TV Newsy Bits - Saturday, February 17, 2007

Not really television news, but it's expected to finally get over the freezing point here in the NYC Greater Metropolitan Area. Yes! Okay, only three degrees over freezing, but it's a start. Sunny and 35... it's kind of like a tropical heat wave!

Again, it's a Saturday night full of mostly repeats, but I see that BET has The Wire on at 9 PM (unlike last week when I had to tape it at 2 AM Wednesday to catch it). Oh, I'm so into the show! It's like Homicide: Life on the Street done narcotics (and a bit rough) and is written by the same person who's responsible for Homicide.

In other TV Newsy Bits:

• Sad news for the NYC news buffs... longtime reporter and news anchor from WNBC, Ralph Penza has died. For decades, he was the "hard-hitting" reporter exposing stories and he even had a creative edge about how he did stories from a sort of film-making angle.
• The good people at Buddy TV have an interview with ousted castaway Erica, the latest to be voted off Survivor 14: Fiji. She credits her MySpace page for getting her on the show. Huh. The whole interview is an interesting read.
• Remember Amy Crews from Big Brother? You know, the one who was smitten (so to say) with Marcellas Reynolds. She recently visited a chat at Jokers Updates and they have the transcript up.
• Celebrity Spider has mild promotional spoilers for this week's Lost episode while the New York Post has an article about the show's declining ratings.
• Anna Nicole Smith is still dead.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - Ep. 2 -or- "Pineapple Power Goes Against Well-Fed and Well-Rested"

No, tonight wasn't a thrill a minute, but I think I'm going to really enjoy this season. I've already picked a few favorites to cheer on - Earl and Yau-Man. And, one I thought might be tough, but may talk her way into an early boot... did so. The attitude will get you every time.

It's easy for me to say that. But I know I couldn't mesh well out there with the others. I'd be better off stranded all alone on an island.

18 are left. Who will be voted out tonight?

As the show opened, they spent a lot of time focusing on how well Moto was doing living in the lap of luxury while Ravu members were licking leaves hoping for a few drops of water. Moto is comfy with their couch, pillows, silverware, dinnerware, and an abundance of food to the point where their tummies are full. Over at Ravu, they're hacking open coconuts to gather water and spent a very long and fruitless session trying to make fire.

Boo turns out to be accident-prone. He somehow managed to jab himself in the eye with a stick or something. Then he hit his hand with an axe which continued on to strike his leg. Then, as Dreamz (Dre) was saying, "Boo will hurt himself out of the game" - the hammock in which Boo was resting broke loose and slammed him to the ground. I'm sure the bits were edited to be sequenced that way, but it was funny.

When Sylvia (sent off to Exile Island and doomed to join last week's losing tribe, Ravu) arrived, Yau-Man hugged her with ulterior motives. Sure enough, he sneaked a peek in her shoulder bag looking to see if she had the hidden Immunity Idol. Of course, we know her clue was that it's hidden at the camp.

Once again, she rubbed some folks wrong. I said last week that she came across as bossy to me. Perhaps not "dictating" as James/Boston/Rocky calls it, but definitely bossy. She's treading thin ice here. She already is an outsider, best not to be a bossy outsider. Some of the tribe members talked and it was decided that if they lose the next challenge, Sylvia would be voted off.

Although Ravu had explored several places looking for fruit or anything edible, Erica found a pineapple patch (perhaps not the proper terminology, but you understand) right near the camp. I thought Earl's reaction was priceless - "I have to marry her now. She saved my life." Pumped up on pineapple power, they thought they were invincible.

The Immunity and Reward Challenge were combined into one. The tribes had to row out to their tribe's flag, turn around, gather four crates and clasp them to their boats, then return to shore. Once there, they had to assemble a flagpole puzzle (what's with all the puzzles?) and raise their flag. Not only was Immunity up for grabs, but Reward for Moto would be fishing gear. Since Ravu still didn't have fire, their Reward would be flint. The winning tribe also would choose a member from the other tribe to send to Exile Island.

For the longest time, it looked like Ravu had their act together and would win. Although it hasn't been specifically mentioned (that I caught), they're under the belief that if they win, they would get the good camp. I believe that could be the case.

