'Survivor 13: Cook Islands' - Ep. 12 -or- "Something is afoot."

Remember, we have one more episode to go next Thursday night and then the big finale and reunion show is Sunday, December 17. And, look at the numbers. After tonight there are six left. Rumors are abounding. Will there be a double eviction? Will there be a Final Three vying for the win instead of a Final Two? And, what about the Jury? If there is an even number, there could be a tie. I guess we'll see a week from Sunday!

Seven are left. Who will be voted out tonight?

The show opened with Jonathan listing the names he was called at the recent Tribal Council. You know - rat, weasel, a cancer. He's not a happy rat.

But the focus soon switched to Parvati. She was chopping at a coconut with a machete and really sliced open her thumb, right through the nail. Despite the relative severity of the wound, she handled it well. But, then again, that's the kind of wound which is going to hurt a lot more a day or two later than right as it happens. Medics were called and she had a stitch or two and did (or will) lose the nail (or most of it). Remind me not to chop my coconuts with my handy kitchen machete, please.

The sore thumb didn't hold her back during the Reward Challenge, though. Jeff surprised the castaways with family members who ended up participating in the challenge. It was a water relay where the castaways, blindfolded, had to fill up a small bucket from the ocean. Their respective loved ones, not blindfolded, would guide them to throw the water into a bucket they each held. Then the loved ones would dump the contents into a larger bucket which, when filled, would raise a flag. It ended up looking more like a water fight that a bucket brigade. And, Parvati won it with her father as her partner.

She got to choose someone to go to Exile Island. Not a surprise at all, she chose Jonathan. Then Jeff turned the tables and had her father choose two other castaways and their guests to go to a huge fried chicken picnic held in a sacred cave with locals. Since he didn't know who his daughter liked or not, he was in a spot. I think he went for the guests he liked, not the castaways. He chose Adam and his father and Sundra and her Mom.

"I call him George because he's my best friend," said Adam of his father. Um, okay. If that makes you happy, Adam, go for it.

With Jonathan off at Exile Island, the group remaining at camp -- Yul, Becky, Ozzy -- found it was very peaceful. They decided that they should hide the food from Adam and Parvati. Since Ozzy is the main food provider from fish to coconuts, he resented those two winning anything when he's feeding them. So they threw all the fruit into the woods.

At the feast, Sundra did her best to fit in, make friends, and influence people even though she was eating with the enemy. Of course, Adam and Parvati were working on their own influencing pushing their anti-Jonathan agenda. It looked like Sundra was liking them more and more, but would her allies take them under their wing?

Sure enough, they did! It was the food. Adam and Parvati brought back a feast for those who remained at camp. Now, I found this a bit odd. In previous seasons, they had to smuggle smidgens from a Rewards feast back to those who remained at camp. Adam and Parvati brought full meals for everyone including themselves. And, it was all eaten without Jonathan. Becky, in a confessional, commented on how peaceful everything was without Jonathan, but with Parvati and Adam.

The seeds have been planted.

The Immunity Challenge was a Built For Ozzy water obstacle course that the castaways had to run through twice collecting bundles of sticks. Then they had to form a pole with the retrieved sticks and hook two rings way up high. First in with the rings won. Ozzy ran over the barrels which knocked others out; folks were slip-sliding all over the course. The only one who was anywhere near Ozzy was Yul and he took some good falls. But, in the end, Ozzy won Immunity, so he's safe from Tribal Council. And, since Yul has the Immunity Idol from Exile Island, we know he's safe, too.

Returning to camp, Jonathan knew something has changed. "Something is afoot. I know it. Something has shifted." He was right. In his absence, Adam and Parvati had worked their way in with the ex-Aitu members better than Jonathan fit in with them.

Jonathan worked the girls. "Are we still cool? Are we voting Adam out tonight?" They mumbled some sort of affirmative mumble. Then Jonathan went for Yul. "I saved you! I was loyal." Yul mumbled a bit, too. Adam also approached Yul and pleaded his case. Yul talked to Becky and they thought that Adam and Jonathan should go away as soon as possible and then they would need to think about Ozzy as he's way too strong a competitor. In a confessional spot, Yul likened his own position to a "Godfather ordering a hit."

At Tribal Council, there was more finger-pointing and weasel-calling of Jonathan, more smug replies from Jonathan, and not as much camera-mugging from Nathan. In the end, all voted out Jonathan except for Jonathan himself. He voted for Adam.

I think Jonathan's demeanor at Tribal Council didn't help his cause any. He acted like ex-Aitu owed him. I'm personal wary of the vote. Adam can win challenges; Jonathan couldn't (or hasn't). Adam has plenty of friends on the jury who would vote for him in a Final Two situation; Jonathan has no friends on the jury. The only reasoning in keeping Adam over Jonathan would be a peer pressure kind of thing -- "Look, we voted out Jonathan for peace." I don't know. I think it wasn't the best choice. Adam while they could get him gone would be better for Yul, Becky, Ozzy, and Sundra.

'Survivor 13: Cook Islands' East Coast Update - 12/07 - Boot

Jonathan was voted out tonight. A full review/recap will be posted later.

I personally think a huge mistake was made - Adam should have been voted off. But I'll get into that in the review/recap. Stop on back!

'Survivor 13: Cook Islands' East Coast Update - 12/07 - Immunity

Ozzy won Immunity.

'Survivor 13: Cook Islands' East Coast Update - 12/07 - Reward

Although Parvati sliced open her thumb, she won Reward. Family members participated. She chose to send Jonathan to Exile Island. Her Dad chose two castaways/family members to go with them to a picnic with locals at a native cave. He chose Sundra and her mother, Adam and his father.

Tonight's 'Survivor 13: Cook Islands' Blogging

The show will start here soon. I'll be posting East Coast updates as important events on the show happen (Immunity, Boot, etc.). If you're not seeing the most recent post or think you're not, try hitting the December 2006 link under Archives in the right sidebar. A full review/recap will be posted later tonight, so please stop back!

TV Newsy Bits - Wednesday, December 6, 2006

What's happening on the television and entertainment scene?

What's the scoop, the skinny, and the story?

Here's what I found peeking around the Internet today:

• Rene Syler (not to be confused with Sylar the Brain-Eating Watch Repairman from Heroes) will be leaving The Early Show according to this AOL News article. Since so many of the blog readers here are probably more into The Early Show than into Today due to the Survivor, Amazing Race, and Big Brother coverage on the show, I thought this was worthy of a mention. I'll miss her, but as long as Harry Smith sticks around (and the ChenBot, of course) I'm okay with it.
• According to several online sources, when Lost returns in early February, it will be in the 10 PM ET/PT timeslot. From what I read, there are a few reasons for the change. First and foremost, they don't seem to want it to be up against American Idol for some odd reason. Heh, no one wants to be against that. As a viewer of AI and Lost, I'm glad to hear of the change. There's also the reasoning that it may increase their 11 PM news ratings. Um, okay.
• I'm currently watching (and taping) Blue Man Group: Inside the Tube on WNET, the NYC PBS affiliate. It's not as good as being there, but lots of fantastic BMG performances. May I have your attention, please? Please yell if you are paying attention. Give BMG some love!

The Suspension of Disbelief and Good TV

Yesterday morning as I was heading to work, I was mulling an article idea in my head comparing Lost to Heroes and why I'm enjoying Heroes more these days. I know the main reason Heroes is faring better with me is that questions are being answered, unlike with Lost. Don't get me wrong; I'll still watch the new episodes of Lost when the time comes.

