'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.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - 03/21 East Coast Update - Tribe Shake-Up - Exile

New tribes were formed led by Earl (Ravu) and Edgardo (Moto) -- at Jeff's direction, of course. Each tribe member had to choose a person from the other tribe.

New tribes are:
Edgardo, Mookie, Alex, Rocky, Dreamz, Anthony
Earl, Boo, Michelle, Cassandra, Yau-Man, Stacey

Odd woman out Lisi was sent to Exile Island. She will be immune from TC and will join whatever tribe loses.

Earl and Edgardo rock/paper/scissored for the camps. Earl's team is in luxurious Moto while the all-male tribe has Ravu.

Tonight's Schedule: 'Survivor 14: Fiji' - 'American Idol 6' Results Show - 'Lost'

It's going to be a busy night for me (and my TV). Here's the lowdown:

8 PM EDT: Survivor 14: Fiji - I'll post East Coast Updates on important events and the boot as the show airs here in the NYC area. A full review/recap should be posted late tonight.

9 PM EDT: American Idol 6 Results Show - Stop back here by 9:30 PM EDT to see who got voted off the show, as well as the entire bottom three. I'll be posting and updating an East Coast Update entry as the show progresses, but won't be writing full review/recap later.

10 PM EDT: Lost - I'll be watching, taking screen shots, and writing notes. Due to the late hour (and the fact that my Survivor recap probably won't be up yet), a full review/recap should be posted sometime early tomorrow evening after I return home from work.

Stop on back!

Last Night's 'Late Show without David Letterman'

It seems that David Letterman has caught that norovirus or stomach flu I mentioned is going around my workplace a few days ago. For the first time ever, Letterman showed up to work but couldn't go on with the show. True, he was out for periods of time with heart surgery and shingles, but this was indeed a first.

Scheduled guest Adam Sandler agreed to host the show although he didn't seem all that comfortable with it at all. I'm not a huge Sandler fan, but he did do a few things right.

The first and best thing he did was to bring out his bulldog (of some sort), Matzoh Ball. He interviewed her and she was priceless. I could have spent an hour watching the dog's non-reactions. The other thing he did right was to bring his friend and co-star of his latest movie (Reign Over Me), Don Cheadle, to the show. I enjoyed their attempts and the show would have done well to stick with the dog and Cheadle.

Ah, but, no... Danica Patrick, the race-car driver who recently left Letterman's team was a scheduled guest. It went downhill and the subject somehow became diarrhea. Oh, so not a good topic! Adam's interviewing skills (or lack thereof) really showed. It makes you realize how good Dave actually is. When Adam was playing with the dog or having fun with his friend Don, he did well. He tried one interview and both the guest and the host fell on their faces.

I love the dog, though.

Since tonight's show was pre-taped, we'll have the Real Dave once again. Thursday and Friday night's shows are pre-empted for March Madness. Hopefully, on Monday, Dave will be feeling well. That norovirus is horrible... I'm still avoiding it and running away from those who have come down with it.

'American Idol 6' - The Top Eleven and the British Invasion

Yo, yo, yo. Check it out. Check it out.

Graphic artist Zoetawny made me a new tag for my American Idol posts and, guess what?

They brought it tonight! Now, this is entertainment.

Think about it. If I grew up with Motown, it should go without saying that I grew up with the British Invasion as well. I had my Peter Noone (Herman) crush and all. This is my music. Those were my times. Well, the times of my youth, that is. I turned the show on with a bit of trepidation tonight and was thrilled to find it the best show of the season... perhaps the overall most entertaining show in many seasons. No, the contestants weren't all perfect, but the overall feel to the show provided me with a lot of entertainment. And, dawgs, dudes, dames... that's what I'm here for. Or there. Well, I'm here, but you know what I mean.

First up was Haley Scarnato, looking all sexy and slinky (and a bit wiggly when she jumped up and down). The girls were coached by British pop singer from the 60s, Lulu. She sang "Tell Him." It was a good choice for her and it's finally a song which matches her bouncing about the stage. She's not my favorite performer, but she put on a good performance, easily surpassing most of her past performances. Randy and Paula both sang their praises while Simon commented that her singing probably won't be the only thing the audience talks about -- "you naughty little thing."

