Oh, my... I've been busy watching television lately, haven't I? Of course, I still have to work and do things like eat and sleep, too. Gack. I'll be happy when American Idol isn't five hours a week! That's a bit too much and I forgot to tape Law and Order: Criminal Intent last night.Before I go on with the actual TV Newsy Bits, I'd like to thank all the readers for their comments on so many entries! I read each one and, although I may not always agree with everyone, I like to read your takes on the shows. If you're interested in a particular show I write about, there is a label at the bottom of each one and a list of Categories in the main sidebar of the blog. By clicking on the show title, you'll bring up all entries in that category, newest first. Also, please keep in mind that this is your home for East Coast Updates for boots (voted off, castaway, fired, etc.) on The Apprentice, Survivor 14: Fiji, The Amazing Race 11: All Stars, and soon (tomorrow night) the voted off from American Idol 6. I started doing those as so many folks in other time zones really want to know. So, I post quick updates as the shows air here in the NYC area and post longer review/recaps afterwards.What about those TV Newsy Bits? Here you go:- You like to have fun with the voting for American Idol, but the polls are closed? AOL Television has an Idol Ranking poll with some results which might surprise you.
- My friends over at Buddy TV have posted their exclusive interview with John Vito and Jill, eliminated in the first leg of this season's Amazing Race. RNO also has an interview with them posted.
- Want some spoilers about Survivor 14: Fiji? You can try here. Or here. But don't say I didn't warn you that they're spoilers. And, of course, they could be foilers, too. The only spoiler I could tell you about tomorrow's show is that one of the Ravu members will start a fire with water on an eyeglass lens. Heh.
- In other Survivor 14: Fiji news, Reality News Online (RNO) has posted their exit interview with Erica, voted off last week on the show.
- News reports are rampant all over the web - Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - has met its demise or "indefinite hiatus." Although I didn't enjoy the show, I know several blog readers here did and I'm sorry to hear it's been canceled.
- Celebrity Spider (amongst many others) is reporting that Fantasia will be singing and make some sort of "special announcement" on Thursday's American Idol results show.
Are you ready for the next six of the most talented male singers in America? Yes, feel free to insert a bit of sarcasm in there. I have the first six performers of the way-too-long show in this article, so here's the rest...
Beatboxer Blake Lewis with his fauxhawk gone awry was next in the competition. I personally think what he does with his human beatbox is amazing. And, yes, he can sing, too. He sang "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane and did a decent job. He didn't quite rock my world, but if I were in the youth market, he'd certainly have my vote to stay.
Simon declared it the best of the night so far while Randy and Paula missed the beatbox but liked the song. Me? I can't really see him going on to win Grammy Awards, but I think with his talents he should be able to draw a fan base in the entertainment industry.
Sanjaya Malakar was up next trying another Stevie Wonder song, "Knock Me Off My Feet." I felt he did okay, but it wasn't a great song choice. It made him sound a bit like a kid and, since he's perhaps the only teenager in the competition at this point, he has to step up a bit.
Simon was very rough on him, but Sanjaya took the criticism well. His parents should be proud of him. Paula and Randy were more kind, but Sanjaya has his work cut out for him. Oh... Simon is right - the girls will love his hair. I think the teen vote will keep him in the competition at least through this week.
My personal favorite, partly due to his sense of humor and partly due to his bluesy voice, Chris Sligh was next. He sang "Typical" by Mute Math -- showing how untypical he really is. A solid performance according to Randy and Paula, but a confrontation between Simon and Ryan Seacrest overshadowed the whole thing.
Simon called Ryan "sweetheart" and Ryan made a scene. The next thing you know, it was all about snapping at each other and I feel it put Chris in a bad light. If this is a clue what may happen down the road, no one has to worry about Paula's state of mind anymore. They should just anticipate fisticuffs between Ryan and Simon.
Jared Cotter, the sole New York area contestant, was next up on the stage. This guy is smooth, but I'm very iffy about him. He sang "You're Like a Dream Come True" by Brian McKnight. He did it well enough. He'll get the teen vote along with others getting the teen vote. But I'm not seeing a winner of it all here.
Paula and Randy seemed to think along my own lines... okay, nothing really exceptional. Simon called the performance "unadventurous and nasally."
A.J. Tabaldo performed next, giving us a spirited and enthusiastic rendition of "Never Too Much" by Luther Vandross. A.J. is the one who's been trying five years to get on the show. I do like his spirit, but I feel he's not long for the competition. I really think he should be something other than a shipping clerk, but I don't see pop star. Perhaps cruise ship entertainment? I don't know.
Simon thinks theme park. Okay, that would do it, too. Paula danced and Randy claimed "you can blow" (which is good, of course).
