"The walls will tumble..."

Every year, there’s at least one show that I actually like, I just don’t have time to watch it. This year that show will probably be “Jericho.”

In all honesty, I had no intentions of liking it. The reviews were not very good and the concept was a little scary. Yet, somehow, I found myself getting engrossed in the premiere, no matter how hard I tried not to.

The show begins with Jake Green (Skeet Ulrich), who returns to his hometown of Jericho, Kansas to convince his father to give him the inheritance he was left by his grandfather. Jake is surrounded in mystery, especially when he tells three different people three different stories as to where he has been the past few years. His father, Johnston (Gerald McRaney), the mayor of Jericho, refuses to release the money due to Jake’s immaturity. So despite his mother Gail’s (Pamela Reed) protests, Jake leaves for San Diego.

But a funny thing happens on the way to San Diego. People in Jericho start noticing a mushroom cloud in the direction of Denver. People are especially freaked out because it’s a time when world tensions are running high. Then, phones and TVs no longer work and Jericho is unable to communicate with the outside world. Plus, there is a bus full of school children on a school trip that has not returned. Johnston is forced to spring into action, while fighting off the grandstanding of his mayoral opponent. It gets tougher when Jericho loses power and people start getting violent, but a mysterious ex-cop named Robert Hawkins (Lennie James) advises the police on what to do as if he has some kind of knowledge about the situation.

Meanwhile, Jake is involved in a head-on collision with another couple who were driving and gawking at the mushroom cloud. The couple is killed, but Jake survives and walks away wounded to get help. He is stopped by two school children who take him to the bus which ran off the side of the road when a crazed deer (apparently affected by the cloud) jumped in front of them. Their teacher has a broken leg and is unable to help them (and apparently the driver is dead), so when a little girl on the bus stops breathing, Jake uses a pocket knife to perform a tracheotomy on her with the kids’ juicebox straws. Jake then manages to drive the bus out of the ditch, unsure whether they have enough gas to get back to town.

Dale (Erik Knudsen), a neighbor of the Greens, gets a message from his mother who is out of town with her boyfriend. An explosion is heard on the tape. Gail tells Dale she’s sorry that his mother was in Denver. He wasn’t, she tells him. His mom was in Atlanta.

The sheriff’s department scours the back roads looking for the missing schoolbus and think they’ve found it; but then realize too late that it’s a prison bus. The sheriff and at least one deputy are killed, although no one in town is aware of it.

Jake manages to get the bus back to town and his dad tells him he did a great thing. They all wonder how things will look tomorrow. Meanwhile, Jake’s ex-girlfriend (Ashley Scott) runs out of road on the way to pick up her fiancé at the airport.

As I’ve said about so many of the new shows this season, the biggest problem is where the show goes from here. Obviously there are plenty of romantic possibilities and there’s the whole mystery of where Jake’s been and why he wanted the money, but after that? Clearly “Lost” has managed to pull it off for two seasons, but I’m not sure this show can follow that formula.

Putting the future aside, though, there’s something strangely compelling about the show. I like the combination of family drama and sci-fi and Skeet Ulrich is a good leading man. And Gerald McRaney was born to play the stern father/sympathetic mayor.

However, I have to believe that with a concept like this one that “Jericho” is bound to spiral out of control. I hope that I’m wrong, but I’ve already added too many shows to my plate to find out.

“Jericho” airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on CBS.

Question of the Week: Gone Too Soon

As you can tell from my posts about “Justice,” the vultures are already flying around the new shows.

The one with the most vultures is FOX’s “Happy Hour”—and deservedly so. Although FOX has not officially cancelled it, it is questionable whether it will return after baseball season.

There are also a few vultures flying around FOX’s “Standoff” since it took a break to “allow the writers to catch up.” FOX, however, says that “Standoff” will be back after baseball, but you never know.

Without fail, every season there’s a new show that is cancelled way too quickly, leaving people to wonder what would have happened.

So here’s this week’s Question of the Week: What show do you feel was gone too soon?

For me, it’s absolutely “Skin,” which I alluded to in my earlier post. If you missed it (and likely you did), this show was the story of a star-crossed teenage couple. His father was the DA and her father was the porn king the DA was trying to bring down. Ron Silver was sensational as the porn king with a heart of gold and the writing was the best on TV at the time. The problem was that FOX marketed it during baseball as a Romeo and Juliet love story. If they would’ve focused on the porn aspect, it probably would’ve done better. You’ve got to know your audience, people…

So what show are you still angry about being cancelled too soon?

There Is Some "Justice" After All

This is why I should never trust TV news from someone who isn’t a TV news reporter…

Yesterday, Whitney Matheson, who writes the “Pop Candy” column for USAToday.com linked to a report from a TV news website that “Justice” had been put on hiatus—the first official step toward cancellation. I couldn’t believe that FOX was stupid enough to cancel a top 25 show just because it had one bad week, but stranger things have happened.

It turns out that I needn’t have gotten so angry…

After finally getting to the site Matheson referenced to read the article for myself, I saw that the hiatus is not the first step in cancellation, but instead the reality of FOX’s Major League Baseball coverage. Yes, FOX is substituting a re-run of “House” for next week’s episode (which is usually a bad sign), but according to “Variety,” the network is expected to be patient with “Justice” and possibly move it to another timeslot after baseball. That would explain the pre-emption, because FOX would want to save the new episode for that new timeslot.

Obviously, “Justice” is not out of the woods yet, but I feel much better about it than I did yesterday. And frankly, I think Matheson owes me an apology for making me get so fired up at my beloved FOX.

On second thought, they’re bound to tick me off for real at some point, so I’ll just save up that anger for then…

FOX makes me angry!!!

I love FOX. After January, practically every show I watch is on FOX.

So why, oh why, do they always have to find a way to tick me off?!

According to "USA Today," "Justice" has been put on hiatus. This is usually the first step toward cancellation.

Now you know why I'm angry. If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that I love that show. The ratings weren't exceptional, but they weren't horrible enough to be cancelled this soon.

I just knew that if I allowed myself to fall for another FOX show, I'd get burned. It's "Skin" all over again.

And just for the record, I would have more information on this if the new "TV Guide" website wasn't so UNBELIEVABLY AWFUL!!!

I told you I was angry...

Is "Desperate Housewives" back on track?

It’s the question “Desperate Housewives” fans have been waiting to answer since the end of last season:

Is the show back on track?

After watching last night’s premiere, I would say yes…and no.

