TV Newsy Bits - Monday, January 22, 2007

Did you know that today is Blue Monday, supposedly the most depressing day of the year? Well, it's not for me as Heroes returns this evening!



In TV Newsy Bits I found peeking about the big bad Internet:

• TMZ has the scoop on the cast for the spring edition of Dancing With the Stars. What? No Fergie?
• The New York Daily News has reported that Simon Cowell apologized for referring to Kenneth Briggs as a "bush baby" during the Seattle American Idol auditions. Well, kind of, sort of apologized. I was just happy they weren't overly cruel to Jonathan Jayne in that bit - Kenneth seems to be made of tougher stuff.
• Actor Ron Carey, remembered fondly by me for his role as Officer-wannabe-Detective Levitt in Barney Miller, passed away at the age of 71. Rest in peace, Mr. Carey - you brought some smiles into my life.
• Paula Abdul denies ever being drunk. Ever, I say. At the same time, Randy Jackson claims there's "nothing" in the Coke cups. Then what's up with her? And, if the cups are indeed empty, why are they sipping from them? Oh, wait, he admits there's Coke in them. Never mind.
• BuddyTV has an exclusive interview with Michelle "I Quit" Sorro who left The Apprentice: L.A. last night.
• It's been reported (and is old news at this point, but I haven't mentioned it until now) that the soap opera Passions will be ending in order for The Today Show to run another hour. Now, I don't watch Passions (soaps are on my never watch list), but I think that's a bit too much for The Today Show. It's interesting at times, but four hours?

Whatever Will I Watch on TV Tonight?

The cold weather may make me want to stay inside my warm apartment and, as luck has it, some of my favorite television shows return tonight and others have new episodes slated. Oh, TV life is good sometimes, isn't it?

For me, tonight's huge draw is the return of Heroes. Yes! We're talking 9 PM on NBC in most viewing areas. Tonight's episode is entitled "Godsend" and the blurb on the listings is: "Nathan seeks Simone's help to save comatose Peter; Hiro and Ando go in search of the sword in Isaac's painting; Jessica struggles with Niki's decision to turn herself in to the police; a new hero makes a shocking debut." Ack! Peter's comatose? We saw the promos where he seems to combust, but...! Oh, I'll be watching this one and I'm so psyched that it's returning.

But I'm getting ahead of myself here. The 8 PM ET/PT time slot is also all new shows, or new episodes, I should say. CBS will have me for the new episodes of How I Met Your Mother and The Class, the first one being my "must watch" show while the latter is more because it's there and follows HIMYM. NBC is airing a new Deal or No Deal (a show which has never interested me) while ABC has a new Wife Swap (a show I've watched now and then). FOX has a new episode of Prison Break in the slot. Everybody Hates Chris is also new this week on the CW Network.

In the 9 PM ET/PT slot, against Heroes, there's a new 24 on FOX; new epsiodes of Two and a Half Men and the New Adventures of Old Christine on CBS; and Supernanny on ABC. I can bet the last one will be trailing in the ratings.

The 10 PM ET/PT time slot is my down time as far as major network television goes. CBS has a new episode of C.S.I.: Miami, but that's the one show of the franchise I just can't get into due to my dislike of David Caruso's "acting" skills. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (NBC) and What About Brian (ABC) are both new episodes, but once again, shows I have tried and don't care to watch. But, if any are your cup of tea, they're new this week. I'll probably watch The Sopranos over on A&E. I'm still catching up with that show as I don't get HBO with my cable television package.

What will you be watching tonight?

You Asked?

Sometimes folks ask questions or email me questions (about television, of course). Well, sometimes I get asked other questions, but let's stick to TV, please! Here are a few questions I've been asked lately and my answers to the best of my research and/or knowledge.

Has Cash Cab been canceled?

There is no official notice on the website that the show has been canceled although it has indeed been removed from the current schedule. The show's website page still exists with no mention of cancelation. It went from being shown in the early evenings (Discovery Channel) to a kiss-of-death slot in the mornings at 9 and 9:30. The show had been in reruns until last week and it just doesn't exist this week in television listings. The message forum for the show has conflicting information. On host Ben Bailey's website page, he mentions canceling some comedy shows on February 1-3 for Cash Cab filming. Since that section of his website is updated, we can only hope the show is just on a hiatus until new episodes are in the can. And, of course, I hope it's brought back to the early evening slot.

