Guilty Pleasure TV Viewing

C'mon, I know you have some shows that you watch when company is unexpected; shows you might not talk about at the office watercooler. After all, someone has to be watching Jerry Springer or Maury. No, those two aren't on my list, but I know they're someone's guilty pleasure. Okay, perhaps one is Connie Chung's guilty pleasure and that carries the Nielsen ranking.

What? My guilty pleasure shows? Hmmm ... I'm not sure if I'm ready to reveal my television viewing quirks to the world. Oh, okay. I'll spill the beans. Just promise not to laugh at me. Well, you can snicker at me; but no guffawing, please. I'm sensitive, y'know.

COPS: "Bad boys, bad boys. Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?" Yep, that's the first show which comes to mind when I think guilty pleasure TV viewing. Old episodes, new episodes - I'm there. I can't understand my fascination with this show other than I'm a bit of a crime/police buff at heart. In 1989 Bertram Van Munster, the same person behind The Amazing Race, was on the production staff. Heck, even the tune is catchy. Older episodes airing on Court TV have the entire song by Inner Circle at the beginning of the show. As for the people appearing on the show who aren't cops? Yikes! What is going through their minds? Not only are they out there doing stupid criminal nefarious doings and all, but they sign releases to let the show air their ne'er-do-well ways!

Leave it to Beaver: Thank the heavens for TV Land network! The Beaver was one of my favorite shows when I was a small child and, now as an adult, I know the episodes by heart. Watching them brings me back to more innocent days. No, my Mom wasn't anything like June Cleaver although, if memory serves, she did have a strand of pearls - she just didn't wear them around the house. My Dad looked a bit like Hugh Beaumont, but certainly didn't wear a tie much. Then again, my older brother had a friend reminiscent of Lumpy Rutherford and I've known a lot of Eddie Haskells over the years.

When I want blood, gore, veins in my teeth (um, wait ... that's Arlo Guthrie), I can watch a myriad of shows on the Discovery Health Channel. From Medical Incredible to the goings-on in trauma centers and emergency rooms, they have it all. They have a Medical Examiner show, as well. But that's all recreated drama. I want real blood, gore and veins in my teeth.

The People's Court: I tend to peep at the various court shows. Perhaps one day I'll write something up about the genre. But, my favorite? I'm so over Judge Judy after so many years! It's Marilyn Milian who's my choice of outspoken judge these days. I started watching this back in the days of Judge Wapner, then Koch, then Judge Judy's husband whose name is slipping my mind at the moment. Well, not really slipping it, but I'm too lazy to look up how to spell the last name. Judge Milian rocks.

On a bit of a regional level, another guilty pleasure is watching CBS2 Crew early mornings as I get ready to go to work. It's an early morning news/weather/traffic and such show out of Manhattan, NY. Yes, it will let me know if my train is running late and whether I should bring an umbrella or not. However, I watch it just as much for the smiles and the giggles as I watch Dave Price on Dance Fridays and the interaction between the crew.

A really late night guilty pleasure is watching the Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Now, that show isn't anything to be embarrassed about watching, mind you. It's just the hour that it's on that's the problem. No way can I tell folks at work that I watch it when I'm often into the office by around 7 AM! I know when I hear that Cow of Time, it's way past my bedtime and I must be a crazy person to stay up that late!

So, there are a few of my guilty pleasure shows. Now it's your turn. What do you watch behind drawn curtains? And, why?

'Survivor's' Bobby Mason on 'The Early Show'

Oh, this one is priceless! Bobby Mason spoke his mind on 'The Early Show' - you can read the whole interview at this link.

An excerpt:

Bobby didn't mince words when it came to his feelings about Courtney. "One of her personalities is cool," he said. "She's got like three or four that she tucks away and every now and then a nice one will come out and you'll make a deal with her. And then, the next day, that nice one won't wake up. She's a lunatic."

He had equally harsh words for Shane. "Shane is a smart guy," he said. "If he's going to talk about me, he better do it behind my back. He doesn't want to end up smashed somewhere in the ocean with his acid-washed jeans and that mullet."

Now, that would have been interesting. Is mullet a kind of shellfish? ;-)
(I know what it is, but it does sound like a shellfish, doesn't it?)

'Survivor: Exile Island' Ep. 5 or "For the Love of Cod, Stack Those Skulls!"

Yeah, yeah, yeah ... I know. The Survivor folks name each episode to their liking. But I want to name the episodes myself. They called tonight's show "For Cod's Sake." Boring! Tonight's episode was "For the Love of Cod, Stack Those Skulls!" Yep, that's my title. Much better, eh?

Twelve are left. Who wll be voted out tonight?

After the inevitable lengthy recap, the show opened to Bruce and Aras squabbling about priorities, thinking of the tribe as a whole, rock garden building and on and on. Aras tells the cameras that he wishes he could get sent to Exile Island just to get away from Bruce. Well, we know what he won't find if he's sent there.

