Puffin' Pants - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - June 18-22, 2007

Oh, no! It's another week of repeats for Pants Man Dave!

What am I going to do? Well, I'll probably rewatch them but I'll warn you now... I'll be reading books with the show playing in the background. So there, Dave.

• Monday, June 18: Mike Myers (Shrek The Third) and America Ferrara (Ugly Betty).
• Tuesday, June 19: Jack Hanna (YAY), Katherine Heigl (Grey's Anatomy), and Patti Griffin whose latest CD is Children Running Through.
• Wednesday, June 20: Matt Damon (Ocean's Thirteen), Indy 500 Winner Dario Franchitti, musical guest Bright Eyes (CD is Cassadaga)
• Thursday, June 21: Johnny Depp and the Spinners. (No, Johnny Depp isn't the lead Spinner although that would be interesting.)
• Friday, June 22: Charles Barkley, Seth Rogan (Knocked Up), Michael Martin Murphey (best remembered for "Wildfire" but his latest CD is Heartland Cowboy: Cowboy Songs, Vol. 5)

Ah, we just have to wait until next Monday (June 25) on The Late Show with David Letterman. What's happening then? It's a new show! Bruce Willis is on! Diving dogs (always amusing) are on out on 53rd Street! But... most important to the Big Brother fans... it's the annual pre-season Julie Chen appearance on Letterman! Woohoo! We're getting near!

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Thursday, June 14, 2007

Today is June 14. Do you know where your flag is?

Tonight's television is a mixed bag. In the 8 PM ET/PT hour on CBS, there's a new Pirate Master. Now, I've tried with the show, but pirates were never my thing and the show isn't doing anything to change my opinions, me mateys.

Oh, but ABC has the entire primetime block filled with basketball special shows and then a game. Hmmm.... NBA or pirates? FOX has a new Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader. Yes, I am. And I won't watch that. NBC has repeats of My Name is Earl and 30 Rock. CW has a repeat Smallville.

Court TV has two new back-to-back episodes of Speeders in the 8 PM ET/PT hour. Laugh if you must, but I may watch that. The network sent me a sampler of the show and, if nothing else, it's fast-paced. You also must remember that Cops is a guilty pleasure show of mine. This is along the same lines with speeders and their excuses trying to get out of tickets.

At 9 PM ET/PT, my definite choice is the So You Think You Can Dance results show. I'll be posting an East Coast Spoiler entry about the boot for those who wish to peek in from another time zone or those who just want to talk about the show.

Also on in that hour -- C.S.I. is a repeat on CBS, The Office and Scrubs are repeats on NBC. The CW is airing a Supernatural repeat. USA has a new Starter Wife episode and TLC has a new American Chopper.

At 10 PM ET/PT, while ABC is still playing the NBA, NBC has a new Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. CBS has a Shark rerun scheduled. TLC has a new Wrecks to Riches. Animal Planet is airing a new Animal Precinct (about time!). But I know I won't watch any of those. I'm catching The Wire on BET. Since I don't have HBO, I've become addicted to BET's airing of the series. I know I'll eventually catch the Animal Precinct episode as they air them for years in between new episodes!

What's your television schedule look like this evening?

(And remember to stop back for the So You Think You Can Dance East Coast Update which I should be posting shortly before 10 PM ET!

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.

'Big Brother 8' Programming Schedule Announced

According to The Futon Critic, Big Brother 8 will return to the same scheduled evenings as last season -- the season premiere will be Thursday, July 5 at 8 PM ET/PT. On Sunday evenings, the show will air at 8 PM ET/PT while the Tuesday night show will start at 9 PM ET/PT, an hour later than last year.

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.

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Once again, I know this isn't my usual graphic. It's a ladybug on clover in bright sunshine -- you can click on it to see it in its full bug-glory. I'm still playing with the new camera and new computer. Of course, these will be my only major expense playtoys for the year, but the digital camera I had was over four years old and had been dropped a lot. With the new computer, I don't even have to hook (either) camera up to the computer to download the photos -- it has card-reading slots for almost every media there is and treats them like a separate drive.

