'American Idol 6' - The Top Nine Sing the Classics

Tony Bennett likes all of the contestants. Tony Bennett even admires Sanjaya.

Uh-oh.

While some of the contestants I perceive as the weaker amongst powerhouses performed well tonight, I feel this is still a powerhouse race. It's also a girl-fueled powerhouse race, I think. The girls out in the lead would be Melinda, Jordin, and LaKisha. I think the only guy at this point with any chance of getting near the finals at all would be Blake. That is if the voters actually stop voting for Sanjaya!

Blake Lewis chose "Mack the Knife," a song which really hit for Bobby Darin. For me, no one will ever be able to out-do his version. But I thought it was a good choice for Blake. Tony gave him some advice I don't think he heeded too much -- it's a song about killing and such. I found Blake's version interesting, but he seemed to come across a bit too soft.

The judges were wowed, though. Randy thinks he's funky jazzy cool. Paula called him a hepcat. Simon thought the song choice was good and that he sang well, but judged the band better than Blake. So did I. The band was hot!

Phil Stacey was up next with a Frank Sinatra hit, "Night and Day." It didn't move me. Phil doesn't move me even though Tony Bennett thinks his voice is so fantastic. It was a dull rendition and he ain't no young Sinatra. Randy thought there was no connection, no passion, and he came across as disconnected. Paula thought he was reminiscent of a young Frank Sinatra which got a look of shock from Simon. Simon called it "reminiscent of a funeral parlor, gloomy, dark, no life." Simon called it right.

Melinda Doolittle sang "I've Got Rhythm." Once again, I'm awed by her. An excellent performance and tremendous vocals. Randy said she could give the other contestants a lesson in singing. Paula said she was "master class" and flawless. Simon said the problem is they can't criticize her (because there's nothing to criticize). Of course, he's crestfallen at the missed opportunities.

Chris Richardson chose Duke Ellington's "Don't Get Around Much Anymore." I still think his voice is too nasal-sounding and he doesn't thrill me at all. But, that said, I think this may have been a personal best for his run on the show. I wasn't as impressed with his performance as the judges, but he did well for him.

Looking at this photo I took, he's reminding me of Lee Harvey Oswald. Oh, my. That's not a good thing. It was better when he reminded me of Justin Timberlake. Hopefully it's just the hat of the era and that particular facial expression. Randy thought it was his personal best of the season. Paula said he has artistic integrity. Simon thought it was very good and one of the strongest performances so far of the evening. Say what?

Then Jordin Sparks hit the stage. Like Melinda and LaKisha, she's one who wows me. At seventeen, she has the performance skills of someone who's been singing to audiences for years. She sang "On a Clear Day." She was once again, simply delightful. Randy thought she was hot. Paula called her a "magnet of joy" -- whatever that may mean.

Gina Glocksen chose Charlie Chaplin's song, "Smile." I'm not a big Gina fan, but I thought she really looked pretty tonight and performed very well. I think the song choice showed she can sing songs besides hard rock. I don't think she's up there with my top three women, but I was pleasantly surprised by her this evening.

Randy thought she nicely-controlled her voice. Paula said "flawless" once again. Simon told her that Melinda and Jordin out-sang her. Well, they always will. They're better at singing and performing. But Gina did well tonight.

And, then there's Sanjaya Malakar. I'm just sort of speechless. Tony Bennett thinks he's interesting, terrific, dares to be different, and can sing. Um, okay. He's different and he's certainly a lot more brave each performance. He chose to sing "Cheek to Cheek." He played all the girls in the audience and whirled around Paula (who I noticed was shoved to dance by Simon and Randy).

Oh, I just had to edit his photo a smidgen. I don't know what came over me. Randy said he was an entertainer. Paula thought he was charming. Simon said he was going to go for a different tactic this week... "incredible!"

Haley Scarnato, dressed in an extremely revealing low-cut skin-tight green dress (can't wow them with the singing talent, go for the sex appeal), sang "Ain't Misbehavin'." Okay, she can go away. It was like she vamped the whole song. The judges commented on her looks rather than her singing. And, as we all know, this is a singing contest.

LaKisha Jones was the last performer, singing "Stormy Weather." With her voice and that particular song, she couldn't go wrong. And, once again, she didn't. I haven't cared too much for her song choices the past few weeks, so I totally understood when Simon said she was back on form. Randy loved it and said it was "the bomb." Paula said she looked gorgeous and Simon also said she was sassy and delivered a great performance. She did.

I think Haley and Phil are in deep doo-doo this week and one of them will go home. We all know Sanjaya should go, but probably won't. Who do you think will be voted out tomorrow night?

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Tuesday, April 3, 2007

Well, you know me. Of course, at 8 PM ET I'll be watching American Idol. This week's pro/mentor is Tony Bennett. Whenever I think about that, I wonder if the kids on the show or following it even have a clue why Tony Bennett is "anyone." I could burst into song... "I left my heart in San Francisco..." After the show, I'll post an entry with the lowdown of the events.

I know many folks are into Dancing With the Stars. The results show airs at 9 PM ET tonight. You're all invited to head to the blog discussion post for DWTS, post the results and talk it up with fellow show fans. It's a real good bunch of fans there and the posting is friendly!

At 8 PM ET/PT: CBS has a new NCIS episode. There's a new Dateline NBC (guess what network). American Idol is the new live show for an hour on FOX. ABC has a repeat episode of George Lopez followed by a repeat According to Jim. CW has a repeat Gilmore Girls.

At 9 PM ET/PT: CBS has a new episode of The Unit. I'll be watching a new episode of Law and Order: Criminal Intent on NBC. FOX is airing a new episode of House. The Dancing With the Stars results show is on ABC. The CW has a new Pussycat Dolls episode.

At 10 PM ET/PT: There's a repeat C.S.I.: Miami on CBS, a new Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (my viewing choice) on NBC, and a new Boston Legal on ABC.

What will you be watching tonight?

TV Newsy Bits - Monday, April 2, 2007

Just a reminder - if you wish to talk about Dancing With the Stars with a cordial group of folks, there is a blog discussion entry for the show.


In other TV News Bits:

• Buddy TV has an exclusive interview with Joe and Bill, Team Guido, eliminated on last night's The Amazing Race 11: All Stars.
• Reality News Online has an interview with America's Next Top Model's Diana.
• TVGuide.com has an interesting interview with ousted American Idol finalist, Chris Sligh.

'The Apprentice: L.A.' - East Coast Update - 04/01

Arrow lost and Tim got fired.
That's all I have to say. ;-)

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - Legs 7 and 8 -or- "One Really Long Show"

Now, this should be Episode 7, but I think it's both Episode 7 and 8. Yes, it was two, two, two episodes in one. It wasn't a to-be-continued bit; it was actually two separate legs of the race. If memory serves, it was the first time I've seen them do this with the exception of season premieres or finales.

We last left the teams in Zanzibar with a sixteen-hour difference between the first place (Charla and Mirna) and last place team (Joe and Bill).

For their own probably nefarious reasons, Charla and Mirna waited for Danny and Oswald, then shared a cab with them. Poor Danny and Oswald, eh? The teams had to fly to Warsaw, Poland. This time, so unlike the last leg, the show had back-up flight tickets set for the teams although they could buy other tickets if they found earlier flights.

The teams had plenty of time to try to get tickets through a travel agent and we once again saw how rude and off-putting Charla and Mirna can be under stress. I have no clue why, but Danny and Oswald just let them speak for them. Yikes! The travel agent looked very offended and it certainly didn't help them win friends and influence people. Mirna went as far as saying she was having a heart attack. And, of course, this was with the silly fake accents all along! Argh!

Dustin and Kandice (Beauty Queens) got on the first flight out while Uchenna and Joyce lucked out on a second flight. Charla/Mirna and the ChaChas were on a flight together. Eric and Danielle and Team Guido were together and missed their connection, so the last got further behind. Danielle fussed she wanted to quit and go home and a Guido exploded in fury. Oh, not at Danielle -- at watching the flight they just missed leave the tarmac. Eric thinks that Joe and Bill are just Nervous Nellies. There's an expression I haven't heard in years!

