"Days of Our Lives": Hooked All Over Again

When I was a kid, I used to stay with my grandmother a lot.

She had cable (which I didn’t), but I could only watch what she wanted to. And at one o’clock, that meant her “stories,” i.e. her soaps.

One of her stories featured a super-cool villain (I’ve always liked the bad guys.) with an awesome nickname (“The Phoenix”) and a great evil laugh. His good-guy son was a dashing Count with a glamorous wife, AND an evil twin, who was even more dashing. It wasn’t long before I was hooked and watching the show at my own house.

But over time, these characters that got me so hooked began to disappear. The villain left and came back several times, becoming more ruined each time. The evil twin died, the glamorous wife left and the dashing Count left and came back with a totally different personality.

But now, “Days of Our Lives” has brought them all back. And I am hooked all over again…

After a year of financially dictated storylines, Hogan Sheffer has finally started to deliver, giving the show a sense of history it had long been missing. It’s obvious that Sheffer has been watching those episodes from the 80s and I love seeing how he incorporates them into the current story.

But most importantly, Sheffer found a way to bring back my favorite characters of Stefano, Tony, Anna and Andre DiMera and actually give them something decent to do.

It almost makes me forgive him for killing my all-time favorite soap character, Jake McKinnon (“Another World”/“As the World Turns”). Almost…

For those of you who have only been watching “Days” in the last ten years or so, you may think that the “Andre has been Tony for the past 20 years” story is stupid and totally illogical. But for those of us who remember the old Tony, it makes perfect sense. In fact, just before the big reveal, I was talking with a friend about how I couldn’t understand how Tony could become evil incarnate after shunning Stefano all those years ago. Now, it makes perfect sense. So perfect, in fact, it’s hard not to think that this story was in the plans all along.

Of course, Sheffer wasn’t the head writer then, so it couldn’t have been, but it sure seems like it.
To tell you the truth, it had been so long, I had forgotten what the old Tony was like. But the brilliant Thaao Penghlis (Tony/Andre) has reminded me. As soon as it was revealed that Tony was Andre, I could totally see it. Andre was always more harsh and spoke at a faster pace. Tony paused more with his speech and had that elegant air about him. If ever anyone at “Days” deserved an Emmy nomination (They rarely get any.), it’s Penghlis for his brilliant tour de force.
But Tony isn’t the only character acting like his old self again. Sheffer has managed to bring all the characters back as they were. Anna is as self-absorbed as she ever was. She and Marlena still don’t get along that well and Lee-Ann Hunley (Anna) and Drake Hogestyn (John) still have that same crackling chemistry they had when they toyed with getting his Roman and Anna together before she disappeared from the show.

And Stefano. Ah, my beloved villain. After all of the stupid stories they have given him over the years, the true Stefano is finally getting back to what originally made him a bad guy to start with—his vendetta with the Bradys. And now, we’re actually finding out why that vendetta started—something no other writer attempted to do. Granted, I get a little bored with watching the cast sit around and read love letters, but Allison Sweeney (Sami/Colleen) and James Scott (E.J./Santo) are doing a great job in the flashbacks. Even their accents are convincing (although Scott’s is a little scary at times).

And speaking of Scott, who could possibly resist that gorgeous British accent? I know E.J. has done horrible things but that was with a different writer. Sheffer’s going to fix all of that now, so I won’t feel guilty for liking him…

In the interest of fairness, I have to confess that I only watch the DiMera-related scenes, so I can’t tell you whether any of the other stories are any good or not (although I suspect they’re not since I can’t believe that guys that young own their own airline), but as far as I’m concerned, Sheffer has the show back on track…

And it couldn’t come at a better time, since NBC has already said it probably won’t continue the show past 2009. If “Days” can get its act together now, it will look mighty attractive to everyone else. I just hope Ken Corday keeps giving Sheffer all of the resources he needs to make it work—including letting him stay in his job.

On second thought, Hogan, if you let Tony impersonate Andre (my dream storyline), I will TOTALLY forgive you for killing off Jake. It’s been seven years. It’s about time I made piece with that anyway…

ESPN's NASCAR Coverage: What?!

When football season starts, I have to admit that my interest in NASCAR begins to wane.

This year, it might start waning a little sooner…

Sunday, ESPN/ABC took over the NASCAR broadcasts for the rest of the season. As you know, I was impressed with TNT’s coverage and I was said to see it end. That sadness is even more profound now…

The trouble started with one of the cheesiest intros I have ever heard. Since the race was at “The Brickyard,” ESPN chose to do an intro focusing on bricks…

“The brick. The building block of civilization. A demonstration of man’s will over nature.”

What?!

Apparently ESPN was so proud of the intro, they showed it twice—once to intro the pre-race show and once to intro the race itself.

And unfortunately that wasn’t the only thing they chose to repeat. We heard FIVE TIMES in an hour how it was Dale Jarrett’s crew chief, Todd Parrott, who came up with the idea for the winner to kiss the bricks. In fact, the pre-race show was completely obsessed with kissing the bricks, showing clip after clip after clip that finally made me yell at the TV: “The winner kisses the bricks! We get it! Enough already!”

Maybe since ESPN has been out of the NASCAR business for a while, they forgot how long the races were and that they would need to have lots of DIFFERENT things to show throughout the race. Instead, we got the same winning moments and interviews we saw during the pre-race show…

And maybe their long absence from the sport is why they felt the need to have Aerosmith sing that cheesy “Back In the Saddle Again” song. I hope they got paid well for doing that because if I was Steven Tyler, I would have been embarrassed to be singing those cheesy lyrics in that dumb firesuit. “I’m drivin’ in a fast car…”

What?!

In all honesty, I’m not even sure what the purpose of the pre-race show was since it conveyed absolutely no information whatsoever. In fact, it was Jeff Gordon who told us that there would be a competition caution. None of the dozens of ESPN reporters even mentioned that important point…

But the two words that nearly made me change the channel after five minutes? Suzy Kolber. She drives me crazy!!!

If you’re not familiar with Suzy, she is one of the sideline reporters for “Monday Night Football” and is apparently now the host of “NASCAR Countdown.” I liked her when she started out on FOX, but then apparently someone told her she was the most talented broadcaster on the planet and it went to her head. She knows everything about everything and instead of letting the experts tell her what’s happening, she has to inject her knowledge with every question.

Now, in her defense, her supporting cast was not exactly exceptional. Dale Jarrett came off terribly stiff, probably because he didn’t want to be there (He planned on racing, but failed to qualify.). Rusty Wallace is, well, Rusty Wallace—and that’s not a compliment. And Brad Daugherty? I was a big fan when he played for the Cavs, but he's just hasn't found his NASCAR stride yet. I know he knows the sport (He's an owner, among other things.). It just doesn’t always come out that way. And with what FOX has done with their broadcasts, the old days of one guy looks into the camera and talks, then another and then another just doesn’t work anymore…

I was a little more optimistic when the race was getting ready to start since I’m a fan of Dr. Jerry Punch and I knew he would do a good job. But then the engines started and the picture went to the most pathetic “24” split-screen I have ever seen. One box showed half a steering wheel. One box showed pavement and another showed the water tower next to the speedway.

What?!

There were a few bright spots throughout the coverage, though. The game show bit with Kevin Harvick to find out whether his crew chief or wife knew him better was cute (His crew chief crushed his wife.). And the in-race reports from Dale Jr. and his crew chief, Tony Eury Jr., worked well (until Jr. blew an engine, but that wasn’t their fault). And Jerry Punch did do a good job, for the most part.

The high-tech garage they had to illustrate the cars was cool, but it would’ve been nice if they’d put someone in there who could talk like a normal person. I’ve been a NASCAR fan most of my life, but I had no idea what Tim Brewer was talking about most of the time. And hearing Jerry Punch tell us what “perfect” explanations he was giving us got a little annoying—especially since it wasn’t true.

I should thank ESPN, though, because they’ve now freed up an hour of my Sundays that I would normally reserve for watching the pre-race show. Now, I can use that hour to watch whatever re-runs Bravo is showing.

Even “Hey Paula” would be better than watching Suzy Kolber…

Is "The View" Going Posh?

Today on “The View,” Barbara Walters confirmed that the show’s two new hosts will be announced this week.

This news comes after London’s “Daily Star Sunday” reported that Victoria Beckham is in the running pending a two-week tryout. Walters said today that Beckham’s hosting stint was “news to us” and then went on to unequivocally shoot down the rumor by saying, “She is not. We wish her well. We think she’s wonderfully exciting but that is not who we’re going to have on.”

Most sources now agree the additions will be Whoopi Goldberg and Sherri Shepherd.