One thing I have to do is go out and get amplified/powered speakers for the new computer, though. I have two sets of computer speakers which have always worked fine. I never really depended on my computer for fine stereo sound. But the speakers are operating at such low volumes that I can barely hear them now.

And the computer was overdue, too. I still have working computers in Windows 95 (yikes), Windows 98, and Windows XP... but the first two can only do dial-up without major work. And the most recent, the XP OS, is almost seven years old and was starting to flake out a bit.

The new computer, after rebates, is only costing me around $500 compared to the really wimpy Windows 95 machine which cost me over $2,500 about 13 years ago. The XP 'puter was a good deal -- an open box buy at $500 which should have gone for $1200. So, I have a TriGem (heh), Compaq, and two HP Pavillions spread out over the years. I'm not mentioning the strictly DOS ATT 'puter from the 80s. That one never did online other than local BBS stuff and used 5.25" floppies. Yes, I'm a geekette, I guess.

But with Big Brother 8 on the horizon, I had to get myself up to snuff. I can't be breaking down amidst the live feeds, can I?

Enough about computer doings... what will I be watching tonight?

The 8 PM hour (ET/PT) is a bit slim pickings for me. I don't want to watch hockey on NBC. So You Think You Can Dance is a repeat in that hour on FOX, but it's a maybe with me. Doubled-up repeats of The King of Queens on CBS just don't make the grade with me. ABC has a new The Next Best Thing. That'll be a maybe. I have no interest in CW's new Hidden Palms, but it is indeed something new. I guess I'll decide what I'm watching at 7:59 PM.

In the 9 PM ET/PT hour, I have a definite will-watch show - So You Think You Can Dance in a new episode on FOX. There's a new American Inventor on ABC, but the show lost me last season. I doubt I'll watch it at all this season unless there's nothing else on I remotely want to see. CW has a new One Tree Hill episode, but I've never watched the show... don't believe I'll start now. TBS has new back-to-back episodes of House of Payne. If you're a Tyler Perry fan, check 'em out! Since I've already seen the episodes in screener versions, they're a maybe for me for recording. It's always interesting to see the differences between the screeners and the aired versions.

In the 10 PM ET/PT hour, there's a new Traveler on ABC. I know the show should be something I like, but I couldn't get into it when I tried to watch it last week. Instead, I'm going to watch two back-to-back new episodes of Cash Cab on the Discovery Channel. I may record Traveler to give it another shot, but new Cash Cabs I just can't not watch! There's a new Top Chef on Bravo, too. With that network and show, they re-air the shows often enough to keep up with them. I'll just have to check future listings or record that instead of the Traveler. Decisions, decisions.

What will you be watching tonight?

Persnickety Pants - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - June 4-8, 2007

Last week's repeats are a thing of the past. Wait, they were a thing of the past before they re-aired them!

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.

Sneak Peek: TNT's 'The Closer' - 3rd Season Premiere

The Closer could very well be one of the best crime drama shows you may not be watching. Golden Globe Winner Kyra Sedgwick is Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson of the LAPD Priority Homicide Division. Despite budget cuts, office politics, and official scrutiny... she closes her cases and she does it her way. Oh, I didn't even mention her humorous domestic woes with her boyfriend. They really need a bigger house.

Unlike many shows in the cop genre, this one is a bit quirky and often leaves you guessing "who done it" until Brenda zooms in on the suspect. The writing is very clever with well-crafted mysteries and intriguing characters, as well as decent actors in the roles. The character of Brenda, in particular, is complex. She's a pro at her job, one of the best in the business. But, at home, she's a bit of a mess. All in all, it makes the show's whole premise work very well.

The good folks at TNT were kind enough to send me a screener of the first episode of the third season -- slated to air Monday, June 18, at 9 PM ET/PT. Now, of course, I can't (and won't) give you a recap of the show, but I'll give you few tidbits... dangle that carrot, so to speak.

The Wallace family -- a father, mother, and young daughter -- have been viciously murdered in their home. The teenaged son, high on drugs at the time, is still alive. Suspect? Murderer? Victim? Totally innocent? The story took some twists I never would have predicted. Brenda had to fight budget cut issues with no overtime all the way. "What happens if someone gets murdered on a weekend?"