Yes, everything about the premiere was better than last season, but there were still a lot of problems for me.

I hate the Lynette-Tom story. Nora is annoying and I see that story getting old really quick unless some kind of action is taken.

And do we really need Bree engaged to another psychopath? Didn’t we do that already? I don’t have a problem with Orson driving this year’s mystery, but I hate for it to be at the expense of Bree’s character—especially since she gave us most of the episode’s best laughs. Why couldn’t we just see Bree dating?

[On a side note, I can’t help but wonder if maybe that’s not the same argument a former producer had when he resigned from the show. He had planned to put Orson with Susan, but Marc Cherry overruled him. They had a falling out and then the producer was gone and Orson was with Bree.]

I did like Edie trying to sell the Young house and Susan’s story had a hint of her former self, but somehow it just wasn’t enough for me.

In the show’s defense, my apathy may have more to do with NBC’s excellent football coverage than the show itself. Maybe I’d just rather be watching something else.

I’ll give it another week to change my mind, but more than likely I’ll soon move away from Wisteria Lane.

I won't get fooled again...

When I made “CSI: Miami” a Pick of the Week last week, I said it was because you wouldn’t want to miss the cheesy goodness.

But if you took my advice, you didn’t get cheesy goodness. Instead, you got one of the worst single episodes of a television show I’ve ever seen.

My apologies to all of you…

I’ve always said that any time “Miami” tries an actual storyline instead of just showing us the pretty people running around it screws up the show. And Monday’s premiere was a perfect example of that.

Continuing from last season’s cliffhanger, Horatio and Delko went to Brazil to make sure Riaz, Marisol’s killer, was brought to justice. Of course, he was released on a technicality and Horatio and Delko took matters into their own hands. Horatio went to his brother, Raymond, and his wife (and Horatio’s unrequited love), Yelena, who Horatio sent to live in Brazil two seasons ago. Why did he go to them? Because Horatio was sure that Raymond was mixed up with Riaz and his drug dealing—which apparently he was. But that was never made clear since Raymond was killed—again!

Apparently, Raymond and Yelena’s son, Ray Jr., was involved with Riaz too, but the reason why was never explained (You got the impression he was somehow trying to help his dad.). He just ended up on a plane to Miami, presumably with packets of heroin in his body—although no one ever tried to get them out.

There was, of course, a showdown with Riaz, but Delko’s fight with him looked like something out of “West Side Story.” And, of course, Horatio had to kill the other drug dealer (whoever he was) to save Ray Jr.

The entire show made absolutely no sense. And I couldn’t believe they went to all of that expense to go to Brazil and had nothing to show for it. There were plenty of pretty shots of the famous Christ the Redeemer statue, but they could’ve just used stock footage for that and saved themselves some money. Not to mention that the sound quality of all the location shots was extremely poor.

The only good thing about the episode is that a Horatio-Yelena coupling is once again a possibility. But if they hadn’t disappointed us with that two seasons ago, the show wouldn’t be in this mess to begin with.

The show’s theme song from The Who promises “we won’t get fooled again.” I, for one, am taking that statement to heart, because if the show doesn’t get this straightened out, I definitely won’t get fooled again. I’ll just stop watching.

A "Class" Act on Mondays

I wasn’t really clear on the concept of “The Class.” But now, having seen the premiere, I have to say it’s a good one. And more importantly, it’s funny.

Ethan (the adorable Jason Ritter) decides to throw a special party for his fiancé. Since they met in third grade, he decides to celebrate the anniversary of the day they met by inviting as many members of their third grade class as he can find. There are sisters Lina (Heather Goldenhersh) and Kat (Lizzy Caplan). Lina is a perpetual optimist who has just found her boyfriend in bed with another woman, while Kat is a perpetual pessimist. Holly (Lucy Punch) is still holding a grudge against Kyle (Sean Maguire) for dumping her on prom night to fool around with another guy; and ironically, has married a rather effeminate man. Duncan (Jon Bernthal) still lives at home and his old girlfriend, Nicole (Andrea Anders), is the unhappy trophy wife of a former pro football player. Richie (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) actually postpones his suicide to attend the party.

The party, however, turns out to be a disaster for Ethan, as his fiancé breaks up with him for going too overboard with his romantic gestures and the only one left to console him is Kat. It’s not so bad for Nicole and Duncan who decide to rekindle their relationship; and Richie finds a reason to live when he goes out with Lina. Too bad he accidentally hits her with his car at the end of the date.

“The Class” is not the most hilarious show on TV, but it is funny, and the characters are endearing. Plus, the show presents some intriguing possibilities as to how the classmates will continue to stay connected.

But if the show stretches those connections (a la “Reunion”), things could go astray. But since one of the show’s creators is David Crane, who co-created “Friends,” I’m willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.

And you should too.

“The Class” airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on CBS.

Picks of the Week: Heroes and Fashionistas

This week bring us a new handful of premieres, so again, I’ve got multiple Picks of the Week:

NBC continues its revamp with the premiere of “Heroes,” a drama about normal people who discover they have extraordinary powers. This one’s been compared to “X-Men.” I hope for its sake that means the first movie and not the others. “Heroes” premieres Monday, September 25th at 9 p.m. on NBC.

One of the most critically acclaimed new shows of the season also premieres this week. ‘Ugly Betty” tells the story of an ugly duckling trying to make it at a fashion magazine. It premieres Thursday, September 28th at 8 p.m. on ABC.

And after tricking us with a re-run last week, “Project Runway” should tell us this week who’s going to Olympus Fashion Week. Of course, all four finalists already showed their collections there last week—so as not to give anything away—but only three will be eligible to win. However, the promo alludes to a twist that could change that and according to the photos in “Entertainment Weekly” this week, there’s a model switch as well. “Project Runway” airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on Bravo.

Who Will Save Her Soul?

Last Friday night at about 8:30, I went completely ballistic. Or as I like to say, I really wanted to go Jack Bauer on CBS.

After telling all of you to watch “Ghost Whisperer” for the big twist you’d never see coming, CBS gave it away with a commercial for the show’s season premiere. For anyone who was seeing the episode for the first time, the twist was ruined, so I really hope those people were in the bathroom when the commercial aired.

