'Big Brother 9' Cast Revealed

A tip of the hat to blog reader Monty924 for sending the link to the TVGuide.com gallery. All of these photos are by Monty Brinton/CBS.

'American Idol 7' - The Atlanta Auditions

The devil went down to Georgia tonight.

Ryan Seacrest's parents showed. No, they didn't audition.

Josh Jones is up first, he's a glass guy. How interesting ... he has a passion for glass. Rather odd eyework, but he turns around and Randy and Paula get jiggy wit' it. Simon isn't thrilled, but the other two pass him onto Hollywood.

JP was Carrie Underwood's audition buddy back in 2004. She was two people behind him. People tell him he has a star quality. I'm just not seeing that, not at all. Nope, not hearing a star quality either. Buh-bye. "My pen has more charisma," says Simon.

Onto a bit about the fickleness of Paula Abdul. She's beginning to remind me of someone I know.

A girl whose dad passed away in a car accident as she went to the audition (how much more of a sob story can we have?). She looks like she may have talent, so let's see. Asia'h Epperson is her name. She is talented and makes it through to Hollywood. Paula is in worse shape than the girl.

Georgia peaches and Southern Belles. And, mostly blonde, of course. Um, do you think God cares who makes it through to Hollywood? A pageant girl who's been at it since she was four is ready to sing. Brooke Helvie. Well, not all that bad. She's through to Hollywood with all three judges' approval. Simon was hoping she wouldn't sing well because she's so annoying. Me, too.

Bad audition run time.

Southern inhospitality is within Eva Miller. Oh, they say attitude in the beginning of the bit. But I think it will get nasty. Whoops, she fell and Simon said it's an act. I agree. Now, here's one who just wants to be on television. She claims it's "not no joke." She has a crush on Simon. She's teary and defiant. Aw, she gets a hug from Simon. She doesn't make it, rips her paper up, and stomps.

Alexandrea Lushinton (sp?) sings "My Funny Valentine." I like her. Heck, I like her 93-year-old grandmother, too. So do the judges. Onto Hollywood!

Nathan Hite, a smart-alecky high school kid is planning to roll with the punches. He's not good. So not good. Simon calls it a bedroom audition. I'm glad I'm not the kid's teacher.

A punk goth something biker nurse is up nect. Oh, she thinks she's cool you hep cats. Will they dig it or not? She goes for a Janis Joplin song. She sneers. She goes for "Playin' in an American Band." Randy loves her, so do Paula and Simon. She's through to Hollywood.

They only did one day in Atlanta and it's drawing to a close. A living in his car kid is going to be the last. He doesn't call himself homeless -- he loves living in his car. (yeah, see me again after 20 years of it, kid.) Josiah Leming, sings a song he wrote. He sings with a British accent. Odd for a kid from the South. Three yesses. He's through to Hollywood.

20 golden tickets were given out in Atlanta. Tomorrow night is Hollywood or Bust, a collection of various auditions.

TV Newsy Bits - Monday, February 4, 2008

A dilapidated shack near the Netherwood (NJ) Train Station. They lie. There's no riding academy and indoor track ever coming!

In today's TV Newsy Bits --

• I wrote an article with BB9 news for TV Squad yesterday but it was just posted today. Apparently, according to Jokers, the new promos for the show are saying 16 houseguests instead of the 14 previously said. I haven't personally seen the new commercial yet.
• I think I forgot to mention an article I wrote about TV judges there for the end of last week. And, tomorrow morning there should be an Animal Planet article I wrote published. (Yes, I get around the dial, eh?)
• There's some new programming on tonight -- FOX has a new Prison Break followed by a new Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles; the new series Welcome to the Captain makes its debut at 8:30 PM ET/PT on CBS and new episode of The New Adventures of Old Christine returns at 9:30 ET/PT; NBC has new episodes of American Gladiator and Deal or No Deal taking up the entire primetime block; ABC's primetime is all new -- Dance Wars, Notes from the Underbelly, and October Road.
• Jeff Probst spills a few beans in an article about the new Survivor: Micronesia over on Reality News Online.
• Piers Morgan wrote an article for a UK outlet about working with Lennox Lewis on The Celebrity Apprentice.

Today's musical non-sequitur:
But February made me shiver
With every paper I’d deliver.
Bad news on the doorstep;
I couldn’t take one more step.
-- "American Pie" by Don McLean
* February 3, 1959 is the date the music died -- Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens killed in a plane crash. No, I don't personally remember it, though I do know the music.

Way to go, NY Giants!

I didn't plan on watching the game. I'm not all that into football. But the local hype kept nagging me. I didn't watch the entire game -- I saw the Giants score early on, then watched some Law and Order on USA. Then I flipped back intermittently only to see the Patriots hold a lead forever. Then, surprising myself, I watched the entire 4th quarter. Wow, what a nailbiter! The Giants scored within the last minute or so and ...

The NY Giants have won Super Bowl 42!

I predict the trains will be a bit rowdy in the morning.

TV Newsy Bits - Saturday, February 2, 2008

Meow. No, I didn't do the dirty deed. I just took the photo. Meow.

Happy Groundhog Day! Yes, that "famous" groundhog in Pennsylvania saw his shadow, ducked back in the hole and thusly predicted another six weeks of winter. I think that since I'm close to Staten Island (a borough of NYC, but so not Manhattan), I'll go with Staten Island Chuck's prediction. He declared winter over. While we haven't had much of a winter. I personally don't mind a pass on this winter. Thanks, Chuck!

Now, I hear rumors that there's a groundhog in Trenton in on the forecasting gig, but I don't know what he did. But I was thinking ... what if there was a groundhog in New Jersey around where I live? I can see it now, he emerges from his hole and ...

1. Says, "How ya doin'" (No, it's not a question. It's a greeting.)
   
2. Flashes his gang signs while wearing colors.
3. Asks for a ride to the mall.
4. Wants to go down the shore.
5. And can't give an accurate weather forecast because the voices in his head are confusing him.

Here are today's TV newsy bits:

• For those of you who aren't watching the Super Bowl tomorrow, there's the The Closer marathon on TNT, Animal Planet has the Puppy Bowl (with Kitty Halftime) slated, Comedy Central has a Scrubs marathon, VH1 has the Celebrity Rehab thing going on, and Bravo has a Law and Order: Criminal Intent marathon.
• Go Giants! Let it be 18 wins and one giant loss for the Patriots, please. But I can't watch a football game all the way through -- I'll peek at the score now and then.
• David Letterman had Paris Hilton on the show last night. Unlike the last time when he really went too far with the jokes about jail (you could see she was getting upset), all is hunky-dory between the two once again. Paris also seems to have left a lot of the wildness behind. Hopefully she won't ever be in the position to be behind bars again.
• Reality TV Calendar (whose pop-up ads are SO annoying) has an article with rumors about Big Brother 9. I expect the cast will be revealed early this week.
• TV Squad will be embedding and running commentary on the Super Bowl commercials tomorrow night. (No, it won't be me -- remember ... although I want the Giants to win, I'm not into football. I like the commercials, though.)
  
• Richard Hatch's appeal of his tax evasion conviction was denied.

Today's musical non-sequitur:
I've been through the desert on a horse with no name
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain
-- "Horse With No Name" by America