Even though there were some light-hearted moments throughout the show such as when Brenda decided to take the police jet after being told to control expenses, the ending was a shocker and a bit of commentary on what jealousy and greed can do to a person.

There.

You still could never guess the twists in the episode. But it ain't no Law and Order, for sure. Nothing as straight-laced at that!

If you haven't been watching the show, you can check out some of the season two episodes. Two episodes air each Tuesday evening at 9 and 10 PM ET/PT leading into the week before the third season premiere. That's on cable station TNT - they know Drama, y'know.

Reality TV - A Game Show for a Kidney? Yipes!

I'm a reality television buff. I'm not proud. I'm hooked on Big Brother, Survivor, The Amazing Race, and more. I'm not so into the dating reality show genre, but know folks who enjoy them. I also enjoy many scripted television shows, but reality keeps dragging me back in.

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?

New(er) Summer Shows on This Week

A damselfly rests on a poison ivy leaf in New Jersey. Yeah, I know it's not television, but I took the photo yesterday and thought it cried SUMMER. You can click on the photo for the full-sized image if you wish. I promise you won't have a reaction to the poison ivy and damselflies (related to dragonflies) are good bugs. They eat mosquitos!

Although TV seems to be slim pickings, there are some new shows on this week.

Monday, May 28: At 8 PM ET/PT, NBC has a new The Real Wedding Crashers (blech, in my opinion). FOX has a new two-hour episode of On the Lot, a show I found more interesting than I thought it would be. ABC has a new Wife Swap followed by a new Ex-Wives Club and a new Supernanny. I'll be watching the last of The Corner on BET for the evening. I might record On the Lot as I might be following the show in the future.

Tuesday, May 29: FOX has new episodes of On the Lot and House. ABC has a new episode of Boston Legal on at 10 PM ET/PT. A&E has a new Dog Bounty Hunter at 9 PM ET/PT. Also at 9 PM ET/PT, Discovery has a new Deadliest Catch followed by a new After the Catch at 10 PM. I think my primetime will be FOX, then Discovery for the remainder of the block.

Wednesday, May 30: FOX has a two-hour So You Think You Can Dance. ABC has a new Next Best Thing in the 8 PM ET/PT hour, followed by a repeat Traveler, then a new Traveler. Like last season, I'm a bit addicted to the So You Think You Can Dance auditions. I'll probably watch that, then Traveler. I haven't caught the latter yet.

Thursday, May 31: At 8 PM ET/PT, it's the season premiere of Pirate Master on CBS. FOX has a new Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader followed by a new So You Think You Can Dance. ABC has the 2007 Scripps National Spelling Bee running from 8 PM to 10 PM ET/PT. Well, let's see... I know I'm smarter than a 5th grader and I had the trauma decades back of being in the national spelling bee. Too many memories! I'll watch Pirate Master, but I'm not sure if the show will grab my interest or not. I'm not so into pirates, matey. Arrr-arrr.

Friday, June 1: Well, this is pretty pitiful. At 9 PM ET/PT, ABC has a new National Bingo Night. (There's a show I just can't watch!) At 10 PM ET/PT, A&E has a new Intervention. I may be checking out the Discovery Channel, Court TV, or Sci-Fi channel offerings for the night... or watching shows I've previously recorded.

Recycled Pants - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - May 28-June 1, 2007

Well, May Sweeps have ended and we're (not unexpectedly) if for a week of repeats on Letterman this week.

As always, my complaint with the repeats is that they're much too recent. Yeah, I know they do that because movie promotions, news issues and more all have to be timely or current. Yes, that's the logic behind it all. But, as a regular viewer, I'd like just once to see a way old repeat. Heck, I'd watch that while I rarely want to watch a show I just saw two weeks ago over again so soon.

