'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - East Coast Update 4/22 - Pit Stop Arrival Order

The arrival order of the teams at the Pit Stop:

1. Dustin and Kandice - Each won a Waverunner
2. Originally Eric and Danielle, but they had a 30 minute penalty due to being saved in a non-elim. leg
2. Mirna and Charla took over 2nd place.
3. Danielle and Eric
4. Oswald and Danny

This was the last non-elimination leg, so all teams still in the running. A full review/recap will be posted later tonight, as well as an East Coast Update on the winner of The Apprentice: L.A.

Stop on back!

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

The show is starting on time here in the NYC area... yay! So, I'll be posting an East Coast Update with the finish order and elimination by 9 PM EDT. Later on this evening, I'll post a full review/recap.

Puff Up the Pants! - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - April 23-27, 2007

Ah, it's finally really spring here in the New York City area. It's the perfect time to go stand by the Hello Deli and watch the guests come and go from the show, and perhaps even a bit of tomfoolery on 53rd Street.

Oh, but I probably won't. I've done it before, though. It's fun, but be warned... no offense to Rupert, but the Hello Deli is a bit of a teensy deli dive.

Here's the guest list for this week:

• Monday, April 23: Sanjaya Malakar (American Idol recently booted contestant in case you're living under a rock) will present the Top Ten list, Brian Williams (MSNBC), and Steven Wright whose latest DVD is When the Leaves Blow Away. I'll most certainly be watching this one. I have to see if Sanjaya can get the words right when they're on a cue card and I've been a Steven Wright fan for a few decades... or so.
• Tuesday, April 24: Ex-Frasier co-star David Hyde Pierce who's currently starring in Broadway's Curtains, and Corinne Bailey Rae (CD is Live in London & New York.)
• Wednesday, April 25: Nicholas Cage promoting Next, Barry Sonnenfeld (Notes From the Underbelly - which I really have to check out, but haven't done so yet), musical group The Fratellis whose latest CD is Costello Music.
• Thursday, April 26: Oh, this one may be the winner of the week for me -- Steve Martin, David Cota & AJ the Parakeet, and a performance by Tony Trischka, Steve Martin & Bela Fleck (CD is Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular). Of course, I'm in it for the parakeet. Heh. No, I'm a big Steve Martin fan and love the banjo-playing. But, then again, maybe the parakeet will dance to the music! After all, the parakeet can golf... so I'm sure he can dance.
• Friday, April 27: Frank Caliendo as George W. Bush (which I'd prefer to watch than George W. Bush as George W. Bush), Andy Dick whose CD is Do Your Shows Always Suck? (Yes, they do, Andy. It's you, it's not me.) Jarvis Cocker whose CD is Jarvis is the musical guest.

It looks like a good week of late night entertainment and a good bit of silliness, as well. After all, there can never be too much silliness in the world today

TV Newsy Bits - Saturday, April 21, 2007

Although the TV has been good, this is one week that will be good to put behind us. Flooding still affects many of my friends and co-workers with some still not able to return to their homes. The horrible tragedy at Virginia Tech reminds us of what horrors can happen in today's world. Even though I focus on escape -- television shows -- it's a real world in which I live... and sometimes not such a pretty one.

Ah, but there was a monumental moment in television this week -- Sanjaya's off of American Idol! Here are today's TV Newsy Bits:

• What? Sanjaya Malakar's gone, right? He's more present than ever at the moment. On Monday night he's slated to deliver the Top Ten List on The Late Show with David Letterman. And, he's given us all "something to talk about" as the articles and interviews pile up.
• Sunday night at 10 PM ET/PT we'll see the only one-hour long season finale of the rather lackluster The Apprentice: L.A. -- if I were a betting woman, my money would be on James. But the Final Four aren't that impressive at all to me.
• On Monday night, Heroes returns! Woohoo!
• The most recent Survivor castoff, Edgardo, went the interview route. His The Early Show appearance is transcribed by Reality News Online. RNO also has an interview with Edgardo online. Huh... we're not seeing the booted stand in the Hello Deli this season. What's up with that?

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - Ep. 10 -or- "Dreamz Plays Both Teams... Not Very Well"

I've come to the conclusion that they should all band together to vote out Dreamz next. He plays both sides which, if done well and with sneakiness, works. But when no one trusts you, you're the lone wolf. And you're a dangerous wild card often a step out of step in the game.

Nine are left. Who will be voted out tonight?