Last night when I got home from a long day's work, I conked out on the couch and, as the Soup Nazi would say, "No TV for you!" Or, at the very least, no primetime TV for me as I slept through it all. When I awoke at an odd hour past midnight, I channel-surfed and happened upon American Masters: Rod Serling on the New Jersey PBS affiliate. Perfect!

Although I was way too young (and possibly not born yet) for his live television plays, I was very young when The Twilight Zone first aired. I admit that I remember more episodes from reruns than the original airings although my parents, perhaps without thinking about the ramifications, allowed me to watch the show.

I recall, at about the age of seven or so, an episode which featured Telly Savalas and a talking doll which he thought evil and kept trying to destroy. At that time, I had my own first-on-the-market talking doll. I was very nice to it because, after all, "if you're not nice to me, I'll kill you, too." I had nightmares for months after seeing the show. Hey, it didn't matter that the doll on the show was Talky Tina and mine was Chatty Cathy. I didn't want it to kill me.

But, what made The Twilight Zone work so well for adults, as well as children? The PBS show touched briefly on the reason (in my opinion) last night -- an expression commonly used these days in the graphic novel or comic book medium -- the suspension of disbelief. Basically, that means that in a work of fiction, the reader willingly believes that which he knows is indeed not real. To a point, the suspension of disbelief exists everytime we read a book, everytime we watch a fictional television show.

The hardest obstacle to the suspension of disbelief aren't the fictional cop shows, which are often at least loosely based on real cop-doings. The hardest obstacle to overcome is the limit of imagination. I'm talking pure fantasy stories such as Harry Potter, comic book superheroes, or a boy who can will folks to the cornfield for thinking bad thoughts. In order for these shows or books to entertain the viewer or reader, they must immerse them into the plot and the characters. On a level, it must be believable even though it's just a fantastic journey within the limits of man's imagination.

And that's where I feel Lost is losing it. We're into the third season of the show. Too many questions remain unanswered; too many tangents have gone unexplained. Plot holes exist. The first season was a bold move into the suspension of disbelief genre -- a welcome respite from mainstream television at the time. It used the premise so successfully achieved by The Twilight Zone so many decades before. But, now I feel it's become a bit stagnant. It's not moving forward each episode; it's not satisfying me as a viewer. Yes, I'm hooked. I'll watch in hopes that some of the mysteries will be explained. But I'm not as enamored with the show as I once was.

Then there's the new show on the market this season, Heroes. Again, utilizing the suspension of disbelief, the show challenges the viewer in a respect. You have to believe there can be superheroes, there can be magical powers. The show parallels the graphic novel medium, but takes things one step further. In watching this show, I get lost in the characters. Yes, I know deep down that the powers are total fiction, but for an hour each week, I believe they do exist. I believe "save the cheerleader, save the world." I believe an excited Hiro can bend time and space. I believe the fantastic.

Why is that? I think it's because the show actually moves forward a bit each week, unlike Lost as of late. Questions are actually answered and each show ends with a cliffhanger making me hungry to devour the next episode. That's how the suspension of disbelief should work. It shouldn't be tossing notes in a hat to have a smoke monster one week and a giant polar bear the next, without an explanation for the existence of either. It shouldn't be a guessing game and tons of theories gone rampant on the Internet. For the suspension of disbelief to work well, a story needs to be believable to an aspect where the viewer (or reader) actually believes, if but for a moment in time.

I believe in The Twilight Zone. I believe in Heroes. At least I do when I'm watching them. Lost and Star Trek, not so much.

TV Newsy Bits - Monday, December 4, 2006

Yikes! It's really starting to feel like winter here! All I want to do is put on my warm robe and fuzzy slippers and settle in to some good television watching.

I think I'll do just that.

Some of the shows I usually watch are repeats tonight (How I Met Your Mother, The Class), so I'll surf around, maybe even check out the holiday shows. One thing I won't miss is tonight's "fall finale" (don't you hate that new fad?) of Heroes.

A hero will die according to the promo commercials. Ack. It can't be Hiro, and I hope it's not Micah - he's such a cute little kid. Maybe it's the artist; he's always having drug woes plus Hiro found him dead by Sylar. Maybe he was time-traveling and now's the time. I don't know. But I'll know in a few hours.

In TV Newsy Bits:

• Blog reader Sue from the Bay Area sent me this link to an article about the Cho Brothers from The Amazing Race 10. It's an interesting read. They said Peter (of Peter and Sarah) got a "bad edit." But they also hinted that Dustin and Kandice were ruthless. Check it out and thank you, Sue!
• Location spoilers for The Amazing Race 10 finale show (Sunday, December 10) can be found in this article. It doesn't spoil the winner, just locations.
• For The Biggest Loser fans, I found an article about past contestants and how they've been doing with their weight control.
• It's all over the news that an ex-cast member (recently killed off on the show) of Prison Break was driving in an accident in which a teenaged boy died. Lane Garrison, age 26, was driving with two 15-year-old girls and a 17-year-old boy in his SUV. It was after midnight when the car crashed. Now, is it just me or is there something wrong with this picture? Police have indicated that alcohol may have been involved.
• Rick Schroder, ex-Silver Spoons child actor and NYPD Blue adult actor, will be joining the cast of 24.

That's it for now. Is it time for Heroes yet?

Holiday Television Programming - December 4 - 8

Is Jack Frost nippin' at your nose yet? Even if you live in the warm weather states, sometimes you need that snow fix to get you in the mood for the holiday season. Thanks to television, you can have all the snow and ice you need while looking out the window at the holiday-decorated palm trees! Um, no. I can't do that here - I have actual seasons. But I recall my living in Southern California days and decorating the cactus. Oh, we could see snow on the far-away mountain tops, so it was like Christmas indeed... sort of, kind of.

This list isn't totally inclusive and won't reflect any local holiday programs outside of the New York City area, but it'll give you an idea what shows are out and about this week as we careen towards the holidays at breakneck speed:

Monday, December 4:

• QVC and HSN allow you to do all your holiday gift shopping from home all the time. (As do Amazon and EBay, but this is all about television, y'see.)
• 2 PM ET/PT - Lifetime, The Christmas Wish (movie)
• 5 PM ET/PT - HGTV - Holiday Design on a Dime
• 7 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Rudolph's Shiny New Year
• 8 PM ET/PT - AMC - Miracle on 34th Street (movie)
• 8 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - The Year Without a Santa Claus
• 9 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - Under the Mistletoe (movie)
• 9 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of the Misfit Toys

Tuesday, December 5:

• 9 AM ET/PT - HGTV - Holiday Workshop - back-to-back episodes for an hour
• Noon ET/PT - Lifetime - On the 2nd Day of Christmas (movie)
• 6 PM ET/PT - HGTV - A Very Merry Curb Appeal
• 7 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - 'Twas the Night Before Christmas
• 7:30 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - The Story of the First Christmas Snow
• 8 PM ET/PT - ABC - Santa Claus is Comin' to Town
• 8 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Once Upon a Christmas (movie)
• 8 PM and 10 PM ET/PT - AMC - Miracle on 34th Street (movie)
• 9 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - Call Me Claus (movie)

Wednesday, December 6:

• Noon ET/PT - Lifetime - Eve's Christmas (movie)
• 1 PM ET - WNET (PBS, NYC) - Andre Rieu: Christmas Around the World (music)
• 2 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - A Dad For Christmas (movie)
• 7 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Pinocchio's Christmas
• 7 PM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - A Lost Claus
• 7:30 PM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - Dr. Seuss' Grinch
• 8 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Twice Upon a Christmas (movie)
• 8 and 10 PM ET PT - AMC - Miracle on 34th Street (movie)
• 9 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - His and Her Christmas (movie)
• 9 PM ET/PT - HGTV - A solid block of gift shows starts
• 10 PM ET/PT - Discovery - Holiday Mythbusters

