'Lost' - "The Man Behind the Curtain"

Yet another dynamite episode!

Now, we all remember that Ben was originally introduced to us as Henry Gale. And, of course, Henry Gale was the Dorothy's uncle in The Wizard of Oz. The "Wizard" himself arrived in Oz via a hot air balloon (as was Ben/Henry's original story, but landing on the island). We all know that the Wizard of Oz was a sham; he was the "man behind the curtain' working all the controls and manipulating the good folks of Oz.

So, what does that make Ben? Or... could it be Jacob? Or, is there a Jacob?

Tonight's episode was Ben-centric and very powerful. Ben has been a real mystery and it's time we got some goods on his background!

In the Flashbacks
A man and his pregnant wife were hiking in the woods. Although she was only seven months pregnant, she gave birth to a baby boy... Ben. Emily Linus died shortly after giving birth as her husband, Roger, carried her and the baby to the roadside. A sign had mileage to Portland listed on it.

A young couple stopped to help Roger, his dying wife, and the newborn Ben. They were Horace Goodspeed and Olivia. Fast forward to when Ben is perhaps ten years old or so... Roger and Ben arrived on the island where Horace had promised Roger a job, Ben good schooling, and a better life. They would be a part of the DHARMA Initiative. Namaste! (That seems to be a welcome greeting.)

Roger Linus was upset as he was given his work uniform. He's a Work Man, the Roger "Workman" from the microbus Hurley found a few weeks back. He thought he would have a much better job. I think Roger was a very bitter and broken man, most likely due to the death of his wife.

In the orientation, Horace told them that they had to remain in the Barracks area and not pass through the pylon fences due to "hostiles" and wildlife on the island.

Young Ben seemed to fit in okay with the other DHARMA kids, and with one little girl in particular -- Annie. She was the only one to ever remember his birthday. She made him a doll and told him that she'd always be with him as long as he had the doll.

While at school studying volcanoes, the teacher told the class that there had been one on the island. All of a sudden, the intruder alert alarms went off. Hostiles! The skirmish with them caused Roger to get angrier and demand another thirty-thousand for hazard pay.

As his father argued about the conditions, Ben saw his mother at the window. Then she vanished, but a photo confirmed it was her. She seemed to be dressed in the same dress as the doll given to him by Annie.

His father saw the box with the doll from Annie and mentioned that he had forgotten Ben's birthday again. He had been drinking and got nasty with Ben. :How could I forget the day you killed your mother?"

Ben ran to the pylon fence where he saw his mother again. But she sent him back, telling him it wasn't time yet.

Now, I'm not sure how I missed how he got it, but Ben later returned to the fence with a note which held the code to turn off the power -- 54439. He sent his pet rabbit through first to make sure he had deactivated the fence. Then he went through, wandering in the woods and frightened at every sound.

Whom does he encounter? Why, I believe it's Richard Alpert with longer hair. Ben is a child, but Richard is a grown man. What's up with that? Richard asked him if he saw his mother here after Ben told him he was searching for her and that she was dead. Ben insisted that he wanted to go with Richard because "I hate it here." "Be patient, be very patient," Richard told him.

Ben did go back to the Barracks, because the next time we see him, he's an adult working for DHARMA. His shirt reads "Ben Work Man." So, he's a janitor like his father. Ben and his father were loading a DHARMA VW bus with beer to deliver to the Pearl Station.

As they went through a meadow with "Shabala" blaring, they stopped to open a beer to "celebrate" Ben's birthday. Roger promised him he'd remember the next year. At exactly 4 PM, Ben popped a beer top, handed it to his father, then put on a gas mask. He set off a cannister of gas in the vehicle and sat emotionless as his father bled from the nose and died.

Ben went back to the Barracks where all the other members of the DHARMA Initiative had also been gassed. Richard Alpert, looking like the Richard Alpert of the present, and a group of armed "hostiles" were at the Barracks, also wearing gas masks. Ben had been patient well into his adult years.

On the Island
Sawyer brought the recorder that Locke gave him to Sayid, telling Sayid that Locke went back with the others. Sayid and Sawyer were looking for Juliet, but neither Juliet or Jack are anywhere around. When Kate arrived, she told them that Juliet had left with Jack. "Play her the tape." What they're hearing on the tape is Juliet's message to Ben about testing Sun.

Juliet and Jack came back to find the camp talking about them. Jack told them that he knew of Sun's trip to the medical station with Juliet. She had told him. They were shocked that the world thinks there are no survivors of the plane crash. Juliet told them to turn the tape over. On the other side there were the plans to raid the camp, take Sun as well as mention of "Austin's sample." They must think that Kate could be pregnant. Jack again told them that he knew because Juliet had told them. When questioned why he didn't say anything, he told them he hadn't decided what to do about it yet.

Huh? What's with Jack? You don't know what to do about an upcoming raid and kidnapping? You don't tell anyone until you're cornered?

At the Others Camp, Ben has the doll. It's his birthday, y'see. Richard arrived to take the recorder back for Juliet when they discovered the recorder had gone missing. Their search was interrupted by John Locke's arrival, dead body of his father over his shoulder. Ben was shocked!

Locke reminded Ben that he promised to tell him everything about the island if he brought his father's body there. Ben told him he (Ben) wasn't the leader -- he had to answer to Jacob. Locke was persistent. He wanted to know about Jacob. In questioning Ben, he found out that no one but Ben had ever seen Jacob. Locke called him a liar, the man behind the curtain.

That's when a not-dead Mikhail arrived. He told them that the pylons weren't set at a lethal level -- that's how he lived. He was stunned to see Locke there questioning Ben. "What are you doing? We don't answer to him!" Ben told him that Locke was with them now. Mikhail told them of Naomi, the crashed "helo" and the freighter ship offshore.

When Ben told Locke that he had to attend to those issues, Locke demanded he take him to Jacob. He told Mikhail, "Ben's not going with you. He and I are going to see Jacob." Then Locke beat Mikhail to a pulp. (Mikhail really gets hurt a lot, eh?) Ben cried for the others watching to stop Locke, but they all stood and watched. It was like a battle of power between Ben and Locke even though it was Mikhail being beaten.

After Locke stopped beating Mikhail, Alex gave him a gun to take with them to go see Jacob. "Happy birthday, Dad."

As Ben and Locke hiked through the woods, Ben told him that Jacob would be angry. After all, he wasn't the kind of man you go to see. He was the kind of man who summoned you to see him. Ben glanced at dirt in passing, then Locke paused and examined it. Volcano ash? I'm not sure.

They arrived at a wooden shack and Ben told Locke he'd have to turn off the flashlight because "Jacob doesn't like technology." "Are you sure you want to go in there?" Ben asked Locke. "So be it."

