'American Idol' TV Newsy Bits - Sunday, Feb. 11, 2007

It seems like we just can't get enough of American Idol, doesn't it? From the eager and sometimes talentless contestants to the "is Paula on something" controversy to Simonisms to Grammy and Oscar buzz, American Idol is taking the country by storm once again.

Peeking around the Internet, I saw so much Idol news out there that I decided to write up a show-specific Newsy Bits just to catch up on it all. I believe this is the first time I've ever done that, but I like to live dangerously... or something like that.

Here are some of the more interesting American Idol Newsy Bits out there:

• The New York Post has an article about the latest guessing game - who are the finalists? I've seen more than a few websites out there with predictions of the Top Twelve. I've noticed most have the same names in common and I think they could very well be right.
• Reality TV World is reporting that the show's producers would like to try for an All Stars version of American Idol. I personally think that if they have one, the bigger stars created by the show probably will back out. It's an interesting concept, though.
• The Fans of Reality TV website has a two-part interview with executive producer Nigel Lythgoe. You can check it out here ("Are People Going to Think She's Drunk?") and here ("He Called Me a Monkey"). Both are interesting reads.
• Stretching out his fifteen minutes of fame for as long as he can, Idol reject Ian Bernardo was interviewed by New York Magazine. He claims The Bronx made him talk back to Simon. He also thinks he's an "international, intergalactic Idol." Oh, my.
• Much ado is being made of the Justin Timberlake/newcomer bit expected on tonight's 49th Annual Grammy Awards just reeking of American Idol. Of course, previous AI winner Carrie Underwood is up for four awards this year. Perhaps they should mimic American Idol to put some zest back into a stuttering music industry - create a buzz and excitement, let the people take a hand in things!
• AOL Television has a nifty "Before They Were Stars" photo essay highlighting the history of some of the American Idols we know and love... or don't love dependent on the person involved.

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Sunday, February 11, 2007

Next Sunday (mark those calendars now) will be the season premiere of The Amazing Race 11: All Stars. You know I'll be there! Or, more precisely, here... as I watch and write about the show's happenings!

That's not to say there isn't some interesting television going on tonight. No-sir-ree, Bob -- tonight looks like a pretty good TV kind of night!

The big show for the night is The 49th Annual Grammy Awards on CBS, starting at 8 PM ET/PT. I'm sure to at least watch the opening of the show with the much talked-about reunion of The Police. Heck, I still love my Synchronicity. NBC is airing a new Grease: You're the One I Want starting at 7 PM ET/PT running for two hours. That's not one I want; I haven't seen an episode yet. ABC has a new Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in the 8 PM slot. The CW Network has a new episode of 7th Heaven. FOX has new Simpsons and King of the Hill.

In the 9 PM ET/PT time slot, the Grammy Awards will still be ongoing, of course. On NBC, I'll be tuning into The Apprentice: L.A., posting the boot in an East Coast Update, then posting the review/recap of the episode later in the night. ABC has a new episode of Desperate Housewives (please feel free to use the DH Blog Meet Up Discussion post to chat about the show). CW has a repeat of Beauty and the Geek. FOX is airing new episodes of Family Guy and American Dad.

Come 10 PM ET/PT, NBC has a new Crossing Jordan, ABC has a new Brothers & Sisters, CW and FOX have local news, and that big awards show should still be going strong. I'll probably either have the Grammy Awards or Crossing Jordan on in the background as I write up my Apprentice for the week.

What are your television plans for the evening?

Pants for Dummies - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - Feb. 12-16, 2007

It was such a hit in the fall that he's doing it all over again. Yep, you got it! It's Ventriloquist Week once again on The Late Show with David Letterman. Yes, it's those lovable dummies and those who breathe life into them. Well, er... that sounds like an old episode of The Twilight Zone. Hey, maybe it is. You never know. I'd kind of like to see Tap Dancers Week, myself.

Here are the guests we can expect to see this week on the Big Show:

• Monday, Feb. 12: Ventriloquist Kevin Johnson with Clyde and Matilda, Drew Barrymore promoting the movie Music & Lyrics, Rickie Lee Jones whose latest CD is The Sermon on Exposition Boulevard. Ah, this show sounds like a winner. You can't go wrong with Clyde and Matilda! Plus, there's that whole history-thing going on between Drew and David.
• Tuesday, Feb. 13: Stand-Up Ventriloquist Dan Horn, football player Peyton Manning, and musical guest The Cat Empire.
• Wednesday, Feb. 14: Ventriloquist Otto Peterson with George, Martha Stewart, and Norah Jones (CD is Not Too Late). Another good line-up. I'm sure Dave is so happy that I approve, eh?
• Thursday, Feb. 15: Ventriloquist Jim Barber with Seville (is that like the Barbers of Seville?), Siena Miller promoting Factory Girl, and NAS whose CD is Hip Hop is Dead. Is it? Probably not.
• Friday, Feb. 16: Ventriloquist Brad Cummings and Tracy Morgan from 30 Rock. Comedian Jake Johannsen is also on the docket.

Okay, now that I have the listing finished, I have a gripe. While I really like the overhaul of the new Late Show website, it's missing Tuesday and some of the guests. What's up with that?

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Saturday, February 10, 2007

Saturday night television programming tends to be slim pickings at times. For the last few years some networks pick the evening to repeat episodes of shows from earlier in the week. That can be helpful at times, although now most can also be found online at the various network sites. Tonight would be a good night to repeat this week's Lost Guide or the premiere... or Survivor: Fiji premiere... but it ain't gonna happen.

If you're a NASCAR fan, then FOX is your honey tonight. I can't even watch my guilty pleasure show COPS due to the NASCAR coverage. (Sniffle.) NBC has a Dateline repeat. ABC has the Charlie Brown Valentine special followed by the Pooh Valentine show. CW has American Idol Rewind scheduled. I think I'll have that on during the 8 PM ET/PT hour while reading. I believe my book will get more attention than my television.

