I'm Jackie and I watch TV. I'm not proud. Bookmark the blog now as your source for live feed reports from inside the 'Big Brother' house! Come, join in on the fun ...
Monday, June 11, 2007
'Hell's Kitchen' - A Quick Take on Episode 2
Last week it seemed that the women, the Red Team, were doomed. This week it was the men (Blue Team) who couldn't get their act together.
And, those men so not got their act together in such a fashion that Gordon Ramsay kicked them out of the kitchen and had the women finish their serving. Of course, the promos had us expecting something Ramsay had never done before and showed an ambulance. The promos indicated that someone would stand up to him.
Bah, never happened. On the Blue Team, Aaron the older out-of-condition Asian cowboy, was feeling ill, dizzy, and generally hindering the progress of his own team. Vinnie from Joisey talks a good game in his camera time with us, but doesn't speak up to Ramsay. Eddie is woefully out of his league and talks about talking up. Josh is just self-righteous. Rock seems to be the most professional on the team.
The Red Team, after bickering like my brother and me when we were young'uns, actually worked together. I think it was Jen giving the lead and doing it very well. Hmmm... maybe it was Melissa. It wasn't Bonnie, the one Ramsay referred to as a dumb blonde and a ****** Barbie. Even Joanna, the Evil Queen from last week, showed some emotion, worked better with others, and just worked.
The women won the challenge tonight in addition to winning the service. The teams had to prep Dover sole which included skinning and removing the roe. Although Josh shined at the task, that's the only good thing he did all night. While the women went off deep sea fishing with Gordon Ramsay, the men had to skin and de-roe all of the fish for the service.
The men couldn't seem to do anything, not one single bit, of the service right. As I mentioned above, Ramsay kicked them out of the kitchen. Aaron, odd man out, was de-boning the fish into filets at the tables and did that wrong. The one who did the least wrong, Rock, was chosen by Ramsay to choose two to leave.
Eddie, the Little Dude, approached him and said his choices were himself (Eddie), Josh, and Aaron. Since Aaron is definitely losing it, he approached Rock and gave him the choices of "me and me." But he said he'd like to remain. Josh thinks he did okay, would do better.
In the end, Rock chose Eddie and Josh. Now, I wonder what Ramsay would have done with a choice of Aaron and Eddie. With the choices as presented, he kicked Eddie out. But I think that if Aaron had been up on the plate (so to speak) with Eddie, it may have been Aaron gone. Either way, they were both doomed. It's just a matter of when. Neither of the two could ever handle the high stress and pressure work that would come with a win.
A few miscellaneous notes: This show always has more smokers than I've ever seen on any reality show. I've never worked in the restaurant business, but is there a higher percentage of smokers in that line? And, where do they find so many places not delegated to the outdoors to smoke anyway? It's slim indoor pickings for smokers in California. My other note: why do so many guys on television and the movies named Vinny or Vinnie hail from Jersey? I've lived here about 13 years and have met two guys named Vinnie (or Vinny) in all that time.
Your thoughts on the latest episode?
The Latest 'Big Brother 8' News and Rumors (More Rumors)
Lots of news, although there are a lot of rumors, too!
Our friends over at Buddy TV have an interesting article posted today. I urge you to check out the whole thing (and tell them I sent you), but here's the rough skinny...
While I'll have the live feeds and be feeding you with reports at least three times a day, some of you might be able to watch the uncensored action yourselves! Well, except when they sing. Or talk about someone who hasn't signed a release. Or stuff like that. Oh, and it's only for three hours each night. Oh, and it will be only one feed, not multiple cameras. Oh... and it's going to be on the premium cable station ShoToo, the sister station of Showtime. Heck, unless you already have the station, it may be cheaper just getting the feeds and having them season-through, 24/7. The three-hour live show dubbed Big Brother: After Dark premieres on July 5. It will air starting at 9 PM ET/12 AM PT.
The Jokers site has an article about this new news, too. They also mention (although I knew it and you probably guessed it) that RealNetworks will be offering the live feeds once again. They have the two week trial listed this year, but don't go for it until the season starts. I have my SuperPass and have been checking for news on that front. They have a teaser, but no news, per se. The CBS Internet talk show Housecalls will be returning with Gretchen Massey, but no mention of Marcellas Reynolds.