Once in Warsaw, teams had to find the Czapski Palace where a musician would be playing Chopin on a grand piano. The clue received there led to a Detour -- Perfect Pitch or Perfect Angle. (No, not Perfect Angel as Joyce called it.) In Perfect Pitch, a nod to Frederic Chopin, teams had to tune an off-key string on a grand piano to the satisfaction of a pianist. In Perfect Angle, a nod to Marie Curie, teams had to select a mannequin, lug it to an x-ray lab place, then find a clue within it by placing it at the "perfect angle." Most of the teams went for Perfect Pitch and it seemed that Uchenna and Joyce may have been the best at the task.

The best part of this part of the Poland leg for me was the fact that, for some reason, no locals would talk to or help Mirna and Charla! Yes, they were obnoxious. I know that. But it was as if the folks on the street were psychic or something! Their fake accents and desperate actions must have turned them off, I guess. Seeing as the locals were willing to speak to other teams, it had to be their behavior. Heh. I loved it! At one point it looked like Mirna was giving up. Oh, I so wish she did. But, alas.

The clue after the Detour directed teams to the Pit Stop where the last team may be eliminated. Teams were still arriving to the country as the lead teams arrived at the Pit Stop and embarked on the next leg. Here's the order of arrival at the first Pit Stop on tonight's show:

1. Dustin and Kandice - Won a trip to Puerto Rico
2. Danny and Oswald
3. Uchenna and Joyce
4. Charla and Mirna
5. Eric and Danielle
6. Joe and Bill - Non-elimination leg, but they are "marked for elimination." If they don't arrive in first place on the next leg, they will have a 30-minute penalty.

The next leg jumped right into motion as teams took charter buses set by arrival times to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum. As I watched the reactions of the teams passing through, my own eyes welled up with tears. It put things in perspective.

I saw each team relate to the horror of mans' inhumanity to man each in their own way. Both of the gay men teams were thankful they live in a time when they can be themselves. Oswald, born in communist Cuba, is grateful to be where he can be free. Uchenna and Joyce drew parallels to slavery. Mirna thought of the slaughter of Armenians by the Turks. Heck, even Eric and Danielle were somber. I thought this was one of the most touching moments I've ever seen on the show.

Ah, but there was still a race to be run. Teams had to take a taxi to the Slowacki Theater in Krakow. And, what was there? Why, it's an Intersection! I forgot they were introduced last season and wasn't expecting one. In an Intersection, two teams have to team up together to go for the next clue.

The first two teams at the Intersection were Uchenna and Joyce and the ChaChas. They really lucked out. Not only did they team up together first -- no one seemed to want to be with Charla and Mirna although I think the ChaChas would have endured them -- but they had the chance to go for the Fast Forward. If they completed the Fast Forward, they could skip the remaining clues and head directly to the Pit Stop. So, they did.

The FF had them climbing two separate towers, counting stairs as they went. They decided since they knew the Beauty Queens were stuck for hours at the Intersection awaiting the lagging teams, they'd do the whole thing together instead of splitting up and sharing results. They did just fine and the teams shared first place.

Back at the Intersection, Dustin and Kandice had wanted to team up with Joe and Bill, but it was Mirna and Charla who arrived first. They hid from them for a while, but decided they had to get on with the race and teamed up with them. That left Joe/Bill and Eric/Danielle teaming up.

Those teams had to be together for the Detour -- Eat It Up or Roll It Out. In Eat It Up, teams had to make a 3-inch sausage link, then each eat a 2-foot kielbasa sausage. An odd note about that is that I had kielbasa, cabbage, and onions tonight prior to the show. No, I didn't have two feet of kielbasa, though! In Roll It Up, teams had to make 20 bagels and deliver them.

The girls automatically headed to Eat It Up with Charla hesitating. She didn't think she could do it. The other group actually went for the Roll It Out, but got incredibly lost and finally went for the kielbasa after the girls were well into the task. Although I don't care for sickening food challenges, it was a hoot when Eric said, "May I introduce Miss California?" right as Dustin vomited.

Once the Detour was done, the teams were on their own once again. And, next up was a Roadblock. "Who wants to be a knight in shining armor?" One member of each team had to don a full suit of armor and lead a horse for a distance. Oh, poor Charla! She looked very unusual in her armor, kept going in circles with her horse, kept falling over...! It was funny, but it was sort of sad, too.

In the end at the second Pit Stop in Poland, here was the order of arrival:

1. Uchenna/Joyce and Oswald/Danny - Only one trip for two to St. Lucia was given and the ChaChas insisted Uchenna and Joyce get it.
2. No second place due to the first place FF Intersection tie.
3. Dustin and Kandice
4. Charla and Mirna
5. Joe and Bill, but their 30-minute penalty allowed Eric and Danielle to arrive and take 5th.
6. Joe and Bill -- Philiminated.

All in all, I really liked this episode. Although they were actually in Poland for two legs, a lot went on. I'm still cheering on my boys Oswald and Danny. Of the teams remaining, Uchenna/Joyce or Dustin/Kandice would be my second or third choices. My least favorite is still Mirna and Charla. I'm glad folks were rude to them. I know. I'm mean, aren't I? But, they could team up with Sanjaya on American Idol and Rocky on Survivor 14: Fiji in my book.

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - East Coast Update # 2 - 4/01

In the second leg of tonight's show, the Pit Stop arrival was:

1. Uchenna/Joyce AND Oswald/Danny due to an Intersection and Fast Forward. Only one trip for two was given to St. Lucia. Oswald and Danny said Uchenna and Joyce get it.
2. No one
3. Dustin and Kandice
4. Charla and Mirna
5. Joe and Bill, but replaced by Eric and Danielle due to their arrival within the 30-minute marked for elimination penalty.
6. Joe and Bill - Philiminated

A full report should be posted later, check on back!

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - East Coast Update - 4/01

The teams have made it through one Pit Stop in Warsaw in this order:

1. Dustin and Kandice
2. Oswald and Danny
3. Uchenna and Joyce
4. Charla and Mirna
5. Eric and Danielle
6. Joe and Bill - Non-elimination leg, still in the race but marked for elimination.

Dustin and Kandice had already started leg 8 before the last two teams arrived. The show continues...

TV Newsy Bits - Sunday, April 1, 2007

In huge television news, I'm talking huge news here... tonight's Amazing Race 11: All Stars will be airing on time here in the NYC viewing area! For the first time in weeks, there aren't any sports and all is running as per the schedule. It's a two-hour episode slated to start at 8 PM EDT. I'll blog East Coast Updates as events air here and a full review/recap should be posted late tonight.

In other TV Newsy Bits:

• Former WCBS 2 news anchor then reporter Reid Lamberty can now be seen anchoring FOX 5 Weekend News. I guess that's the cornfield for many. There have still been no Roz Abrams sightings. The Gothamist found a source which hints that Maurice DuBois might be wished to the cornfield and replaced with Chris Wragge on the early news show. And, long time a-coming... Sue Simmons has finally left the WNBC 5 PM broadcast. Now if she would leave the 6 and 11! I like her as much as as I do Roz Abrams. That's not saying much. Hey, who needs local news when you have such great drama?
• Is American Idol's Sanjaya being supported only by the Fanjayas? Or, is there a more evil plot in the works? Check out the skinny on the Howard Stern angle and VoteForTheWorst.com in this AOL article. Thanks, DLA for the heads up!
• AOL's American Idol feature page also has some very cool things like exit interviews with those voted off and, if you check under the recaps tab... you'll even see this blog listed under Best of the Web (scroll all the way down on the left). You don't need to be an AOL Member to access any of the content there.
• The lone woman on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list, Shauntay Henderson, was caught last night just prior to America's Most Wanted's featured segment on her. The show still has a good record. I never know any of the people, though. That, of course, can be looked upon as a good thing indeed.

What? Prior Pants Again? - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - April 2-6, 2007

Yep, it's a week of repeats ahead of us on the Late Show with David Letterman. Now, I don't know why he didn't just take his vacation during the March Madness time when he was preempted more than a few nights of the week.

My normal gripe about the repeats still stands -- the shows chosen are much too recent. But, does Dave ever listen to me? Does he care that I'd love to see shows a few years old during repeats? Um, for some reason I doubt I'm high on his list of advisors.