Argh! My Saturday 9 PM time slot has been set as of late as I've been watching The Wire on BET. I'm addicted to the series and, since I don't have HBO, it's all new to me. I don't see it on the schedule as the second hour of the movie 48 Hours is slated! CBS has the recent Cold Case repeat while NBC has the Law and Order: SVU repeat. ABC is airing the Steve Martin/Queen Latifah movie Bringing Down the House. That's not a bad movie if you haven't seen it before, but I have and don't want to see it again. The CW Network has American Idol Rewind.

Come 10 PM ET/PT, there's actually some new programming! CBS has a new 48 Hours Mystery scheduled. I'll probably give that a gander -- sometimes I like the show, sometimes not... it depends on the case covered. NBC has the repeat of this week's Law and Order: Criminal Intent, which I saw already this week. ABC is continuing the movie. TLC has a new Trading Spaces.

Grr... I'm not even seeing The Wire at 1 AM, its repeat time. There is a new Saturday Night Live on, though. I've pretty much given up on SNL. Tonight looks like a book-reading kind of night for me. How about you?

TV Newsy Bits - Friday, February 9, 2007

Brrr! Brrr! As you may or may not know, where I live hasn't made it up to the freezing point in over a week. This morning, neither did my apartment. Well, I exaggerate a bit. The temperature in here was in the 40s (F) as the building's boiler apparently decided to go whimper in the corner or something.

Thankfully, Zoetawny created a fireplace Newsy Bits graphic for me. And, more thankfully, the heat's on again... but I wouldn't call it warm in here. It's slowly creeping up to a normal temperature, though.

So... what do you all think of the sudden death of Anna Nicole Smith? What a shocker, eh? A train friend told me about it as I headed home from work last night. In some ways, I'm not surprised. I think her life was such a series of highs and lows and, especially since her son died, everything may have caught up with her. I wasn't necessarily a fan of hers, but she sure was a part of pop culture. It's a sad ending. Now Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband is claiming that her baby is his. Yikes.

In other TV Newsy Bits:

• One of the candidates from The Apprentice: L.A. dropped me a note about my Lost review/recap. He only briefly mentioned the Apprentice reviews. Since he's still on the show and didn't post to the Lost entry publicly, I won't reveal the name. But I will ask him for some sort of interview after either he gets fired or wins it all. After all, now I have his email address!
• I heard more from Primatech Paper. Apparently the two files I couldn't open before now can be accessed. When I check them out, I'll report back.
• According to an article on Reality TV World, it seems FOX itself blocked Akron Watson's golden ticket to Hollywood, not the producers of American Idol. An excerpt: "We are informed at the end of the day [by Fox] that you can't invite this person or persons, and we don't ask why," Lythgoe told reporters during a conference call on Thursday, according to Newsday. "To be frank, we're not interested [in why]. If Fox believes it will damage the show... then it's best they just don't come along." They also explain why his segment stayed in the auditions show. Hmmm... the plot thickens.
• Celebrity Spider is reporting that last night's Survivor 14: Fiji premiere won the ratings race in its time period, beating out Ugly Betty.
  
• In Big Brother news, the Jokers Updates site has what it says is the last chat transcript we'll see from Marcellas Reynolds. Do you think it's the last we'll see of him? Oh, well, I have a white robe which reminds me of him and there's a guy named Boo (as opposed to a gnome named Boo) on Survivor. I'll live.
• We haven't seen the last of George Takei on Heroes. Inside Pulse has an extensive interview with him.
  

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - Season Premiere -or- "Yau-Man, Sea Snakes and Luxury!"

It's a Survivor start unlike any we've seen before.

Now, we're a bit cognizant of what was to happen because of the Internet. But, even knowing bits and pieces ahead of time, I was still almost as dazed and confused as the castaways more than halfway into the show.

That's good, of course. I've watched every season and so many premiere episodes just didn't hit the mark with me even if the season redeemed itself as it unfolded.

Jeff expounded on the dangers of the island and the isolation, citing those as reasons a castaway dropped out shortly before being sent to the island. With the odd number of nineteen, the castaways all headed to shore together. Instead of being split into teams or hearing from Jeff, they found a set of blueprints for setting up a shelter, kitchen, toilet and more. Oh, they also had tools. Nature provided lots of fruit and they were eager to explore.

One castaway, Sylvia, is an architect. So she took over the shelter-building directions. I thought she was slightly pushy, but the castaways took to her direction fairly well. I think that since she actually knew what she was doing, that helped not to alienate the others.

Even with the supplies, directions and such, they still didn't finish their shelter on the first night and the heavens broke loose with a storm. That gave them a bit of incentive to get their butts in gear and get the job done.

By the third day, all nineteen were still together -- a tribe without a name, castaways without a cause. Other than the scroll with the blueprints, they had been given no information about what they could expect. They kept thinking Jeff would show up and they kept bonding as time went on. There was a tad of anti-bonding between Andre (who wants to be called "Dreamz") and James (who wants to be called "Rocky," but some call him "Boston"). For the most part, they all got along.

Jeff showed up during Day 3, quizzing the castaways about who came forward as a leader. When Sylvia was mentioned, he called her aside and told her she would pick the tribes. Her choices:

• Green Tribe - Moto: Cassandra, Liliana, Stacy, Lisi, Dreamz, Boo, Gary (Papa Smurf), Alex, Edgardo
• Orange Tribe - Ravu: Michelle, Erica, Rita, Jessica, Rocky, Earl, Yau-Man, Anthony, Mookie

As she was odd woman out, Sylvia was sent to Exile Island. Jeff told her she can expect poisonous sea snakes, a clue to one of two hidden Immunity Idols, and immunity from the next Tribal Council. She would return after the Tribal Council and join the losing tribe.

The Immunity Challenge was a mix of similar challenges in the past, but not quite done before. Two members of each tribe were in a chariot pulled by the remaining tribe members. They had to travel about a quarter of a mile, picking up bags of puzzle pieces as they went along. Once the bags were collected, four members had to solve a puzzle, spin a puzzle wheel, retrieve a machete, and cut a rope to release their flag. Sounds a bit familiar, eh?