Inside the shack was a table, a rocking chair, a picture of a dog, and four jars of something on a shelf. Ben started talking to the chair reminding me so much of Norman Bates in Psycho. Apparently the chair was talking back to him, but neither John nor we heard him.

Locke started yelling that Ben was a fraud, crazy! "You made it all up!: Ben told him he must be too limited to see and insisted that Jacob was in the empty chair. Locke went to leave when he heard an unearthly voice say, "Help me." He quickly turned on the flashlight when all went wild in the room. The chair moved, items whizzed through the air, and Ben looked terrified. When a fire started from the lantern, Locke ran out followed by Ben.

"What did he say to you? What did Jacob say to you?" Locke yelled at him that he put on a show and that he was a fraud. He was going to tell his people the truth. They headed back to the Barracks, but not the way they had taken to get there.

Instead, Ben led Locke to a burial ditch containing the skeletons of the members of the DHARMA Initiative. He shot John in the left chest and let him fall in with the bones. "What did Jacob say to you?" "Help me." "What did he say?" "He said 'help me.'" "I hope he helps you, John."

LOST [thunk]

So... Ben wasn't born on the island. The aging thing is odd, too. We know Richard was in Portland, but yet his work is separate from DHARMA. And, the Others are the hostiles, not DHARMA. Has anyone other than Aaron been really born on the island?

Great episode!

'American Idol 6' - Final Four Results Show - May 9 - East Coast Update

The show is starting here on the East Coast. Barry Gibb and Pink will perform. Ryan is unshaven.

As the show airs, I'll be updating this post with the happenings. So, please return here throughout the hour to talk about what's going on or to sneak a peek from the other time zones. You can get here easily by using the American Idol 6 category on the blog sidebar or just refreshing this entry.

The judges have been introduced, now they're recapping last night's performances.

The Farmers Market segment has a lot of LaKisha supporters. Ryan mentioned an hour to fill... they really should cut down the results show to a half-hour in my opinion.

They did a promo for the Idols tour this summer. Now Pink is singing "Who Knew?" Eh. I'm not a big Pink fan. I want to know who's going home, don't you?

The Ford video was to "You Really Got Me." It wasn't the most flattering look for LaKisha or Jordin. The Idol Challenge - Who went to Africa to support the Idol Gives Back cause -- Reuben, Carrie or Bo. Give me a break!

Ack. The audio screwed up as they started the four singing the BeeGee tribute medley. Not so hot so far.

Ryan is talking to the four finalists on the couch now. No announcements yet.

The top three will be returning to their hometowns for a publicity bit this week. The four saw a sneak peek of The Fantastic Four: The Silver Surfer. As a result, we're getting a sneak peek of the movie, too.

The four are talking about their families and childhood. It's odd... three of them are only children. Jordin is the only one with a sibling. The results (supposedly) will be...

... after the break.

RESULTS UPDATE: They refuse to line up. Ryan recapped the judges' comments on all of them. Jordin is safe.

Now they're looking for the "best undiscovered group" in America... The Band Show hopes to do for musician and groups what American Idol has done for individuals. Do you have the chops? (No, but if they're looking for an undiscovered blogger, I'm their woman.) It reeks a bit of Rock Star to me.

Barry Gibb is singing "To Love Somebody." Oh, he's so not the Barry Gibb I adored so many years back. But I like him better than Pink!

RESULTS UPDATE: Melinda Doolittle is safe. It's down to Blake or LaKisha going home. Simon thinks it will be LaKisha. And it is... Blake Lewis is safe.

LaKisha Jones is going home. (And I called that one last night!)

TV Newsy Bits - Wednesday, May 9, 2007

I'll be live-blogging the American Idol results show as it airs tonight on the East Coast. So, if you want to dish on the happenings or you're in another time zone and just can't wait... stop on by anytime after 9 PM EDT. The blog entry I'll be creating at that time will be updated continuously throughout the show up to and including who leaves tonight.

After that, you know I have to watch Lost although my recap/review on that show won't be posted until tomorrow evening.

Here are today's TV Newsy Bits:

• I guess I'm not the only live-blogger out there. Even though I'll be tied up with Survivor tomorrow evening, if you're a My Name Is Earl fan, there's a blog event for you! Tomorrow night is the show's finale and NBC is hosting a live-blogging event which you can peek in on today. If you have questions about the show or want to take part in the goings-on, the blog is here. You can also check out a video preview for the show.
• AOL Television's American Idol poll has Jordin leading, Melinda second place, then Blake, and LaKisha coming in last. I think they have that right.
• Billy Ray Cyrus got the boot from Dancing With the Stars. Should he have been on the show?
• I peeked in on the official CBS Big Brother 8 website. The deadline for applications was a few weeks ago, so they're hopefully working hard to get us some summer eye-candy guys... er, entertaining and intelligent houseguests. Of course, that's what I meant to say.
• What? Say it ain't so! Sanjaya Malakar in I Love New York 2? Eep. TMZ has the skinny on that. That will surely bring down the property values.

'American Idol 6' - The Final Four Sing to the Brothers Gibb

Don't get me wrong. I like the BeeGees. While I only have their pre-disco "Best of the BeeGees" ballad days vinyl in my music collection, their disco stuff was good. I was just a bit anti-disco at the time. The BeeGees knew what to do when and how to change their style to fit the current music scene. I admire them.

But I felt tonight's show was um... not good. The songs all seemed a bit off even though songs like "Stayin' Alive" can stand the test of time. They just couldn't stand the test of the American Idol final four contestants, I guess. I wasn't really moved by any of the performances tonight. However, if I had to name the winner of the night, I'd go for Jordin followed by Melinda.

Each contestant sang one song in rotation, then sang a second one in the same order. While I'm going to write about both songs for each contestant, keep in mind these weren't sang consecutively. The order was: Melinda Doolittle, Blake Lewis, LaKisha Jones, and Jordin Sparks. (Second verse, same as the first!)

Barry Gibb surely isn't the same guy I had a crush on decades ago. He talks like his jaws are wired shut, but can still hit that falsetto. He seemed to really work with the contestants, though. Not that all listened to his advice, of course.

The first song Melinda Doolittle chose was "Love You Inside and Out." Barry noted it was a group song with falsetto, but thought she worked it out well. That she did. Technically, her vocals flawless. But for me, even though Melinda ranks best in my personal opinion, I wasn't excited.

Randy thought it was solid, good. Paula said her vocals were spot on, always are spot on. Simon wasn't all that impressed. He said it was "not incredible" and more of a backing singer's performance. Oy!

