Have a Great Labor Day!

I’ll be taking a day or two off from blogging, but I’ll be back Monday with the latest news and my two Picks of the Week—the story of a racing legend and the return of a reality TV legend…

Everyone have a happy and safe Labor Day weekend!

When the Conferences Take On the Cable Companies...

This weekend is the official start to the college football season and already many fans are irate—not at their teams, but at their cable systems.

Comcast Cable, which covers Huntington, has dropped ESPNU from its channel line-up, which means Comcast subscribers will not be able to see the Marshall-Miami game this Saturday. Time Warner in Ashland/Ironton, however, has added ESPNU to its digital basic lineup. Digital cable customers can see the game on channel 125, but if you just have the basic service, unfortunately, you’re in the same boat as the Comcast customers in Huntington…

A bigger battle is brewing in Big Ten country as Time Warner and Comcast are fighting it out with the new Big Ten Network.

Honestly, it was only a matter of time before the conferences figured out that they could make even more money if they created their own television networks, and the Big Ten is taking the lead. But the cable companies are taking a stand, hoping to deter other conferences from doing the same.

According to an article in the “New York Times,” the Big Ten Conference will make $50 million from the network, which the conference owns 51% of (FOX owns the other 49%). In order to do this, the Big Ten Network will charge $.10 per customer per month to the cable companies, UNLESS the cable company covers one of the eight Big Ten states and then it will be $1.10 per customer per month—the second highest price of any national channel (ESPN is the highest at $3.). Time Warner and Comcast believe that they shouldn’t have to pay for a channel that not all of their customers want, especially when it will mean a higher cable bill.

All of this means that Ohio customers will not be able to see their beloved Ohio State Buckeyes take on Youngstown State this Saturday, or see them take on Akron the next Saturday.

The good news, however, for Buckeyes fans is that these are the only two OSU football games the Big Ten Network is scheduled to do. The rest will air on ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2, which the cable systems already carry. In fact, the Big Ten Network will always pick its games after ABC, and in some weeks, even after ESPN2, which means it will not have that strong of a schedule anyway—another argument the cable systems are using.

You know that I have my differences with the cable company (Don’t we all?), but I’m afraid I’m on their side on this one. I’m all for universities raising money, but do we all have to pay more for it? I’m an Ohio State fan and I like to watch the OSU football games, but should I have to pay more for my cable to watch the games I saw for the lower price last year?

The answer to that is a definite no!

I hope that the other conferences—and for that matter other sports in general—will take the Big Ten situation into consideration when they start thinking about going out on their own…

Who Is Officially "Dancing With the Stars"?

This morning, Tom Bergeron, Carrie Ann Inaba and Apolo Anton Ohno officially announced the contestants for this fall’s edition of “Dancing With the Stars.”

And they are…

Melanie “Mel B” Brown (aka “Scary Spice”), who will be teamed with Maksim Chmerkovskiy…

Sabrina Bryan (“The Cheetah Girls”), who will be paired with Mark Ballas…

Helio Castroneves (Two-time Indy 500 winner), who will be paired with defending champ Julianne Hough…

Mark Cuban (owner of the Dallas Mavericks), who will be paired with Kym Johnson…

Jennie Garth (“Beverly Hills, 90210”), who will be paired with Derek Hough, Julianne’s older brother…

Josie Maran (supermodel), who will be paired with season one winner Alec Mazo…

Cameron Mathison (“All My Children”), who will be paired with Edyta Sliwinska (who, by the way, is engaged to Alec Mazo)…

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (boxer), who will be paired with Karina Smirnoff…

Wayne Newton, who will be paired with two-time winner Cheryl Burke…

Marie Osmond, who will be paired with Jonathan Roberts…

Albert Reed (supermodel), who will be paired with Anna Trebunskaya…

Jane Seymour, who will be paired with Tony Dovolani…

This is the largest number of competitors in the show’s history.

Usually, the star paired with Cheryl is the immediate favorite. I don’t think that’s going to be the case this year. However, I would look for Wayne Newton to stick around longer than he should because of Cheryl’s popularity.

As for early favorites, I’ve got to go with Helio and Julianne since she’s such a choreography wiz and he’s fearless (Those Indy cars are death traps. Plus, he started the tradition of climbing the fence after winning.) and Karina may have finally found another person who can handle her tough ways in undefeated boxer Floyd…

The competition begins with a three-night event Monday, September 24th through Wednesday, September 26th. On Monday, the six female stars will perform either the Foxtrot or the Cha Cha Cha. On Tuesday, the six male stars will perform the same. On Wednesday, September 26th, one team will be eliminated. Dolly Parton will appear on Wednesday’s live results show to sing “Better Get to Livin’” from her new album and “9 to 5.”

Beginning the next week (October 1st), the show will air on Mondays and Tuesdays.

With all of that set, there’s just one more mystery—Who will fill in for Samantha Harris as co-host?

As you may recall, Harris is pregnant with her first child and is due in early October. She’s hoping to appear briefly at the beginning of the season and then return for the end.

My guess for a fill-in? Season one winner Kelly Monaco…

So what do you think? Will you be watching?

NBC's Plan to Get You to Turn on the "Lights"

So how badly does NBC want you to like “Friday Night Lights”? Pretty badly…

First, NBC Universal is releasing the first season DVD (out today) at the ridiculously low suggested retail price of $29.98, which means you can buy it at most major retailers for $20! That kind of price for a full season of a new show is absolutely unheard of…

But wait, there’s more!

NBC Universal is actually offering a money back guarantee “if you aren’t completely hooked.” You can get details at http://www.fnlguarantee.com/...

This is a brilliant idea designed to bring the show more viewers come fall. If this doesn't work, I'm not sure anything will...

A BIG Day in TV DVD World...

Today is a BIG day in TV DVD world. “Heroes” Season 1 is in stores as we speak.

And as much as I loved the show, you’d think I’d be leaving work right now to go get it, right?

Wrong. In fact, I don’t really care at all…

Believe it or not, I am still completely bummed about that season finale. In fact, I’m so bummed, I don’t even know if I’ll watch the show when it returns next month.

Now, some of you out there may think I’m being a little harsh and that the finale wasn’t all that bad. But when you watch a show for 22 straight weeks on the edge of your seat and then you get a conclusion like that, it tends to leave a bad taste in your mouth…

Plus, “Heroes” is becoming the new “Lost” with all of the websites and CONSTANT hype (How many magazine covers can Hayden Panettiere do anyway?). And we all know what happened to “Lost” (and “Desperate Housewives,” for that matter) in its second season.