Phil Stacy, the one whose wife gave birth to his new daughter early when he was on his first audition, was next. He sang "Could Not Ask For More" by Edwin McCain as his wife beamed from her seat in the audience.
Randy loved it, declaring it the best performance of the night. Simon was decidedly less enthusiastic about it.
Me? I don't know. All I can think of while watching Phil is that some men shouldn't have bald heads because they have lumpy or odd-shaped heads. Some can get away with it, some can't. Phil can't. I know that's shallow of me, but there you go. His voice is okay, but he doesn't rock my socks. That said, I loved watching his proud wife in the audience.
Tonight the top twelve girls will perform. As I also watch and review/recap Lost, my take on them may be a bit more abbreviated than this one. Time (and talent) will tell. I'm feeling a bit let down by the men so far, maybe my favorite women will snag my attention.
If they didn't run all the commercials, tonight's two-hour show could have finished in an hour or so. American Idol is always saturated with commercials, but tonight seemed worse than usual. Feh.
Tonight was the Guys Night Up. Tomorrow is the top twelve girls and then on Thursday two from each group will be eliminated. The pressure is on! Now, although I credit the male group chosen for being better on the whole than last season's group, I'm not feeling the passion in the performances. True, I think there's only one very young guy (Sanjaya) and no Kevin Covais types. But other than Chris Sligh, I'm just not seeing a stand-out talent.
Rudy Cardenas took the stage first with a version of "Free Ride" which I know as done by the Edgar Winter Group. Um. Okay. He performed the song with a lot of energy.
Was I thrilled? Nope. He wasn't bad, but it just didn't seem the right sort of song for him, I don't think. Randy said it was corny. Paula enjoyed it. Simon said it wasn't anything unique. I agree with both Randy and Simon. I'd say he might have a shot at being one of the two leaving on Thursday.
Brandon Rogers was up next singing Michael Jackson's "Rock With You." I thought, for what it was, he did fine. I think that Brandon has commercial appeal and he can sing. Again, nothing which really struck me as super-fantastic, but decent.
Paula thought he should do less runs in the song, as did Randy. Simon said it was safe and predictable. They're all right.
For an excellent initial audition, it's been nothing but downhill for the Sundance Kid. The song he chose was popular circa 1967 or so - "Nights in White Satin" by the Moody Blues. Except for memories of the times, it drags way too much for a show like American Idol. I don't think he was as off key as the judges claimed, but I think he sealed his fate. Simon said it reminded him of a Dad singing at a wedding. It just reminded me of the slow-dancing theme of my school days and smoke-filled rooms.
I like Paul Kim, barefooted and all. I don't think he'll make it to the end without shoes, but I enjoy his singing. He sang George Michael's "Careless Whisper." I thought he did okay.
The judges thought along the same lines as me. Okay. Of course, that may not be good enough at this stage of the game. But I think he's probably safe on Thursday.
Next to take the stage was Justin Timberlake's doppelgang
er, Chris Richardson. The voice, the haircut, the dance moves... I swear he's Timberlake's stand-in. That could be good for him in view of much of the audience, but doesn't do much for me. He sang "I Don't Want To Be" by Gavin DeGraw and did it well in a Timberlake kind of way.
I do enjoy watching his parents in the audience, though. Randy and Paula were positive, Simon was glad the show returned to the current century. But he also said that the song made his voice "sound small." I'm sure he's a shoe-in to make the cut on Thursday.
Nick Pedro, the one who choked on the lyrics and quit last year in the Hollywood Rounds, sang "Now and Forever" by Richard Marx. This is another sort of draggy-slow song. I think he can sing well and he can exhibit personality. Where was it?
Simon, Paula, and Randy were bored.
So was I.
Due to the length and graphics in this entry, I'm splitting the show's coverage into two entries. Please check back for the next one!
Starting next Monday night (Feb. 26) after Heroes, it's The Black Donnellys. No, I'm not sure of the status of Studio 60 as I never got into that show. I'll try to find out if it's canceled or just on a hiatus. But I'm intrigued by the premise and writers behind Donnellys. The show is written and produced by Bobby Moresco and Paul Haggis, the award-winning team who brought us Million Dollar Baby and Crash in the movie studios. I thought Crash was an exceptionally well-done movie. The story follows four brothers from an Irish family and has drawn comparisons to a younger Sopranos with the fun of Entourage. I received a link from NBC with video sneak peek of the show and invite you all to check it out! The official website for the show is here. Despite my reality television addiction, I love good crime-related dramas. I'll be there. Are you planning on watching this one?
