TV Newsy Bits - Thursday, December 21, 2006

Well, this may be a bit more "schtuff" than actual Newsy Bits tonight. You've been warned!

Okay, who's following the Rosie O'Donnell and Donald Trump brouhaha? (You know how I love to use the word "brouhaha" in a sentence, right? A perfect excuse to do it!) I simply can't believe these two wealthy celebrity adults, can you? And, what's getting me is that I think Donald sunk lower than Rosie. I would have thought it would be the other way around. I'm a huge The Apprentice fan, but he's disappointed me with his behavior in this matter. To sink to calling someone "ugly" and "fat" is schoolyard stuff. Not that I'm defending Rosie, mind you. But...!

Did anyone see the brief Lost promo during Ugly Betty tonight? Jack and Kate have the walkie-talkies and Jack's trying to get Kate a way off the island. Yes, more proof there are indeed two islands. Heck, if giant polar bears run amok, they can go around an island and never see another right nearby. Kate and Sawyer are attacked by the others and someone gets shot.

It seems tonight is the meatball-and-pizza-on-the-tree night for the Late Show with David Letterman judging by the promos. And, tomorrow night is the Christmas show with the Annual Christmas Tree Football Toss.

Ho ho...

TV Newsy Bits - Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Uh-oh, winter starts tomorrow. Do you have your hats and gloves? Oh, sure... I'm certain some folks live in warm winter states, but I'm not one of them. However, the forecast for this area is not including a white Christmas this year. I'm sure we'll have a white Groundhog's Day and be ready for spring anyway.

Here at the TV Newsy Bits I found while poking about the Internet today:

• The TV Tattler has an interview with Yul Kwon, recent Survivor winner (as if you'd forget).
• Taylor Hicks First Album Enters Chart at #2 in First Week - I saw Taylor Hicks singing "White Christmas" this morning on The Early Show. It was a rather unusual version, but enjoyable. I can't help but wonder what new talents we'll see next month when American Idol returns.
• Speaking of American Idol, previous winner Ruben Studdard has shed 100 pounds and has his sights set on helping others in Alabama lose weight.
• Evangeline Lilly, Kate on Lost, lost her Hawaii rental home to a fire early today. Thankfully, she and her roommate(s) weren't home at the time, so they're fine.

I'm currently watching Criminal Minds. I know it's a repeat, but remember... this is a show I haven't been watching, so it's new to me. Y'know, I may end up getting hooked on this show.

Are you all out catching up on shopping or did you get some TV watching done today?

Today's Lyrical Non Sequitur:

Seasons change with the scenery,
weaving time in a tapestry,
won't you stop and remember me at any convenient time?
Funny how my memory skips while looking over manuscripts of unpublished rhyme,
drinking my vodka and lime,
I look around, leaves are brown and the sky is a hazy shade of winter.
Look around, leaves are brown there's a patch of snow on the ground.
-- "Hazy Shade of Winter" by Paul Simon, recorded by Simon and Garfunkel

TV Newsy Bits - Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Get yer bits here. Fresh TV Newsy Bits hot off the press... er, keyboard.

Now, bear with me a moment here. Last week, the CBS website for The Late Show with David Letterman had Bette Midler listed as the Friday night headline guest. Instead, it was Clint Eastwood. They never updated the page to reflect the change. I made a correction to my weekly Late Show guest listings article when I saw the promos.

Being the huge Letterman fan that I am, I know it's always Jay Thomas who does the Annual Christmas Tree Football Toss. He's listed on the website to do it this Friday. But I swear my ears are hearing Dave Price (from The Early Show). Say what? Am I going strangely hearing deficient? Has anyone else heard Dave Price? I'll listen more closely tonight, I guess.

Right now I have the new NBC show Identity on in the background as I write this. I like the premise of the show, but I'm not sure it will hold my interest. So far my impression is that the old What's My Line? married the stage (and music) of The Weakest Link and the wedding was ordained by Penn of Penn and Teller.

The good folks at TBS sent me some more screeners for new My Boys episodes which I'll be watching over the next few days and report back on. They also sent me the news that they've ordered nine new episodes in addition to the five new ones which will air December 26th - 28th starting at 10 p.m. ET/PT. If you liked Friends and Sex and the City, My Boys attracts the same sort of audience while not really being much like either. Have I confused you yet? Check out the show!

