Party Pants - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - Jan. 1 - 5

Like David Letterman, I've been laying a bit low this holiday week. I hope everyone has had a good holiday season!

Dave is a repeat Monday night - New Year's Day. But then he's back in full swing for the rest of the week with new shows, new pants for the new year!

Here are the scheduled guests for this week:

• Monday, Jan. 1: Originally aired 11/21/06, guests are Chris Elliott, Hugh Jackman and Jimmie Johnson. While I usually get a kick out of Chris Elliott appearances on the show, this wasn't a favorite of mine. Why, oh why, can't they show a repeat from a few years ago? Yes, the monologue would be untimely, but I'd enjoy it so much more than I do recent repeats. And, this is one show I wouldn't have picked for re-airing. Ah, well, Dave never asks me about these things!
• Tuesday, Jan. 2: Martin Short promoting Broadway's Fame Becomes Me and Donal Logue (Knights of Prosperity). Um, okay. I'm not a huge Martin Short fan although the Broadway show seems perfect for him. ('Nuff said.)
• Wednesday, Jan. 3: Matt Lauer from The Today Show, Artie Lange (Beer League DVD) and musical guest Augustana (CD is All the Stars and Boulevards). I like Matt Lauer, have no idea about the Beer League (although I've known some folks over the years who would love to be members), and I'm not familiar with Augustana. This could be interesting.
• Thursday, Jan. 4: Cedric the Entertainer promoting The Cleaner and musical guest Switchfoot (CD is Oh! Gravity.) Cedric is okay and the band sounds interesting. They're ringing a bell with me, but I just can't place them.
• Friday, Jan. 5: Now, this is the really big shoe... Donald Trump (probably promoting The Apprentice which premieres soon, but surely will touch on his latest embarrassing public feud with Rosie O'Donnell) and Mary Lynn Rajskub from 24. No musical guest is listed at this time.

There are the pants for this week. Keep in mind, if you are a stupid human or if your pet does a silly pet trick, they're always looking for new acts. I contend cats are under-represented but my own two cats refuse to go, something about shunning the spotlight. Go figure.

Sneak Peek: 'The Funniest Commercials of the Year: 2006' on TBS

Tonight, tonight, you're gonna giggle tonight.

Mark it down - tonight, Wednesday, December 27 at 9 PM ET/PT, TBS. Be there. You won't regret it. Kevin Nealon will host the event from Times Square, NYC and it is the Funniest Commercials of the Year: 2006.

I've always been a fan of entertaining television, even when it comes to television commercials - the funnier the better. I miss some of the great ones mainly because I'm not a football fan and can't endure the Superbowl just to watch the commercials. I miss others because I live in the U.S.A. and don't get to see some of the ads from abroad. I've talked about TV commercials before, from GEICO's Gecko to its Cavemen, and I've even touched on how much I love the offbeat AmeriQuest ads.

Thanks to the good folks at TBS, I have the inside scoop on tonight's show ahead of time. It won't keep me from watching it as it airs. I have screener copies from them with no commercials, after all. I have to see what commercials they have during the show!

Now, I know the Top Ten Funniest Commercials of the Year and, just to tease you... I even know the order. But I'm forbidden to tell. They're "embargoed" or something like that! If I tell, then TBS may tie me to a chair and make me watch the Duddiest Commercials of the Year over and over again until I plea for mercy. I'm not sure what they'd do if I were to tell, but I dare not. You'll have to watch the show tonight to find out for yourself.

What I will say is that some of these commercials, even ones not in the top ten, got me laughing. Although I'm very familiar with some, others are new to me. I don't believe they ever played the white-culture-club-rap "Tea Par-tay" (an ad for Smirnoff) here in the NYC area. If they did, it was during football or something and I missed it.

The foreign commercials often get a bit racier than our own and some of them probably couldn't air on our stations. But, they're in the show, possibly a bit censored, definitely somewhat blurred. To me, some of the racy commercials aren't necessarily my favorites. I like the ones which make me laugh out loud as they air and this show has many of those.

TBS has a webpage going for the show and I encourage you to drop by there and check it out.

No, you can't get the order of the Top Ten and the winning Number One out of me! I won't tell! It's embargoed information, I tell ya! TBS trusted me with it and I just can't let them down.

But I will say, I think they nailed it.