I hope this means Bravo is on the phone with Kathy Griffin right now…

And by the way, for those of you still trying to place where you know Shepherd from, she co-starred with Sara Rue and Andy Dick in “Less Than Perfect,” but she’s probably best known as Robert’s partner Judy on “Everybody Loves Raymond.” And because it’s in my contract to mention any “Friends” references (Okay, it’s not in my contract, I just like to.), Shepherd played Rhonda, the museum tour guide, in “The One With Phoebe’s Uterus.” Her big line was, “I’m Rhonda. And these aren’t real”…

Don't let it consume you...

When my friend, Derek, told me he was taking over the movie blog, I gave him one piece of advice: Don’t let it consume you.

Unfortunately, that’s advice I’ve never been able to follow myself…

I worked at a radio station with a guy who always said, “It’s for the listeners.” And that’s the attitude I’ve always taken with this blog, as every day I find at least five things I want to share with all of you. And I truly hope you like what I do.

Unfortunately, wanting to share, and having the time to share are two totally different things. That’s why you get long strings of posts that you’re forced to scroll through.

However, I hope you will because I’ve got lots of great stuff for you from Press Tour, Comic-Con and more…

And remember that you can always reach me at hdstaytuned@hotmail.com with questions, comments or if you just want to say hi…

Pick of the Week: All "Hannah," All Day Long...

Before I give you my Pick of the Week, let me tell you about some other significant TV happenings this week…

“My Boys” returns Monday, July 30th at 10 p.m. on TBS…

Wednesday, August 1st it’s the season finale of “American Inventor” at 9 p.m. on ABC. At 10 p.m., ABC brings back “The Nine” for its final six episodes at 10 p.m. (I will warn you, however, that you won’t find out what happened in the bank. An ending was not written for the 13th episode.)…

Saturday, August 4th, ABC premieres the anthology series, “Masters of Science Fiction” (10 p.m.). The first episode stars Judy Davis as a cancer-stricken psychiatrist who tries to treat an amnesiac (Sam Waterston)…

Sunday, August 5th, TNT premieres the three-part mini-series “The Company.” Chris O’Donnell, Alfred Molina, and Michael Keaton star in this story of the Cold War rise of the CIA (8 p.m.)…

And now for my Pick. I had planned on picking the Karina Smirnoff guest spot on “Hannah Montana,” but Disney switched the episodes on me and aired that tonight. So I was forced to find something else. Luckily, Disney came through for me again.

This week’s Pick of the Week is the “Hannah Montana” marathon Saturday, August 4th. You’ll get 16 episodes of “Hannah” beginning at noon on Disney Channel…

When My Enemies Square Off...

As you guys know, I call ABC President Steve McPherson my TV enemy.

And as you also know, TV critics have made their way onto that enemy list as well.

So what happens when my enemies square off?

Here’s the blow-by-blow from James Hibberd of “TV Week”…

At the ABC opening panel at TCA Press Tour last week, a critic asked McPherson about a rumored “Lost” announcement at Comic-Con the next day. McPherson responded, “They do have some announcements they are going to be making that I think everyone will be pretty excited about.”

Then another critic asked, “Do you want us to go to Comic-Con tomorrow instead of this session?” McPherson joked, “Let’s go now. You want to go?”

The session moved on to other topics, but then another critic told McPherson, “I don’t think my editor is going to be very happy when she reads on a blog later this afternoon that Steve McPherson promised that the biggest news regarding one of the highest-rated shows on the network would be coming at a fan convention the next day.”

Then another chimed in. “Not to be a crybaby…[but] what’s the point of having 150 reporters with access to millions of readers sitting here?” McPherson tried to joke again. “Okay, I’ll give you the announcement…I cast Don Imus on ‘Lost.’”

The joke didn’t work. Another critic jumped in. “This is a serious question. Newspapers spend a lot of money to get us out here. A lot of us are fighting to stay out here. We write about all your television shows. If you are not going to tell us what it is, you can at least tell us why you’re not telling us.” McPherson tried to calm the growing storm. “Comic-Con has been a place that ‘Lost’ has had its presence for a long time. They have an announcement that [Damon Lindelof] wanted to make at Comic-Con…It’s not earth-shattering…It’s not going to change the face of television.”

Suddenly, an ABC publicity executive appeared on the stage and whispered to McPherson. He turned to the critics and told them that someone spoke to Lindelof and Lindelof gave his permission to give the news to the critics.

Though it’s true that I rarely agree with anything TV critics say these days, I quite enjoyed reading this exchange. I’m guessing that McPherson won’t make that mistake again…

[SPOILER ALERT]

And in case you’re wondering, the “Lost” announcement was that Harold Perrineau is returning to the show. Though that information is interesting, I have to agree with McPherson that it wasn’t earth-shattering. And most of the critics in the room agreed…

"HSM 2" gets off to a great start...

“High School Musical 2” got off to a great start last week as “What Time Is It?” the first single from the movie’s soundtrack debuted at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

“Time” sold 87,000 singles and 31,000 downloads.

The full soundtrack hits stores Tuesday, August 14th, and the movie debuts on Disney Channel Friday, August 17th…

Val Kilmer Gets Set to Sharpen His Math Skills...

CBS has announced that Val Kilmer will guest star on the season premiere of “Numb3rs” September 28th.

Tony Scott, who executive produces the show with his brother, Ridley Scott, will direct the episode. Tony directed Kilmer in “Déjà vu,” “Top Gun” and “True Romance”…

"Variety" on "The View"

“Variety” reported last week that “The View” is indeed in final negotiations with Whoopi Goldberg.

The trade also reports that Sherri Shepherd is in talks for the other spot.

Sources tell “Variety” that an announcement on both hires could come as soon as next week…

Shonda Speaks!

One of the most anticipated panels during ABC’s part of Press Tour last week was the “Private Practice” panel.

Not because critics are so excited about the “Grey’s Anatomy” spin-off (They’re not.), but because they wanted to finally hear from Shonda Rhimes (the “Grey’s” and “Practice” creator) about the firing of Isaiah Washington from “Grey’s.”

Here’s what she had to say…

Was it hard for her to let Isaiah go? “It wasn’t. It was a decision that was a long time in coming, and it felt like it was the right decision for all of us”…

Was the decision imposed on her by ABC? “The great thing about [ABC Studios head] Mark Pedowitz and [ABC President] Steve McPherson is they never imposed anything on me”…

So did she agree with the decision? “Of course I did”…

Would she have written the season finale any differently if the controversy hadn’t occurred? “I wrote the season-ender exactly as I planned to write the season-ender. What’s kind of amazing is the season-ender finished the story of Preston Burke that really paid tribute to that character and the talent of Isaiah Washington in a way that made sense. But also went exactly where our show was planning to go anyway”…

So, is Shonda Rhimes just being the good ABC soldier, or was she ticked off at Isaiah Washington herself? What do you think?...

Can we call this the final word on Isaiah-gate?...

TV News From Comic-Con

Once upon a time, Comic-Con was the place where fans of comic books could mingle with their favorite writers and artists.

It’s still that place, but now the comics industry has taken a back seat to the latest sci-fi movies and TV shows…

Here’s some of the TV news that came out of Comic-Con this week…

This fall, DC Comics will release a hardcover book of the 43 “Heroes” comic-book vignettes that were posted on the NBC website. There will also be “Heroes” action figures and other merchandise…

At the “24” panel, Executive Producers Jon Cassar, Manny Coto, Evan Katz, and David Fury all agreed that last season was a disappointment. They also shared some insight into season seven (more on that later)…

At the "Lost" panel, Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof shared that the show will feature both flashbacks and flash forwards this season. And they premiered the “Lost” video game trailer, which you can see here...

"Price": The Signoff Will Live On

Monday, Bob Barker got some good news from his replacement, Drew Carey…

Carey told Barker that he will continue to use Barker’s signature signoff, “Help control the pet population. Have your pet spayed or neutered.”

Barker said he was going to ask him to continue it, but Carey volunteered. Barker said he “thanked him profusely.”

Dr. Phil McGraw also plans to use the signoff. Barker said it would be great if “all the TV hosts would do it.”

CBS President Nina Tassler has told Barker that few changes will be made to the “Price” set or format. Tassler is talking to Barker about hosting some specials with “Price” clips. Barker is also in negotiations to write a book.

As Barker said, “I’m having a hard time convincing myself that I’m retired.”

McPherson Vs. Silverman: Round 1

ABC Entertainment President Steve McPherson had plenty to say last week about NBC Co-Chair Ben Silverman…

After Silverman told critics at Press Tour that he had pursued Isaiah Washington before he was fired, McPherson told the same critics, “If [Silverman] was in fact talking to him before he was available, that’s inducement to breach. So I don’t know, he’s either clueless or stupid”…

On Silverman saying he didn’t understand why Washington was fired, McPherson said, “Was he living in a coma?”…

McPherson called NBC’s downplaying of the Washington incident “comical”…

When the critics asked Silverman about the firing of Kevin Reilly from NBC, Silverman said he just got to NBC and he wasn’t involved. McPherson’s response? “Kevin Reilly stood up for ‘The Office’…then to stand up and say ‘I just got here…’ Be a man…You guys let [Silverman] off the hook…that’s your prerogative. I live in a world where somebody stabs your best friend in the back…I don’t buy it.”

