NASCAR Gets a Downgrade

Feel free to disagree with me, but I think when you get banished to ESPN Classic as a current sport, you’ve taken a step down…

That’s where this year’s NASCAR Nextel Cup Awards Ceremony will be broadcast live beginning at 9 tonight (Friday). Jerry Punch will serve as Master of Ceremonies, David Spade will provide some comedy and Kelly Clarkson will perform “One Minute” and “Since U Been Gone.”

For those of you who don’t have ESPN Classic, you can catch a taped version on ESPN2, but you’ll either have to stay up late or set your VCRs/DVRs because it doesn’t air until midnight. And as of now, ESPN2 (or ESPN, for that matter) has no plans to air it again at a more reasonable hour.

I would call that a significant downgrade…

Now granted, the Awards Ceremony is basically 12 drivers stumbling over bad speeches while trying to read them off the teleprompter, but still. A network spends all season promoting the crap out of a sport and then can’t even find a decent place to air the Awards Ceremony that wraps it up?

Maybe this should give NASCAR the wake-up call it needs to put an end to the bad speeches running on the teleprompter and come up with a decent ceremony…

By the way, according to NASCAR.com, you can also watch it live at http://www.espn360.com/...


The photo in this post is of 2007 Nextel Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson and his crew chief Chad Knauss goofing around in New York where the Awards Ceremony takes place...

All Hail Helio!

So, let me start this post about the “Dancing With the Stars” season finale by referring you to a comment I made on August 29th.

As for early favorites, I’ve got to go with Helio and Julianne since she’s such
a choreography wiz and he’s fearless…

Don’t worry, I’m not going to say I told you so. Mainly, because I really thought there was a chance Marie was going to win…

Which begs the question, did Marie’s fans really abandon her or was there some kind of move behind-the-scenes? Hmmm…

As for Helio’s win, I really thought it was cool to see someone get so excited about winning that dumb-looking mirrorball trophy.

And now that Julianne is a two-time winner, how about we give both her and Cheryl great partners next year and let them have a throwdown…

After his win, it was announced that Helio and his fiancé had split two weeks ago, which, of course, fueled rumors that he and Julianne were more than just dance partners. Both say they are just friends…

"High School Musical 2" Hits Another High Note

Thanks to Christmas shoppers—and no doubt also to major retailers who slashed the price—the soundtrack to “High School Musical 2” has passed “Daughtry” as the number one album of 2007.

The CD sold 183,000 copies last week.

Remember that the DVD hits stores December 11th…

Could It Be...Pretty Please!!!

Blogger Nikki Finke is reporting on her "Deadline Hollywood" blog that a source has told her that the writers' strike could be over by Christmas...

"It's already done, basically," the insider
describes. That's because of the weeks worth of groundwork by
the Hollywood agents working the writers guild leadership on one side,
and the studio and network moguls on the other. I was told not to expect an
agreement this week. But my source thought it was possible that the
strike could be settled before Christmas. Look, I don't want to raise
false hope here. But this source has been very accurate in the
past.

Please, please, pretty please, let this be true! Wouldn't that be a wonderful Christmas present for all of us--especially us "24" fans since this might be able to save the season...

Strike Update: They're Talking!

The WGA and AMPTP will return to the bargaining table Monday.

I’m not going to get my hopes up because the groups are still pretty far apart; but at least they’re talking…

And I’m available if there’s anything I can do to help settle this thing quickly. Just give me a call…

Behold the Power of Marie Osmond

As we were sitting in the Keith Albee waiting for “High School Musical” to begin last weekend, my friend John turned to me and asked me a very important question…

“Is Marie Osmond going to win ‘Dancing With the Stars’?”

It’s a question a lot more people are asking this week as “DWTS” gets set for its finale. So what’s the answer? I think it’s a strong possibility.

And that could be a big problem for the show…

It’s standard reality TV protocol for a contestant whose talent doesn’t measure up to stick around longer than they should based solely on popularity. I could fill this entire post with those kind of contestants from “American Idol” alone. But none of those contestants have ever won.

However, I’m not sure that any of those others were as popular as Marie appears to be. She has been in the judges’ bottom two several times, but has never been in the bottom two when the viewer votes are figured in.

Which begs the question: If Marie wins, will there be fans who turn on the show because the best dancer didn’t win?

And while I’m asking questions, is Marie really that popular, or is it just her family voting?