Her second song was "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart." I got a kick out of how she didn't want to sing the line "Can a loser ever win?" Barry Gibb thought it probably best to leave that line out, too. Again, I thought she did perfect on a technical level. I enjoyed it more than the first song, but it definitely wasn't my favorite Melinda Doolittle performance.

Randy called her the "resident pro" again and said it was much better than the first song. Paula said it was a beautiful vocal, but she needed to "surprise us." Simon said the second half of the song would get her in the semi-finals.

For his first song, Blake Lewis chose "You Should Be Dancing." And, yes, he danced. Barry thought beat-boxing fit the song. But when he was on stage performing, I thought his beat-boxing detracted from it. Usually, with more contemporary songs, it adds. Not so much for this song. This may have been my least favorite Blake Lewis performance ever.

Randy said it was like going to a weird disco in a foreign country. Paula said it wasn't his best performance, but he's unique. Simon said it was terrible. I have to agree with Simon on this one.

His next song choice was a song with which I'm not familiar - "This Is Where I Came In." While, again, I didn't think the beat-boxing worked well with the song, I thought the performance and his actual singing of the song a world better than his first round.

Randy said it was better and there's no need to beat-box every song. Paula called him a "contemporary rebel." She also said it was on key and she enjoyed it. Simon called it a bizarre song choice and tuneless. I disagree with Simon. I heard a tune and thought the lyrics actually suited Blake well. I just don't think he delivered.

LaKisha Jones chose "Stayin' Alive" as her first song choice. Um, okay. Barry thought it would be a challenge for her, especially with the falsetto. I didn't think she did horribly, but it wasn't her proudest moment on the show. It's a fast song, and she just didn't keep up... or something.

Randy said the performance was weird, not working, and that she tried to change the song too much. Paula said she took the tempo down. Simon said, "No kiss tonight, baby." He said she was shouting and verging on "scary."

Her second song was more suited to her, I think. "Run to Me" is a ballad, not disco. Barry thought she'd have a challenge with changing the key of the song and that she would rise to the challenge. I thought she did well enough, but nothing earthshaking.

Randy thought it was better than her first song. Paula said she's still a champ. Simon said, "You and Blake are both vulnerable." I agree with Simon. I think we'll say goodbye to LaKisha this week.

Jordin Sparks blew Barry Gibb away as she was working on what would be her first song - "To Love Somebody." He said many have recorded the song, but her version is the best so far. Wow, powerful praise there, eh? I think she lived up to it while she sang. It was definitely the best performance of the night even though Melinda sang perfectly.

Randy deemed it "the best vocal of the night so far." Paula said she was beautiful and agreed with Randy. Simon said it was the best song choice and the best performance of the night. (Remember, she was the last one to sing the first round.)

The second song Jordin chose was "Woman in Love" popularized by Barbra Streisand. Barry Gibb was agog over Jordin. He thinks that she's "going there" and will one day be one of the great recording artists. I thought she did well, but I preferred her first song. Even so, this would be my second favorite performance of the night... both coming from Jordin. I have to admit that's not saying all that much as I think tonight's show was a bit of a dud.

Randy gave the performance two "check it outs" and said it wasn't her best, a bit pitchy. Paula seemed to agree, called her beautiful again and said she loves her anyway. Simon called the performance old-fashioned and "pageanty."

All in all, while I like the BeeGees singing their songs, American Idol shouldn't go there again. What did you think?

"It's only words
and words are all I have..." - "Words" by the BeeGees

'Heroes' - "The Hard Part" - A BulletPoint Report

Yes, graphics artist Zoetawny made me a Heroes tag for the blog. (She rocks, y'know.)

Blog reader Sydney asked me in comments if the show location in NYC and bomb bit bother me due to my proximity to the events of 9/11. Although I truly love this show, I must admit that the NYC bomb/nuclear explosion bit does bother me some. I lost some friends, neighbors, and a relative when the planes crashed in the World Trade Center, and it changed life around here. So, yes, it touches a nerve at times, but I enjoy this show anyway.

And tonight was no exception. Here's the skinny to keep things up to snuff (or something to that effect):

• Hiro and Ando teleported back to the present. "Don't worry, New York! We will save you!"
• At the Petrelli house, Claire is still supposed to go to Paris, but Peter tells her she can't leave.
• Peter told her she's needed to save the world.
• "I explode," said Peter. "Like Ted," Claire replied. Peter didn't know about Ted Sprague's ability.
• Ted Sprague, Matt Parkman (mind reading ex-cop, future creep), and Mr. Bennet decide to head to NYC. The Walker Tracking System which tracks the heroes is there.

• Sylar, after killing Isaac, painted Ted Sprague.
• It dawns on Sylar that if he absorbs Ted's powers, he will explode.
• "Is that what Isaac saw?" - Sylar has a conscience?
  
• Sylar called Suresh Mohinder telling him that taking the powers is natural selection, but he didn't want to kill the innocent. He didn't want to be responsible for the apocalypse.
• Nikki in the mirror again convinces Jessica to go with DL to rescue Micah from Linderman.
• Meanwhile, Micah is with Candice (the illusionist morphing woman) in New York.
• Micah doesn't like Linderman. "He smells funny."
• At the Kirby Plaza, Suresh met up with Bennet's ex-boss (Thompson?), refused to work for him.
• Thompson told Suresh he had the only one who could stop Sylar - Molly Walker.
• "She's on the list." Sylar attacked her family. She has a virus and her powers are currently blocked.
• Sylar, still at Isaac's, made a phone call, then was prettying himself up to go visit someone.
• Hiro and Ando arrived at Isaac's, saw Isaac dead on the floor Sylarized (as Hiro saw once before).
• They hid behind Sylar Ted painting when Sylar emerged from the bathroom.
• Sylar heard their heartbeats (super hearing from the woman in that garage).
• As Sylar whisked the portrait away, Ando and Hiro teleported out and escaped.
• Back in Las Vegas, Jessica and DL went through the wall into Linderman's place. He wasn't there.
• They found files on their lives (Nikki, Jessica, DL, and Micah).

• There was a painting of Micah in a burning high-rise building there.
• Suresh met up with Molly Walker, a young child.
• He determined that she was like his deceased sister, Shanti.
• Her (blocked) ability is finding people wherever they may hide.
• Molly told Suresh of the Boogeyman who sees into your soul and steals your brain.
• Suresh eventually gave Molly a cure - his own blood.
  
• Back at the Petrelli's house, Claire told Nathan that Ted Sprague blew up her house.
• Nathan called Linderman. "Mr. Linderman, we have a problem."
• The election is tomorrow.
• Who was Sylar going to visit? Why, it's his mother! He brought her a snow globe for her collection.
  