For those of you who didn’t watch or haven’t read any of my posts about this, here’s what happened: Melinda (who sees the dead and helps them cross over) saw the ghost of a pilot whose plane was still in the air. Her best friend, Andrea, concerned that her brother was on the plane, drove to his apartment just before the plane crashed. When Andrea returned, Melinda tried to tell her something, but Andrea wouldn’t listen because she didn’t want to hear that her brother was dead. At the end of the episode, Andrea’s brother showed up and it looked like everything was okay. But it was actually Andrea who was dead—killed in the path of the plane.

Seeing the episode now, Andrea’s death was actually quite obvious as all the signs were there: Melinda’s reaction when Andrea returned from her brother’s apartment, Andrea never coming through the door, Andrea never changing clothes, and the FAA agent ignoring Andrea. But this is “Ghost Whisperer,” not “24,” so you never expected a major character like the hero’s best friend to die. It was truly brilliant—and I never thought I would use that word to describe anything related to this show.

Which leads me to tonight’s season premiere and the fact that I’m really afraid they’re going to screw it up (which is why I didn’t make it one of my picks of the week). After all, nothing can screw up a good cliffhanger worse than a bad resolution.

In the finale, Melinda met a man dressed in black, a spirit who reeks havoc (He caused the plane crash.) and tries to get spirits to stay on Earth for his purposes (whatever they may be). Most TV writers call him Wide Brim Hat Man, but I call him the Evil Leaper, in honor of the character on “Quantum Leap” that tried to screw up all the good Sam was doing.

The Evil Leaper tried to get Melinda to trade her soul for all of the souls from the plane, until a survivor gave her a message that she was the one who had to stop him (which she did for the most part). It was no big surprise then—but still a great idea—that the Evil Leaper was in position to try to take Andrea’s soul when the season ended.

Now, Melinda must fight for Andrea’s soul, without losing her own. My concern, based on the previews, is that the show may be going too dark and sci-fi. I’m encouraged, however, by the addition of Jay Mohr as an expert Melinda asks to help identify the Evil Leaper. If this doesn’t sound like his kind of show, you’re exactly right—which actually encourages me even more.

Personally, I would like to see Andrea stick around and become an Evil Leaper herself, or at least a reminder to Melinda of her failure to help her. But since this show is generally about happy endings (Andrea’s death aside), I don’t see that happening. Plus, Camryn Manheim is set to join the cast in the second episode.

Whatever happens tonight, I assure you there are two things you’ll definitely need—a box of tissues and a nightlight.
Part one of the season premiere of “Ghost Whisperer” airs tonight (Friday) at 8 on CBS.

Friday Free-For-All: September 22, 2006

I’ve still got a lot of videotaped viewing to catch up on, but here are my thoughts on what I saw during this first week of the new fall season…

Why do people love “How I Met Your Mother”? That show completely frustrates me. I can’t root for Ted and Robin because we know they don’t end up together in the end. Neil Patrick Harris is great, though…

Why did “Two and a Half Men” find it necessary for Alan to get married again? You knew he was just going to get divorced so he could move back in with Charlie. Otherwise, there’s no show…

We have to wait until the second episode for Gibbs to return to his team at “NCIS”? What gives? And I know Mark Harmon is the heart of the show, but I kind of enjoyed watching Michael Weatherly (Tony) in the leadership role. But did Tony really sleep with Ziva?...

When did “Boston Legal” become “Nip/Tuck”? Blow-up dolls and sex surrogates? I think maybe the show went too far this time…

I know we’re only in week one, but I’m ready to name “Justice” one of the season’s best new shows. It just keeps getting better and better each week. And how fierce was Luther (the mesmerizing Eamonn Walker) trying the case? Could’ve done without that annoying private investigator, though…

I knew by the date of the “Project Runway” finale that there would be an extra episode somewhere, but a re-run?! BOO HISS!!!...

The “Celebrity Duets” title may be up for grabs after all, because Jai Rodriguez is seriously choking. “Lady Marmalade”? Are you kidding me? I think he’s opened the door for Alfonso Ribeiro—especially after Alfonso almost made David Foster cry. And I hope David meant what he said about taking Hal Sparks into the studio. I’d buy that one—if he didn’t scream so much, or at least screamed in tune…

How much of a tease was that “How to Save a Life” video montage before the “Grey’s Anatomy” premiere? It did give us a lot of scenes from the premiere, but none of them made any sense out of context. I didn’t see the entire episode, but I hate it when premieres don’t pick up where the cliffhanger left off…

So here’s your chance. What did you see this week that you liked? What didn’t you like?

Just post a comment and get us started…

Idol Fans: Mark Your Calendars!

“American Idol” fans, it’s time to mark your calendars and start saving your money, because it’s going to be an expensive fall.

Here’s the “Idol”-related release schedule”:

10/17—Ruben Studdard, “The Return”
Standard R&B with help from producer Scott Storch (Paris Hilton) and Ne-Yo
10/31—Kellie Pickler, “Small Town Girl”
Country with the help of a Dixie Chicks’ producer
11/14—Fantasia, TBA
More mainstream pop with a lighter subject matter
11/14—Taylor Hicks, TBA
Taylor’s calling it old-school R&B with a new wave edge. Whatever it is, it’s going to be rushed, since he hasn’t started recording it yet.
11/21—Chris Daughtry, TBA
Here’s the date I’ve got circled. Chris is working with a producer that worked with All-American Rejects and he may do a song with Rob Thomas.
November TBA—Katherine McPhee, TBA
It will probably be a pop album, but there’s a lot of doubt surrounding this one. I sense another Diana DeGarmo—although I thought her CD wasn’t too bad. After seeing Katherine in concert, I won’t be wasting my money on it (Sorry, Kat fans.).

There is one other Idol-related release, but I’m loathe to mention it because the way he skirted the entire Idol process and still found success totally irks me. But, in case you’re curious, “Mario Vazquez” hits stores September 26th.

So who will sell the best? I think it will be between Taylor and Chris, but Clay has a good chance to beat them all. If he and Clive don’t split up first…

Okay, now I'm confused...

Okay, now I’m confused. Is Clay already distancing himself from his CD?

In interview after interview, he has said he did the album of covers because he didn’t think there were any songs today that could compete. In one interview, he said that he suggested some covers, and Clive Davis suggested the love songs theme. But in an interview with the Associated Press, Clay says the idea was completely Clive’s and that he was initially reluctant.

Which begs the question…Why did Clive suggest it? Was he trying to steer Clay away from something? There were rumors that Clay was leaning toward a contemporary Christian CD and that idea was squashed after rumors about his personal life. Was Clive trying to keep him from recording that?