Chris Richardson took the stage next. Peter Noone coached the guys and didn't seem all that impressed with Chris. He claimed he didn't really "hear his voice" and advised him to stick to the melody. Chris sang "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying." Sigh. I didn't care for it although I have the original hit somewhere in my 45 RPM vinyl collection (yes, I still have them). Again, he was nasal-sounding and, reflecting back on all of the performances, I thought it one of the weaker ones of the night. This is bad... I ranked Sanjaya's performance higher than Chris's this week. Yipes. Yet, the judges loved it. So, what do I know? I'm sure he's safe. But his version did nothing for me, nothing at all.

Next up was Stephanie Edwards, who Lulu compared to Beyonce. I enjoy Stephanie. I think she's a strong singer and performer who could have knocked the socks off of Fantasia in that year. But her competition this year from the other women is rough. She sang Dusty Springfield's "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me." I thought she did very well, but the judges weren't as pleased with the performance as I was. Randy called it pitchy. Paula mumbles something about "notes falling off." Simon thinks she's losing her edge, losing her soul, and is too old for herself. Say what? I think she's probably safe.

Then there's Blake Lewis. Each week I'm respecting and enjoying this kid more and more. He's not the powerhouse voice of a Lakisha or Melinda, but he's innovative. He sang "Time of the Season" by the Zombies. I loved it! I thought he was teensy bit off pitch a couple of times, but he mesmerized me. It was a perfect song for him and he Blake-ized it well without destroying the original. Who's your Daddy? Oh, it was so good! Randy said it had "massive yo factor" and was brilliant. Paula said he raised the bar. Simon said it was a million times better than last week and proclaimed it the strongest performance so far of the evening. Blake ain't going anywhere.

Lakisha Jones sang next, singing a song which doesn't thrill me -- "Diamonds Are Forever." Hey, if she's going to sing a James Bond movie song, I want her to sing "Goldfinger." Can you imagine her singing that song? She could bring down the house with it. Instead, we got bling. She sang it well, but it wasn't my favorite performance of hers. I think she displayed excellent quality performance skills. But, but, but... it wasn't the show-stopping Kiki! The judges seemed to think along the same lines as I did.

Phil Stacey sang "Tobacco Road." I liked the start and some bits in between, but my overall impression was "So?" I'll say that I do think it's one of his better performances, but Phil doesn't give this girl a thrill. I can't help but think of Uncle Fester (same time as the British Invasion) when I see him. The judges were a bit more positive than I was about his performance, but I think he's on thin ice this week.

Jordin Sparks, the 17-year-old powerhouse, was next with "I Who Have Nothing." She's another one I see improving week after week. Are we sure she's just a kid? Have we checked her ID? My gosh, she did well. The judges were as impressed as I was. Good girl, Jordin! (Lulu was very impressed with her, too.) Simon mentioned how gloomy the song is, but said she sang it beautifully. She sure did.

When they said we'd see the "wild side" of Sanjaya Malakar, I thought that meant he'd sing "Wild Thing" by the Troggs, but nope. Close, but instead he went for The Kinks' "You Really Got Me." And, though I still want him gone, he did an excellent teenybopper heart-stopper version. He moved in other than his silly floating stuff; he reached down into growls and everything. Oh, no. He's not a Melinda or Lakisha, not a Blake or a Chris Sligh. But he actually showed some spark tonight. For that, I won't even mess with his picture. Hey, are teeth really that white? Randy called the performance his best to date. I agree. I think that he's going to be around next week.

Gina Glocksen hit the stage next looking as punk as punk can be. I'm a tad upset with her. She chose a song which I thought defined me in my teen angst years. She chose "Paint It Black" by The Rolling Stones. Keep in mind, I saw the Stones sing the song live in their prime on more than one occasion. She sang it wrong. She kept losing the melody. She sang like she was doing a bad impersonation of Joan Jett doing a bad Mick Jagger impersonation. She mumbled words. The judges were a bit less harsh than I was just now, but Simon deemed her vocals "not good enough." 'Nuff said. Based on that performance alone, she should be a shoe-in for the bottom three. Her past and audience might save her butt, but she better not screw up a song I like again! Sanjaya was more loyal to the Kinks. Sheesh!