• She fusses about him, tells him he could be anything, even the President.
• He was upset that she neglected a clock of his father's and set about fixing it.
• He hedged around and seemed to be trying to get her permission to no longer be "special."
• He just wants to be a normal watchmaker.
• "You could be so much more!," she told him.
• Back where Micah's being held, he tried to escape. But Candice's illusions had him returning to the same room each door he tried.
• Candice appeared to him as Candice instead of his mother and told him to behave.
• Oh, back to Sylar's mother's place in Queens -- Hiro and Ando followed him there and eavesdrop outside of the window.
• Sylar's mother continues to do what she wants, makes him a sandwich when he really wanted to talk about being normal again.
• Uh-oh. When she insisted how special he was, he told her "I can do a lot more you don't know about." He then made it snow.
• Everything whirled and he lost control. A snow globe hit her in the head, causing a cut.
• She locked herself in her bedroom.
  
• As he begged for forgiveness, Ando said it was the perfect time for Hiro to kill him with the sword.
• Hiro said he couldn't kill someone while he was asking for forgiveness.
• Sylar told his mother he was going to do something horrible, he was going to kill a lot of people.
• His mother told him he wasn't her son. He wasn't Gabriel. She told him to leave.
• Sylar and his mother started fighting and he (seemingly accidentally) stabbed her with a pair of scissors.
• At that moment, Hiro froze time and tried to kill Sylar with his sword.
• Sylar unfroze, grabbed the sword and broke it while his mother was still frozen in time.
• Hiro and Ando blinked away. Sylar's mother fell to the floor, dead.
• Back to Peter and Claire -- Peter gave Claire a gun, said she had to go to Kirby Plaza with him. If he started to explode, he wants her to shoot him in the back of the head where the glass shard had "killed" him before she took it out.
• Claire saw a picture of Ted that Peter drew. He told her he could draw the future. "You're a part of this, Claire."
• Mom Petrelli, called by Linderman, went to Nathan to convince him he had to follow through on the plans. It's his destiny to set the course of history after the catastrophe.
• Cut back to Sylar - he's using his dead mother's blood to draw Kirby Plaza on the apartment floor. Creepy!
• Claire and Peter went to Kirby Plaza only to see Mr. Bennet, Ted Sprague, and Matt Parkman approaching.
• Claire ran to her Dad.
• Peter started absorbing Ted's abilities and his hands went radioactive.

Wow. It sounds like Sylar has issues, eh?

TV Newsy Bits - Monday, May 7, 2007

Another season of The Amazing Race has ended, Survivor 14: Fiji is down to one show and then the big finale and reunion night (Sunday, May 13 starting at 8 PM). But we're getting closer to Big Brother 8! That should be starting the first week of July.

Dancing With the Stars and The Bachelor: An Officer and a Gentleman are still going strong, as is American Idol. And, but of course, tonight is How I Met Your Mother and Heroes night for me!

Here are the TV Newsy Bits for today:

• If you're in the New York City area and, especially if you were around in the 1970s, tonight's 11 PM WCBS2 news (Channel 2) has an interview with Son of Sam killer David Berkowitz thirty years after the killing spree. I know it's a macabre thought, but I won't be able to not watch it. That was such a horrendous and plain old odd case.
• BuddyTV has their interview with Eric and Danielle, winners of The Amazing Race 11: All Stars, online for your perusal.
• Celebrity Spider has mild promotional spoilers (nothing big) for this week's Survivor 14: Fiji episode.
• Heh. Celebrity Spider also reports that the host of Pimp My Ride has lost his license to drive. Hmmm... could he get a new show called Pimp My City Bus?
• After sources said a few days ago that Lost will end after two more seasons, new sources are now saying three seasons.
• TVGuide.com has an interview with Missy Peregrym, the actress who plays Candace (the "illusionist" Primatech Paper morphing woman) on Heroes.
• This article casts doubt on the return of Jericho or The Class next fall, but I haven't seen any official announcements.

An added note: Some of the regular blog readers want to get a real-life meet-up arranged sometime over the summer. Most likely it would be in either New York City or perhaps Philadelphia. If you're a regular commenter here and want to get involved in the planning, send me an email (the contact info is in the sidebar). I'm putting together a mailing list to work on the details. Since this blog doesn't show email addresses, we're doing this off blog. If you want to get involved, yet don't want to use your regular email, send me an email telling me who you are in comments and I'll send you a free gmail invite.

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - Season Finale

Well, the season is over and I have mixed feelings. I've never been too keen on "all star" seasons of reality shows and this season of The Amazing Race did nothing to change my opinion.

When the team announcements were originally released, I was a bit disappointed -- too many teams from the most recent season, one team which wasn't a team at all. After all, Danielle and Eric were originally on competing teams during their season. Oh, I know why they included them -- a TAR love story or whatnot. But there were enough other teams I enjoyed and, as always, I love the concept of the show.

I thought this season was a bit tamed-down in the challenges, too. There didn't seem to be as many risky challenges, although they certainly had more than the Family Edition (Season 8) year. Nonetheless, it was a great glimpse into countries I may never see and into other cultures. I can't call the season time wasted, not at all.

Tonight's finale was only an hour long which always seems too short for a big show event. And, tonight it also seemed they whipped through a couple of challenges, then it was time for the last Pit Stop. I found it to be a bit of a letdown in one of the more lackluster seasons of the show. Mind you, I enjoyed it overall. It's only lackluster when compared to the excitement and thrills of past seasons. Your mileage may vary.

Here's what happened on the finale leg:

The teams left from Guam with the Beauty Queens, Dustin and Kandice, starting at 11:53, Eric and Danielle leaving at 12:55, and Charla and Mirna last to leave at 1:29. It didn't really matter who left when, though, not in the long run.

They had to take a flight to Honolulu where they'd take a helicopter from Kamaka Air to Lanai to get their next clue. All three teams tried for the same flight, but Charla and Mirna found an earlier connecting flight putting them ahead of the other teams by about forty minutes.

The helicopters each could carry one team, first come first served. They left ten minutes apart. So, once again, lead time was narrowed down so no team was at a huge advantage. Once they received their clues, they drove to a harbor where they got the clue to the Detour.

Teams could go Under or Over. In Under, they would have to dive into an underwater cave fighting the currents to get a clue tied to a rock. In Over, they had to "surf" on a paddleboard out to a buoy to get the next clue. Smartly, Charla and Mirna chose Over. This is the short of challenge where Charla's lower center of gravity is a huge bonus. Oh, not such a great challenge for Mirna, though. Eric/Danielle and Dustin/Kandice chose Under, with the girls having a rough time with it and falling behind.