Rumors are still coming through several grapevines that there will be a "high school bully" theme this season. Various folks claiming to have been turned down by casting are posting throughout the web that they were asked many, many questions about their high school days. Plus, the quote on a recent TV promo for the season from Janelle could be linked to such a theme. But there's nothing concrete. So, for right now, that's all rumors, perhaps foilers.
TV Newsy Bits - Monday, June 11, 2007
Do you realize that by this time next month we'll have already picked our favorites on Big Brother 8?
Here are today's TV Newsy Bits...
- Remember... The Closer third season premiere is next Monday, June 18 at 9 PM ET/PT on TNT. Did you miss some episodes of the second season? Not to worry! TNT is holding a fifteen-hour The Closer marathon starting at 6 AM leading into the season premiere. All of the second season will be shown. And, thanks to TBS, I was given a screener copy of the premiere episode -- it's a mind-boggler indeed.
- Yikes! There was a bit of controversy over the Sopranos finale, eh?
- Hide Harry! The man who was jailed in a kidnap plot to abduct David Letterman's son has escaped from prison. Don't go to Montana, Dave. Stay here on the East Coast and give us fresh pants.
- Speaking of late-night television hosts, it's dawning on me who Lonnie Quinn -- ex-soap opera actor, transplant from a Florida station, dubiously credentialed meteorologist (certifcate, no degree) new WCBS2 (NYC) evening "meteorologist" -- reminds me of... Conan O'Brien with blondish hair. Ack.
- Are you a fan of body art? Tomorrow night at 10 PM ET/PT, TLC will air the season premiere of Miami Ink. The show seems to be more about the art behind the tattoos than folks getting them. Check out the website for lots of cool show-related doings!
- Oh... those poor Law and Order: Criminal Intent stars! According to this AOL TV News article, the show's major actors including Vincent D'Onofrio, will be returning next season without a raise. For some odd reason, I think they're still in a higher salary tier than most folks.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Pants To Make Your Butt Look Big - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - June 11-15, 2007
It's a new week and it's a new list o' guests!
Fresh pants!
Here's who's scheduled to be on the show this week:
- Monday, June 11: Denis Leary promoting the new season of Rescue Me, Flight of the Conchords (HBO's Flight of the Conchords).
- Tuesday, June 12: Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer), Sir Richard Branson, Maroon 5 (latest CD is It Won't Be Soon Before Long).
- Wednesday, June 13: Bear Grylls (Man vs. Wild), Jeremy Piven (Entourage), Elvis Perkins (CD is Ash Wednesday).
- Thursday, June 14: John Cusack promoting 1408, musical guest Pink Martini (CD is Hey, Eugene).
- Friday, June 15: Michael Moore promoting Sicko and comedian Bill Burr.
Friday, June 08, 2007
'Big Brother 8' Programming Schedule Announced
Pirate Master will follow BB8 on the premiere night, then settle into the 10 PM ET/PT slot on Tuesday evenings. It seems that it's been cast adrift, mateys.
There's still no casting news, nor news on the live feeds.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
TV Newsy Bits - Thursday, June 7, 2007
Unfortunately, no new news on the upcoming Big Brother 8 cast, twists, or air times...!
There's good news, bad news, and odd news.
Here we go:
- Jericho fans can rejoice! Due to pressure from the fan community, CBS has ordered seven more episodes of the show after making the announcement that the show was cancelled. The New Jersey Star Ledger is just one of the sources for this story. So, it's true -- fan reaction actually mattered for once!
- It appears that someone has broken the non-disclosure clause of their contract over in Hell's Kitchen. Online betting venues have stopped action on the show due to "suspicious patterns." This Reality TV World article has more, but be warned -- the spoiler for the possible/probable winner is within the article. If you don't want the show spoiled for you, don't read the article.
