready?

'American Idol' Quickies and East Coast Blogging Results Info

Tonight, as I'll be watching Survivor and posting East Coast updates on the happenings with that as they occur, I'll be taping American Idol. After posting the Survivor boot, I'll go to my tape and get an entry up here on the four who go home from American Idol. That can be expected by 9:05 ET. So, if you're West Coast and you just can't wait to know -- check back in here around that time.

My thoughts on the 16 remaining?

Overall, I'm liking the guys better than the girls. I didn't think any of the girls did horribly, mind you. But, for the most part, they just didn't thrill me this week. Even my favorites like Lisa Tucker, Katharine McPhee and Paris let me down a bit in song choice selection, though Katharine did the best of the three. Mandisa did fine, I thought. I thought Kellie Pickler (not a favorite of mine) did a bit better this week. I loved Simon's comment to her! Heck, no offense to Carrie Underwood and she's good at what she does, but she wasn't my choice last season. I predict we'll see Kinnik Sky and Melissa McPhee go home this week.

Then the guys. Dang, I'm liking Gedeon more and more each week. I want him to sing "Dock of the Bay"! Taylor, Chris, Ace all aced it, I believe. Taylor's performance was phenomenal! Elliott's voice is so good and he got rid of the silly beard. This week I think we'll see two of these three go home: Bucky, Kevin or Will.

Any last minute predictions out there?

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Today's TV Newsy Bits - March 8, 2006

Bits? Bet yer butts I've got bits for you!

I'm talking those television and entertainment related newsy bit links I found on the web today.
Of course.
What kind of bits did you think I was talking about?

'Amazing Race' - Joni and Lisa "Frosties" on 'The Early Show'

The Sreaming Mimis... er, Glamazons, er... Frosties, appeared on this morning's 'The Early Show.' Poor Harry Smith. At the end of the segment, they sandwiched him in and called it a Harry Sandwich. He's probably going to have nightmares for months now.

An excerpt from the CBS interview:

The sisters screamed quite a bit during their time in "Race," and Smith showed a montage of various screams.

Smith, who's six-foot-three, asked Lisa and Joni to stand next to him, and they were both almost as tall as he was. One stood on each side, and Lisa cracked, "We made a Harry sandwich!"

Now a Word From the Sponser: Focus on GEICO Commercials

Holy Lizards, Batman! A gecko has taken the advertising world by storm!

Let me just mention that I've always liked the various GEICO insurance commercials. Yes, even the ones without the gecko. I think this company has some of the most consistently amusing ads on television ranging from British lizards who become Employee of the Month to sensitive cavemen. They're campy, entertaining and, most of all, creative.

Let's talk gecko, though. After all, he's the star! First off, he's British. In the most recent ads, I personally think the Brit Gecko has more of an Australian Gecko accent, but that could be just me. The animation is superb -- the gecko always has a few extras ranging from flicking something off a tree upon which he's resting to almost falling. This has got to be one of the most clever ad campaigns I've seen over the years, especially now that the gecko is actually talking! "It's like free chips and pie, except it's a website. Who could turn down free chips and pie?"

GEICO hit with a winner when they first brought out the gecko some years back. In its latest expanded focus on the gecko commercials, they will have one of those truly legendary ad campaigns that the audience will connect to their product for generations to come. I'm no youngster (sigh) and I remember the truly memorable television commercials over the years. Trust me, the GEICO Gecko will go down in the annals of "Pop, pop, fizz, fizz" and "My bologna has a first name, it's O-S-C-A-R" -- the lizard will be a classic.

I can't wait to see what he does next! After all, a bloke like him, you never know...!

'The Amazing Race 9' - Ep. 2 -or- "Hippie Power Rocks Brazil!"

I'm so happy to see The Amazing Race back at its roots -- foreign countries, challenges that are ... well, challenging.

The second leg of this season's race started in Brazil and actually ended in Brazil, too. Even with the lack of travel miles, it was jam-packed with action. After all, where else could you see a senior citizen couple rappel down a 33 story building or ascend a 90 foot waterfall? Only on The Amazing Race!