In other TV Newsy Bits:

• Reality News Online (RNO rocks) has a transcript of the Yul and Ozzy (Survivor) interviews from The Early Show. The RNO interview with Ozzy sheds makes me like the guy even more. Yul explained his strategy in his interview with them.
• RNO rocked on with a Sundra interview, an Adam interview and a Becky interview.
• Have you had enough Survivor yet? If not, more details about next season have been reported by Reality TV World. Celebrity Spider has news about the ratings (very good) and about show memorabilia up for auction.
• What? More Survivor? AOL has a peachy-keen "Where Are They Now?" feature (not limited to just AOL members). Well, we probably all know where Richard Hatch is...!
• In non-Survivor news, Former 'N Sync Star Joey Fatone Set for Dancing With the Stars

This Week's Holiday Television Programming - December 18 - 22

Oh, no! Time is running out! Chanuka has already begun; Christmas will be here soon. But you can still shop for Christmas gifts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And, there are plenty of specials and holiday shows for you to enjoy during quiet times. This list isn't totally inclusive -- premium cable and local programming are noticeably asbsent. But it gives the skinny on specials, holiday movies, and more during the week.

Graphic artist Zoetawny made me a rockin' reindeer for the holiday, so let's all dance!

Thump.

Or not. Thanks, Zoetawny! It's spiffy!


Monday, December 18:

• Daytime television shows such as Rachael Ray and Martha will be featuring holiday content throughout the week. Ellen DeGeneres is reruns this week.
• 7 PM ET/PT - HGTV - The White House Christmas 2006
• 7 PM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer
• 7 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Santa Claus is Comin' to Town
• 8 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (movie)
• 8 & 10 PM ET/PT - TNT - A Perfect Day (movie)
• 9 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - All She Wants for Christmas (movie)

Tuesday, December 19:

• Midnight ET/PT - TNT - A Perfect Day (movie)
• 8 AM ET/PT - Comedy Central - The Hebrew Hammer (movie)
• Noon ET/PT - Lifetime - Christmas on Chestnut Street (movie)
• 2 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - Recipe for a Perfect Christmas (movie)
• 6 PM ET/PT - HGTV - Holiday Windows 2006
• 7 PM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - Mr. Magoo's Christmas
• 7 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Frosty's Winter Wonderland
• 7:30 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey
• 8 PM ET/PT - ABC - I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown!
• 8 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (movie)
• 8 PM ET/PT - AMC - Prancer (movie)
• 9 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - Christmas at Water's Edge (movie)

Wednesday, December 20:

• 8 AM ET/PT - ABC Family - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (movie)
• 10 AM ET/PT - TBS - Beethoven (movie)
• 11 AM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - A Lost Claus
• 11:30 AM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - Tom and Jerry: Shiver Me Whiskers (animated movie)
• Noon ET/PT - Lifetime - The Secret of Giving (movie)
• 2 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - Borrowed Hearts (movie)
• 3:15 PM ET/PT - AMC - Prancer (movie)
• 6 PM ET/PT - HGTV - What's With That Christmas House?
• 7 PM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - The Legend of Frosty the Snowman
• 7 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - The Year Without a Santa Claus
• 8 PM ET - WNET (PBS - NYC) - Christmas With the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Featuring Renée Fleming and Claire Bloom
• 8 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Christmas Do-Over (movie)
• 8 PM ET/PT - TNT - A Christmas Carol (movie)
• 9 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - Home for the Holidays (movie)
• 10 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - The Year Without a Santa Claus
• 10 PM ET/PT - TNT - A Perfect Day (movie)

Thursday, December 21:

• Midnight ET/PT - TNT - A Perfect Day (movie)
• 8 AM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - The Night B4 Christmas
• 8:30 AM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas
• 9 AM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - Casper's Haunted Christmas (animated movie)
• 10 AM ET/PT - TBS - Christmas Rush (movie)
• 11 AM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer
• Noon ET/PT - Lifetime - The Angel Doll (movie)
• Noon ET/PT - History Channel - The Christmas Truce
• 2 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - Christmas in My Hometown (movie)
• 2 PM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - The Legend of Frosty the Snowman
• 6 PM ET/PT - HGTV - Outta Control Christmas
• 7 PM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - Bill and Mandy Save Christmas
• 7 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Cat in the Hat
• 7:30 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Seuss on the Loose
• 8 PM ET/PT - CBS - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
• 8 & 10:30 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - How the Grinch Stole Christmas (movie)
• 9 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - A Town Without Christmas (movie)
• 9 PM ET/PT - HGTV - Over the Top Holiday