Here's the skinny on the week ahead:

• Monday, April 2: Stupid Human Tricks, Jake Gyllenhaal (Zodiac), Brand New (CD is The Devil and God are Raging Inside of Me).
• Tuesday, April 3: Ventriloquist Jim Barber & Seville, Sienna Miller (Factory Girl), NAS (CD is Hip Hop is Dead).
• Wednesday, April 4: Paula Abdul (American Idol), Bernie Mac promoting Pride, Joss Stone (new CD is Introducing Joss Stone).
• Thursday, April 5: John Travolta (Wild Hogs), shark attack survivor Eric Nerhus, a performance by Broadway's Spring Awakening cast.
• Friday, April 6: Richard Gere promoting The Hoax, an odd and creepy food segment with Gene Rurka, the Explorers Club Chef. Music guest is Aqualung (CD is Memory Man).

Dang, I swear a few of these just showed a couple of weeks ago! Older stuff; I want old repeats if I get repeats! Do you hear me, Mr. Letterman?

Probably not. At least I know I'll get more rest this week by going to bed a bit earlier.

TV Newsy Bits - Saturday, March 31, 2007

I'm finally feeling better after a bout with a stomach bug. Phew! It took a few days.

In TV Newsy Bits I found out and about the web:

• The Survivor Fever site has a transcription of Rocky's appearance on The Early Show. Rocky, of course, is the beloved (heh) most recent castaway on Survivor 14: Fiji.
• Can't get enough Rocky? Reality News Online also has an interview with him.
• According to Celebrity Spider, Dancing With the Stars Heather Mills is terrified of the jive. Will those bets pay off?
• TVGuide.com has an interesting interview with Michael Emerson, concentrating on the Lost character he plays... Ben. I think he does a tremendous job in the role.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - Ep. 7 -or- "Yow, Yau-Man!"

Nothing fluff about this episode, that's for sure!

Twelve are left. Who will be voted out tonight?

The show opened on Day 17 at the Ravu camp as Tribe Testosterone awaited the arrival of Lisi from Exile Island. Alex and Edgardo think she'll be loyal to them and all are worried about her state of mind because she seemed ready to quit went sent away.

Over at Moto, it's also a numbers game. Earl wants to change the power as it stands three Old Moto and three New Moto. What could tip the scale? The hidden Immunity Idol, of course. Both Yau-Man and Earl have clues to the location of the Idol in the camp and Yau-Man is all but positive he knows the exact location. They agree to work together. Earl led the others off to find the boat (yeah, right) as Yau-Man started digging.

And... he found it! It's a carved turtle on a string. He kissed it. He fondled it. He danced with it. he talked to it. Then he quickly covered the evidence of digging. In confessional, he said that Earl is an honorable and trusted man. He thought of not telling him, but feels Earl would be loyal. They would share the Idol. If one needs it, one has it. He told Earl on the sly and Earl seems to think Yau-Man's trustworthy, too.

The Reward Challenge consisted of three huge flammable targets for each tribe, thusly labeled even. Each tribe member would take a turn trying to sling a flameball-doohickey (technical term) from a scoop-thingie at the targets. (Aren't you glad to have a pro here to explain such things with the correct terminology?)

The reward itself would be a seaplane trip to a Fijian game arcade, complete with hot dogs and beer. The winning tribe would also send a member from the losing tribe to Exile Island. Tribe Testosterone Plus One, er... Ravu, won Reward and chose to send Earl to Exile Island. This would mark the first challenge of any type that Ravu has won. But, was it worth the win? We'll see!

So, there it was. Day 18 on Exile Island. Make that Earl's Island, tourists welcome and a beautiful ocean view. Yes, Earl was quite at home there as he imagined it to be his own place, even drawing "Earl's Island" quite artistically in the sand. He didn't bother to look for a clue, just relaxed and caught shellfish to eat.

Perhaps Ravu would have been better off if sent to Exile Island. Most were cramming two or more hot dogs in a roll and making pigs of themselves. Rocky annoyed them all by mocking their stomachaches later when they were sick. He wasn't sick because he didn't overdo the food. I guess he can think sometimes, eh?

Back at Moto, Boo thinks they need to step up the game and win the Immunity Challenge. After all, it's the first time he's lost any challenge. He automatically decides that if someone has to be voted off, it would have to be Yau-Man because he's the weakest on a physical level.

But Yau-Man certainly isn't weak on a thinking-ahead level. While the girls were sleeping and Boo otherwise occupied, Yau-Man made a fake Immunity Idol out of a coconut half. He painted a little face on it and tagged it I.I., for Immunity Idol. He wrapped it up and buried it where he had found the real one, but not as deep. I loved it! It could have ramifications if someone finds it and tries to use it at a Tribal Council. Now, that would be great!

The Immunity Challenge had tribe members blindfolded as one member was a caller directing them one at a time. The blindfolded tribe member had a Fijian war club which had to be used to break a hanging skull, sort of like a piñata. Not quite a piñata as it was a small and a skull, but the same concept.

Once the skull was broken, a bundle of tiles would fall out. The tribe member had to drop the bundle at a table, then return to his fellow members, all the while still blindfolded. This sort of challenge always makes for some good bruises as folks crash into things. It also makes for some lost souls. Boo doesn't know his left from his right? Eep! I hope it was only the stress of the moment.

They could switch callers and Lisi was switched out very quickly for Moto. Even though Michelle jumped right off the platform while bouncing about, she remained in there a long time. Then Boo decided to take over. He could have cost them the challenge as he first couldn't see, then froze. But, in the end, it was Moto hitting the puzzle-solving first and Moto laying out the two words for the puzzle -- Cannibal Isles. Moto has now won every Immunity Challenge so far this season, albeit with different tribe members in the mix.

Day 19 in Ravu reveals a fairly solid front against Rocky. Edgardo and Alex tend to call the shots for the tribe. They think that Lisi will be more loyal to them as she has no one else. And, no one really seems to trust Rocky at all. He's a loose cannon in the game.

Lisi decided to tell Alex and Edgardo the clues she knew for the hidden Immunity Idol and dug around. They didn't show her finding it, and I don't think she did. Remember how Dreamz was an enemy of Rocky? Well, now it seems that Dreamz may be the only one in camp that has a bit of understanding and empathy for the guy. Even Mookie, Rocky's buddy from the original Ravu, knows he's a problem child.

Alex, Edgardo, Lisi, and Dreamz decided that Rocky should go. Dreamz would actually prefer Lisi going, but seems to go along with the plan. But he told Mookie the plans when the rest didn't want him to know. They wanted Rocky and Mookie to think Lisi was the target.

Mookie understood the reasoning behind the Rocky vote, but told Dreamz that he promised Rocky he'd never vote for him. So he would vote a wild-card, meaningless vote. Mookie thought the physical bit (all strong guys) certainly wasn't winning, so it was time for another angle.

At the Tribal Council, it looked like Rocky was a bit worried, but still felt he was safe. He was certainly a lot more calm than he was at last week's Tribal Council. In the end, he was blindsided -- not as bad as some who never had an inkling they'd be voted off, but surprised.

The vote was unanimous with the exception of Rocky and Mookie's votes for Lisi. The closing scene during the credits showed him in some sort of Neanderthal scream, then he said how angry he was and they better not need his vote.

Yes, Rocky is the first member of the jury.

I'm glad he's gone and I even liked Lisi a bit better when she's surrounded by men. But the winner of the night for me was Yau-Man. What a hoot! I think he and Earl are a good alliance indeed.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - 3/29 - Voted Off

Rocky was voted off and is the first member of the jury.

A full review/recap will be posted late tonight. Stop pn back and let's talk!

Yau-Man is a hoot.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - 3/29 - Immunity

Moto won Immunity.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - 3/29 - Hidden Idol, Reward and Exile

Yau-Man found the hidden Immunity Idol at the Moto camp. He and Earl are "sharing" it dependent on who might need it.

Ravu won Reward - a trip to a Fijiian game arcade with hot dogs and beer. They sent Earl to Exile Island. He isn't immune from Tribal Council.

Tonight's 'Survivor 14: Fiji' Blogging

The show will be starting in about ten minutes here in the NYC area. As important events occur, I'll zap up East Coast Updates entries. By the end of the show (approximately 9 PM EDT), I'll post the boot.

Later tonight I'll write a full review/recap of the episode.

You can always find the latest blog entries by hitting the Survivor 14: Fiji link you see at the bottom of this post or the one in the sidebar under Categories.