What the heck is going on at WCBS2 News in New York City?

I've posted a few articles about the changes in the news staff - WCBS-TV (NYC), Darn You! last spring and more recently WCBS News Wishes Another to the Cornfield? In addition to the names listed, also wished to the cornfield recently were tech editor Brett Larson (last seen in December) and news anchor Reid Lamberty. Rumors have it that Cindy Hsu's contract is ending soon and she too will be banished from the Magic Kingdom. The missing already include Roz Abrams, Mario Bosquez, Vanessa Alfano, Audrey Puente, Shon Gables and more. Don't ask me why... that WCBS2 would have to answer.

'The Apprentice: L.A.' - Ep. 3 -or- "You can't fire me. I quit."

You know, this season isn't doing too much to redeem itself. Yes, I know this is only the third episode. I believe some key factors are coming into play which could very well spell out the end to the Trump era in reality television. The move to Los Angeles puts the focus on many minutes of surfing and palms. Why so much? Once you've seen the two guys lugging the surfboards, need it be shown each week? Maybe if it tied in with the show itself, it would be okay. Yeah, put them in Carey's pink skimpy suit. That's the ticket.

The new "twist" with the losing team living in tents, albeit fancier than in my own camping days, is wearing thin on both the candidates and me as a viewer. Oh, let them go rough it in an EconoLodge or Motel 6. I'm sick of hearing them fuss and Michelle is right - it's not what she signed up for when she applied. These folks didn't sign up to be on a pampered Survivor. They want to be corporate leaders. Whoever came up with the tent bit should be fired, I say. Perhaps it wouldn't be too bad if the same team didn't lose every week, but that's been the case so far. It's knocking their morale down and annoying me. Make it stop.

And, my last rant before I talk a bit about what happened in tonight's episode - I miss Carolyn and George. With nepotism ruling, Trumpette and Trumpling (Ivanka and Donald, Jr.), the show has changed from mature professionals judging tasks to kids born with silver spoons in their mouths working for Daddy and passing judgment on folks who may know more than them about life in corporate settings. Yes, I'm sure they're both bright kids and even good kids. Nonetheless, they're Trump's kids working for him and now on television. How would they be doing in another job working for anyone else? Oh, well, they have job security, I guess.

Tonight's show had a twist within the twist, if you can follow that. Last week's winning team (Kinetic with Heidi as permanent Project Manager as long as the wins keep happening) didn't take part in tonight's task. Instead, they got massages and spent the day in luxury at the Loew's Hotel in Santa Monica.

The losing team, Arrow, was split into two separate teams. Although Aaron jumped to be the Project Manager for one team, Trump pretty much put Michelle on the spot for the second slot. She reluctantly accepted and chose Tim, Nicole, and Frank to be on her team. Since Aaron was the second to make his first pick, he ended up with a three-person team instead of four. His team included himself, James, and Stefani.

I actually liked this week's task more than the first two tasks. The teams had to come up with a Starline double-decker bus tour and it was the customers who would fill out surveys at the end to decide the winner. Now, I've never taken a tour bus like this, but I see the Big Apple Tour Buses all the time. I know they're popular and, with the right stuff to get the tourists, they're probably a lot of fun.

Once again, it was obvious that one team "got it" and the other team was doomed to failure. In this case, it was Aaron's team who really delved into the task. They came up with the idea of Laker Girls and "Famous Places, Beautiful Faces" thanks to a bit overly-enthusiastic James. But, they did it. They lined up the talent, researched an existing tour to see what tourists liked or not, and then spent more time fact-checking for along their route.

Michelle's team just wasted time. Michelle and Tim drove around Los Angeles trying to come up with a route that way. How foolish is that method, I ask? They're not familiar with the territory and didn't have a clue. My own thought would be to Google "Hollywood Landmarks" or something similar, then plan the route from there... not waste time driving around looking for landmarks. (Yes, I'm rolling my eyes here.) The friction between Michelle and her team members continued. Their theme was "The Lives of the Rich and Famous" but they would have done better with "Seedy Sections of Hollywood."