- Nicole Ritchie was on The Late Show with David Letterman last night. He gave her a bit of the third degree (justifiably) about getting arrested, possible jail time down the road and more. What world does this girl live in, I ask? She thinks "everyone goes to jail." Say what? I have never been in jail and I'm twice her age. I even did some stupid things in my more youthful years and managed to not get arrested and not go to jail. AOL TV's Top Five has a clip of her appearance on the show. I'm still scratching my head over the girl.
- While you're at the AOL Top Five clips page, check out the one for So You Think You Can Dance. Twitch was amazing!
- In more So You Think You Can Dance news, here's Hok's MySpace page.
'Big Brother 8' News (And Lack Thereof) and Rumors
Thanks to graphic artist Zoetawny, I have a new fancy Big Brother 8 graphic! So, I'm ready for the season. Now, where's the news? What's the skinny on the show?
Alas, more of the news out there right at the moment is rumor and/or speculation rather than anything concrete.
If we go by the history of the show, it's likely that the houseguests themselves don't know if they made the cut or not. It's usually not until mid-June, a bit later even, when the houseguests are whisked away to sequester pre-show, pre-entering the Big Brother house.
So, cast announcements probably won't be made before the third week of June or thereabouts. But usually there's more news at this time, at least about the schedule of the show. For some reason this year, CBS is being mum about things. We know that Julie Chen (the Chenbot) will be hosting again. We know that Arnold Shapiro stepped out and Alison Grodner will be the sole executive producer. We know the premiere date -- Thursday, July 5.
But... but... what about Pirate Master? Our friends at Buddy TV asked the very same question in this article. After all, that airs in the same Thursday night slot where BB usually resides. Perhaps C.S.I reruns will be bumped for the summer? I doubt that as even the reruns are a cash cow for CBS.
The TV Grapevine website has the rumor that this season's twist is going to revolve around high school bullies. I hope that's just a rumor -- that wouldn't be my idea of good television. The MSNBC site has a blurb mentioning the show (with a pic of Mike Boogie), but tells us nothing new besides the fact that Rock Star doesn't seem to be returning.
So, that's where we stand. Rumors, speculation, but all we really know for sure is that July 5 we'll be watching the show. As news about the feeds is released, as well as news about the cast or showtimes or twists, I'll let you know!
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Live-Blogging 'On The Lot' - June 5, 2007
It's starting here on the East Coast as I type this. I'll be updating the entry as the show goes along. The guest judge this week is Michael Bay, the director of Transformers.
Only five directors will be showing their movies this week. No more than three minutes in length, five days to make it.
Sam is the first contestant up. He talks about Internet success. His film tonight is Broken Pipe Dreams. Oops... a diamond ring in the toilet! Some other guy dumped his fish in the toilet, no explanation, back to the ring in the toilet. Broom falls, it flushes. I'm not feeling this one. Now he's tangled in thread from a towel as the toilet flushes. Following the pipe, breaking it with a shovel. The water flows the ring into his hand, his fish in the other. Audience goes wild.
Carrie likes it, very cute, very surreal. Michael told him he could have tightened it up -made a two-minute film into three minutes. Garry Marshall wants another topic other than toilets, but said he did well.
Trever James is up next with a blind date comedy. He's the small-town guy from Montana. His film is named Teri, about a man named Ben. Okay. He's confident that he's not going home. Ben reads a note from his blind date and makes a practice run on what to say. A woman appears. (The guy actor is cute.) Now Lala wants to dance. These girls keep changing. Now a scary Goth Gal - "we're all going to die here." Now a neurotic. Heh, now a guy named Terry. The doorbell rings and it's a perfectly normal gal named Teri. Okay, it was cute. I liked it better than the toilet one.
Carrie likes it, acting over the top since they were acting his fears, good overall, cute. Michael - good comic pacing with editing, did good work, more on photography and style. Garry Marshall liked his golf film more. He thinks he can do better.
Hilary Green, the one who did the "pee on the bus" film I so didn't like last week will be next up. The First Time I Met the Finklesteins is her film. A couple is preparing to meet the man's parent. "Good in bed like his old man," the dad says. Oh, this is roughly as bad as her film last week. Te parents are being stereotypical Jewish parents to the max. Bad taste. The mother keeps wanting Kelly to talk with her in the kitchen. Blech. Not entertaining and mostly in bad taste. Send Hilary home this week... please.