What do you think?

The two-part finale of “Dancing With the Stars” airs Monday, November 25th at 8 p.m. and November 26th at 9 p.m. on ABC…

Picks of the Week: Delight and Destruction, plus...

I have two Picks of the Week this week that couldn’t be more different…

I don’t know about you, but it’s not Christmas for me until I see Linus recite the Christmas story in “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” ABC is bringing it out early this year, airing it Tuesday, November 27th at 8 p.m…

But while “Charlie Brown” is a delight, there’ll be nothing but destruction on Sunday’s “Desperate Housewives” as a tornado hits Wisteria Lane in a classic sweeps stunt.

Reports are that two characters will die. But the biggest question is not who those people are, but when we will find out who they are since this is probably the last episode of “DH” for a while, thanks to the writers’ strike.

“Desperate Housewives” airs Sunday, December 2nd at 9 p.m. on ABC…

Now for my Bonus Pick…

I generally stay away from sports in my picks, since not everyone’s into them. But this one is too big to ignore. It’s the Big 12 Championship, which will decide who goes to the BCS Championship Game. If Oklahoma wins this game and West Virginia beats Pitt earlier in the day and all the polls and computers don’t do something screwy—which is always possible—Ohio State and West Virginia would play for the National Championship.

How HUGE would that be?

The Big 12 Championship airs Saturday, December 1st at 8 p.m. on ABC…

GO SOONERS!

The Final November Sweeps Schedule...

It’s the last week of sweeps, and there’s still some juicy stuff left to see.

Here’s this week’s schedule…

Monday, November 26th
Chuck—8 p.m.—NBC—Matthew Bomer (“Traveler”) returns as Bryce, and no, it’s not a flashback.
Dancing With the Stars—8 p.m.—ABC—The finalists perform for the last time.
How I Met Your Mother—8 p.m.—CBS—Heidi Klum and other Victoria’s Secret models guest.
Samantha Who?—9 p.m.—ABC—Eddie Cibrian guests as the show moves to a new time.
Notes From the Underbelly—9:30 p.m.—ABC—Season Premiere
October Road—10 p.m.—ABC—Timeslot Premiere

Tuesday, November 27th
A Charlie Brown Christmas—8 p.m.—ABC
Dancing With the Stars—9 p.m.—ABC—Season Finale
Nip/Tuck—10 p.m.—FX—John Schneider guests.

Wednesday, November 28th
Christmas in Rockefeller Center—8 p.m.—NBC—Al Roker hosts with performances by Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Barry Manilow, Taylor Swift, Ashley Tisdale and Carrie Underwood.
Shrek the Halls—8 p.m.—ABC—An all new special featuring characters (and the original voices) from “Shrek.”
How the Grinch Stole Christmas—8:30 p.m.—ABC
Pushing Daisies—9 p.m.—ABC—Molly Shannon guests as the show moves to a special time.
Criminal Minds—9 p.m.—CBS—Frankie Muniz guests.
Gossip Girl—9 p.m.—CW—The gang flashes back to last year’s Thanksgiving.
Dirty Sexy Money—10:02 p.m.—ABC—Peter Strauss guests as Dutch in a flashback.

Thursday, November 29th
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?/Don’t Forget the Lyrics—8 p.m.—FOX—The same contestant competes on both shows in a special crossover episode.
30 Rock—8:30 p.m.—NBC—Edie Falco continues her guest stint.
Kathy Griffin: Straight to H--l—9 p.m.—Bravo—Kathy returns with an all-new standup special.

Friday, November 30th
My Night at the Grammys—8 p.m.—CBS—A special featuring memorable Grammy performances
Lisa Williams: Life Among the Dead—9 p.m.—Lifetime—Season Finale
America’s Psychic Challenge—10 p.m.—Lifetime—Season Finale

Saturday, December 1st
The 8th Annual Merrython—8 p.m.—TV Land—24 hours of Christmas-themed classic TV episodes
All I Want For Christmas—9 p.m.—Hallmark—Gail O’Grady stars in this TV-movie about a 9-year-old boy wishing for a new dad.
Big 12 Championship—8 p.m.—ABC—This game will decide who goes to the BCS Championship Game.