Jeff told them that the winning team would also win luxuries including dinnerware and even a couch! The losing team would not only go to Tribal Council and lose a member, but would be sent to a new beach where they would have only one pot and one machete. Moto won the challenge.

While Ravu talked about who to vote out, Sylvia found the clue on Exile Island. It indicated that the Idol was hid nearby the camp. So, there wasn't much else she could do but avoid the deadly sea snakes and bide her time.

A quasi-alliance had formed between Rocky, Erica, and Jessica. While everyone basically liked each other, they decided to push for a Michelle vote. All of the others were thinking Jessica should go as she was a part of why the team lost (slow on the puzzle). In the end, their three votes were scattered and it was indeed Jessica voted off.

Now that's out of the way, what do I think?

I think the players to watch or, more accurately, the ones I like are: Yau-Man, Earl, Michelle, and Sylvia (if she doesn't continue to lead). I'm still iffy about most of them. Yau-Man should be careful as he's showing how strong he is, perhaps not physically, but mentally and in the knowledge of the area. That could swing him through to the merge, at least. I think Rocky/James started out better than I thought he would, but I think he's going to self-implode. I'm straddling the fence on Erica. She could be very strong, but I think latching onto James is sort of like taking a long walk off a short pier.

Overall, I'm content with the start of this season. I think we're in for a good one. Your thoughts?

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - Feb. 8, 2007 Booted

Jessica was voted off. If you click on the Survivor label at the bottom of this post, she's detailed in one of the intro posts. We barely got to know her.

A full review/recap will be posted later tonight.

Tonight's 'Survivor 14: Fiji' Premiere Blogging Schedule

Yes! In just a few minutes here on the East Coast, I'll be watching the premiere of Survivor 14: Fiji. It's only an hour tonight, so I'll be posting an East Coast Spoiler for the boot at approximately 9 PM ET. If you don't wish to know, please take measures to cover your eyes... or something.

Later this evening, I'll post a full review/recap on the show. It probably won't be up before 11 PM at the earliest as I want to catch C.S.I. - that looks like a good one tonight! But, please stop on back!

Survivors ready?

'Lost' - "Not in Portland"

Aha, last night, in addition to American Idol, it was the long awaited return of Lost! Now we're in for sixteen new episodes and no repeats until it vanishes for a while once again.

There was an hour-long review and informative Lost Guide which aired before the show. Alas, I taped that and won't have time to watch the tape until over the weekend. So, I'll have to go guide-less as I did watch the new episode last night.

Remember, when we last left the show, Jack had nicked an artery during Ben's spinal tumor operation. He did that to blackmail the Others so they would let Sawyer and Kate escape.

So they we were... (I remember it as if it was only three darn months ago)...

Juliet was actually the focus of this episode for the most part. Her flashback sequences showed that she was stealing some sort of drug from the hospital (clinic?) run by her ex-husband, Edmond. She was experimenting with her sister, trying to allow a pregnancy (or create one, I'm a bit fuzzy on that).

Her ex caught her, a research facility in Portland tried to hire her, but she turned them down as her ex-husband would "never allow it." In her interview, she broke down and told them that she wished Edmond would get "hit by a bus." And, guess what? He sure 'nuff was! And, it seems that the Portland lab isn't exactly in Portland. Whether it's tied in with DHARMA, I don't know, but it's definitely tied to the Island. Oh... and Ethan was there.

Back to the Island stuff --
Juliet, who once asked Jack to let Ben die on the operating table, told him she'd help Kate and Sawyer escape if he'd fix the nick. Jack accidentally nicked another artery and Ben unexpectedly awakened. Jack told Ben that Juliet had asked that he let him die. Ben talked to Juliet alone for minute, then she was off. When Jack asked Tom (the Other) what was going on, Tom told him that Juliet and Ben "had history."
Meanwhile, Alex (Ben's daughter) had saved Kate and Sawyer from the Others and offered a boat for the escape. Now, all three hostages - Jack, Kate, Sawyer - know they are on a smaller island two miles from their own island.

There was a hitch to her rescue and boat offer, though. She wanted them to go with her to save her boyfriend who was being held captive in the only place she hadn't been able to enter. The boyfriend, Karl, was the kid who escaped from the bear cage when Sawyer was first tossed in one.

He was being held captive and Kate showed she doesn't mess around. She was ready to shoot the guard's knee if he didn't tell them where Karl was. Once they found him (in Room 23), he was in a brainwashing sensory-explosion kind of room which reminded me of the scene in A Clockwork Orange where they propped the main's eyes open and played Beethoven's 9th Symphony over and over again. Messages were going over a screen amidst images and things you'd liken to an LSD trip while Karl was strapped to a chair with bizarre goggles on and forced to watch. The "Everything Changes" image here was one of the ones on the screen as were messages like, "We are the cause of our own suffering."

Sawyer, Alex, and Kate dragged Karl out to the boat where they were met by Danny (Other) with a gun. Just when it looked like they were goners, Juliet showed up and shot him to save them. She told them that Alex had to stay because Karl would die if Alex wasn't on the island when her father's surgery was done. So, Kate and Sawyer took off for their island with Karl slowly coming to his senses. Jack had told Kate not to return to try to save him.

Jack asked Juliet what had changed her mind and what Ben had said to her. She told him that Ben agreed to release her and let her go home if she saved him. She's been on the island(s) for 3 years, 2 months and 28 days.

And, there it was. We have some new numbers to play with and more background on Juliet, too. I have to say, although I enjoyed the show, now that I've gotten hooked on Heroes, I prefer the pace of that show.

What did you think of the episode?

'American Idol 6' - "The Best of the Rest" Audition Show

See the look on Simon's face? I believe that's how I felt by show end tonight. If that was the best of the best, this season may be in trouble. With the exception of one singer, Lakeesha Jones, once again I wasn't blown away by the talent.

The show itself had some amusing moments. Instead of the typical audition format, we really didn't see too many actual auditions, per se. We saw a lot of bits and pieces of auditions and other shenanigans. (Ah, that word is right up there with brouhaha in respect to words I love to use.)