Here's what you can expect this week on the show and I guess I'll go to bed a bit earlier unless Leno has a guest I really want to see:

• Monday, May 28: Ray Romano promoting The Grand, Impressionist Reggie Reg, Dennis Haysbert from The Unit. Not worth a second watch from me.
• Tuesday, May 29: Senator Barack Obama, Halle Barry promoting Perfect Stranger, and Masters Champion Zach Johnson. This one was interesting for the Obama segment... he's a very personable kind of guy.
• Wednesday, May 30: Dr. Phil promoting his special Caged? and Jack Hanna. Hey, wasn't this shown only a week ago or so? Sheesh! I felt cheated by the Jack Hanna segment cut short for time.
• Thursday, May 31: Regis Philbin talking more than promoting Shrek the Third and Darlene Love (who's always tremendous). It was a good show, but again it aired just a week or maybe two ago.
• Friday, June 1: Tobey Maguire promoting Spider-Man 3, Modest Mouse, and Impressionist John Byner. Excellent show, but I won't watch it again so soon.

I foresee earlier bedtimes for me this week.

What's On Television Tonight?

Holiday weekends, particularly those in the late spring/summer season, are often a bit lacking. After all, the common thought is that folks will all be away traveling and enjoying the weather. But, not everyone is. Some of us have hot weather phobia or have to work. Some of us will be home. So, what's out there on the tube tonight that we may not have seen before?

CBS is all repeats of Numb3rs and 48 Hours Mystery. But NBC is airing the movie, Chicago. FOX has repeat Cops and a new America's Most Wanted. ABC has basketball. CW has baseball here. USA has its regular Law and Order listings. BET has the start of three nights of the HBO mini-series The Corner (by the same writers as Homicide: Life on the Street and The Wire). AMC is showing a John Wayne movie, The Quiet Man. The History Channel is showing the original Planet of the Apes while Bravo has Apollo 13. Comedy Central has Coming to America slated for the primetime block.

Hmmm... I'm most likely to go with The Corner as I haven't seen it before.

What will you be watching? Or, are you off to the beach?

Pants in Bloom - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - May 21-25

The subway series has the Yankees down two games to the Mets. But, more important... will Dave's guests score a home run this week?

Here's the list:

• Monday, May 21 - Rudy Giuliani, Mike West and his Cra-Z-Boy Chair, and music guest Jesus & Mary Chain.
• Tuesday, May 22 - Charles Barkley, Seth Rogen promoting Knocked Up, Michael Martin Murphey (CD is Heartland Cowboy: Cowboy Songs, Vol. 5)
• Thursday, May 24 -Al Gore pushin' his latest endeavor, a book entitled The Assault on Reason, comedian Jim Short.
• Friday, May 25 - Kevin Spacey (Broadway's A Moon for the Misbegotten) and Alexis Bledel (I'm Reed Fish).

Yes, you're seeing things right. According to the official website, there is no Wednesday this week. But, according to the AOL TV Listings, Wednesday does indeed exist --

• Wednesday, May 23 - Stupid Pet Tricks, Rosie Perez and musical guest Dr. Dog.

Who's sleeping on the job at the show's website, eh?

NBC's 'The Office' Season Finale is Hopping!

Are you a fan of The Office? Tonight is the big hour-long season finale starting at 8 PM ET/PT, but there's even more going on for you to enjoy!

NBC will be hosting a live-blogging event starting approximately 9 PM ET/6 PM PT. Executive Producer Greg Daniels and B.J. Novak (who plays the character Ryan Howard) will be there. If you want to peek in, check it out on the official NBC blog site. As you peek around there, you'll see last week's deleted beach scenes (oh, my!).

I'm hoping to finally get an embedded video to work on this blog. If all is well, this video should be a 3-minute recap of last week's show. If it isn't working, well you just won't see it because I'll remove it! Heh, that'll show YouTube, eh?

If the video here isn't working right, it's available at this link.




After The Office finale, hang in to watch a preview of Steve Carell's new movie, Evan Almighty. If you're sweet on Steve, or just want to check it out, this website showcases his work.

Broadcast Networks Announce Fall TV Season - What's On or Not

It's that time of year again. The major broadcast networks are announcing the fall schedules. What shows didn't make the cut? What new shows can we expect? I've poked about the web for the information to pass on to the readers here.