Chris Sligh talked with Peter Noone about singing "Henry the Eighth" and I was so hoping he would! "I'm Henry the Eighth, I am, I am. I got married to the woman next door and she's been married seven times before. And every one was an Hen-er-y." That song always makes me smile. But, instead he went for "She's Not There" by the Zombies. It was a good song choice. It wasn't my favorite performance of his, but it was light-years better than Phil Stacey or Gina Glocksen! Second verse, same as the first... the judges enjoyed it. I couldn't but help noticing that a family member or friend of his had a sign playing with Timberlake's song -- "Bringing chubby back."

They saved the best for last. Ah, Melinda Doolittle. Why hasn't she been out there making records for years at this time? She amazes me. She can sing songs I really don't like and make me sit there in awe of what she does to them. She said she was going out of her comfort zone and chose a song from Oliver - "As Long As He Needs Me." Now, my favorite song from that show is "You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two." So, you can see where I stand. Well, consider yourself a star, Melinda. Consider yourself part of the furniture... or something to that effect. Randy told her, "Dude, you're a pro." Paula said she's in her own league. Simon said it was sensational, impeccable vocals, and said she's indeed as nice as she seems.

I think we'll see Phil Stacey going home this week. What do you think?

'Dancing With The Stars' Blog Discussion Entry

I only catch this show now and then, so I won't be writing regular entries about it. However, I know many of the readers here would like to discuss the show.

So, this entry is for you! Hang out, discuss the show's happenings with others, place wagers on whether Heather Mills' leg will um... be a problem, and just have fun!

Here are some links of interest about the show:

• The ABC official website
• The AOL "Hot Show" feature page (you don't need to have AOL)
• SirLinksALot Dancing With The Stars links page

You can discuss the shows here, use articles you see linked, dance, and more in the comments. I'll be making a label (category) for the show a bit later tonight so that it will be easy to find this post to join in on the discussions. And, I'll probably post something now and then if I catch the show or see some interesting news. So, that label at the bottom of the post will get you here!

NEW DISCUSSION POST IS UP -- DANCING WITH THE STARS FALL 2007

TV Newsy Bits - Monday, March 19, 2007

It's time for those bits! Yes, I'm talking those television-related Newsy Bits I find while perusing that big bad Internet.

What bits did you think I was talking about?

Sheesh.

Here's the skinny:

• AOL Music is streaming Elliott Yamin's (American Idol 5) new CD before it hits the markets. It's free for the listening and you don't have to be an AOL member to access it. He's had a makeover and now a new CD. He's a non-winner on the move. Hey, remember when the guys were so good?
• Remember... Survivor 14: Fiji will be on Wednesday night at 8 PM ET/PT this week, not on its regular Thursday night. Celebrity Spider has a bit of info with minor promotional spoilers in this article.
• The local newspaper (online) has an article about Jersey Girl (who woulda thunk it) Muna Heaven being fired on The Apprentice: L.A. Now if Jersey City inhabitants could pick up that accent, youse guys.
• ET Online has an interesting article about how fans on the Internet kept Jericho alive and well during its long hiatus. Which reminds me... I keep getting more information from Primatech Paper (Heroes). I have to get that stuff written up for you.
• Some artists in NYC are suing NBC claiming that the idea of an artist painting the future was stolen from them by the writer of Heroes.

Okay, I'll be settling in to watch The Black Donnellys before long while taping 'Til Death Do Us Part with John Waters as The Groom Reaper on CourtTV. Paula Abdul is on Letterman tonight, so I have to see that!

'The Apprentice: L.A.' - East Coast Update - 3/18/07

Once again, I won't be writing a full review/recap of the show, but here's the skinny:

The task was to create a webisode.
Arrow with James as PM won the task.
Kristine was the PM of Kinetic.
The Trumpette was back (Ivanka).
Muna was fired.
Oh... and Arrow got to meet the Governator.