But we didn't find out tonight. They had been leading all through the water, but when it came to assembling the puzzle pole, all their teamwork fell to the wayside. Erica freaked out and started yelling while Sylvia was the target of her dagger-eyes. The team ended up focusing on Erica as much as the task at hand. Moto won it and chose to send Earl to Exile Island.

Then, back at the Ravu camp, it became a funky Bizarro world, as Anthony put it. Oh, I kind of like him, too. James/Rocky (whatever) had declared an alliance with Erica last week, but now that he was angry with her... under the bus! He and Mookie decided that Sylvia can go next, but Erica must go now. I love how those who believe they have power make these decisions. They went all around the camp seeking support for their plan.

Anthony balked a bit, but then seemed to go along with the plan. Or, at least to their faces, he did. Sylvia, who considered herself toast, loved the plan. I personally thought she got a bit too eager and should have played it a bit more laid-back, but that may just be me.

Over on Exile Island, Earl read the first clue to the hidden Immunity Idol and then his own. His clue indicated that the Idol is in a high spot. Oh... and he killed one of the poisonous sea snakes which slithered near him. He said that he doesn't like to kill animals and that snakes are misunderstood creatures. But then he mentioned that by leaving it be, that could be the one which kills him. So he killed it with a machete. "We now have come to an understanding."

In the end, the Ravu members all betrayed their buddy Erica except for Anthony and Earl because he wasn't there. Anthony and Erica voted for Sylvia to go.

Now, I foresee problems the longer Ravu stays in the deprived camp. They still don't have fire. James/Rocky seems to call the shots while I think Earl's call would be much better thought out. In the promo blurb for next week, they mention a Moto member in serious trouble. Could it be Boo hurting himself off the show? I don't know.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - 02/15 - Boot

Erica was voted off.

A full review/recap will be posted late tonight. Please stop back and share your thoughts on the show!

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - 02/15 - Immunity, Reward, Exile

Moto won Immunity and Reward (combined challenge) again. They got fishing gear and sent Earl off to Exile Island. Ravu will lose a member at Tribal Council.

Tonight's 'Survivor 14: Fiji' Blogging Schedule

As the show airs on the East Coast, I'll post East Coast updates on the important happenings (Reward, Exile, Immunity, and the Boot) as they happen here. The show will start in a little more than a half-hour from the time I post this.

You can always pull up all of the Survivor 14: Fiji blog entries with the most recent showing first by hitting the Survivor: Fiji label you see at the bottom of this (or any Survivor Fiji-related) entries. Or you can also pull them up by hitting the show title under Categories in the main sidebar of the blog. That should get you to the most recent entry rather easily.

A full review/recap of the show will be posted late tonight.

Survivors ready?

'Lost' - "Flashes Before Your Eyes"

Okay... Lost is back! Yeah, I know it technically came back last week from its hiatus. What I mean is that the good Lost is back after a period of waning. At least, that's how I've been feeling about most of the autumn "season" episodes.

This episode, "Flashes Before Your Eyes," was a Desmond-centric one and we've really only previously seen bits and pieces of this guy. The show utilized flashbacks, sort of. They weren't the regular flashbacks we're used to seeing which tell us about a character's history.

Tying in with the hidden message in the "Not in Portland" episode - "Only fools are enslaved by time and space" - as well as comments made by Desmond, the flashbacks were more along the line of time traveling. I don't think he's a fool.

The show opened with Desmond discovering Hurley and Charlie going through the missing Sawyer's belongings. He led them out in the woods where they met up with Locke and Sayid who were returning to camp after burying Mr. Eko. Locke claimed that he wanted Charlie and Hurley to present a calm front over the death so the others wouldn't panic. "The island killed him."

As Desmond talked to Charlie and Hurley by the beach, he all of a sudden took off for the water, pulling a drowning Claire from a certain death. Or, was it? Hurley and Charlie, determined to find out why or if Desmond could see the future, decided to get him drunk. (Okay, that was a bit weak, but we're talking Hurley and Charlie here, not Rhodes scholars.)

Desmond balked at first, but upon seeing an expensive bottle of whiskey, he imbibed with them. Charlie went from nice drunk to nasty as he pushed Desmond for answers, then called him a coward. Desmond passed out... only to awaken in the past, but with knowledge of the future. Are you following me on that? It was a present deja vu. In the transition, it all flashed before our eyes - the hatch, the countdown numbers (to save the world), and more.