Let's talk CBS first...

Canceled shows (or those not on the fall schedule) include: Jericho (that's going to upset some blog readers), Close to Home, The Class, and The King of Queens.

Returning shows: The Amazing Race (mid-season), Cold Case, 60 Minutes, How I Met Your Mother, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Two and a Half Men, Rules of Engagement, CSI: Miami, NCIS, The Unit, Criminal Minds, CSI: NY, Survivor, CSI, Shark, Without A Trace, Ghost Whisperer, Numb3rs, 48 Hours Mystery. Just a personal note -- I don't watch or enjoy all of these shows, but I understand all returning except one. Who out there is watching Rules of Engagement? How'd that get renewed?

New shows: Viva Laughlin, Swingtown, Moonlight, Cane, Big Bang Theory, Power of 10, Kid Nation. As time goes on, I'll post more on these shows.

It's on (or not) on NBC...

Canceled or just plain gone: Andy Barker P.I., Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, The Black Donnellys, The Real Wedding Crashers, Kidnapped, Raines, Crossing Jordan, Grease: You're the One That I Want, Identity, 20 Good Years, Thank God You're Here. Hmmm... nothing I'll miss so much there, I guess. It's too bad Raines wasn't given more of a chance. I was getting into the show. And, I think the messing with the schedule killed Crossing Jordan. I haven't watched it since it left the Sunday night time slot. Although not on this list, it appears The Apprentice will most likely not return... at least not to NBC.

Returning shows: Friday Night Lights, Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Deal or No Deal, 30 Rock, The Office, Heroes, Scrubs, ER, The Biggest Loser, Las Vegas, My Name Is Earl, 1 vs. 100, Dateline, Football Night In America, Medium, Saturday Night Live. I know some of the blog readers are going to be gleeful about the FNL renewal! Me? I'm a Law and Order and its franchises fanatic, so I'm happy. I had faith in Heroes and knew that was slated. L&O, I was worried about a bit more.

New shows include: The Bionic Woman, The IT Crowd, Chuck, Journeyman, Life, Lipstick Jungle, The Singing Bee, World Moves, and Heroes: Origins. Again, more on these at a later date.

What can we expect from ABC?

Bye-bye, canceled or just not there: The Nine, Six Degrees, The Great American Dream Vote, Show Me The Money, Day Break, In Case of Emergency, The Knights of Prosperity, What About Brian, George Lopez, According to Jim. Okay, I'm not upset about any of these. I know some blog readers watch What About Brian, though. I'm sorry.

Returning shows: Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty, October Road, Notes from the Underbelly, Men In Trees, Brothers & Sisters, Wife Swap, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, The Bachelor, Dancing with the Stars, Lost, Supernanny, America's Funniest Home Videos, Boston Legal, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, 20/20, Primetime. Yes, fans... DWTS has a fall season slated!

New shows we can expect to see: Big Shots, Carpoolers, Cashmere Mafia, Eli Stone, Dirty Sexy Money, Cavemen, Miss/Guided, Private Practice, Pushing Daisies, Sam I Am, Women's Murder Club, Oprah's Big Give. I mentioned a while ago that the Geico Cavemen were going to get their own series, so we'll have to see if they're good for more than thirty seconds, eh? There are surely some intriguing show titles here. Of course, more on them in due time.

Keep in mind, these announcements are only about the fall schedule. They don't include the summer programming which is headed our way.

Your reactions? Are your favorite shows returning or are the gone too soon?

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Oh, such a dilemma! Well, tonight's not the big dilemma it has been on previous weeks, I'll admit.

At 8 PM ET/PT, there's this week's American Idol 6 with the top three contestants (Melinda, Blake, Jordin) singing three songs each. I'll be watching that, taking notes and photos, then getting an entry posted later on this evening.

Not into American Idol? There's more!

At 8 PM ET/PT, American Idol not withstanding, there is a repeat of Dancing With the Stars on ABC. The CW has a new Gilmore Girls. NBC has a new Dateline airing. The entire CBS prime-time block is taken by The 42nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.