Thursday, December 7:

• 1 PM ET/PT - HGTV - Decorating Cents: Home for the Holidays
• 2 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - The Man Upstairs (movie)
• 4 PM ET/PT - HGTV - Home to Go for the Holidays
• 6 PM ET/PT - AMC - Miracle on 34th Street (movie)
• 7 PM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - Bill and Mandy Save Christmas
• 7 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Santa Claus is Comin' to Town
• 8 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (movie)
• 8 PM ET/PT - FOOD Network - The Essence of Emeril "Christmas Holiday"
• 9 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - Recipe for a Perfect Christmas (movie)
• 9 PM ET/PT - FOOD Network - All Star Holiday Party
• 10 PM ET/PT - FOOD Network - Paula's Southern Christmas

Friday, December 8:

• Noon ET/PT - Lifetime - A Song for the Season (movie)
• 2 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - Crazy for Christmas (movie)
• 7 PM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer
• 7 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Jack Frost
• 8 PM ET/PT - CBS - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
• 8 and 10:30 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - The Polar Express (movie)
• 9 PM ET/PT - CBS - Frosty the Snowman
• 9 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - Santa Who? (movie)
• 9:30 PM ET/PT - CBS - Frosty Returns

All through the week, daytime television talk shows Rachael Ray, Martha, and Ellen DeGeneres have holiday-themed content.

Have a holly jolly TV week, folks!

'The Amazing Race 10' - Ep. 12 -or- "Giant Hot Chicks Run Amok in Barcelona'

I can't believe that next week is the season finale. And, mind you, not one of those fake fall finales like Lost, Jericho, or Heroes - this season's TAR is almost history!

Speaking of history, in all of the previous seasons, not one all-female team has made it to the Final Three, the huge determining factor for this show. This season started off with two very strong female teams. Remember Jamie and Kelly? They were gone too soon for all the promise they held. The other strong female team is Dustin and Kandice. I refer to these teams as strong as they both have the physical strength and are in good shape. Since men tend to win, it takes strength, right? Hey, maybe not.

Four teams remain. Who will be eliminated next?

We last left the teams at a Berber camp in the desert near the Atlas Mountains in North Africa. Tyler and James (Model Rehab BoyToys) had arrived first, so they were the first to receive the clue and leave from the camp. Dustin and Kandice (Evil Blonde Beauty Queens) were saved from Philimination last week as they had arrived last. Because they weren't eliminated, they're marked for elimination in this week's leg. That means they have to come in first at the Pit Stop or face a 30-minute penalty. With it down to four teams, that could very well mean elimination for them. I noticed that Tyler and James had about a 45-minute lead on them taking off from the camp.

The clue led teams to Casablanca, Morocco. The route through the mountains was full of switchback roads similar to what I've seen in places in the Rocky Mountains, but much more treacherous without guardrails. Yikes! The teams had to drive it and, somehow, the Blondes scooted through and made up a lot of time. Best quote of the drive goes to Kim, "I can't believe all the dogs out here." Um, they're goats, not dogs. Rob didn't let her live that down for a while.

One thing I found interesting is that Casablanca has Shell gas stations. That struck me as a bit odd.

Once in Casablanca, the teams faced a Roadblock - a task only one member of a team can do. This one, though a traditional native food one, wasn't as bad as most as long as the person wasn't a vegetarian. It was buying, grinding, spicing, handing off to a chef to cook, then eating camel meat.

The BoyToys and Blondes were the first teams there and both actually seemed to enjoy the meat. Later on Lyn had a problem with it being too hot (fresh off the grill hot, not spicy) and Rob had deferred the task to Kimberly. She was the only one to really gag and fuss. "Awesome, possum!"

From there, teams all ended up on the same flight to Barcelona, Spain, despite a gap between the BoyToys/Blondes and 'Bama Moms/Rob and Kimberly (Bickering Couple once again). At the airport, Dustin and Kandice tried to get back in with Tyler and James, but the boys are burnt on the beauties. As a matter of fact, all three teams are deadset against the Blonde Bombshells at this point. Too bad, so sad.

I wanted to like them when I first saw their profiles and, I have to admit, they're a good team. But the incident when they passed off the car they crashed to another team by taking one belonging to another team ticked me off to no end. That move could have cost the team stuck in the damaged car the race had it broken down. That one move was one of the most mean-spirited things I've ever seen on the show. Scheming and plotting, I understand. But that move went beyond that.

Once in Barcelona, teams hit yet another bunching point awaiting the opening of Parc del Laberint d'Horta, which contains a labyrinth or maze in which they had to find a clue and find their way back out. I found it rather amazing that the 'Bama Moms made it out first, as did the other teams. They certainly don't have the edge when it comes to a footrace, but they can make some good moves. I like Lyn, but I'm not too keen on Karlyn's personality.

The Blondes thought to borrow a cellphone and make arrangements for a taxi, but then told them to only pick up blonde women. The other teams made similar arrangements, albeit sans the blonde requirement. Sure enough, there were problems when the teams emerged from the maze. Tyler/James and Lyn/Karlyn had to scramble for a cab.

The next stop was a Detour, a choice between two locally-influenced tasks that both members of the team have to complete. This one was a hoot! In Lug It, teams had to find 9½-foot-tall giant costumes, get in them, and walk a mile to receive the next clue. In Lob It, teams had to look for a clue in a mound of tomatoes while locals were lobbing tomatoes at them.

Tyler and James wanted to take the same Detour as Dustin and Kandice, figuring they would go for the physical task - the giant costumes. They figured right. In their minds, they want to beat Dustin and Kandice in a footrace to the Pit Stop. Of course, both of the other teams want to beat the Blondes, too. Who will beat them first?

Rob and Kimberly chose Lob It and we once again saw them break down, apart, and just shy of implosion. Under stress, these two do terrible. They had already bickered during the food when Rob berated her for retching while he didn't have the guts to even try for the food Roadblock. The tomatoes broke her down totally, it was almost the end for the team. She tried to quit, but he kept at her. And, they actually found the clue, as did the 'Bama Moms a bit later (they squabbled, too). To me, the task looked impossible, but both teams choosing it fared better than Lug It.

Memorable line from Lug It and the actual name for the episode, "Dude, I'm such a giant hot chick now!" It was said by one of the BoyToys. But, being a giant hot chick doesn't mean first place.

Rob and Kimberly hit the Pit Stop in Barcelona first, winning a trip to Barbados and crying a lot. Next up, in a very surprising move, were Lyn and Karlyn. The BoyToys didn't quite get their footrace with the Blondes, but secured third. And, last and eliminated - Dustin and Kandice.

Who woulda thunk it? The 'Bama Moms beat out the Blondes? Unbelievable! In their parting words, they didn't say it was a rewarding experience, a thrill of a lifetime. Nope. Nothing like that. They're upset they didn't win. Go figure.

Are you ready for next week's finale?

'The Amazing Race 10' - East Coast Update - 12/03 - Pit Stop and Philimination

In a bit of a shocker...

1. Rob and Kimberly - also won a trip to Barbados
2. Lyn and Karlyn - first all-female team ever in the Final Three
3. Tyler and James
4. Dustin and Kandice - Philiminated (and not due to being marked for elimination - they actually came in last)

A full recap/review will be posted later tonight. Stop on back!