In case you couldn’t tell, McPherson and Reilly are longtime friends. The remarks are a little unusual, however, since Reilly is now at FOX and Silverman is still the executive producer of the ABC hit “Ugly Betty”…

By the way, Kevin Reilly revealed during the FOX Press Tour panel that he learned his job was in jeopardy when someone sent him an anonymous e-mail that said, “Ben Silverman has been offered your job”…

Finally, Mark Your Calendars For ABC...

Here’s the schedule for ABC’s season premieres…

Monday, September 24th
8 p.m.—Dancing With the Stars
9:30 p.m.—The Bachelor

Tuesday, September 25th
8 p.m.—Dancing With the Stars Performance Show

Wednesday, September 26th
8 p.m.—Dancing With the Stars Results Show
9 p.m.—Private Practice
10 p.m.—Dirty Sexy Money

Thursday, September 27th
8 p.m.—Ugly Betty
9 p.m.—Grey’s Anatomy
10 p.m.—Big Shots

Sunday, September 30th
7 p.m.—Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (two hours)
9 p.m.—Desperate Housewives
10 p.m.—Brothers & Sisters

Tuesday, October 2nd
8 p.m.—Cavemen
8:30 p.m.—Carpoolers
9 p.m.—Dancing With the Stars Results Show (Regular time period)

Wednesday, October 3rd
8 p.m.—Pushing Daisies

Sunday, October 7th
7 p.m.—America’s Funniest Home Videos

Friday, October 12th
8 p.m.—20/20
9 p.m.—Women’s Murder Club
10 p.m.—Men In Trees

Monday, October 15th
9:30 p.m.—Samantha Who?

Tuesday, November 27th
10 p.m.—Cashmere Mafia preview

Tuesday, December 4th

9 p.m.—Cashmere Mafia (official premiere)

"24" Goes Green

FOX owner Rupert Murdoch is mandating that his shows get involved in the environmental movement. And “24” is taking the lead…

Last week, FOX announced that “24” will attempt to become the first TV production ever to save enough energy and reduce enough carbon emissions over the course of a season to make its entire season finale “carbon neutral.” The show will use: biodiesel fuels for its generators and production vehicles; wind, water and solar power to run production; and hybrid vehicles for the production crew. Kiefer Sutherland and other cast members will film environmental PSAs and “when appropriate,” the show will introduce environmental issues into storylines.

That smell you’re getting a whiff of is the smell of a big fat PR stunt…

The Fourth Branch Stays Secret For Now

“Traveler” creator David DiGilio is keeping the show’s secrets secret for now.

He wrote on his blog that he wants to wait until the show is officially cancelled before he spills where the show was headed in season two. And since networks never officially cancel anything, fans will probably be waiting a long time…

Apparently Digilio wasn’t listening to ABC President Steve McPherson at last week’s Press Tour. McPherson told critics that “Traveler” was cancelled because “we were disappointed with the way that show was creatively developed.”

Of course the show wasn’t developed the way it should have been! They had to stuff 13 episodes into eight at the last minute because of McPherson!

Now you know why that guy’s my TV enemy…

Who's Visiting Springfield This Year?

The stars are once again lining up to guest star on “The Simpsons” this year…

In the season opener September 23rd, Lionel Richie guests as himself and Stephen Colbert guests as Homer’s life coach…

September 30th, Steve Buscemi is a bank robber who forms a connection with one of his hostages—Marge…

October 7th, Jack Black is the owner of Coolsville, a new comic-books emporium.

Later in the season, we’ll get a “Frasier” reunion as Kelsey Grammer returns to his Emmy-winning role of Sideshow Bob and brings David Hyde-Pierce (as his brother Cecil) and John Mahoney (as their dad) along with him…

Also coming this year are Jon Stewart, Matt Dillon, Maya Rudolph, Dan Rather, Placido Domingo, Kurt Loder, Weird Al Yankovic, Beverly D’Angelo and Topher Grace…

Is "The Singing Bee" Losing Its Buzz?

Last week’s third episode of “The Singing Bee” was down in the ratings 28% from its premiere.

But as you know, “Bee” has already been renewed for next season.
Maybe, NBC pulled the trigger too soon?...

The Coreys Return

For any of you who ever had a crush on one of the Coreys (It was Feldman for me.), you won't want to miss the premiere of the new reality series, "The Two Coreys."

The show follows the action as Corey Haim moves in with Corey Feldman and his wife, Susie, and their child (Yes, Feldman is now a father).

The situations are all set up, but Feldman assures us that what happens during the situations is all real. One situation (in the third episode) involves Feldman telling Haim that Warner Bros. is making a "Lost Boys" sequel and not using any of the original people, which causes Haim to break down.

Can you blame him? I almost cried when I heard that and I wasn't in the movie...

"The Two Coreys" premieres Sunday, July 29th at 10 p.m. on A&E...

Who Will Be Able to Handle Barbara Walters?

First, they disagreed about who would take over “The Price Is Right” (They were both wrong.). Now, they’re disagreeing over who is joining “The View”…

The “NY Post” is reporting that Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Griffin and Sherry Shepherd are the frontrunners. One source told the “Post” all three would be hired and would participate on a rotating basis, but then an “insider” told them that wasn’t going to happen and two of the three would be hired to replace Star Jones and Rosie O’Donnell.

Meanwhile, the “NY Daily News” reports that Kathy Griffin is out and that Whoopi Goldberg will be announced next week. The “Daily News” had no mention of who might fill the other seat if Kathy is out of the running.

Now, you guys know I love Kathy Griffin, so I want the best for her and I honestly don’t think that’s “The View.” Why? Two words—Barbara Walters. In an interview with “Steppin’ Out” magazine, Kathy said Barbara is “a very complicated woman.”

Kathy must really want this job because I’ve never heard her be that diplomatic, but I’ll follow her lead and say that I think Barbara is probably very “difficult”…

For proof, you need look no further than her behavior during Ross “The Intern” Matthews’ stint as a guest host on “The View.” First of all, Barbara didn’t know who he was. Then she made fun of his voice on the air. Then she told him to be still more than once, AND she continually rolled her eyes while saying how wonderful it was to have him there.

Of course, she was nothing but gracious for “The Tonight Show” cameras that were filming behind the scenes for a piece on “Tonight,” but the damage had already been done with the rest of the piece (featuring “View” clips).

You can see an abbreviated version of the piece (which actually spares Barbara a little) at http://www.nbc.com/tonight show. The whole “View” episode can be viewed in parts on YouTube.

You may have heard that Barbara lashed out at Jay Leno and Rob Schneider for their bit with Schneider as Lindsay Lohan. I’m wondering if her anger wasn’t actually stemming from how bad Ross’ bit from the same show made her look. You wanna talk about mean…

I'm actually rooting for Whoopi, because I have a feeling none of that stuff will fly with her...

CBS Makes "Pirate Master" Walk the Plank

CBS has pulled the Mark Burnett reality show "Pirate Master" from its schedule beginning tonight (Tuesday).

The remaining episodes will be made available at www.cbs.com...

It's Finally Official: Drew Carey, Come On Down...

Drew Carey confirmed on "The Late Show with David Letterman" last night that he is replacing Bob Barker on "The Price Is Right."

He told Letterman that he was offered the show after CBS saw the pilot for "Power of 10." He told "The Insider" that there was no audition and that the report in Variety saying the deal was contingent on that was incorrect.

Bob Barker told the AP that he was "cool" with it, even though he was not familiar with Carey's hosting style.

No doubt, a lot of people will be watching "Power of 10" to get a preview of his skills. It premieres August 7th.

I like Drew Carey, but I'm still not sure about this. Remember all of the stumbling he used to do when hosting "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" Granted, he was trying to keep his cool with three of the funniest guys on TV giving him a hard time, but still...

And I find it hard to believe that he's a better choice than John O'Hurley, but we'll see...

So what do you think of the choice?

And while you're thinking, check out his announcement on "The Late Show" from YouTube...