From there, teams had to hike a mile to Shipwreck Beach to find their next clue. Eric and Danielle arrived there first and Charla and Mirna were last even though they originally were in the lead. Running across rocks, unlike the paddleboarding, isn't easy for Charla. After they made it to the beach, each team had to take an inflatable kayak and row (against currents) out to a shipwreck. Nearby the shipwreck was a buoy which contained their next clue.

None of the teams are ever going to be Olympic-class rowers. But Eric and Danielle did the best, followed by Dustin and Kandice and then Charla and Mirna. All finally made it through, even though the Beauty Queens had a brief spat, then made up.

And, once again, all teams ended up on the same flight... this one to the final destination, San Francisco, California. Charla used her heelies in the airport once again -- too bad they don't work over rocks and on beaches!

Then it was a slow cab race to the final clue leading them to the Old Mint. Now, I found the challenge faced there interesting and different, even though it wasn't daring and exciting. One member of each team had to answer questions about the previous teams while in a vault. They would enter the answers and ended up with a code. Then the other team member would come in and try to figure the answers their partner gave. When the answers matched, the code given would open a safe which contained the location of the finish line. It seems that Uchenna and Joyce seem to have attracted the most friends. Danielle, after several attempts, lined up the same answers as Eric. But Charla and Kandice (or was it Dustin?) both took the time limit and ended up being given the clue as they couldn't make all the matches.

The finish line was at the Botanical Gardens, with Phil and all of the previous teams, as we have grown to expect. Eric and Danielle made it there first, with the Beauty Queens not all that far behind. Then came Charla and Mirna.

Oh, well. I'm ready for a real show next season with all new teams for us to cheer on or boo! What did you think of this season? I don't think anyone I've seen commenting ever named Eric and Danielle as a favored team from the start, but maybe someone out there wanted them to win it all along. I only recently began to admire their determination after the two Yields. Although I don't care for Eric's personality, they seemed to work more like an actual team from that point on once the pressure really hit.

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - Season Finale East Coast Update

Eric and Danielle won.
Second place is Dustin/Kandice.

A full review/recap will be posted later tonight.

Tonight's 'Amazing Race' Finale

The show will start on time here in the NYC viewing area (yay!). By 9 PM EDT (6 PM Pacific Time), I'll have the finish order and winning team posted in an East Coast update post. Later tonight, I'll post a full review/recap of the finale. May the best team (take your pick out of the remaining three) win!

Sweeps Pants - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - May 7-11, 2007

Well, last week Dave pulled a fast one on us by replacing Amy Sedaris with Toby McGuire. It was an interesting segment, but I want Amy, too!

What's on the schedule for this week as we're heavy into the May Sweeps period?

• Monday, May 7 - Regis Philbin promoting Shrek the Third, but I'm sure the appearance will be a lot more than just Shrek. Darlene Love from Broadway's Hairspray is also a guest. I'm checking this one off as a "best of the week."
• Tuesday, May 8 - Jane Fonda will promote her new movie, Georgia Rule. Author Tom Ruprecht (George W. Bush: An Unauthorized Oral History) and American Idol first season winner now a huge success, Kelly Clarkson (latest CD is My December). An interesting note is that Ruprecht either is still, or at least was, a writer for Letterman. So I'm looking forward to that segment.
• Wednesday, May 9 - Lindsay Lohan (also promoting Georgia Rule), comedian Tom Dreesen, and musical group The Kooks whose new CD is Inside In/Inside Out.
• Thursday, May 10 - Dr. Phil, who has a CBS Primetime Special to promote - Caged. I don't know what that's all about, but his interaction with Letterman is always entertaining. Oh! And Jungle Jack Hanna will be on, too! Woohoo... we have a tie for best of the week. Heck, this just may push Regis off my top list.
• Friday, May 11 - Charles Grodin (The Ex) and comedian Jake Johannsen. Um... okay. I get a bit tired of Grodin's "upset" schtick when on the show, though. How many decades can you act miffed?

TV Newsy Bits - Saturday, May 5, 2007

It's Cinco de Mayo! A time for festivities, tacos, and even parades. I know there are lots of activities going on in this area and it's likely there's something happening in your neck of the woods, as well. Here in the Northeast, the weather is perfect for outdoor doings, whether it's checking out cultural celebration or just enjoying the day itself. Sieze the day, I say.

I want to express my gratitude for the readers and the commenting community here on the blog. I know many of you started reading the Big Brother live feeds either on this blog or the one before it, then you stayed. Big Brother 8 is in casting mode at this time. They historically wrap things up only a few weeks before we see the first show. The cast is put in sequester about ten days before they go into the house. The season usually starts for us during the first week of July, and that seems to be the schedule this year, too. I'm watching for news and will let you know when I hear something concrete. And, yes... I'll be covering the feeds once again this season.

In other TV Newsy Bits:

• Paris Hilton's Simple Life is going to get a lot more simpler -- she's heading to jail for 45 days for violating her probation.
• In Survivor news, Jeff Probst is very impressed with Yau-Man Chan according to this Reality TV World article. Reality News Online (RNO) has an interview with Alex, the most recent castaway, as well as a transcription of his The Early Show appearance. "You can be a Ninja by yourself. You can't be a Ninja with Mookie."
• Kristine Lefebvre, a candidate on the recent The Apprentice: L.A. bares it all for Playboy according to E! Online and TMZ.
• Reality TV World says that Stephanie Wilhite, recently ousted on The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman, saw it coming. Another contestant on the show, Amber Alchalabi, saw her boss resign over her leave of absence to appear. Yikes! Sheesh, it's one thing for reality show contestants to lose their own jobs in pursuit of a dream, but for a boss to be in hot water and blow her career?
• Billy Ray Cyrus' wife claims that he's happy to remain on Dancing With the Stars in this Reality TV Magazine interview.
• Can't get enough of Sanjaya Malakar? Celebrity Spider has the list of concert tour dates for the American Idol Top Ten contestants. Um... no. I won't be going.
• This week we'll see BeeGee Bro Barry Gibb coaching the American Idol contestants. I think that's fitting, don't you? At this time, the four all want to be "Stayin' Alive."
• In other American Idol news, Reality TV World says that Chris Richardson "knew" he was heading home this week. "I seen the band setting up, and the guitar player grabbing a 12 string guitar, and I'm the only person with a 12 string guitar, so you put it together," said Chris. Why am I not surprised that he said "I seen." Saw, Chris... you saw! AOL Television has an interview with both Phil Stacey and Chris Richardson, as well as other exit interviews with previously dismissed contestants.
• We can expect Lost to last for two more seasons according to E! Online and discussed in this TVSquad article. The good news is that this will give the show's creators a timeline in which to address issues raised. The bad news is that once this season ends, we won't see the show again until January. I personally think long hiatus periods hurt shows. I know that I lost interest in Jericho when it went away for so long and haven't watched it since its return. I know they can't run new shows for forty episodes a year, but I think they have to come up with a better plan. The show should move back to the 9 PM slot once it reappears.
• AOL Television has a feature page for May Sweeps and May finales. Check it out and mark your calendars!