They divided the show into "lessons" for those who might want to be the next American Idol. Some lessons used examples of what not to do, others showed folks who learned the lesson.

Lesson One was "The Look." Obviously, the young lady pictured on the right was going for a look. Perhaps she was going for a stare. Oh, wait... maybe she was from the dancing lesson.

One person featured who didn't go for a look other than being herself was Denver pedicab operator, Tami Gosnell. Her look didn't thrill me, but her voice was decent and she went on through to Hollywood.

Lesson Two was to look for inspiration, then follow it. Alas, many of the blurb-ditions may have had great inspiration, but no way could their talents live up to the task at hand.

William Hung was the inspiration for Paul Kim. Ah, but it's a reverse-inspiration! Paul wants to represent Asian-Americans and their talent possibilities. Is he going to be the new Asian hunk of reality TV? Internet scuttlebutt has him going far. And, unlike Hung, he's an actual singer.

In the "Never Give Up" lesson, previous contestant (with a Simon crush) Gina Glocksen went through to Hollywood. Why, I don't know. I didn't think she sang "Black Velvet" well at all. Unlike the contestant last night with the song, I could understand the words, but... feh. Her audition and crush set off a huge Simon Love segment. Okay, that was funny. I like Simon, but there are some things I just would not do in public.

In the "Never Audition in a Group" segment, there were three rollerskating carhops, all young kids. Two made it through to Hollywood with one getting lots of praise. I didn't quite feel the love, but maybe it was just me. I felt bad for the one who didn't make it.
The next lesson was "Don't Sing Odd Songs." One contestant, William Emil Samland (prefers to be called by his initials - WES), touted himself as a singer/songwriter. He didn't mention an Odd Clogger. His song was odd; he was odd. If I were doing my "Most Notable of the Odd" format tonight, he'd be right up there.

There was an extended "Shake Your Moneymaker" dance segment which may or may not have been a lesson. It most certainly wasn't a dance lesson.

The final lesson was "Clarity." They ran through several blurb-ditions in which the hopefuls were singing familiar songs, but no way on earth would anyone recognize them. Even when they flashed the song name across the screen, I still didn't recognize them. Oh, I know the songs, but I don't think those were the songs they were singing. Then came Lakeesha, my new bet for the women. She has the Frenchie Davis build and amazing old-Motown kind of talent. Aretha must be smiling if she saw that one.

I can't do it. I can't write up the last article on the audition phase without a Most Notable of the Odd. I tried because of the format change in the show itself tonight.

But, I'm weak. I have to do it. Tonight's Most Notable of the Odd award goes to Paula Abdul for being quasi-reminiscent of Michael Jackson at times. Am I going crazy or do you see it, too?

Next week, 172 dreamers will meet in Hollywood. I'll be there. Well, to be honest, I'll be here watching them.

TV Newsy Bits - Wednesday, February 7, 2007

American Idol news is topping the TV Newsy Bits today. I had on the local FOX 5 News (NYC area) and caught mention that two of last night's through-to-Hollywood contestants have arrest records and one was booted before the Hollywood round even took place.

Both were contestants I mentioned in last night's article about the San Antonio auditions. It seems that the first-ever second chance audition candidate Ashlyn Carr was arrested for putting sugar in the tank of either her ex-boyfriend or his new girlfriend's car (I can't recall which, but the act is right). She seems to be remaining in the running.

The more disturbing news concerns Akron Watson, the cousin who sang well. The local FOX News show said he's off the show due to a marijuana bust. I'm personally surprised that something like that would get him booted, but I'm only reporting what I heard. Rats. I liked him. I found this article out there as I searched to verify the story. Uninvited two days before he was to go on to Hollywood, why bother showing his segment on last night's show at all?

On their Idol Chatter section of the MyFox website, I saw an article about Queens Idol Wannabe Porcelana Portino's father being hit by a hit-and-run driver. I recall hearing about the accident on the news the other day, but didn't know the AI connection.

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Wednesday, February 7, 2006

Tonight's one of those nights during which I like TV more than my bed. I always like TV more than my job even on the most boring of programming days, so that's not an apt comparison.

Oh, but, tonight...!

The 8 PM ET/PT hour doesn't hold a lot of competition for me as Bones on FOX wins the slot without a second thought. CBS is airing a Criminal Minds repeat while NBC has a new Friday Night Lights on. ABC is running with new episodes of George Lopez and The Knights of Prosperity. CW has a new Beauty and the Geek. I didn't realize how much I missed Bones until I saw the new episode last week, so I'm there. None of the others hold enough interest for me to bother recording them as I probably won't watch the tapes.

It's the 9 PM ET/PT time slot which throws me into a minor quandary. Oh, I'll handle it, Analog Gal that I am. I'll crank up both working VCRs (no, I don't have a DVR or Tivo). I'll "live watch" American Idol on FOX while taping the Lost recap special on ABC and Criminal Minds on CBS. NBC has a new Deal or No Deal (blech for me) and CW has a new One Tree Hill. I have to watch Criminal Minds as I saw the cliffhanger leading into it this past Sunday after the Superbowl. As for Lost, I have to watch anything Lost. I just must. Sometime after the fact, I'll post my review/recap on the American Idol show. That may be way late tonight because...

Lost (ABC) returns at 10 PM ET/PT! Woohoo! Even though I'm not as enamored with the series as I once was, it's a must-see on my calendar. In the hour, CBS has a new C.S.I.: NY which I may or may not tape dependent on mood. ABC has a new episode of Medium. It's a Lost win for me.

What wins in your TV time slots?

'American Idol 6' - The San Antonio Auditions

If you had to make a snap judgment about the San Antonio auditions based on this photo alone, you'd think it was more fun than a barrel of monkeys.

You'd be wrong.

Although we saw some decent talent and they finally addressed the ongoing "wrong door" issue we've seen at all the audition locations, this installment came off as just so-so for me. I enjoyed the door segment. I just don't know why they've locked all of the left doors of the double doors instead of just leaving both unlocked. It has added a bit of entertainment value, I'll admit. I'll know which door to use when I audition. As if! (No, I'm never going to audition. I know I can't sing.)