'Lost' - "Exposé"

Remember the episode a few weeks back which I called fun fluff? The one in which Hurley found the DHARMA Bus? It was a fun episode, but it was fluff as it really didn't have much to do with the ongoing storylines and didn't move things forward.

I feel last night's episode was also fluff. Oh, not fun fluff -- more of a disturbing fluff, but fluff nonetheless. Now, I'm not saying either episode wasn't entertaining. Both were entertaining and interesting. But they're both fluff for not moving the story forward. And, after the past few weeks of answered mysteries, fluff glares.

This episode reminded me of the Seinfeld episode where they did the whole thing backwards, starting from the ending and then leading to the actual beginning. Also, the episode addressed the two new characters, Nikki and Paulo, which were supposed to be introduced in the fall season premiere when they were supposedly caught having sex in Jack's tent. That scene got cut, and the show never explained the two new faces on the island at all.

The writers gave their mysterious appearance more than one nod in this episode, speaking for the audience via none other than Sawyer himself. Good. I'm glad he's as confused as the audience is! The episode was Paulo and Nikki-centric. Someone had to ask it... "Who the hell are Paulo and Nikki?"

In Flashbacks:
Nikki was working on the set of an Australian hit TV show which had stripper pole-dancer types working in some sort of undercover dealings led by their boss, played by Billy Dee Williams. Nikki played the character of Corvette in Exposé; a character who was killed off in the episode we saw "filmed."

Ah, but Nikki had a thing going on with the show's director, Howell (or is it Howard?) Zuckerman. No, she wasn't interested in him, per se. He was an old rich man. He was a target for Nikki and her boyfriend, Paulo. She poisoned him with something which would make it look like a heart attack. Then she and Paulo stole a nesting-doll which we'd later find out had a pouch or bag of diamonds worth eight million dollars.

They caught up on the news of his death as they waited to board Flight 815 out of Sydney. They saw Shannon and Boone pass through arguing and declared they would never become a bickering couple like that. They're too much in love, after all. Paulo put the nesting doll with its bag of diamonds and his nicotine gum together in a bag for the flight. He decided he would quit smoking so he could live longer with his true love, Nikki.

That's basically the content of the real flashbacks although the beginning of the story on the island was just about the end. Not quite the end, but it set forth the puzzle which would unravel. It's hard to explain, but I'll do my best.

On the Island:
Hurley and Sawyer were playing ping-pong when Nikki staggered out of the woods, collapsing in front of them. "Dude, Nikki's dead," said Hurley. "Who the hell is Nikki?," asked Sawyer. But she wasn't dead. She uttered something which sounded like "Paulo lies." Then, her eyes remained open as she died in front of Hurley, Jin, and Sawyer.

They checked -- there were no marks on her, no sign of trauma. Jin thought it was the island monster. Sawyer didn't think so. Was it poison? Heart failure? The Others?

They notice dirt under her nails and went the direction from which she had arrived.

There was Paulo, very dead with his eyes open, too. They dragged him back to the beach and put his body next to Nikki.

Sawyer produced a gun and decided he was going to do a "perimeter sweep." The phrase confused poor Hurley who must not watch serious crime shows, although he's thrilled by Exposé. When Hurley questioned Sawyer about where he got the gun, Sawyer told him "off of one of them," referring to Nikki and Paulo.

Leaving Sawyer, Hurley went to Desmond to ask if he knew anything. After all, Desmond has his "power." Nope, he didn't. But he told Hurley that he saw Sawyer and Nikki fighting over something earlier in the day.

Armed with that information, Hurley went to Charlie and Sun. Sun really thought that it was the Others who killed them because her own experience when kidnapped was so horrible. Charlie then confessed to her that he was the one who kidnapped her and that Sawyer wanted it to look like the Others did it. When confronted by Hurley and Sun, Sawyer said that the fight was because Nikki wanted the gun. Hurley demanded it back and we find out there were no bullets in it all along. Sawyer also found a walkie-talkie in Paulo's stuff which indicated he was working with the Others.

Sawyer found what Nikki was digging about -- a pouch of diamonds. He tried to give them to Sun who slapped him. The diamonds are worthless on the island. She told him she wouldn't tell Jin, as that would make another grave on the island.

They dug a large double-grave in the beach for Nikki and Paulo, both of their eyes were still open. Sawyer tossed the diamonds in as Hurley gave a eulogy. "They killed each other for diamonds." Sawyer once again asked, "Who the hell are they?" They covered the grave with a huge mound of dirt.

Oh, but that's not the whole story. In island quasi-flashbacks, the story of Nikki and Paulo's time on the island after the crash of Flight 815 was told. Hey, they were at the crash scene in the season opener and we just didn't notice them!

75 Days Ago: Nikki and Paulo are frantic to find their bag which contained the nesting doll diamond stash and Paulo's nicotine gum. Ethan told them the plane split into two parts and we saw Boone once again.

57 Days Ago: Nikki went to the now dead (exploded) school science teacher, Leslie Artz, to see if he could give her an idea on the trajectory of the other part of the plane. While there, she looks at his bugs. He told her about a Medusa spider as she looks at one jar. He reminds her of the mythological Medusa, after which the spider is named.

48 Days Ago: Paulo and Nikki were still searching for the bag. Paulo found it while in a pond, amongst seats of dead bodies from the crash. He found it and lied to her.

32 Days Ago: Paulo, chewing the nicotine gum, was burying the nesting doll of diamonds on the beach when approached by Locke. Locke told him "things don't stay buried here." Yes, it sounded a bit Stephen King-ish. He went on to explain that high tide was due and and beach erosion would un-bury the item. If he wanted to bury it, he should go inland.

Paulo went to the Pearl Hatch, something he and Nikki found during their search. They also found Yemi's plane. He hid the nesting doll in the tank of the toilet. But then Juliet and Ben arrived, apparently using the tunnel to get in. Paulo eavesdropped at they talked about making Jack do the surgery to save Ben. When Juliet asked Ben how he would get him to perform the surgery, Ben said, "Like I do with anyone. I'll find out what he's emotionally invested in and exploit it." They left and then Paulo left after pocketing a walkie-talkie he found in the monitor room.

9 Days Ago: Locke, Jack, and others are in the Pearl Station. Paulo, fearing his hiding place would be found, retrieves the pouch from the nesting doll, then smashes the doll itself to destroy the evidence.

12 Hours Ago: Paulo and Nikki were talking -- she's upset that they missed Thanksgiving two weeks ago. They talked about not finding the bag of diamonds was probably the best thing. They're all lovey-dovey. After all, the diamonds would have torn them apart. Paulo got up to get some wood (or something), Nikki picks up the nicotine gum package which fell from his pocket.

Knowing that Paulo lied to her, she then went to Sawyer to get a gun (hence the fight with Sawyer). As she leaves, Sawyer calls out to her, "Who the hell are you?"

8 Hours Ago: Nikki confronted Paulo with the gum package and told him she knows he has the diamonds. She figures they're hidden on him, and whips out a jar with a Medusa spider in it. As she lets it bite him on the neck and its venom does its stuff, she told him that the bite would paralyze him for about eight hours and it should strike quickly due to where he was bit. She retrieved the bag of diamonds from down in his pants and... wham... Medusa spiders! One bites her on the ankle. She buries the bag of diamonds quickly, then stumbles to the beach where she collapsed in front of Sawyer, Hurley, and Jin.

So, she didn't mumble "Paulo lies." She mumbled "Paralyzed." Now they're buried alive. Vincent, the dog, grabbed the blanket from them before they started the burial, so the dog may be aware they're alive. And, I have a feeling that Locke's statement about things not remaining buried on the beach may indicate they'll unbury themselves. Seeing as the last timeline given was eight hours and the effect of the venom is eight hours, they're just about unparalyzed.

It creeped me out as they buried them alive.

As I said, this was a very interesting episode. But, for the most part, all it did was explain Paulo and Nikki's appearance on the island. Is there any significance to the numbers in their island storyline? Yes, eight is a major Lost number and it's significant as the venom lasts eight hours. But the others?

Who the hell are Paulo and Nikki, anyway?

'American Idol 6' - 3/28 Results Show East Coast Update

Bottom three:
Phil Stacey
Haley Scarnato

To commercial...

This post will be updated as new information airs here on the East Coast. Either Chris Sligh or Gina Glocksen will round out the bottom three. All the others have been declared safe.