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - Ep. 12 -or- "Hunks of Meat on a Rope"

Since the promos for this week's episode had concerns that Yau-Man would be voted off, I figured he'd be safe tonight. As the show went on, it definitely looked like he should start worrying, but I'm getting ahead of myself here.

Seven are left. Who will be voted out tonight?

The show opened on Night 30 as the tribe members returned to camp after voting out Mookie in Tribal Council. We all know Alex saved his own butt in the game by casting the deciding vote for his pal Mookie. But Dreamz is confused, trying to crunch numbers with his fingers.

Earl was very uncomfortable with the split vote and mentioned it to his alliance. He thought either Mookie or Alex might swing the vote and, sure enough, that's what happened. He thought Alex was much more of a threat and now he's with them. I think Earl's right about the threat value. Alex is definitely a smart player and will do just about anything to stay in the game.

Meanwhile, Alex thinks his best plan is just to lay low, listen, play a "Ninja" game, and perhaps try to plant some seeds of distrust. He hopes that there will be dissension in the ranks and he can slip himself right in. Since Yau-Man has the hidden Immunity Idol, he attempts to make folks think Yau-Man can't be trusted.

The Reward Challenge was a bit um... primitive. Yeah, that's the best way to describe it. Hunks of pork (cooked, thankfully) were hanging by ropes. The tribe members had their hands tied behind their backs. They had to take bites out of the pork, then deposit the mouthfuls on designated plates. Blech. They looked like crazed zombies going after the meat. It should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway... they made pigs of themselves going for the pork.

The challenge was timed and Jeff weighed the results. Boo had bitten off literally more than he could chew - 8.9 pounds. Dreamz and Yau-Man were runners-up with 6 pounds each. The winner, Boo, and the runners-up won a helicopter trip which dropped them off to whitewater rafting.

Boo also won a bag which would "put him at an advantage" for the upcoming Immunity Challenge. He wasn't allowed to open it until then. He chose to send Earl to Exile Island. I personally think that move was more so Earl could get another clue to the newly-hidden Idol, but I may be wrong. Maybe he did it to punish him or something. I really don't know.

In the helicopter, Yau-Man and Dreamz had window seats and both were taken in by the amazing scenery. They spotted Exile Island and even thought they could see Earl there. Boo sat in the middle and talked. And talked... and talked. Both Yau-Man and Dreamz seemed to be silently cussing him out or imagining they could gag him somehow.

Back on Exile Island, Earl read the latest clue to the newly-hidden Immunity Idol. He already knew the Idol was back at their own beach because Boo had shared his clue with him. (My reasoning for thinking that Boo wanted to send Earl there in hopes that he/they can snag the new Idol.) The new clue said the clue was in a normal path, in a tree by a rock. Large rock? Maybe.

The Rewards Trio had a ball whitewater rafting, then checking out truly breathtaking scenery with some fantastic waterfalls.

Their reward was far from over, though. They had a feast and, when they were through eating, they were each handed envelopes. Letters from home! Boo's family eats well. Yau-Man's son got a good report card. And, the most tear-jerking letter was the one to Dreamz from his sister. It gave him resolve and determination to know how much his sister thought of his opportunity.

After they returned to camp, Alex was pleased that they seemed to be down on Boo for being so loquacious (love to throw in big words now and then, I do). He uses the seed to throw in his two cents, working on Cassandra, Dreamz, and Stacy... trying to spread his distrust of Boo and Yau-Man. But he tells us that if Boo wins Immunity, he knows he's in trouble. I'd say he's dead meat hanging on a rope, even.

The Immunity Challenge was in two rounds. It turns out that the bag Boo won in Reward bought him an automatic in to go directly to the final round. It contained three climbing steps. All of the others had to dig in sand for buried steps, within their own marked lanes, and find them one at a time. Cassandra basically gave up, but Yau-Man and Alex really worked it.

Alex made it, along with Dreamz, to the second round. In that one they had to use the climbing steps to climb twelve-foot high poles planted in the water. The first one to get all the way up and grab his flag would win immunity.

Alex tried his best, but Boo won Immunity.

Uh-oh, Alex. You better pedal hard now. And, he did. He tried to get Dreamz, Cassandra, Stacy, and even Earl against Yau-Man since he couldn't work the Boo angle anymore.

Cassandra seemed iffy like she might swing and voiced her thoughts to that effect in confession. Dreamz is the surprise here. He seemed to buddy-up with Alex once again. Is this guy acting or what? He even told Alex that Earl was winking and everything as he (Alex) talked about voting out Yau-Man. I've decided that this kid is more loyal than his talk.

When Tribal Council's votes came down, all voted for Alex to go except Alex (voted for Yau-Man). So, the six voted as one and Alex is gone. Alex is right in that next week, it's going to get messy. The six will have to start picking each other off. I know Yau-Man and Earl are a pair. Cassandra waffles, although I think Dreamz wants to form a group of three with her and Stacy (didn't he dislike her before?). Boo is a bit of a wild card. I really think he wants in with Earl and Yau-Man... or at least in with Earl.

Next week should be good! Oh, it would be nice if Cassandra wore something else. She was on the verge of a wardrobe malfunction throughout the show.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - May 3 - Voted Out

Alex was voted out.

A full review/recap will be posted later tonight.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - May 3 - Immunity

Boo won Immunity.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - May 3 - Reward, Exile

Boo won Reward. As runners-up, Dreamz and Yau-Man will accompany him on a helicopter trip, then raft ride down the Amazon. Boo also received a mysterious package which could be an advantage at the next Immunity Challenge.

Boo chose to send Earl to Exile Island.

Tonight's 'Survivor' Blogging - 5/03/07

I'll be posting important events as they occur in East Coast Update entries - Reward, Exile, Immunity and the boot.

Late tonight, I'll be posting a full review/recap. Please stop back!

'Lost' - "The Brig"

Yes, Lost remains back! Tonight's episode was creepy, mysterious, violent, mind-boggling and more. Although the writers have often said that there is no Heaven, Hell, Purgatory reasoning behind the island, they seem to want viewers to think Purgatory (or Limbo) could be a possibility.