Friday, December 22:

• 7 AM ET/PT - ABC Family - Once Upon a Christmas (movie)
• 8 AM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - Olive, the Other Reindeer
• 9 AM ET/PT - ABC Family - Twice Upon a Christmas (movie)
• 9 AM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - The Legend of Frosty the Snowman
• 10 AM ET/PT - TBS - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (movie)
• 10 AM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - Bah! Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas
• 11 AM ET/PT - F/X - Miracle on 34th Street (movie)
• Noon ET/PT - USA - A Christmas Carol: The Musical (movie)
• Noon ET/PT - Lifetime - The Road to Christmas (movie)
• 12:30 PM ET/PT - NIK - I'll Be Home for Christmas
• 1 PM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - Casper's Haunted Christmas (movie)
• 2 PM ET/PT - USA - Three Wise Guys (movie)
• 2 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - A Town Without Christmas (movie)
• 4 PM ET/PT - USA - The 12 Days of Christmas Eve (movie)
• 7 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Rudolph's Shiny New Year
• 8 PM ET/PT - CBS - The 8th Annual A Home for the Holidays with Rod Stewart
• 8 PM ET/PT - BET - Holiday Heart (movie)
• 8 PM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer
• 8 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Mary Poppins (movie)
• 8 PM ET/PT - AMC - Prancer (movie)
• 9 PM ET/PT - PAX - It Happened One Christmas (movie)
• 9 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - Christmas Child (movie)
• 9 PM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - A Lost Claus
• 9:30 PM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - Bravo Christmas

'Survivor 13: Cook Islands' - Season Finale -or- "They can't light a fire when given matches?"

I'm much more satisfied with the finale of Survivor compared to the most recent Amazing Race. I had not just one, but two contestants I really thought played the game well and, gosh, I liked them! I was ambivalent about the final group on The Amazing Race once the numbers got down. At least Survivor didn't fail me!

Five remain. Who will outlast the others to be the final Survivor?

After a fairly brief (compared to some) season recap, the show opened on Day 37 with Adam contemplating his fate. He knew that unless he wins Immunity, he's sure to be a goner at the next Tribal Council. No one would sleep with him; he's all alone - a dead man walking, so to speak. He tried to plant the seeds of betrayal in Ozzy, pointing out what a huge target Ozzy carries due to his performance in challenges. Yeah, it worried Ozzy some, but was it enough to sway him?

When treemail came, it indicated a spider web and the chance to slither, run, balance, and know directions. Okay, it sure did. Jeff Probst said it was one of the toughest puzzles ever in this often much too puzzling puzzler of a season. Okay, I said the last part - Jeff just said toughest puzzle ever. I just feel there have been way too many puzzle challenges this season.

This one had them going through a heck of an obstacle course to retrieve eight bags of puzzle parts, one at a time. Once all the bags were retrieved, they had to correctly make an eight-point compass rose. For a while I thought Yul would get it as he seems very intelligent and possibly a Puzzlemaster. But, no. Ozzy won Immunity once again. He's unbelievable!

Adam tried to kick his plan to get the hidden Immunity Idol out of Yul's hands into high gear. He pleaded his case with Ozzy. He pleaded with the girls, Sundra and Becky. In confession, he said that if he can't get Yul to use the idol, he knows he'll be voted off.

And, at Tribal Council, Aitu once again stuck together and voted Adam out. They had a dream of being the Final Four and it came to fruition despite Adam's calling Becky and Sundra out for riding coat-tails. He was a gentleman as he left, though. As some might have said on Big Brother 7: All Stars, a true class act as he left.

Aitu celebrated, then treemail arrived informing them that all four will participate in the final Immunity Challenge. They all embarked on the inevitable Rites of Passage tour, gathering markers of the previous castoffs, saying the obligatory nice things about them. Yawn. They then stood on a mountain top and cast the markers onto a fire. Double yawn. About the only interesting tidbit I heard was that Jonathan had lost 30 pounds in the time he was on the island. It seemed that the Survivors had more food than ever before this season, but perhaps the editing misled us a bit.