The show opened on Night 24 at the Bula Bula camp. Mookie's mad about the vote. He thinks that Dreamz gave the power right back to Alex. Dreamz rationale for voting for Michelle last week, given to us in a confessional segment, still makes no sense. "I voted for her because she said she didn't know me. If she hadn't said that, she'd still be here." Um... okay.

Making it obvious that there is no real trust, Alex told Mookie that a different member of the Four Horsemen (Alex, Mookie, Edgardo, Dreamz) should hold the found hidden Idol each day. Well, he may have left Dreamz out of that equation. He did. I guess it's the Three Horseman and the Guy They Don't Trust.

In a confessional, Earl told us he was upset about Michelle being voted out. It "flipped the script" for him. He likened it to a chess game when you're down a few important pieces and have to rethink your strategy. The man is playing a thinking man's game. He doesn't think he can trust Dreamz, but thinks they may need him.

The Rewards Challenge was the Big Reveal one for the season. The castaways had to answer questions about their fellow tribemates in private, then guess the answers of the majority. Those who were right then got a chance to smash a tower of another tribemate. Each person had three towers. So, tribemates got to find out what others think of them, plus who wants whom out of the game. In the end, it was Stacy taking the personal blow, but she reacted better than a few in the past.

Here are the questions and majority answers:
1. Who do you trust with your life? Earl
2. Who is least likely to be invited to a family dinner? Boo
3. Who has the largest sense of entitlement? Alex
4. Who would you want to be stranded on a desert island with? Yau-Man
5. Who don't you want to see after the show ends? Stacy
6. Who smells the worst? Dreamz
7. Who mistakenly thinks he/she controls the game? Alex
8. Who wasted the greatest opportunity? Stacy
9. Who has shown the most athletic surprise? Yau-Man

Stacy was the first one knocked out with Boo, Cassandra, and Yau-Man taking her down immediately. The rest of the tower-smashing went along alliance lines or revenge until only Cassandra remained. She won Reward and sent Mookie off to Exile Island.

Reward was a luxury yacht trip with food and beverages. She got to choose three other to go with her. She first chose Dreamz, then Boo. She told us she chose them to work on them for the alliance. She chose Yau-Man last because she thought he deserved it.

Over on Exile Island, Mookie was steaming. He's mad at Cassandra and makes a personal vow to get her voted out, then her alliance one by one. He thinks Earl has the hidden Idol from their camp. But on the yacht, Cassandra and Yau-Man are doing their best to brainwash Boo and Dreamz. It looks like Boo's better for them than Dreamz. Neither Cassandra or Yau-Man feel they can trust Dreamz. They're both good people-readers. Heck, I don't know if Dreamz can even trust himself!

Then it all goes awry. Dreamz told Alex he's in danger as per what he's heard. Earl just happens upon them catching Dreamz spilling beans. Cassandra and Earl confront Dreamz away from Alex. Dreamz played the same "you don't trust me" card he played with the Four Horseman alliance. No, Dreamz. No one trusts you because you're playing both sides and proving you can't be trusted!

Then he did it. Dreamz betrayed the Four Horsemen to Cassandra and Earl. He told them Mookie had the hidden Idol from their camp. What is this guy thinking? Yau-Man told us in confessional that everything will now have to be rethinked.

No time for thinking when there's an Immunity Challenge to be endured! Yes, it was endurance this time around. It's the first individual Immunity Challenge of the season. The castaways had to stand in a frame using only their arms and feet.

The hitch was that each half-hour, they'd take a step down. The foot-holds grew increasingly smaller with each step down with the lowest being less than a quarter-inch wide. Cassandra fell almost right out of the competition. Edgardo gone, Earl out, Mookie, Alex, Dreamz... leaving it contest between Yau-Man, Boo, and Stacy.

I personally think that this challenge was actually better for those who weighed the least and may have the smallest feet. And, I'm sure those two would be Yau-Man and Stacy. Boo had to be hanging in with sheer determination.

In the end, Yau-Man won and looked like he could last another hour or two.

Day 27 at the camp found Dreamz doing more double-dogging backstabbing on both sides. Mookie is still determined to get rid of Cassandra and thinks Earl has the Idol. Yau-Man talked to Stacy and won her over. He told her she wouldn't be alone voting for Alex, but please don't vote for Earl. Stacy, thinking smarter than Dreamz, thinks she'd do better with the Cassandra, Earl, Boo, and Yau-Man alliance and decides she'll vote out Alex.

Dreamz went to Mookie and told him that he thought Earl and company knew he had the idol and they were planning to vote out Alex. So, Alex convinced Mookie to give him the Idol so he could save himself with it although Mookie was reluctant to give it up.