Pick of the Week: Kathy Sheds More Tears

Two heavy-hitting actresses are coming to TV this week, but neither is my Pick of the Week…

Monday, July 23rd, Holly Hunter takes on her first TV role in “Saving Grace” (10 p.m., TNT). Holly is a spirited detective with serious personal issues. Tuesday, July 24th, Glenn Close returns to FX with “Damages” (10 p.m.). Close plays a tough lawyer out to get a ruthless business man (Ted Danson)…

But the lady who gets the honor of being my Pick of the Week is Kathy Griffin. Now let me just say for the record that Kathy is not for everybody. She can be a little raunchy at times, but she always manages to suck you in with her kind heart. We’ve watched her cry over the end of her marriage, the death of her father and the touching stories of prison inmates. In the season finale, we’ll see her cry again as she scatters her father’s ashes in Ireland. “Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List” airs Tuesday, July 24th at 10 p.m. on Bravo…

An honorable mention goes to my guilty pleasure from last year, “Who Wants to Be a Super Hero?” which kicks off its second season Thursday, July 26th at 9 p.m. on SciFi…

News from the CW...

Here’s some Press Tour news from the CW…

The CW’s new fall season will kick off September 18th with the two-hour premiere of “Beauty and the Geek.” One handsome man and one geeky woman will be added to the mix this year…

“America’s Next Top Model” has been renewed through the 2009-2010 season…

Last year’s Pussycat Dolls winner, Asia, has opted to pursue a solo career. When a reporter pointed out that the winner going solo made the show kind of pointless, CW President Dawn Ostroff replied, “There’s no guarantee for how this will turn out. The participants get exposure. At the end of the day, you can’t make anybody do anything, but you can give them the opportunity.” Maybe the Pussycat people should talk to the “American Idol” people about how to draw up an ironclad contract…

"Jericho" Is Saved, But What Now?

As I suspected, “Jericho” was a popular topic at Press Tour last week…

At the “Jericho” panel, CBS gave each of the critics a bag of peanuts and a “Save Jericho” t-shirt; and everyone on the panel showed nothing but gratitude for the fans that saved the show.

The fans can expect some changes, however. The writers had originally planned for part of season two to be set in New York; but because it’s just seven episodes, the show will be “lean and mean” and “focus on just a couple of people.” The main focus will be on Hawkins and Jake trying to save the world.

The producers do promise that all of last season’s cliffhangers “will be paid off” by the end of the season premiere.

As for last season, the producers said that it was always their plan for Johnston (Gerald McRaney) to die so Jake could become the leader. Season one will be released on DVD October 2nd…

CBS did not give an indication of when “Jericho” will premiere…

Zac Efron Talks "High School Musical"...

While I sit hear watching “High School Musical,” I thought I would share some “HSM” info with you from a “USA Today” interview with Zac Efron…

So why did they not use Zac’s voice in “HSM”? They thought his voice was too low for the songs, so they blended his voice with Drew Seeley’s (If you pay close attention, you can hear the back and forth between the voices in the songs.). But for “HSM 2,” it’s completely Zac’s voice on eight new songs (It’s also his voice in “Hairspray.”). “I’ll be honest, I’m pretty excited. There was a huge misconception at the beginning of ‘High School Musical.’ I’m so excited to sing my own part.”

And why did we not see a Troy-Gabriella kiss? They filmed one, but as director Kenny Ortega explained, “We decided that wasn’t what it was all about.” They have shot a kiss for the second, but Ortega said they haven’t decided if it will be used…

There are rumors that there was friction on the set of “High School Musical 2” because Zac is getting so much attention and because he didn’t go on the tour (He was filming “Hairspray.”). Zac denied that saying, “We are still very close.” And he was “sorry” that he couldn’t be a part of the tour. “I’m happy people loved it.”

As for his participation in the third movie, Zac said, “It’s in the studio’s hands. But the idea sounds great and I love to work with my friends.”

Disney better move fast because Zac’s dance card is filling up quickly. His next movie is “Seventeen,” which is a new spin on the Tom Hanks movie “Big” about a high schooler with a man’s mind. New Line signed him for the movie after seeing him in the “Hairspray” dailies…

One more note about “HSM.” “High School Musical: The Ice Tour” kicks off August 31st. The show stops at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati January 9th and at Wesbanco Arena in Wheeling March 5th. And yes, there will be basketballs on the ice—at least 40 of them…

Rosie Gets an Apology

After he sprung a surprise offer to join “The Apprentice” on Rosie O’Donnell last week, NBC Co-Chair Ben Silverman followed the offer up with an apology…

Silverman sent Rosie a personal note saying he was sorry if she had been offended by the idea.

Silverman has talked with Rosie about a daytime talk show and a nighttime pundit show on MSNBC (which Rosie is reportedly not crazy about)…

Drew Carey gets closer to coming on down...

Drew Carey confirmed last week that he is in negotiations to take over “The Price Is Right.”

“It would be really fun to do,” he told critics during “The Power of 10” panel. “That show needs to be treated with a lot of respect.”

Carey added that “nothing’s been decided yet” and that negotiations are “going back and forth.”

Carey said that after “The Drew Carey Show” ended, he didn’t want to work in TV again and he only agreed to do “Power” if he could have a schedule that would allow him to attend L.A. Galaxy games.

When asked if he could handle taking on “Price,” he replied, “I wouldn’t have gone into negotiations with them if I didn’t think I’d be able to enjoy it and be good at it”…

LeBron gets the SNL nod...

LeBron James will host the season premiere of “Saturday Night Live” in September.

This announcement comes on the heels of James co-hosting the ESPY Awards with Jimmy Kimmel. James appeared in several skits, including his own version of Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative,” which you can view here…

"Viva Laughlin": Is the Singing Becoming a Dirty Little Secret?

Every network has a show that the critics love to take shots at during Press Tour week.

For CBS, that show is “Viva Laughlin.” And CBS is really not helping the situation…

If you’ve only seen the recent commercials for the show, then you don’t know what’s becoming its dirty little secret. It has characters who sing.

Even the show’s executive producer went to great lengths to say the show is not a musical. “We’re a dramatic television show with music…We’re telling story first. We need to have solid story to tell, and then we use the music to enhance that.”

One of the show’s stars, D.B. Woodside, tried to defend that stance even further. “It’s not a musical because there’s never a character or actor who bursts into song. Every time a character sings, it’s more revealing about who that character is. It’s not because we’re trying to run away from it.”

D.B., I love you. But have you even watched the show? I would totally call Hugh Jackman getting out of a helicopter and singing “Please allow me to introduce myself” as bursting into song.

Interestingly, the 14 commercials for “Viva” during the Tonys all featured singing, hoping to appeal to Broadway fans. But I think that those who may have been intrigued by the spots will be disappointed when they see that the actors sing along to the original tracks (It is pretty lame.).

What this all boils down to is that CBS is trying to avoid the “Cop Rock” stigma. Since I liked “Cop Rock” and I want the best for D.B., I’m going to withhold my judgement…

And since I mentioned “Cop Rock,” this gives me the perfect opportunity to share one of my favorite YouTube clips with you. And yes, that’s Paul McCrane, better known as Dr. Romano from “ER” (or Graem Bauer on “24”)…

"NCIS": "In the Best Interest of the Show"

One issue I didn’t think about CBS President Nina Tassler having to deal with was the tiff between “NCIS” Executive Producer Donald Bellisario and his star Mark Harmon that resulted in Bellisario leaving the show. But Tassler got several questions asking about the nature of the fight…

Tassler told critics that it wasn’t unusual for a star to fight with a showrunner, but she wouldn’t reveal the issues in this particular situation. She did admit that she tried to mediate the argument without success.

However, she said that it was “resolved in the best interest of the show.”

If Bellisario had more episodes planned like the season finale, his departure is absolutely in the show’s best interest. Maybe that horrible finale is what the fight was about…

“NCIS” premieres Tuesday, September 25th at 8 p.m. on CBS…

Has "Criminal Minds" Found Its New Leader?

“TV Guide” is reporting that “Criminal Minds” is close to hiring a replacement for Mandy Patinkin and it’s…wait for it…Geena Davis.

“Minds” star Shemar Moore told Michael Ausiello that she was the frontrunner. He also said that Michael Keaton was a possibility, but he apparently has passed (That may have made me actually watch the show!).

On Patinkin’s exit, Moore told Ausiello, “We just want the courtesy and respect we deserve. And we felt like if he had given us that initially this would be much easier to deal with. He essentially just slapped us in the face…Mandy’s a volatile personality. He had his good days and he had his bad days.”

Moore pointed out that his exit shouldn’t be that big of a surprise since he did the same thing in 1995 when he left “Chicago Hope.” Moore told "USA Today" that he knew Patinkin wouldn't last six seasons. He left Patinkin a message because "he's a friend," but he hasn't talked to him and doesn't know where he is. Moore also said Patinkin left messages with the show's cast "a couple of days ago" saying "Hi, how are you? We'll talk soon."

As I suspected, CBS President Nina Tassler was forced to answer a lot of questions about Patinkin at Press Tour. Tassler told critics that Patinkin asked to be released from the show for a “personal issue…I can only hope that in the very near future, Mandy will be able to answer these questions.”