Before the premiere September 24th, I’m going to re-watch the finale to see if it truly was as bad as I think. And if it was, then I’m going to cross “Heroes” off my must-see-TV list.

I couldn’t possibly set myself up for that kind of disappointment again…

Who Will Be "Dancing With the Stars" This Fall?

So who will be “Dancing With the Stars” this fall?

“Sports Illustrated” is reporting that Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban will be, along with Jennie Garth, Melanie “Scary Spice” Brown and Wayne Newton (who “EW” has also reported).

I think Mark Cuban could be a lot of fun (except for maybe his partner) and Jennie Garth is no surprise since she spent so much time in the audience last year. But shouldn’t Melanie Brown be working on that Spice Girls reunion tour?

And you just know Wayne Newton's first dance will be to "Danke Schein"...

Judge Carrie Ann Inaba and round four winner Apolo Anton Ohno will make the official contestants announcement Wednesday on “Good Morning America.”

UPDATE: TMZ reports the additional contestants are: Aaron Carter, Jane Seymour, Tori Spelling, boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Lou Ferrigno, Nia Peeples, Richard Quest (CNN), Gisele Bundchen, Helio Castroneves (Indycar racer), and Sabrina Bryan ("Cheetah Girls").

Pick of the Week: The "Burning" Finale

There are some weeks when my Pick is very easy and then there are some weeks that it can be a little difficult. This week it’s the latter.

But I have to pick something, so my Pick of the Week is the finale of “The Bronx is Burning.”

I had every intention of watching this mini-series about the 1977 Yankees and their quest for a championship, but after the first hour got significantly delayed by the Home Run Derby, I just lost track. However, I’ve been hearing nothing but good things about it, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see some Emmy nominations next year if ESPN runs a good campaign.

The finale of “The Bronx Is Burning” is scheduled to air Tuesday, August 28th at 10 p.m. on ESPN.

For those of you who lost track like I did, the DVD hits stores September 25th…

When Will "High School Musical 2" Hit DVD?

Wasting no time, Disney has announced that the DVD of “High School Musical 2” will hit stores December 11th.

This will be the extended version, which will include a never-before-seen music sequence (I’m guessing Ryan and Sharpay’s talent show number, “Humuhumu…”), rehearsal footage, “High School Karaoke,” and music videos.

No doubt there will be another edition later with even more special features, but you know you can’t wait that long…

"K-Ville" Review: It's Just Too Soon

When FOX announced that it had picked up “K-Ville,” a cop drama set in post-Katrina New Orleans, a lot of critics had their doubts. Is it too soon for a show with Katrina as a major plot point?

I would have to say the answer to that question is a resounding yes.

In all honesty, though, I think it will always be too soon…

“K-Ville” centers around Marlin Boulet (Anthony Anderson), a cop who desperately wants to put his city back together—especially his neighborhood in the 9th ward. Marlin does everything he can to keep people from selling their property. Among those who don’t want to return is Marlin’s wife, who wants to keep her daughter away from the neighborhood.

Marlin’s new partner, Trevor Cobb (Cole Hauser), just returned from a tour in Afghanistan, and Marlin wonders why he would want to come to New Orleans instead of returning to his home in Cincinnati. The two try to adjust to each other while dealing with Marlin’s ex-partner Charlie who was fired after he abandoned Marlin during the aftermath of Katrina.

Rounding out the crew at the police station are Jeff Gooden (Blake Shields), Ginger LeBeau (Tawney Cypress) and Captain James Embry (John Carroll Lynch)…

Anthony Anderson is solid as the man still trying to put the pieces back together and I’ve always been a fan of John Carroll Lynch, although I’m not sure about his accent. But “K-Ville” is pretty much your run-of-the-mill cop show. You’ve got your cop who’s slightly off-center who doesn’t always follow the rules and his new partner that doesn’t quite trust him. You’ve got your tough female cop, your wisecracking supporting cop and a disapproving captain. The only thing that sets it apart is Katrina so they use that to the full extent they can, which can make it a little tough to handle.

It probably doesn’t help that the episode opens by revisiting that time and showing us people suffering and begging for help. And even though we have no idea who these characters are yet, our heart aches when we see Charlie get in his car and drive away. We can almost understand why he did.

The show is shot on location in New Orleans, so every dilapidated house you see is an actual dilapidated house. It’s enough to make you sick to your stomach. One house is spray painted with the words, “Fix everything my a--!”

And when the bad guys try to scare Marlon and his family by running water into their house, it was almost more than I could handle. I know it’s only a television show, but Katrina was real and that gives the show an uncomfortable feel that’s hard to shake.

“K-Ville” does manage to throw in a pretty good twist at the end that should add a little spice, but I’m afraid I won’t be there to see it.

It’s just too soon...

You can watch the season premiere of “K-Ville” at www.fox.com/kville.

“K-Ville” premieres Monday, September 17th at 9 p.m. on FOX…

"Army Wives" Calls It a Season

Just a reminder that the season finale of "Army Wives" will air Sunday at 10 p.m. on Lifetime.

But don't worry, new episodes will be back in the spring.

I'm Done With "Prison Break"

So, it’s official. I’ve decided to stop watching “Prison Break”…

As you may recall, last year, I was totally psyched about “Prison” after seeing the premiere episode. I just knew that having the guys out of prison would be a fresh angle.

But then each episode brought more ridiculous plot twists. Michael tattooed Christ in a rose on his arm so he could remember the name Christina Rose. Mahone killed a Company operative to get free from them and then went right back to them.

And then there was the season finale. I had joked earlier that I thought the second season would end with them all back in jail. I wish I had kept my mouth shut…

They’re not all back in jail, mind you. Lincoln is free, but it’s bad enough—especially since this prison is just an excuse to do more and more disgusting things.

FOX has made 17 minutes of the season premiere available online and it was WAY more than I needed to see. Bellick was stripped to his underwear and forced to drink water out of a mudhole. Prisoners fought to the death to settle their differences and the prisoner who calls the shots beat the crap out of another prisoner, slapped around a hooker who said she thought Michael was good-looking and threatened both Michael and Mahone.

And that was only in seventeen minutes…

I know there will be a lot more story development here (or at least I would hope) and it will all tie in to the vast conspiracy the show’s been working on since episode one. And I also know that shows like to shock you in those first few minutes to keep you watching, but I just can’t hold out.