Let's just head off to the Rewards Challenge to get away from all the fussing and fighting. Playing for fish, beans, rice and wine, the tribes had to work together and depend on each other in sort of a bucket brigade challenge. Three tribemates were on marked areas in a line perhaps ten to fifteen feet away from each other. Another had to run to a boat to retrieve the items and each tossed to the next person. The last person had to chop off the head and tail of the fish and add them to the stash. The fish were the stumbling block due to size and the fact they were very slippery.

Casaya won, winning all the foodstuffs and wine. La Mina didn't go home empty-handed, though. They had their choice of rice or beans. Regretfully, they chose the beans. (Duh! Don't they know what beans do to your digestive system? @@ <-- patented Jackie eyeroll) They went home with the beans, but without Terry. Casaya once again chose to put him on Exile Island.

Day 12 and Casaya returned to a flooded camp, no fire to cook the fish they had won. Sashimi! Sushi! Cirie balked, but I saw she was eating the raw fish with everyone else. They should be happy, but of course they aren't. Bruce is ticked off at Courtney because she's doing yoga in his rock garden. Bobby and Bruce think that others have stolen their sleeping spots so they lock themselves in the outhouse and down the last bottle of wine. While in there, they bonded and promised not to vote for each other. Don't believe that saying "my word is bond." Perhaps it was the wine promising not to vote for each other. Cirie is practicing her flying; flying under the radar, that is. She's decided she'll let them all kill each other off and then she'll rise like the Phoenix from the ashes of destruction.

Over at La Mina, Austin and Nick found out what lots of beans will do to a rather empty stomach. Not pretty. We'll move right along.

So, it's the morning of Day 13. Courtney absolutely freaks out about the wine. Bruce didn't admit right away to drinking it, though caught with the empty bottle in the outhouse. Bobby confessed to the crime. He and Courtney got into a shout down and, before you knew it... it's Day 14 and the Immunity Challenge is ready to start.

The IC had the tribemates diving down in the ocean to four different coffins to retrieve skulls. (Who thinks of these things?) Once the skulls were all retrieved, they had to assemble a skull puzzle with a gold skull atop the others in a pyramid formation. Whoa! La Mina is back! They won immunity! It's about time!

Then it starts -- the scheming and backstabbing. Aras is hellbent on getting Bruce gone while Shane campaigns for Bobby's ouster. Shane is worried that Bobby will take up with Nick and Austin if he makes it to the merge. Bobby wants Courtney out. Danielle grabs the girls, then Shane, and gets the Anti-Bobby Movement going again. Cirie is just happy that no one is thinking of her even though she was told she would be next at a previous Tribal Council.

At Tribal Council itself, the voting was pretty spread out. Bobby was gone with 3 votes. Bruce had 2 votes while Courtney and Aras each had one.

"Bobby, the tribe has spoken. You must leave the Tribal Council area immediately."

So there ya go. That was the episode. Now, a few thoughts of my own (not that I haven't been a bit opinionated throughout this):

• This is the most we've ever seen of Bobby and now ZAP, gone!
• Dan is looking deathly skinny.
• I'm liking Cirie more each week. She works and works to fly under that radar.
• Terry has definitely benefited by being sent to Exile Island -- it's like paradise to get away from the others. He's the healthiest-looking guy on the show.
• Courtney gets on my nerves and I'm not liking Bruce so much these days.

If I had to choose who I want to win, I'd have to go with Terry. But I think I'd like to see Cirie have a shot at it, too. No Shane. I don't want him to win even though he's getting a bit more bearable each week.

Who are you rooting for now that we're getting to know the cast?

TV Newsy Bits - Mar. 2, 2006

Who's got those bits?
I've got those bits!
Whatcha doin' wit' the bits?
I'm passing them onto you!

Here are the TV and entertainment related newsy bits links I found on the web today:

• TMZ.com: News - Taylor Hicks Performs With His Band
• CANOE -- JAM! Television: Ted Danson lines up new TV gig
• Burnett Pays Visit to "Housewives" - Mar 02, 2006 - E! Online News
• For Christine, CBS Forsakes Own Mother - 3/2/2006 4:45:00 PM - Broadcasting & Cable - CA6312538
• How William Shatner Changed the World
• TMZ.com: News - Exclusive: Ace's Girl?
• Amazing Race Ratings Report - Close Second in Time Slot
• Anthony Clark to Host New Edition of NBC's "Last Comic Standing"
• Survivor's Ruth Marie Speaks Up - tvguide.com

'American Idol' East Coast Update: Booted

Heather Cox and Brenna Gethers (I called that one!)
David Radford and Jose "Sway" Penala (I was half right)