Carrie says the direction is claustrophobic. She likes the writing. Michael says it's a groaner, uncomfortable dialogue and not funny. Garry says she was too tight with the shot. He also thinks her writing is good, but she needs to do better.
Adam, the one who left Harvard Law School for his film career is up next. He feels the competition is his big break. He set his romantic comedy, Dough the Musical,in his girlfriend's parents' bakery. Quality-wise, it's good, a young man in a bakery and a woman in her apartment dreaming of love... in a musical. She wants a job, he's in love with his baking. She doesn't eat carbs. Turns out they know each other from childhood in Tennessee. Very well done! This was the most professional of the lot so far.
Carrie - incredibly original. Really good job. Michael - very good for five days, lyrics great, work a bit more on photography. Garry - loves the story, so theatrical, work out the chemistry with the actors more, very good.
Next up is the woman who did the speed-dating film last week. Laughing Out Loud is her film. Shalini is her name. The film is about a gay comedian from India. She's not sure how folks will relate. He's trying on outfits. He's in a comedy club in NYC. It's a bit of a narrative from the comedian about his fears and the need to believe in himself. Hmmm... it's interesting, but I wouldn't call the film a comedy. I believe their objective tonight was to make a funny film, not a serious film about a funny guy.
Carrie - well-made like a bio pic. You could do better than the advice "be yourself." Michael - Most visual style of all so far, you gave me a chill. Garry - Doesn't have to be linear, must engage you.
Huh... I thought the premise was comedy, maybe I was wrong.
Carrie liked the toilet film, Michael liked the gay Indian comic film, Garry liked the bakery. The contestants liked Shalini's movie best, least favorite was Hilary's movie. I agree on the one they don't like -- of the films, it was Hilary's I liked the least. I thought Dough The Musical might be the best.
Your thoughts?
Monday, June 04, 2007
'Hell's Kitchen' - Season Premiere
Tonight's season premiere seems to indicate it's going to be another hellish season in Hell's Kitchen. The new crop of top chef wannabes seem to be even more inept than last season's contestants. And, I thought their qualities were more lacking than not.
No one shined tonight. Not a one contestant seemed professional, knowledgeable, skilled, and able to work with others.
The Blue Team, the guys, had many weakest links, and no real leaders... at least none who emerged in tonight's show. Aaron, a 48-year-old overweight emotional Asian man prone to wearing cowboy hats, would probably have been cut had the team not won. Oh, mind you... not one patron was really served a whole dinner and even the appetizers didn't make the rounds. The team won more by default as the Red Team was even worse.
The cooking on the Red Team wasn't worse than the Blue (both teams were horrible), but it was the fighting amongst the team which did them in. In my opinion, the instigator of it all was Joanna. But when they lost, the one who had to name names decided that Joanna and Tiffany would be chosen to stand before Ramsay. A girl named Julia (?) was the more obvious choice for going home -- she works in a waffle house, has no real "big time" restaurant experience, and broke down in tears.
Gordon Ramsay made the wrong choice. He sent Tiffany home. Joanna's behavior was obnoxious and will probably only grow worse the longer she stays.
It's going to take me a few weeks to get a handle on the names, but I think the show is off to a good start. Your thoughts?
TV Newsy Bits - Monday, June 4, 2007
The new one has tons of storage space, is much faster, runs Windows Vista (not necessarily my choice - XP has been fine with me), and has lots of bells and whistles, so to speak. Right now, I have my KVM switch hooking up both computers to the same monitor (new one came without monitor) and keyboard. I have a flash drive to transfer needed files. I've brought the new one online, but need to install my Google stuff, my Firefox browser, gmail, and stuff. So, for the moment, I'm on the old one again.
In TV Newsy Bits:
- I have Creature Comforts (CBS 8 PM ET/PT) on in the background as I write this. It's cute.
- At 9 PM ET/PT, it's the season three premiere of Hell's Kitchen on FOX. Oh, I'll be watching! And, posting about it later, too.