Huh. The writers must have studied Ben's mind games, eh? They seem to want to play them with us. It certainly looks like John Locke is coming along in the mind games case study.

The episode was Locke-centric, but the flashback sequences only dated back to when Locke discovered his father (from the "magic box") and the Others subsequently deserted the Barracks.

The Flashbacks
Ben and Locke are in the room where Locke's father ("Cooper") is secured to a chair. Ben told Locke that he brought him here. He as in John Locke, that is. He also warned him not to get too close. Kind of Hannibal Lechter, Cooper bit John as he tried to untie his gag. Cooper said, "Don't you know where we are?"

But then Ben took Locke away from Cooper, saying that they're leaving. They're going to a "new place, an old place actually." Locke is invited and given the chance to say goodbye to the captive Kate.

3 Days Ago - The Others, including Locke are set up in tents. Ben was listening to the tape from Juliet as Locke enters his tent. He let Locke listen and told him they would take the pregnant women, but no one would get hurt.

Ah, Ben can walk with the aid of a walking stick. He told Locke that he thinks he (Locke) cured him. Then he told him that he's "not ready." Ben claimed that Locke is still crippled by the memories of his father. That's why Locke "brought" Cooper to the island. The magic box is just a metaphor. Ben told Locke that he must make a commitment, a gesture of free will... he must kill his father.

Ben set up a grand display for the Others. "It's time," he told Locke. Cooper was tied to a tree and all were invited to watch Locke kill him. But, Locke just couldn't do it. Ben called him a sad pathetic man, then told the gathered crowd, "He's not who we thought he was."

Locke was crushed, disappointed in himself.

2 Days Ago - Locke sat on a hill overlooking the camp. He took the bandage off of his hand only to find his recent Cooper-bite wound was completely healed.

He was approached by an Other, Richard. Now, I think this was all set up by Ben, but here's what happened... Richard told Locke that Ben had known that he couldn't kill his father and was just determined to embarrass him.

But, if he could now walk after his broken spine and consequent paralysis, he was indeed very special. Richard said Ben was playing with novelties like the pregnancy issues when there are more important happenings, real cases. However, his father must die. Richard handed Locke Sawyer's file and suggests "someone else" kill Cooper, then all would be fine.

Then Ben and the Others packed up the camp. Ben told Locke that they were leaving and he wouldn't be going with them. "Is this to put me in my place? I'm not special enough? Everyone makes mistakes," Locke protested. Ben told him that they would leave a clear trail for him, but he wasn't welcome unless he was carrying his father's dead body.

On the Island
Kate and Sawyer are still shacking up (surprised?). Sawyer packed a gun (why?) to go water some bushes when he happened upon Hurley and Jin. They were obviously spooked by his presence, but I guess nature's call was stronger.

As Sawyer did his thing, Locke came out of the bushes at him. Of course, they all know that Locke had defected. But Locke gave Sawyer a cockamamie story about how he didn't join the Others... he infiltrated them. For a con man, Sawyer, though leery of Locke's story, Sawyer's not too bright. He believed him to a point when Locke claimed to have kidnapped Ben.

Locke told Sawyer he wanted him to kill Ben, but Sawyer said that he would bring him back to the camp instead. He also told Sawyer about the contents of his file -- the fact he killed a man in Sydney, he was a con man, his father killed his mother then himself. Eep. Locke told Sawyer that when he hears what Ben has to say, he'll have no trouble killing him.

They approached an old slave ship in the woods, overgrown with weeds and on land. Locke told Sawyer that Ben was in the brig. Inside the ship there were the skeletons of slaves and plenty of old dynamite.

Sawyer could hear muffled, muzzled human noises and headed to a door. But once inside, Locke slammed the door leaving Sawyer inside with "Ben" chained to a pole with a burlap bag on his head.

Sawyer ripped off the bag to reveal Cooper, not Ben at all. (Who couldn't see that coming?) He pummeled the door, cursing out Locke. Meanwhile, outside the door, Locke had a visitor to the ship (the Black Rock). Rousseau arrived for some dynamite. Hmm. Neither seemed all that surprised to see each other.

When Sawyer released Cooper's gag, once again Cooper hinted they were in Hell. He told Sawyer his son wasn't crippled, he was dead... as are all the passengers of Oceanic Flight 815. He told him that he (Cooper) had been hit from behind while driving in Tallahassee. As he was loaded in the ambulance, the paramedic had an odd smile, he received an IV, then all went black. He woke up on the island. But he's sure it's not an island and that he's dead, gone to Hell.

When Sawyer found out that Cooper was a con man, he asked him if he ever pulled a con in Jasper. As Cooper bragged about a $38 grand scheme, Sawyer realized that Cooper (then posing as a Mr. Sawyer - the one that Sawyer took the name over and sought revenge) was the one responsible for the death of his parents. He gave Cooper the letter he had written. Cooper laughed and ripped it up. Sawyer went into a rage and killed him, choking him with the chain which bound him to the pipe. Only then did Locke unlock the door and let him out.

"Thank you," Locke said to him. Sawyer was upset, vomiting over what he had done. Locke then told him that he could go back to camp. "He ruined your life and mine." He told Sawyer that he didn't infiltrate the Others, he was on his own journey. He advised him that Juliet was a mole and gave him the recorder she had left for Ben. "In three days, there will be a raid and they will take any pregnant women. You must warn the camp." When Sawyer asked him if he had been paralyzed, Locke told him, "Not anymore."

While all of this was going on, the rescued helicopter pilot, Naomi, was being hidden in a tent by Desmond, Hurley, and Jin. None of them trust Jack to help, but they needed someone to give medical attention to her.

Hurley approached Sayid who was digging (what?) and brought him into their confidence. Sayid questioned Naomi who told him about the plane crash of Flight 815 off the coast of Bali. All of the bodies of the passengers were recovered. She told him that she was hired to find Desmond, not the flight victims. She was hired by Penny, Desmond's wealthy woman. She also claimed the helicopter took off from a freighter 80 miles away. But her radio to contact the freighter was broken. Sayid seems convinced that Naomi's lying. No one actually saw the helicopter, did they? Nope.

Hurley and Sayid were trying to fix the radio when Kate happened upon them. They told her about Naomi, but told her not to tell anyone.

So, what does she do? She runs off to tell Jack about Naomi. Jack was with Juliet and was adamant that anything to be said to him could be said in front of her. Kate hesitated, then spilled the beans. Argh!

What happened next was odd. Juliet told Jack that "he should tell them." Tell them what, I asked my TV set? "We should tell her," Juliet said once again.

"No, not yet," replied Jack.

LOST [thunk]

Tell her what? I want to know!

All in all, a very intriguing episode, don't you think?