TV Newsy Bits - Sunday, December 3, 2006

It looks like The Amazing Race will be starting on time here in the Northeast. So, if you're in another time zone or just want to chat about the show, expect an update with the Pit Stop arrival order and the Philimination at around 9 PM ET. If you don't think you're seeing the most recent post on the blog, use the December 2006 Archive link on the right sidebar - that will usually snag the latest.

Despite this TV Squad entry, please don't get all excited and think that we'll be seeing a Celebrity Big Brother next month. From my research, it's the UK version that is in question, not the USA one.

I watched Sunday Morning on CBS this morning and it got me waxing nostalgic on my other blog.

You can expect an updated Holiday Television Programming for the week ahead in the early hours of Monday morning.

And, that's about it for now. I must snack before TAR and the race for the Final Three. It's hard to believe that the finale is next week!

Great Pants, Who's On 'The Late Show with David Letterman' This Week?

I must be too much of a Letterman fan. Last week, without looking at this week's schedule, I said he was due for a vacation week. And, I was right. This week is full of repeats, some definitely worth seeing if you missed them on the first run. To me, the shame of it all when it comes to Letterman reruns is that they're all recent shows. I realize they can't jump networks and show his old NBC shows, but I'd love to see some of the older CBS shows during his off weeks. There have certainly been some memorable ones!

Here's the skinny on the schedule this week:

• Monday, Dec. 4: From 11/02/06 - Rosie O'Donnell and musical guest Lady Sovereign
• Tuesday, Dec. 5: From 9/19/06 - Patrick Dempsey, Ventriloquist Jay Johnson and Darwin (part of the Infamous Ventriloquist Week), musical guest Kasabian.
• Wednesday, Dec. 6: The Late Show website lists this show as originally airing 12/06/06, but they're obviously wrong. It's a recent show from November and a very worthy of watching show. It's Jorge Garcia (Hurley from Lost) with the Top Ten, a hilarious segment with Teri Horton of Who the %#$ is Jackson Pollack fame (yes, I know who he is), Daniel Craig (Casino Royale), and musical guests Elvis Costello and Roseanne Cash.
• Thursday, Dec. 7: From 10/30/06, another interesting show albeit too recently aired for my liking - Jerry Springer (just off Dancing With The Stars) does the Top Ten, Borat from Borat, Tiki Barber (football - NY Giants), and musical guest Beck.
• Friday, Dec. 8: From 11/08/06, it's Dustin Hoffman, Jamie Oliver (author of Jamie's Italy), musical guests are the cast of the Metropolitan Opera's "Il Barbiere di Siviglia." A good show, but again... much too soon to see it again for me.

Once this week of reruns is out of the way, we should be looking at this season's Late Show Christmas tree complete with the meatball on top and other typical holiday doings. In the meantime, I may have to see who Jay has on his show this week, heaven forbid!

TV Newsy Bits - Saturday, December 2, 2006

I hope everyone weathered the stormy weather which took a run through the country! Here, it wasn't so bad. We went from a balmy day to a temperature drop of 20 degrees within an hour and fast-moving thunderstorms with high winds. No snow, though. Today is more seasonable with crisp air and clear skies. But it would be a good day to cozy up to the fireplace... if I had one.

I see the Lexus commercials are back for the season. In what world do these people live? How do I get in on this? Is Santa giving these expensive cars? Am I on his naughty list and just not getting one as a gift or what?

In TV Newsy Bits for the day:

• Reality TV Calendar takes an extensive look at past all-women teams on The Amazing Race and boldly declares an all-women team will make the final three this season. Well, duh. Obviously, since there are two all-women teams left in the four, at least one will make the three! The question is which one? Or both? No spoilers are in the article, but it's an interesting trek back.
• Reality News Online interviewed Candice (The Survivor Exile Island Queen) and also transcribed her The Early Show appearance. Interesting, but I still won't really miss her on the island.
• TV News- NBC Tweaks Three Nights - AOL News - Oh, The Apprentice! Yay!
• AOL Gives a 24 Hour Gift of Free Movie Downloads - Today only - check it out!

Holiday Television Programming - This Weekend Dec. 2 - 3

As the weather turns wintry in most of the country, it's the perfect time to wrap yourself in a cozy throw, sip hot chocolate, and think of the holidays ahead. And, but of course... watch holiday, seasonal, and special programs on television! It's like comfort food for the soul.

This list isn't all inclusive, but is a pretty good representation of what's on this weekend. For local holiday programming, please check your local listings. I may touch on some of the NYC area shows, but I have no idea what may be happening in Oshkosh!

Saturday, December 2:

• Midnight (ET/PT), the FOOD Network is airing Christmas in America.
• QVC and HSN are almost all holiday gifts all the time.
• 9:30 AM ET/PT, ABC Family Network is airing To Grandmother's House We Go (movie)
• 11 AM ET/PT, TBS is airing Snow Day (movie)
• 11 AM ET/PT, USA is airing Elf (movie)
• 11 AM ET/PT, Lifetime is airing The Man Who Saved Christmas (movie).
• 11:30 AM ET/PT, ABC Family, Santa Claus: The Movie
• 1 PM ET/PT, Lifetime, Holiday in Your Heart (movie)
• 1:30 PM ET/PT, ABC Family is airing Home Alone 3 (movie)
• 3 PM ET/PT, Lifetime, A Song For The Season (movie)
• 3:30 ET/PT, ABC Family, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (movie)
• 4 PM ET/PT, USA is airing The Great American Christmas (movie)
• 5 PM ET/PT, Lifetime, If You Believe (movie)
• 6 PM ET/PT, USA, Elf again
• 7 PM ET/PT, Lifetime, A Town Without Christmas (movie)
• 7 PM ET/PT, ABC Family, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (movie)
• 9 PM ET/PT, Lifetime, Comfort and Joy (movie)
• 11 PM ET/PT, ABC Family, Santa Claus: The Movie

Sunday, December 3:

• 9 AM ET/PT, USA, The Great American Christmas (movie)
• 9 AM ET/PT, ABC Family, Home Alone 3 (movie)
• 11 AM ET/PT, Lifetime, The Christmas Gift (movie)
• 11 AM ET/PT, ABC Family, Home Alone 4 (movie)
• 1 PM ET/PT, Lifetime, Like Father, Like Santa (movie)
• 1 PM ET/PT, ABC Family, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (movie)
• 3 PM ET/PT, Lifetime, Deck the Halls (movie)
• 5 PM ET/PT, Lifetime, Stolen Miracle (movie)
• 5 PM and 8 PM ET/PT, ABC Family, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (movie)
• 7 PM ET/PT, Lifetime, A Different Kind of Christmas (movie)
• 8 PM and 10 PM ET/PT, AMC, Miracle on 34th Street (movie)
• 8 PM and 10 PM ET/PT, TNT, The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines (movie)
• 9 PM ET/PT, Lifetime, A Dad For Christmas (movie)

And, it's all just starting!

'Survivor 13: Cook Islands' - Ep. 11 -or- "No One Likes You, Nyah Nyah"

Eight are left. Who will be voted out tonight?

Hey, I thought they chose to stay at the campsite with no rats - Raro's original camp. Why did Night 27 open with rat shots? Unless, of course, they were symbolic rats. I've noticed that either rats or snake shots happen before Jonathan is shown.

In my own opinion (mainly because I find her annoying), they could have been symbolic Parvati rats, too. She was lighting right into Jonathan about his flipping at Tribal Council. And, Jonathan couldn't hold it in any longer. He told the ex-Raro group (Parvati, Adam, and Candice) that Yul indeed had the hidden Immunity Idol from Exile Island. They were too busy calling him a filthy miserable rat to pay much attention to that important news.