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - Ep. 5 -or- "We didn't come here to be sissyfoots."

Each week I'm reminded why I like Oswald and Danny so much. Even when they bicker a bit (like they did tonight), they can be a hoot and deliver some of the best lines in the show.

On the other hand, every week I'm reminded more and more why Charla and Mirna irk me so. In my book, Mirna is more irksome than Charla. I honestly think I'd take to Charla much better if she had a different partner.

Seven teams remain. Who will be eliminated next?

The teams started out from their last Pit Stop at the "End of the World." This is the closest we've seen the race actually get to Antartica, which is kind of cool in and of itself. Heck, not cool... outright cold! Teri and Ian were shocked that Romber was eliminated while Mirna seemed to take credit for the elimination. Oswald and Danny, the first team to arrive, left first at 12:02 AM. In last place, Charla and Mirna left at 2:41 AM, almost a three-hour gap betwixt first and last. Will it matter? Of course not. It's the Amazing Race!

While Team Guido (Joe and Bill) promised they were going to show a "kinder and gentler Guido," we see them provoked later on in the leg. The teams had to travel to a glacier where they received one avalanche beacon and were directed to follow the signal to find a buried beacon with their next clue. It all started out with an 8 AM opening, thus a bunching point.

The more I see Eric, the more he irks me, too. Perhaps he should team up with Mirna. He deliberately tried to annoy the Guidos and seems to have some problems with both gay and older folks on the whole. The Guidos walked away refusing to let him instigate problems which may make them look bad.

Once the gates to the glacier were opened, some teams zoomed right through the task. Others had issues. For example, once again Dustin and Kandice blew by a clue. But they caught themselves this time and went back before losing too much time. Charla/Mirna took a long time, but Danny and Oswald took forever. The ChaChas also took turns being cranky about it.

After completing the glacier task, teams had to fly 7,000 miles to the town of Maputo in Mozambique. Any plane tickets have to be purchased through travel agents as the airport can't sell them. The show has back-up tickets which would get them in at 3 PM if teams cannot obtain earlier flights. But all the teams, including the lagging ChaChas, managed to get on the same flight and their arrival time was 9:40 AM.

Once in Maputo, the teams had to get in marked cars with drivers and head to APOPO Training Field. Again, there was a bunching point and Eric called the Guidos "freaks." It was there that they faced a Roadblock (a task only one member of a team can do) and one of the coolest ones I've ever seen. Rats! Oh, I'm not talking the rats running around KFC/Taco Bell in the Village. I'm talking working rats. These rats have been trained to detect explosive landmines and work with trainers. It's fascinating to read about and gives us a whole new insight of a much-detested animal. Well, I never detested them. I just don't want them in my abode... or where I eat. Pet rats have always been okay with me.

Not only did I think the challenge was fun and really interesting, but Charla's rat was more interested in grooming for the cameras than finding the landmine/clue. The name of the Roadblock was "Who Smells a Rat?" I couldn't help but compare Mirna to them each time they showed her. During the task, one of the ChaChas promised their rat, Nelson, that if he finds the clue, "We'll take you to a nice lab where they'll apply make-up on you." Ian gave his Cagney impersonation, "You dirty rat."

Once the rats did their thing for the teams, they had to travel 50 miles back into Maputo, but it wasn't as easy to get to the location as they thought. The road sign must have loved the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz. "Some people go this way, and others go this way." The road sign indicated Maputo was either to the left or straight ahead. The teams going straight ended up lost. Or, was it the teams who went left who got lost? All I can say was one way was better than the other and shifted the dynamics of who was leading the pack.

Once they finally got to the next clue, it was a Detour. Both choices were ways folks make a living in the area. In Pamper It, the teams had to go to a market stall where they had to sell nail-painting to locals. Men in the area both do the painting and have their nails painted. Once they earned a certain amount, they would receive their next clue. In Porter It, teams had to load ten bags with coal, sew them shut, then lug a single bag by foot to a location in town.