The teams started out from the Pit Stop departing in the order in which they had arrived only to face one of the infamous "bunching points" the Race tends to have. Now, I know why they do this, but it can get a bit annoying. I realize they can't have a team or two so far ahead that the competition just isn't there. So, the teams all caught up to each other when the building where they would receive the next clue wasn't to open until 8 AM. I feel compelled to mention one interesting sidenote to the teams leaving the Pit Stop -- Jeremy and Eric actually waited for BJ and Tyler before going on. I don't think I've ever seen that happen before. Perhaps by the end of the show, they'll decide hippies over cute girls? It could happen! After all, they saw prostitutes on the streets from their taxi windows and only realized said prostitutes were men in drag after shouting excited compliments.

After the building finally opened, the next clue was a Roadblock. As Phil himself would say: "A Roadblock is a task that one member of the team must perform to receive the next clue." This Roadblock was called "Fire Drill." One member of each team had to climb up one of three fire escapes on a 33-story building, then descend by rappelling down the side. Cool! It's not quite like racing up the stairs of the Empire State Building, but it certainly took its toll on the teams, or at least the one half who chose to do it. Even those in the best shape slowed down by about the 8th floor. Danielle made it all the way to the top, then realized she's terrified of heights and was scared to rappel down. If not for Fran's encouragement, she'd still be up there ordering pizzas or something.

The clue they received directed them to the bus station. Lake impetuously charged ahead and found out that there are at least two bus stations in Brazil. (Duh!) Once again, teams faced the infamous Gathering of Three Departure Times with buses, similar to the Bunching Point, but dividing teams into a few time slots not all into one. The lead bus, as I predict we'll see for a lot of the season, contained BJ/Tyler and Jeremy/Eric. Teams who were all ready behind ended up more behind. Ah, well, it will make 'em race that much harder, right?

The teams each got a rather stripped down Volkswagen Beetle -- newer models, but definitely not a fancy-schmancy model as we see here on the streets! And, no ... they didn't get to keep them. I don't think they wanted them after driving them, anyway! They used the VWs to drive to their choice on the Detour. In the Detour, they had a choice between Press It ot Climb It. In Press It, teams had to run sugar cane through a hand press and eventually make a certain amount of ethanol following a specific process and recipe. In Climb It, teams had to hike to a 90 foot waterfall and then rope climb up it using automatic ascenders. Oh, they're not so automatic, by the way. The task still involves strength and the ability to catch onto how to use the ascender properly. Oh, great -- we get to see teams shout encouragement at each other! Lake was so encouraging, to whit: "Get your ass up there!"

BJ and Tyler, not surprisingly, chose Climb It and were the first to finish the task. Huh? The next clue led to the Pit Stop? It was only halfway through the show; there must be drama ahead to fill that last half hour. Sure enough, there are lost Screaming Glamazons who can't cope with their car. Then there was Fran and Barry who struggled through Climb It only to have their car battery die. The New Version Frat Boys decided the Hippies were steering them wrong and stopped for directions thus ensuring the Hippies would arrive first. Drama, drama, thrill, frustration...

The arrival order to the Pit Stop was:
1. BJ and Tyler (Hippies)
2. Jeremy and Eric (Frat Boys 2.0, not as fun as the first)
3. Monica and Joe (self-proclaimed Team Mojo)
4. Lori and Dave (The Nerds and Darned Proud Of It)
5. Ray and Yolanda (Angry Young Man and His Cool Woman)
6. Wanda and Desiree (Antsy Mom and her Cool Daughter)
7. Lake and Michelle (Jonathon and Victoria Take Two)
8. Danielle and Dani (Gonna have to work more than femininity)
9. Fran and Barry (Older and If Not For Bad Luck Team)
10. Philiminated: Screaming Joni and Lori (Glamazons, Frosties, Whatever...)

