TV Newsy Bits - Sunday, December 10, 2006

Don't forget... tonight is the big season finale for The Amazing Race 10, set to start after 60 Minutes on CBS in most viewing areas. I'm not sure if it will be delayed by football which happens more often than not here in the NYC viewing area. I'll make a quick post a bit later whether it's starting on time here or not, and then I'll post an East Coast Update as the winner is announced on the show. Keep in mind, TAR, unlike Survivor, is always an hour-long finale. Next week's Survivor finale and reunion show is set to take up the entire Sunday night primetime programming block on CBS.

In other TV Newsy Bits:

• Celebrity Spider has location spoilers for tonight's Amazing Race finale, no winner spoilers are in the article.
• How well do you know The Amazing Race? AOL has an Amazing Race Trivia Test up and running. You don't have to be an AOL member to give it a shot. How do you think I did?
• I received a few neat screeners this week. TBS sent me a box mostly filled with a promotional helium balloon (which is driving my cat crazy as it drifts around the apartment) and a DVD for The Funniest Commercials of the Year 2006, set to air December 27. TNT sent me a press kit with a screener for A Perfect Day (a TNT original holiday-themed movie) with Rob Lowe, which will air next Monday night, December 18. I'll be posting separate sneak peeks on both of those soon.

Since I dragged out the vinyl last week due to Sunday Morning and its Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam segment on CBS and this morning, they had Johnny Mathis on... I hit up my vinyl collection once again today.

My Vinyl Non Sequitur Soundless Byte for the day is:
"Time is on my side, yes it is. You'll come runnin' back, you'll come runnin' back to me..." - From "Time is on My Side" - the vinyl is Hot Rocks by The Rolling Stones. This song also brings back visions of the movie Fallen with Denzel Washington, John Goodman and Donald Sutherland. I can see the shackled killer dancing to the song now every time I hear it. Yipes. That's an excellent movie.

Pants in Every Pot, This Week's 'Late Show with David Letterman' Guests - Dec. 11 - 15

After a week of much too recently aired repeats, Late Show with David Letterman is brand-pants-spanking new this week! Will this week bring about the annual Late Show Christmas tree? I guess we'll just watch and see!

Here's a look at the guests we'll be seeing this week:

• Monday (Dec. 11): Matt Damon (The Good Shepherd) and Barbara Walters. I think Barbara Walters has a crush on Dave, don't you?
• Tuesday (Dec. 12): Howard Stern and Gwen Stefani. The latter will be promoting her new CD, The Sweet Escape. The former will probably be promoting himself, as is his usual practice. Oh, he'll probably promote Sirius, too.
• Wednesday (Dec. 13): Regis Philbin, Kid Scientists, and musical guest Robert Randolph (Colorblind). I'm notching this one. I love it when Regis is on the show and the Kid Scientists segments are always a lot of fun. It's a great time of year for the kids to come to NYC for the first time, too.
• Thursday (Dec. 14): Will Smith, promoting his new movie The Pursuit of Happyness. If you don't know the background of the film, it's very interesting and rewarding. Check it out! Musical guest is Evanescence, CD is The Open Door.
• Friday (Dec. 15): Bette Midler, CD is Cool Yule, and Matthew Fox from Lost. Could this be Tree Night? It seems late, but she did do the Rockefeller Tree special and she's top-billed over Matthew Fox. I guess we'll find out.

TV Newsy Bits - Saturday, December 9, 2006

It's hard to believe that yesterday marked the 26th anniversary of the shooting death of John Lennon. I somehow remembered the day before was the anniversary of Pearl Harbor (which I obviously wasn't around to experience), but didn't think of John Lennon until late last evening. It was too cold to go to the gathering in Central Park, but I lighted a candle here.

Yesterday was also an odd commute day for me. My morning was greeted with a notice on my train seat which said that Homeland Security would be conducting practice exercises from 4 to 8 p.m., but saying schedules wouldn't be affected. That's nice. I needed a reminder that the NJ Transit trains are likely targets of terrorism just before the holidays. It's a very different world from the one I once knew.

Ah, well... onto the TV Newsy Bits:

• Lots of Survivor news is out and about! Richard Hatch has appealed his conviction claiming conspiracy. In an interview by Reality News Online, Jonathan (the recent castoff) believes he was playing a "rational" game. RNO also transcribed his The Early Show appearance. Celebrity Spider reports that Survivor 14: Fiji is still filming despite a military coup. We can expect to see that season spring 2007.
• Reality News Online has also transcribed the latest The Amazing Race Insider videos from the CBS website. See what we didn't see behind the scenes before we see the finale show tomorrow night.
• AOL Television News reports that even though rumors abound, Rosie O'Donnell won't be leaving The View.

'Blue Man Group: Inside the Tube'

The other night, I briefly touched on the fact that I was watching The Blue Man Group: Inside the Tube on the local PBS affiliate - WNET, Channel 13, NYC. The show was a part of the station's annual fund drive.

In poking about the Web, I found that the show is being aired as part of the fund drive for many PBS stations throughout the country. So, if you're a fan of BMG, or even if you're not, check your local PBS listings. If they're in a fund drive period, you may be able to see the show.