'American Idol 6' - May 2 Results Show - East Coast Update

The show is starting here, Ryan is clean-shaven. I'll be updating this blog entry with events as the show airs East Coast time. Please use the American Idol label/category on this entry or the sidebar to return here.

Ryan's talking to the judges now about last night. Robin Thicke and Bon Jovi will both be on the show. Ryan and Simon have already quibbled.

Reuben Studdard is promoting the Idol Aid cause, but not singing. He's shed some weight from what little we could see.

Now they're recapping last week's Idol Gives Back special. No results yet, no Bon Jovi performance yet. Ryan was right when he said they're "stretching" this show to an hour.

Robin Thicke is performing now. I guess he's popular, but I'm just not feelin' it, dawg. Falsetto and a wannabe mustache.

A very toned-down Fantasia just plugged Idol Aid much the way Reuben did. We're into commercial now and supposedly the first goodbye will happen... when?

After the break.

The Idol Ford video commercial was sung to "Paint it Black." Thankfully better than Gina sang it.

RESULTS UPDATE - Melinda, Phil and LaKisha to join Ryan. Two week total over 135 million votes. Melinda is safe. LaKisha is safe. PHIL STACEY is leaving tonight. He's going "Down in a Blaze of Glory."

RESULTS UPDATE - Jordin is safe. Joining Phil in leaving will be either Blake or Chris. I hope it's Chris, but it hasn't been announced yet and we're in break. Ryan sat Jordin down quickly because he "messed with her enough last week."

Bon Jovi, the "guys from New Jersey," are performing now. They did "(You Want to) Make a Memory" and Jon's pleased with the contestants.

Taylor Hicks is pushing Idol Aid now. We're in break and, guess when the final result will be announced?

RESULTS UPDATE -- Chris Richardson is going home.

So, it's goodbye to both Phil Stacey and Chris Richardson tonight. Gee, I called that one. I had predicted Chris and either Phil or LaKisha.

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Yikes, can you tell it's May Sweeps? So many new episodes are on that it's going to keep me recording and watching all evening!

The two shows I must watch live are the American Idol 6 Results Show (which I'll live-blog major events including who's going home in an East Coast Update entry) and Lost (which I'll take photos and notes during, but won't post a full review/recap until early tomorrow evening - dang having to work for a living).

If you're West Coast or just want to talk about the events of tonight's American Idol on the East Coast, drop back tonight after 9 PM EDT. The show will feature a live Bon Jovi performance and two contestants are going home. We can have a little wingding right here on the blog to either celebrate or commiserate over the events!

Also on the TV schedule for the evening:

• 8 PM ET/PT -- A new Jericho episode on CBS, new Thank God You're Here on NBC, new Bones on FOX, new episodes of According to Jim and Notes From the Underbelly on ABC, new America's Next Top Model on CW. I'd like to check out Notes as I get a kick out of Barry Sonnenfeld, but I don't care for According to Jim at all. I've lost touch with Jericho since its hiatus, so I'll probably watch Bones -- a show you don't have to watch weekly to understand the story. Maybe I'll tape Notes to check it out.
• 9 PM ET/PT -- A new Criminal Minds episode on CBS, new Crossing Jordan on NBC, American Idol 6 hour-long results show on FOX, last week's Lost episode ("D.O.C.") on ABC, a new One Tree Hill on CW. You know what I'll be watching (AI), but what will I record for later viewing? Criminal Minds.
• 10 PM ET/PT -- A new C.S.I.: NY episode on CBS, new Medium on NBC, and a new Lost on ABC. It's Lost for me hands-down for the live watch, C.S.I.: NY for the recording. If this is the Medium they were promoting, it boasts Jason Priestly this week.

What will you be watching and recording tonight?

TBS and TNT Plan a Cool Line-Up For Hot Summer Nights

Before long, we'll be into the lazy hazy and hot days of summer. Sure, there will be fun in the summer sun, but there will also be evenings spent in air-conditioning watching television, too! At least, that's my plan.

Keeping up with providing new and original programming, both TNT and TBS have new and returning original series slated for us. If you have basic cable, you've got both of these networks. And, if you haven't been checking them out lately, you really should do so. They're not just running repeats, y'know!

TBS, the Very Funny Network, has a new series, Tyler Perry's House of Payne, scheduled to premiere on Wednesday, June 6, at 9 PM ET/PT. Tyler Perry is best known for Diary of a Mad Black Woman and Madea's Family Reunion. I got a bit of a sneak peek at this show and I admit I identify with the lead character's take on children. Just based on that, I'll be giving the show a shot. Anything which can make me smile is a good thing, right?

On Tuesday, July 17, at 9 PM ET/PT, another original series will premiere -- The Bill Engvall Show. Again, I got a sneak peek. It's of the dysfunctional family genre but with the twist of the husband being a family counselor for a living. Once again, the sneak peek made me smile, so I'll be checking this show out, too. Although, looking at the day and time, it may be up against Big Brother. Uh-oh. It's a good thing I can record shows, eh?

My Boys, my favorite current sitcom outside of How I Met Your Mother, returns with new shows on Monday, July 30, at 10 PM ET/PT. The show is current, cute, witty, and has a great cast. What? You have never seen it? Sheesh... watch it. If you liked Sex in the City and Friends, this one is a shoe-in although it's not quite like either show.

Over at TNT where they know drama, I admit to being a Law and Order rerun addict. But, like TBS, they're in the original show game, albeit drama rather than sitcoms.

On Monday, June 18, at 9 PM ET/PT, The Closer returns for its third season. This heart-pounding, yet not without a sense of humor, crime drama is a must see for me. It's well-written, keeps the pace, and boasts an excellent cast. Watch it and you just might get hooked on it!

Following The Closer season premiere on June 18, a new series makes its debut. Heartland is a medical drama starring Treat Williams as a surgeon who will take any risks to save his patients in the organ donor world. I'm not always too keen on medical dramas, but I enjoy Treat Williams, so I'll have to give this show a look-see at the very least.

On Wednesday, July 18, at 10 PM ET/PT, another new original drama premieres on TNT. Saving Grace stars Holly Hunter as a "cynical police detective facing a personal crisis of divine proportions." Hmmm... the sneak peek I had of this one is definitely intriguing. The series looks quirky, fast-paced, and exciting.

On Sunday, August 5, the limited series The Company makes has its premiere. It will be aired two hours a night, three Sundays in a row. Starring Michael Keaton, Alfred Molina, and Chris O'Donnell, it portrays the events of the Cold War from both the CIA and KGB perspectives. This show looks like an intelligent, well-produced event rather than mere television fodder. Again, I'm sure to check it out.