'Survivor 14: Fiji' - The Castaways, Part 1

Phew, my source was spot on. I panicked last night when I couldn't find anything anywhere about the Survivor 14: Fiji castaways set to be revealed this morning on The Early Show. And, then they were there. The official CBS Survivor website has also been updated with photos, interviews, and other neat information. The premiere is Thursday, February 8 at 8 PM ET/PT.

I'm taking a peek at each of the new castaways, but there are too many for one entry. I decided to break things down to the old boy/girl/boy pattern alphabetically. Although this entry may look very heavy in one ethnicity, it's a diverse cast and the luck of the boy/girl/alphabetical draw. Once I get the cast entries all together, I'll link them to each other... maybe even list them on the sidebar for easy reference. It'll take me a few days to get them all listed. Any predictions I'm making here are based solely on their bios and it's very possible I'm totally wrong.

The First Five Castaways

Although he's now living in Los Angeles, Alex is originally from Columbia, South America. Ohhh, a Harvard Law degree and a member of the Harvard Boxing Club.

From his bio page: "He enjoys boxing, running, basketball, weight-lifting, painting and yoga. He recently spent a week climbing Mt. Whitney. He describes himself as assertive, witty and personable."

He seems to be single (no spouse listed) and his birth date is April 20, 1978.

But, to me, the real dirt comes out in the Favorites list on the bio page. Here are a few things which caught my attention:

• Under "scents" he listed laundry soap. [Is Survivor going to be the right place for that?]
• He lists Survivor, as well as Entourage and Family Guy, in his favorite shows. [If I were on the show, I'd certainly list it, too!]
• Rocky III made his movie list, not surprising in view of his boxing.
• His literature choices are intriguing - The Count of Monte Cristo and The Alchemist.
• While his cereal choice is very healthy (Smart Start), his junk food choices are Cheez-Its, Oreos, and KitKat bars. I like his junk food.

My overall thoughts? Attorneys historically don't do well on the show. He seems in good physical shape and, without a doubt, he's a smart man. His chances will most likely depend on being not perceived as a threat and his people skills. I give him a "maybe" as far as making it well into the game.

Unlike many who list Los Angeles as their home, Cassandra was born and raised there. She has been employed by the University of California for 23 years. Currently she manages the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. Very impressive indeed.

From her bio page: "Franklin's hobbies include skiing, traveling and shopping. She describes herself as fun, warm and giving. She is very proud of her family..."

She's very involved in many worthy causes and her love of family really shines in her bio. She's roughly still a newlywed - married two years to husband Clif. Her birth date is April 19, 1964.

Checking out her Favorites:

• Interesting... while others answer with many words, most of hers are a single word. I'm sure that says something about her. Reserved? Basic? I don't know.
• She likes Monopoly (board game choice) and Pac-Man (video game choice). Monopoly often makes the board game choice, but many of the castaways are often too young to truly appreciate Pac-Man. Or, if older, they've gone onto more current games. Hmmm...
• She likes home decor and cooking TV shows, but doesn't list Survivor or any show by name at all.
• She likes all snack foods, but has no favorite alcoholic drink.

Well, I'm not sure what to make of Cassandra other than she sounds like a really nice woman and a good person from the heart. She likes to ski, but doesn't seem really into outdoors endeavors. Although anyone who likes all snack foods should have some spunk, I don't think she'll make it far into the season - perhaps midway?

Anthony was born and raised in Compton, then headed to Yale in New Haven, CT. While at Yale, he participated in plays and sketch comedy shows. (Yes, Survivor could use a comedian.) His current job is finding expert witnesses for court trials.

From his bio page: "Robinson enjoys gaming--live action role-playing (dressing up in costumes and reliving an era or genre), video games and poker. He also enjoys dancing, juggling, roller hockey, watching movies and creating his own movies. He describes himself as friendly, dorky and intelligent."

Anthony is single and his birth date is June 25, 1974. Oh, but what about his Favorites? What will they reveal?

• True to the form of most castaways, he lists multiple choices.
• He likes video games. He really does. And we're not talking decades-old Pac-Man.
• Survivor, Lost, and M.A.S.H. make his TV list. [Good choices, I say!]
• Singing in the Rain made his movies list, amongst others.
• He's a Twinkie eater, but can be forgiven for that because he also likes Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
• He likes Pringles. [Pringles is often a sponsor of the show. They'll like that.]
• Nice music choices including jazz and old school R&B.

Now, unless he's clowning around too much, I think I'm going to like this guy. Or, at least enjoy watching him on the show. Any guy who can describe himself as "dorky" usually is nice. His chances? I think he might do pretty well. I'm not getting Sole Survivor vibes from reading about him, but I don't think he'll do too shabby.

Erica was born in Lake Charles and received her Bachelors in Mass Communication from Grambling College in Louisiana. After college she moved to New Orleans, but Hurricane Katrina forced her to relocate back to Lake Charles, then to Baton Rouge.

From her bio page: "She describes herself as subtle, confrontational and outgoing. Her hobbies include writing, reading and spending time with her family. Her favorite sports are football and soccer."

Note the word "confrontational." That could be entertaining! She's currently single and her birth date is December 11, 1979.

Her Favorites should give some insight:

• She should get together with Alex - she likes the smell of fresh linen. [I'd be so weird if I were to do this favorite list - scents would be cookies baking, autumn leaves burning, coffee brewing.]
• She has no favorite video game, but lists Monopoly like so many others.
• Under both Sports and Outdoor Activities, she lists the same things - soccer and jogging.
• Survivor did not make her TV list. Forensic Files and Flavor of Love did. [Set your red flags now.]
• What's in a Ketel One Dirty Martini? That's her favorite, but I'm so not a martini drinker and I'm clueless.

I think I'm just confused by Erica. I have no clue how she'll do at all. She looks like she might be a tough contender. But she also doesn't seem familiar with the show and admits she's confrontational. I'll abstain from guessing exit or win until I see just how confrontational she really is.

"Me and you and a Survivor named Boo... travelin' and livin' off the land."

Boo was born and raised in Layfayette. He's a construction worker by day and manages the bar he owns by night. Not only that, but he used to be a crawfish farmer! He has a Bachelors from the University of Louisiana in Lafayette.

From his bio page: " He enjoys participating in mixed martial arts fighting and Olympic lifting. He describes himself as strong-willed, outgoing and adventurous. He considers himself to be a cerebral athlete, a great problem solver and strong both mentally and physically."

He's single (or they just aren't talking) and his birth date is June 21, 1972. His bio is short and to the point, hopefully his Favorites will tell us a bit more.

• Uh-oh. One word answers for the most part, like Cassandra.
• His favorite scent? FOOD.
• Another old video game favorite - Asteroids.
• When you link a few of his favorites together, it's an odd combination... The Shawshank Redemption (movie) and Queen (music). He likes Fruity Pebbles and Sports Illustrated.
• He's a milk drinker. Milk does a body good, y'know.