Now, to me, Jonathan is as bad about Parvati as she is about him. In the morning, he went on and on about how she's been on the island for 28 days and she hasn't cleaned a fish, nor does she have a clue how to go about it. Jonathan mentioned how lazy Parvati is as he tried to keep in good graces with the ex-Aitu bunch (Yul, Ozzy, Becky, and Sundra).

This week's episode marked the just about mandatory Survivor auction for reward-type items. There are usually a few duds under covers mixed in with the good stuff. Each castaway was issued $500. They could lend and borrow money amongst themselves, but they couldn't share any of the winnings. Jonathan went to town winning a hot dog meal with beer (that he spilled) and pizza (which he licked). Parvati won the bid for a bubble bath and a piece of chocolate cake. Ozzy won ice cream. Sundra got a booby prize of a sea cucumber.

Ah, but it was Becky who won the best prize of all. It was a mystery note which Jeff said would hold power in the game. Borrowing money, Becky bid $640 for it. Inside the envelope? A chance to send a player to Exile Island. She decided to send Candice there for a fourth time. Talk about crumbling someone!

Yul, for some reason all of his own, decided it was time to announce that he had the hidden Immunity Idol. I'm not sure of his thinking process there. Well, he could have figured that most of the people knew it and he already used it for a power play in flipping Jonathan. Also, just knowing he has it will keep others from voting him off and make them leery of who has the second highest number of votes.

Back at camp, while Candice was whining, crying, and fussing over on Exile Island, Jonathan made another faux-pas in the game of getting along with others. He was the one who didn't want Cao Boi bringing the Immunity Idol to Reward Challenges and such, right? If I recall correctly, he said it was like "rubbing the win in their faces." So, what does he do? He goes on and on about all the food he won at the auction.

Yul and Becky, as well as Ozzy, noticed the bad behavior and seriously considered dumping Jonathan. But, you must remember, Jonathan's not the greatest competitor in challenges, plus he's a great person to be with in the Final Two - he's the least popular player of them all. The ex-Aitu see his "true character" but need to decide if they can use him or take their chances with ex-Raro.

The Immunity Challenge was done in two rounds. The castaways had to correctly answer questions about the past 30 days on the island, use numbers derived from the answers, do some physical tasks in the second round, and raise their individual flags. The first three to finish the first round went onto the second. Adam, in a confessional, said he knows he's a target and he must win. Oh, my. He actually did win! Scary, huh?

Back again at camp, Candice figures she's a goner. (And she figures Jonathan is a snake.) Instead of focusing on the game, Adam and his harem cuddle in the shelter. Not too bright of a move, eh? Meanwhile, Jonathan knows he's skating on thin ice with all and returns with fish. Ozzy, Becky, Sundra, and Yul join him in cleaning and cooking the catch, then chowing down. Oh, the cuddlers realized that the ex-Aitu (and Jonathan) are eating without them!

A verbal brouhaha broke out as Candice confronted them, calling out comments Yul made about Jonathan, calling Jonathan names, and more. Ozzy claimed "no one gets a free lunch." Candice called Yul the "ringleader" and blamed him for Jonathan while trying to alienate the group from Jonathan. I like brouhahas. They should have them more often.
Of course, that made the very rational and smart-playing Yul question again whether keeping Jonathan would hurt his chances with the jury. The editing tried to make us viewers think it was Jonathan's turn to go, so we (or, at least, I) knew that wouldn't be the case.

At Tribal Council, the brouhaha went on all over again while Nate hammed for the camera from the jury box. "No one likes you, Jonathan!" "Yul is a puppetmaster!" Even Ozzy called out the laziness of the three cuddlers. And, in the end, ex-Aitu (and Jonathan) all voted for Candice to go, while ex-Raro voted for Jonathan to go. 5 to 3, Candice was asked to leave the Tribal Council area immediately. Or, in this case, after an extended smooch from Adam. Gag me now.

'Survivor 13: Cook Islands' - East Coast Update - 11/30 - The Boot

Candice was voted off with all of Aitu (and Jonathan) voting for her. Candice, Parvati, and Adam voted for Jonathan.

A full review/recap will be posted late this evening. Stop back!

'Survivor 13: Cook Islands' - East Coast Update - 11/30 - Immunity

Adam won Immunity.

TV Newsy Bits (and Stuff) - Thursday, November 30, 2006

Yes, last night was the infamous Return of Richard Simmons to the Late Show with David Letterman. Other than being sort of mean to him and almost setting him on fire, Dave controlled himself rather well. I wonder if he'll use the little matching "Harry" shirt - I can bet he won't wear the "David" shirt after Richard wore it. Huh... a $300 tie? Yikes!

Tonight is Survivor 13: Cook Islands night and, as usual, I'll post East Coast Updates of important events (Immunity, Boot) as they air here in the NYC area. Late tonight, a full recap/review will be posted. If you're not seeing what you think is the most recent post, use the November 2006 Archive link you see in the right sidebar of the main page.

Although I must watch C.S.I. tonight (the miniature crime scene killer returns) and I'm not a huge Scrubs fan, I'll be setting the VCR for the Scrubs season premiere (I think... I'm so confused by fall finales). It's on at the same time as C.S.I. (9 PM ET/PT) and, the kicker is... The Blue Man Group! Yes!

UPDATE: Although CBS has been running a promo for next week's new C.S.I. episode all week (in which the miniature crime scene killer returns), tonight's episode is a repeat. Why do they do that? Grr. Thanks to a commenter for the heads up!

In other TV Newsy Bits:

• The Jericho Mystery Continues Online
• TV News- 'View' Bleeps Bush-Bashing DeVito - AOL News - Oh, my!

TV Newsy Bits - Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Well, if I can just get my computer and Blogger to cooperate with each other, I'll be fine. And, here I am!

I want to start with a bit of a rant. What the heck is with this fall season finale stuff? It's caught on like wildfire - first Lost, now Jericho, next week Heroes. I swear it's the shows I like best out of the reality television realm that are being affected. Is it a plot against me? Is the man trying to keep me down? Although I don't watch the show, my friends over at BuddyTV mention that Prison Break is also a victim of fall finales.

I appreciate that they'll be showing 12 to 13 new episodes starting in January or February, but why such a long hiatus? I'm old school TV, y'see. Back in the days when we walked nine miles uphill both to and from school in -20 degree weather in three feet of snow, we had almost 40 episodes of shows each season from September to May! Yes, we did! Really! It's a nefarious plot of ne'er-do-well production staffers to produce less while reaping in more cash. Can I get a witness?

Ahem.

That said, here's the TV Newsy Bits:

• Set those VCRs or DVRs, or your TIVO... whatever technology you have on hand! Tonight is Richard Simmons return to The Late Show with David Letterman after a six-year absence. It's going to be one heck of a show.
• There are mild promotional kind of spoilers for the upcoming episode of The Amazing Race 10 in this Celebrity Spider article.
• Celebrity Spider has similar spoilers (not the boot) for tomorrow night's Survivor 13: Cook Islands.
• They also covered mild spoilers for the next Heroes episode. Which, I must add, is the fall season finale for the show. Don't get me started on that again.
• If you can make it through the rather poorly written transcript, Media Fiends has Nate's (Survivor) appearance on The Early Show.
• Reality News Online (RNO) has a much better interview with Nate. IGN has an even more extensive interview with him.