Sunday, December 2nd
BCS Selection Show—8 p.m.—FOX—The official announcement of what teams will play in which BCS bowls
Desperate Housewives—9 p.m.—ABC—A tornado hits Wisteria Lane.
Pictures of Hollis Woods—9 p.m.—CBS—A Hallmark Hall of Fame TV-movie about a 12-year-old foster child taken in by a retired teacher
Tin Man—9 p.m.—Sci Fi—The first installment of a 6-hour modern retelling of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” starring Zooey Deschanel, Neal McDonough and Richard Dreyfuss.
Brothers & Sisters—10:01 p.m.—ABC—The final sweeps wedding features Kitty and Robert (Calista Flockhart and Rob Lowe).

Happy Thanksgiving!

I know it seems like I just got back, but now it's time to take a few days off and enjoy some turkey!

Happy Thanksgiving and I'll see you Sunday...

"High School Musical On Stage": We Are Truly All in This Together

You guys know that I am quite the “High School Musical’ fanatic. So it shouldn’t be any surprise that I was in the front row for last Friday’s performance by the First Stage Theatre Company.

However, I should point out before I go on that the front row was not the best place to sit since we were sitting right behind the band—who was outstanding, by the way—and there were many times I lost the words in the music. Fortunately for me, I knew most of them…

Interestingly, sitting two rows behind me was one of my co-stars from my high school senior play. But our production didn’t come anywhere close to the scope of what this group of area students put together, When I looked at the packed Keith-Albee Theatre, I have to say I was a little jealous.

Kudos, congratulations, pats on the back and whatever else you can think of should be heaped on all of the people involved with the “HSM” production. I know this couldn’t have been the easiest show to put on, and the necessary dedication and hard work was totally evident in every element of the show…

Now if you guys have read any of my “HSM” posts, you know that for me, “HSM” is all about Ryan and Sharpay. And this production had two excellent ones in Jordan Sager and Josh Meredith. I was a little put off at first that Sharpay was written a little meaner for the stage, but the meaner she got, the funnier it was. Plus, her extra meanness made her comeuppance all the more sweet. Of course, it was especially sweet for me since it came at the hands of Ryan, who in this version, turned on his sister. If I hadn’t have been in the front row, I would’ve yelled out, “Yes!” as I did when Ryan turned on Sharpay in “HSM 2.”

What can I say? I love Ryan…

But don’t let my enthusiasm for Ryan and Sharpay make you think I wasn’t impressed with Troy and Gabriella, because that is certainly not the case. Elliott Inlay and Angela Pino were adorable, and had great chemistry that they were not afraid to show. Yes, my friends, this Troy and Gabriella kissed—and boy did they ever! They might’ve even heard me say, “Whoa!” because it came out a little louder than I meant it too (Cut me some slack. I was surprised.). But since this stage version spent a lot more time developing them as a couple, it was totally appropriate.

And special props to Inlay for tackling those songs. Now I know why Disney had to dub over Zac Efron’s voice. Holy cow, those songs are high!

Several of the other plot differences were necessary simply because of stage limitations. In fact, I was really wondering what changes were going to be made to the movie’s climax with the callbacks, decathlon and game going on at the same time. But the sequence was staged beautifully with all three events sharing the stage—kind of like a “24” splitscreen for the theater. And as much as I love Ryan and Sharpay, I have to admit that I spent most of my time watching Bill Bartlett (Coach Bolton) coach “the game.” You almost thought there was a game going on up there somewhere that we couldn’t see. And the staging of Troy’s last second game-winning shot? Genius. LOVED the slo-mo.

There were also changes that nicely filled in some plot holes. For example, we learned that the musicale was “Juliet and Romeo” (which totally freaks me out about Ryan and Sharpay starring in it). And the stage version fixed one of my least favorite parts of the original—Sharpay’s transformation to Gabriella’s new best friend. In this version, Sharpay begrudgingly congratulates her at Ryan’s urging—which makes a lot more sense.

As we left the theater, it was hard not to feel all of the energy from the departing audience. You could see it as well on the faces of the kids waiting in line for autographs from the show’s stars. I couldn’t help but think that maybe I should have waited in line as well because I have a feeling we’re going to see big things from these young people in the future.

Again, congratulations to everyone, including those involved with the Keith Albee. There was really no other place to stage the production, so I am really glad it was able to happen.