From a PR standpoint, Clay needs to appear to be behind the CD, but this new interview makes me think that maybe he isn’t. Maybe his new look is a sign of rebellion against Clive’s marketing?

As I said, I’m confused…

Clay Goes "A Thousand Different Ways"

I hope you’ll forgive me if I sneak a music review in my television blog…

Clay Aiken’s “A Thousand Different Ways” hit the stores yesterday. And the good news is, it’s not nearly as cheesy as I worried it would be.

When I heard that Clay was doing a cover album with songs that had been covered numerous times, I was concerned. And rightfully so since Clay has taken a beating from music critics for his choice.

But if his label’s idea of good new songs are the four new tracks on this one, we’re better off with the covers. With the exception of “A Thousand Ways,” they are the weakest songs on the CD—especially “These Open Arms” (I would’ve expected more from Jon Bon Jovi and Desmond Child.). I’m also a little concerned with Clay’s skill as a songwriter with the lyrics on “Lonely No More,” which he co-wrote.

And besides. Once I heard Clay wrap his voice around some of these songs, most of my worries went away.

The strongest track is without a doubt, “Because You Loved Me.” I have always hated that song, but with a new arrangement, Clay totally transforms it into something gorgeous. “Everytime You Go Away” is another good one, as Clay does Daryl Hall proud; and there’s just something reassuring about hearing Clay sing “When I See You Smile.”

The choice to make “I Want to Know What Love Is” a duet is a good one and Suzie McNeil of “Rock Star: INXS” works well with him; but they’re no Hal Sparks and Wynonna. And Clay struggles a bit on the chorus.

The CD is not without its cheese, however. The worst offense is “Everything I Do (I Do It For You). The Titanic-sounding flute doesn’t help matters. And I think it was a bad choice to start the CD off with the up-tempo version of “Right Here Waiting” (Yes, I said up-tempo), because it sets off the cheese meter immediately.

Clay’s choice of Dolly Parton’s “Here You Come Again” is also suspect and the spoken word on “Broken Wings” gives it a strange, eerie sound, which unfortunately fits right in with the slight overproduction of the entire CD. Every song has huge orchestration that at times manages to overshadow Clay’s voice (which is hard to do).

But the biggest problem with the CD is that no matter how good it is (and it is good), it’s still a disappointment in “a thousand different ways.” None of the up-tempo new songs we were promised during the Jukebox Tour are on the CD, which means that those of us who fell in love with “Back for More” are out of luck (I’m hoping it will show up on iTunes.). And though coming off his Jukebox Tour a cover CD makes some sense, it’s disappointing that Clive Davis decided to go with a themed love song CD instead of letting Clay mix it up. It would have been nice to hear some more of the songs that Clay did on the tour (like “Unchained Melody”), or even the songs he did on Idol (like “Love Somebody”).

I’m also disappointed with the decision to make “Without You” the first single. That song has been recorded by a ton of other artists and with the Mariah Carey version still fresh in everyone’s minds, it could be a problem for him. I don’t think Clay needs to concern himself with radio airplay, though, because none of the songs have that potential anyway (which is a shame since “Back for More” did).

But if you can get all of those disappointments out of your head, you’ll enjoy this one. Clay’s voice is still there, after all. And I for one would listen to him sing the phone book.

If you’d like to hear it for yourself, you can listen to the entire CD at http://music.aol.com/songs/new_releases_full_cds. Be sure to post a comment about what you think.

The Idol Concert: The Highlights

Before I get into the concert, let me just say a big congratulations to Huntington. The economic impact of the concert had to be huge as the entire city was just crazy with Idol mania.

The Idols continually said the Huntington crowd was one of the best they’d seen. Now, I know they probably say that in a lot of places, but Katharine seemed genuinely surprised by the fan reaction (maybe people don’t normally clap for her). And Chris was noticeably touched by the reaction to him (Poor Elliott never had a chance.).

And, in case you’re wondering, by my calculations it was Chris who the majority of the crowd was there to see. In fact, there was a mass exodus to the restrooms, concessions and souvenir stands after his performance (See what I mean about Elliott?). But when he caught everyone by surprise by returning to the stage with the rest of the guys after Elliott’s performance, there was mass pandemonium as everyone tried to get back to their seats.

Just for the record, Elliott wasn’t the only one with a mass exodus problem. Lisa Tucker had one as well.

Overall, the concert was a good one. It’s obvious that someone has been working with the Idols because they sounded better than they ever did on the show—even Bucky. But, here, for me, were the highlights of the concert, counting down to the biggest and best:

5) Paris’ “bootylicious” dance moves
I always said during the season that she was too young to be showing the moves that
she did. Well, we hadn’t seen anything yet as Princess P did her best Beyonce while
singing “Crazy In Love.” She definitely knows how to put on a show.

4) Ace singing “Father Figure”
I admit it. This is what I paid for and Ace delivered. Without the nerves of the Idol
show pressure Ace could just let it rip. “Harder to Breathe” was pretty good too.

3) Taylor performing “Country Roads”
I’m not sure that Taylor’s singing was all that special, but Huntington made it special.

2) Ace wearing a “We are…Marshall” shirt when he joined Taylor to finish “Country
Roads”
This was a highlight for me because I was wearing the same shirt, but the audience
loved it too. I just wish he would have worn it during the finale.

1) Chris and Elliott dueting on Nickelback’s “Savin’ Me”
I don’t know what was more surprising—that Elliott and Chris could sound so good
together or that Elliott could handle a rock song. Either way, it was awesome! If I
was Chris, I’d remember him for the CD.

There were lowlights as well, namely Lisa Tucker; but I was also disappointed with Katharine’s rendition of “Black Horse and a Cherry Tree.” I know she was making it her own, but the “woo-hoo” s were on the wrong beat! And Kellie and Bucky’s duet of “The One That I Want” was a little scary. And then there was that HALF-HOUR intermission…

So what did you think? What was your favorite moment?

Just post a comment and let me know.

Question of the Week: Returning Stars

Matthew Perry, Ted Danson, and Calista Flockhart are three of the big-name stars that are returning with new shows this year.

So, the Question of the Week is: What TV star would you like to see return with a new show?

For me, I would like to see Mark-Paul Gosselaar (“Saved By the Bell,” “NYPD Blue”) get a decent star vehicle. I mean, Slater’s “Dancing With the Stars,” why shouldn’t Zack have a show too?

Post a comment and let me know your choices.

Pick of the Week: Six Shows You Can't Miss

Since this is the first official week of the new fall season, there were plenty of shows to choose from. So, of course, I couldn’t whittle the list down to one.