I’m done.

You can see the first 17 minutes of the premiere for yourself at www.fox.com/prisonbreak.

Season three of "Prison Break" premieres Monday, September 17th at 8 p.m. on FOX...

"HSM 2" Debuts Atop the Charts

Here’s an item that shouldn’t surprise anyone…

The soundtrack to “High School Musical 2” debuted at #1 this week on the Billboard 200, after selling 615,000 copies. That makes it the second biggest first-week sales tally of the year (Linkin Park’s “Minutes to Midnight” moved 623,000.). And remember that most of these sales came before the movie even premiered…

Disney also owns the #2 spot on the album chart with “Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus,” which sold another 83,000 copies…

You can listen to the “High School Musical 2” soundtrack at http://music.aol.com/songs/new_releases_full_cds.

Meanwhile, the ratings are in for the rest of the “HSM 2” weekend and they’re strong as well. 8.4 million tuned in Saturday and 7.5 million watched Sunday’s sing-along.

“High School Musical 2” airs again Thursday, August 23rd at 8 p.m. on Disney Channel. Then, it will take a break until September when it will return with a dance-along edition…

Fator's Got Talent

My apologies for the delay on this one, but Blogger was acting up a little this morning...

Last night, Terry Fator was named the winner of "America's Got Talent." He won a million dollars and a gig at Bally's in Las Vegas (Fator actually already had a gig in Vegas thanks to the show, so now he has two.). Singer Cas Haley was the runner-up.

Fator proved just how talented of a ventiloquist he is by reprising his rendition of Roy Orbison's "Crying" without moving his mouth, even though pyrotechnics and confetti were all around him.

You can watch Jerry Springer make the announcement here.

And people say Ryan Seacrest is a drama queen...

You can also see David Hasselhoff performing "This Is the Moment" from "Jekyll and Hyde." Apparently, someone took Piers' buzzer away from him at this point. Believe it or not, he did actually perform this song on Broadway...



And for another finale highlight, check out this video of Danya of Quick Change falling on the stage (and almost falling a second time). But they're still pretty amazing...

Will Trump fire Britney on "Celebrity Apprentice"?

Don’t look now, kids, but Donald Trump may have actually found a way to save “The Apprentice”…

The “New York Post” has reported the list of celebrities Trump says he has signed for his celebrity edition, and it’s quite interesting: Jim Cramer (CNBC’s “Mad Money”), Carmen Electra, Joan Rivers, Naomi Judd, George Foreman, Kimora Lee Simmons, Dana Patrick (of music video fame), Tony Hawk, Jeff Gordon and Pete Rose. Plus, Trump has signed season one’s villainess Omarosa.

I’m guessing that they won’t be living in a house together, since most of them have day jobs. And I’d like to know how Jeff Gordon thinks he’s going to have time to do this. Isn’t there a better way for him to raise money for his favorite charity?

But Trump is not done yet. He told the “Post” that he is also trying to get the unholy tabloid trinity: Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears.

Meanwhile, Trump will help another NBC show kick off its season—“Deal or No Deal.” Trump will be the banker for the third season premiere September 17th…

"The Nine" Moves Online...

You can now see the remaining episodes of “The Nine” on ABC.com.

Also, “TV Guide” has promised to get some of the burning questions regarding what happened in the bank answered for us. I’ll pass those along when they come out.

Unfortunately, ABC has pulled all traces of “The Knights of Prosperity” from its website. Something tells me my TV enemy had something to do with that…

Celebrate 20 years with Regis, Kelly and...Kathie Lee!

Those of you who read my “Idol Chit-Chat” blog know that I don’t watch “Live With Regis and Kelly,” but I know a lot of you do, so I wanted to pass this along to you…

Beginning September 3rd, “Live” will celebrate its 20th season. Regis and Kelly will cap off the celebration September 14th with clips of the show’s most memorable moments and a special guest—Kathie Lee Gifford.

Remember that the fourth hour of “Today” begins September 10th, so that will affect when you watch “Live” in certain areas—including Huntington/Charleston. I’ll pass that information along to you when I get it...

Who's Got Talent?

Tonight marks the season finale of the summer’s most popular show, “America’s Got Talent.”

During the two-hour show, the final four will perform with some of their favorites. Beat boxer Butterscotch will perform with Sean Kingston, ventriloquist Terry Fator will team up with the Muppets and singers Julienne Irwin and Cas Haley will perform with Taylor Swift and UB40.

“USA Today” reports that David Hasselhoff will perform as well…

So which of the four will take the prize? Last week, judge Piers Morgan said that Terry Fator would take the title, and personally, I hope he does. To me, “Talent” is about finding something unique—not another singer. And Julienne Irwin reminds me too much of last year’s winner, Bianca Ryan.

What do you think?

“America’s Got Talent” airs tonight (Tuesday) at 8 p.m. on NBC…

And if anyone’s still watching, “On the Lot” will crown its winner tonight at 8 over on FOX. If that show had been produced by anyone besides Steven Spielberg, FOX would have pulled the plug weeks ago…

UPDATE: Piers Morgan may not be able to be there to see if his prediction comes true. He broke two ribs over the weekend after falling off his Segway. He told the "New York Post": "It's still kind of up in the air [if I'll appear on the finale] but I'm doing to try to do my best to be a part of it.

"High School Musical 2": How Big Was It?

You knew it was going to be big. It was just a matter of how big…

The premiere of “High School Musical 2” was watched by 17.2 million people. That makes it the most-watched basic cable telecast EVER.

It was also the most-watched TV telecast with kids 6-11, the most watched entertainment telecast with kids 9-14, TV’s most watched Friday telecast in five years, and basic cable’s most-watched TV movie EVER.

And, ABC News reported that as of Friday, the soundtrack had already sold half a million copies—that’s before the movie even aired.

I would call that pretty big…

"High School Musical 2" Review: Bigger Doesn't Always Mean Better

It's obvious from the opening number of “High School Musical 2,” “What Time Is It?” that this one is going to be much bigger. Bigger dance numbers, bigger song production—bigger everything.

But unfortunately, bigger doesn't always mean better…

Director/Choreographer Kenny Ortega already had a daunting task in front of him since the plot of this movie didn’t revolve around a musical, which made the songs in the first movie fit more naturally. But instead of rising to the challenge and finding a way to seamlessly integrate the songs, Ortega went the music video route with three of the songs, editing together montages that took away the simplicity I loved in the first movie.