Once again, we saw some tears. We saw some outright "what the hell are you doing here" folks, some folks who seriously seemed to think they could sing but can't, and some shining stars. As for the Odd, not as Odd as some weeks.

The show started off with the Rawhide theme song. Now, I remember it, but I would lay odds that the whole stadium full of hopefuls had no idea what they were singing. "Rollin', rollin', rollin', keep those doggies movin'... Rawhide!" It fit the scene, though. There's also a bit of Oddness about it all. The series ran from 1959 to 1966 and the person who sang the theme song, Frankie Laine, died today at the age of 93.

Tonight's Most Notable of the Odd

No, he's not giving the Aqua Teen Hunger Force Faux Terror gesture. Brian thinks he's comparable to Billy Idol and sang "Rebel Yell."

With a rebel yell, he sunk, sunk, sunk.

He started off the show and probably had the judges a bit leery of what the day would bring. I personally found him sort of scary. I liked Billy Idol with his patented sneer. I have the record on vinyl. Now if I chance to throw it on the turntable, I'll have flashbacks to Brian Kyrish.

William Green, unemployed, sings baritone... not all that well. He arrived with his cousin and I get the feeling he was more moral support for his cousin Akron Watson than a serious contender. Although he sang "Amazing Grace" in an off-key baritone, William didn't frighten me as did Brian (above).

William was funny. Humor is a good thing. When turned down, he warned the judges that he was going to ham it up and he surely did. "You don't know nuthin'!" He told them that Akron sang much better than he did and that was definitely the case. More about Akron later.

When I see a singer messing with her ear, I know it's not going to be a good performance. Plus, it looks so unprofessional! This woman claimed she sang for the Mayor of Houston and he enjoyed it. I think he must just be a good politician.

She sang "Black Velvet" and, like the Simon said, I couldn't understand not a word and I know the lyrics to the song. Eep. The sad part is that she seriously thinks she can sing.

We had a panther last week. This week we got Jake "The Snake" Tutor. I'll take the Eccentric Panther any day over this Snake. He was just bad. At least Martik (Panther) was quasi-entertaining in his oddness.

There was one other Odd which should be mentioned. There was a young lady who really sang poorly (but her family thinks she sings well), Jasmine Holland. At first, I felt sorry for her as the judges were laughing and she thought she was a serious singer. But when she acted like a nasty jerk upon leaving, she blew all pity I may have held. Her mother wants Simon to move back to British. Um, okay. Normally I don't put those who seem to think they can sing and have their dreams crushed in with my Odd. But I made an exception in this case.

There Was Some Talent Tonight

Now, how scared and serious does Akron look? He's William's cousin and did an acceptable take on Sam Cooke's "Change Gonna Come." Simon and the others thought he didn't shine with enough personality, so he sang "Let's Get It On."

I think I like this guy. I don't think he'll win, but I loved the pre-audition clips of him and William. Both came across as "nice" people and both have a sense of humor. And, he can sing.

No, Ashlyn's not one of the Most Notable of the Odd. She just tends towards odd expressions and affectations.

The faces she made when she sang brought to mind an exaggerated Lena Horne. She had the facial thing going to a lesser extent. But her mugging to the cameras certainly didn't come off as blatant as Ashlyn's actions.

I thought that, facial expressions aside, Ashlyn did very well with her first song. The judges dismissed her. But then in an unprecedented move, they called her back. I actually thought her second song didn't really hit the mark, but she's on to Hollywood. She's actually a cute girl with a good voice. I hope she can work out the kinks.

Many others made it through, 22 in all from what I believe was a one-day audition. Hayley Scarnato, Baylie Brown, and Jimmy McNeil are headed to Hollywood. It's a mix of talent, but no one really blew me away. Of course, they didn't show all of the contestants who made it through. Hopefully, there's some Texas tea in there.

Tomorrow's show is a round-up (Rawhide!) of the auditions. It's called "The Best of the Rest." It's supposed to have the Worst of the Worst and the Best of the Best. We'll see. I'll be on the lookout for new Notable Odds. Remember, we're laughing with you, not at you. Or not.

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Tuesday, February 6, 2007

It's cold. I'm cold. I'm going to wrap a throw over me and be a couch potato for the evening. So, how does that differ from most other nights?

Um... I don't usually have a throw over me.

Thankfully, I have hot chocolate a'plenty and there are some shows I want to watch tonight on the TV. The evening is good. I scoff at the cold.
Scoff!

In the 8 PM ET/PT hour, I'm sure to be watching (taking notes, taking photos, writing about it later) the American Idol San Antonio audition show on FOX. There is a new NCIS on CBS and a new Dateline on NBC. ABC is showing a repeat of America's Funniest Home Videos. The CW has a new episode of The Gilmore Girls.

Come 9 PM ET/PT, I'm planning on catching Law and Order: Criminal Intent on NBC - a new Goren episode. House fans can cheer as they have a new episode on FOX tonight. The Unit is new on CBS while ABC is airing a new Primetime and CW has a new Veronica Mars. Lotsa new, eh?

At 10 PM, CBS is airing another new episode of The Unit. New episodes of Law and Order: SVU (NBC) and Boston Legal (ABC) are scheduled. TLC has a new Miami Ink. L&O gets my vote.

What are you watching?

'Heroes' - "Distractions" - A BulletPoint Report

I'll say it right now. This dog needs to be nominated for an Emmy. My personal theory is that Mr. Muggles, the Pomeranian, is secretly Mr. Linderman and possesses superpowers beyond the wildest limits of the imagination.

Or not.

Hey, you have to realize that one of my own graphic novel escapades was "Cats in Capes." How anthropomorphic of me, eh?

It was Chapter 14, "Distractions," on Heroes tonight. The happenings in this BulletPoint Report aren't necessarily in order of the appearance on tonight's show, some are by character storylines.