When someone pointed out to Tassler that the official statement from CBS said “creative differences” and she said “personal issues,” Tassler said, “Creative differences is a euphemism for personal issues.” That got a big laugh from the critics.

The premiere is being rewritten to explain his absence. Patinkin will apparently do one episode of the show to wrap up Gideon’s story.

That’s not going to be pretty…

“Criminal Minds” premieres Wednesday, September 26th at 9 p.m. on CBS…

"Cold Case" will smell like teen spirit, while "CSI" and "Trace" crossover...

Here’s a few CBS notes from Press Tour…

The “Cold Case” premiere will feature the music of Nirvana throughout the entire episode. If you don’t watch the show, popular music is used to set the year of the flashbacks. It’s also the reason why the show may never be released on DVD. “Cold Case” premieres Sunday, September 23rd at 9 p.m. on CBS…

“CSI” and “Without a Trace,” which have been reunited on Thursday nights, will do a crossover by sending William Peterson to “Trace” and Anthony LaPaglia to “CSI”…

Viewers will be able to sign up to receive e-mails from CBS called Eye-Lerts to let them know when the NFL delays Sunday programming. How about they just cut “60 Minutes” down so the programming doesn’t get so far behind? Wouldn’t that be easier?...

Did NBC almost lose a "Bionic" star?

One of this week’s “TV Guide” covers features two of the stars from NBC’s most buzzworthy new show, “The Bionic Woman”—Michelle Ryan and Katee Sackhoff.

But what “TV Guide” didn’t know (besides the fact that NBC would add Isaiah Washington to the cast a week later) is that Katee Sackhoff had not officially signed to be a part of the show…

Last week, after her absence from the “Bionic Woman” panel at Press Tour, Katee Sackhoff and NBC finally agreed to terms for a recurring role on the show.

There was some speculation that Sackhoff was upset about the hiring of Isaiah Washington since she has become somewhat of a gay icon due to her role as Starbuck on “Battlestar Galactica.” No word on whether there is any truth to that speculation…

It’s interesting that NBC made Sackhoff such an important element of the show without making sure she would actually be a part of it…

"Kid Nation" Courts Controversy

One of the hot topics for CBS at this week’s Press Tour was the building controversy over “Kid Nation,” the reality show featuring children trying to build back a ghost town (Many are comparing it to “Lord of the Flies.”).

Reports surfaced last week that CBS and the show’s producers skirted child labor laws by classifying the production as a “summer camp” and taking advantage of a loophole in New Mexico labor rules (That loophole has since been closed.).

CBS President Nina Tassler told critics they knew the show would create controversy. “It’s good that we’re talking about the issues and challenges that those kids have to go through. But the whole objective is to get out there and do something different.” Neither Tassler nor the show’s Executive Producer would confirm the reports (of course).

“Kid Nation” premieres Wednesday, September 19th at 8 p.m. on CBS…

Now mark your calendars for CBS...

Here’s the rundown of CBS premiere dates…

Wednesday, September 19th
8 p.m.—Kid Nation

Thursday, September 20th
8 p.m.—Survivor: China

Sunday, September 23rd
7 p.m.—60 Minutes
9 p.m.—Cold Case
10 p.m.—Shark

Monday, September 24th
8 p.m.—How I Met Your Mother
8:30 p.m.—The Big Bang Theory
9 p.m.—Two and a Half Men
9:30 p.m.—Rules of Engagement
10 p.m.—CSI: Miami

Tuesday, September 25th
8 p.m.—NCIS
9 p.m.—The Unit
10 p.m.—Cane

Wednesday, September 26th
9 p.m.—Criminal Minds
10 p.m.—CSI: NY

Thursday, September 27th
9 p.m.—CSI
10 p.m. Without a Trace

Friday, September 28th
8 p.m.—Ghost Whisperer
9 p.m.—Moonlight
10 p.m.—Numb3rs

Thursday, October 18th
10 p.m.—Viva Laughlin (preview)

Sunday, October 21st
8 p.m.—Viva Laughlin (official premiere)

The "Traveler" Finale: A Little Too Familiar

I promised you the finale of “Traveler” would be wild and it was; but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed…

Since the episode was completed before the show was cancelled, I knew we wouldn’t get all the answers, but it would have been nice if the answers we did get had made more sense…

And it would have been nice if it all hadn’t seemed so familiar…

Apparently, the bombing of the Drexler building was meant to destroy the painting of the Declaration of Independence because it revealed a secret fourth branch of the government, which was somehow connected to the organization that Will worked for.

Did that make sense to you?...

The episode was filled with lots of action, incriminating tape recordings, agency moles, and lots of talk about illegal activities for the good of the country. I almost checked my DVD player to make sure I wasn’t watching the fifth season of “24.”

I said “Traveler” was a “24” clone. I guess they took that to heart…

I had really hoped we’d get a twist in the mole story and it wouldn’t be Chambers—who I had suspected since the first episode. But it was him and we lost Borjes in the process, which was a real shame since Anthony Ruvivar was really starting to click in the role…

The cliffhangers, though, did make up for some of the confusion as Marlow discovered that Chambers was a mole and Freed and the evidence exonerating Jay and Tyler was destroyed in a bomb (Too bad Jay and Tyler didn’t watch that fifth season of “24,” or they would’ve known to make a copy of the evidence.).

The show’s creator has promised to tell us what we would have seen in season two on his blog. I hope he also explains what we saw in season one…

Billy Ray Tickets On Sale Now!

No doubt you've heard that Billy Ray Cyrus will be in Ashland July 31st at 8 p.m. at the Paramount (Be sure to check out Dave Lavender's story for more details.).

But here's two things that you may not know. The tickets are actually on sale at www.ticketmaster.com right now. The original report was that they didn't go on sale until Monday, but they've actually been on sale since Friday, which those of us who logged onto Ticketmaster Friday night accidentally found out...

The other thing you may not know is that you can hear Billy Ray's entire CD, "Home At Last," online now at http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/cyrus_billy_ray/1604670/album.jhtml. It's an interesting mix of covers and originals, beginning with the outstanding "Ready, Set, Don't Go"...

Billy Ray will also be doing a CD signing at the Ashland Wal-Mart before the concert beginning at 5 p.m...

My New Guilty Pleasure

With “Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List” wrapping up its season Tuesday, I need to pick a new guilty pleasure and last Sunday, I found it—VH1’s “Scott Baio is 45…and Single.”

I call “Kathy” a guilty pleasure because there are times when I feel a little guilty for watching it. But for some reason, I never felt guilty for watching “Baio.” Maybe that’s because in some odd way, the show is actually quite compelling…

If you missed it, “Baio” follows Scott (Don’t ever call him Chachi!) Baio as he tries to figure out why he’s still single at 45. To help him, he hires a life coach, Doc Ali—who he affectionately calls Dark Alley. She tells him to stop seeing his girlfriend, Renee, be celibate for eight weeks and talk to his old girlfriends to try and get some answers (She even makes him sign a contract.).

On this journey with Scott are his friends, who look like they’re right out of an episode of “Entourage”: Restaurateur Steve Cuccio, Jason Hervey (of “The Wonder Years” and one of the producers of the show) and Johnny V., Scott’s self-described wingman since he was 15. Steve and Jason like Renee and are all for Scott doing Doc Ali’s program, but Johnny V. is not on board at all. As Scott tells us in his voiceover, without him, Johnny probably wouldn’t have any success with women. It becomes pretty clear as the episode progresses that he doesn’t want that to stop anytime soon.

Renee, meanwhile, is extremely unhappy about the situation—especially since it probably looked to her like Scott was about to propose (It was SO “Legally Blonde” it wasn’t even funny.)—and gives him an ultimatum that if he doesn’t make a commitment to her by the end of the two months, she’s gone.

First up on Scott’s old girlfriend visit list is Sue, the first girl he had real feelings for. When she reminds Scott how he used to breakup with her for a weekend just so he could see other girls, Scott is horrified at his behavior and apologizes.

Next up is the first girl Scott ever slept with, none other than Erin Moran who played Joanie on “Happy Days” (as Scott tells Doc Ali, “Yes, Joanie really did love Chachi.”). They have apparently had some kind of falling out (although we don’t hear what it was) and the tension between them is pretty obvious as she calls him on some of his bad behavior. She tells him that she broke up with him because he freaked her out with a marriage proposal, which makes Scott think that maybe she led him on his current path. Erin convinces Scott to join her at an autograph session—which he despises—and he actually manages to have a good time until Johnny V. intervenes and gets in a fight with Erin.

Now, it’s possible that Johnny is not nearly as bad of a friend in real life as he is on the show and that he’s just trying to amp up the drama. But I’ve got to believe that he is a big part of Scott’s problems. Apparently, Doc Ali agrees because the previews for next week show her telling Scott he can’t see him anymore.