“Fabulous” is a cute song, but the music video Ortega puts together for it, takes us right out of the story—especially when we see Ryan playing the piano in the pool—but then we’re expected to jump right back in when Sharpay sees Troy. And I was completely disappointed with parts of “I Don’t Dance,” which I think is the best song of the movie. Instead of letting it flow like “Getcha Head In the Game” did, Ortega forces in the dance routines. So when Chad and Ryan have their face-off in the song, we’re seeing a group dance on the field, instead of the two of them going toe-to-toe.

But I guess I should just face the fact that simplicity is long gone from anything “High School Musical”…

That’s especially clear in the music which has more elaborate production values, but for the first 40 minutes or so, it seems like all of the work went into the songs, and no one bothered to find enough story to put them together. Basically we just see a bunch of excuses for the characters to sing.

But when the movie finally focuses on story and slows down the pace of the song appearances, it starts to find its groove as Troy gets more and more sucked into Sharpay’s world. The showdown between Troy and Chad is great stuff (It’s funny that they got cracked up shooting it, which we saw during the closing credits.).

However, the movie played the “You Are the Music In Me” card too early. I had wondered about that when I listened to the soundtrack since it’s a much better song for the stirring climax than “Everyday.” Obviously the people behind the movie thought so too, because they play “Music” in its original version (complete with Kelsi beginning it) over the main characters frolicking outside the club. But if no one’s singing, doesn’t that completely take the musical aspect out of it? I would’ve had Troy and Gabriella reprise the chorus in a big romantic moment.

And don’t even get me started on “Bet On It.” I said in my review of the CD that I was interested to see how that one was going to work in the movie. It didn’t. When Ortega could’ve actually used a montage, he instead went with Troy dancing around the golf course in what looked to be Zac Efron’s audition for “Footloose.” That scene screamed for a ballad a la the first one’s “When There Was Me and You.”

So if you’re still reading this, you’re probably thinking I hated “HSM 2.” On the contrary, I actually liked it…

Remember what I said in my CD review? “But I have a feeling that when I see Ryan finally put Sharpay in her place (and he better), I’ll be okay.”

And that’s what happened. No matter what problems I had with the movie they all went away in that moment when Sharpay realized she’d been tricked and Ryan looked at her and said “Exactly.” I actually cheered out loud. In my opinion, Lucas Grabeel is the most underrated actor in the cast, and Ryan has become my favorite character. Seeing his character become independent of Sharpay was just what I had been waiting for.

Troy and Gabriella fans also got what they had been waiting for as we finally saw the two kiss (Three times!) after several near misses earlier in the movie. And the chemistry between Efron and Vanessa Hudgens (who have finally admitted they’re dating in real life) is off the charts. But who could resist Efron’s soulful baby blues anyway?

And even though “Everyday” is not as good of a song as “You Are the Music In Me,” the climactic reunion of Troy and Gabriella was better than advertised. I (along with everyone watching) knew what was going to happen, but I still loved every note of it—even if it was completely unrealistic that Troy learned the song that quickly. And the fact that Ryan gave up his spot to get Troy and Gabriella back together? Priceless.

And who didn’t say, “Awwww” when Ryan and Sharpay made up?

I didn’t like the ending of this one as well with the cast members (and Miley Cyrus in a blink-and-you-missed-it cameo) actually singing in front of microphones for the final number, “All For One,” but then the ending with Sharpay and Zeke is my favorite part of the first one, so it’s hard to compare.

But you can’t help but compare the sequel to the original, and in this case, I think the edge definitely goes to the original. I guess simple just works best for me…

You can compare for yourself when Disney Channel repeats “High School Musical 2” Thursday, August 23rd at 8 p.m. and “High School Musical” Sunday, August 26th at 8 p.m…

And if you did see it, be sure to let me know what you thought…

Pick of the Week: Will Scott Stay Single?

I didn’t mean to, but somehow I got completely hooked on “Scott Baio is 45…and Single.” So I would be remiss if I didn’t make its season finale my Pick of the Week.

As I said before, you know that much of it is set up. But somehow Scott still makes it seem so genuine, you can’t help but love it—and love him in the process…

Last night, we finally got the moment we’ve been waiting for when Scott kicked Johnny V. out of his life (at least for a little while). It came after Johnny mud wrestled two women at a bachelor party and then tried to drag Scott into it by getting mud all over him. Scott’s transition from having fun to being angry was way too quick to be completely believable (especially with fellow executive producer Jason Hervey adding heat to the situation), but since it got Johnny V. out of the picture (or at least we think), I’m willing to overlook it.

This Sunday, Renee returns as we learn if Scott has made any kind of decision. From the previews, it appears that Renee is coming out swinging, so this could be a doozy. In my opinion, I think Scott will propose to her and give the show a happy ending.

But if he doesn’t, I hope for his sake the show is set up or he’s going to get seriously hurt…

The season finale of “Scott Baio is 45…and Single” airs Sunday, August 26th at 12:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. on VH1…

Cruisin' Away the Weekend...

This Sunday morning, I will be hanging out at First Baptist Church of Proctorville’s third annual “Fellowship Cruise-In.” Registration starts at 9:30 a.m. with public viewing of the cars at Noon. Cruisers are more than welcome to attend church services in casual dress (10:30 a.m.). The church is located ½ mile north of the Lawrence County Fairgrounds.

I say all that for two reasons. Number one, I encourage anyone out there with a classic car to come join us. My mom and dad are the main planners of this great event and it’s my pleasure to help them out every year.

Number two, this means that I will be spending the weekend with my parents. And all of my faithful readers know that my parents don’t have cable—which means that I won’t see “High School Musical 2” until SUNDAY!

The things we sacrifice for our families…LOL

My parents don’t have high-speed Internet access either so I’ll be out of commission until Monday morning when I give you my take on “HSM 2” and my Pick of the Week, as my favorite summer reality show wraps up its season.

Until then, have a great weekend!

And the winner is...

Warning: If you haven't seen last night's "So You Think You Can Dance" finale, stop reading now...

Last night, Sabra Johnson emerged victorious over favorite Danny Tidwell and became the third "So You Think You Can Dance" champion. Sabra has only had four years of professional dance training.