9 PM ET/PT brings us a repeat Law and Order: Criminal Intent on CBS, a new House episode on FOX, the (new) Dancing With the Stars results show on ABC, a new Veronica Mars episode on CW, and a new Deadliest Catch on Discovery.

Then, at 10 PM ET/PT, there's a new episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit on NBC, a new Boston Legal on ABC, two new back-to-back Real World episodes on MTV, and The Shield on FX is new, too.

My personal line-up is American Idol, still undecided for the next hour, L&O: SVU at ten o'clock. I haven't been watching Dancing With the Stars, but many of the blog readers do. If you want to join in on the show discussion and (probably) get East Coast Spoiler information on tonight's boot, head to the comments area of the blog discussion post for the show during or after the show airs on the East Coast.

I also received some screeners from TBS (Tyler Perry's House of Payne) and TNT (The Closer)... so I have to watch them and report back to you in addition to my regular television addiction. Both shows will air this summer, but I'm anxious to check out the screener from The Closer! (Yay.)

What will you be watching tonight?

It's Prom Pants! - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - May 14-18, 2007

Have you got your prom pants? After all, 'tis the season.

Um... if you're in school, that is. If you're not, then it's just a bit odd that you have prom pants. But, who am I to tell you how to live your life?

However, if you are in school, I see on the official show website, they're looking for interns! Gee, where was that opportunity back when I was in college? I would have loved to work with the writers! Okay, back when I was in school, Letterman was barely out of school himself, but that's beside the point. Too bad they don't allow "students of life" to take part in the internships. But, of course, they'd have to pay enough to live on. They do make it clear - "Please note once again that YOU MUST BE ENROLLED IN COLLEGE to be eligible to participate in our program." Once again, I'll note it. Hey, wait... they didn't say "currently" enrolled, did they? It's a loophole!

Here's the guest list (along with a bit of my opinion on said guests) for the show this week:

• Monday, May 14: Mike Meyers promoting Shrek the Third and America Ferrara of Ugly Betty. Eh. All in all, it doesn't sound like a bad show, but it ain't no Jack Hanna!
• Tuesday, May 15: Don Rickles promoting his book Rickles' Book: A Memoir and Michael Imperioli of The Sopranos. The musical guest is Wilco (latest CD is Sky Blue Sky). Masi Oka (Hiro from Heroes) will do the Top Ten List. Well, Masi Oka is a must for me to watch, but I'm not so keen on Rickles. I find him a bit mean-spirited and way out of step with today's world.
• Wednesday, May 16: Ricky Gervais, Mary Lynn Rajskub (24), Mavis Staples (CD is We'll Never Turn Back) and the Top Ten List with Bob Barker. It's Bob Barker's 50th TV Anniversary this week. Has television been around that long? Heh.
• Thursday, May 17: Kid Scientists, Luke Wilson promoting The Wendell Baker Story, Rufus Wainwright (CD is Release the Stars) and a Top Ten List with Homer Simpson. Now, this sounds fun. I always get a kick out of the kids and the way Dave interacts with them. He's a nut! I wonder if I stand out in the street on 53rd, perhaps I can watch Homer Simpson arrive? Maybe get his autograph?
• Friday, May 18: Teri Hatcher (Desperate Housewives), Jonah Hill (Knocked Up - although I don't think he himself is in that state) and musical guest Elvis Costello promoting not one, but two CDs - The Best of Elvis Costello: The First Ten Years and Rock and Roll Music. Elvis Costello usually puts on a good show. I love the new Lexus commercials featuring him. Beethoven's music has the same effect on him as it does on me. Alas, I don't listen to Beethoven in my Lexus, though.

So, there's your week of Pants!

TV Newsy Bits - Monday, May 7, 2007

Another season of The Amazing Race has ended, Survivor 14: Fiji is down to one show and then the big finale and reunion night (Sunday, May 13 starting at 8 PM). But we're getting closer to Big Brother 8! That should be starting the first week of July.

Dancing With the Stars and The Bachelor: An Officer and a Gentleman are still going strong, as is American Idol. And, but of course, tonight is How I Met Your Mother and Heroes night for me!