Then Dreamz saw Mookie pass Alex the Idol and ran to Earl and company to tell them. So, they switched their plan. Without telling Dreamz (because he can't be trusted!), they decided they would all vote for Edgardo and get him out by surprise. It was actually Stacy's suggestion. It looks like she is going to be valuable to her new alliance. She thinks.

At the Tribal Council, that's pretty much how it all went down. After the votes were cast, but before they were read, Alex used the Idol to save himself. So any votes for him wouldn't count. But there were no votes for him. Alex, Edgardo, and Mookie voted for Cassandra. Dreamz was a whack-vote again -- he voted Mookie. (I just can't get his thought process or lack thereof.) The other five all voted for Edgardo.

"Edgardo, the tribe has spoken."

Well, I'm glad that a hidden Immunity Idol has finally been used. And, I like the thinking game of the Earl, Yau-Man, Cassandra, Stacy alliance. Yeah, I know Boo's in there, but I see him as more of a follower. It's too bad that Edgardo paid the ultimate game sacrifice when the target was originally Alex or Mookie, but it was a good move. Another interesting development is that the Idol will be re-hidden and new clues will be set.

Your thoughts?

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - 4/19 - Voted Out

Twisty and turny and a mis-used Idol... Edgardo is voted out.

A full review/recap will be posted later tonight.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - 4/19 - Individual Immunity

Yau-Man won the first individual Immunity for this season.

(As it should be.)

Stay tuned for the boot East Coast Update and the full review/recap later tonight!

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - 4/19 - Reward, Exile

Cassandra won Reward - a trip on a luxury yacht. She had to choose three others to go with her. She chose Dreamz and Boo first (to work on them) and then Yau-Man. She sent Mookie to Exile Island.

I'll post another update at Immunity, then the boot. A full review/recap will be posted later tonight.

'Lost' - "Catch-22"

Another good episode, although this one created more questions than answering them. Just what we need... new mysteries when I would like to know more about the giant polar bear!

The episode was Desmond-centric, a character whom we get in occasional bursts, but one of the more mysterious characters on the island. The flashback sequences showed us a bit more of his psyche and, more importantly, explained why he calls all men "my brother." I had thought it an affectation, but there is indeed a reason.

In Flashbacks:
Desmond is a monk just completing his vows of silence. There's your "my brother" reasoning! At the monastery, they produce wine (and imbibe a bit, too). The Head Monk told Desmond that he underestimates the power of sacrifice. He spoke of the story where Abraham was asked to kill Isaac and Isaac was spared by God. Desmond mentioned that Isaac was saved anyway, but the Head Monk said the importance of the story was that Abraham was willing to make the sacrifice.

Then a man arrived at the monastery and punched Desmond in the nose. No, not a random man. It was Ruth's brother (I think). Remember, Ruth was Desmond's fiance that he unexpectedly deserted shortly before the wedding. Desmond then went to talk to Ruth. He thought he owed her an explanation. He said he woke up on the street at one point and heard a voice ask, "Can I help you, brother?" He knew he was supposed to go with him... sacrifice all answering a greater calling.

After the confession, what does Desmond do? He went and got wasted on the expensive and rather rare wine they produced at the monastery. He thought he wasn't cut out to be a monk. But the Head Monk left him no choice; he fired him. "God has different plans for you, bigger plans." Head Monk told him that he spent to much time running away to realize what he was running toward.

It was then that Desmond met wealthy Penny. She arrived at the monastery to take a shipment of wine for her father. Desmond helped her load the shipment and told her he was a fired monk.

On the Island:
The show opened with Charlie and Hurley in an animated debate of Superman versus the Flash walking through the woods with Jin and Desmond. Then something impales Charlie in the upper chest/low neck area. Whap! Scenes of dark clouds with a red beacon light in them. Oh, so confusing, but they meant something to Desmond.

Ah, but it was a vision of Desmond's, not actually happening. Not right at that time, anyway. Cut to Desmond telling Hurley he needed him to find the cable wire, something also in the vision. When Hurley asked why, all Desmond said was a cryptic, "Someone's coming."

Desmond asked Jack for the first aid kit, explaining that he had to tape up his twisted ankle. Hurley demanded more of an explanation, so Desmond told him it was indeed a vision, but one like a jigsaw puzzle with no accompanying picture. He didn't know how the pieces fit. But he saw Hurley pulling the cable out of the sand, so he needed him to do that. This was a vision he wanted to happen, not to stop or change.