• In the Niki/Jessica storyline, the shrink was trying to convince Jessica to come out. And, though Niki didn't want to do it, let's just say, "Dead shrink." In a surprising turn of events, Niki got released from jail. A death row inmate confessed to her crimes and that DNA matched. She went home to Micah (didn't see D.L. tonight) and Jessica locked Niki in a mirror. Cue scary music now.
• In the Sylar/Mr. Bennet happenings, Sylar locked Bennet in his own cell. He threw him against the wall with a flip of his hand, taunted him about Claire once again and escaped. Sylar took Bennet's wallet and used his license to obtain his home address. More later.
• Isaac and Simone talked. He's jealous of Peter. He doesn't want Simone looking for him, but agreed he would as he must stop "the bomb." He's painting wildly. Simone told him that he makes the future, he doesn't just paint it.
• Claire and Zach got permission from her mother to skip school for "manatee research" in Lubbock. Instead, they headed to Kermit so Claire could meet her mother. Her mother lives in a trailer park and they shared their secrets -- Claire with her regeneration, Mommy is a firestarter. At the end of the show, it was revealed in a phone call from Mommy to Nathan Petrelli that he's indeed her father. (Okay, I was wrong with my Linderman guess.)
• Meanwhile, Sylar broke into the Bennets' home and scared Mr. Muggles. It certainly looked like he was one dead doggie.
  
• Mrs. Bennet returned home and got the flip of the hand from Sylar. Ouch. Mr. Bennet and the Haitian arrived to save the doggie... er, the day. Sylar escaped once again and the Haitian made Mrs. Bennet forget once again.
• In the Hiro/Ando storyline, Hiro's father tried to bribe him into being VP, then CEO of his company. Hiro's sister told him that he brought shame upon the family. Hiro is determined that his destiny must go by his own path. He turns the tables on it all and his sister, more worthy of the company slot, takes over. So much for George Takei. I believe he's heading back to Tokyo.
• The Invisible Man chided Peter for acting like a kid -- posters on the wall, his hair (good point!). He told him that he has the power he gathers and can use it at anytime. He wants Peter to stop being dependent on people and, they sneak to the roof... well, walk because they're invisible, spy on Simone and Isaac and crush Peter's heart.
  

• The Invisible Man threw Peter off the roof to force him to fly. But he didn't fly. He fell thirty stories onto a cab and regenerated by thinking of Claire.
  
• Peter told I.G. that he can't forget people as he needs that to harness his power.
• Isaac had already painted Peter falling on the cab before it happened (of course). While looking at his painting, he realized that the legs were vanishing. He called Mr. Bennet and told him they can't find Peter because he's invisible.

Those are the major happenings. No Mohinder Suresh this week, no mind-reading cop, either.

I haven't heard anything new from my Primatech Paper application this week.

Is it time for Chapter 15 yet?

TV Newsy Bits - Monday, February 5, 2007

No, I didn't watch the Superbowl. My upstairs and downstairs neighbors both invited me to their Superbowl parties. Oh, not because I'm really popular, I don't think. I believe they invited me because they were planning on being noisy. I avoided the game itself, but through the miracle of that good ol' Internet, I've seen most of the commercials! For me, this one with Oprah and David Letterman is the best. It was a well-kept secret leading into the game when most of the other ads were already publicized. And, if you're a Dave fan, you know the history behind these two. To see the commercial and other Late Show with David Letterman video clips, check out the CBS website.

In other TV Newsy Bits:

• Tonight's programming on all the major networks is all new, no repeats. Plan your TV watching accordingly. For me, it's How I Met Your Mother, The Class, Heroes and whatever I feel like at 10 PM. Tonight we should find out who Claire's father is. Uh-oh. (My bet is on Linderman although I shouldn't encourage wagering in this blog.)
• Remember the Kelly Pickler clone (Jamie Lynn Ward) on last week's American Idol with the sob story about her "Daddy shootin' her stepma, then himself..." -- well, it's just not so according to the stepmother. I'm getting tired of sob stories on the show and trumped-up ones irk me even more. UPDATE - the story linked above isn't the one I meant to link. Oops. This article has the skinny.
  
• Keeping with the American Idol theme, last season's Elliott Yamin not only recently went through a makeover, but his new single is due out on February 13th. I enjoyed his voice a lot, the sob story (though legit) not so much.
• Keep in mind that Lost returns this Wednesday evening at 10 PM ET/PT. At 9 PM there will be a one hour recap kind of show.
• I know you're not about to forget that Survivor 14: Fiji premieres this Thursday at 8 PM. I know that.
• Jericho returns February 21, but there will be a special recap kind of show on February 14th. How's that for a Valentine's Day date activity? "Oh, let's watch the world blow up!"
• Celebrity Spider has the goods on the models selected for the next America's Next Top Model.

Blog News!

In case you might not have noticed, I've updated the blog's sidebar. Blogger threw me into a rather forced update to their new version. I had been holding off due to bugs and the fact that I didn't want to lose (or muck up) content here. Despite my fears, the upgrade went fine and nothing seems to have gone missing. Phew!

One fantastic thing I can do now is apply labels (categories) to blog entries. I went through the history of this blog attaching labels to posts. And, then I added them to the sidebar. So, now if you follow a certain show I write about, you can easily pull up the posts about it in chronological order with the most recent entries listed first. Want a trip down Memory Lane about The Amazing Race 9? It's right there for your reading pleasure. You can relive Big Brother 7: All Stars or check out the latest on Survivor 14: Fiji merely by clicking on the links for them in the sidebar.

Both "TV Newsy Bits" and "Various and Sundry" categories include miscellaneous information regarding a lot of different shows. You can still search the blog for any term via either the search box atop the blog or the one you see in the sidebar. There are some posts with multiple categories. This is really going to simplify things a lot if you don't want to wade through American Idol to get at Survivor. You can also click on the label at the bottom of a post to bring up all of the entries in that category. Cool, eh?

Let me know what you think!

Those Precious Pants - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - Feb. 5 - 9, 2007

It's hard to believe it's actually been 25 years of late night television with David Letterman. A few years more of Letterman on the whole if you include his original morning show and all of those appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, as well as his Mary Tyler Moore Show stint. Congratulations, Dave!