Here are the TV Newsy Bits for today:

• If you're in the New York City area and, especially if you were around in the 1970s, tonight's 11 PM WCBS2 news (Channel 2) has an interview with Son of Sam killer David Berkowitz thirty years after the killing spree. I know it's a macabre thought, but I won't be able to not watch it. That was such a horrendous and plain old odd case.
• BuddyTV has their interview with Eric and Danielle, winners of The Amazing Race 11: All Stars, online for your perusal.
• Celebrity Spider has mild promotional spoilers (nothing big) for this week's Survivor 14: Fiji episode.
• Heh. Celebrity Spider also reports that the host of Pimp My Ride has lost his license to drive. Hmmm... could he get a new show called Pimp My City Bus?
• After sources said a few days ago that Lost will end after two more seasons, new sources are now saying three seasons.
• TVGuide.com has an interview with Missy Peregrym, the actress who plays Candace (the "illusionist" Primatech Paper morphing woman) on Heroes.
• This article casts doubt on the return of Jericho or The Class next fall, but I haven't seen any official announcements.

An added note: Some of the regular blog readers want to get a real-life meet-up arranged sometime over the summer. Most likely it would be in either New York City or perhaps Philadelphia. If you're a regular commenter here and want to get involved in the planning, send me an email (the contact info is in the sidebar). I'm putting together a mailing list to work on the details. Since this blog doesn't show email addresses, we're doing this off blog. If you want to get involved, yet don't want to use your regular email, send me an email telling me who you are in comments and I'll send you a free gmail invite.

Sweeps Pants - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - May 7-11, 2007

Well, last week Dave pulled a fast one on us by replacing Amy Sedaris with Toby McGuire. It was an interesting segment, but I want Amy, too!

What's on the schedule for this week as we're heavy into the May Sweeps period?

• Monday, May 7 - Regis Philbin promoting Shrek the Third, but I'm sure the appearance will be a lot more than just Shrek. Darlene Love from Broadway's Hairspray is also a guest. I'm checking this one off as a "best of the week."
• Tuesday, May 8 - Jane Fonda will promote her new movie, Georgia Rule. Author Tom Ruprecht (George W. Bush: An Unauthorized Oral History) and American Idol first season winner now a huge success, Kelly Clarkson (latest CD is My December). An interesting note is that Ruprecht either is still, or at least was, a writer for Letterman. So I'm looking forward to that segment.
• Wednesday, May 9 - Lindsay Lohan (also promoting Georgia Rule), comedian Tom Dreesen, and musical group The Kooks whose new CD is Inside In/Inside Out.
• Thursday, May 10 - Dr. Phil, who has a CBS Primetime Special to promote - Caged. I don't know what that's all about, but his interaction with Letterman is always entertaining. Oh! And Jungle Jack Hanna will be on, too! Woohoo... we have a tie for best of the week. Heck, this just may push Regis off my top list.
• Friday, May 11 - Charles Grodin (The Ex) and comedian Jake Johannsen. Um... okay. I get a bit tired of Grodin's "upset" schtick when on the show, though. How many decades can you act miffed?

TV Newsy Bits - Saturday, May 5, 2007

It's Cinco de Mayo! A time for festivities, tacos, and even parades. I know there are lots of activities going on in this area and it's likely there's something happening in your neck of the woods, as well. Here in the Northeast, the weather is perfect for outdoor doings, whether it's checking out cultural celebration or just enjoying the day itself. Sieze the day, I say.

I want to express my gratitude for the readers and the commenting community here on the blog. I know many of you started reading the Big Brother live feeds either on this blog or the one before it, then you stayed. Big Brother 8 is in casting mode at this time. They historically wrap things up only a few weeks before we see the first show. The cast is put in sequester about ten days before they go into the house. The season usually starts for us during the first week of July, and that seems to be the schedule this year, too. I'm watching for news and will let you know when I hear something concrete. And, yes... I'll be covering the feeds once again this season.