- AOL Television has an interview with Cat Deeley, the host of So You Think You Can Dance.
- Paris Hilton entered jail today, so I don't think she's going to be on Letterman as scheduled this week.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Persnickety Pants - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - June 4-8, 2007
Oh, well. It's onto fresh new pants this week on The Late Show with David Letterman. Woohoo! The website has skimpy information as I post this, but here you go:
- Monday, June 4: Matt Damon promoting Ocean's 13, Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti, and musical guest Bright Eyes.
- Tuesday, June 5: Chevy Chase, Amanda Beard, and musical guest Satellite Party. Huh? Chevy Chase is still around? Don't tell me there's another Fletch movie on the horizon!
- Wednesday, June 6: Paris Hilton and Nichole Ritchie (um, isn't one of them in jail?), Artie Lange, and Chrisette Michele. Well, I'm not a big Paris Hilton fan for sure, but the segment should be interesting. Dave's not one to mince words.
- Thursday, June 7: Amy Sedaris, Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell, and Jordan Zevon. Yes, Amy is finally on! She was bumped for Toby Maguire a few weeks back. I enjoy her appearances on the show. She's a kook -- but that's a good thing! And, Jordan is the son of Warren Zevon.
- Friday, June 8: Ellen Barkin and comedian Brian Regan. There's got to be more to the show than just that, I would think. But that's all the web site has listed right now.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
'So You Think You Can Dance' - Blog Discussion Post
But the contestants on FOX television's So You Think You Can Dance range from amazing to "no, you can't." While I'm not a huge fan of Dancing With the Stars, I really enjoy this dancing show. As I write this, it's in the audition stages and it's the poppers and break-dancers I enjoy the most. Now, you don't see that on DWTS!
Right now I'm cheering on the break-dancing Asian guy who was sent home last season due to his lack of a work visa. What's really horrible is that I'm forgetting his name. Oy! But I think he's a dazzling entertainer and I'd love to see him go far in the show.
I see Nigel has promised to be nicer this season. I also see he's chomping at the bit sometimes. Heh. If I were to go on the show, I bet I could make him be cruel!
Although I'm sure to be posting on the show on occasion, I'm opening this post for general show discussion and invite y'all to join in with your comments. The official FOX website for the show is here --> So You Think You Can Dance. Right now, of course, the contestants for this season aren't up... because we don't know who's going to make it through the Las Vegas cuts next week. But you can relive the memories of the past two seasons and return once the competition is in full swing.
Are you watching?
Friday, June 01, 2007
TV Newsy Bits - Friday, June 1, 2007
Supposedly we have some of the lowest prices in the nation due to a low state tax on gasoline. Don't worry -- we certainly pay more than enough for living here! What's the cost where you are?
Here are today's TV Newsy Bits:
- Blog reader and commenter Paul Levinson has an interesting TV-themed blog Infinite Regress which has lots of intriguing Lost commentary. We have plenty of time before the new season (February 2008), so reading his posts on the show might keep our appetites whetted. For seven months... um, well.
- Blog reader Sue out in California sent me a link to the latest on our man Yau-Man Chan from Survivor 14: Fiji. Sue rocks!
- And, while I'm on blog reader submitted doings... blog reader JessiesGirl sent me this link to a BBC article about the latest brouhaha going on with the Australian Big Brother show. One of the houseguests on the show entered knowing her father was dying. The family had discussed it and decided that if he died while she was in the house, she wasn't to be told. Well, he died. Now the fans of the show are freaking out.
- I hear the calls for a blog discussion post for So You Think You Can Dance. If I don't get one up tonight, I will do it tomorrow. I've been watching the show, but know I'll have trouble keeping the names straight if I write about it!
- Ohhh... do you want to try to win a date with Survivor 13 winner Yul Kwon? Check it out!
- Are you ready for some spice on this fall's Dancing With the Stars? Former Spice Girl Melanie "Scary Spice" Brown is slated to be on the show according to this Reality TV World article. Tori Spelling is also in talks with the producers.