The final Immunity Challenge had the ex-Aitu folks standing on small platforms in water. In 15-minute intervals, parts of the platforms were removed. The platforms were made according to the foot size of each so that no one had an advantage. As the platforms dwindled, my own feet hurt just watching them. The final platform was a half the size of a postcard. Yipes!

Becky was the first to fall, followed much later by Yul. Then it was between Sundra and Ozzy on the teensiest platform. Sundra put up a good fight, but Ozzy outlasted her and won the final Immunity. Woohoo! (Yes, he's one of my two favorites I've been cheering on each week.)

Ozzy was pumped over his victory, but was also impressed that Sundra held out so long. But, back at camp, the tightly-knit group knew they were going to face a dilemma - they'd have to vote one of their own off. Ozzy thought it best that they deliberately vote a tie with Becky and Sundra heading to a tiebreaker. That would be the most fair thing to do.

Yul, as owner of the hidden Exile Island Immunity Idol, was as immune as Ozzy, so it had to be one of the women. As he came through the whole game close to Becky, Yul offered her the idol. She seemed to consider it, but did she really? Would she?

At Tribal Council the idol went unused and, sure enough, it went to a tiebreaker. Now, this was amazing. After trying to do the fire-making challenge with a flint, machete, and flammable kindling for 90 minutes, Jeff gave them matches. And they still couldn't light a fire! Really! As the jury napped, rolled their eyes, and giggled and Yul and Ozzy cringed, Sundra finally ran out of matches. Becky eventually got a fire going and won. Buh-bye, Sundra.

Back at camp, Yul and Ozzy were together when a boat arrived with a feast for them. Becky was nowhere around. Ozzy thought it symbolic - it should be Yul and himself as he felt Becky did nothing to be there. Prophet Ozzy also predicted Becky wouldn't get any votes from the jury.

At the final Tribal Council, the jury wasn't anywhere near as rough as in previous years. For the most part, the constestants this season basically liked and respected each other. Yul and Ozzy were both such superb players that no one begrudged them being there. Becky, on the other hand, seemed a bit of a nonentity to the jury.

The speeches the three gave were pretty much what I expected. Yul said he was loyal to those loyal to him, brought his whole team forward, and felt he had affected the game. Ozzy talked about being the underdog and working so hard to provide food and win challenges. Becky tried to defend her actions and claimed to be working with Yul all along, not following him. She was playing a social game strategy. Um, okay.

Although I'm contemplating breaking down the questions by the jury in a separate article, a few things need to be mentioned. First, Becky made a point of telling the jury that Yul had offered her the Immunity Idol and she turned him down. Second, Brad told Ozzy he didn't think he talked 15 seconds to him while on the island. He asked him to tell him something about himself. What Ozzy told was a tearjerker - the story of a boy abandoned by his father. Tears came to his eyes, the eyes of his fellow castaways, and to my own. Jonathan was the only one a bit rough on the three and he was no Sue Hawk. He was more like Alan Alda picking on Major Winchester III.

With no cheesy (and I do miss the cheese) jet-skis or anything, Jeff ended up in Hollywood for the tally of the votes. Hey, no NYC this year? In a close vote, with no votes for Becky, it ended up going to Yul five votes to four. Since my favorites all season have been Yul and Ozzy, I was satisfied. I personally would have voted for Ozzy, but at least he won the SUV voted on by the show's fans as well as his $100,000 for second place. And, that kept the Survivor Car Curse intact, too. Even though they didn't give a car away during the season, one was won. And, no one winning the Survivor car has ever won the million. Becky, if web rumors are correct as CBS doesn't tell, won $85,000 for third place.

Overall, even though this season started up hyped with the possibilities of racial tension, I think it had one of the best casts ever. I've always been a fan of diversity and it was great to see that race didn't play as much of a role as the hype wanted us to believe. Yes, Yul and Ozzy said they both wanted to fight stereotypes, so race played a bit of a part. But at the end of the season, it didn't really matter who started out on what tribe unless you were one of the four remaining Aitu after the merge.

Jeff gave a few hints about Survivor 14: Fiji. Nineteen castaways, one tribe will have it easy, one will not, there will be an Exile Island with two hidden Immunity Idols, and something about a shocking decision one person will make. Again, it looks like the cast is diverse. Cool, I say.