Well, well, well... other than the fact that he's a grown man called Boo, he looks like he could be a powerhouse on a physical level. That often doesn't help much with speed or balance challenges. Just looking at the bio, he seems a bit sheltered as far as being out and about in the world. Is he the male eye candy for the show? Will he make it to the end? I think he could make it quite a ways, but once again, I'm not getting Sole Survivor vibes.

So, there are the first five. I think it's going to be another interesting season!

Survivors ready?

Update: My take on the next five castaways.

TV Newsy Bits - Thursday, January 11, 2006

It's Thursday and that means that a new episode of Ugly Betty is on tonight up against Armed and Famous (the second episode, also new). Not too hard a decision, eh? Ah, but then add NBC's My Name is Earl and The Office (both new episodes) to the mix and you just might have a dilemma!

At 9 PM ET/PT on ABC there's a new Grey's Anatomy and I'd like to remind everyone that we have a blog GA discussion post ongoing right here. I don't review or recap that one, but by popular request folks are welcome there to gather and discuss the latest or anything Grey's. Also in the 9 PM slot, a rerun of C.S.I. and new episodes of Scrubs and 30 Rock on NBC, as well as a new episode of The O.C. on FOX.

At 10 PM ET/PT CBS has a rerun of Shark while new episodes of Men in Trees and E.R. are airing on ABC and NBC.

In actual TV Newsy Bits today:

• Our friends at BuddyTV have an exclusive interview with the recent Survivor 13: Cook Islands winner, Yul Kwon.
• My HGTV contact told me that Jay Leno will be on Living with Ed this Sunday evening (10 PM ET/PT in most areas). The "Ed" in question, of course, is Ed Begley, Jr. He also shared a bit of Jay Leno/Ed Begley, Jr. trivia with me: "Jay Leno used to do stand-up with Ed back in the 1970s. When Jay heard Ed was doing a green show, he wanted Ed to see his new strides to become green. Jay is going to put a solar system in his shop in the next year. Jay also has several electric cars and a steam power engine, all technologies from the early 1900’s that are today being used again." It isn't easy being green (credit: Kermit), but the environment likes it!
• For those who missed the news, actress Yvonne De Carlo, perhaps best remembered for her role as Lily Munster in The Munsters, died at the age of 84. She was a well-known (and beautiful) movie star prior to the series playing such roles as the wife of Moses in The Ten Commandments.
• Celebrity Spider has linked some of the preview clips for the 24 premiere.
• Armed and Famous Gives Muncie Police Department Surprise Thank You Gift

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - Inside Scoop

One of the great things about blogging is you develop an extended network. You gather sources. Feeling much like Deep Throat with not as much at stake, I'd like to share with you some information which has been given to me from someone who knows one of the castaways who will be on the upcoming Survivor 14: Fiji.

The Unknown Castaway has not revealed anything vital such as the order of elimination or winners, but has told some interesting tidbits. Keep in mind, I can't verify this. So you may wish to file under rumors or foilers instead of spoilers.

• The new season will be introduced on Friday's The Early Show with the website going up around the same time.
• The Unknown Castaway was asked about the possibility of doing an All Stars version in the future.
• Two tribes start out the season and many of the castaways were not all that familiar with the show from past seasons.
• The Unknown Castaway spent at least one night on Exile Island.
• The snakes there are very poisonous and if bitten, they have to get to a hospital within 12 hours. That treatment was a four-hour flight away from where they were stranded.
• The Unknown Castaway has a tendency to swear and there were retakes (probably of confessionals). I bet we see bleeping, too.
• The season was filmed entirely in HD. The cameras weighed 65 pounds each and had to be carried everywhere. The cameramen would do things like walk backwards up rocky terrain to film them.
• They were never left alone. The film crew was always there, but wouldn't talk to them.
• Those who are voted off stay at nice accomodations -- sort of like a paid vacation, snorkeling and all.
• Those on the jury don't have it as nice as the ones voted off before the jury. They basically just get to clean up, but have no neat side trips.
• The challenges were age-friendly to older castaways.
• For the finale, each castaway is paid $3,000 and can bring up to three family members. This is done so that most (if not all) will show up.

Shhh... don't tell anyone.

Tonight's Television - Wednesday, January 10, 2007

As I write this, I have The Sopranos on A&E playing next to me on my library TV set. Since I don't have HBO, this is the first time I've seen the show. Interesting show -- I can see why it's so popular. I'm getting a kick out of the local references although my own Jersey neighborhood is a bit removed from any Italian roots. But there is a nearby Jersey Pork Store. I took the shot here before they repainted the sign and touched up the pig.

Having not seen this show before, it's reminding me of a movie I've seen in the past. Since this is the beginning of the series, it's in the analyst phase. I doubt that continues throughout the series, does it? Anyway, it's reminding me of the movie Analyze This with Robert DiNiro and Billy Crystal. I'm not sure which came first, the movie or this series.

Right now it's a bit overkill as they're running two back-to-back episodes, but I'll probably be taping or watching future episodes.

Earlier tonight I broke down and watched Armed and Famous. That's an odd concept for a rather odd result. The "celebrity" choices were a bit strange. I found it amusing that Jack Osbourne may be the most "normal" and well-adapted one. Maybe Muncie is a bit different, but I fear Wee Man would get tossed around like a ball here in my town and most of the criminals never watched C.H.I.P.S. I'll admit that I'll probably watch the show again if it's not up against something I really want to see. It gave me a few laughs and was like scarfing junk food for the mind for an hour. Not quite Godiva chocolate, but maybe Reese's Pieces or Jujubes.

CBS is running behind schedule due to the President's speech. So, I'll probably be taping at least the latter part of Letterman tonight as well as Craig Ferguson after him -- Masi Oka from Heroes is scheduled for the Late, Late Show. No way can I stay up that late to watch and make it to work in the morning. Argh.

If Money (and Time) Were No Object - TV on DVD

Oh, if money and time weren't so restrictive! It's a horrible quandary, isn't it? There are so many great television shows on DVD these days, but some are cost prohibitive and all would be very time-consuming. After all, some of the series I'd love to own on DVD took me several years to watch in the first place! Yes, they're consolidated into one nifty handy-dandy package, but still...!

I can dream, though. And, in my dreams, I have a huge wishlist. Now, I'm not even mentioning the movies I'd like to own. I'm just talking television on DVD here.

Number One on that wishlist is the entire series of Homicide: Life on the Street. I currently own the DVD set of the first two seasons, but that's not enough. I want the Complete Series Megaset! I wonder what the difference is between the Complete Series Megaset and the Complete Series Seasons 1-7 is other than over $150. The latter is nearly $400. Yikes. Dream big, I say, since neither is logical in my budget. Hey, it's only money and a couple of solid days worth of time without accounting for sleep to watch it all, but I just can't justify it. To this day, I think that show was one of the best-written and acted crime dramas ever on television. I have my two seasons and I watch the show on WGN (cable) whenever I'm home on a weekday, but that's not cutting it. I want it all!