"The Big Donor Show" on Dutch Television a Big Hoax
The show, The Big Donor Show, aired last night on BNN in the Netherlands. The whole show was a hoax. It turns out that the "dying of cancer" woman who was to donate a kidney to the winner is actually an actress. The three contestants in need of the kidneys really do need them, but were in on the hoax.
So, why did they do it?
They did the whole thing to raise awareness of the need for organ donors.
Hmmm. There has to be a better way.
In other news, Jack Kevorkian was released from prison.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
'American Idol' Finalists Invade New York City
Sneak Peek: TNT's 'The Closer' - 3rd Season Premiere
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Reality TV - A Game Show for a Kidney? Yipes!
With a show such as Big Brother, I think it's the sociology which catches my interest. I've always been a people-watcher kind of person. I like to sit and watch folks on the streets of Manhattan; I like to watch folks inside the BB House -- and how they interact with each other. Shows such as Survivor or The Amazing Race are basically sociological studies with added twists and pressures which change the human interactions.
But... what if the pressure was an actual life or death situation? Is it right to create what's basically a game show out of a situation where one person will die (not due to the game), one will have his or her life saved from a likely death, and two will lose a chance to win for their lives?
Although it's not against the law, I think it's definitely in bad taste and a moral grey area. It sounds like that futuristic Stephen King novel THE LONG WALK where one person would win, but all the rest would die, doesn't it? Many other novels and movies have toyed with similar ideas, but it hasn't been actually done before. Until now...
The creators of the Dutch Big Brother show will produce a new series on BNN in the Netherlands -- "The Big Donor Show." A terminally ill woman will give a kidney away to one of three contestants who desperately need the transplant to save their lives. Three people are going to die and their personal drama will be entertainment for the masses?
A quote from the local WCBS article about the show:
"Because of the show's shock value, it's expected it will do quite well in the ratings. Still, the Dutch Kidney Association says not everyone is a winner in the game since only one contestant gets the kidney. "Nevertheless there are two losers and what I would like to propose to BNN is ... you've got the publicity you want, now stop the program," said Paul Beerkens, Director of the Netherlands Kidney Association."
Am I really a part of this world? What do you think about this?
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
TV Newsy Bits - Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Here are the TV Newsy Bits I found for you today:
- The Houston Chronicle reports that Survivor 13 winner Yul Kwon is likely to receive an Asian Excellence Award.
- We know that Charlie left Lost with honor. But, how is actor Dominic Monaghan taking the cut from the show? The Celebrity Spider reports that he's not too pleased.
- According to this AOL article, tonight's House season finale will shake things up and end with a cliffhanger. Ohhh... a cliffhanger, eh? Who shot JR?
- Speaking of shake-ups, NBC's slumping ratings have caused an executive shake-up at the network. Drama!
Monday, May 28, 2007
'Big Brother 8' (and BB7) News
Yes!
There's Big Brother 8 news to be had today! According to CANOE -- JAM!, the starting date for the show is Thursday, July 5th.
According to RealityBBQ, Sarah and James from Big Brother 7 are now a couple of the past. All that's said is "she is dating someone new." Um, okay.
In previously released Big Brother 8 news, Arnold Shapiro is stepping away this season and Alison Grodner will be taking the producer reins of the show. They had worked together as executive producers on the show in past seasons.
On the official CBS website, they still have the application link live on the main page, but the deadline was in April. I'm anticipating this season to be at this link once it goes live (if they follow the format from past seasons). Usually the houseguests go into sequester for a period in the latter part of June. Once the show is sure they'll make it (see Brandon Showalter), the cast announcements and website go live. The feeds usually follow the show's premiere although the houseguests are in the house for approximately 4 days before the first show airs.
I'll be doing Live Feed Reports once again this year, most likely on the three times a day format (morning, early evening, late night ET) with the exception of some days which will have additional posts. I'm also thinking of live-blogging the shows as they air here in the NYC area. I previously didn't do show blog entries as most had already been discussed in live feed reports, but live-blogging might fit that in just fine. And, as always, I'll be posting East Coast Updates on eviction nights.
On July 5th, it'll be AWN. (Credit to Monica Bailey)