The big event came and even though James was a bit out there and may necessitate me to rename him Excitable Boy instead of Frank, they did well. Ivanka actually smiled. Over at Michelle's bus, it was a disaster. They didn't have facts, their microphones were constant feedback, and all went downhill from there.

In the boardroom, the Arrow team divided faced Trump and the TrumpKids. Both sides seemed to think they did pretty well until Trump focused on Michelle's team. Frank got in one "at the end of the day" during the session. (Remember, I'm keeping count.) Trump got the whole team pretty much tanking Michelle before they even announced the results of the customer surveys.

Not unexpectedly, Aaron's team received an 82% approval rate while Michelle's team only earned a 58%. Sympathy votes must have pushed them that high. Their tour was a disaster.

Before things could go any further, Michelle quit. Yes, the second in the history of the series to drop out. In Season 3, Verna Felton quit saying she was tired. In Michelle's case, while she doesn't rock my world as a candidate, I think she has a valid point. She didn't sign up to live in a tent and play Survivor in Beverly Hills. That has never been how the show worked in the past and the candidates were not told of the changes before coming aboard. No matter how much Trump tries to gloss over things, quitting is a smart move, I think. If she faced the boardroom, she surely would have been fired. She had nothing to lose but her dignity as the show continued. I say kudos to her for quitting, kudos!

I myself am pondering quitting if this show continues to follow this path. What would Trump say about me? Nyah, he's not the boss of me!

Dollar bills, y'all...

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - The Castaways, Part 4

Survivors ready? The new season will premiere Thursday, February 8th at 8 PM ET/PT. Although I haven't seen confirmation, I'm sure it's only going to be an hour as it has been in past years. So, (at least) one of the 19 castaways will be gone before we even get to know him... or her.

I previously listed the other castaways in Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. For easy referencing, I'm also going to add these entries in their own section in the blog's sidebar. Then, as the series airs, I can see exactly how wrong I was in my predictions. Hey, I'm just an avid fan of the show; I'm not omniscient. I refuse to place wagers. In making my predictions and observations, I'm using the bios and favorites listed at the official CBS Survivor 14: Fiji website.

The Last Four Castaways in This Series

Stacy was born in South Korea, adopted at the age of six months, and raised in Montpelier, Vermont. She chose to move to Miami sight unseen at the age of 17, attending the Ai Miami International School of Art and Design, interning, and working full-time. She sounds like a go-getter, doesn't she?

From her bio page: "Kimball enjoys knitting, making jewelry and cooking. She describes herself as resourceful, optimistic and good-humored. Whether living in Vermont, Miami or Boulder, she is most proud of her ability to adapt to her surroundings." She's single and her birth date is October 1, 1979.

What do her Favorites tell about her?

• For a favorite color, she likes "baby pink." Is that a real color? Is that a new crayon or something? [I'll always miss raw umber and burnt sienna.]
• She likes backgammon, but lists no video games.
• Her most common answer throughout the listing is "no favorite." She either likes too many to list or likes none at all, I guess.
• No favorite TV show, no favorite sport. No Survivor listed. Does she even know the show? I don't know.
• She likes horseback riding. That's always a good skill for the show, right?
• Well, she likes Sinatra and lounge music. That's not quite what I expected from her.

Gee, I don't know about this girl. Her favorites don't tell me much about how she'll do on the show while her bio itself shows she might be strong. Her possibilities could go either way, but I doubt she'll win it all or even come close.

Next up to the plate is Mookie Lee. I had to say that as the only other "Mookie" I've ever heard of was a baseball player. This Mookie was born in Seoul, Korea, moved to Connecticut, and raised in Northbrook, Illinois. His Bachelor's is in Actuarial Science and Finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

From his bio page: "Lee enjoys traveling, playing competitive sports (particularly basketball and volleyball) and spending time with his friends and family. He is a die-hard Chicago Bears fan and is a season ticket holder. He describes himself as outgoing, humorous, strong-minded, competitive and athletic." Mookie is single, currently living in downtown Chicago, and his birth date is November 10, 1981.

So far, so good. Taking a gander at his Favorites:

• Favorite colors are black and blue. I hope he doesn't bruise easily.
• Another Monopoly player. [I swear that often that's the only board game folks can think of when asked. Me? I'd say Scrabble.]
• Yet another new castaway not listing Survivor amongst favorite television shows. What's up with that? He lists Seinfeld, CSI, SportsCenter, Entourage, and 24.
• An interesting (and different) choice of magazines including SmartMoney and Money. In his favorite books I see Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. I'm sensing some sort of pattern here, aren't you?
• He likes Bacardi and Jagermeister Bombs.