UPDATE: Chris Sligh joins Phil and Haley in the bottom three.
Phil is safe.
Haley is safe.

Chris Sligh is gone.

UPDATE: Did anyone catch what Chris said to Phil? It sounded like "you owe me big bucks." But it was so fast and I didn't tape.

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Of course, I'll be watching the American Idol 6 results show at 9 PM EDT tonight, then posting a quick East Coast Update entry with that oh-so-vital information about who gets voted off. So, if you're in another time zone and just have got to know -- check back here about 9:30 PM EDT. Hitting the American Idol label at the bottom of this entry will bring you to the latest entry.

Ah, but there's a lot of good stuff on the tube tonight besides American Idol!

At 8 PM ET/PT, there are all new episodes of Jericho (CBS), Friday Night Lights (NBC), Bones (FOX), The Great American Dream Vote (ABC), and America's Next Top Model (CW).

At 9 PM ET/PT: A Criminal Minds repeat on CBS, a new Crossing Jordan episode on NBC, the American Idol results show followed by a new 'Til Death on FOX, new episodes of According to Jim and Rules of Engagement on ABC, and a repeat Pussycat Dolls on CW.

Come 10 PM ET/PT, my choice for watching and blogging is the new Lost episode on ABC. CBS has a repeat C.S.I.:NY while NBC has a new episode of Medium.

What will you be watching tonight?

As Per the Letterman Mention

If you were watching David Letterman last night, you heard him mention that the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey elephants walk through the city. Alas, last night was the night and I still felt sick, so I didn't go. I usually try to go as, unlike Letterman's reference, it's a big event.

After all, how often do elephants walk from the Queens-Midtown Tunnel up 34th Street in the middle of Manhattan? (Um, okay... twice a year -- coming and going.) The arrival of the elephants is a fantastic evening and last night's weather was perfect! I really wish I had felt better and had gone.

Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of folks line the route of the elephants as they parade through the city. Y'see, the circus train can't make it into town, so they march the elephants and horses (and tons of circus stuff) through the streets at an hour which doesn't interfere so much with traffic in the city. It usually goes down around midnight or so.

It's always a hoot to see confused motorists roll their windows down and ask, "What's going on?" When the crowd yells back, "The elephants are coming!" or just "ELEPHANTS!" -- well, those cars just tend to get the heck out of there thinking how crazy New York City is!

I know this isn't quite a television entry, but blame it on Letterman. He was wrong. It's perhaps a much cooler event than the circus itself -- watching the elephants take over the streets of Manhattan amidst the skyscrapers. Their exit at the end of the circus run follows the same path, but that one is met with little enthusiasm. It's the arrival that's the party!

I took the photo above the year before last and now haven't been for the past few years. Last year the knee and weather were bad, this year my tummy. Next year, I swear I'll be there again!

'American Idol 6' - The Top Ten Perform Mentored by Gwen Stefani

I didn't find tonight's show as entertaining as last week's, but it could be just me. The stomach virus I've been avoiding caught me this morning and I'm way under the weather.

I thought Gwen Stefani had sage advice for all of the contestants. I loved how blown away she was by Melinda Doolittle.

She was impressed by LaKisha Jones, the first up to the stage this week. LaKisha belted out the Donna Summers song "Let's Dance." It wasn't my favorite performance of hers, but I'm measuring it against her own performances, not those of others. She did fine vocally, but it didn't move me the way I know she is able to move me. All of the judges enjoyed it.

Chris Sligh sang "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" by the Police. That's one of my least favorite Police songs. I wish he had done "Driven to Tears" or "Murder by Numbers." Gwen warned him to watch the tempo and that was indeed the problem with his performance. Randy and Paula talked about the tempo while Simon declared it was a mess, all over the place. I like Chris Sligh, but it wasn't good.

Next up was Gina Glocksen going for yet another Pretenders song, this one "I'll Stand by You." I'm not a huge GG fan, but I thought that her performance may have been her best yet on the show. Simon agreed with me about it being the best while Randy and Paula were also very positive. Simon also said something confusing about chalk and cheese, so I had to look up the saying. Ah, interesting... from that site: "As different as chalk and cheese is an old proverbial phrase to suggest that two things, superficially alike, are totally different in their qualities." Huh. I never heard the phrase before and it dates to the 1500s.

Then there was Sanjaya Fauxhawk Malakar. Like Randy, I'm a bit speechless. It's like Sanjaya knows that he'll get the vote -- he's gone bizarre, plays up like he's all that (and remember how shy he was in auditions), and does weird stuff with his hair. He sang "Bath Water" by No Doubt and I was so agog at his hair that I couldn't tell you how bad he was. He told Simon that he was just jealous (the typical juvenile response) because he couldn't pull it off. I'm assuming he meant the hairstyle. He didn't seem to forget the words, but Gwen Stefani was indeed right to worry about him.

Haley Scarnato was next, singing Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors." Eh. I wasn't impressed. I think she might have bought her ticket home with that one. Simon was right -- it was forgettable.

Phil Stacey, who kind of creeps me out to begin with, sang the perfect controlling man, stalker song -- "Every Breath You Take" by the Police.

I'm scared now.

He actually sang it pretty well, perhaps one of his best vocal performances on the show. The judges were favorable.

My personal favorite, Melinda Doolittle, sang "Heaven Knows" by Donna Summer. Gwen Stefani is amazed by her and so am I. It wasn't my favorite performance of hers, but she is so darn good. Simon hated her outfit, I thought she looked good.

Blake Lewis was warned by Gwen to watch the beatbox and not to lose the melody. She didn't have much to worry about. He sang The Cure's "Love Song." It was tender, it was touching. Paula thinks he'll make the finale and Simon called him the front-runner of the guys. Although I actually like Chris Sligh's voice more, I do enjoy Blake's Take.

Then there was Jordin Sparks. Gwen seemed as impressed as I am that she's just seventeen years old and has such control. She didn't let me down as she sang No Doubt's "Hey, Baby." The judges were happy except for Simon who loved the vocals, called her most improved, then said it was copy-cat-ish.

I think she did very well, once again!

Ending the show was Chris Richardson. Not sounding as nasal as some past weeks, he sang No Doubt's "Don't Speak." Eh, okay. This guy will never be my favorite. I just don't enjoy his voice all that much. Randy said it wasn't his best vocal. Paula loved it. (Um, okay.) Simon told him it was a better song choice, but he needs to pay more attention to his vocals.

So, who's going home this week? I always put Sanjaya on my I Want Him To Go Away List, but I bet he's safe again. I think Haley might be gone or... heaven forbid... Chris Sligh. Who do you think will be leaving?

TV Newsy Bits - Monday, March 26, 2007

Remember, folks -- there is now a Dancing With the Stars blog discussion post for those who wish to discuss the show, just head here. I'll be reading the comments and you never know... you just might get me watching the show!

In actual TV Newsy Bits I found out there:

• BuddyTV has an exclusive interview with last night's losing team from The Amazing Race 11: All Stars, Teri and Ian.
• Celebrity Spider has an in-depth promo peek at next week's two-hour episode of The Amazing Race. Location and a bit of brouhaha mild spoilers, but not finish order or anything huge.
• Apolo Anton Ohno, now on Dancing With the Stars, announced his 2010 Winter Olympic plans to ET Online.
• The Los Angeles Times has an intriguing article about the John Locke character on Lost. Remember, I said long ago that Locke was the key to the island!
• Looking for unusual television and entertainment related bits, as well as viral videos? The relatively new This Just In website (a Time Warner joint venture between HBO and AOL) always has the odd. And, I enjoy odd, don't you?

'The Apprentice: L.A.' - East Coast Update - 3/25

Kinetic lost again and Angela, the Project Manager and Olympic athlete... was fired. I only caught the tail end of the show.

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - Ep. 6 -or- "Home of the Tanzanian Devil"

Tonight's show was a very odd episode. I didn't care too much for the outcome, as you'll see.

But that's not why I found it odd.

For the most part, it really didn't move forward so much. Instead of, like the last episode, having some sort of show-planned back-up tickets for a flight, the flight the teams had to board had some waiting for more than a day, maybe two. While I don't like bunching points, I think that put some teams so far behind the pack leaders that an extended bunching point will be needed to get the teams on a bit more even basis. I found the Detour and Roadblocks rather run of the mill, too.