Here are the week’s six Picks of the Week:

1) “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” Monday, Sept. 18th at 10 p.m. on NBC
This premiere is not as good as I would’ve hoped, but it is solid. And since future episodes look even better, you’ll want to see how it all begins.

2) “CSI: Miami,” Monday at 10 p.m. on CBS
But you won’t want to miss the cheesy goodness of this one as Horatio and Delko travel to Brazil to track down Marisol’s killer. And yes, the show did actually go to Brazil. Some familiar faces will greet Horatio while he’s there.

3) “NCIS,” Tuesday, Sept. 19th at 8 p.m. on CBS
I always call this one the best show I’m not watching (I don’t know why I don’t.). But I’ll be watching this one to find out how the team gets Gibbs back and to see Tony in charge. I just hope the show doesn’t start taking itself seriously. That would ruin the fun.

4) “Boston Legal,” Tuesday at 10 p.m. on ABC
One of the funniest shows on TV begins its third season with the return of Michael J. Fox. And of course Alan and Denny will be back too—thank goodness!

5) “Grey’s Anatomy,” Thursday, Sept. 21st at 9 p.m. on ABC
Did Meredith choose McDreamy or the vet? I have no idea, but we’ll find out on this night (or at least I think we will). But if what I’ve been hearing is right, fans will be happy.

6) “Desperate Housewives,” Sunday, Sept. 24th at 9 p.m. on ABC
This pick may surprise you since I was so tough on the show last season. But from everything I’ve read, it looks like the show may actually be back on track. This season premiere picks up six months after the end of last season.

Remember, you can get all the season and series premiere dates here: http://media.herald-dispatch.com/blog/tuned/2006/09/your-complete-fall-schedule-calendar.html

Taking Some Time Off...

As you've noticed, the Question of the Week and Friday Free-For-All have taken the week off so I can take a few days rest.

But don't worry. I'll be back Monday for the official start of the TV season!

And if you saw me at the Idols concert Thursday night, you know that Ace was wearing the same shirt I was, but no I did not give him the shirt off my back.

Of course, I would have if he had asked.

Stay tuned...

Goodbye to the WB!

This Sunday (September 17th), the WB will cease to exist and Monday the CW will be born.

To celebrate their years on the air (January 11, 1995-September 17, 2006), the WB is re-airing the pilots of its most celebrated shows on Sunday.

Here's the schedule:

5 p.m. "Felicity"
6 p.m. "Angel"
7 p.m. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
9 p.m. "Dawson's Creek"

Kudos to the WB for giving its fans a fitting goodbye.

Monday Programming Alert!

The President is addressing the nation tonight at 9, so there will be some programming changes on the four major networks…

Shows normally seen at 9 p.m. will now air at 9:20 (“Vanished” will air on FOX at 9:18.). Everything will then run about 20 minutes behind. The possible exception may be ABC, which has made no announcement about whether they will interrupt “Road to 9/11” for the address.

UPDATE: ABC will interrupt its commercial-free showing of "Road" to air the President's address.

Pick of the Week: "Ghost Whisperer," Part 2

Well since I picked the first part, is it any surprise I would pick the conclusion?

This week’s Pick of the Week is, once again, “Ghost Whisperer.”

And just in case you think I’m crazy, “TV Guide” has also recommended this episode—and they don’t even like this show.

My apologies to all of you for giving away last week’s big twist. Since I hadn’t seen the episode, I didn’t realize what a big reveal the pilot was. I also forgot just how creepy this show can be.

I’ve given away the big twist in this episode several times in my blog, but it will be worth catching again to look for the clues.

If you don’t know what the twist is, I promise you won’t see it coming.

“Ghost Whisperer” airs Friday at 8 p.m. on CBS.

Five Years Later...

This weekend, the onslaught of 9/11 movies and specials will begin in earnest.

And I will be avoiding them all like the plague.

But if you insist on watching at least one of them, let me make a recommendation: Discovery Channel’s Emmy-nominated “The Flight That Fought Back.”

Here’s what I wrote about it on my old blog right after it aired for the first time last year…

As nine o’clock approached, I reconsidered changing the channel.I had planned on watching “Flight 93: The Flight That Fought Back,” but as the hour approached, I was having second thoughts…

I think it’s safe to say that September 11th hit me pretty hard. For about a week, I was in a complete depression. I watched the news coverage 24/7 and I didn’t really sleep at night.

But then, one night, I saw Jane Pauley interview a woman whose husband died on Flight 93. Her name was Lyz Glick and I was amazed at how calm she was. In fact, she was handling things way better than I was—which made me realize that I was being ridiculous. I called myself an idiot and finally turned off the TV…

It was really the story of Flight 93 that got us all through it. In the wake of such inhumanity, the good side of people took over. But I still wasn’t sure that I could handle 90 minutes without commercial interruption about that horrible day—even with Kiefer narrating it…

However, my love for Kiefer won out, and at 9 p.m., I turned to the Discovery Channel…

And I’m very glad that I did.

Not that “Flight” was easy to watch, mind you, because it wasn’t. We relived September 11th in all its glory—including video of the Pentagon I had never seen. It still makes my stomach churn to see those planes hit and the towers fall. So, my stomach churned pretty much through the entire 90 minutes…

But the documentary was so brilliantly done, you almost felt like you were watching a heart-pounding drama (the producers even used “24”-like split screens). Combining re-enactments with actual recordings and interviews with family members, “Flight” gave us the most accurate portrayal of events possible. The circumstances that brought some of the passengers on the plane were heartbreaking and the divine coincidences that led to their heroism were amazing.

And quite frankly, there was no one better to narrate this story than Kiefer Sutherland. How fitting to have a fictional hero in the war against terrorism tell the story of some of the real heroes. When he talked about the collapse of the towers, you could hear the anger and sadness and compassion in his voice…

In the wake of Katrina, the anniversary of 9/11 slid under the radar, which didn’t really upset me any—until I watched “Flight.” After seeing this brilliant telling of an amazing story, I kind of wished that it would’ve got a little more attention.

Tomorrow, I plan to order the DVD of “Flight”—not because I plan to watch it over and over, but because I want to do something to remember these amazing people. 100% of the purchase goes to the Flight 93 Memorial Fund. You can order your own at www.discoverychannel.com.

Though I spent most of the 90 minutes on the verge of tears, I did manage one smile. It was at the sight of Lyz Glick…

I smiled because I remembered what she did for me four years ago. But I also smiled because she looked more together than ever.