Okay, now to the nitty gritty...
I'm liking BJ and Tyler more and more. Perhaps the hippie bit is a bit of a gimmick. Obviously, they're too young to really know a hippie is more than long hair and a bit "out there." But I love their excitement and they're proving themselves strong in every area in the race so far.

I still like Dave and Lori. I had to smile when Dave praised the spirit of Mr. Wizard after completing the ethanol process. I like Nerds, what can I say?

Ray looked very frustrated at their arrival placement. I think that if not for Yolanda, I wouldn't be liking these two much at all. If he's so disgusted at being mid-pack, what's going to happen if they're eliminated? Will he just go pout or what?

Fran and Barry need to go into a Way Back Machine and become youthful again or rub a leprechaun for good luck or something...! It's like this team has a double whammy against them between age and bad luck. Alas, she reminds me a bit of Gretchen with the whining. I have to give them credit for making it through the physical tasks, though.

I sort of kind of like Jeremy and Eric. I'm enjoying their flirting with Dani and Danielle, but thought they were so inappropriate to Phil as they arrived at the Pit Stop. "Smack me, woman!" What the hell is up with that? Phil's eyebrow arched more than usual. I wonder how their smarts would have gotten through this leg if not for BJ and Tyler following. Physically, they are probably the best team. Mentally? Heh.

I'm still a bit ambivalent about Mojo even though they did better this leg. Dani and Danielle are starting to realize the race is more than looking pretty and having men gather to help them. Lake seems to have stopped a bit of his nastiness, but I still don't like him much.

And, finally ... I'm glad the "Glams" are gone. I couldn't have taken the screaming an entire season. They were no more better prepared for being in the race than I am. Mind you, I'm still having problems from knee surgery and will be facing more surgery before long. At least I don't scream about everything and I know how to drive a VW with a standard transmission.

What do you think of this season's race and its teams? Do you miss the Family Edition? (Heehee!)

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Today's TV Newsy Bits - March 7, 2006

The best bits in town! Bits and milk to go!

Okay. No milk. Sorry 'bout that.

Here are the television and entertainment related newsy bits links I found out on the web today:

'Amazing Race' PitStop - East Coast Update - Arrival/Philimination

The teams arrived to the Pit Stop in this order:

1. BJ/Tyler - Won a trip for two to Tahiti
2. Jeremy/Eric
3. Monica/Joseph
4. Lori/Dave
5. Ray/Yolanda
6. Wanda/Desiree
7. Lake/Michelle
8. Danielle/Dani
9. Fran/Barry
10 ... and Philiminated, Joni/Lisa

I won't be posting my recap until morning. It's probably best I write it when I'm awake. ;-)

Tonight's 'Amazing Race' Blogging

I'll be posting the Philimination when the show ends here on the East Coast. Waay late (tomorrow if I'm too beat), I'll be posting my recap/review of the episode.

Dang, why did they knock the show to 10 PM?

Monday, March 06, 2006

Today's TV Newsy Bits - March 6, 2006

Newsy bits! Naughty bits! Naughty newsy bits! Okay, not so naughty at all. Newsy, though.

Here are the entertainment and television related newsy bits links I found out on the web today:

And, a special note for Dawn -- I watched Lost last week, but also had to tape American Idol for a friend, then watch that before I gave her the tape on Thursday. I took notes during the show, but between time restraints and sloppy notes, didn't blog about it. Interesting episode, though! Hopefully, timing will be better this week.

'Apprentice 5' - Ep. 2 or "I'm a Star! I Don't Get No Respect!"

So, here it is ... the second episode. Let me just say right up front that I don't know how Brent could have beat other folks out to be on the show. Or more precisely, the 15 week long interview. There had to be thousands of others more qualified than Brent. Fire the hiring manager! Oh? That would be Donald Trump? Eh. Fire him anyway. At the very least, give him a written warning and dock his pay. Brent acts like a nutcase. I can't see how he passed as a normal person during the pre-show interview process.

In the recap, I noticed that Lee said that Tarek possessed a "lack of mismanagement." Okay. How did that get by me last week? Tarek must be better than I thought he was.