Seven teams remain. Who will be eliminated next?

Charla and Mirna, the first team to arrive at the last Pit Stop in Maputo, were the first to leave. I actually missed the time gap between them and the last team, Uchenna and Joyce, this week. I believe it could have been more than a few hours.

The teams received $124 for this leg and had to get their drivers to drive them to the airport where they needed a flight to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The mention of Tanzania prompted a reference to the "Tanzanian devil" by Eric. It's no wonder he's a beach bum model, eh? To give Danielle credit (which Eric never seems to do), she knew it was a Tasmanian devil.

Okay, a half-hour into the show, we still had dreaded airport scenes. First, the airport wouldn't sell tickets until morning, so all the teams made it there. But, in no way could it be considered a bunching point. And, what's worse is that we had to endure fake accents from Mirna and Schmirna, nasty glares between Eric and the Guidos, and lots of confusion.

And, want to know what's the absolute worst? Mirna and Charla were the only ones on the first flight! Argh. It gave them a huge lead on the other teams. Uchanna/Joyce, the ChaChas, Dustin/Kandice, and Eric/Danielle got on standby for the next flight.

But, after boarding, Eric and Danielle had to leave the plane as they didn't wait for the tickets with the others and were in someone else's seats -- or something to that effect. Danielle was crushed. She said it was a nightmare and she rather looked like a nightmare, too.

That left Eric/Danielle, Terri and Ian, and the Guidos stuck at the airport. Ian had been insistent about waiting on line and ended up missing the boat. Er, the plane. Then, Eric/Danielle boarded a flight and it was just Terri/Ian and Team Guido (Joe and Bill) left behind. By the time they got on a flight, the winning team probably already jumped on the mat at the Pit Stop.

Once in Dar es Salaam, teams had to take a ticket to board a dhow which would sail them to where they'd find the next clue. As the first dhow was canceled due to a storm, Charla and Mirna were left to wait until morning. By then, Oswald and Danny showed. They were so lucky! They got to travel with seasick Charla! Oswald tried to administer a bit of first aid to make her feel better. Mirna said "you always have such great beauty tips." Say what?

The next clue led to a Detour, a choice between two tasks that both members of the team must complete. They could Solve It or Schlep It. In Solve It, teams had to complete a rather difficult 62-piece puzzle which consisted of painted wooden fish which each fit in a particular place. In Schlep It, teams had to go to a lumber yard, put two fifty-pound logs in a cart, then wheel it a bit over a mile to deliver it. All of the teams except for Dustin and Kandice chose the puzzle. The wood actually seemed easier. Some of the teams had real problems with the puzzle, others finished it on quick order.

Next was a Roadblock, similar to ones we've seen in the past. In "Who's on Target?," Maasai warriors were gathered to teach and watch as one member of each team threw a wooden club used in that area at a target. When they hit the target, it broke and revealed the next clue. I remember the Maasai from either this show or Survivor. They're the tribe which drains blood from cows to drink. Not enough to kill the cow; they revere the cows. Who says reality television isn't educational?

The clue they received there directed them to the Pit Stop where the next team may be eliminated. Oswald and Danny were there at the same time as Charla and Mirna, but easily finished first. When Charla and Mirna finished, they put on such a loud and odd celebration that the Maasai actually cringed away from them a bit.

I had dreaded flashbacks to the time they went shopping in their season as they stopped to purchase fruit. ChaChas, don't blow it! Sure enough, Mirna and Charla passed them and hit the Pit Stop at the Old Fort in Stonetown first. Other teams were still struggling to make it and we saw day turn to night and to dawn again before the last team checked in.

Here's the order at the Pit Stop:

1. Charla and Mirna - Each won a catamaran. Neither knew what one is.
2. Oswald and Danny
3. Uchenna and Joyce - Since they were marked for elimination in the last leg, they had to wait a half-hour before they could claim the spot. No other teams arrived during the time, so they kept third place.
4. Dustin and Kandice
5. Eric and Danielle
6. Joe and Bill
7. Terri and Ian - Philiminated
   

Obviously, I don't care for the winning team. But this entire leg was sort of so-so. With the huge flight snafu it set the whole leg awry. I didn't really enjoy it too much. I believe the footrace bit with Ian/Terri and Team Guido was heavily edited. I think there probably was quite a bit of time between them. I guess we'll see what they say in interviews.

Next week's show is two hours. They better make up for my dissatisfaction with this week's episode.

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - March 25 East Coast Update - Finish Order and Philimination

The teams arrived at the Pit Stop in this order:

1. Charla and Mirna (boo) - Each won a catamaran
   
2. Oswald and Danny
3. Uchenna and Joyce, waited the half-hour and were still third
4. Dustin and Kandice
5. Eric and Danielle
6. Joe and Bill
7. Terri and Ian - Philiminated

A full review/recap will be posted late tonight. Stop on back!

TAR Starting on the East Coast - March 25, 2007

Okay, the show is starting now here in the NYC area. Expect an East Coast Update with the Pit Stop arrival order and Philimination in about an hour -- approximately 9:40 PM ET.

A full review/recap will be posted late tonight.

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Sunday, March 25, 2007

At the moment, I have an old episode of Law and Order: Criminal Intent on Bravo going on in the background.

I just peeked on on the local CBS affiliate. The basketball game currently playing is in its second quarter, so CBS programming will run late all evening... again.

What does that mean for me? It means I won't get my Amazing Race 11: All Stars fix on time (once again). I will be watching it and I will post an East Coast Update with the finish order at the Pit Stop as soon as it airs here in the NYC area. What time would that be? Right now, I have no clue. But I'll zap a post up when the show starts to give you a sense of the timing for the East Coast Update. And, but of course, a full review/recap of the show will be posted late this evening.

What else is on tonight?

Although the entire evening will be delayed due to March Madness, CBS has new episodes of 60 Minutes, TAR, Cold Case, and Without a Trace.

At 8 PM ET/PT, NBC has a new episode (could it be the season finale?) of Grease: You're the One That I Want. FOX has a new The Simpsons followed by a new King of the Hill at 8:30. ABC has a new Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

In the 9 PM ET/PT hour, FOX has new episodes of Family Guy and American Dad. NBC has a repeat of Deal or No Deal and ABC has a Desperate Housewives repeat. At 10 PM ET/PT, NBC has a new episode of The Apprentice: L.A. and ABC has a repeat Brothers and Sisters.

Needless to say, the shows I watch for the most part tonight are on the delayed CBS schedule. Grr.

It's 10 PM - Do You Know Where Your Children Are?

Um, no, I don't know where my children are. I know where my two cats are, though. And, I usually know where I am.

The local FOX affiliate's slogan has been in place for forty years and they're not letting us forget it. Channel 5, WNYW, in New York City, has had an ongoing anniversary celebration going on for a number of weeks now. Back in the days before FOX itself came into being its own network, WNYW started a newscast at 10 PM... a revolutionary thing for a world where we all knew local newscasts had to start at 11 and act as intros to Johnny Carson!

Back in 1967 when it all started, the slogan (It's 10 PM, do you know where your children are?) was an apt fit for the times in the city. Alas, these days 1 AM seems to be the new 10 PM. (Sigh.)

One of the local papers has an interview with Ernie Anastos regarding the anniversary. Of course, Ernie bailed out of WCBS Channel 2 where he was co-anchoring with Roz Abrams before WCBS sent her to the cornfield. I don't blame him. Together, Anastos and Rosanna Scotto make a good team. The chemistry is so much better than Anastos and Abrams although I can't think of a newscaster with the name of Rosanna without thinking of Gilda Radner's character Rosanna Rosannadanna. Eep! Thankfully, Rosanna Scotto isn't of that ilk. But, you know, it's always something.

Due to primetime programming, I don't always watch the FOX5 News at Ten, but when I do and I hear that slogan... it brings back the days of my own childhood in the late 60s to me. And, believe me, my parents always knew where I was at 10 PM even when I preferred they didn't!

Happy anniversary, FOX5 News at Ten! And, thanks go to blog reader Lisa for the heads-up on the Anastos article.

Take Pride in Pants - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - March 26-30

Hopefully Dave has recovered from his stomach bug during the past few days. We're due for no March Madness schedule changes and all new shows this week.