They needed both Jin and Charlie to complete the vision troop. He told Charlie that someone was coming to the island and denied that his life was in danger. (But.. but... the WHAP arrow!)

They whistled "Bridge Over the River Kwai" as they headed to the area where the cable was buried. They set up camp after Charlie and Hurley balked at going into the dark jungle. While Jin told ghost stories in Korean to Hurley and Charlie, Desmond sat a distance away looking at the photo of Penny and himself.

The sounds of a helicopter came from the distance, but they soon sounded a bit wrong. The men were at the beach as the helicopter crashed into the ocean. Then they saw a red beacon in the sky which indicated someone had ejected. (Do people really eject from helicopters? Maybe they jumped.)

Desmond wanted to immediately go to where the beacon seemed to go down, but the others refused. Since he knew they had to be with him according to his vision, he agreed they would go at first light. Now, in his vision, Charlie dies. Desmond wanted the vision to go according to plan so that he could have Penny, his love who ejected from the helicopter.

But, when the time came, he couldn't sacrifice Charlie to obtain Penny. The Superman versus the Flash argument was ongoing and Desmond spotted the trap with the arrow. He yelled "Duck!" before the trap-arrow hit Charlie. He was sure that he would lose Penny, but couldn't do it to Charlie. Charlie realized that Desmond had to know about the arrow. Desmond told Charlie he was supposed to let him die. He reminded him it was pointless. It would happen again and again until Charlie died.

"I'm so sorry, Penny."

They first found a pack, apparently from the ejectee. In it was a copy of Catch-22 in Polish, a cellphone which died the second they turned it on, and the photo of Penny and Desmond which was tucked in the pages of the book.

Jin spotted the ejectee hanging from a tree and Desmond climbed to cut her down. The others were ready to catch the body in a blanket. Yes, they were pretty sure it was a body, not a live Penny.

Ah, but it wasn't Penny at all. When Desmond removed the mask from the ejectee, it was an unfamiliar face. And, she was alive, just barely. According to the credits, the character is Naomi.

She knows Desmond and utters his name before passing out. He doesn't seem to know her.

LOST [thunk]

Wait! Wait! How could I forget the thrilling love triangle now square betwixt Sawyer, Jack, Kate, and Juliet? Kate doesn't seem to know what (or whom) she wants. She appears upset that Jack is paying attention to Juliet, so she jumps Sawyer's bones. She told Sawyer that Jack knew about them, he saw it on the monitor at the Others. And so forth and so on.

'American Idol 6' - 4/18 Results Show - East Coast Update

This post will be updated as the events of the evening go on. So, please return throughout the hour.

9:20 PM EDT: As I write this, Fergie is singing. We've seen some "insider" clips into the show, Simon explained his eye-rolling was in a discussion with Paula regarding Chris claiming that "nasally is a form of singing." Oh, and the group sang a song, too. No announcements on who's safe or not yet.

9:30 PM EDT: Still no boot news, a segment on next week's Idol Gives Back is done and over. Into commercial.

UPDATE: Sanjaya and Phil sent to opposite sides of the stage. Jordin joins Phil. LaKisha joins Sanjaya, Blake joins both of them. Chris goes with Jordin and Phil. Ryan talking to Melinda. Melinda is safe.

UDPATE: Ryan wants Melinda to pick which group - Chris, Jordin and Phil or LaKisha, Sanjaya, and Blake - is safe. She sits in the middle.
Ryan declares Chris, Jordin, Phil, and Melinda safe.
Blake, Sanjaya, LaKisha are bottom three.
Simon is smiling. He must think Sanjaya may go home.
Into commercial.

UPDATE: They're dragging the results out with a Shrek movie segment. Now dragging it out more with a Martina McBride performance. Right now (9:48 PM EDT), all we know are the bottom and top three.

UPDATE: Blake is safe

38 million votes - Sanjaya is going home. The Sanjaya Universe has ended!

'American Idol' Results Show Starts Soon

Just a reminder -- the American Idol results show starts at 9 PM (a few minutes from now) here in the NYC area. As news comes in, I'll post an East Coast Update which I'll keep updating throughout the show. You can find the latest American Idol post on this blog by hitting the American Idol 6 link under Categories in the right sidebar or using the link at the bottom of this (and any show-related) entry after Labels.

'Survivor' Host Jeff Probst Guest Host Gig on 'Live with Regis and Kelly'

I rarely really watch Live with Regis and Kelly. Oh, nothing against the show; usually I'm not around all that much on weekdays to catch it.