His intended bride had just moved in with him and he planned to ask her father for her hand in marriage. The clock in the room read 1:08 and the very familiar beep-beep of the microwave mimicked the countdown beep-beep in the hatch. When he went to the father's office, a deliveryman had a package "for (4?) 815." Island numbers and memories were all around him, from a ship replica to a polar bear painting.

Instead of allowing him to marry his daughter Penny, the father insulted him and told him he's not worthy of drinking his expensive whiskey (the same type as on the island), could never do the race around the world and was a... coward. Desmond decided he was going to marry Penny anyway. It was off to a jewelers to buy a ring! On his way there, he came across Charlie playing music for tips in the street. His sign listed his middle name as Hieronymus, perhaps like Hieronymus Bosch? Desmond knew Charlie and called him by name, but Charlie didn't recognize him at all.

Ah, but who was behind the counter at the jewelry counter? Why, it was none other than the woman who played in the movie The Others. She started to show Desmond rings, but then refused to sell him one. She knew all about him, from his name to his special ability. She took him on a walk, pointing out a man with red Converse sneakers. After they turned away, a scaffold fell killing Mr. Red Sneaks.

Desmond questioned why she didn't save the man if she knew that would happen. She told him she didn't because it was meant to be. If she saved him from that instance of death, another would take place and it would keep happening as the death was meant to take place. She called it "course-correcting." She was insistent that Desmond not marry Penny and let the course go as it should - to the island, to push the button to save the world, etc.

Desmond left her and went to a local pub where he tried to convince a friend that he knew the future by telling the outcome of a soccer game. Alas, he was wrong. But how could that be? He was so sure of the game. Well, perhaps it was just the wrong night. And, it was. The next night, his predictions went down as they should. He wasn't so much telling the future as he was reliving his past.

He didn't marry Penny. He knew that he had to take the correct course, the course which was meant to be. She called him a coward for backing out. That's when he returned to the bar and found out he had the wrong day's game in mind. He also got conked in the head with a bat.

And we're back at the island. Charlie asked Desmond what he felt when he turned the safe-key after the code hadn't been entered and the explosion occurred. Desmond told him he saw his life flash before his eyes. When Charlie asked him about saving Claire from drowning and the earlier deflecting lightning from striking her to save her life. Desmond somberly told him, "I wasn't saving Claire. I was saving you. You drowned this morning saving Claire. You were electrocuted when lightning struck the tent. I saved you both times.

Uh-oh. The lady at the jewelry shop told him you can't course-correct. It's going to keep happening in other fashions as it's meant to be.

[Insert the Lost clunk here.]

Wow... this was the best episode in quite some time. What did you think?

'American Idol 6' - The Top 24 Finalists

Tonight was the big night even though we didn't see too much in the way of performances. The show was basically the chair in front of the judges and either a yes or a no. Still missing is dear Jenry. (Sniffle)

But here's who made it through to the next stage:

For the girls:

1. Melinda Doolittle (yes!)
2. Gina Glocksen
3. Haley Scarnato
4. Jordin Sparks
5. Stephanie Edwards
6. Leslie Hunt
7. Alaina Alexander
8. Sabrina Sloan
9. Lakisha Jones
10. Nicole Tranquillo
11. Amy Krebs
12. Antonella Barba

The guys who moved on:

1. Sanjaya Malakar
2. Brandon Rogers
3. Phil Stacy
4. Chris Sligh (yes!)
5. Blake Lewis
6. Rudy Cardenas
7. Paul Kim
8. Nick Pedro
9. Chris Richardson
10. Jerome Chism
11. Jared Cotter
12. Sundance Head

Hmmm... I'm not remembering some of these folks at all. Me? I personally want a season of being entertained and serenaded by Chris Sligh. He's a hoot!

I've very pleased with Lakisha and Melinda being chosen, too. I think Lakisha is a powerful singer and it's time for Melinda to prove she's not just a back-up singer.

But, darn... Chris Sligh is such a fun goofy guy. He's like a John Popper with a zany sense of humor.

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Ice, ice, baby... Happy Valentine's Day! Where I live, the blizzard itself never really showed, but we were pelted with ice and freezing rain in addition to a few inches of snow. So, it's treacherous out there. The roads all have a coating of ice and the NJ State Police reported over 1200 accidents today. That, of course, doesn't even take into consideration all of the cities and towns which have their own jurisdictions.