Tonight, I watched Criminal Minds, a first for me. Well, I sort of watched it once before, but it didn't keep my attention. Tonight's episode did it - kept my attention. Of course, once Lost returns, that time slot isn't any good for me. But, until then, I'll be giving CM a shot.

Last night I watched the Charlie Brown Christmas show. My goodness, I haven't watched that in a good decade or more. I think I can still recite the lines for each character as it goes along. Ah, the memories. The first time I saw it (the first time it ever aired), we only had a black and white TV set. We didn't get a color set until Christmas that year and, by then, it was too late to see it in color. That was a long, long time ago. Yet, I think the show still holds up well despite the way the world has changed since its first airing. Cool, Charlie Brown.

What have you been watching?

Holiday Television Programming: Nov. 27 - Dec. 1

Yes, yes! This week's holiday television programming includes some old favorites, as well as new holiday-themed episodes of current shows. The latter is always fun for me. How can I think of holiday television shows without thinking of Mary Tyler Moore volunteering to work all alone on Christmas Eve at WJM-TV, only to find her friends truly cared about her? Alas, I'm not seeing the episode ("Christmas and the Hard Luck Kid II" - orginally aired in December, 1970) anywhere in the listings. Oh, well. I have it on videotape somewhere.

Although this list isn't all-inclusive and doesn't cover local programming specific to areas outside of NYC, here's what I found for this week:

Monday, November 27:

• 8 PM ET/PT - A Holiday to Remember (movie) on the cable station ABC Family.
• 9 PM ET/PT - Unwrapped "Holiday Treats" - the FOOD Network.
• QVC seems all holiday-themed, all around the clock.

Tuesday, November 28:

• 7 PM ET/PT - Elf (the movie) on the USA Network
• Get ready to do your Snoopy dance - A Charlie Brown Christmas airs on ABC at 8 PM ET/PT. For sentimental reasons, this has always been a favorite of mine.
• 8 PM ET/PT - Scrooged with Bill Murray on the ABC Family Network.
• 9 PM ET/PT - USA Network, The Great American Christmas - six diverse families discuss the meaning of the holiday.
• 9 PM ET/PT - Road Tasted "Gift Guide" - holiday food gifts on the FOOD Network.
• 10 PM ET/PT (repeated the next hour, too) - The Nip/Tuck holiday episode on FX Network.

Wednesday, November 29:

• The USA Network has holiday movies galore with Stealing Christmas at noon (ET/PT) and Elf at 2 PM ET/PT.
• Starting at 6 PM ET/PT, although not holiday-related, the SciFi Channel is having a Heroes marathon, beginning with the pilot episode. So, if you've missed Heroes, here's your chance to save the cheerleader, save the world.
• 7 PM ET, local NBC affiliate WNBC (NYC) - Christmas in Rockerfeller Center - the tree lighting ceremony. I could go, I guess. But it's a lot less crowded and hassle-free to watch it on TV.
• 8 PM ET/PT - Christmas in Rockerfeller Center - the national version of the above show with the glitz, glitter, and singing pop stars. NBC
• 8 PM ET/PT - Mr. St. Nick (movie) on ABC Family Network.
• 10:30 PM ET/PT - Ham on the Street, unique food gifts. FOOD Network.

Thursday, November 30:

• 8 PM ET/PT - Santa Claus: The Movie on the ABC Family channel.
• 9 PM ET/PT - Golf and Christmas? It's A Miracle on the 17th Green on the Lifetime cable channel.
• 10 PM ET/PT - Men in Trees - Thanksgiving-themed episode on ABC.

Friday, December 1:

• 12 PM ET/PT - I'll be Home For Christmas (movie), Lifetime cable channel.
• 2 PM ET/PT - Eve's Christmas (movie), also on Lifetime.
• 7 PM ET/PT - Frosty's Winter Wonderland, narrated by Andy Griffiths, on ABC Family cable network.
• 7:30 PM ET/PT - ABC Family Network kicks off a Harry Potter-infused weekend with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
• 8 PM ET/PT - The Polar Express on ABC TV, a welcome addition to the holiday line-up!
• 8 PM ET/PT - Emeril's Happy Happy Holidays on the FOOD Network. Hmmm, I've never had goose for the holiday.
• 9 PM ET/PT - Noel (movie) on the Lifetime cable channel.

Now, if I could just stay home and watch it all!

'The Amazing Race 10' - Ep. 11 -or- "What comes around, goes around... and around... and around."

Time is running out for the Amazing Race. With four teams still in the race and two shows left to go, you know it's time for a non-Philimination leg, right? Unlike Survivor, it's a race between the Final Three to the finish, not the Final Four.

Ah, but which three teams will make it? Right now the race is too iffy to tell. The strongest two teams, in my opinion, are the BoyToys (Tyler and James) and the Evil Beauty Queen Blondes (Dustin and Kandice). But, even what I perceive as the weakest team, the Alabama Moms (Lyn and Karlyn), can sometimes surprise me. What never surprises me is the ongoing car problems faced by the Dating (not bickering so much as of late) Couple, Rob and Kimberly.

The BoyToys were the first team to leave the Pit Stop in Kiev (the Ukraine) at 7:33 AM while the 'Bama Moms left last at 9:08. So, this time we're talking about 90 minutes separating first and last. That's not really a heck of a lot of time. The clue the teams received instructed them to fly to Quarzazate, Morocco, where they were to go to a Kasbah (sort of like an oasis in the desert) and collect a "good luck" charm. Yes, now I have "Rock the Casbah" by the Clash stuck in my head. Thank you, TAR.

The Blondes took a risky connection flight while Rob/Kimberly and the BoyToys gathered on another flight. Rob showed his distaste for the Blondes by telling them he got an earlier flight which didn't exist. The only shame was he admitted he was joking. He should have stuck with the lie and let them panic a bit more. The 'Bama Moms had a three-hour layover and wisely spent the time gathering and studying maps. While they aren't the most physically fit team, they're definitely thinking ahead as the race goes on. In the end, all the teams ended up on the last connection flight to Morocco.

And, due to studying the maps, the 'Bama Moms actually made it to the next clue (Atlas Studios) first, snagged their good luck charm and the next clue, thus amazing all the following teams. No one knew for sure how they got ahead, but Tyler and James mentioned more than a few times during the leg that they're good with directions, as did Rob and Kimberly. Now, that has changed since their reputation of the Six Pack. There's something that us viewers must have missed.

Uh-oh, the clue not only directed them to a Kasbah, but warned them that a Yield was ahead. And, but of course, it turned out to be one of the infamous (and often annoying) bunching points for the teams. While the 'Bama Moms actually made it there first, the opening time was 8 AM. So, even the seemingly hopelessly lost Blondes were on even keel once again.

As the gates opened, it was a foot-race to the Yield box. Neither the BoyToys or Rob/Kimberly Yielded anyone. Then it was the Blondes as the 'Bama Moms just can't run fast at all. The Blondes Yielded 'Bama. Eep, talk about steam coming from the ears! Those Moms are now officially ticked off (more than they were before) at the Blondes and kept on sizzling as the hourglass did its thing.

As the Moms waited at the Yield, the other teams took off for a Roadblock - a task only one member of a team can complete. This one looked fun, a chariot race reminiscent of Ben Hur. While being "driven" by a local, the team member had to pluck two flags from the course. Although they went last, the 'Bama Moms made up time. I think it was sheer determination leading the way.