And again, more together than me…

For more information, you can visit www.honorflight93.org.

“The Flight That Fought Back” airs tonight (Friday, September 8th) at 9 p.m. on the Discovery Channel.

Friday Free-For-All: September 8, 2006

TGIF Everyone!

Here are some musical musings to get the free-for-all started…

I loved Pink’s use of the melody of “I Hate Myself For Loving You” by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts for her NBC NFL kick-off song, but for someone who’s always been a bit of a rebel, wasn’t Pink selling out just a tad? I hope NBC sticks with this song since it works much better as a bumper than that overly dramatic and slightly scary theme John Williams wrote…

How fierce was Hal Sparks on “Celebrity Duets”? I was pretty shocked when he nailed the first verse of “I Want to Know What Love Is” so beautifully. And how about him and Wynonna? YIKES! Hal promised an even better song tonight during the results show…

How cool was it to see Jeffrey Osbourne on stage again? That guy has still got it!

So Lucy Lawless is so serious about winning this thing, she’s hired a vocal coach. But she was so busy listening to her own voice that she forgot she was singing a duet—and she forgot some of the words. Not cool, Lucy. Not cool…

What were the judges listening to when they complimented Lea Thompson on her performance? Maybe they were just taking note of the fact that she was closer to the tune than Belinda Carlisle was—and it was her song…

Simon needs to sign Jai Rodriguez now…

So what’s on your mind today?

"Runway": Paris?!

As you know, I’ve been working really hard to convert all of you into “Project Runway” fans.

But just as I’m starting to succeed, the show does the wildest challenge in its two-and-a-half year history.

Since I was watching the episode on tape and it was late, I planned on only watching the first half hour. But I was so confused as to what was happening, I had to keep watching.

I couldn’t believe they actually sent the designers to Paris! I thought they’d fly them to the Hamptons or something, but all the way to Paris?! That was pretty crazy.

And didn’t it just figure that after the mess with Angela’s mom the previous week that Jeffrey would rise to the occasion and win the challenge? Although I think the show is trying to pick as many winners as possible for the mystery benefits of winning that Heidi keeps talking about, I must admit—begrudgingly—that Jeffrey’s outfit really was the best.

The elimination in the Parsons Paris workroom, instead of the runway, kind of took some of the drama out of things—especially since it was no real surprise who was going to be out. But for a show that’s not known for cruelty, making Angela turn around and go home after she had just gotten to Paris was pretty cruel. Not even Catherine’s French accent could make it sound any better.

This week’s previews show the designers actually working in Paris and attending a party there (Wonder if their models got flown to Paris too?). In fact, it looks like they run into a problem on the way as a kid throws eggs at them and they get on one of the dresses (What?!).

The previews also show a fairly pregnant Laura. I’m wondering just how much time they spent in Paris since she was barely showing last week! I think they should do a maternity clothes challenge just so Laura can have something to wear.

And since this show is as creative as the designers that star in it, they might just do it.

“Project Runway” airs tonight (Wednesday) at 10 p.m. on Bravo. You can catch a marathon of the previous episodes beginning at 2 p.m.

Question of the Week: The New Fall Shows

So now that you’ve seen endless promos and previews, magazine articles, and my own posts, now it’s your turn.

Here’s the Question of the Week: What new show are you most looking forward to seeing?

For me, it’s absolutely “The Nine.” Even without the critics’ praise, I would’ve watched this one since I’m a big Kim Raver fan (even though there’s apparently nothing I can do to keep her off “24”) and Tim Daly’s pretty great too.

So, which show premiere do you have circled on your calendar?

Critics' Choices: "The Nine" is Number One

The major TV critics have spoken. And if they are to be believed, “The Nine” will be the best new show of the season.

The critics from “USA Today,” “Entertainment Weekly,” and “TV Guide” also agreed on three other shows: “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” “Ugly Betty,” and “Friday Night Lights.”

Here are their top choices:

Robert LoBianco (“USA Today”)’s Top 10 new shows:
10. Shark
9. Help Me Help You
8. Justice
7. The Knights of Prosperity
6. 30 Rock
5. Friday Night Lights
4. Ugly Betty
3. The Class
2. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
1. The Nine

“Entertainment Weekly” “EW Picks”:
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
The Knights of Prosperity
Friday Night Lights
The Nine
Jericho
Ugly Betty
“EW” did not name a best drama or best comedy—maybe because they’re still smarting from naming “Joey” the best new comedy two years ago.

“TV Guide” Buzzworthy Shows
Studio 60
The Class
Friday Night Lights
Ugly Betty
“TV Guide” named “The Nine” the best new drama. Unfortunately, that title can be somewhat of a jinx, so I hope the show can shake that off because I’m looking forward to it myself. They named “30 Rock” the best new comedy. However, that was probably based on the Rachel Dratch pilot and not the re-worked Jane Krakowski one.

Just for comparison, last year’s top choices for new shows were “Threshold” and “Invasion.” We see how that turned out.

Stay tuned…

Your Complete Fall Schedule Calendar

Sharpen your pencils and get out those calendars. It’s time to plan out your fall schedule viewing.

Let’s take it one day at a time. But remember that dates and times are always subject to change.

Monday
8 PM—The Class, CBS (premieres 9/18)
Comedy about a group of 20-somethings who were in the third grade together and reunite 20 years later.
Prison Break, FOX (already premiered)
Deal or No Deal, NBC (9/18)
Wife Swap, ABC (9/18)
7th Heaven, CW (9/25)
Desire, My Network TV (already premiered) (airs every weeknight)
Bo Derek is the matriarch of a fashion empire with Morgan Fairchild as her chief
rival.
8:30 P—How I Met Your Mother, CBS (9/18)
9 PM—Two and a Half Men, CBS (9/18)
Vanished, FOX (already premiered)
Heroes, NBC (9/25)
Everyday people including Greg Grunberg (“Alias”) and Ali Larter (“Final
Destination”) discover they have superpowers.
The Bachelor, ABC (10/2)
Runaway, CW (9/25)
“USA Today” called this drama about a family on the lam, the child of “24” and “7th Heaven.”
Fashion House, My Network TV (already premiered) (airs every weeknight)
9:30 P—The New Adventures of Old Christine, CBS (9/18)
10 P—CSI: Miami, CBS (9/18)
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, NBC (9/18)
For a complete preview, read my post “Studio 60”: A Work in Progress.
What About Brian, ABC (10/9)
When ABC moved “Grey’s Anatomy” to Thursdays, NBC moved “Studio 60” to spare it from the carnage, bumping “Medium” until January. But now “Studio 60” must take on the world’s most popular show, “CSI: Miami.”