I am not going out there tonight. I'm staying in and plan to watch television. (Like I needed an excuse!) Whatever will I watch...?

In the 8 PM ET/PT hour, while the Jericho (CBS) episode is new, it's not really a new Jericho episode. It's one of those recap/catch up episodes. The actual new episodes start next week. NBC has a new episode of Friday Night Lights. I never understand why the show is on Wednesdays... just to confuse me, I guess. FOX is airing a new Bones (and that's my choice for the hour), while ABC has new George Lopez and Knights of Prosperity. I really wish they'd put Knights with something else. I don't care for George Lopez and won't sit through it to see Knights, a show I've liked the little I've seen of it. The CW has a new Beauty and the Geek scheduled.

At 9 PM ET/PT, I'll be glued to the American Idol show on FOX. They're cutting the field to 24 contestants and you know I have to watch! But if you're not an American Idol fan, not to worry -- there are some good shows on against it. Criminal Minds is new on CBS (I'll be taping it), Deal or No Deal is new and all Valentine's Day fluff on NBC (blech), ABC is repeating the um... winter season... premiere of Lost (last week's show), and CW has a new episode of One Tree Hill.

Then at 10 PM ET/PT, I'll be tuning in for the new Lost episode on ABC while taping the new C.S.I.: NY episode on CBS. NBC has a new Medium episode, not my cuppa tea, but I know folks seem to enjoy the show.

In the late night arena, I'm up for the continuation of Ventriloquist Week on The Late Show with David Letterman.

And, when I head off to work in the morning, all that ice better be gone. Work on it, New Jersey!

'American Idol 6' - Onto Hollywood

The Hollywood rounds are a bit too much of a whirlwind for my liking. Although folks said the two-hour shows were a bit too long, tonight's one-hour Hollywood run seemed to touch on a lot and focus on only a few contestants. 172 made the cut to Hollywood during the auditions, but I didn't even catch a glimpse of some I had enjoyed. For example, Jenry from New York. Where was he? Did I blink and miss him?

The show set forth a perfect example of the existence of foilers on the Internet. No, I'm not talking spoilers, I'm talk foilers. They're rumors, possibly set in motion by the show itself, and ultimately untrue.

• The Foiler: Jory Steinberg aced her way through the competition and is in the top 24. The Reality: She got ditched in Hollywood after Simon blasted her whole group for being unoriginal and an "absolutely horrible start to the day."
• The Foiler: Long-haired and long-bearded Sean Michel was kicked off the show for refusing to change his look. The Reality: Sean got the boot for poor performance, nothing at all to do with how he looks.

Since about twice as many girls made it through to Hollywood than guys, the individual performance round was at least twice as brutal. Rachel Jenkins, who didn't thrill me by wearing her Reservists uniform during her original audition, was booted as were Jory (mentioned above), Ashlyn Carr (the face-making gal), Porcelana Patina (the boxer-training gal - no great loss as far as I'm concerned), Sarah Burgess (from Ohio, skipped school and lied to her parents), and Nicole Turner. The last one's mother stood up to Simon over her dismissal. Give me a break. Melinda Doolittle (the shy back-up singer I like), Gina Glocksen (repeat offender... er, contestant with the crush on Simon), Jamie Lynn Ward (daddy shot stepma and then hisself gal), and others made the cut through to the group sing.

The show's focus on the individual performances of the guys was more on those who went through than the ones who failed miserably. Jarrod Fowler, the Navy guy who won his ship's Idol contest, got the boot. Nick Pedro (the one who forgot the lyrics last season and quit), Sundance Head, Blake Lewis (Seattle human beatbox dude), Chris Sligh, Matt Sato, and others made the cut... some only to be cut in the groups.

Now, what's the most important thing besides staying on key? The lyrics. If you forget the words to the song, you may as well just shred that Hollywood ticket. Well, unless your name is Sundance Head, that is. Somehow, despite the admonitions of the judges about remembering the words to the songs, he didn't and he was one of the few shown who screwed the words up yet made it through the group cut. Robyn Troupe, who recently won the honor of singing with Justin Timberlake at the Grammy Awards, was in Sundance's group and the rumors of her success are but another Internet foiler. She's history, but may make history outside the realm of American Idol.