I think the reason the show works is because it’s like we’re watching a therapy session unfold on our TV screens. Every one of these women teaches Scott something else about himself and the reason he hasn’t been able to commit. And maybe along the way, we can all learn something too…

It may be uncomfortable for him, but it makes for good TV for us.

“Scott Baio is 45…and Single” airs Sundays at 12:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. on VH1…

My Thoughts on Lifetime's New Sunday Dramas...

I’ve been so busy this week with the TCA Press Tour and the Emmys that I haven’t had the chance to give you my thoughts on Lifetime’s new Sunday night dramas…

“Side Order of Life” and “State of Mind” actually have several things in common. They both introduced us to their female lead characters with dream sequences in which they’re faced with a truth about the state of their lives. And they both have female lead characters who start to see things after a traumatic event.

But that’s where the similarities end, as “Life” takes the fun approach to a woman in a personal crisis, while “Mind” takes itself WAY too seriously…

“Life” stars Marisa Coughlin as Jenny, a photographer for “In Person” magazine. The truth she faces is that her marriage to Ian (Jason Priestley) may not be the best thing for her. Those doubts are reinforced by her best friend, Vivy (Diana Maria Riva), who tells her that she’s been making life a “side order” as opposed to the main course.

Jenny’s trauma occurs when she finds out that Vivy has an inoperable brain tumor. The news sends Jenny into a bit of a tailspin, which leads her to accidentally call another man. But the man proves to be so reassuring that she ends up calling him two more times, even though she doesn’t even know his name.

Meanwhile, Jenny starts to see things like the Hollywood sign talking to her or the actual souls of her photo subjects. This new awakening earns her a byline at the magazine edited by her friend, Rick (Christopher Gartin), who has always had a crush on Vivy.

By the end of the episode, Jenny has decided to postpone her wedding (but stay with Ian), and turn the ceremony into a celebration of Vivy’s life.

“Life” is what I would call a harmless show. It’s not too serious or not too silly. It just is. The cast is extremely appealing, although I’m slightly bothered by Jason Priestley playing an overly ambitious corporate type—not because he’s not okay in the role, it just bothers me. I guess it’s that whole good guy image he’s got.

I have to admit that I spent most of the hour trying to identify the voice of Cell Phone Guy. I’ve decided it’s Steven Weber, but I haven’t found anything to back that hunch up (If you guys have a clue, please let me know).

“Side Order of Life” airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on Lifetime…

“State of Mind” stars Lili Taylor as Ann, one of the psychiatrists at New Haven Psychiatric Associates. The truth that she has to face is that there is a problem with her marriage. Her trauma occurs when she sees that truth firsthand when she catches her husband having sex with their marriage counselor.

Ann goes into a tailspin that results in her being rude to her patients since she is now seeing and hearing Phil during her therapy sessions.
To fill Phil’s office, she brings in a new lawyer in town, Barry (Devon Gummersall). Barry quickly finds himself getting involved in the others’ affairs as he steps up to defend James (Derek Riddel) when the police question him about a patient’s disappearance. Lili asks Barry to represent her in her divorce, but Barry gives the impression he might have a little crush on his new landlord.

“Mind” should be just as harmless and frothy as “Life,” but it isn’t thanks to a slew of melodramatic plots that bring the whole thing down. Two of the other associates, Taj and Cordelia (Mido Hamada and Theresa Randle), appear to be having an affair (The Lifetime website confirms that suspicion.), even though the married Taj is constantly vocalizing his opinions on the sanctity of marriage. And James, a child psychologist, tries to get through to a Russian orphan who is adopted by a rich American family. When the child disappears, the police suspect James of being a child molester…

And that is the story that manages to kill any chance this show had of making it on my must-see list. Even though James is a licensed child psychologist, the police automatically jump to a sordid conclusion, without giving any thought to the fact that the child may have runaway to James because he thought James was his only friend (which is what he did). And to make matters worse, Barry jumped to the same sordid conclusion when he saw the child in James’ room. It just didn’t fit.

I actually had high hopes for this show since I really like Lili Taylor—and she is good as always—but I can’t handle melodrama just for the sake of melodrama.

I guess that’s my state of mind…

“State of Mind” airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on Lifetime…

My Thoughts on Emmy's Most Controversial Race

This topic will no doubt be discussed ad nauseum for the next TWO MONTHS, but I wanted to throw my two cents in anyway…

Why did “Friday Night Lights” and “Lost” not get nominated for Outstanding Drama Series?

Let’s backtrack for a minute. Last year, there was a huge outcry when “Lost” did not get a drama nod. The reason, everyone agreed, was that “Lost” did not choose the right episode to submit. Critics, journalists, and anyone else with a keyboard or pen complained that episode choice figured too much into the process. So, the Academy changed the rules and added what I call the “Dancing With the Stars” rule: The judges’ scores (based on sample episode screening) would only count for 50% of the overall score. The other 50% would be determined by the popular vote of the TV Academy members that established the top 10 finalists (For a complete description of the Emmy process, scroll down to the next post.).

According to Goldderby.com, both “Friday Night Lights” and “Lost” made the list of 10 finalists that were screened for the judging panels. “FNL” submitted its pilot, while “Lost” submitted the season finale, “Through the Looking Glass.”

For me, the “FNL” omission is not that much of a surprise. Though it made the top 10, I’m guessing it was on the low end since it doesn’t have as much hype surrounding it. It needed a good episode to sway those voters who were not as familiar with it. But instead, they submitted the clichéd and overly sentimental pilot. If “FNL” is truly as good as the critics say (I stopped watching after the pilot.), there had to be a better episode to submit.

The situation of “Lost” is a completely different story. Last year, they submitted a confusing episode with too much sci-fi and not enough character. But this year, they submitted the outstanding finale. So what went wrong?

I told you earlier that there were some grumblings by the judges about the “Lost” entry being two hours. But my source (That’s right. I have an Emmy source. It’s very exciting.) told me not to worry about that because they were one of the grumblers and still ranked “Lost” number one. Maybe there were more grumblers than they thought…

However, as my source also pointed out, Emmy voters don’t always follow the rules. Though “24” submitted a solid episode, most of the voters, according to my source, knew that the season fell apart later which influenced their votes (and killed the chances of “24” getting nominated). Maybe the same logic applies to “Lost.” Maybe there was some kind of backlash against the show for it being so popular, or maybe the voters resented the rules being changed for it, or maybe they were sick of hearing how stupid they were not to nominate it last year. Or maybe what seemed outstanding to those of us who follow the show just seemed confusing to people who had never seen it?

Which leads to another important question in this debate. Why “Boston Legal”? According to Goldderby, the episode “BL” submitted was “Angel of Death.” In the episode—which I didn’t see because I had already written “BL” off—Alan (James Spader) travels to New Orleans to help with the defense of a doctor who euthanized five patients during Hurricane Katrina. Some of the speculation on Goldderby was that the episode was too preachy and heavy-handed, but I think it had exactly the opposite effect. I think that the judges were moved by the story and by the risk the writers took in bringing it to the screen. Voters only watching this episode didn’t know anything about all the crazy sex stories that brought the season to a screeching halt for longtime fans like me.

And there’s a chance that the voters may have connected with some of the political rhetoric they heard about how the government let New Orleans down and ranking “BL” high was their own political stand.

ABC does not offer the “BL” episode online, but you can see Alan’s closing argument here. It may give you a little more insight…



Personally, I can’t speak to whether “FNL” should have been nominated, but I do believe “Lost” deserved a nod. However, the Carlton Cuse-Damon Lindelof hater in me finds it kind of amusing that the Emmy changes meant to get their show in ended up failing them. And since “BL” gets zero love from ABC and Steve McPherson—my TV enemy—I’m okay with them getting love from the Emmys. I just wish it would have been for a better season.

And now, my dear reader, I turn it over to you. What do you think? You can post a comment or you can send me an e-mail at hdstaytuned@hotmail.com.

And if there are any other Emmy voters out there who would like to defend their choices, I would LOVE to hear from you…

So how do the Emmys work anyway?

So before we can look in depth at why certain shows were snubbed by the Emmys, we need to take a look at the Emmy process. Here’s a rundown of how it works, courtesy of Tom O’Neill from Goldderby.com/”The Los Angeles Times”:

Shows that wish to be eligible for the Emmys must be submitted for nomination, which costs $100-$400 per entry (The Emmys are the only major award that charges a fee to be nominated.). During the eligibility period (June 1, 2006-May 31, 2007 in this case), these shows can have the Academy distribute DVDs to TV academy members (which also costs money). Unlike the Oscars, Emmy campaigners are allowed to decorate the boxes with graphics and quotes from TV critics.