Alas, within the show which had been scheduled for last Tuesday evening (which was impromptu-hosted by Adam Sandler), a tribute to Calvert DeForest (Larry "Bud" Melman) had been on the slate. Calvert was an active part of Dave's shows dating back to 1982. It still makes me smile to think of him, in a delivery only he could do, vouch for "Toast on a Stick." He passed away last Monday at the age of 85.

On the Late Show website, there's a brief statement from David Letterman: "Everyone always wondered if Calvert was an actor playing a character, but in reality he was just himself - a genuine, modest and nice man," said Letterman. "To our staff and to our viewers, he was a beloved and valued part of our show, and we will miss him."

You know, that's what I always got from him, too. He seemed like a neat, nice, man off the street kind of guy. I would think that there will be some mention on Monday's show about his passing. Rest in peace, Mr. DeForest. You entertained many of us for decades.

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

• Monday, March 26: Will Ferrell promoting his latest movie Blades of Glory and musical guest Kings of Leon whose CD is Because of the Times. Oh, I'm so not a Will Ferrell fan, but I'll be watching.
• Tuesday, March 27: Patricia Arquette (Medium), Paul Mooney promoting his DVD Know Your History and singer Macy Gray (CD is Big). Um. Okay. As long as Know Your History isn't as foolish as Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader. [I love how FOX is touting the popularity of shows which follow or are the odd half-hour with American Idol.] Hmmm... in looking up the DVD to link, it has David Alan Grier (who I adore) and Sandra Bernhard (who is quite a character all on her own). It could be interesting. And, it should be nothing like 5th Grader.
• Wednesday, March 28: Al Franken and Isla Fisher whose CD is The Lookout. Al is usually interesting when he's on with Letterman. But the site is listing The Lookout as a CD when I believe it's a movie. Heck, I could be wrong. I guess we'll see who's right - Letterman's staff or me. I bet I'm right!
• Thursday, March 29: Rosario Dawson from the movie Grindhouse and musical guests Bloc Party (CD is A Weekend in the City.)
• Friday, March 30: Donald Trump and Jon Heder promoting Blades of Glory. Now, I like Jon Heder better than I do Will Ferrell and Trump will probably say something incredibly foolish.

Overall, I'm not really too impressed with this week's guests. However, due to Dave himself and other goings-on, I will always watch the show. Oh, they could lose "Will it Float" but that could be just me. Oh, and they could do a bit better with the content on the website. There are often errors, omissions, and such. Perhaps it's interns putting up the content, but I still love my Letterman!

TV Newsy Bits - Saturday, March 24, 2007

Oh, I'll be so happy when March Madness is history. It's been wreaking havoc with the schedule of my favorite CBS shows. Plus, the gentleman who lives downstairs, usually a quiet retired single man, has been having friends over and I keep hearing random cheering and booing during the game times. Another man and I were entering the elevator the other evening when we heard loud whoops. We turned to each other and said, "March Madness."

One good thing about the schedule changes on CBS this past week is that I actually watched the season one finale of The Wire on BET at 9 PM on Thursday. I generally don't catch it at that hour as I'm either watching C.S.I. or writing about Survivor. The episode of The Wire was so powerful, I think I'll be taping it when it re-airs at 1 AM tonight.

I am so hooked on the show! When the season two (in real life season four recently ended on HBO) starts, I noticed its start time is 10 PM (April 5). Now, that might be a doable time for me to watch the show without hunting it down in the middle of the night to tape it. I admit to cheating and have read ahead on the episode recaps on the main HBO site. I just can't get enough! I'm also looking forward to theme song change to Tom Waits from the Blind Boys from Alabama. I think that's such an interesting touch -- the same song, "Down in the Hole" by Tom Waits, sung by a different artist or group each season. Also, I now relate "The Farmer in the Dell" to Omar. Yikes.

Here are the TV Newsy Bits I found out and about on the web:

• Reality News Online has an interesting interview with self-proclaimed Survivor nerd/geek, Anthony Robinson. What does he really think of Rocky? An excerpt: "He lives on planet Rocky. In his world, he equates being an aggressive jerky loud in-your-face person with being a man. In my world, it’s just not. I live on a different planet than he does. There are some big men in the world who are quiet, calm, collected, and prefer to deal with people in a rational, civilized way."
• Heather Mills has placed her own wager that her artificial leg will stay on just fine during her time on Dancing With the Stars according to the Celebrity Spider. She thinks the websites with the bets are a lot of fun.
• Zap2It.com is reporting that this coming Tuesday's live performance show of American Idol will run overtime -- seven minutes into the the next hour, thus trying to take some of the Dancing With the Stars audience. They (FOX) claim it's because the show just won't fit into a mere hour. Yeah, right. Oh, it's a dog-eat-dog world, isn't it? Gwen Stefani (hey, someone who's popular now and someone whose talents I actually like) will be mentoring the top ten contestants.
• How did Tallahassee take to being the focus of the con man image on Lost this week? The local paper (online) has the reactions of men (and women) from Tallahassee. Also, Celebrity Spider has a detailed promo for next week's episode -- mild spoilers within.

'Lost' - "The Man From Tallahassee"

Now we know they're trying to spoil us with good episodes back-to-back! Another mystery solved, yet a new mystery posed. At least we're running even.

Tonight's episode was Locke-centric and the flashbacks sure weren't skimpy on this one. The time element for them was substantial and the back-story told was vital.

We didn't see Hurley's beat-up DHARMA-mobile (nor even Hurley); this wasn't a fun fluff episode. No time to fool around and have fun in this episode!

In Flashbacks:
John was receiving disability payments from the government for depression. (And, yes, he could walk at this point.) He bristled at being asked personal questions about his parents and then told the woman behind the desk at the disability office that he had stopped going to therapy as it was useless. She promptly temporarily suspended his benefits until he resumed.

In his dingy room he ate chicken while watching television when there was a knock on the door. It was a young man named Peter Talbot who wanted to ask questions about an Adam Seward who was about to marry his mother. "Why ask me?" Locke asked. Well, it was because he had donated a kidney to him. Of course, we knew him as Anthony Cooper, Locke's biological father and con man. Locke denied knowing him and told Talbot it was an anonymous recipient.

Locke then tracked down his father insisting that he call off the wedding. He knows that his father is just marrying her for yet another con job. The father agrees to do so. But, once a con man, always a con man.

Detectives show up at Locke's door asking about Talbot. After Locke denied knowing him, then claimed he was soliciting, they told him they had a slip of paper with his name and address from Talbot's pocket -- he had been murdered.

Locke confronted his father who (of course) denied killing Peter Talbot. He told Locke that he had been intending to call off the wedding when Talbot was killed and the timing hadn't been right to tell her. He said he was a con man, not a murderer. He then asked Locke to meet them both in his room and he'd call it off right in front of him. Oh, no! No intended bride, just a shove out of an eighth-story window. So now we know why Locke was in a wheelchair.

Locke's next flashback was in a hospital room being questioned by detectives. He's paralyzed not only from the fall, but with some sort of wheelchair-phobia. The orderly tries to get him in the chair and he cries and panics. Sheesh, he knows he's paralyzed. Why the silly fear of something which would offer some mobility? It was like a scene from "When Good Wheelchairs Go Bad" or something! I expected the music from Jaws to start up.

On the Island:
Sayid, Locke, Kate, and Rousseau are still peeping at Jack playing football with the Others like they're all great friends of his. Ben, in a wheelchair, and Juliet are on the scene now, all friendly with Jack. While Sayid is worried about safety, Locke proposes they approach Jack alone to see if he wants their help escaping.

Kate made it into the barracks and followed the sound of a piano playing. When she found Jack, he wasn't too thrilled to be found. He told her they were watching him. Sure enough, she's lunged on with guns and captured, along with Sayid. The others ask who else is with them and Kate told them that they were the only two. (Remember, Locke and Rousseau are somewhere around... Rousseau hiding in the woods.)

Locke had a different target. He went looking for Ben and found him. Ultimately, he was looking for the submarine. Ben told them there wasn't one, so Locke told him of Mikhail. Alex came into the room and Locke took her gun to the head to hide in the closet as someone approached. Ben told Richard (he's from that "Not in Portland" episode) to "bring the man from Tallahassee." Locke questioned if that was code. Ben laughed and said there was no code for "a man is holding my daughter in the closet with a gun."