Tuesdays
8 PM—NCIS, CBS (9/19)
House, FOX (already premiered)
Friday Night Lights (10/3)
Kyle Chandler stars in this family drama based on the movie and book.
Dancing With the Stars (9/12)
Gilmore Girls, CW (9/26)
9 PM—The Unit, CBS (9/19)
Standoff, FOX (already premiered)
Law & Order: Criminal Intent, NBC (9/19)
The Knights of Prosperity, ABC (10/17)
A group of friend’s plot a burglary over the entire season. The show was once
called “Let’s Rob Mick Jagger,” but was changed when Jagger’s appearances
diminished.
Veronica Mars, CW (10/3)
9:30 P—Help Me Help You, ABC (9/26)
Ted Danson is the leader of a therapy group.
10 P—Smith, CBS (9/19)
Ray Liotta stars in this drama about a crew of career criminals plotting heists
across the country.
Law & Order: SVU, NBC (9/19)
Boston Legal, ABC (9/26)
Nip/Tuck, FX (already premiered)
In the “Studio 60” schedule shift, NBC made, in my opinion, one of the biggest mistakes of the season—putting two versions of “Law & Order” back-to-back.

Wednesdays
8 PM—Jericho, CBS (9/20)
This drama tells the story of what happens to a small town when a nuclear
mushroom cloud suddenly appears on the horizon.
Bones, FOX (8/30)
30 Rock, NBC (10/11)
Tina Fey stars as the head writer of a live sketch show with Tracy Morgan and Alec
Baldwin.
Dancing With the Stars, ABC (9/13)
America’s Next Top Model, CW (9/20)
8:30 P—20 Good Years, NBC (10/4)
John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambor star as two mismatched buddies who decide to
make the most out of the 20 years they have left.
9 PM—Criminal Minds, CBS (9/20)
Lost, ABC (10/4)
Justice, FOX (already premiered)
The Biggest Loser, NBC (9/20)
One Tree Hill, CW (9/27)
10 P—CSI: NY, CBS (9/20)
Kidnapped, NBC (9/20)
For a complete preview, read my post, “Kidnapped”: Not Quite Right.
The Nine, ABC (10/4)
This drama tells the story of nine people caught in a bank hostage standoff and
how their lives change in the aftermath. It stars Tim Daly and Kim Raver.
On a night heavy with drama, NBC is trying a counter-programming move. I’m not so sure it’s a good one. “Lost” fans will get a month of new episodes and then “Lost” will depart until February.

Thursdays
8 PM—‘Til Death, FOX (9/7)
For a preview, read my post, A “Raymond” Curse?
My Name Is Earl, NBC (9/21)
Smallville, CW (9/28)
Ugly Betty, ABC (9/28)
The comedy about a woman trying to make it in the fashion world when she
doesn’t really fit in is one of the most buzzed about shows of the year.
Survivor: Cook Islands, CBS (9/14)
8:30 P—Happy Hour, FOX (9/7)
For a complete preview, read my post, A Not So “Happy Hour.”
The Office, NBC (9/21)
9 PM—CSI, CBS (9/21)
The O.C., FOX (11/2)
Deal or No Deal, NBC (9/21)
Grey’s Anatomy, ABC (9/21)
Supernatural, CW (9/28)
10 P—Shark, CBS (9/21)
James Woods stars in this drama about a defense attorney who joins the
prosecutor’s office.
ER, NBC (9/21)
Six Degrees, ABC (9/21)
This drama from J.J. Abrams is about six people and their intertwining destinies.
This night is the site of the fall’s biggest showdown as red-hot “Grey’s Anatomy” takes on top-rated “CSI.”

Fridays
8 PM—“Ghost Whisperer,” CBS (9/22)
Nanny 911, FOX (9/8)
Crossing Jordan, NBC (10/20)
America’s Funniest Home Videos, ABC (already airing)
Friday Night Smackdown, CW (9/22)
9 PM—Close to Home, CBS (9/22)
Trading Space, FOX (10/6)
Las Vegas, NBC (10/20)
Men In Trees, ABC (9/12)
This drama stars Anne Heche as a relationship coach who ends up stuck in an
Alaskan town filled with eligible men after her relationship ends.
10 P—Numb3rs, CBS (9/22)
Law & Order, NBC (9/22)
20/20, ABC (9/8)
“Crossing Jordan” was originally off the schedule until January, but the schedule shake-up brought it back. The real question is the new timeslot for the original “Law & Order.”

Saturdays
8 PM—COPS, FOX (9/9)
Dateline NBC, NBC (9/23)
Saturday Night College Football (already premiered)
9 PM—America’s Most Wanted, FOX (9/9)
10 PM—48 Hours Mystery, CBS (9/23)
The networks gave up on programming Saturdays a long time ago, so ABC’s college football move is a good one.

Sundays
7 PM—60 Minutes, CBS (9/24)
Football Night in America, NBC (9/10)
Everybody Hates Chris, CW (10/1)
America’s Funniest Home Videos, ABC (10/1)
7:30 P—All of Us, CW (10/1)
8 PM—The Amazing Race, CBS (9/17)
The Simpsons, FOX (9/10)
Girlfriends, CW (10/1)
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, ABC (9/24)
Sunday Night Football, NBC (9/10)
8:30 P—American Dad, FOX (9/10)
The Game, CW (10/1)
A spin-off of “Girlfriends” about women involved with professional athletes.
9 PM—Cold Case, CBS (9/24)
America’s Next Top Model (encore), CW (10/1)
Family Guy, FOX (9/10)
Desperate Housewives, ABC (9/24)
9:30 P—The War At Home, FOX (9/10)
10 P—Without a Trace, CBS (9/24)
Brothers & Sisters, ABC (9/24)
Drama about families and their secrets starring Calista Flockhart and Sally Field.
CBS has dumped its movies to take on ABC with procedural dramas and the family-friendly “Amazing Race.” The CW, however, has thrown in the towel by going with “Top Model” reruns at 9. They couldn’t have just kept “Pepper Dennis”?

Obviously there will be a lot of changes along the way as some shows take breaks and some just get cancelled.

I’ll do my best to keep you up to date.