And for those of you who were disappointed that Executive Producer/Judge Nigel Lythgoe and host Cat Deeley didn't actually dance on last night's finale, Nigel says he will dance on the show--when Simon Cowell sings on "American Idol."

Thoughts on the winner? Will you check out the tour when it comes to town?

"High School Musical 2": The Supporting Characters

So we know that Troy, Gabriella, Ryan, Sharpay, Chad and Taylor will all be back in “High School Musical 2,” but what other Wildcats will be joining them?

Kelsi (Oleysa Rulin) will be back composing more songs for the gang. By the way, Rulin will next be seen in “Major Movie Star,” which stars Jessica Simpson as a celebrity who enrolls in Army boot camp. Rulin and Simpson enrolled in two days of actual boot camp to prepare…

Zeke (Chris Warren, Jr.), the baking basketball player will be back, and once again making a play for Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale)…

Zeke’s teammate Jason (Ryne Sanborn) will also return with an expanded role. You may remember that Jason was the player that Kelsi walked off with at the end of the movie. Sanborn can next be seen in the independent film, “The Adventures of Food Boy” co-starring Lucas Grabeel (Ryan)…

Martha (Kaycee Stroh) will also return. You’ll remember her as the student who confessed to loving hip-hop during “Stick to the Status Quo.” On the “HSM 2” premiere blue carpet, Stroh told “USA Today” that her weight was a result of a blood clot after knee surgery. “I gained 40 pounds in three months, but it ended up getting me ‘High School Musical,’ so I can't complain. The clot is now gone, and I'm trying to get back to my happy and healthy size 12”…

According to “People,” we’ll also get the return of Ms. Darbus (Alyson Reed) and Coach Bolton (Bart Johnson)…

And, it looks like AOL was right. Miley Cyrus does have a small role in one of the movie’s dance sequences—a role she begged for and ended up flying herself to the set to do. She told “USA Today,”: “I flew out in a plane that was so small I was scared to death. I had my dog with me, and they tried to kick my dog off the plane. I called my best friend Ashley (Tisdale) in tears”…

Not that I need to remind you, but “High School Musical 2” premieres tonight (Friday) at 8 on Disney Channel…

"High School Musical 2": The Music

For some, listening to the soundtrack to a musical before you see it is kind of like cheating.

And maybe it is, but it was a chance I was willing to take as I put the soundtrack to “High School Musical 2” in my computer and gave it a listen.

If you don’t want to know any details about the songs—which do shed a little more light on the story—stop reading now. Otherwise, keep on going…

The CD opens with the first single, “What Time Is It?” which sets the scene for the movie (The answer to that question, by the way, is summertime.). The song has a little more sophisticated sound than we got from the group numbers in “HSM,” but those sunny lyrics are just as we remember…

Then it’s Sharpay and Ryan time with “Fabulous,” which introduces us to Sharpay’s lavish lifestyle…

“Work This Out” features the entire Wildcat gang—minus Sharpay and Ryan, of course—trying to make the best of their summer jobs at the country club. This one gives us our first real opportunity to hear Monique Coleman (Taylor) sing and you just know it’s going to have killer choreography to go with it…

Once you hear “You Are the Music In Me,” you’ll forget all about “Breakin’ Free.” It’s a great ballad that gives Zac Efron (Troy) a real opportunity to showcase his voice (FINALLY!) and we also get to hear Olesya Rulin (Kelsi) sing a few bars…

Then the soundtrack really picks up with this movie’s answer to “Getcha Head In the Game,” the baseball-themed “I Don’t Dance.” The song features the truly inspired pairing of Lucas Grabeel (Ryan) and Corbin Bleu (Chad). I can’t wait to see how the choreography combines dancing with baseball…

No surprise that Sharpay has her own upbeat version of “You Are the Music In Me” that features—gasp!—Troy…

Which probably explains the next song on the CD, “Gotta Go My Own Way,” which is a Troy-Gabriella breakup song. It’s not quite as good as “When There Was Me and You,” but it’s still a good one and a good showcase for Vanessa Hudgens (Gabriella)…

But don’t worry “HSM” fans, the next track is “Bet On It,” in which Troy seems to get himself back on track with lyrics like “It’s no good at all to see yourself and not recognize your face.” The song, with its R&B/hip-hop beat, sounds like it belongs more on a Corbin Bleu CD than in this movie, so I’m wondering how it will work in a scene. “Billboard” said it sounded like the Backstreet Boys, and I can’t really disagree…

Then, we get the makeup song, “Everyday,” which has a little bit of a gospel feel to it. Don’t be too surprised to see the first official Troy-Gabriella kiss after this one…

Finally, we get the “We’re All in This Together” song, “All For One,” and yes, Sharpay is a part of it, meaning she has once again decided to join the gang—until she hatches another scheme for the third movie, of course. I don’t like this song as well as I do “We’re All In This Together,” because I don’t think the chorus is as catchy, but it really works with its summertime feel…

The bonus track is “Humuhumunukunukuapua’a,” a Sharpay and Ryan song that was cut from the movie. My guess is that this was going to be their talent show song until she decided to do “Music” with Troy. It’s a shame we won’t see how this one was going to work, because I have a feeling it was going to be pretty funny…

Anyone who had any concerns as to whether the songs for the sequel were going to live up to the originals can put those to rest. My only concern now is that the sequel is going to be too much like the original.

But I have a feeling that when I see Ryan finally put Sharpay in her place (and he better), I’ll be okay…

The “High School Musical 2” soundtrack is in stores now…

My TV Enemy Strikes Again

Okay, it’s official. ABC President Steve McPherson really does live to infuriate me…

My second favorite Canadian, RT, just passed on some distressing info to me. ABC has once again pulled “The Knights of Prosperity” from the schedule.

It only had THREE episodes to go! What would have been the harm in letting them run? No, the ratings weren’t great, but it’s summer. What do you expect? And it was running against “So You Think You Can Dance.” Of course the ratings weren’t going to be good!

That leaves only one explanation. My TV enemy decided to hit me where it hurt.

And it really does hurt, considering how funny last week’s two episodes were. In the first one, the gang decided to kidnap their intern, Louis, to try and get ransom money from his rich father in order to rent the apartment next to Ray Romano. When Louis finally realizes that the guys are serious, he makes a simple request. “Could I at least be kidnapped next to a TV? ‘Project Runway’ is on.”