But today I was channel-surfing and happened to see Jeff Probst from Survivor just as the show began. Yep, Mr. Dimples himself. Hoping that he would leak some kind of information about the show, I just had to watch.

Alas, not one mention of the current season. No yays to Yau-Man, nothing. Even though that was the case, I still found his appearance in the capacity of co-host interesting. From watching, I get the feeling that Jeff would like this sort of gig. I really can't see him as a late-night talk show host. But I could see him in a daytime slot if the market wasn't so glutted over the past few years. His interview skills aren't too shoddy and he came across as taking a genuine interest in the topics and guests at hand.

While he seems to appreciate his Survivor stint which has made him a household name, he hinted he's ready to settle down a bit. He indicated he'd eventually like a family. He's also still with Julie Berry from Survivor: Vanuatu, but not married yet. I think Mr. Dimples is definitely off the market despite the lack of the wedding ring.

I think his most interesting segment on the show had to do with his dog, Bear. He adopted Bear from a shelter and then found out that the dog had serious health issues. He could have returned the dog, but instead opted to have open heart surgery done. Of course, I'm sure he's in better financial position than your average dog owner, but it still took some love to go ahead with the decision to have the surgery. As a result, Bear is now a healthy-looking and beloved pet when her (I think he said it was a she) chances of living more than a few months more were dim indeed.

Good boy, Jeff! Have a treat!

Although I would have loved some sneaky inside information on the current season of Survivor, I'm glad I caught Jeff's appearance today. In eight days, Regis will be back from his own heart surgery.

'American Idol 6' - The Final Seven Go a Little Bit Country

Often only a few can successfully handle the country genre when it comes around on the show. I think tonight's show stuck to that very theory.

The show opened with Ryan mentioning the VT massacre. But when a contestant (Chris) mentioned it, I noticed Simon's eyes rolling. Simon himself mentioned it at the end of the show along with the fact that the contestants had a "tricky week." I can't help but wonder if they told the contestants not to mention it.

Country singer Martina McBride was the mentor for this week. On the whole, her main advice was to be believable, connect with the lyrics, and tell the story. All good advice, I think. But did they all follow it?

Phil Stacey was first on stage singing a Keith Urban song, "Where the Blacktop Ends." Martina had told him to start as powerfully as he ends. I'm not a huge Phil Stacey fan, but I thought he did well. If I don't look at him, his voice sounds better. He still tends to creep me out and seems to get paler each week. The Roswell Alien and Uncle Fester like to watch him, though.

Randy thought it was really good. Paula thinks it's his genre. Simon said it only took ten weeks for him to show some personality.

Jordin Sparks was next with "Broken Wing" by Martina herself. She was a bundle of nerves as she worked with Martina. She needn't be. Martina thought she was "awesome" in rehearsal and I think she was awesome on stage. In addition to a WOW performance, I thought she looked exceptionally pretty tonight.

Randy said, "Dude, that was the bomb!" (A good thing, y'know.) Paula bubbled and gushed. Simon said she showed that she could win it all based on that performance.

Sanjaya Malakar, the monster we've created, was next singing "Let's Give Them Something to Talk About" by Bonnie Raitt. Oh, his singing sucked, an expression I don't often use.

But I think Randy hit the nail on the head last week -- this kid is very smart. He knows the controversy and is playing into it full force. It's like he wants to be a William Hung who can actually sing a bit. (Notice I said "a bit.") He's nowhere near the league he should be to still be in the competition, but he's working his Malakar Monster Mojo.

Randy said the performance was karaoke. Paula said he's a lovable guy who enjoys adversity. Simon said it was "actually horrendous." Ryan accused Simon of never liking him and verbal fisticuffs ensued... or something like that.

LaKisha Jones sang "Jesus Take the Wheel" by Carrie Underwood. She told Martina she chose it because she connected with the lyrics. Well, um... she had a really off night for her. Her eyes looked weird to me like she had been crying or not feeling well. Technically, she sang fine hitting the notes. But there was no Kiki Kickin' in this performance.

Randy said it wasn't his favorite performance of hers. Paula agreed with Randy but added that even though she screamed, she was still "brilliant." Simon claimed she didn't connect with the lyrics and likened it to "eating a hamburger for breakfast." Now, I have nothing against hamburgers for breakfast, but her game was definitely off tonight.

Chris Richardson proclaimed his talent for country music and chose Rascal Flatt's "Mayberry." Martina thought it was an unusual choice, but he's a "good country singer." Say what? He got on stage and sounded all nasally once again! Randy said he sounded nasal with no connection and no emotion. Paula said he didn't show his love and joy of the stage. Simon said it was nondescript, nasally, tinny, completely and utterly insignificant.