All 13,000 members of the TV academy can then vote by checking off a paper ballot of eligible entries. Only actors can vote for actors, directors for directors, etc. Voters are not required to view any video.

The top 10 finalists in the series and acting categories (based on this popular vote) are then screened to judges who attend the panel sessions in L.A. or New York City. Actors could vote at home if they signed an affidavit swearing they had watched all 10 entries. For each entry, the judges view one sample episode that is chosen by the participating actors and programs. Judges rank all 10 entries against each other, 1 to 10.

TV Academy accountants then take the judges’ scores and mix them up on a 50/50 basis with the results of the original popular vote (just like they do on “Dancing With the Stars”). The five contenders with the highest combined scores become the nominees. This is the first year the Academy has used this process. Last year, only the judges’ scores determined the nominees.

The nominees for all other categories are determined exclusively by the popular vote.

All winners are determined by a screening process. Voters are limited to participating in four categories each: two in their peer group and two program categories. The average voter judges two races. The judges rank the entries 1 to 5 (1 being the best).

Actors are judged on one sample episode. Series are judged on six episodes that are split into three sets of pairs that are distributed randomly to voters. Contenders may change their episode sample from the nominating process if they wish.

The contender with the most number one votes wins. The other rankings are used only in case of a tie.

Now you see why O’Neill calls the Emmy “Hollywood’s most complicated award”…

Some Other Emmy Nominations...

After looking through the entire list, here are some other nominations of note…

First, here are the nominations for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program:
“The Amazing Race”
“American Idol”
“Dancing With the Stars”
“Project Runway”
“Top Chef”

“Race” has won this award every year since the category was created…

The episode “Lost” submitted for the Outstanding Drama Series category, the season finale entitled “Through the Looking Glass,” received three nominations including Outstanding Directing and Outstanding Writing, but no Drama nod. I’ll have much more on that later...

“Friday Night Lights” did receive a nomination for Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series, although none of its leads were nominated. “Studio 60” also received a nomination in that category. It’s too bad that outstanding cast was never given anything outstanding to do…

“Studio 60” also received a nomination for Outstanding Directing for the pilot, directed by Thomas Schlamme. “Friday Night Lights” received a nod in this category as well for its pilot directed by Peter Berg, who directed the “FNL” film…

Spike Lee received a nomination for Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming for “When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts,” his Hurricane Katrina documentary for HBO…

“D--- In a Box,” the “Saturday Night Live” digital short featuring Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake, received a nomination for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics. Timberlake and Samberg are both listed as writers on the song. Joining them in that category are two songs from the “Scrubs” musical episode: “Everything Comes Down to Poo” and “Guy Love”…

Kudos to Matthew Perry for his nomination for Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie. Perry’s portrayal of Ron Clark in “The Ron Clark Story” has earned him the trifecta of awards nominations—Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG—but no wins. And with Robert Duvall, Jim Broadbent, William H. Macy and Tom Selleck nominated with him, I don’t think he’ll get a win now…

Christian Clemenson was nominated once again for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role on “Boston Legal.” As much as he dominated that show this season, however, I think this is the wrong category. He’s joined by two “Studio 60” guests: John Goodman and Eli Wallach…

“Desperate Housewives” didn’t get much love in the major categories, but it did get some much deserved love in the Guest Actress in a Comedy category with nominations for both Dixie Carter, who was phenomenal as Gloria Hodge, and Laurie Metcalf, who re-energized the show with her unhinged Carolyn Bigsby…

Jean Smart received a Guest Actress in a Drama nomination for her role as Martha Logan on “24.” I really hope she wins this since she was ripped off last year. Emmy voters only seeing this episode won’t know what a waste of a good character and actress this truly was…

“Hannah Montana” received a nod for Outstanding Children’s Program…

“Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List” was once again nominated for Outstanding Reality Program. I guess the voters didn’t hold her fake Emmy meltdown last year against her…

I’ll have much more on the Emmy nominations, including my take on the already controversial Outstanding Drama Series category a little later…

By the way, the Emmys air September 16th at 8 p.m. on FOX. That's two days before my birthday and one day after the Idols concert. It'll be a big week...

The Supporting Categories...

Let's take a look at the Emmy nominees in the major Supporting categories...

Supporting Actor in a Comedy:
Kevin Dillon, "Entourage"
Jeremy Piven, "Entourage"
Neil Patrick Harris, "How I Met Your Mother"
Rainn Wilson, "The Office"
Jon Cryer, "Two and a Half Men"

I am SO happy for Kevin Dillon, who has truly become the heart of that show. And Neil Patrick Harris is so deserving, but it would have been nice to see the "Scrubs" supporting cast finally get some Emmy love...

Supporting Actress in a Comedy:
Jaime Pressly, "My Name Is Earl"
Jenna Fischer, "The Office"
Holland Taylor, "Two and a Half Men"
Conchata Ferrell, "Two and a Half Men"
Vanessa Williams, "Ugly Betty"
Elizabeth Perkins, "Weeds"

I don't know what it is about Conchata Ferrell that makes the Emmys love her so much. And yes, I know she's from West Virginia, but I also know she badmouthed West Virginia when she was on "LA Law," so there...

Supporting Actor in a Drama:
William Shatner, "Boston Legal"
T.R. Knight, "Grey's Anatomy"
Masi Oka, "Heroes"
Michael Emerson, "Lost"
Terry O'Quinn, "Lost"
Michael Imperioli, "The Sopranos"

Kudos to the voters for recognizing both Emerson and O'Quinn; but I really wish they would've gone with Jack Coleman instead of Masi Oka for "Heroes." And T.R. Knight? Yeah, that one's not going to create any controversy--especially since Isaiah Washington withdrew his name from consideration...

Supporting Actress in a Drama:
Rachel Griffiths, "Brothers & Sisters"
Katherine Heigl, "Grey's Anatomy"
Chandra Wilson, "Grey's"
Sandra Oh, "Grey's"
Aida Turturro, "The Sopranos"
Lorraine Bracco, "Sopranos"

Interesting that voters nominated every major female cast member of "Grey's Anatomy" except Ellen Pompeo (Meredith)...

Comedy Series...

Here are the nominees for Comedy Series...

"Entourage"
"The Office"
"30 Rock"
"Two and a Half Men"
"Ugly Betty"

There were no real surprises in this one. Jon Cryer let out a little giggle when he heard "Men" announced and he should. "Men" has received zero love from the press since it premiered and it's the #1 comedy on TV...

I will have MUCH more on this later today, so stay tuned!

Comedy Actor and Actress

Here are the nominees for Comedy Actor and Actress...

Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"
Steve Carell, "The Office"
Ricky Gervais, "Extras"
Tony Shalhoub, "Monk"
Charlie Sheen, "Two and a Half Men"

America Ferrera, "Ugly Betty"
Tina Fey, "30 Rock"
Felicity Huffman, "Desperate Housewives"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "The New Adventures of Old Christine"
Mary-Louise Parker, "Weeds"

I guess the voters fell for all that dramatic crap Lynette went through on "Desperate Housewives." And Julia gets a nod for "Christine." Take that CBS...

Drama Actor and Actress...

Here are the nominees for Lead Actress and Actor in a Drama Series...

Patricia Arquette, "Medium"
Minnie Driver, "The Riches"
Edie Falco, "The Sopranos"
Sally Field, "Brothers & Sisters"
Mariska Hargitay, "Law & Order: SVU"
Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"

James Gandolfini, "The Sopranos"
Hugh Laurie, "House"
Denis Leary, "Rescue Me"
James Spader, "Boston Legal"
Kiefer Sutherland, "24"

In the actress category, I'm thrilled for Minnie Driver, who is extremely deserving of this one, while Patricia Arquette is a bit of a surprise.

James Spader sneaking into the Actor category just confirms for me that "BL" submitted some pretty strong episodes. But considering how weak this season was, I can't wait to find out what those were...

And THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to the Academy for not punishing Kiefer Sutherland for the mistakes of his writers...

Drama Series: Let the Whining Begin...

Okay, the critics are going to whine, but not for the reason I thought...

Here are the nominees for Outstanding Drama Series:
"Boston Legal"
"Grey's Anatomy"
"Heroes"
"House"
"The Sopranos"

Yes, you read that correctly. "Boston Legal." No "Lost" and no "Friday Night Lights."

Let the whining begin...

I'm going to do some research and find out what episode "BL" submitted that everyone was so impressed with...

It's Just a Few Minutes Now...

In less than 10 minutes, Kyra Sedgwick and Jon Cryer will announce the Emmy nominees in 11 major categories...

I've got the live webcast up on my computer now and will pass info along as I get it.

I had a big headache when I got up this morning. I've got a bad feeling that's an omen of the headache I'll have reading all of the critic complaints if "24" gets nominated and "Friday Night Lights" doesn't...