The Guidos were running in first place at the time and chose Porter. Hey, Eric can say what he may, but there are two male gay teams in the race. Both chose the physical task of Porter It. Alas, they should have chosen Pamper It. Mirna and Charla, way behind the other teams, finished that one in short order. So did the Beauty Queens (Dustin and Kandice), who even took the time to paint a young girl's nails even though she had no money. Geez, Ian and Teri were headed to Porter, but accidentally ended up in Pamper and they nailed the task, too! (Get it? Nailed the nail task. I kill myself sometimes.)

Ahem.

But all the teams faced with the Porter task found it dirty, time-consuming, and probably the wrong choice. Uchenna and Joyce fell way behind as they got lost while lugging the bag of coal around.

Here's the order at the Pit Stop in Fortaleza, Maputo:

1. Charla and Mirna - Their first time (and hopefully last time) in first place ever on the show. They won a trip to Aruba.
2. Dustin and Kandice
3. Teri and Ian (who were shocked they did so well)
4. Oswald and Danny - Oswald promptly chased Phil around wanting to hug him with his coal-covered hands. That was a hoot! When Phil commented about them taking the coal task, one of them said, "Hey, we didn't come here to sissyfoot!" (Ah, but I bet they will shop again sometime!)
   
5. Joe and Bill - They beat Eric and Danielle in a close footrace which prompted Eric to blame Danielle and later fuss that they were "beat by a bunch of queens." You go, Queens!
6. Eric and Danielle
7. Uchenna and Joyce

As it was one of the three planned non-elimination legs, Uchenna and Joyce are still in the race. However, they are marked for elimination. They must come in first place on the next leg or suffer a thirty-minute penalty which theoretically could make them lose the race.

I still hold with wanting Charla and Mirna gone, but Eric is about on par with them. Danielle, I have nothing against. Well, other than the fact that she's running the race with Eric. I'm liking the Guidos and ChaChas more each week and have to say the same for Teri and Ian. Dustin and Kandice are a strong team in many ways, but this is the second time they've gone by a clue. They have to pay more attention. I liked Uchenna and Joyce in their season, but they are dragging a bit this season. I did smile at Joyce's reaction to the rat... "Oh, he's cute!"

Who are you cheering on?

East Coast Update - 'Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - Pit Stop Order - 03/18/07

I guessed it right - a non-elimination leg.

The Pit Stop arrival order was:

1. Charla and Mirna (ew) - Won a trip to Aruba
2. Dustin and Kandice
3. Teri and Ian
4. Oswald and Danny
5. Joe and Bill
6. Eric and Danielle
7. Uchenna and Joyce (Still in, but targeted for elimination - must come in 1st place or suffer a 30 minute penalty)

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

Tonight's 'Amazing Race 11: All Stars' Blogging Plan

As I post this, the show is about ready to start here in the NYC area (darn March Madness). In about an hour (9:45 or so EDT), I'll post the East Coast Update with the finish order at the Pit Stop and Philimination (or not - we're due a non-elimination leg). A full review/recap will be posted late tonight.

What's Happening With CourtTV These Days?

I'm lucky enough to get some press releases and such from the good folks at CourtTV. Although I don't think I've ever watched more than a few minutes of live trial happenings, CourtTV (or Animal Planet) is often where I hang out during phases of channel surfing.

One new show I won't catch while channel surfing because I'm now a Black Donnellys watcher is a new series which premieres tomorrow night -- 'Til Death Do Us Part. No no no, unlike the sitcom with the similar name, this one sounds very intriguing and promises to be extremely quirky. I mean, we're talking John Waters as the Groom Reaper. Yes, I'm talking John Waters of Hairspray, Pink Flamingos, and Serial Mom fame. He has a seriously twisted sense of humor and I'll be taping the back-to-back episodes which start at 10 PM ET/PT on Monday.

In other CourtTV news, I received a press release which says that CourtTV will be getting a new name, a new logo, and a new look. They'll be airing quarterly specials from The Smoking Gun, a site I've peeked in on a lot over the years. After all, they get the quickest and best dirt on reality show contestants. The re-branded network isn't slated to launch until January, 2008. I just hope they don't stop showing old COPS reruns. Yeah, call it guilty pleasure television.