Mookie looks like he may be a strong contender - young, in good physical shape and such. But my Survivor-sense isn't tingling. I just don't get the feeling that he'll make the Final Four. Don't ask me why... and I could be totally off-base.

Ah, the "older woman" of the cast. Can she break free of the fate of previous Survivor Women in their 50s? (I think of MadDog and the singing one, Wanda...!) Sylvia was born in Hong Kong, but moved to Los Angeles when she was eight years old. After high school, she moved up the coast and earned her degrees (Bachelor's and Masters) at the University of California at Berkeley. She's the founder and Chairman of a renowned architectural firm in San Francisco.

From her bio page: "Kwan describes herself as creative, energetic and determined, and according to her husband, holds the unofficial title of “Ultimate Consumer.” In her spare time, Kwan plays tennis, skis, hikes and plays golf. She’s also happy that she finally learned how to swim, because it was sink or swim as a Survivor contestant. Kwan's never met an exercise routine she didn’t like, keeping in shape with Pilates, yoga, Tai Chi, and any new type of gym equipment introduced." She lives with her husband of 26 years, has two children, and her birth date is August 18, 1954.

Time to glean more insight from her Favorites:

• In most categories, she lists multiple favorites. That means she enjoys life or that she's indecisive, I say.
• She likes Scrabble! And Apples to Apples, whatever that is.
• She enjoys hiking, jogging, and running. [I would think the last two similar interests, but I never got into either.]
• Once again, no Survivor listed in favorite TV shows. She likes Jeopardy, The Apprentice, and Shark.
• She has a lot of favorite fruits, but likes sugarless candybars? Oh, the horror! But she redeems herself by liking dark chocolate.

In looking at her favorites, Sylvia seems very health-conscious. She also seems very intelligent. Will those aspects help her make it to be the Sole Survivor? Can she beat the older-woman odds of the show? I think she may do better than some in the past, but I'm not getting winner vibes from her. I hope I'm wrong - it would be cool for a 52-year old woman to win. Yeah, Tina Wesson won one season and she was an "older" woman, but Colby Donaldson handed that win to her on a silver platter. (That's my own personal opinion, of course.)

Last, but certainly not least as he just happens to be the last man on an alphabetical level, we have Yau-Man. Fun to say, isn't it? Yow, man! Yau-Man Chan is originally from Malaysian Borneo (ringing a Survivor bell with me) and moved to the United States where he earned his degree at M.I.T. Then he went on to earn a Masters at the University of California at Santa Barbara. While he's currently the Director of Information Systems for the College of Chemistry at the University of California at Berkeley, he's worked menial jobs while coming up - including dishwasher and house painter.

From his bio page: "Chan enjoys playing table tennis, bicycling, woodworking and reading. He is a member of the USA Table Tennis Association. He describes himself as intellectual and contemplative. He considers himself a natural leader, a good organizer, very skilled with his hands, very resourceful and feels he possesses a keen intellect." Yau-Man Chan has been married for 23 years, has two children and he was born on August 26, 1952.

Oh, but what about his Favorites?

• On quick glance, I see his favorites are short and to-the-point.
• No favorite board games, but enjoys the Atari classic games and Mrs. Pac-Man.
• He's not into team sports at all. [Does that mean he's not a team player?]
• He likes to watch the news and 60 Minutes. Not a single reality show listed and, more importantly, no Survivor listed. Yikes.
• He enjoys classical music and reads The Economist.
• He likes shrimp chips as a snack. Hmmm... never noticed them on the shelves. They sound tasty to me!
• So many one-word answers.

Oh, Yau-Man seems to have a lot working against him - his age, the fact that he seems so "serious" in his Favorite listings, his lack of knowledge (so it seems) regarding Survivor itself. But, then again, he grew up in Borneo, a key Survivor territory. I'm going to go out on a limb here and give a strong player prediction. I think he might just make Final Four. Don't ask me why - it could be because I like to say his name. And, of course, I have nothing to lose. I'm not placing any wagers.