That's when we got a lesson from Chris. "Nasally is a form of singing." @@ (Sorry... had to roll those eyes!) Chris actually defended his nasality claiming he does it on purpose! Well, that shines a new light on things, doesn't it?

Melinda Doolittle sang "Trouble is a Woman" by Julie Reeves. Martina had never heard of the song, but was dazzled by Melinda. So was I when she sang it on stage. Her voice is always superb, but tonight she also threw a lot of personality in into her performance.

Randy yo-yo'd and declared it a "solid performance from our resident pro." Paula said it was the right song for her and she sang her heart out. Simon told her not to act surprised (lose that) and then said she was fantastic. That, she was.

Blake Lewis took the stage last. He chose a good song -- "When the Stars Go Blue" by Tim McGraw. Martina told him to relax, so it's not surprising that he looks like a deer caught in the headlights in this photo I took early in the performance.

I don't think he was all that comfortable with the genre. He did okay, but it wasn't my favorite Blake performance. I think he's the most talented of the guys left, but Phil out-sang him tonight. I don't think he has to worry about going home and we all know that if this kid starts selling records, they won't be in the country genre.

Randy liked the performance -- "the right song" and "you know who you are." Paula said he had the whole package. Simon said it was okay, not a "jumping out of the chair" performance. I know what Simon means.

So, who's going home? Well, it should be Sanjaya and I predict he'll be out of there soon. I think Phil, Chris, and LaKisha should worry this week.

TV Newsy Bits - Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Before I get started, I'd like to offer my condolences to those touched by the tragedy at Virginia Tech. Such an incredible loss to the families and friends... words cannot express my sadness. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

And, if you noticed, my usual TV Newsy Bits graphic has been temporarily replaced. This is a shot I took of the underpass I must walk beneath to get to the eastbound commuter train (towards Newark/New York City). It has a 13'6" warning for low trucks. Well, um... if I lay down on an inflatable raft, I might just clear the bridge. Blame the Raritan River. Needless to say, the station is still closed. Yet, I made it to work. (Sigh.) The devastation I saw in Bound Brook today was unbelievable. I saw it on TV, but seeing it in person is very different.

Onto TV Newsy Bits:

• Interviews with the most recent America's Next Top Model eliminee (is that a word?), Whitney, can be found in these articles -- RealityShack and Reality TV World.
• Country superstar singer Martina McBride will be coaching the American Idol 6 contestants tonight. Hmmm... what will Sanjaya sing?
• This week's American Idol contestant will be Number Seven. I found a blog with an interesting look at previous Number Sevens on the show. Jennifer Hudson was a Seven.
• Whether really spoilers or just a writer's predictions, this Reality TV Calendar article may or may not have real spoilers for next week's Survivor 14: Fiji. You've been warned.
• Tonight is the elimination show for Dancing With the Stars. Since I don't watch, if someone could get the eliminated announcement in the comments of the blog discussion post for the show, I'd love you! (Well, a platonic kind of love, you know.)

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Monday, April 16, 2007

Ah, I'm enjoying my restful unplanned day off from my day job. I was right. Had I gone into work, I would have been stranded. NJ Transit has suspended the train line I need for my commute and flooding of the Raritan River has necessitated the evacuation of Bound Brook, a town I have to go through to get to work. And the river won't even crest until early this evening. Closed roads, canceled trains, a cozy apartment with working electricity. I'm set!

Similar to when Hurricane Floyd flooded Bound Brook, there was another fire there today. During the last really big flood, it was a motorcycle dealership burning in the middle of flood waters. That made national news. As I type this, they just announced five homes were involved in the fire, not three. Fire boats from other areas of NJ and NYC didn't arrive in time and firefighters couldn't get near enough to the fire due to the flood waters. With its history of flooding, I'm wondering why Bound Brook doesn't have its own fire boat.

Oh, well... here's hoping the cable doesn't go out. What will I watch tonight?

• 8 PM -- CBS has a repeat How I Met Your Mother followed by a new The New Adventures of Old Christine. NBC has a new Deal or No Deal. ABC has a ninety-minute Dancing With the Stars -- remember to stop by the DWTS blog discussion post to talk about the show with a fine group of folks! FOX is airing a new Drive. Hmmm... did the show start last night? I'll probably take a peek at it, but if I recall correctly, the premiere was last night while I was busy with Amazing Race. I could be wrong.
• 9 PM -- CBS has new episodes of Two and a Half Men and The King of Queens. NBC has a new Thank God You're Here. FOX has a new episode of 24.
• 9:30 PM -- ABC has a ninety-minute The Bachelor: An Officer and a Gentleman airing. Again, if you watch the show, please drop by the blog discussion post for the skinny and good discussion!
• 10 PM -- CBS has a new C.S.I.: Miami while NBC has doubled up repeats of My Name is Earl. Chances are I'll be either watching a new Animal Precinct on Animal Planet or FOX, UPN or CW news trying to see what's happening with the storm closings around here.