Guests we'll be seeing this week include:

• Monday, Feb. 5: Dr. Phil, always fun on the show - I love the way he and Letterman mix it up. Musical guest is Fall Out Boy, their CD is Infinity on High.
• Tuesday, Feb. 6: Harry Connick, Jr. will be promoting his new CD Oh, My Nola (a tribute to New Orleans) and American Idol judge Randy Jackson. Oh, now... that's worth staying up late to watch, right?
• Wednesday, Feb. 7: Chris Elliott, Kelly Ripa, and John Mellencamp (latest CD is Freedom's Road). I was disappointed in Chris the last time he was on the show. I usually find him funny, but found him basically juvenile. I hope he's back to being funny.
• Thursday, Feb. 8: Jack Hanna, Katherine Heigl (Grey's Anatomy), musical guest Patti Griffin (CD is Children Running Through). I cannot miss a Jack Hanna appearance on the show. Once again, this is a guest whose interaction with Dave is always entertaining and I'm just such a sucker for animal segments, too.
• Friday, Feb. 9: John Madden, Rachael Ray, musical guests The Fab Faux (a Beatles tribute band). Not quite a guest list I'd choose, but they didn't ask me. It'll still be good.

It's 10 PM. Do you know where your pants are?

Millionaires in the Making? Instant Celebrities

I recently read an article in which infamous American Idol reject William Hung admitted to a current status as "millionaire." Of course, his claim to fame was the horrendous version of "She-Bang" which aired everywhere. He's since released at least one CD and has a fan base.

So, who's next on the American Idol "I'm so bad but you can't stop watching" brigade?

It seems to be Jonathan Jayne and Kenneth Swale, the latter introduced on the show as Kenneth Briggs. Kenneth, if you recall, was likened to to a bush baby by Simon Cowell. No, not a progeny of George W. Bush. I'm talking a bush baby. Actually, I think they're kind of cute, but perhaps not as cute when translated to human.

Jayne and Swale-Briggs have made the circuit of talk shows and have become C-list celebrities in their own right. The show presented the image of a true friendship being formed. Sure enough, they've become a duo as they hit the road to infamy. Will they became the next big thing? Will the fame last for them?

Well, if videos on YouTube and articles like this one are any indication, this isn't the last we've heard of Jonathan and Kenneth. I, for one, don't think this is such a great thing when you consider America's taste. But it sure could be a great thing for the bank accounts of Jayne and Swale.

TV Newsy Bits - Friday, February 2, 2007

What? No American Idol tonight? How odd.

I came across a really nifty website for the caveman from the GEICO television commercials. It's a guided tour of his apartment, including things like going through his magazines, watching the commercials and more. I always got a kick out of the ads in their original campaign and the new ones never fail to catch my attention. The website is here at Caveman's Crib. Give it time to load and have some fun with it! "Another place in time..."

In other TV Newsy Bits:

• If you want some heavy reading delving into the reality show medium, you should peruse The Ideological Dangers of Reality TV from The American Chronicle. Since I have such an interest in the genre, I gave it a read. There are some aspects with which I agree, but I don't believe the situation is anywhere near as serious as the article indicates. I think many of the issues the article relates to reality television aren't wholely inclusive to the medium, but widespread throughout society due to several sociological changes over the decades. Hmmm... I may have to delve more into this myself. It is interesting.
• Now that Jennifer Hudson (ex-American Idol 6th place finalist) has hit the big time and is up for an Oscar, she claims that her experience on AI was "abusive." What do I think? I personally think if she hadn't gone through her "abusive" experience on the show, she wouldn't be up for an Oscar now. Hey, you gotta pay the dues if you want to sing the blues, right?
• The latest fired Apprentice candidate, Marisa DeMato, has really hit the interview circuit. (No, I didn't interview her.) TV Guide, The Inside Pulse, The Palm Beach Post and many others talked with her. The common theme is that she's "crying fowl." That sounds like a line I'd write about the situation or perhaps that pollo really is loco. I don't know.
• CANOE-JAM! spoke with Jeff Probst who promises that the new twists on Survivor 14: Fiji will change the game. ET Online also goes more into the new twists.
• Zap2It is reporting that we will indeed see Big Brother 8 this summer and it will be a "normal" cast (as opposed to last season's "All Stars"). No date was mentioned, but it traditionally starts around the 4th of July weekend.
• Do you miss the Evil Doctor Will and company from BB7? Jokers Updates has a new chat transcript from the other day just for you!
• CBS canned Armed and Famous after just four shows, and VH1 is picking it up. That's where it should have been all along anyway.
• Remember! There's a CBS special on at 9 PM ET/PT tonight with Superbowl Ads. Since I really don't like the game (I know - it's un-American or something), I'll be watching this. The ads are always cool.

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007

Although the first thing I'll be mentioning here really comes on last, to me, it's the most important.

The Late Show with David Letterman. I mention it not only because it's a new show and the previous shows this week were repeats, but it's also Dave's 25th Anniversary on late night television. I'm sure we can expect highlights from (hopefully) the old NBC show and definitely from the CBS show. Bill Murray, who was the first guest on the NBC show (Late Night with David Letterman) in 1982 and also his first guest on the current show, will be on tonight. LeBron James (NBA) is also on. Be there with pants-o-plenty!

In the 8 PM ET/PT time slot, CBS has a repeat of C.S.I.; NBC has new episodes of My Name is Earl and The Office; FOX has new episodes of 'Til Death and The War at Home; ABC has a new Ugly Betty. CW is airing a new Smallville. Betty gets my personal vote for the hour.

9 PM ET/PT brings us a new C.S.I. on CBS; NBC has fresh Scrubs and 30 Rock. FOX is airing a new The O.C. (four more to go, I think). ABC has a new Grey's Anatomy while CW has a new Supernatural. Is this TIVO time? Also, BET has its "new" episode of The Wire (repeated Saturday evening). I'm following that last one, but catch it on the repeat (of the repeat, but it's all new to HBO-less me). I'll watch C.S.I.