For me, there was only one stand-out performance in the groups. The team of Chris Sligh (dang, I like that guy), Blake Lewis (his beatbox adds rhythm, for sure), Tom Lowe, and Rudy Cardenas rocked! With the exception of mismatched wardrobes, those guys did a tremendous job in a boy band kind of way. Not only did they bring the house down, but they even remembered the lyrics!

One thing in their favor besides the performance itself is that they seemed to get along well together. That wasn't the case for many of the groups. And, but of course, that's some of the drama of the night. Baylie Brown, beloved by Simon Cowell, was teamed up with the Jersey Girls. They didn't mesh well at all and, when it came to the performance, Baylie choked. I'm talking big time choking, go home choking. In the end, the Jersey Girls themselves were split up with Amanda getting cut, Antonella (the one I like better anyway) moving forward.

The Jersey Girls weren't the only pair split up in Hollywood. In a bit of a heartbreaker, Sunjaya Malakar made the cut while his sister was left behind. Instead of celebrating his success, he consoled his sister. I don't think she's as talented as he is, but they both seem like very nice kids. Their parents must be busting with pride.

Now, the show moved very quickly and, unless they focused on a contestant, it was a bit difficult to see exactly who made it through to the next round. There were so many like Jenry we didn't really see at all. Wednesday night's show should be a bit slower-paced as they decide who will be in the top 24. I think there are a few sure bets like Chris Sligh, but who knows?

TV Newsy Bits - Tuesday, February 13, 2006

It's Tuesday night. Of course, that means American Idol night - it's the start of the Hollywood rounds. I'll do a write-up about it later tonight. I also found that the episode of The Wire that BET didn't show in either of its Saturday night time slots is airing at 2 AM. Yes, I have tomorrow off. But, no... I don't want to stay up until 3:30 AM. I'll tape it. Thankfully, this week they have it on at 9 PM on Saturday once again.

In other real TV Newsy Bits:

• The good folks at the Buddy TV site have posted an exclusive interview with recently fired Apprentice candidate Aaron Altscher. If you're a Gilmore Girls fan, they also have an interview with Matt Czuchry (Logan Huntzberger on the show).
• TBS has given the greenlight a new sitcom, The Bill Engvall Show, based on the success of My Boys and 10 Items or Less. According to Michael Wright, senior vice-president of original programming at TBS: "It’s a multi-camera family comedy shot in front of a studio audience, and we are absolutely thrilled with it. Bill is such a funny and engaging guy. He and Nancy [Travis] have great chemistry. And together with the rest of the wonderful cast, they just make you want to invite their family into your home and have a good laugh with them." The basic premise is a family in which the father is a family counselor - and the family could use one themselves. It's due to premiere this summer.
• The Celebrity Spider website has mild spoilers for this week's Survivor 14: Fiji.
• If you're a Chill Town fan, Mike "Boogie" from Big Brother took part in a Jokers Updates chat last night.

'Heroes' - "Run" - A BulletPoint Report

Whoa! This was one action-packed episode. It's hard to remember who's on first or what's on second. It's a good thing I take notes, huh?

Here's the basic skinny on tonight's episode, although I tend to go by character storyline rather than the chronological order of appearance in the show at times. Tonight, some of the storylines really intermingled.

• In the Matt Parkman (cop who can read thoughts) storyline: Matt, suspended from the police department, took on a private security guard job. He took his gun along as he had to escort and protect a man who was going to the diamond district to buy diamonds. The man, Malsky, was carrying a large amount of cash. Little did Matt know...
• In the Jessica/Nikki storyline: Nikki is still trapped in the mirror. Jessica, working for Mr. Linderman, received a photo of the man Matt is escorting and is set to be a hitman... er, hitwoman. She's going to kill the guy.
• In the Claire/Real Mom/Nathan storyline: The FireMom told Nathan that she saw their daughter, Claire. He automatically thought, since the election is coming soon, that she wanted money. He offered $100,000. Trailer FireMom took the offer.
• Regarding Mohinder: He was trying to contact folks with powers and only one called him back - a panicky man named Zane Taylor. He agreed to go meet him. Little did Mohinder know...
• In the Sylar storyline: Sylar visited Zane Taylor first, impersonating Mohinder. He took the brain as he tends to do. The power is the ability to melt metal objects.
• When Mohinder arrived, Sylar pretended to be Zane even to the point of using the dead man for a DNA swab so Mohinder can "help" him. Sylar (as Zane) then suggested to Mohinder that he accompany him to find (and help) others with powers. Stupid, naive, stupid Mohinder.
  