Another police-related show I really enjoyed has its first season available on DVD and, at a much more reasonable price. Barney Miller. Yep, that one could be a go. I'm not seeing it so much these days on television after the reruns over-saturated the market some years back.

What I'd like to know is why they have DVDs of shows like Hart to Hart (eh) and Gidget, but no original The Fugitive? I'm talking the one from the 60s with David Janssen. There's a series I'd be lusting after just as much as my Homicidal lust. I remember sneaking to the stairway to watch through the railings late Tuesday nights when I should have been in bed. It was an odd show for a small child to enjoy, but I was addicted.

TJ Hooker is on DVD and no The Fugitive? What kind of TV world is this? At least I can understand why The Time Tunnel is available (and, yeah... I'd like that one).

I would like to own the DVD of the first season of Saturday Night Live. Where I was living at the time refused to air the first show as it was too controversial, but viewers spoke up and it became a part of my life. Today it's not the same. But those first few years were so new and fresh that I'd like to relive the magic. This time, sober and adult and all. Hmmm... maybe the same magic won't be there! Oh, well, still I'd like to buy it.

I'd like to collect Lost on DVD if for no other reason than to go back and clue-check stuff. Owning it would be like having my own personal Lost encyclopedia -- something which can be sort of necessary to watch the show and pick up on everything.

I'd like to own some shows I haven't seen as I have only basic cable; The Sopranos, The L Word and The Wire come to mind. Heck, I've seen them shooting some of the street scenes for The Sopranos, but I've never seen the show itself.

I'd like the entire Mary Tyler Moore Show just because. From her move to Minnesota to Tipperary, I want it all.

One thing I'd love to see packaged on DVD is Letterman's years on the old NBC show Late Night with David Letterman. They've packaged Johnny Carson's funniest bits from his long run - I want Letterman's from that era. He was zany and whacky and I just loved it.

What shows would you like to own (if not for money and time)? Or, what shows on DVD don't exist, but you think they should?

Important TV Dates - Mark Your Calendars

I'm not listing these in any particular order, not chronological, not even alphabetical. I'm just in a random kind of mood, I guess.

Heroes will return at 9 PM ET/PT on Monday, January 22. Are you on the list? The show certainly makes my list. If you want to check out some preview sneak peek videos, head over to the NBC Heroes website. If you missed an episode, they are also streaming all previous episodes there if your connection can handle it. You can even read the online graphic novel adaptation at the site. What are you waiting for? The cheerleader was saved, but what about the world?

American Idol has a two-night four-hour premiere -- Tuesday, January 16 and Wednesday, January 17. Two hours each night starting at 8 PM ET/PT. Right now on the official AI website, they have videos of some of the auditions held this past summer. No, you won't see me on there. I refuse to be on the list.

No date has been announced for Survivor 14: Fiji, but CBS has indicated it will premiere in February. In past seasons, it's usually around the time of the SuperBowl. Likewise, no date has been announced for The Amazing Race 11: All Stars, but that usually starts two or three weeks after Survivor.

24 (which I don't watch but many of you do) will air at 8 PM ET/PT on Sunday and Monday, January 14 and 15 in a two-night four-hour premiere much like fellow FOX show American Idol. The official FOX 24 site has some neat links to cool stuff like Stephen King's take on the new season. Huh. I guess he was on the list and got to see it ahead of time!

Lost will find its way back to our television sets at the new hour of 10 PM ET/PT on Wednesday, February 7th. They promise 16 new episodes in a row. Should we faint now? The ABC Lost site has lots of newsy bits and some sneak peeks available.

The O.C. will air its last episode on February 22.

Dancing With the Stars will have a March debut, no date announced at this time. Spring 2007 is as close as I can get with the new season of The Bachelor, but it's slated to appear.

Jericho (CBS) returns on February 21 at 8 PM ET/PT. Their website has ongoing tidbits for those who are missing the show. Right now the focus seems to be on who's spying on the spies.

TV Newsy Bits - Monday, January 8, 2007

Well, the big Newsy Bit is that today is the first anniversary of this blog! Yep, it all started (at least on this one) a year ago with a post about a show which went away very quickly. Looking back on that month, I have the start of TV Newsy Bits and wrote a lot about American Idol.

Since that time, this blog has had well over a million page views and I've lost count of the comments. The loyal readers have been many and I appreciate each and every one of you! (Even if we disagree about shows...) And now graphic artist Zoetawny gave TV Newsy Bits a flatscreen TV! It's not quite the $70,000 one I saw in a TV bit from the gadget gathering in Las Vegas, but it's still very special.

Here's what I found out and about on the Internet in the way of actual TV Newsy Bits:

• The Survivor Phoenix site takes a very close look at the released promos for the upcoming Survivor 14: Fiji.
• Reality News Online have a new interview with James (of Tyler and James), one of the co-winners of the recent Amazing Race.
• According to Celebrity Spider and other sources, Ugly Betty is now on iTunes. I'm enjoying the show, but once Survivor returns...
• TV Tattler from AOL has an interesting interview with Ashton Kutcher for your reading enjoyment.
• Oh. And now Rosie said more about Donald. They're becoming like Groundhog Day.

Hey What's on TV Tonight?

Finally, we're getting some new shows and new episodes!

Tonight at 8 PM ET I'll be watching the new episodes of How I Met Your Mother and Class. It's the former which holds the attraction for me. I tend to wash my dishes or read while Class is on, occasionally glancing up. For those who don't like the legendary Barney, there's a new Deal or No Deal on at the same time on NBC. I've never made it through that show at all. A new Wife Swap is slated for ABC at the 8 PM time slot.

At 9 PM, CBS has a new episode of Two and a Half Men followed by yet another new episode of The New Adventures of Old Christine at 9:30. NBC has a Heroes repeat in the slot while ABC is airing a new Supernanny. I'll probably stick with CBS for the hour. I got my Heroes fix the other day with a mini-marathon. Now, if it were a new episode, Heroes would win my attention hands down.

At 10 PM, there's a new C.S.I.: Miami on CBS. I rarely, if ever, watch the show. I just can't watch David Caruso - he makes my head tilt to the side or something. NBC has another Heroes repeat - "Fallout." I may re-watch it. I haven't decided yet. ABC has a new episode of What About Brian on. I'll pass on that, thank you.

Of course, the late night market is always Letterman for me, but Jay Leno is new tonight, too.

What are your TV plans?

'The Apprentice: L.A.' Season Premiere -or- "I don't like the way you talk."

