TV Newsy Bits - Saturday, February 17, 2007

Not really television news, but it's expected to finally get over the freezing point here in the NYC Greater Metropolitan Area. Yes! Okay, only three degrees over freezing, but it's a start. Sunny and 35... it's kind of like a tropical heat wave!

Again, it's a Saturday night full of mostly repeats, but I see that BET has The Wire on at 9 PM (unlike last week when I had to tape it at 2 AM Wednesday to catch it). Oh, I'm so into the show! It's like Homicide: Life on the Street done narcotics (and a bit rough) and is written by the same person who's responsible for Homicide.

In other TV Newsy Bits:

• Sad news for the NYC news buffs... longtime reporter and news anchor from WNBC, Ralph Penza has died. For decades, he was the "hard-hitting" reporter exposing stories and he even had a creative edge about how he did stories from a sort of film-making angle.
• The good people at Buddy TV have an interview with ousted castaway Erica, the latest to be voted off Survivor 14: Fiji. She credits her MySpace page for getting her on the show. Huh. The whole interview is an interesting read.
• Remember Amy Crews from Big Brother? You know, the one who was smitten (so to say) with Marcellas Reynolds. She recently visited a chat at Jokers Updates and they have the transcript up.
• Celebrity Spider has mild promotional spoilers for this week's Lost episode while the New York Post has an article about the show's declining ratings.
• Anna Nicole Smith is still dead.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - Ep. 2 -or- "Pineapple Power Goes Against Well-Fed and Well-Rested"

No, tonight wasn't a thrill a minute, but I think I'm going to really enjoy this season. I've already picked a few favorites to cheer on - Earl and Yau-Man. And, one I thought might be tough, but may talk her way into an early boot... did so. The attitude will get you every time.

It's easy for me to say that. But I know I couldn't mesh well out there with the others. I'd be better off stranded all alone on an island.

18 are left. Who will be voted out tonight?

As the show opened, they spent a lot of time focusing on how well Moto was doing living in the lap of luxury while Ravu members were licking leaves hoping for a few drops of water. Moto is comfy with their couch, pillows, silverware, dinnerware, and an abundance of food to the point where their tummies are full. Over at Ravu, they're hacking open coconuts to gather water and spent a very long and fruitless session trying to make fire.

Boo turns out to be accident-prone. He somehow managed to jab himself in the eye with a stick or something. Then he hit his hand with an axe which continued on to strike his leg. Then, as Dreamz (Dre) was saying, "Boo will hurt himself out of the game" - the hammock in which Boo was resting broke loose and slammed him to the ground. I'm sure the bits were edited to be sequenced that way, but it was funny.

When Sylvia (sent off to Exile Island and doomed to join last week's losing tribe, Ravu) arrived, Yau-Man hugged her with ulterior motives. Sure enough, he sneaked a peek in her shoulder bag looking to see if she had the hidden Immunity Idol. Of course, we know her clue was that it's hidden at the camp.

Once again, she rubbed some folks wrong. I said last week that she came across as bossy to me. Perhaps not "dictating" as James/Boston/Rocky calls it, but definitely bossy. She's treading thin ice here. She already is an outsider, best not to be a bossy outsider. Some of the tribe members talked and it was decided that if they lose the next challenge, Sylvia would be voted off.

Although Ravu had explored several places looking for fruit or anything edible, Erica found a pineapple patch (perhaps not the proper terminology, but you understand) right near the camp. I thought Earl's reaction was priceless - "I have to marry her now. She saved my life." Pumped up on pineapple power, they thought they were invincible.

The Immunity and Reward Challenge were combined into one. The tribes had to row out to their tribe's flag, turn around, gather four crates and clasp them to their boats, then return to shore. Once there, they had to assemble a flagpole puzzle (what's with all the puzzles?) and raise their flag. Not only was Immunity up for grabs, but Reward for Moto would be fishing gear. Since Ravu still didn't have fire, their Reward would be flint. The winning tribe also would choose a member from the other tribe to send to Exile Island.

For the longest time, it looked like Ravu had their act together and would win. Although it hasn't been specifically mentioned (that I caught), they're under the belief that if they win, they would get the good camp. I believe that could be the case.

But we didn't find out tonight. They had been leading all through the water, but when it came to assembling the puzzle pole, all their teamwork fell to the wayside. Erica freaked out and started yelling while Sylvia was the target of her dagger-eyes. The team ended up focusing on Erica as much as the task at hand. Moto won it and chose to send Earl to Exile Island.

Then, back at the Ravu camp, it became a funky Bizarro world, as Anthony put it. Oh, I kind of like him, too. James/Rocky (whatever) had declared an alliance with Erica last week, but now that he was angry with her... under the bus! He and Mookie decided that Sylvia can go next, but Erica must go now. I love how those who believe they have power make these decisions. They went all around the camp seeking support for their plan.

Anthony balked a bit, but then seemed to go along with the plan. Or, at least to their faces, he did. Sylvia, who considered herself toast, loved the plan. I personally thought she got a bit too eager and should have played it a bit more laid-back, but that may just be me.

Over on Exile Island, Earl read the first clue to the hidden Immunity Idol and then his own. His clue indicated that the Idol is in a high spot. Oh... and he killed one of the poisonous sea snakes which slithered near him. He said that he doesn't like to kill animals and that snakes are misunderstood creatures. But then he mentioned that by leaving it be, that could be the one which kills him. So he killed it with a machete. "We now have come to an understanding."

In the end, the Ravu members all betrayed their buddy Erica except for Anthony and Earl because he wasn't there. Anthony and Erica voted for Sylvia to go.

Now, I foresee problems the longer Ravu stays in the deprived camp. They still don't have fire. James/Rocky seems to call the shots while I think Earl's call would be much better thought out. In the promo blurb for next week, they mention a Moto member in serious trouble. Could it be Boo hurting himself off the show? I don't know.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - 02/15 - Boot

Erica was voted off.

A full review/recap will be posted late tonight. Please stop back and share your thoughts on the show!

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - 02/15 - Immunity, Reward, Exile

Moto won Immunity and Reward (combined challenge) again. They got fishing gear and sent Earl off to Exile Island. Ravu will lose a member at Tribal Council.

Tonight's 'Survivor 14: Fiji' Blogging Schedule

As the show airs on the East Coast, I'll post East Coast updates on the important happenings (Reward, Exile, Immunity, and the Boot) as they happen here. The show will start in a little more than a half-hour from the time I post this.

You can always pull up all of the Survivor 14: Fiji blog entries with the most recent showing first by hitting the Survivor: Fiji label you see at the bottom of this (or any Survivor Fiji-related) entries. Or you can also pull them up by hitting the show title under Categories in the main sidebar of the blog. That should get you to the most recent entry rather easily.

A full review/recap of the show will be posted late tonight.

Survivors ready?