All in all, it's not an exciting night of television for me although I know some very popular shows are on. What will you be watching?

'The Apprentice: L.A.' - East Coast Update - 4/15/07

No one was fired this week. The task was to create a Renuzit commercial. Frank and Nicole were paired together as were James and Stephanie. Old candidates of their choice joined them.

Both teams did the task well. The Final Four -- Stephanie, James, Nicole, and Frank -- were sent home to be back for the live finale next week.

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - Ep. 10 -or- "Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting"

Well, well... I found tonight's Hong Kong leg very entertaining. I'm still not too thrilled with a few of the remaining teams (cough:::Mirna/Charla:::cough:::Eric/Danielle)... but I thought tonight's challenges were a lot of fun and Hong Kong has always fascinated me.

Four teams remain. Who will be eliminated next?

The teams departed from the House on the Hill in Kuala Lumpur in the order they had arrived. There was less than a two-hour gap between first and last place this time. The first team to leave was the Beauty Queens (Dustin and Kandice) at 12:28 AM while the last team was Oswald and Danny at 2:19 AM.

They had to get flights to Hong Kong, then travel 22 miles to a laundry where they were to receive their next clue. The two-hour gap was meaningless as no flights were available until morning anyway. Of course we had to endure airport drama.

Eric and Danielle tried to stare down Dustin and Kandice as they Yielded them last week. Internet attempts to obtain tickets didn't seem to work this time although I thought it interesting that the Burger King had Internet at the airport. In the end, Oswald and Danny seemed to find the best plan -- going downstairs to await the arrival of the ticket clerk rather than waiting at the closed counter. Alas, they decided they'd work with/help Mirna and Charla.

They said they did it for the karma just as others were saying that karma would get Dustin and Kandice for the Yield. Actually, D/K are right. The Yield is a part of the race. All the teams are supposedly in it to win. But it seems indeed the good karma worked for Danny and Oswald and the bad karma really didn't harm the Beauty Queens.

Danny and Oswald got the first flight out thus sending them directly to first place from last. (Yay!) Most of the airport stuff was the same old sniping between teams. Mirna told the Beauty Queens, "Take your padded bras elsewhere!" And so on... and on. I found it interesting (and not totally safe) that Charla had heelies on in the airport. It did speed them along as Mirna dragged her. Why haven't they used them before? They had to be heelies, right? Eric and Danielle once again ended up on the last flight leaving.

Since the ChaChas, Danny and Oswald, arrived in Hong Kong before any of the other teams, they were the first to find the Fast Forward at the laundry. Well, of course they took it! The clue directed them to the old International Airport where they would take part in a high-speed movie stunt. Now we're talking!

These are the kinds of things I like to see on The Amazing Race! They weren't told exactly what they would be going through before experiencing it, but both took it all in stride. They knew from the gear they had to don that it would be something exciting and probably a tad dangerous. And, it was.

Once geared-up and strapped in, a stunt driver took them through a course which not only was high-speed, it was a roll-over! Woohoo! They both seemed to love it and took their clue which would send them directly to the Pit Stop skipping both the Detour and Roadblock the other teams would face. Oh, and they had to take a Travelocity gnome with them.

But the Detour was kind of cool, too. Well, at least the choice all of the teams made. One of the choices sounded a bit boring, but even Charla and Mirna went for the more physical task. Teams could Kung Fu Fight or be Lost in Translation. The latter was the boring task -- they had to study a sign in Chinese characters, then find it. Yawn! But, hey, when everybody's Kung Fu fighting, you know it's as fast as lightning! Oh, go ahead... click on that Kung Fu fighting link. You know you want to do it.

Dustin and Kandice arrived at the Detour first. Thinking that Charla and Mirna would go for the non-physical task, they went for Kung Fu Fighting. Actually, Charla and Mirna originally went for the Lost in Translation, but changed their minds. Once at the Detour, the teams had to climb up eight flights of scaffolding while being "attacked" by Kung Fu ninja-types.