• In the Hiro/Ando storyline: They're back in Las Vegas looking for Linderman when Ando (stupid, naive Ando) comes across a crying blonde Amazon showgirl named Hope.
  She gave them a sob story about her boyfriend beating her up and how she left her bag in his room, thus stranding her without money and such. The guys use the old room service trick to retrieve the bag. Hiro didn't want to do it all along, but Ando was smitten. It was a set up. They got separated; Hope punched Hiro and locked him in a closet, then tried to run off with Ando at last sight. It turns out that the "boyfriend" was an agent of the State Gaming Commission and that was evidence. He's the one who released Hiro from the closet. (Did I say stupid, naive Ando?)
• Back to the Matt/Nikki storyline: Matt read the thoughts of the dealer at the diamond place and knew it was a set up. Malsky grabbed the diamonds and threw the cash. Jessica chased after them. Matt heard Nikki talk to Jessica a few times, so decided there were two of them. He heard the thoughts of Malsky as he hid the diamonds. Malsky admitted to Matt that he stole the money from... who else... Linderman. Jessica tossed Matt out a window, but he lived. She shot Malsky and he died. After reading the investigating cop mind, Matt pocketed the diamonds himself rather than turn them in.
• Back to the Nathan/Claire/FireMom storyline: FireMom got her money, but didn't know that Claire was waiting outside in hopes of meeting her real father. FireMom showed Nathan the cellphone photo she took of Claire. He seemed to recognize her, but said nothing. Claire threw a rock at his car as he left.
• Back at Claire's house: Mr. Bennet called Claire out for the skipping school and fake tickets printed up on her computer. He grounded her. Later, after she returned to home from her trip to her FireMom, her mother (Mrs. Bennet) was abusing Mr. Muggles. Mrs. Bennet doesn't remember Mr. Muggles, nor Claire. It looks like the Haitian made her forget too much.
• Jessica received another photo for someone she's to kill (presumably for Linderman)... it's Nathan.
  

Those are the basics. No Peter, no Isaac, no Simone this time 'round. My absolute favorite bit was when Hiro greeted the Gaming Commission guy with the traditional Vulcan hand greeting as the man greeted him at gunpoint. All in all, this was a fast-paced, sit on the edge of the seat episode. Next week, they claim "someone dies." And, they forewarn - "no one is safe." They better not off Mr. Muggles!

I've received more information on files from Primatech Paper. I'll write about them soon.

Live long and prosper.

'Lost' TV Newsy Bits - Monday, February 12, 2007

There have been a few interesting developments since I posted about the "Not in Portland" episode. So, I thought I'd share them with you. (So you can be further Lost as am I!)

Some folks with better technological skills than I possess ran a segment of the episode backwards. The scene in question is the one in which Karl was restrained in the room bombarded by brainwashing sounds, messages, and LSD-like images. Like the infamous Beatles album, when played backwards, there was indeed a message - "Only fools are enslaved by time and space." (I have to think of Hiro from Heroes... he ain't no fool; he can bend time and space!) The Lost Easter Eggs site has the YouTube backwards tape and discussion. It's a woman's voice. The plot thickens.

The official ABC Lost website has the latest podcast with the producers available. Some commenters here may be spot on in their guess that Ben isn't Alex's biological father. (You guys rock!) There are other tidbits in the podcast including a segment with Josh Holloway talking about Sawyer's nicknames for folks. It also goes a bit into what we can expect this week (a mainly Desmond episode) and how many episodes remain on the island where Jack is held captive.

'The Apprentice: L.A.' - Ep. 5 -or- "Marketing and Money, Honey"

After disappearing last week for some football game... okay, the Superbowl, The Apprentice returned tonight. I've noticed that this season is a week shorter than previous ones as Trump calls it the fourteen-week interview instead of fifteen. That's fine by me. While I'm watching, I'm still not thrilled this season with the location and the have/have not theme.

This week Donald Trump had to give one of his overly-expensive motivational speeches in Minnesota. So he left Sean Yazbeck, last season's winner, in charge. There were no signs of Trumpette Ivanka or Trumpling, her adoring brother Donald, Jr. I prefer it that way. I'd rather look at Sean all season than see them. If I can't have Carolyn and George, let it ride with Sean.