Let me preface this with saying, "I don't like Donald Trump." I never really did like him, but his latest publicity fiasco isn't going to stop me from watching the show. I've watched it since the first season. Hey, I don't even like the corporate world much. But I usually enjoy this show despite myself.

One thing I didn't do this season was check out the website prior to the season premiere. I usually do that to get a handle on the names with the faces and such. But this season, I went in blind to anything but first impressions or what I get from the candidates from watching the show itself.

Go figure... the two candidates I decided I liked the least ended up in the boardroom and the one I thought should go, did. But I'm getting ahead of myself here, aren't I? There are a lot of changes this season which need to be addressed before anyone gets fired.

• The Los Angeles location instead of New York City. Now, I enjoyed the NYC location as I know the area so much better. I moved away from the L.A. area after first grade. I don't remember much more than mountain fires and Disneyland. Due to the location, unlike filming in winter in NY, lots of bugs were flying around. Perhaps one will fly into someone's mouth?
  
• No more Carolyn as she's "no longer with the company" as they say. Unless I missed the news, George is still a lawyer on Trump's staff, but not on the show. Instead, there's dear daughter Ivanka and, in the beginning, an empty chair to accompany her on the board with Daddy Trump. I won't be surprised if Donald Jr. doesn't show before the end of the season, but he wasn't in the premiere.
• The Project Manager of the winning team remains the same as long as the team is winning. I'm not sure how much I like this change. It's going to affect the dynamics of the other team members who might not get the chance to step up to the plate if one team keeps trumping. (I couldn't resist.)
• The winning Project Manager fills the empty chair in the boardroom and discusses who will be fired with Trump and Ivanka. Odd move, that one.
• The winning team stays in a luxurious house overlooking the valley, all amenities you could imagine.
• The losing team stays in Tent City. Everything is outdoors, including their showers. They're close enough to peek at the Have's pool and hear them, but they're the Have Nots.
• There's a butler named Otto.
• One of the candidates, Angela, was a winter Olympics gold medalist.
  

With bugs buzzing about their heads, Trump first assigned the whole mob the task of building a huge tent without telling them the losers would be living in it. During the task, they ran amok until one of the women, Heidi, spoke up as she was familiar with camping and tents. Then this really loud excitable boy Frank just took over. Even Trump, who's way too loud for such a teeny mouth himself, told Frank to tone it down. Oh, and Martin, who wears striped suits with checkered shirts (red and white like a picnic tablecloth) and differently patterned tie, decided he was the supervisor and didn't do much at all.

Right off the bat, I didn't like either Frank or Martin. Martin also, upon first meeting Trump during introductions, asked about going to the bathroom. Can you just see my eyes rolling? @@

From the tent-building, Trump met up with the candidates in the boardroom and asked them who they thought took over the task and displayed leadership. Heidi and Frank were chosen by their peers as the leaders and became the Project Managers getting to choose their teams. Martin was the last chosen despite his high opinion of himself.

Teams then went off to run a car wash - the team earning the most money would win. Heidi's team played it right. They enlisted two shirtless guys in a mainly gay area to hold up cardboard signs touting a free lunch (hot dog) with a car wash. They went for quantity more than quality - get the cars in and out as quickly as they could. They ended up backlogged, but the whole team really hustled and worked hard.

With Frank's team, I don't know what the hell was going on. Frank and Aaron went off to make flyers for handing out on a busy street? Duh, guys. They wanted to push detailing vehicles for $100. Now, if I decided to have an impromptu wash of my car, it wouldn't be a full detailing. The team didn't work together at all.

What surprised me was that Heidi's team didn't win by a huge margin. Less than a hundred dollars separated the winners from the losers. The winners got to go off to dinner with Donald Trump at Wolfgang Puck's restaurant Spago. Trump told the losers they'd have to build another tent and live outdoors while the others moved into their fancy digs.

Excitable Boy Frank got all excited and Martin thought he got shrewd and psychological as both campaigned against each other in the tent talks before the boardroom. I expected Frank to thump his chest and, by golly, he did! All their actions really did was to conceal any faults others might have had and make them larger targets for the rest of the team. Silly boys.

In the boardroom, most of the candidates seemed to think the Frank or both should go. If it was time for a double firing, I'm sure both would be gone. Ivanka is sounding more like Dad as she talks - her voice seems to be lower even. She's pursing her lips. We better watch her hair! She came across as quite surly at times... to the point of telling Martin, "I don't like how you talk." Huh? Say what? What kind of reasoning is that? If she's going to mention that, she should have mentioned the checkered shirt business, right?

Even though Excitable Boy lost his composure on a major basis, it was still Martin who heard the words...

"Martin, you're fired."

A good choice, but I don't think Frank's long for the show. Passion is a good thing, but self-control in stressful situations is a much better thing.

A few random closing thoughts after this week:

• I think that the man named Tim looks like Fred Savage.
• A perfect pot calling the kettle black scenario happened - Trump to candidate Stefani in the boardroom - "You're very vicious... oh, but you're a lawyer." Reality check. Trump isn't a lawyer.

Dollar bills, y'all...

Tonight, Tonight... Sunday, January 7, 2007

Okay, I know this isn't a television screen cap. But a dandelion in New Jersey in January is a rare sight. I took this shot yesterday when the temperatures climbed into the 70s (F).

Weird, weird weather.

However, television might be even a bit weirder. Earlier, while flipping stations, I came across the movie Lake Placid on AMC. I had no clue what I was watching, never saw the movie in its theater run, and only went to the TV listings when I saw Betty White feeding a cow to a monster crocodile. When I saw that bit, I had to find out. Weird movie, I say. Weird. Evil Betty White!

The latest season of The Apprentice will be starting in a few minutes here on the East Coast. I'm going into this season blind, not even having read the show's website. All I know is the California location instead of here in the NYC area and the fact that the losing team will reside in a tent while the winners will live in the life of luxury. I'll be taking my notes and posting an entry about the show either very late tonight (hate that 11 PM ET end time) or sometime tomorrow. Whether I do full reviews/recaps on it this season depends on how I take to it tonight.

Will you be watching The Apprentice: LA?

Pimpin' the Pants - Guests on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' This Week Jan. 8 - 12, 2007

A blog reader asked about a band she saw on the repeats during the holidays. Just in case my answer was missed as it was an older entry, here we go again - the band in question is Robert Randolph and the Family Band. It wasn't their first appearance on the show; Letterman's where I discovered them some time ago even though the band has local roots. If you like steel guitar and want to rock the house, they're the band who will do it for you. Their latest CD is Colorblind and both music and video streams are available on their site.

Who does The Dave have on his guest list this week?