The Blondes got lost... again. Rob and Kimberly had car problems, this time a flat and a jack which just wouldn't come out of its place, again. Because of those woes, the BoyToys and 'Bama Moms hit this leg's Detour first. A Detour is a choice between two tasks and both members compete. The tasks this time had to do with job staples in Morocco. Teams could Throw It or Grind It. In Throw It, teams had to make two clay pots to specification on a potter's wheel. In Grind It, teams would have to grind and pack olives. It was first come, first serve and only three teams could perform a task at a time.

So, all the teams chose Grind It. I don't know why pottery scared them so. The BoyToys took a while to figure out that they would have to make the pots, not throw them. (And they're not blond!) Because they were so lost, the Blondes had to wait out the other teams. The grinding had the teams physically pushing a pole which in turn operated a large churning wheel to grind the olives. It wasn't easy.

From the Detour, teams had to take the Road to Marrakech, which reminds me of either a Bing Crosby/Bob Hope movie or a song by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. Take your pick. They were heading to the Pit Stop, in the middle of the desert with the route marked.

The BoyToys (James/Tyler) made it there first and, not only that, but the good luck charm they picked up earlier in the leg matched the one of the local who was with Phil at the Pit Stop. They each won a Sprint Treo 700P. The 'Bama Moms had been in a foot-race against the Boys, but obviously can't beat those two. They came in second. Then it was Rob and Kimberly.

And, coming in last, it was Dustin and Kandice. But remember what I said about the numbers of teams and the remaining shows we have left? It was a non-Philimination leg. So they're marked for elimination, but still in the race.

Okay, we have two shows left. I still have no team to cheer on. I don't really want the BoyToys to win because I feel there have been a few too many young male team winners in the past. It's a toss-up with the other three teams. I was more impressed by the 'Bama Moms this week because they really put themselves in gear. Huh. At this point, I'm ambivalent towards the remaining teams on the whole. I'll watch, but I refuse to cheer.

'The Amazing Race 10' - East Coast Update - 11/26 - Pit Stop

Arriving at the Pit Stop:

1. Tyler and James - Due to a good luck charm picked up earlier in the leg, each won a Sprint Treo
2. Lyn and Karlyn - Despite being Yielded by the Blondes
3. Rob and Kimberly
4. Dustin and Kandice

It was a non-Philimination leg, so all teams are still in the race with the Blondes marked for elimination. A full recap/review will be posted late this evening.

'The Amazing Race 10' - Nov. 26th Blogging

Yikes! The Amazing Race began on time here in the NYC area. A Pit Stop arrival listing and Philimination will be posted approximately 9 PM ET. A full recap/review will be posted late this evening.

More Pants, Please - Coming This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - Nov. 27-Dec. 1

I'm sure he's due for a vacation soon, but never during November sweeps! It's All Fresh Pants for The Late Show with David Letterman this week and here are the scheduled guests:

• Monday, Nov. 27: Kate Winslet and a musical guest I'm eagerly anticipating - Tom Waits! Woohoo! Tom Waits is amazing and he just doesn't do enough television for my liking.
• Tuesday, Nov. 28: George Clooney (isn't he the World's Sexiest Man according to People Magazine once again this year?) and The Decemberists.
• Wednesday, Nov. 29: Richard Simmons returns after a six-year absence. This one is a Must See for any Letterman fan. How's it going to go? Musical guest is Ciara.
• Thursday, Nov. 30: Jennifer Connelly and Tom Dreesen. Um. Okay.
• Friday, Dec. 1: Danny DeVito, always interesting, and musical guest Silversun Pickups.

There, that's the Fresh Pants for the week.

TV Newsy Bits - Sunday, November 26, 2006

Welcome home, all you holiday weekend travelers -- I hope everyone had a fine Thanksgiving Day!

Yes, it's the holiday season, but TV Newsy Bits doesn't take time for a holiday. TV Newsy Bits scoffs at holidays and comes up with even more bits o' television news for your perusal!

Um.

In the best bits out there, here's the scoop:

• After being suspended and shackled in a gyroscope over Times Square for two days in the rain, David Blaine freed himself within fifteen minutes of getting the go-ahead for his escape. He plunged through a plywood stage 50 feet below and walked away with a noticeable limp. The latest escapade was a charity bit which would give 100 needy children a shopping spree at Target. Now, what would have happened if he was seriously hurt in the fall?
• For those of you who are catching up on the news -- David and Mary Conley from Amazing Race 10 will be on Amazing Race 11: All Stars. The cast also includes Romber... again. According to the New York Post (and other sources), some previous teams are feeling very snubbed.
• Someone in comments asked me about Meerkat Manor - its regular time is Friday evenings at 8 PM ET/PT on Animal Planet when it runs back-to-back episodes for an hour. I could be wrong, but I think they have indeed aired all of season two at this time. (In other mere cat news, a mouse actually got into my apartment and my cat actually killed it. I didn't know the 13-year-old never-saw-a-mouse-before cat had it in him. It was a bit like Wild Kingdom in my living room. Yikes.)
• MSNBC had an article about the Reality TV Turkeys of the Year, naming Paula Abdul's questionable state of mind during American Idol and more. It's a fun read, even though we're the real authorities on reality television right here in this blog. Right?
• "Save the cheerleader, save the world." Actress Hayden Panettiere, who plays the cheerleader Claire on Heroes (my new television obsession), was interviewed in this Newsday article. Her Dad is a retired NYC firefighter. I'm sure he had to save a cheerleader or two over the years.
• Penn and Teller will host a new game show called Identity, set to debut December 18 on NBC. This Celebrity Spider article has the skinny on that.
• Has Travelocity's Roaming Gnome gone missing or been replaced? Oh, no! Whatever will the Amazing Race or Big Brother do sans Da Gnome challenge?
• According to this TVGuide.com spoilers article, Cheech Marin (of Cheech and Chong fame) will make an appearance as Hurley's father in a Lost episode set to air February 28. Now, that's a perfect Dad for Hurley, eh? Beware if you go to the article - spoilers on many shows abound.

Holiday Television Programming: This Weekend Nov. 25-26

Fa-la-la, Thanksgiving is now a not-so-distant memory and we're immersed in the holiday season once again. What's on my mind as we head into December? Well, holiday television programs, specials, and more... of course!

Here are some of the special programs and holiday shows lined up for the upcoming weekend:

Saturday, November 25

• QVC is in full holiday mode, starting at midnight and going on... and on.
• HGTV continues showing its holiday fare - Gift Show 2006, Toy Fair 2006, Gift and Gear 2006, etc. - starting at midnight and running into the wee hours.
• CourtTV continues its Forensic Files marathon, again we're talking from midnight on.
• Top Chef's Thanksgiving episode will be shown again at 4 AM ET/PT on BRAVO.
• HSN has holiday shopping through to dawn and beyond.
• 12 Days of Christmas Eve (movie), USA network at 1 PM ET/PT
• The Cartoon Network has a solid block of holiday 'toons starting at noon (ET/PT)
• BRAVO has its Six Feet Under marathon starting at 1 PM ET/PT and running into the wee hours of Sunday.
• Cable SuperStation WGN is airing White Christmas (with Bing Crosby) at 3 PM ET/PT.
• Stealing Christmas (movie starring Tony Danza) - USA network at 3 PM ET/PT
• Emeril Live: Hilda's Holiday Classics at 8 PM ET/PT on the Food network.
• Italian Christmas at 9 PM ET/PT on the Food network.
• Holidays at Walt Disney World at 10 PM ET/PT on the Food network.