TV Newsy Bits - Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Well, well, well... TV, with the exception of holiday programming, has been a bit quiet as of late. Not to fear, though! Sometime later tonight or tomorrow morning I'll be sharing a sneak peek at a TBS show which airs tomorrow night - The Funniest Commercials of the Year: 2006. It's hosted by Kevin Nealon (ex-SNL) and I'll let you know all about it in just a wee bit.

Another new series on the horizon, this one coming to us from HGTV, sounds interesting. Television and movie actor Ed Begley, Jr. is in his own new reality show about himself... and his wife... and his obsession with eco-friendly green ways while his wife is decidedly not such a fanatic. The premise reminds me of either Green Acres or Donny and Marie (she was a little country, he was a bit rock and roll) on a modern basis with a real-life couple. Living with Ed premieres on New Year's Day (Monday) at 1 PM ET/PT on cable station HGTV. After the premiere, its regular slot will be Sunday nights at 10 PM ET/PT through February 4. The website for the show has more information. I'll be checking it out.

Just a reminder - if you're in the Boston area or have plans travel there, Grey's Anatomy fans have the chance to see GA's Kate Burton in the play "The Cherry Orchard" at the Huntington Theatre. The play will run from January 5 through February 4. Adam from the theatre was kind enough to send this photo taken at the first rehearsal meet and greet.

Y'know, Boston is lovely in the winter! If I were closer, I'd certainly go.

In other TV Newsy Bits:

• Start the New Year With a Triple Episode Night of "Heroes" on NBC - Yes! Three episodes, although repeats.
• Don't forget - TBS will be showing new My Boys episodes tonight through Thursday night at 10 PM ET/PT. If you haven't caught the show yet, it's a lot of fun and a step away from the dramas we usually see at that hour (as well as this week's repeats).
• Following a pattern of big name stars in episodes thus far this season, Law and Order: SVU kicks off the non-repeats next week with "name" guest stars according to Celebrity Spider.
• The ex-Prison Break actor recently involved in a car accident which killed a teenaged boy, Lane Garrison, has been fired from his role in a movie.
• The Mountain Press has an article about Survivor: The Australian Outback winner Tina Wesson's new book. Will you be buying it?

Pants With a Purpose - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - Dec. 25 - 29

Last week we saw Dave knock the meatball off the top of the Late Show Christmas tree for the second time, leaving a crushed Jay Thomas in his dust.

This week we're in store for repeats, not unexpectedly I might add. Since I've seen them before, maybe I'll hit the sack early for a week! I wonder what it's like to get nearly seven hours of sleep.

Here's the line-up:

• Monday, Dec. 25: Originally aired 12/04/06 - Danny DeVito, duct tape expert William Beacom and Silversun Pickups (musical guest). The kid with the duct tape is fun - all you ever wanted to know about duct tape, but were afraid to ask. Er, okay, he has some facts, but basically makes things out of the duct tape. I want a pair of the duct tape Converse knock-offs.
• Tuesday, Dec. 26: Originally aired 11/22/06 - Matthew Broderick, Stupid Pet Tricks, Lupe Fiasco & Jill Scott. A decent show, but cats are so under-represented in the Stupid Pet Tricks segments!
• Wednesday, Dec. 27: Originally aired 11/06/06 - Will Ferrell, Britney Spears Walk-On, Jack Hanna. Now, this one I'll watch again. I'm not a big Will Ferrell fan although his latest movie sounds interesting - I like the thought of being a character in a novel, I guess. And, I can never get enough of the Jack Hanna segments on the show.
• Thursday, Dec. 28: Originally aired 11/28/06 - George Clooney and musical guests The Decemberists. The Clooney segment is fun as he taunts Brad Pitt with embarrassing photos, but that's the height of the excitement for this one.
• Friday, Dec. 29: Originally aired 12/13/06 - Regis Philbin, Kid Scientists segment and music guest Robert Randolph and the Family Band. An excellent show, for sure. But this is way too soon to see it again. If you're a steel guitar fan, check out the band. Robert Randolph is amazing.

So, there you go... your repeat pants for the holiday week. Hopefully Dave is enjoying the holiday time with little Harry who's really at a cute age for the season this year!

Happy Holidays!

I want to take a moment to wish all of you a Merry Christmas (if that's your holiday) or plain ol' Season's Greetings if you don't celebrate Christmas.

Thank you for being such a huge part of this blog - you've made it all worthwhile!

I hope you enjoy the day with family, friends, love and (of course) great food.

Graphic by Zoetawny. She rocks, y'know!