A "Raymond" Curse?

When Julia Louis-Dreyfus won an Emmy last week, the “Seinfeld” curse was officially broken.

Which means there’s room for a new show to take its place.

Now your first thought is probably “Friends,” with the failures of “Joey” and “The Comeback.” But with Matthew Perry in “Studio 60,” I don’t think a “Friends” curse is going to happen.

Which points me at another possibility—“Everybody Loves Raymond.” First to try their luck from that show is Brad Garrett with the new FOX comedy, “Til Death.”

Garrett is Eddie, a high school history teacher and Joely Fisher is Joy, his longtime wife. When newlyweds Jeff and Steph move in next door, Eddie trys to teach Jeff the ways of marriage, getting both Jeff and himself in trouble. And though Eddie fires off LOTS of insults about marriage, it’s clear that he still loves his wife after all these years.

I was actually surprised to hear myself laughing at this one. It’s not hilarious, mind you, but it is enjoyable. The biggest problem I see is the title. Obviously it comes from “Til death do us part,” but I think it comes off too mean-spirited and gives you the impression you’ll be watching a couple that hates each other—which is not the case.

As for whether “Til Death” will start a “Raymond” curse, it’s hard to say. But its killer Thursday timeslot isn’t going to help any.

“Til Death” premieres Thursday, September 7th at 8 p.m. on FOX.

Tuesday Premieres Heads-Up

Since I didn't get my schedule of premieres done over the weekend (Don't worry it's coming!), I wanted to give everyone a heads-up about tonight's season premieres.

"House" premieres tonight (Tuesday) at 8 p.m. on FOX. Note the earlier time than last season.

Also, "Nip/Tuck" premieres tonight at 10 on FX. I've never watched this show but the addition of Larry Hagman almost makes me want to check it out--almost. I don't really think I've got the stomach for it. Brooke Shields also joins the show this season as Christian's therapist.

Picks of the Week: Sports & Spirits

I have two picks this week in case you’re not a football fan.

My first Pick of the Week is the NFL Kickoff Game: Steelers vs. Dolphins.

I don’t really care who’s playing, I’m just happy to see the season starting—especially with the way Carson Palmer and the Bengals are playing. This game got a little more interesting, though, with Ben Roethlisberger’s emergency appendectomy, keeping him out of the game (Man, that guy’s having a rough off-season!).

The game airs Thursday, September 7th at 8:30 p.m. on NBC.

If football is not your thing, I have another Pick for you: “Ghost Whisperer.”

Yes, this show is sappy, and unrealistic and downright silly sometimes, but last year’s season finale featured the year’s best twist. And now’s your chance to catch it.

I actually didn’t see this episode the first time around, but I’ll be watching it this time for clues. In this first part of the finale, Melinda gets a strange vibe that tells her something bad is going to happen, which is confirmed when a dead airline pilot shows up—from a plane that hasn’t crashed yet.

Part one of the two-part “Ghost Whisperer” season finale airs Friday, September 8th at 8 p.m. on CBS.

"Standoff": As bad as they say?

One TV critic has already said “Standoff” will be the first new fall show to be cancelled. So I expected the pilot to be horrible.

Imagine my surprise when I realized it’s not that bad.

The real problem with the show is where it goes from here. I’m not sure how it plans to go an entire season without each episode just repeating the pilot.

I guess that explains the prediction.

“Standoff” tells the story of partners Matt (Ron Livingston) and Emily (Rosemarie DeWitt), two of the FBI’s top crisis negotiators. During a tense hostage standoff with a distraught father (Tom Wopat, of all people), Matt admits he’s been sleeping with Emily for the past three months. This, of course, gets them in trouble with their boss (and Matt’s former partner), Cheryl (the wonderful Gina Torres), and Emily tries to end the relationship. But it’s clear to the audience (whether it’s clear to them or not) that Matt and Emily actually care about each other. But before they can explore that any further, a college student takes a coffee shop hostage and Emily is forced to put her life at risk to save the hostages.

The hostage situations are sufficiently tense, especially as the negotiators try to hold off the tactical squad, led by Frank (the beautifully cast Michael Cudlitz). Torres (“Alias”) is excellent as the boss and Livingston and DeWitt have real chemistry.

But the story of partners struggling with a personal relationship is bound to get old no matter how good the cast is or how tense the drama is.

There’s one other problem with the show that could crop up later. Based on their performance on the Emmy red carpet, Livingston and DeWitt are a real-life couple.

And that generally always spells trouble…

“Standoff” premieres Tuesday, September 5th at 9 p.m. on FOX.

A Not So "Happy Hour"

I watched the pilot of FOX’s “Happy Hour” so I could write a preview.

But after watching it, I have no idea what to write because I have no idea what the show’s about.

Which should tell you right off that it’s not on my must-see list.

Within the first five minutes, Henry (John Sloan) is dumped by his girlfriend, Heather, who kicks him out of their apartment. The super tells him about a tenant looking for a roommate which leads Henry to Larry. Larry needs a new roommate because his old one, Brad, has moved in with his fiancé, Tina, who can’t stand Larry.

Larry decides he’s going to remake Henry, so he introduces him to his friend, Amanda, who gets him a job and later helps throw a party for him.

And that was pretty much the episode. The name of the show comes from Brad’s tradition of having a martini every day at four o’clock.

I guess the show is about Brad adjusting to single life with the help of his new friends, but I just can’t see where it’s going.

I take that back. I do see quite clearly where it’s going—cancellation city.

“Happy Hour” premieres Thursday, September 7th at 8:30 p.m. on FOX.

Friday Free-For-All: September 1, 2006

So here are a few notes for this Friday…

Sunday’s broadcast was the second-lowest rated Emmys ever. Figures. “24” finally triumphs and no one sees it…

Speaking of the Emmys, NBC apologized for the show’s opening with Conan involved in a plane crash. The scene was clearly an homage to “Lost,” but someone really should’ve stepped in and found a way to edit it out…

Donald Trump has said, “You’re fired” to one of the last people you’d expect—Carolyn Kepcher. Apparently, Trump was upset that her newfound fame—thanks to her boardroom appearances on “The Apprentice”—was interfering with her job running his golf clubs. Reports are that she had already been replaced on the upcoming season of the show by Trump’s daughter, Ivanka. The show, however, is not calling it a replacement since there is an apparent twist that eliminates the boardroom as we know it. So maybe Carolyn was fired because she told Trump that was stupid!

So what’s on your mind today?

Fire away!