In other TV Newsy Bits:

• Paris Hilton's Simple Life is going to get a lot more simpler -- she's heading to jail for 45 days for violating her probation.
• In Survivor news, Jeff Probst is very impressed with Yau-Man Chan according to this Reality TV World article. Reality News Online (RNO) has an interview with Alex, the most recent castaway, as well as a transcription of his The Early Show appearance. "You can be a Ninja by yourself. You can't be a Ninja with Mookie."
• Kristine Lefebvre, a candidate on the recent The Apprentice: L.A. bares it all for Playboy according to E! Online and TMZ.
• Reality TV World says that Stephanie Wilhite, recently ousted on The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman, saw it coming. Another contestant on the show, Amber Alchalabi, saw her boss resign over her leave of absence to appear. Yikes! Sheesh, it's one thing for reality show contestants to lose their own jobs in pursuit of a dream, but for a boss to be in hot water and blow her career?
• Billy Ray Cyrus' wife claims that he's happy to remain on Dancing With the Stars in this Reality TV Magazine interview.
• Can't get enough of Sanjaya Malakar? Celebrity Spider has the list of concert tour dates for the American Idol Top Ten contestants. Um... no. I won't be going.
• This week we'll see BeeGee Bro Barry Gibb coaching the American Idol contestants. I think that's fitting, don't you? At this time, the four all want to be "Stayin' Alive."
• In other American Idol news, Reality TV World says that Chris Richardson "knew" he was heading home this week. "I seen the band setting up, and the guitar player grabbing a 12 string guitar, and I'm the only person with a 12 string guitar, so you put it together," said Chris. Why am I not surprised that he said "I seen." Saw, Chris... you saw! AOL Television has an interview with both Phil Stacey and Chris Richardson, as well as other exit interviews with previously dismissed contestants.
• We can expect Lost to last for two more seasons according to E! Online and discussed in this TVSquad article. The good news is that this will give the show's creators a timeline in which to address issues raised. The bad news is that once this season ends, we won't see the show again until January. I personally think long hiatus periods hurt shows. I know that I lost interest in Jericho when it went away for so long and haven't watched it since its return. I know they can't run new shows for forty episodes a year, but I think they have to come up with a better plan. The show should move back to the 9 PM slot once it reappears.
• AOL Television has a feature page for May Sweeps and May finales. Check it out and mark your calendars!

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Yikes, can you tell it's May Sweeps? So many new episodes are on that it's going to keep me recording and watching all evening!

The two shows I must watch live are the American Idol 6 Results Show (which I'll live-blog major events including who's going home in an East Coast Update entry) and Lost (which I'll take photos and notes during, but won't post a full review/recap until early tomorrow evening - dang having to work for a living).

If you're West Coast or just want to talk about the events of tonight's American Idol on the East Coast, drop back tonight after 9 PM EDT. The show will feature a live Bon Jovi performance and two contestants are going home. We can have a little wingding right here on the blog to either celebrate or commiserate over the events!

Also on the TV schedule for the evening:

• 8 PM ET/PT -- A new Jericho episode on CBS, new Thank God You're Here on NBC, new Bones on FOX, new episodes of According to Jim and Notes From the Underbelly on ABC, new America's Next Top Model on CW. I'd like to check out Notes as I get a kick out of Barry Sonnenfeld, but I don't care for According to Jim at all. I've lost touch with Jericho since its hiatus, so I'll probably watch Bones -- a show you don't have to watch weekly to understand the story. Maybe I'll tape Notes to check it out.
• 9 PM ET/PT -- A new Criminal Minds episode on CBS, new Crossing Jordan on NBC, American Idol 6 hour-long results show on FOX, last week's Lost episode ("D.O.C.") on ABC, a new One Tree Hill on CW. You know what I'll be watching (AI), but what will I record for later viewing? Criminal Minds.
• 10 PM ET/PT -- A new C.S.I.: NY episode on CBS, new Medium on NBC, and a new Lost on ABC. It's Lost for me hands-down for the live watch, C.S.I.: NY for the recording. If this is the Medium they were promoting, it boasts Jason Priestly this week.

What will you be watching and recording tonight?