Sunday, November 26:

• Although not a holiday movie per se, TNT is showing Gone With the Wind at 10 AM ET/PT
• The USA network starts its Monk marathon at noon ET/PT. Holiday episodes are on the slate for the late evening hours.
• The Family network has Richie Rich's Christmas Wish on at 6 PM ET/PT
• I'll be watching The Amazing Race at the 8 PM ET/PT time slot, but also in that time slot is a new 7th Heaven episode called "Thanks and Giving" on CW.
• The Family network has Home Alone 3 on at 8 PM ET/PT.
• HGTV runs their holiday-themed shows once again in primetime.

'Survivor 13: Cook Islands' - Ep. 10 -or- "A Pivotal Moment Instigated by a Dirty Whack Fruitcake"

Nine are left. Who will be voted out tonight?

Due to last week's double castoff (Rebecca and Jenny), the tribes are closely matched in numbers this week. Aitu is still the underdog with four members to Raro's five, but they're a solid powerhouse. Raro isn't organized and tends to not work towards a common goal.

And, I'm far from the only one who's picked up on Raro's mis-strategy in the game. Jonathan, their recent mutiny addition, seemed to be at wit's end with them in the opening of tonight's show (Day 25). As he fishes, they sleep in. Or, Adam smooches with Candice or snuggles with Parvati. Nate bristles whenever Jonathan tries to lead the tribe, though goodness knows they need some kind of boot in the butt to get their act together. Oh, woe is Jonathan. Although he's outlasted three of the Raro members, he knows he's not in with the in crowd. Yet, he keeps pushing the envelope and making Nate bristle so much that his hair goes wild.

Over at the Aitu tribe, although they're tight, they're suffering. Yul complained of his leg hurting, as well as feeling achy and a bit ill. Sundra showed Ozzy a huge scrape on her knee and they're all hurtin' puppies.

Ah, but the game switches up. Instead of going to a Rewards Challenge, Jeff announced they had paints, brushes, and new buffs. The merge is on! The tribes decided to live at the ex-Raro campsite as it lacks rats. They named the newly merged tribe Aitutonga (a mix of Aitu-whatever and Rarotonga). The castaways enjoyed a feast catered by the locals and a boat ride back to camp. A good time was had by all. Or was it?

Jonathan, in confessionals, once again complained that the "kids" were partying too much and not thinking of the game. Now, I know where he's coming from, but I think that he tends to be too intense and always playing even though he tends to make some bad decisions. What bad decisions? Well, the mutiny, for one. He's lucky to still be there. Another bad move is his tendency to lead and be bossy. Yes, he has a reason, but it still alienates some of the tribe members and makes that target on his back a bit bigger.

After settling in at camp, the others turned to thoughts of the game. It's obvious that the tribes will work along tribal lines for any voting. That puts Aitu at a disadvantage due to being one member less than Raro. Nate and the rest of Raro pledged to stick together as they can indeed count. So, the dilemma turned to the fact that Aitu has to flip a Raro to their side.

Yul approached Jonathan with a hypothetical "if I had the hidden Immunity Idol" scenario (like the "If I Did It" - yikes!). He pointed out that Raro would probably target him (Yul) and Aitu would probably target Jonathan. Then, if he used the idol to save himself, Jonathan would be voted out instead. Although he made it hypothetical to Jonathan, he told both Ozzy and Sundra that he has the idol. So, they'll vote whatever he says and they know someone must flip from Raro - Jonathan is their best bet.

The Immunity Challenge was one of endurance and actually easier for smaller folks (like women) than the larger folks like Adam, Nathan, and Yul. They had to hang onto a pole, not using the top, until they couldn't hang on any longer. There were bands of rope around the poles for foot and hand grips. As Yul said, "This is why elephants can't run up trees." The men, with the exception of Ozzy, did poorly. In the end, it was Candice who looked oh-so-cool-just-hanging-around for so long against Ozzy. Ozzy nailed it and won the first individual Immunity.

So, the scheming went into full force back at the camp. For not doing a heck of a lot of work, Adam sure thinks he can run the tribe. He pushed mightily for a Yul vote from the Raro members while telling us in confessional that Ozzy's too strong and must go soon, too.

Yul admitted to Jonathan that he has the hidden Immunity Idol, no hypotheticals involved. Although, in a way, it's blackmail, it's not an unfriendly blackmail. It leaves Jonathan the choice to vote with Aitu or be picked off as the runner-up against Yul. He was put in a quandary and there's only really one way out for him - Yul's offer. Jonathan hinted to Raro that Yul might have the idol without ever breaking Yul's secret. They didn't think so.

Aitu gave Jonathan a voice in deciding which Raro member to target so that the ex-Aitu vote would be unanimous. Despite me saying "Adam! Adam!," Jonathan felt Adam had protected him and that Nathan should be targeted.

And, so he was. At the Tribal Council, no votes were shown as they were made, but the votes went down tribal lines with a Jonathan flip back to Aitu. He really had no choice if he wanted to stay in the game. Although it puts him in a bad light with the ex-Raro, it all started with his decision to mutiny. Nathan was voted out 5 - 4 with Raro votes all for Yul to go. Yul played it right. He didn't have to use the hidden Immunity Ido. Jonathan played it right or, more like the only way he could play it and stay in the game.

Hey, remember Cao Boi wanted to force the Immunity Idol to put into play? He had a reason, y'know. Without even being put into play, tonight's episode showed the idol can be used for a power play to shake up the game.

How did Nathan take his plight? At Tribal Council, he looked dejected, rejected, and terribly sad. In the parting words during the credits, he was just mad: "That dirty stanky whack fruitcake sold me out!"

'Survivor 13: Cook Islands' - East Coast Update - 11/23 - The Boot

Jonathan flipped. Nate was voted out 5-4, along tribal lines plus the flip.

'Survivor 13: Cook Islands' - East Coast Update - 11/23 - Immunity

In an endurance challenge, Ozzy won the first individual immunity of the season.

'Survivor 13: Cook Islands' - East Coast Update - 11/23 - Merge ON

The Merge went down instead of Reward. They have a huge feast and decided to live at the Raro campsite (no rats).

Erwin and Godwin Cho Spread the Karma

Fan favorite nice guys team, Erwin and Godwin Cho, from The Amazing Race 10 want to spread the good karma.

Early into the season, or perhaps even before the season but after the casting was announced, I found Godwin's blog, In Search of Godwin. At the time, I mentioned how intriguing he was just from reading the entries. The blog had been last updated in May, just prior to the brothers jetting off on the show. In the entries, there was no mention of Godwin and Erwin even applying to be on the show, but Erwin had been mentioned in a few entries. So, I put two and two together - there can't be too many brothers named Erwin and Godwin Cho living in northern California, right?

Well, the blog was updated Tuesday, dashing my hopes that they'd be on the next season All Stars show. After all, teams seem to have left Miami last week, so a blog update this week nixes that. (Grr.)

In the latest entry, Godwin wrote: "We ran the race without regrets. I believe we ran the race with integrity and dignity (aside from all my crying)." He then went on to link to a new business started by his brother and himself, A Little Karma. Erwin describes it as "Ebay with a conscience."

Inspired by the rewarding feeling they had from helping David and Mary Conley, they want to help others - good karma. From the entry: "alittlekarma.com is an online company dedicated to inspiring people to do kind things for others by performing “acts of kindness” funded by profits from the sale of unique art and clothing by other budding artists/entrepreneurs."

The idea is exactly the type of thing I'd expect from a ChoBro (or two). No, they probably didn't run the race well as they didn't have the cut-throat edge and were way too nice, but these two young men will always be winners. A gander at the company, or a look through the entries on the blog, say it all. Those Cho Brothers are really nice guys.