Ben and Locke talked about the wheelchair -- the fact that Ben is in one and Locke no longer needs one. Ben questioned him on how he would pilot the sub, but admitted he knew that he had the C4 explosive and planned to destroy the sub. Ben told Locke he knew how he ended up in the wheelchair. Then he asked, "Did it hurt?" "Of course it did. I felt my back break."

As Ben and Locke talked, Kate and Jack were talking, too. Jack told Kate that all of the abducted were safe and lived there. He reminded her (rather adamantly) that he had told her not to come back for him. She claimed she didn't think he meant it. Jack told her he had made a deal to save Ben and was to leave the island with Juliet in the morning. Juliet arrived at that point and they left Kate.

Sayid was being held outside, chained to a swingset (or something). Alex had been sent by her father to get his pack. When she said that to the one holding Sayid, he said, "You look like your mother." When she said her mother was dead, he told her not to be sure about anything that they tell her. Bam. He gets a beat-down.

Back to Ben and Locke -- Locke is questioning about how they have power and such. Ben told him there would be a big problem if he blew up the submarine. He said that while he was born here, most of the others weren't. He has to have something to show them there's a way off the island and the sub was it. "You have a choice. I can show you things. I know the island better. There is a magic box and you just never know what may be inside. Jack and I made a deal. It's a one-way ticket. If the submarine goes, it can never come back due to the anomaly. I also promised him in front of my people."

So, Ben wants him to blow up the sub -- that's the way he keeps Jack and all of the people won't think he broke his word. As Alex walked Ben to the sub, she told him that Ben manipulates people, that's what he does best. Rousseau, in the woods, saw Alex and just froze.

Jack asked Ben for one last favor, to let his friends (Sayid and Kate) go free once he's off the island. Ben agreed it wouldn't serve him to keep them. Juliet thanked Ben for keeping his promise and both head to the dock. Locke approaches them, all wet. He looks at Jack. "Sorry, Jack." BOOM, the sub blows up.

The scenes cut to Locke all chained up. Ben yelled that he had really done it now. Locke protested, saying that he knew that Ben wanted the submarine blown up all along as he knew the C4 was in Sayid's pack.

Ben told him that to let Jack go would have been a sign of failure, but he couldn't break his word. So Locke came along and made a dream come true. Back to the magic box... "When I asked if it hurt, I meant did it hurt to know your own father tried to kill you?" He told Locke that he knew he communed with the island not only because he didn't need the wheelchair, but it was the one place his father could never find him.

"I want to help you. Let's go look in the magic box."

In there was Locke's father, bound and gagged on a chair.

LOST [thunk]

Okay, what I'm wondering is if his father (the man from Tallahassee) is really there or something like the smoke monster thing. A shape-shifter? An idea put in John Locke's head?

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - Ep. 6 -or- "Tribe Testosterone isn't a Super Power"

There were finally some changes this week. I'm talking about the show itself, not the fact that it aired on Wednesday. Next week it will return to its regular Thursday night 8 PM ET/PT in most viewing areas.

Thirteen are left. Who will be voted out tonight?

The show opened with flies bugging the Ravu tribe in their non-luxury camp. Yau-Man said in a confessional spot that he was surprised to be still in the game. He thinks the others think of him as dispensable and really wants to find the (a) hidden Immunity Idol.

The show jumped right into tree mail or, in this case, wicker basket mail. The note promised a feast, a trip to Exile Island for one, and mentioned brain teasers. Now, I'm not quite sure where the brain teasers were, but I noticed that Jeff changed his shirt. Whoa! I believe that's indicative of big changes ahead, don't you?

Once the tribes met with Jeff, they were told to drop their buffs. Was it a merge? Nope. Edgardo and Earl had to start the new tribe picks. They each had to pick someone from the other tribe and, then in turn it was repeated until one remained due to the odd number.

The teams, in order chosen, are now:
Edgardo, Mookie, Alex, Rocky, Dreamz, Anthony
Earl, Boo, Michelle, Cassandra, Yau-Man, Stacey

That left Lisi standing alone (as she should be). She was very flippant and thought it was her ticket out of the game. Instead, all she did was blow any chance that others know she's willing to leave. She was sent to Exile Island and won't return until after the next Tribal Council. She will join the tribe which loses a member.

Jeff had Edgardo and Earl do rock/paper/scissors for the right to reach in a bag and pull out a buff to determine which tribe goes to which camp. Edgardo won, but he lost... he pulled out the orange buff for the Ravu Camp. Yau-Man, Earl, and Michelle will finally eat! Oh, gee. Poor Rocky. Too bad, so sad, Rocky.

Both tribes had beer at their camps and we saw the start of Tribe Testosterone. Just when I thought Rocky could get no worse, he did. Oh, there was male bonding, back-slaps, and Rocky declared them an unbeatable super power. Poor Anthony was very worried. After all, he's the nerd and geek. He was scared to take off his shirt and just kept the fire going and played cook. The Macho Boys went off fishing and did very well -- five fish in two hours.

Over at the new Moto Tribe, Earl may be getting a bit big for his britches. I really like Earl, but he may be going too far with his thought of being the tribe leader. Yes, Cassandra fell in with Earl and Yau-Man, but he shouldn't assume he has more power than anyone else. He said he plans to keep his friends close and his enemies closer. I guess we'll see.

At tribe Testosterone, Rocky was telling all the other macho men how feminine Anthony is, planting the seed while he male-bonded with the bros. Yes, that should be read with sarcasm dripping like an ice cream cone on a summer day. Mookie joined in on the Anthony bashing and a good time was had by all. All except Anthony, who was back at camp playing Cinderella.

The Immunity Challenge was a bit different. The course (pictured on the left) had a marked trail by buff color. The tribe members were attached to a doohickey which looked like spokes of wheel. They were loosely connected in the middle so that the tribe members could make adjustments, get closer to the center while another was "pushed" in the other direction. The tribes' paths intersected through the course and they had to pass through gates.

Dang, it's hard to describe it. It's a good thing I took photos, eh?

It was a close "race" through the gauntlet. At some intersections, neither tribe wanted to give up ground. In the end, the new Moto tribe barely squeaked by beating out the Super Power Boys. Of course, this keeps the Moto winning streak intact, but it's not the same tribe at all.

The win gave Yau-Man enough strength to carry to tribe flag home. What a touching moment, almost enough to tear up... or not. But it was good to see Earl and Yau-Man on the winning side for a change.

What was really priceless was the look on Rocky's (James, Boston, whatever) face when they lost! Upon returning to camp, he put the Anthony "girlie" bashing back into full gear, as did Mookie. Anthony tried to talk sense into Edgardo and Alex, but no one would commit to him. Edgardo even said in confessional what a dangerous and annoying player Rocky could be. But did they turn to Anthony? Nope. The ex-Moto Men enlisted Mookie into their alliance.

Sigh.

At Tribal Council, Rocky started degrading Anthony once again. Jeff even provoked it a bit more. I felt very bad for him. Yes, I think he doesn't defend himself enough, but he's been stuck with Jerk Boy Rocky all this time! In the end, they all voted out Anthony except for his own vote cast for Rocky.

So, we're still stuck with Rocky. But now I want Moto to keep on winning! I think Rocky is one of the most obnoxious, misogynistic, nasty, bullying, testosterone-driven, annoying contestants ever on the show. I took one photo during the show with the only girlfriend he'll ever get after his actions on the show.

So there. They even look a bit alike.

'American Idol 6' - 03/21 Results Show - East Coast Update

Peter Noone sang "A Kind of a Hush."

Phil, Melinda, Blake not bottom three.
Chris Sligh, Lakisha, Jordin not bottom three.
Sanjaya, Haley, Gina not bottom three.
Chris R and Stephanie bottom two this week.

Lulu sang "To Sir With Love" -- YAY!
(I love that song. She jazzed it up too much, argh.)

Stephanie Edwards was voted off.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - 03/21 East Coast Update - Voted Off

Anthony was voted off with all votes going to him except his own for Rocky.

A full review/recap will be posted late tonight.

Stay tuned for the American Idol 6 Results Show East Coast Update as the show airs here next!

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - 03/21 East Coast Update - Immunity

The new Moto tribe won immunity, not the all-male new Ravu.

Heh.

See the previous update for the new tribe breakdowns.