Inside the Tube combines interviews with Blue Man Group creators Chris Wink, Matt Goldman and Phil Stanton, segments featuring actual shows in Las Vegas and New York City, and footage of The Complex rock show tour.

Watching the show reminded me of what it's like to see them live at the Astor Place Theatre and how I should really go again. While the seating and knee room at the theatre is woefully lacking, the excitement, energy, and thought-provoking entertaining sensory overload makes the show a worthwhile night out. If you're near the NYC, Chicago, Boston or Las Vegas areas, it's not a cheap ticket show, but it's money well spent to experience them live. They're amazing.

And, if you aren't near one of the cities where the Blue Men "reside," then this 90-minute show is the next best thing to seeing them live.

Are you paying attention? If you're paying attention, please yell. Can I get a one-handed fist pump, please? Oh, and I like Cap'n Crunch.

Holiday Television Programming - This Weekend, December 9 - 10

Oh, no! Did you realize it's Christmas just two weeks from Monday? Is all of your holiday shopping done? If it is, then you can relax and watch holiday television programming while sipping hot chocolate and not feel guilty about hiding from the maddening crowds. Even if you haven't finished your shopping, it may be good to shop online and stay home to watch television, right?

Here's the scoop on what's on this weekend... keep in mind that it's not all-inclusive and you might want to check for programs specific to your local areas:

Saturday, December 9:

• QVC and HSN holiday shopping is in full swing for the whole weekend.
• 9 AM ET/PT - ABC Family - Ruldoph and Frosty's Christmas in July (animated movie)
• 9 AM ET/PT - TVLand - That Girl all-weekend marathon begins
• 9 AM ET/PT - BRAVO - Six Feet Under mini-marathon begins (ends at 2 PM)
• 11 AM ET/PT - ABC Family - The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus
• 11 AM ET/PT - A&E - Karroll's Christmas (movie)
• Noon ET/PT - ABC Family - The Story of the First Christmas Snow
• 12:30 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Hester the Donkey
• 1 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - Miracle on the 17th Green (movie)
• 1 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Pinocchio's Christmas
• 2 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Jack Frost
• 2 PM ET/PT - TNT - The Librarian: Quest for the Spear
• 3 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - Christmas Child (movie)
• 3 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Frosty's Winter Wonderland
• 3 PM ET/PT - Food Network - Paula's Southern Christmas
• 3:30 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - 'Twas the Night Before Christmas
• 4 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Rudolph's Shiny New Year
• 4 PM ET/PT - Food Network - All Star Holiday Gifts
• 4 PM ET/PT - TNT - The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines
• 5 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - Christmas in My Hometown (movie)
• 5 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - The Year Without a Santa Claus
• 6 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Santa Claus is Comin' to Town
• 7 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - Home for the Holidays (movie)
• 7 PM & 9:30 ET/PT - ABC Family - The Polar Express (movie)
• 8 PM ET/PT - TNT - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (movie)
• 9 PM ET/PT - ABC - Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (movie)
• 9 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - Holiday Affair (movie)
• 10 PM ET/PT - TLC - Crazy Christmas Lights
• 10:15 PM ET/PT - AMC - Prancer (movie)

Sunday, December 10:

• Midnight ET/PT - Lifetime - A Very Cool Christmas (movie)
• Midnight ET/PT - ABC Family - Home Alone 4 (movie)
• Midnight ET/PT - Food Network - Nigella Bites Christmas Special
• 1 AM ET/PT - Food Network - A Barefoot Contessa Holiday
• 8 AM ET/PT - ABC Family - To Grandmother's House We Go (movie)
• 8 AM ET/PT - Food Network - All Star Holiday Cookies
• 10 AM ET/PT - ABC Family - A Mom for Christmas (movie)
• 11 AM ET/PT - WGN - It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie
• 11 AM ET/PT - Lifetime - Secret of Giving (movie)
• Noon ET/PT - ABC Family - Santa Claus: The Movie
• 12:30 PM ET/PT - AMC - Cheaper by the Dozen (original with Myrna Loy)
• 1 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - His and Her Christmas (movie)
• 2 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Scrooged (movie)
• 3 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - Noel (movie)
• 4 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Chasing Christmas (movie)
• 5 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - On the 2nd Day of Christmas (movie)
• 5 PM ET/PT - Food Network - Paula's Southern Christmas
• 6 PM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - Casper's Haunted Christmas (movie)
• 6 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Snow (movie)
• 6 PM ET/PT - AMC - Miracle on 34th Street (movie)
• 7 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - Call Me Claus (movie)
• 8 PM ET/PT - MY9 (NYC) - Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights (movie)
• 8 & 10 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Santa Baby (movie)
• 8 & 10:15 PM ET/PT - AMC - Prancer (movie)
• 8 PM ET/PT - HGTB - The White House Christmas 2006
• 8 PM ET/PT - TNT - The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (movie)
• 9 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - Christmas on Chesnut Street (movie)
• 9 PM ET/PT - HGTV - What's With That Christmas House?