I'll be back...

"Brothers & Sisters" Gets a Lethal Weapon

“Brothers & Sisters” is getting a lethal weapon…

Danny Glover will play Sally Field’s new love interest in 8-10 episodes this season. His character is Senator McCallister’s (Rob Lowe) campaign manager.

Field and Glover co-starred in “Places in the Heart” which earned Field an Oscar…

Will Rosie Turn on the "Lights"?

When I think about projects for NBC that Rosie O’Donnell could become a part of, “Friday Night Lights” is not the first show that comes to mind. But…

“FNL” Executive Producer Jason Katims told Michael Ausiello that he is wooing Rosie to play a female soccer coach that is angry about the football program getting more than she does. He said that it would initially be one episode, but it could be more if she wanted it to be.

Katims plans to approach Rosie in the coming weeks. Rosie talked about being a fan of the show when she was on “The View”…

Speaking of “FNL,” the soundtrack will hit stores July 24th. It features music from The Killers, Outkast, Spoon and more.

The “FNL” DVD will hit stores August 28th for the ridiculously low retail price of $29.98 (You can pre-order it at Amazon for only $19.98!)…

NBC Gets Set for Thompson Presidential Run

Election campaign rules could possibly intrude on NBC’s scheduling…

NBC announced that it will stop scheduling “Law & Order” episodes with Fred Thompson as of September 1st. This is to stay in line with the equal time rules for political candidates. Thompson is not yet a presidential candidate, but he is expected to declare soon.

The equal time rules do not apply to national cable networks, but NBC may decide to voluntarily pull the episodes from cable as well.

Thompson appeared in 115 episodes of “L&O”…

The "House" Cleaning Continues...

If you’re a fan of “House,” you know there was a bit of housecleaning in the season finale as Foreman and Cameron resigned and Chase was fired.

Now, FOX has announced the new faces that will join the cast. Olivia Wilde (best known as Marissa’s girlfriend on “The O.C.”), Kal Penn (“Harold & Kumar” movies), Peter Jacobson (Debra Messing’s husband in “The Starter Wife”), Anne Dudek (“Big Day”) and Edi Gathegi (“Lincoln Heights”) will have recurring roles on the show.

So does that mean that Foreman, Chase and Cameron are gone for good? FOX said, “Any effects of this ‘house-cleaning’ or the changes it may bring to House professionally or personally remain to be seen.”

Personally, I can’t believe that a show as popular as “House” is making this many changes. I thought if it wasn’t broke, you don’t fix it…

The Battle of the Singing Game Shows

So, who won the battle of singing game shows last week?

NBC’s “The Singing Bee” was last week’s most-watched show with 13.3 million viewers. FOX’s “Don’t Forget the Lyrics” debuted with 8.3 million viewers.

If you’re trying to figure out which one to watch, let me give you the rundown…

“Lyrics” is hosted by Wayne Brady and is in the same vein as “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” and “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” Contestants march up the money board by choosing categories and singing songs in that category. The contestants completely sing parts of the songs with accompaniment by the band. If contestants correctly fill in the blanks on the screen while singing, they get to move on. If they’re stuck they can use one of three helps. The top prize is $1 million. The bandleader is Ricky Minor of “American Idol”…

“Bee” is hosted by Joey Fatone who’s backed up by dancing girls called the Honey Bees. A group of contestants are called up on the stage and must sing their way into the next round. The four who get the words to their songs first move on to round two where two contestants compete against each other and try to fill in as many blanks as they can with different songs. The two winners face off in round three by trying to correctly sing a chorus of a song. The winner of that round goes to the final game where they fill in more blanks to win as much money as they can. The top prize is $50,000 and a trophy. The contestants only sing the blanks (The band handles the rest.), with the exception of round two where they have to sing the entire part of the song. The bandleader is Ray Chew, the musical director of the Apollo Theater Foundation.

Of the two, “Bee” is the most fun, and it would be cool to see Wayne Brady on it since I think it better fits his personality. Joey is a good host, he just needs to find another word besides “sweet.”

“Bee” was also easier for me since it stuck mostly to songs from the 80s and 90s. But the truth is if I was on the show, when that screen went blank, I would go blank too…

“The Singing Bee” airs Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. on NBC. “Don’t Forget the Lyrics” airs Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. and Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. on FOX…

The "Jericho" Fans Set Their Sights On Critics

The “Jericho” Rangers are now setting their sights on TV critics…

Critics are receiving this e-mail from “Jericho” fans:

“I understand you will be out in California for the press tour. The fans are working VERY hard to recruit new viewers and we are always interested in any new information that can help our cause…If you learn anything new or can talk/write about ‘Jericho’ to keep it in the forefront, the fans would be EXTREMELY grateful!!”

One critic told “TV Week” he responded to one e-mail: “We are not part of your campaign. You are making a serious miscalculation.”

Another said, “We need to give CBS [heck] for encouraging these people.”

Since TV critics are not my favorite people these days, I don’t have a problem with people bugging them. But I hope this plan doesn’t backfire on the Rangers…

This is Why I'm Sick...

NBC’s new entertainment head honcho Ben Silverman has won over the critics during this week’s Press Tour.

But he just makes me feel like losing my dinner…

“TV Week” reported yesterday that Silverman’s cell phone ringtone is “This Is Why I’m Hot!” Silverman admits to sometimes “busting into a little dance” when it rings…

Excuse me, I need a minute…

Drew Carey, Come On Down?

Another day, another “The Price Is Right” rumor. But this one appears to have some teeth to it…

First, the “New York Daily News” reported that Drew Carey is the top choice with an offer contingent on him doing a full-episode run-through and on the success of “Power of 10,” which premieres August 7th on CBS.

Then “TV Guide” reported that Carey appears to be the front-runner if he can come to terms over compensation. “TV Guide” said a decision could come “any day”…

Now mark your calendars for NBC...

Here’s the rundown of NBC’s premiere schedule…

Tuesday, September 11th
8 p.m.—The Biggest Loser

Monday, September 24th
8 p.m.—Chuck
9 p.m.—Heroes
10 p.m.—Journeyman

Tuesday, September 25th
9:30 p.m.—The Singing Bee
10 p.m.—Law & Order: SVU

Wednesday, September 26th
8 p.m.—Deal or No Deal
9 p.m.—Bionic Woman
10 p.m.—Life

Thursday, September 27th
8 p.m.—My Name Is Earl (one hour)
9 p.m.—The Office (one hour)
10 p.m.—ER

Friday, September 28th
8 p.m.—Deal or No Deal
9 p.m.—Las Vegas (two hours)

Thursday, October 4th
8 p.m.—30 Rock

Friday, October 5th
9 p.m.—Friday Night Lights

Thursday, October 25th
9:30 p.m.—Scrubs

"SNL" Hits Starbucks

Want to own the wildly popular “Saturday Night Live” digital short “---- In a Box” featuring Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake? Now you can, but you’ll have to go to Starbucks to get it…

NBC is releasing the “Saturday Night Live: The Best of ‘06/07” DVD August 28th exclusively at Starbucks.

The DVD will include the uncensored version of the short, which this week was called the turning point of the season by “SNL” Executive Producer Lorne Michaels…

The "Law & Order" Franchise Makes Some More Changes

At press tour, Dick Wolf, the creator of the “Law & Order” franchise, announced that Chris Noth will get a new partner—at least temporarily.

Alicia Witt (“Cybill,” “Two Weeks Notice”) will join the cast of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” to replace Julianne Nicholson, who will miss some episodes due to maternity leave.

But she may not be the only one missing episodes. Wolf said he had “no idea” how Noth’s possible involvement in the “Sex and the City” movie will impact “CI.”

“Criminal Intent” premieres Thursday, October 4th at 10 p.m. on USA…

Meanwhile, over on the mothership (the orignial "Law & Order"), Linus Roache (“Kidnapped”) will come on board as the new ADA. As I told you earlier, Sam Waterston will be the new DA, replacing Fred Thompson. Roache joins his “Kidnapped” co-star Jeremy Sisto, who will be Jesse Martin’s new partner. Wolf said he was a fan of “Kidnapped,” which led him to the hirings…

Roache had been announced as playing Julianna Marguiles' husband in the FOX show "Canterbury Law," so I presume that deal has fallen through (or their marriage falls apart very quickly)...

Speaking of Martin, he has only signed on for the first 13 episodes of “Law & Order.” If the show’s run is extended, Martin may leave or they may cast another detective. “Jesse has been doing this for a while. He’s kind of conflicted about it,” Wolf told critics…

So what do the “L&O” shows have planned for “Green is Universal,” the environmentally friendly programming week I told you about earlier? Wolf said he didn’t know anything about it. Oops…