The second episode belonged to Ray Romano, who played a darker version of himself. First, he did a hilarious turn in a play as a heroin addict (He was trying for more serious roles.). Then, we saw him as a depressed guy who just sat in his apartment watching TV and drinking beer because he had nothing else to do. When Eugene lures him away from his apartment so the gang can steal his safe, we see Ray as a bit of a freak who hates fans and can’t deal with his own fame. If this show hadn’t failed, he would no doubt have an Emmy nomination right now.

When the episode ended, the gang did manage to steal Ray’s safe, but they had no idea how to open it, leading to a whole new story arc…

I’ve said it before and I will say it again. This failure is completely on ABC’s head. The show was on almost all of the critics’ preseason favorites lists, but instead of capitalizing on that, ABC postponed its premiere until January. Then, when it finally did premiere, it was against a BCS bowl game and then it had to take on “American Idol.” It never had a chance.

It’s things like this that make me never want to watch ABC again. I’m definitely hesitant to watch any of their new shows because just as I get into it they will either pull it; show the episodes out of order and then pull it; order 13 episodes but then cut the order to 8 while the show is working on the 9th, forcing the show to redo parts of the episodes which causes them to not make sense; or fire the executive producer of the show and replace him with someone whose style is completely the opposite, but insist the new producer do the show like the one they fired causing a big mess, but then eventually replace him with an original producer who straightens everything out and then pull it…

There is no word yet on whether ABC will show the remainder of the “Knights” episodes online. I certainly hope so, because online is better than not at all…

By the way, ABC also pulled the remaining episodes of “The Nine.” It’s true that we weren’t going to find out what happened in the bank anyway, but the 15 minutes I watched last week were some of the best 15 minutes I saw on anything all season. What would have been the harm in letting it run as well?

So Who Do You Think Can Dance?

This week, “So You Think You Can Dance” crowns another champion.

Now, as you know, I don’t watch “Dance” (I need a reality break after “Idol.”), but there are a lot of you who do, so I wanted to give you a chance to comment on the show’s final four…

They are:

Sabra

Danny

Lacey

Neil

So who do you think can dance? Just post a comment or send an e-mail to hdstaytuned@hotmail.com...

And remember, you can see Sabra, Danny, Lacey, Neil and the rest of the top 10 in Huntington October 13th. Visit http://www.ticketmaster.com/ for more details…

The season finale of "So You Think You Can Dance" airs Wednesday and Thursday at 8 p.m. on FOX...

Mandy's Lonely Goodbye

Michael Ausiello of “TV Guide” reports that Mandy Patinkin returned to the set to shoot the wrap-up for his character—one scene in the October 3rd episode. But here’s the strange thing: Patinkin will be the only one in the scene.

Why? Because no one else in the cast wanted to work with him again. AND a special crew had to be used to shoot the scene because no one in the regular crew wanted to work with him again.

YIKES!

How about we team him and Isaiah Washington up in a buddy action drama?

Uh oh. I think I just heard NBC’s Ben Silverman run to the phone…

"High School Musical 2": The Plot

So as we get ready for the premiere of “High School Musical 2,” let’s answer an important question…

What’s the plot that brings our favorite high schoolers back together?

It’s summer, and no one is happier about that than Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) who is ready to leave a tough year of high school behind her (She did lose the lead in the musical, remember.). So she and her brother, Ryan (Lucas Grabeel), retreat to their parents’ country club.

But Sharpay gets an idea to make her summer even better—steal Troy (Zac Efron) from Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens). However, Sharpay’s plans hit a small snag when the entire Wildcat crew—and not just Troy—gets jobs at the country club.

Sharpay is undaunted, however, and tempts him with a basketball scholarship and getting to meet basketball stars. Then, she decides that Troy should sing with her in the club’s annual talent show—much to the chagrin of Ryan.

So will Troy be led to the “pink side” by Sharpay, or will he stay faithful to Gabriella and his friends?

Stay tuned…

NBC Commits Overkill...

Tomorrow, NBC will officially announce what I think is one of the biggest cases of network overkill in TV history.

NBC will officially announce the fourth hour of “Today.” Ann Curry, Natalie Morales and Hoda Kotb will be the hosts. Meredith Viera will not participate in the hour at all (She can’t because of a non-compete clause in her “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” contact.) and Matt Lauer will only introduce the hour.

Also contributing to the new hour will be Food Network’s Giada DeLaurentiis and Tiki Barber.

So why does NBC want a fourth hour of “Today”? One word: money. “Today” is the biggest money-maker on the network, so NBC wants to squeeze every drop out of it they can.

So why does NBC need a fourth hour of “Today”? In my opinion, they don’t. I mean how many feature pieces can you squeeze out of one morning anyway? Plus, it puts a crimp on local stations that make money through their syndicated programs, which no doubt led to the cancellation of “Passions” and could eventually kill “Days of Our Lives.”

But I guess as long as NBC gets to show us another hour of outfits we can’t afford and meals we could never cook ourselves, that’s all that matters…

Did "The Two Coreys" Pull One Over on Warner Bros?

In the second episode of “The Two Coreys,” Corey Feldman is forced to tell Corey Haim that they are making a sequel to “The Lost Boys” and that they wanted Feldman but not Haim. Because Haim views that movie as “the best time of his life,” he breaks down. You can see the clip here…




Well now comes news that the Coreys have gotten their wish. Shocktillyoudrop.com is reporting that both Coreys—and Jamison Newlander—are doing the sequel.

After the episode aired and received A LOT of online buzz, Feldman was quoted as saying that Warner Bros. was still interested in him for the movie, but he wouldn’t do it without Haim. And now we hear this.

So did the Coreys stage this scene hoping to get Haim in the sequel or was this all an elaborate way to promote the sequel?

I’m hoping for the first one, because you’ve got to admit it’s pretty clever. However, considering how bad this movie is going to be (It is direct-to-DVD after all.), I’m not sure it was worth the effort.

So who’s going to play the bad guy in this one? Shocktillyoudrop.com reports the main vampire will be played by Angus Sutherland. Just a name coincidence? I wish. He’s Kiefer’s half-brother…

Which to me signals that they intend for this vampire to have some sort of connection to Kiefer’s David, maybe even be David himself…

And that will make me cry…

UPDATE: RT, my second favorite Canadian, has tried to qualm my fears by pointing out to me that Angus, pictured here with his father, Donald, doesn't really look all that much like Kiefer. But I've still got to believe Warner Bros. is up to something here--even if it's just trying to cash in on the Sutherland name.