• Monday, Jan. 8: David Arquette (now on the new sitcom In Case of Emergency) and American Idol ex-finalist Jennifer Hudson who's creating a lot of buzz with her role in the movie Dreamgirls.
• Tuesday, Jan. 9: Penelope Cruz (Volver), Gary Muledeer and musical guest Ben E. King. I'm already humming "Stand by Me" as I write this...
• Wednesday, Jan. 10: Peter O'Toole (Venus) and Marc Maron.
• Thursday, Jan. 11: Julianne Moore (appearing in the play The Vertical Hour) and musical guest Hold Steady whose CD is Boys and Girls in America.
• Friday, Jan. 12: John Witherspoon

Hmmm... I get the guest list from the Late Show website, but this list doesn't look all that complete at this time. While I know that Letterman thinks a lot of John Witherspoon, I doubt he's the only guest that night. If you just can't get enough of the Donald Trump/Rosie O'Donnell fiasco and missed Trump's appearance this past Friday night, there's a clip available on the show's website for you.

Mean Man Trump on Letterman Tonight

Yes, Donald Trump is going to be on The Late Show with David Letterman tonight. The Apprentice is a show I watch and write about, but Trump's latest feud with Rosie O'Donnell has really turned me off. It's one thing to mimic someone, but another to call a person fat, disgusting, a slob and more.

Bad Donald.

I found a cute little Flash Rosie/Trump fight game online, but I can't get it to embed properly here. You can play it yourself at the IGN website. I don't know. When I'm Trump, Rosie wins. When I'm Rosie, Trump wins. I guess I was meant to be neither, huh?

That could, of course, be a very good thing.

(Although I wouldn't mind my bank account being a bit like either!)

Oh, What Shows Will I Watch Tonight? Thursday, Jan. 4, 2006

Last night I checked out The Knights of Prosperity and In Case of Emergency, two new ABC sitcoms in the 9 PM ET/PT time slot. While I didn't fall absolutely in love with either show, I'll be giving both another shot. I liked how Mick Jagger actually played along in the former show and it's a WorldWide Pants (Letterman) Production headed up by ex-Late Show head writer (I believe he was in that position) Rob Burnett. Because I enjoy Letterman stuff so much, I want the show to succeed.

Tonight, Ugly Betty, a new episode, just started and I've recently found the show in repeats. It's cute for being ugly. In the 9 PM hour, I'll be watching C.S.I. - the much ballyhooed departure of Grissom. What they're not promoting in the promos is that he'll be returning to the series. At least, I believe that's the plan. William Petersen is off to do a play, if rumors are right. There's a new Shark and a new ER on at 10 PM, but I probably won't watch either show. I just can't get into Shark and I got out of ER a few seasons back. Perhaps I shouldn't admit this, but I'll probably be watching Animal Precinct on Animal Planet at that hour. Then my night will wrap up with David Letterman. His show, mind you, not Dave himself.

Oh... if you're into The O.C. - tonight is a new episode at 9 PM ET/PT and the show's been canceled. So, get it while you can!

TV Newsy Bits - Thursday, January 4, 2006

Happy Thursday to everyone! Yes, I have your TV Newsy Bits hot, or at the very least, warm off the presses. These are entertainment-related news stories I found throughout the Internet which caught my interest. And, as they caught my interest, I'm sure most will catch your interest, as well.

• This one is a hoot - CANOE -- JAM! Television: New reality show plops white rappers into South Bronx to battle for $100,000 - Ice, Ice, Baby...!
• Although casting for Big Brother 8 won't be finalized for months, the Jokers Updates site decided to take matters in their own hands and give advice to applicants. Hey, woo the Internet! No grey sweatpants everyday, no diva white robes every day. And, most importantly, don't give shout-outs to your parents while in a sexual act.
• Reality News Online has posted an interview with Rob and Kimberly from Amazing Race 10. Like others before them, they think Peter was edited to make him look worse than he really is. They liked Tom and Terry. No marriage announcements, but Rob and Kimberly are still a couple.
• Reality TV Magazine has confirmed that Jonathan Baker and Victoria Fuller will not be in the upcoming Amazing Race 11: All Stars. They mention other teams which will be on the show (previously mentioned right here).
• In other quasi-Amazing Race news, previous winner Reichen Lehmkuhl is suing blogger Perez Hilton for writing unflattering statements about him. Yipes. Isn't Reichen soooo good-looking? (Covering my bases here.)
• Reality TV Magazine has the latest scoop on what some of the past American Idol contestants are doing - Bucky now has a record deal, Mandisa is writing a book and more.

WCBS News Wishes Another to the Cornfield?

Beware - this article is regionally focused unlike most of my entries here. If you're in the NYC viewing area, you may be interested in reading on. If you're not, it may be a bunch of odd news. But, then again, it's odd news going on...

Last spring I wrote about the changes on the early pre-The Early Show news show on the local CBS affiliate - WCBS, Channel 2 out of New York City. I liked that show as it was, craziness and all, to have on in the background as I readied myself for work. I liked Shon Gables, Dave Price, Mario Bosquez, Vanessa Alfano and the others. I liked Dance Fridays and a bit of zany tomfoolery to start out my day. Ah, but WCBS had a better idea. They took anchor Maurice Dubois from the evening news, thrust him in the early morning slot and imported a woman from somewhere in the Midwest to co-anchor. They would have a proper newscast! No more tomfoolery!

While Price continued on in his The Early Show job, the others may as well have been victims of Anthony Fremont in The Twilight Zone episode "It's a Good Life" - wished to the cornfield never to be seen again. Yes, Shon Gables had an appearance on The View (which I missed). But, where oh where is Mario Bosquez? Is he still in the cornfield? Will he emerge someday to grace my television screen once again? I see Vanessa Alfano sometimes on the old UPN station, now My9 or something to that effect. But she's still in the cornfield, perhaps escaping now and then for a glimpse on my set.

In December, WCBS wished another news anchor to the cornfield - Roz Abrams, a local NYC news fixture for decades. Like Mario, supposedly she's still employed by them, but nowhere in sight. Cornfield, I say! With her disappearance, I wasn't too saddened. For me, Roz just didn't do it. I swear she sat around practicing cutesy looks instead of being a news anchor. Replacing her with Dana Tyler was a good move.

Earlier, the two co-anchors of the noon newscast vanished into the cornfield and sportscaster Chris Wragge replaced them, along with yet another import. Cindy Hsu occasionally emerges from the cornfield as a correspondent on stories, but I fear the day it will be permanent cornfield for her.

The latest to be sent to the cornfield is Audrey Puente, the meteorologist doing the weather on the early morning and noon shows. Some weather-dude from California with teeny glasses is in her place. Gak. Like the others, she's supposed to be still on contract.

But I hear all the cries from the cornfield...

Hey, What's on TV Tonight? Wed., January 3, 2007

Even though my favorite shows aren't around tonight, there is still a reason to spend at least a portion (perhaps a substantial one) in front of the television this evening.

Of course, I may have a book going at the same time during the 8 PM primetime hour. There's a new King of Queens followed by a repeat of Two and a Half Men on CBS. I could check out which episodes of Law and Order: SVU and Without a Trace are on cable stations. I'll see what my mood is at that hour.