Pants Madness - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - March 19-23, 2007

Huh. Once again, I try to report on this week's guests and the show's website isn't updated as of yet. What's up with that? Oh, well... there are listings available for me to check on the guest list to report here in a timely manner, at least.

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

• Monday, March 19: Bernie Mac, American Idol judge Paula Abdul, and music guest Joss Stone. Now, of course I'll have to watch for Paula's state of mind. And what's she doing in NY when she has to be in CA for the live show on Tuesday? We'll have to see if she falls under the table during the show!
• Tuesday, March 20: Adam Sandler promoting his new movie, Reign Over Me, race-car driver Danica Patrick, music guest Lucinda Williams.
• Wednesday, March 21: Jack Black, journalist Lara Logan, and (get this) inventor of the beer-launching refrigerator, John W. Cornwell.
• Thursday, March 22 and Friday, March 23: No show listings at all due to March Madness basketball. There aren't even any repeats listed. So, I predict an earlier bedtime for me! New shows resume Monday and the ones listed for this week (above) are new, not repeats. I guess he just has a short week, eh?

But, if I can get this written every Sunday morning, I'm not sure why the paid person for the show's website can't get the information out there!

Another NYC CBS2 News Change

Well, at least it doesn't look like he's being wished to the cornfield as was Roz Abrams and many others. However, meterologist Jeff Berardelli is leaving WCBS2 (NYC) to work for a CBS affiliate in Miami. He seems to be happy about the decision, saying how much he loves to dive and hike. And, of course, the hurricane area is exciting for a meterologist. But, I'll always think of him as the guy who lived his dream of working his chosen field in the city where he was raised. I'll think of the Staten Island boy who had his mom out in the yard measuring the snow and reporting via telephone on the depth.

Jeff will still be involved in the Tunnel to Towers run, so we'll see him then. Although I may be a bit ignorant about news markets, it would seem that the NYC location is a bit higher up the career ladder than Miami. On the other hand, in NYC he's always under the shadow of John Bolaris and the opportunity may offer him chances not available at Channel 2.

I enjoyed Jeff and will miss him here, but wish him the best.

In another NYC news related bit, Duke Castigliano is over at FOX 5 with sports these days. What comes around, goes around. If you're interested in the other WCBS2 news change stories, just hit the New York City TV link at the bottom of this post.

TV Newsy Bits - Saturday, March 17, 2007

Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone! While years ago I would be skiing the green-tinted slopes at Kelly's Irish Alps in the Berkshires, now I'm just slogging through 6 inches of ice pellets to get to the store.

Here are the TV Newsy Bits I found out on the Internet as I huddle with my computer for warmth:

• Celebrity Spider has a sneak peak into the route for Sunday's Amazing Race episode.
• The latest fired Apprentice, Surya, sounds off in this TVGuide.com article.
• Survivor Richard Hatch isn't surviving his prison time all that well according to this article.
• For those who love Dancing With the Stars, AOL has a new feature page for the show. You don't have to be an AOL member to access it and it should have all the show information you'll ever need!

'Lost' - "Par Avion"

Yet another good Lost episode. I think they're trying to spoil us. What do you think?

The past few weeks have seen the show move more forward in story than I feel the entire "fall" season did. Oh, yeah... there are some new mysteries. But, at least I'm finding the show interesting once again.

This episode was basically Claire-centric, but once again running a bit light on the flashbacks. Light in the amount of time spent, not on the news contained within them, that is.

The Flashbacks
A younger Claire, sporting dyed black hair and even a punkish look about her, crashed her car while driving with her mother. Her mother wasn't expected to live and Claire went through a major guilt trip over it all. Not helping that guilt trip was her Aunt Lindsay, who seemed to bear a grudge against Claire even before the accident.

Oh, wait, we've seen her before. We saw her some episodes back yelling at Jack's father, Christian Shepard! Could they be? Would they be? Yes, they are! Claire and Jack are half-siblings. But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself here. Back to the story...

Claire and her aunt find out that a mysterious benefactor has told the hospital he'd pay all the bills. It's pretty obvious that Claire's mother will probably remain in a vegetative state for the rest of her life with no chance of recovery.