"High School Musical 2": The Numbers

Let’s kick off the “High School Musical 2” hype with a look at what the sequel has to live up to, courtesy of “USA Today”…

The first broadcast of “High School Musical” was watched by over 7.7 million people, a record that has since been surpassed by both “The Cheetah Girls 2” and “Jump In!” But when “HSM” aired for the 24th time on July 22, 2007, it was still watched by over 5.7 million people. The average of the 24 viewings is over 4.6 million viewers—an almost unheard of longevity…

The “HSM” soundtrack has sold 4.1 million copies in the United States, and 2.8 million internationally. The album was the top seller of 2006…

The “HSM” DVD has sold 4.2 million copies in the U.S. and Canada and 3.7 million internationally…

The “HSM” concert tour grossed $25 million…

“HSM 2” is off to a good start, though. “What Time Is It?” the first single from the soundtrack has sold 267,000 copies and downloads in three weeks, debuting at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100…

Could “HSM 2” be even bigger than the first? Stay tuned…

In my next post, I’ll look at the sequel’s plot…

Pick of the Week: No Big Surprise

This week’s Pick of the Week is a no-brainer, and shouldn’t be a big surprise to anybody. It’s “High School Musical 2,” which debuts this weekend on Disney Channel.

There are three chances to watch: Friday, August 17th at 8 p.m., Saturday, August 18th at 8 p.m., and Sunday, August 18th at 8 p.m. (the sing-along version).

To stir up the hype, Disney is doing “Rockin’ Movies Week”:

Monday at 8 p.m., it’s “Stuck in the Suburbs,” starring Danielle Panabaker as a girl who meets a pop superstar after she ends up with his PDA…

Tuesday at 8 p.m., it’s “Cheetah Girls 2,” the sing-along version…

Wednesday at 8 p.m., it’s “Jump In!” starring Corbin Bleu as a young boxer who discovers a knack for double-dutch…

Thursday at 8 p.m., it’s the sing-along version of the movie that started it all, “High School Musical”…

Then, Friday at 8 p.m., it’s the premiere of “High School Musical 2” followed by a sneak preview of the new Disney Channel show “Phineas and Herb” (10:05 p.m.) and a new episode of “Hannah Montana” guest starring the Jonas Brothers (10:20 p.m.)…

If you miss it on Friday, you can see it Saturday at 8 p.m. and the sing-along version Sunday at 8 p.m…

I will also be stirring up the hype with posts all week to get you ready for the big premiere…

"The Two Coreys" Vs. "Scott Baio"

For those of you who didn’t know, VH1 premieres new episodes of its Sunday night celebreality shows on Sunday afternoons. So I always catch “Scott Baio is 45…and Single” at 12:30 p.m., so I don’t have to choose between it and “The Two Coreys” on A&E at 10 p.m.

But in all honesty, it really isn’t much of a choice since “Baio” is fun and endearing, while “Coreys” is pretty much a trainwreck…

The secret to the success of a reality show like this is that you set up a situation and then watch the drama and humor that unfurls. There are plenty of set-up situations on “Coreys” but none of them ever amount to anything. For example, in last week’s episode, Corey Haim decided to get his driver’s license, but instead of watching him retake his test or having to go through driver’s ed, we just watched him sign a piece of paper. The situation turned out to be nothing more than an excuse for Corey Feldman to quote dialogue from one of their movies (“License to Drive,” of course).

In fact, they’re obsessed with their movies. In the second episode, after an event celebrating the 20th anniversary of “The Lost Boys,” Haim decides he, Feldman and Jamison Newlander (who played the other Frog brother in the movie) should write the sequel. But then Feldman tells Haim that Warner Bros. is already making a sequel and none of the original people are involved. Feldman admits they asked him to make a cameo, but he refused since Haim was not involved. Haim is devastated, not only because it’s “The Lost Boys,” but also because it shows the number of bridges he’s burned in Hollywood since they didn’t ask him. The moment comes off as pretty touching. But then, Haim leaves to take a walk and Feldman gets totally wrapped up in his wife’s “Maxim” photo shoot. It’s not until after the shoot is over that Feldman realizes that Haim is still gone. That’s when Haim re-enters with a wedding present for Feldman and Susie—a four-year late wedding present. Like I said, a situation that never amounted to anything. And what it did amount to didn’t make any sense.

And then there’s the issue of Feldman’s child. Corey and his wife, Susie, have a son who is never mentioned. My guess is that they didn’t want him involved in the reality show, which is good since his mom is out drinking with her friends while his dad is planning a birthday party at a strip club for his best friend.

The Coreys have admitted in interviews that most of the situations on the show are set up, but that what happens in those situations is real. However, it doesn’t come off that way as you can’t really believe anything that happens…

On the other hand, the drama on “Baio” comes off as totally genuine, probably because Scott is so endearing. And if the situations are set up, you get the feeling that Scott is not always in on the joke.

The theme of last week’s show was children as Doc Ali sent Scott to a preschool to spend the day with the kids. His reaction to the children trying to eat the glue and fingerpaint was completely adorable. As was his reaction to an ex-girlfriend that was in such a hurry to get away from him, she practically ran him over. And when a guy hit on his girlfriend’s daughter? Classic.

But the best moment of last week’s episode was when Scott and his friends went shopping at Costco for a present for his girlfriend’s daughter. They helped an elderly lady load a microwave into her cart as she told them all of the great features it had. So when Scott presented his present to Renee’s 17-year-old daughter, it was, of course, one of the microwaves.

And the music on the show is very well-chosen. The scene with the ex-girlfriend running away from him was scored with Genesis’ “No Son of Mine.” The show has also used Adam Ant’s “Room at the Top” and many other rarely heard gems…

Often when celebrities do these kind of shows, it comes off as a sad attempt at a last grasp at fame. And that is how it comes off with the Coreys. But for Baio, it comes off as a funny, charming show that could very well restart his career—or at least get him married…

“Scott Baio is 45…and Single” airs Sundays at 12:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. on VH1. “The Two Coreys” airs Sundays at 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. on A&E…

"Criminal Minds" Finally Gets a New Cast Member

“Criminal Minds” has finally found its new star.

“Minds” executive producer Ed Bernero announced on the show’s #1 fan blog that Joe Mantegna has joined the cast.