At 9 PM, I will be checking out the new series The Knights of Prosperity with Donal Logue on ABC. A group of working joes scheme to rob Mick Jagger's apartment and Mick is even playing a role in the opening episode. So, I'll give it a shot. It's followed by another new sitcom, In Case of Emergency. The latter isn't sounding overly interesting to me, but I'll see. Maybe I'll just tape Knights and watch Criminal Minds on CBS - I've been liking that show more each time I see it. CM is a repeat, but since I've only recently started watching the show, it'll be new to me.

At the 10 PM hour, I'm not getting the "must see" feeling from anything I see in the listings. There's a new Medium on, but I've never been able to get into that show. I've seen the C.S.I.: NY and have no overwhelming urge to watch it again. Perhaps I'll see if the Animal Precinct episode is one I've already seen. Or, better yet, the Rosanne episodes running for the hour on Nickelodeon are ones I haven't seen since they originally aired (or maybe not at all in the case of one).

I know that at the 11:30 talk show hour, I'll be watching Letterman with a cautious eye to flip my attention to Leno when I see Masi Oka (Hiro Nakamura on Heroes) appear on the latter. I have a TV near my computer in my "library," but another in sight in the living room I can have running simultaneously set on mute. When the Masi segment shows, I'll concentrate on that as he's supposed to give a peek at future episodes of Heroes.

Oh, and then I suppose I'll hit the sack. What are your TV plans for the night?

TV Newsy Bits - Tuesday, January 2, 2007

Any Big Brother fans out there? Yeah, I know you're there. I found a site with a "where are they now" article - a lot of it is basic research, but there are tidbits on Eddie McGee, Will Kirby, Jun Song, Drew Daniels, Lisa Donahue, Maggie Ausburn, and the beloved (cough) Mike Malin. The site itself, TV Robot, is a bit odd. Much of the information is via Google and Wikipedia searches and, from what I've seen so far, most the articles (one per major show, more for a few) are credited to the same writer. Oh, it's definitely better than me doing all the research, though! Interesting site... sort of like a specialized search engine on caffeine.

TV Robot has another article researched from many sources regarding the upcoming Survivor 14: Fiji.

TV Robot also punched up an AOL page I recently linked in this blog regarding Survivor "where are they now." Hmmm... although they don't link (and should link) their source, at least they mention it. I didn't compare the AOL page and theirs side-by-side, but it looks like they added some of their own personal opinions in addition to AOL's previously released information. Hmmm... not sure I like that approach to things. If anyone sees anything of mine on there, please let me know. Regurgitated material without properly linking the source tends to annoy me.

Not TV-related, but just an odd note - in NYC this week there are a bunch of taxis covered with fur and bearing horns (not the noisy horns they love to honk so much, but bull horns). They're doing it to promote some rodeo-type event at Madison Square Garden. Yeah, it's fun until some pedestrian gets gored in the crosswalk!

TV Newsy Bits - Monday, January 1, 2007

A new year is here and new shows are finally on the horizon!

The Apprentice: L.A. will premiere next Sunday night, January 7. It'll be a 90-minute show at 9:30 PM ET/PT. For me, it's going to be a bit weird to not have it coming out of New York City. And, even though Trump has disgusted me with his behavior in the stupid Rosie O'Donnell feud, I'll be watching the show. The new location and new twist with the "haves" and "have nots" sounds intriguing.

American Idol starts up again on January 16 and 17. I'll be there. Or, actually here. No, I refuse to sing in public and you can't make me!

I watched the preview of Living with Ed today on HGTV. That will be airing Sunday evenings at 10 PM ET/PT through February 4. I found the show a fun peek into the eco-friendly ways that I'm certain to not abide by in my own life. (I live in an apartment building in Jersey. My landlord would freak if I stuck solar panels up!) I like the relationship between Ed Begley Jr. and his wife, Rachelle. This show is one I think you should definitely give a look-see.

On Wednesday night, January 3, this Letterman fan (me!) will be watching or taping The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to see a sneak preview of upcoming Heroes. My favorite hero, Hiro, played by Masi Oka, will be on the show. Sorry, Dave, I promise not to like his show on a regular basis. On January 22nd, Heroes returns. Are you on the list? (Although I found "Save the cheerleader; save the world" so much catchier a phrase!)

Yesterday and today I found myself tuning into the SciFi Channel at all sorts of odd hours. Why? Well, it was The Twilight Zone marathon. I know I've seen all of the episodes at some time or another over the years, but there are still some I haven't seen since childhood. Although I didn't catch "The Living Doll" episode, which I really wanted to see again, at least I caught the one with Anthony (Billy Mumy) wishing people to the cornfield and making three-headed gophers. That's a good thing he done, ain't it?

Now I have the Heroes mini-marathon on NBC... just a taste for what's to come! Hey, maybe the future me has a sword. You never know.

2006 - The (TV) Year That Was - My Favorite Shows

What a year it was in television, eh? Hits, misses, a lot of somewhere in betweens...

I've been pondering my favorites and, if I had to list them in some sort of order, the Number 1 television show experience for me would be Heroes. I've become addicted to the show from the character of Hiro to the tagline "Save the cheerleader; save the world." I've been a lifelong comics fan of sorts (falling in and out of the medium at times) and I find this show exciting and mesmerizing. Like a graphic novel unfolding before us, I can't wait to see the latest chapter. Kudos to Heroes! I'm not sure where the story is going, but I'll be joining it for the ride.

My Number 2 choice is more for the entertainment value than the storyline... American Idol. Call me shallow, I don't care. I never miss an episode of the show from auditions through the finals. I'll admit I've never bought a record by any of the chosen Idols, but that's beside the point. I have my secret crush on Simon Cowell (shhh!) and love to watch his reactions throughout the show. 2006's finalists were a great mix of talents and not-so-talented, perhaps more talented than myself, but does Covais ring a bell? Crooners, rockers, country and western - AI has it all. I'll be watching the new season to see if they can top last season's entertainment value rating with me.

The Amazing Race 9 (spring 2006) rolls in at the Number 3 slot in my rankings. With the exception of the Family Edition (8), this show has long been a favorite of mine. In 9, the winners were the ones I loved to watch all season long, unlike the latest season. In the latest season (10), I was ambivalent about who won in the end, so that keeps the season from ranking high on my favorites. I still liked the show, mind you. But I like it better when the winners are ones I cheered on throughout the season. BJ and Tyler of season 9 absolutely rock!

Those would be my Top Three shows, but many more made the ranks of my Top Ten. (Okay, seven more.) I'm not sure how I'd rank them. The latest season of Survivor has been one of my all-time favorites - I hope they keep such a diverse cast on the shows without separating the tribes by race. I'm still hooked on C.S.I. and the Law and Order shows. I'm still hooked on Lost although I'm leery of their actual plots and whether they're going to tie up loose ends and plot holes.