Then Claire comes across Dr. Shepard in her mother's room. He admits to being her father, said he spent a lot of time with her when she was very young. But her mother (and aunt) didn't like the idea that he had another family, thus they became estranged. She made peace with her mother before boarding Flight 815, but wanted nothing to do with her father.

The Island - Sayid, Locke, Kate Storyline
Sayid, Locke, Kate, and the captured Mikhail (eye-patch dude) followed the electrical wiring map Sayid had found at the Flame Station. Locke is still acting a bit out-of-character, bickering with Sayid. Locke and Rousseau both think that Mikhail should have been shot, that he's of no use to them. And, of course, Mikhail himself would rather be dead than captured.

Kate asked Rousseau why she didn't ask her more about her daughter, Alex. Rousseau's answer was odd. She said something about if Jack were missing six years, not knowing him, didn't want to know. Hey, don't ask me. It was almost as if she was avoiding the question or frightened about what Alex may have become... or worried that Alex had forgotten her.

Mikhail told them that they had arrived on the island by submarine, but that an electromagnetic pulse two weeks ago had destroyed almost all of their technology. Kate angrily started questioning him. He told her that they (Sayid, Locke, Kate) were "not on the list." According to him, they were flawed -- angry, weak, frightened. He started to say "Ben is not..." before trailing off. Not the leader? In reference to Locke, he also trailed off. "I know he was para..." Paralyzed, for sure.

They came across what appeared to be some sort of electronic barrier fence doohickey to the Barracks, their planned destination. It looked like fat short telephone poles with metal spheres separated by open space.

Mikhail (remember, he wants to die), told them the fences were defunct along with all of their equipment. He told them the barrier surrounds the entire barracks area. Locke freaked, saying not to touch the poles or go through the open area. Then he shoved Mikhail through.

Mikhail said, "Thank you." He then immediately started foaming at the mouth and blood spurted from his ears. Poof, the Patch is dead.

Sayid questioned whether Locke was there for Jack or not. "Of course, I'm here for Jack. Why else?" Locke is still acting weirder than Locke normally acts. Sayid found some C4 explosive in Locke's bag. Now, Locke had told him earlier that he wouldn't have followed "Enter 77" had he known about the explosive. Yet he knew and took some. "It never hurts to have some C4."

They decided they could climb over the barrier and, using some logs, did so. They sneaked up on the Barracks... and there was Jack. Jack was having a good ol' time playing football with his friends. So, perhaps Rousseau thought brainwashing? I don't know.

The Island - Claire, Desmond, Charlie, Etc. Storyline
Charlie decided to "seize the day" and take Claire on a picnic. Of course, we know that when Desmond approached and suggested he join him on a hunt, that he would be saving Charlie from yet another death. But Claire doesn't know about that.

Claire saw some migratory birds fly above and thought that if they could capture one, they could send a "rescue us" note with it. But Desmond was pretty insistent. Charlie knew what had to be up, so he went with Desmond. Claire was really ticked off and enlisted Jin and Sun to help her with the birds.

Just as they were about to catch one using chum, Desmond shot and scared the birds away. He claimed he was following a boar. Claire thought he didn't want her catching the birds for some reason.

Claire followed Desmond as he went along the beach, climbing some rocks, then rescued a bird. When she confronted him, he told her about "his gift." He also told her that Charlie died (again) right on the rocks by where he picked up the bird.

Aw, Claire and Charlie got all lovey-dovey once again, attached a note to the dove's leg and set it into the sky.

And, there ya go...

'American Idol 6' - East Coast Update - 3/14 Results Show

So far, they've announced two of the bottom three...

Brandon Rogers (not unexpected by me)
Phil Stacey (a bit of a surprise, but I'm not thrilled by him)

Remaining to choose from, we have Sanjaya Malakar and Haley Scarnato. Of course, they're dragging this out. I will return to update this once more is known. Stop back!

UPDATE: Sanjaya added to bottom three. Brandon and Sanjaya bottom two.

Brandon leaves, Sanjaya is safe.

Did I call that last night or what?