“Entertainment Weekly” reported that Harvey Keitel (who I told you last week was the front-runner) was a “near-lock,” but negotiations broke down over his demands for “creative control and perks.” Geena Davis, Michael Keaton and Bob Hoskins also reportedly turned down the gig.

Mantegna was last seen in the USA mini-series “The Starter Wife,” which earned him an Emmy nomination. His last regular series role was on “Joan of Arcadia.”

Personally, I think this is an excellent choice. It won’t make me watch the show, but it’s still a good choice…

While the casting process has been going on, the show has been trudging ahead completing three episodes. This probably means that Mantegna won’t appear until November sweeps…

VERY Important Information for Parents of "Hannah Montana" Fans

If you needed further evidence of the sick individuals in today’s world, here it is…

EW.com’s “Popwatch” reported this morning that computer scammers are using the popularity of “Hannah Montana” to infect computers.

According to the report, the virus and spyware experts at McAfee researched the pop-culture search-engine queries whose results were most likely to lead users to the most infectious pages. The most dangerous search among currently popular songs is for “Life’s What You Make It,” by Hannah Montana. Kids (or adults) looking for downloadable music, photos or ringtones with that search phrase are most likely to “wind up infecting their PCs with redirects to porn sites or data-stealing spyware that enables identity theft.”

McAfee research analyst Shane Keats told “Popwatch” that scammers closely follow pop culture to target kids and other inexperienced Web surfers. “When they first get to an offer for a Hannah Montana screensaver, they just click yes. Three or four clicks later, they’ve got a single image of Hannah Montana that may or may not be legal, and they’re also going to give themselves porno pop-up ads.”

Keats suggests three tips for protecting your computer from these “pop-culture parasites”:

1) Stick with the official sites (In this case, www.disney.com or www.mileycyrus.com.) Outside of the official sites, any free offer that sounds too good to be true probably is.
2) With search results, the engine-generated links tend to be safer than the sponsored links placed by advertisers.
3) Get some good security software.

You can read the entire post, which includes some other dangerous searches at http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2007/08/hannah-montana-.html...

Is Keitel Going "Criminal"?

First, Gatorade commercials and now this?

“USA Today” and “TV Guide” are both reporting that Harvey Keitel is in negotiations to replace Mandy Patinkin on “Criminal Minds.”

You may recall that I had told you earlier that Geena Davis was the frontrunner for the role, but sources report she passed—as did Michael Keaton.

Michael Ausiello of “TV Guide” also reports that Sigourney Weaver, Bob Hoskins and John Lithgow also passed on the part...

"Best of Both Worlds" Tour Announced

Disney has officially announced the “Best of Both Worlds” arena tour featuring Miley Cyrus singing her own songs, as well as those of Hannah Montana.

The Jonas Brothers will open, followed by Miley as Hannah. Then, after a short intermission, Miley will sing songs from her own CD, “Meet Miley Cyrus.”

The tour will consist of 54 dates. Ticket prices range from $26-$66.

Unfortunately, there won't be any stops in our area (Being an arena tour kind of squashed that.). But there will be stops in Columbus December 11th, Lexington December 12th, and Cincinnati December 13th, along with stops in Cleveland January 3rd and Pittsburgh January 4th. Tickets for the Columbus, Lexington and Cincinnati shows go on sale September 13th at 10 a.m...

Get Your "Dance" Shoes On, Huntington!

So, as you've probably noticed from my complete lack of writing about it, I don't watch "So You Think You Can Dance."

However, I know that a lot of you do, so I wanted to be sure and remind you that tickets go on sale this Saturday at 10 a.m. for the "So You Think You Can Dance" tour stop in Huntington October 13th at 8 p.m. Tickets are $43.00-$52.50.

Just like the Idols tour, the "Dance" tour features the top 10 finalists.

And while we're on the subject, if any of you would like to weigh in on who's going to take the title this year, just post a comment or drop me a line a hdstaytuned@hotmail.com...

Picks of the Week: A Favorite Returns and A "HSM" Redux

This week, I'm going to get right to my Picks...

It was by far the best new comedy of the year. And now, ABC (which killed it from the get-go) is bringing “The Knights of Prosperity” back to finish out its run. This time, the gang targets Ray Romano. “Knights” airs Wednesday, August 8th at 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on ABC…

Sunday, Disney Channel kicks off the week-long countdown to “High School Musical 2” with a special episode of “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.” When the Tipton Hotel decides to stage a production of “HSM,” London beats out Maddie for the role of Sharpay. The twist? Maddie is played by Ashley Tisdale, who plays Sharpay in “HSM.” “Suite Life” airs Sunday, August 12th at 8 p.m. on Disney Channel…

Let the "Dale" Hype Begin

Last week, CMT kicked off the hype for “Dale: The Movie” with the premiere of the video for the movie’s theme.

“Looking for a Road (Theme from Dale)” is from newcomer Brent Keith, who hails from Blanchester, Ohio (which is near Cincinnati). You can hear the song at www.myspace.com/brentkeith. The video has yet to be posted online, but I’ll pass along the link to you when it is.

For those of you unfamiliar with it, “Dale” is the only Dale Earnhardt biographical movie to have the support of his family. The documentary narrated by Paul Newman has been hitting theaters on a limited basis this summer and will make its debut on CMT September 4th.

The soundtrack to “Dale” will be released exclusively at Wal-Mart August 28th. In addition to Keith, it features music from Brooks & Dunn, Travis Tritt, Bruce Springsteen, Motley Crue, Credence Clearwater Revival and more…

Steven Bochco's Go-To-Guy

It’s a pretty cool thing when you become the go-to-guy for one of TV’s most prolific producers.

That’s why I’m thrilled to hear that Mark-Paul Gosselaar has officially become the go-to-guy for Steven Bochco.

Mark-Paul has been cast in Bochco’s new untitled TNT legal drama as a public defender. Gloria Reuben (“ER”) will play his boss, while Jane Kaczmarek (“Malcolm in the Middle”) will play a judge (just as she does on “The Simpsons”).

No premiere date has been announced.

I’m still a little miffed at Bochco for what he did to “Commander In Chief,” but continuing to give Mark-Paul work is definite grounds for forgiveness…

"BL" Gets a Little Network Love

You may have noticed that ABC did not include the premiere of the Emmy-nominated “Boston Legal” on the schedule I posted last week.

Like I said before, no love from the network.

ABC has decided to make it up by giving “BL” a 90-minute premiere Tuesday, September 25th at 9:30 p.m…