Although "all stars" versions of reality shows aren't tops with me, I thoroughly enjoyed Big Brother 7: All Stars except for Mike Boogie winning it all. I didn't like him in his season and he wouldn't have even made the show if not for Will Kirby. However, if that was the price to pay for watching another season of the Evil Dr. Will on the feeds and on the show, it was a price well justified. After all, I was entertained.

I'm iffy on Jericho, so my personal jury is still out with that one. I've recently discovered the joys of Ugly Betty and Criminal Minds, but so recently that I can't place them on a list of favorites.

If I had to name a favorite sitcom of the year, I'd say How I Met Your Mother is... wait for it... legendary! I definitely like it best when Marshall and Lily are a couple, but I fear this show would lose its bite without Neil Patrick Harris as Barney. He makes the show or, more accurately, the character of Barney makes the show. Suit up and sit down to watch it if you're not already a fan!

My favorite animal show (yeah, I have those) is Meerkat Manor on Animal Planet. The ongoing intro by Sean Astin is a bit much show after show, but the meerkats are intriguing and addicting to watch. The show is realistic in that the life and death of the meerkats is only documented and they don't interfere with the course of nature. Nature, of course, can be cruel at times. I find it sad when they actually give the various meerkats names and then they're carried off by hawks or killed by rival meerkat gangs, but that's life. This show is still a hit with me.

What were your favorites in 2006?

Happy New Year!

I want to take a moment to thank everyone for a fantastic year with this blog. I started it up just about a year ago - the first week of January 2006. In that time, the sitemeter has recorded well over a million pageviews and that's a lot for a mere blog.

Of course, a good portion of those visits came during the Big Brother Live Feeds Reports days, but that's not unexpected. However, many folks stayed around after the feeds ended and I appreciate you all!

Graphic artist Zoetawny has loaded the New Year for us and I've got a few articles in the making for the day.

May 2007 bring you all happiness, love, prosperity and, of course, good television! And, thank you once again for your loyal readership and comments!

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!

Holiday Television Programming This Weekend - Dec. 23 - 24

'Twas the weekend before Christmas and all through the house... there were holiday television movies, specials, and cartoons! Of course, you're through with your shopping, wrapping, and baking. It's time for some family time, or even some me time relaxing in front of the TV set, right?

These listings aren't all-inclusive - premium cable stations and local programming aren't included. But, they're representative of the major happenings on broadcast and cable television.

Late Friday night, December 22:

• 11:00 PM ET/PT - TNT - A Perfect Day (movie)
• 11:35 PM ET/PT - CBS - Late Night with David Letterman, Christmas show
• 11:30 PM ET/PT - TBS - The Nightmare Before Christmas (movie)

Saturday, December 23:

• 2 AM ET/PT - F/X - Miracle on 34th Street (movie)
• 4 AM ET/PT - USA - 12 Days of Christmas Eve (movie)
• 7 AM ET/PT - ABC Family - Blizzard (movie)
• 9 AM ET/PT - ABC Family - Snow (movie)
• 11 AM ET/PT - Lifetime - Mr.St. Nick (movie)
• 11 AM ET/PT - ABC Family - Christmas Do-Over (movie)
• 11:15 AM ET/PT - TNT - Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (movie)
• Noon ET/PT - CW - All I Want for Christmas (movie)
• 1 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - Call Me Claus (movie)
• 1 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - A Mom for Christmas (movie)
• 3 PM ET/PT - TBS - Hook (movie)
• 3 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - Under the Mistletoe (movie)
• 3 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - A Christmas Romance (movie)
• 4 PM Et/PT - Food Network - All Star Holiday Party
• 5 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - Crazy for Christmas (movie)
• 5 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Mary Poppins (movie)
• 5 PM ET/PT - Food Network - Christmas in America
• 7 PM ET/PT - ABC - The Sound of Music (movie)
• 7 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - His and Her Christmas (movie)
• 8 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Eloise at Christmastime (movie)
• 8 PM ET/PT - Food Network - Italian Christmas
• 9 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - Eve's Christmas (movie)
• 10 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Home Alone 3 (movie)
• 10:30 PM ET/PT - TBS - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (movie)

Sunday, December 24:

• Midnight ET/PT - Lifetime - Stolen Miracle (movie)
• 12:30 AM ET/PT - TBS - The Nightmare Before Christmas (movie)
• 1 AM ET/PT - Comedy Central - Bad Santa (movie)
• 2 AM ET/PT - TBS - Snow Day (movie)
• 3 AM ET/PT - USA - Three Wise Guys (movie)
• 3:30 AM ET/PT - AMC - Prancer (movie)
• 5 AM ET/PT - TNT - A Christmas Carol (movie)
• 6 AM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - 12 Tiny Christmas Tales
• 6:30 AM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - Mr. Magoo's Christmas
• 7 AM ET/PT - ABC Family - The Stingiest Man in Town
• 7:30 AM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - Nine Dog Christmas
• 8 AM ET/PT - TBS - Hook (movie)
• 9 AM ET/PT - TNT - A Perfect Day (movie)
• 9:30 ET/PT - Cartoon Network - A Johnny Bravo Christmas
• 10 AM ET/PT - WNET (PBS) - Arthur's Perfect Christmas
• 10 AM ET/PT - A&E - Karroll's Christmas (movie)
• 10 AM ET/PT - ABC Family - Eloise at Christmastime (movie)
• 10:55 AM ET/PT - TBS - The Nightmare Before Christmas (movie)
• 10:30 AM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - The Night B4 Christmas
• 11 AM ET/PT - Lifetime - Santa Who? (movie)
• 11 AM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - Bah-Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas
• Noon ET/PT - CW - A Christmas Wish (movie)
• Noon ET/PT - Cartoon Network - Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas
• Noon ET/PT - ABC Family - Little Drummer Boy
• Noon & 2 PM ET/PT - AMC - Miracle on 34th Street (movie)
• 12:30 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - The Leprauchauns' Christmas Gold
• 12:30 PM ET/PT - TBS - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (movie)
• 1 PM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - Bill and Mandy Save Christmas
• 1 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July (movie)
• 2 PM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - Casper's Haunted Christmas (movie)
• 2 PM ET/PT - F/X - Miracle on 34th Street (movie)
• 3 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - Christmas at Water's Edge (movie)
• 3 PM ET/PT - TLC - Crazy Christmas Lights
• 3 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus
• 4 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - The Story of the First Christmas Snow
• 4:30 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey
• 5 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - A Christmas Wedding (movie)
• 5 PM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - The Legend of Frosty the Snowman
• 5 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Pinocchio's Christmas
• 6 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Jack Frost
• 6 PM ET/PT - History Channel - The Real King Herod
• 6 & 8 PM ET/PT - AMC - Miracle on 34th Street (movie)
• 6 PM ET/PT - Food Network - Al Roker's Christmas in New York
• 7 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - All She Wants for Christmas (movie)
• 7 PM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer
• 7 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Frosty's Winter Wonderland
• 7 PM ET/PT - History Channel - The Spear of Christ
• 7 PM ET/PT - Food Network - All Star Holiday Party
• 7:30 PM ET/PT - TBS - Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas
• 7:30 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - 'Twas the Night Before Christmas
• 8 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Santa Claus is Comin' to Town
• 8 PM ET/PT - NBC - It's a Wonderful Life (movie)
• 8 & 10 PM ET/PT - TBS - A Christmas Story (movie)
• 8 PM ET/PT - Cartoon Network - A Lost Claus
• 8 PM ET/PT - Food Network - Emeril Live: Hilda's Holiday Classics
• 9 PM ET/PT - CBS - A Very Married Christmas (movie)
• 9 PM ET/PT - WNET (PBS) - The Nutcracker With Mikhail Baryshnikov
• 9 PM ET/PT - Lifetime - Holiday Wishes (movie)
• 9 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - A Year Without Santa Claus
• 9 PM ET/PT - Comedy Central - Bad Santa (movie)
• 9 PM ET/PT - HGTV - White House Christmas 2006
• 10 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Rudolph's Shiny New Year
• 10 PM ET/PT - AMC - Miracle on 34th Street (movie)
• 10 PM ET/PT - HGTV - Holiday Windows
• 10:30 PM ET/PT - WNET (PBS) - Christmas With the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Featuring Renée Fleming and Claire Bloom
• 11 PM ET/PT - ABC Family - Little Drummer Boy
• 11 PM ET/PT - HGTV - What's With That Christmas House?
• 11:30 PM ET/PT - ABC - A Dream for Christmas (movie)