Now, this is edge-of-your-seat excitement in a television show. Tonight's episode flew by as if Peter was flying over the Empire State Building carrying Claude (Invisible Man). Oh, wait. That happened.
Here's the lowdown and dirty on the latest:- Lionel Sprague (Radioactive Dude) met up with the newest hero, Hannah. She's called "Wireless." She can send transmissions such as emails, phone calls and such through her mind. She told him that "they" got to her, too. They decide she could wire them, he can nuke 'em and they team up together to save themselves and save the world.
- Mrs. Bennet recognizes Claire again.
- Isaac Mendez (Future Painter) called Mr. Bennet. Bennet arrives in NYC and sees Isaac's paintings of Peter Petrelli's footprints. "He's invisible!" Isaac, whether driven by jealousy or under Bennet's influence, believes that Peter will indeed blow up the city (by blowing up himself).
- Matt Parkman (Mind Reading Suspended Cop) gave his wife one of the rings from last week's Malsky incident. As she called him on the fact that it's worth 40 grand, he got a call to meet Sprague and Wireless. He teams up with them to save themselves and, of course, save the world.
- Sylar is still pretending to be Zane Taylor with Mohinder Suresh. They travel
to meet a new hero, a woman named Dale who has super-hearing. She became uneasy around Sylar/Zane because of something she heard in his heartbeat. He did the metal-melting bit to show others have powers. Mohinder himself seemed a bit uneasy with Sylar as he talked about his father being killed by um... Sylar. Yes, of course, Sylar sneaked back to Dale in the evening and stole her brain and, thus stole her power. "What's that I hear in your heart?" "Murder." The power didn't set well with him. She had mentioned headaches and he had severe ones after stealing the brain. - Meanwhile, back in Las Vegas, Hiro's Vulcan hand greeting was re-shown and I snagged a shot. Yay.
- Hiro teamed up with a reluctant Gaming Commission man to go find Ando and what's-her-name who roughly kidnapped Ando. The man lectured Hiro about how partners will always bring you down - if something happens, their blood is on your hands. They find them and a shootout ensues between the woman (Hope, was she?) and the Gaming Commission man. The pink bag
was full of casino chips. Ando got grazed by a bullet and Hiro managed to stop a bullet. So his power is back. - Alas, Hiro decides he has to be a hero on his own. Ando wasn't happy. He had gotten into thinking it was his destiny as well as Hiro's. (And I'd like it to be - I love the team of Hiro and Ando!)
- Ando takes the Versa and Hiro boards a bus all alone.
- The kicker to that scene was that the bus driver was none other than Stan Lee, the creator of Spider-Man and many Marvel Comics. I love it! I saw his name in the beginning credits and was watching for him. Perfect!
- Back at the Bennet's home, Claire's "mother" (Mrs. Bennet, not her real one) collapsed in the kitchen.
- Back in NYC, Peter and Claude (Invisible Dude) were wrassling on
the roof of the DeVeaux Building (where the pigeons are). Okay, Claude claimed he wanted Peter to call on his powers. He's trying to make him use them to save himself and... the world. All of a sudden, Bennet and his henchmen are there with some special vision guns which can see invisible people. Who woulda thunk it? When they started to shoot, Peter grabbed Claude and flew away to safety. Oh, wait... Peter also showed that he has telekinesis and remembered that may have came from Sylar (he said the man who killed the cheerleader). Claude got ticked that Peter brought attention to him and vanished again. - Claire called Bennet before he could go after Peter and Claude. She told him that her mother was in the hospital. The nurse told her that her mother had a subdural hemorrhage or bruise on the brain. Claire was sure the Haitian did it to her. She told the nurse, who probably thought she was whacked. When Mr. Bennet arrived, Claire went off on him. She doesn't trust him and thinks that he's going to be the ruin of the family. She must protect the family. She thinks he's evil.
- When the Bennet family arrives home, who's there? It's a confrontation by Sprague, Wireless, and Matt Parkman! With weapons and powers.
- Back in NYC, Peter confronted Isaac and they got into a bit of a battle. Bennet had given Isaac a gun to protect himself from Peter. But Peter turned invisible, used other powers and dodged the bullets. Remember, though, the promos for the show kept saying, "Someone dies." They didn't mean Dale.
- As Isaac tried to shoot the Invisible Peter, Simone came through the door. Twice to the chest, someone dies. Rest in peace, Simone. You can join your father.
Oh, I'm so loving this show!
Oh, my... I've been busy watching television lately, haven't I? Of course, I still have to work and do things like eat and sleep, too. Gack. I'll be happy when American Idol isn't five hours a week! That's a bit too much and I forgot to tape Law and Order: Criminal Intent last night.