I'm a bit ambivalent about the task this week although at least it wasn't surfing or climbing palm trees to prove they're in Los Angeles. The teams had to work with Sue Bee Honey to create and sell honey. They had to harvest the honey, bottle it, then sell their product at two separate Ralph's locations.

I have to give credit to both Kinetic and Arrow for being good sports in the harvesting aspect. Although they wore the big beekeeper white space suits, it still had to be a bit intimidating. I'm allergic to bees and probably would have stood there frozen in place. Stefani was quite outspoken about it and Derek was stung through the suit.

Sean sat in during Arrow's marketing meeting which was dominated by Surya. While his fellow workers rolled their eyes and such, no one really stopped him and tried to take things in a different direction. I agree with them that the time needn't be wasted -- get the product done and sell it. It wasn't a huge corporate decision.
At Kinetic, there were issues in the same vein. Aimee had stepped up as Project Manager and decided that she and Jenn would create the marketing campaign while the rest of the team did the bee harvesting. What did they accomplish? Absolutely nothing in four hours time! By this time I usually have a handle on which team will win the task despite not having the Business Tips as we did in past seasons. But, both teams seemed to do fine with the harvesting, then fall apart from that point forward.

Aimee was useless as PM, at least from the editing we saw. There were lots of shots of her looking lost, getting coffee and other oh-so-important endeavors. But then, Aaron wasn't leading his team much better. At least Arrow had lots of fun on the assembly line. How long will the good times last? Well, at least until the boardroom.

Both teams had a decent price for the product. I actually think that Arrow had an edge on promotions until Derek took matters into his own hands and donned a beekeeper's suit going around the store. That seems to be where the tides turned in the favor of Kinetic.

The initial boardroom was led by Sean with Trump via a conference call from his Minnesota Trump Groupies Cult Meeting. Um. His motivational speech. Yeah, that's it.

I don't know. The crowd looked brainwashed to me. After all, if they think he should be President, something must be in the water.

Both teams had weak leaders, so either could have lost. In the end, Arrow sold 217 jars for a total of $775 while Kinetic sold 345 jars for a total of $836. Kinetic trumped Arrow. For their reward, Kinetic attended a training camp given by the Los Angeles Lakers. Until I saw them there, I wasn't thinking it much of a reward. But the focus was on teamwork and I think it would have been better than a Trump Motivational Brainwashing.

Back at Arrow, two things were obvious. One was that Aaron didn't do well as the Project Manager of the task. He offered little to no direction at all. The second obvious thing was that Surya would be a target as he had just joined the team recently from Kinetic. They liked him when they were winning, but losing is something entirely different. Surya realized immediately that he was in danger and talked over the hedge to Derek from Kinetic. Yep, Aimee (who sits in on the firing as PM of the winning team) would make sure Surya wasn't thrown under the proverbial bus.

Sure enough, in the boardroom, Aaron went for the Surya kill blaming all the marketing ills on him. He chose Surya and Nicole to go with him, but said that Nicole shouldn't be fired. I think he probably thought that the firing field would be down to him and Surya, with the latter the obvious choice to fire.

But his plan backfired. Even Nicole admitted that Aaron hadn't performed well as PM. Trump was still a bit ticked at Aaron for not speaking up when he sat in on the Kinetic firing during the last boardroom. While being overbearing (unless your name is Trump) is a bad thing, sitting meekly is just as bad.

"Aaron, you're fired."

I think both Project Managers should have been fired. I know that would have been impossible, but Aimee's team only won due to last minute luck and Derek's beekeeper suit. At least she went to bat for her previous team member Surya, although I think his days may be numbered. He's got to lighten up and listen now and then. There are hints of a heavy romance next week continuing the Tim/Nicole flirtation. Arrow is back in Tent City and hopefully now that they've tasted the "good life" inside the mansion, they'll work together to get back there.

I'm still not thrilled with this season. Have I mentioned that lately?

Oh? My own caption for the Trump shot? I think he's saying, "Drrrrrr..." Have you anything better?

Dollar bills, y'all...

'The Apprentice: L.A.' - East Coast Update - Fired 2/11/07

Arrow lost the task and project manager Aaron was fired. A full report will be posted later tonight.

Oh... on an unrelated note, Carrie Underwood (American Idol) just won the Grammy for Best New Artist. At least she beat out that overdone "You're Beautiful" song.

'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?