TV Newsy Bits - Thursday, December 21, 2006

Well, this may be a bit more "schtuff" than actual Newsy Bits tonight. You've been warned!

Okay, who's following the Rosie O'Donnell and Donald Trump brouhaha? (You know how I love to use the word "brouhaha" in a sentence, right? A perfect excuse to do it!) I simply can't believe these two wealthy celebrity adults, can you? And, what's getting me is that I think Donald sunk lower than Rosie. I would have thought it would be the other way around. I'm a huge The Apprentice fan, but he's disappointed me with his behavior in this matter. To sink to calling someone "ugly" and "fat" is schoolyard stuff. Not that I'm defending Rosie, mind you. But...!

Did anyone see the brief Lost promo during Ugly Betty tonight? Jack and Kate have the walkie-talkies and Jack's trying to get Kate a way off the island. Yes, more proof there are indeed two islands. Heck, if giant polar bears run amok, they can go around an island and never see another right nearby. Kate and Sawyer are attacked by the others and someone gets shot.

It seems tonight is the meatball-and-pizza-on-the-tree night for the Late Show with David Letterman judging by the promos. And, tomorrow night is the Christmas show with the Annual Christmas Tree Football Toss.

Ho ho...

TV Newsy Bits - Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Uh-oh, winter starts tomorrow. Do you have your hats and gloves? Oh, sure... I'm certain some folks live in warm winter states, but I'm not one of them. However, the forecast for this area is not including a white Christmas this year. I'm sure we'll have a white Groundhog's Day and be ready for spring anyway.

Here at the TV Newsy Bits I found while poking about the Internet today:

• The TV Tattler has an interview with Yul Kwon, recent Survivor winner (as if you'd forget).
• Taylor Hicks First Album Enters Chart at #2 in First Week - I saw Taylor Hicks singing "White Christmas" this morning on The Early Show. It was a rather unusual version, but enjoyable. I can't help but wonder what new talents we'll see next month when American Idol returns.
• Speaking of American Idol, previous winner Ruben Studdard has shed 100 pounds and has his sights set on helping others in Alabama lose weight.
• Evangeline Lilly, Kate on Lost, lost her Hawaii rental home to a fire early today. Thankfully, she and her roommate(s) weren't home at the time, so they're fine.

I'm currently watching Criminal Minds. I know it's a repeat, but remember... this is a show I haven't been watching, so it's new to me. Y'know, I may end up getting hooked on this show.

Are you all out catching up on shopping or did you get some TV watching done today?

Today's Lyrical Non Sequitur:

Seasons change with the scenery,
weaving time in a tapestry,
won't you stop and remember me at any convenient time?
Funny how my memory skips while looking over manuscripts of unpublished rhyme,
drinking my vodka and lime,
I look around, leaves are brown and the sky is a hazy shade of winter.
Look around, leaves are brown there's a patch of snow on the ground.
-- "Hazy Shade of Winter" by Paul Simon, recorded by Simon and Garfunkel

TV Newsy Bits - Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Get yer bits here. Fresh TV Newsy Bits hot off the press... er, keyboard.

Now, bear with me a moment here. Last week, the CBS website for The Late Show with David Letterman had Bette Midler listed as the Friday night headline guest. Instead, it was Clint Eastwood. They never updated the page to reflect the change. I made a correction to my weekly Late Show guest listings article when I saw the promos.

Being the huge Letterman fan that I am, I know it's always Jay Thomas who does the Annual Christmas Tree Football Toss. He's listed on the website to do it this Friday. But I swear my ears are hearing Dave Price (from The Early Show). Say what? Am I going strangely hearing deficient? Has anyone else heard Dave Price? I'll listen more closely tonight, I guess.

Right now I have the new NBC show Identity on in the background as I write this. I like the premise of the show, but I'm not sure it will hold my interest. So far my impression is that the old What's My Line? married the stage (and music) of The Weakest Link and the wedding was ordained by Penn of Penn and Teller.

The good folks at TBS sent me some more screeners for new My Boys episodes which I'll be watching over the next few days and report back on. They also sent me the news that they've ordered nine new episodes in addition to the five new ones which will air December 26th - 28th starting at 10 p.m. ET/PT. If you liked Friends and Sex and the City, My Boys attracts the same sort of audience while not really being much like either. Have I confused you yet? Check out the show!

In other TV Newsy Bits:

• Reality News Online (RNO rocks) has a transcript of the Yul and Ozzy (Survivor) interviews from The Early Show. The RNO interview with Ozzy sheds makes me like the guy even more. Yul explained his strategy in his interview with them.
• RNO rocked on with a Sundra interview, an Adam interview and a Becky interview.
• Have you had enough Survivor yet? If not, more details about next season have been reported by Reality TV World. Celebrity Spider has news about the ratings (very good) and about show memorabilia up for auction.
• What? More Survivor? AOL has a peachy-keen "Where Are They Now?" feature (not limited to just AOL members). Well, we probably all know where Richard Hatch is...!
• In non-Survivor news, Former 'N Sync Star Joey Fatone Set for Dancing With the Stars