In the 10 PM ET/PT hour, there are still plenty of new episodes for us! Shark (CBS), ER (NBC), Men in Trees (ABC) are all brand-spanking new. USA has a new Nashville Star, too. MTV has a new Juvies, but I haven't a clue about that one. Juvenile delinquents? I don't know.

Warm that set up and settle in for the night!

'American Idol 6' - The Los Angeles Auditions

Am I get Idol-jaded? They sent a lot of folks through to Hollywood (from basically Hollywood) tonight, the most from any city in the auditions so far. They sent through 40 people! And, with the exception of one who wasn't really a contestant at all, I wasn't all that impressed with any of the good ones shown. Yes, they can sing, but none rocked my world.

On the other hand, after last night's disappointing Odd, Los Angeles brought new blood to the American Idol Odd Squad. Guest judge Olivia Newton-John sat in on the panel and was treated to some of those audition hijinks we've come to love and adore... or not.

Tonight's Most Notable of the Odd

As easy as pouncing a mouse, Martik "Panther" Manoukian leapt to the top of the Odd Chart. Full of attitude, snarling, sound effects, hissing, and what tried to pass for cat-like moves, he mesmerized the judges.

He claims to have studied extensively and boasts of many talents, dreams and goals.

He can't sing a lick, so he should think of grooming himself for a new career. Hey, maybe he can team up with Ian Bernardo and be a comedy act in the dive bar circuit!

We never got to hear Sophat really sing. He probably can't sing. If he could sing, he wouldn't have to wear an onion (or is it a banana... maybe a plantain) costume.

I apologize for the quality of the shot, but thought it still conveyed the very essence of Sophat and preserved it for eternity.

Or not.

I actually liked Phuong. Oh, she really can't sing that well or anything as far as American Idol goes. But I enjoyed her spunk and personality. I felt sorry when she said her mother told her she wasn't "TV pretty."

Hey, she's pretty in her own way. I've noticed in the years of watching American Idol that the looks seem to matter so much more for the women than they do for the men. Oh, I wish this girl could have blown them all away with her voice. But, um... no.

Darold and Cavett (Sparkle) met at a bus stop. I wonder if it was a wet day and he shared his umbrella. The question is, does Darold have a grillfriend for life? The way she was hitting on Simon was even making Simon blush. It must be his man-boobs turning her on, right?

As things turned out, neither could sing. I guess they'll have to keep investing in their grills and sharing the love.

The closer for the show, Eric Mueller, was a true case in study for the show. He spoke with confidence. He told Ryan he studied and practiced four to five hours a day for two years in preparation for his audition debut on the show.

And, then he sang. Mind you, I'm using the word "sang" quite loosely here. It sounded a bit more like a nasal moose-in-heat call. Or, perhaps aliens have taken over his voice.

Wait, no! He taught himself to sing using Randy and Paula's DVD! Bwahaha! Simon had lots of fun with that one. But, dang, if Eric seriously thinks he can sing, that's scary. It's almost like Martik thinking he can sing.

A Very Touching Moment

Sherman Pore's appearance on the show was one of the most emotional ever in the history of the show. No, he wasn't a serious contestant. But he wasn't an Odd, either.

His love of twenty years had suffered through cancer. They shared a love for the show. To brighten her days, he started a petition to be able to sing a song for her at the audition. It gave them both something to make them smile and a goal.

Alas, she died two days before the audition. Sherman still sang his song and dedicated it to her -- "You Belong to Me." In the end he said, "I am a winner." And, he sure is. Not only that, but he didn't even sing too badly. What a dear!

In between Sherman and the Odd, there were some decent singers. But, as I mentioned at the top of the article, none really impressed me. Paula came across as quasi-loopy at times and I don't know if it's all an act or not. The judges weren't really cruel to anyone. There was a girl whose mother was one of Dean Martin's Golddiggers. They showed Ryan Seacrest's star on Hollywood Boulevard way too much. Yeah, it was Hollyweird, saved by Sherman Pore, a salt-of-the-earth kind of man.

Next, it's onto San Antonio.

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2007

Tonight's a mixed bag of new and old, season finale and auditions. Thankfully, there's enough on to keep me watching for the evening!

The 8 PM ET/PT programming includes a repeat C.S.I.: NY on CBS, new Friday Night Lights on NBC, new Bones on FOX, new George Lopez followed by a new Knights of Prosperity on ABC. Oh, and the CW Network has a new Beauty and the Geek. I'm still a bit undecided, but I think the Bones episode will get my vote tonight. I don't follow any of the other shows, per se. I wouldn't mind seeing the new Knights ep, but don't wish to sit through George Lopez to get at it. Oh! PBS has America's Ballroom Challenge! Um, no... not for me, but I bet some folks will love it. One of these days I'll watch Beauty and the Geek, but I'm not feeling it tonight.

At 9 PM ET/PT, my plans are pretty laid out. American Idol, the Los Angeles auditions, runs for a mere hour on FOX. You know I have to watch and write about it later. CBS has a repeat of Criminal Minds while NBC has a new Deal or No Deal. I like the former, but just cannot get into models opening briefcases giving someone who's not me cash. Now, if they were giving me cash, I'd feel entirely differently about the show. According to Jim and In Case of Emergency are new on ABC, neither of them thrill me at all.

In the 10 PM ET/PT hour, there's a new Medium on NBC, a repeat C.S.I.: NY on CBS, a new Primetime on ABC. Um... okay. Sometimes I watch Primetime, but they've been on a catching pedophiles kick as of late and it's turned me off. But I have other TV plans anyway. I'll be watching Top Chef on Bravo. It's the season finale and I've actually watched most of the shows leading up to it tonight as I caught them on one of the marathons. This is a good show that I don't always watch, but it certainly catches my attention when I come across it. Of the two finalists, I say "go, Marcel!" The other guy seems a bit too pompous to me although Marcel has his own attitude moments.

What will you be watching? Are you American-Idoled out already?