Dustin and Kandice got through it first, then Charla and Mirna. Danielle and Eric seemed to be lagging way behind due to their later flight, but did the task in great time. I only wish that Danielle wouldn't wear low-cut sports halters in every country. I know some men probably disagree with me on that one. Heck, even the Beauty Queens cover up with t-shirts and such.

From there, teams had to take the Star Ferry to Hong Kong Island to find the next clue at the Old Police Headquarters. While Charla and Mirna took the wrong ferry, they remained ahead of Eric and Danielle.

The clue there was a Roadblock and, while not so exciting, dangerous, or even hard, it was sort of fun. It seems the show capitalized on the film industry in Hong Kong, mainly the adventure/crime/martial arts genres. One member from each team had to go through the old headquarters knocking down doors to find a clue in a room. Charla and Eric (not at the same time obviously) really got a kick out of it. (Heh.)

From the Roadblock, teams headed to Victoria Park where there were gnomes on junks floating in the lake. They had to gently pull their chosen gnome to shore without drowning the gnome.

No one drowned the gnomes, but Eric and Danielle seemed to be far behind even though editing attempts of the race to the Pit Stop tried to tie them in with Mirna and Charla. I personally don't think it was as close as they tried to make it seem.

The Pit Stop was at the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Danny and Oswald arrived there well before the other other teams due to the Fast Forward. Here's the order of arrival:

1. Oswald and Danny - They also won the most expensive trip of the race, a trip back to Hong Kong for the Chinese New Year. Wow, I'd love that!
2. Dustin and Kandice (don't see that bad karma doing much there)
3. Charla and Mirna
4. Eric and Danielle, saved by a non-elimination leg. They will be marked for elimination next week and must come in first place or suffer a 30-minute penalty.

Okay, what's with the gnomes? They usually have a gnome-challenge each year, but the gnomes are marked to win prizes. Phil didn't ask to see the gnomes although all the teams brought them as directed. Did I miss something? It seemed the ChaCha's trip was a regular non-gnome related first place winning one.

Will Eric realize that he should sometimes listen to Danielle? Is Mirna being suspiciously edited as being nicer to Charla?

So many questions... I guess I'll just have to wait until next week!

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - April 15 - East Coast Update

Pit Stop Arrival Order:

1. Oswald and Danny (used Fast Forward) - won the most expensive trip on the show so far -- Hong Kong for Chinese New Year.
2. Dustin and Kandice
3. Charla and Mirna
4. Danielle and Eric

It was a non-elimination leg, so all teams still in it.

A full review/recap will be posted later tonight.

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

The show will be starting on time here in the NYC area, so I'll be posting an East Coast Update with the arrival order and Philimination (if any) at about 9 PM EDT. A full review/recap will be posted late tonight.

It's Pouring Pants! - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - April 16-20, 2007

Oh, my... I've had a lazy Sunday. I usually post this early Sunday morning, but something went awry today, eh?

I blame the rain, the big nor'easter. While we haven't had the horrible winds forecasted (yet), we've had about four inches of rain. I've lazed about listening to the rain on the windows, old jazz, and the upstairs neighbors bowling (or whatever they're doing up there). I've read, watched the latest (tape) BET The Wire episode, took a bubble bath, did a bit of housecleaning... and now I should get the Letterman schedule up.

While we won't have Bruce Willis with a Sanjaya FauxHawk this week, here's what we can expect:

• Monday, April 16: Kelly Ripa from Live with Regis & Kelly, Simon Pegg promoting Hot Fuzz, and comedian Jim Short.
• Tuesday, April 17: Craig Ferguson (The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson), Dave Della Terza from votefortheworst.com, Avril Lavigne whose latest CD is The Best Damn Thing. Okay, I'm marking this the hit show for me for the week. Craig Ferguson makes me snicker and votefortheworst? Gotta see that segment!
• Wednesday, April 18: Edie Falco from The Sopranos, Paul Scheer (Human Giant), and musical guest Son Volt (CD is The Search).
• Thursday, April 19: Garry Shandling promoting his latest DVD Not Just the Best of the Larry Sanders Show, American CHopper guys Paul Teutul Sr. and Jr., and musical guest Tokyo Police Club whose CD is A Lesson in Crime. This one sounds very intriguing, doesn't it?
• Friday, April 20: Jessica Biel (Next), Ira Glass (This American Life), and Regina Spektor promoting her CD Begin to Hope. Um, okay. I'm not familiar with the first two guests and not a Regina Spektor fan at all. Ira Glass sounds a bit intriguing. I guess I'll see!

There are your hip-waders pants for the upcoming week!