This week's task was another so-so not exciting one. The teams worked with Gillette promoting the Fusion 5 blade razor. They had to come up with a keyword and get folks to text message it. Thrilling, huh? What may be thrilling for Trumpsters is that instead of Carolyn and George, it would be Ivanka Trump (Donald's daughter) and Bill Rancik (winner of the first season) involved in the show this week. Now, I've seen Bill every now and then, but I haven't seen Ivanka much. She's very pretty, but she seemed almost too poised, too polished, too Barbie-looking for reality. Give me Carolyn back.

Pepi volunteered to be the project manager for Synergy while Lee stepped up to the managerial plate for Gold Rush. And, then it all fell apart, more for one team than the other. But I think neither team really had a handle on this task. The teams were too busy self-imploding to really get their game on and a solid plan.

Lee was not a good project manager. He was wishy-washy and then became almost defiantly wishy-washy. Meanwhile, Lenny freaked out a bit too much at Lee, but at least he had a good idea - go to the TKTS line at Times Square to get people to text message the keyword they chose. Yes! A perfect location! Times Square, if you've never been there, has crowded streets even in the middle of the night, hence "the city that never sleeps." But these folks are moving along. About the only place they just stand in large quantities is at the TKTS line where Broadway play tickets and other event tickets are sold. Thankfully, Lee checked his ego just in time and realized Lenny was spot on with the location.

Oh, but over at Synergy, things were an absolute mess! Pepi had a difficult team, but he handled things almost as poorly as he could. He showed no managerial skills at all. Brent, well ... look at my opening paragraph. He needs to be gone and should never have been selected. Stacy overreacted to Brent and she really did interrupt him a lot. He had a point there. A bunch o' whackos, I say! Michael decided they would wear bathrobes. And, yes, I'm rolling my eyes just reflecting back on it all. They overslept, thus giving Gold Rush a huge lead. Brent danced in a sandwich sign while wearing a robe and declaring himself a star. "Give him a red nose and some big-ass shoes!" From what they aired tonight, the only member of Synergy who seems to have her act together is Roxanne. At least she woke up, panicked at the hour and got everyone going. They had no solid plan. Stacy, who claims to know the city, stuck them in Times Square where all is bustling, not at a location like TKTS. Sheesh, Central Park would have been better!

The results were no huge surprise. Gold Rush sold 683 text messages while Synergy sold a dismal 458. The reward for Gold Rush was to get to suit up three guys down on their luck. Now, if Trump wanted to help them, he'd give them suits and a job. Suits are nice and they might open a door, but jobs are nicer and put food on the table.

Pre-boardroom, everyone on Synergy wants Brent out, although a few mentioned both Stacy (who exaggerated her confrontation with Brent and then backed down) and Pepi (poor leadership). Brent's prediction: "Brent is not going home this evening."

Sigh. And, he didn't. Trump could see the majority of the team was a train wreck and told Pepi he could bring three into the boardroom. He would fire two people tonight. Pepi chose Michael (bathrobes), Stacy (location) and Brent (nutcase). Trump decided that the team failed due to location, BAM - Stacy was fired. He thought Michael deserved another chance as he took responsibility for his bad judgment. Then, the kicker ... "If you can't handle Brent, you can't handle a job working for me. Pepi, you're fired!" Trump pretty much told Brent he'd be gone soon enough as he's a total disaster. Brent had an almost maniacal grin pasted to his face as he got on the elevator. Eep.

We really didn't get to know much of the other candidates tonight. Perhaps a closer look at Roxanne and Michael. Too much Brent, way too much. Get him gone. What do you think?

Dollar bills, y'all...

Sunday, March 05, 2006

TV Newsy Bits Weekend Edition - March 4-5, 2006

Here they are! Bits for the soul! Or, maybe they're bits for inquiring minds who want to know!

Yep, it's the television/entertainment related newsy bits links I found over the weekend. Of course, the big story is the Oscars and I only have a wee bit on that.