In fact, Friday night was a beautiful example that as a community, we are truly all in this together…

Pick of the Week: Pop-Up Party

Disney Channel is really pulling out all of the stops this Thanksgiving, and one of those stops is my Pick of the Week…

They’re calling it the “DCOM Pop-Up Weekend” as Disney Channel takes its four most popular movies and adds pop-ups full of trivia and fun facts.

Friday, it’s a “High School Musical” double feature beginning at 6 p.m. with “HSM” followed by a special episode of “Phineas and Herb” before the premiere of the pop-up edition of “HSM 2.”

Saturday, it’s the pop-up edition of “Jump In!” starring Corbin Bleu and Keke Palmer (8 p.m.).

Sunday, the pop-up fun concludes with “Cheetah Girls 2” (8 p.m.)…

The Rest of This Week's Sweeps Schedule...

So here’s the remainder of a BUSY sweeps schedule this week…

Tuesday, November 20th
“The Real Housewives of Orange County”—10 a.m.-Midnight—Bravo—“Best of Bravo Thanksgiving Week” continues with a “Housewives” marathon.
“A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving”—8 p.m.—ABC
“Dancing With the Stars”—9 p.m.—Avril Lavigne performs.
“Nip/Tuck”—10 p.m.—FX—Rosie O’Donnell guests.
“Frank TV”—11 p.m.—TBS—Impersonation wizard Frank Caliendo’s variety show debuts.

Wednesday, November 21st
“Project Runway”—9 a.m.-9 p.m.—Bravo—Catch a marathon of most of the episodes from season two.
“All My Children”—1 p.m.—ABC—Celine Dion guests.
“Phenomenon”—8 p.m.—NBC—Season Finale
“Pushing Daisies”—8 p.m.—ABC—Paul Reubens guests.

Thursday, November 22nd
“Top Chef: Miami”—9 a.m.-Midnight—Bravo—“Best of Bravo Thanksgiving Week” concludes with a marathon of this classic.
“Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade”—9 a.m.—CBS and NBC
“National Dog Show”—Noon—NBC—John O’Hurley hosts NBC’s Thanksgiving tradition.
“Company’s Coming Guest Star Marathon”—Noon—Disney Channel—Disney Channel airs a marathon of its most popular shows featuring special guest stars beginning with Raven on “Cory in the House.” The “Hannah Montana” portion begins at 8 p.m. with Dolly Parton.
“Miracle on 34th Street”—2 p.m.—NBC
“Ugly Betty”—8 p.m.—ABC—Eliza Dushku guests.
“World Music Awards”—8 p.m.—My Network TV
“The Incredibles”—8 p.m.—NBC—The network premiere of the Disney/Pixar hit
“Legally Blonde: The Musical (Lyrics Edition)”—8 p.m.—MTV—Sing along with the Broadway musical.
“Grey’s Anatomy”—9 p.m.—ABC—Seth Green guests.
“October Road”—10:02 p.m.—ABC—Season Premiere

Friday, November 23rd
“High School Musical” (Pop-Up Edition)—6 p.m.—Disney Channel
“High School Musical 2” (Pop-Up Edition)—8 p.m.—Disney Channel
“Women’s Murder Club”—9 p.m.—ABC—Ever Carradine joins the cast as Tom’s fiancé.
“Numb3rs”—10 p.m.—CBS—It’s a “Taxi” reunion as Christopher Lloyd guests, joining his old co-star Judd Hirsch. Wil Wheaton also guests.

Saturday, November 24th
“Jump In!” (Pop-Up Edition)—8 p.m.—Disney Channel
“Battlestar Galactica: Razor”—9 p.m.—Sci Fi—Find out what happened to the Pegasus in this TV-movie starring Michelle Forbes as Admiral Cain.
“A Grandpa for Christmas”—9 p.m.—Hallmark—Ernest Borgnine stars in this TV-movie about a man who discovers a granddaughter he never knew.
“Billy Ray Cyrus: Home At Last”—9:30 p.m.—CMT—The premiere of a reality show following Billy Ray as he prepares to go on tour
“A Toby Keith Classic Christmas”—10 p.m.—CMT

Sunday, November 25th
“Hannah Montana”—Noon—Disney Channel—It’s a “Hannah” marathon with 16 episodes from season two.
“A Christmas Caper”—8 p.m.—ABC Family—Shannon Doherty stars in this TV-movie as a thief stuck in her hometown.
“The Simpsons”—8 p.m.—FOX—It’s a “Frasier” reunion as Kelsey Grammer returns as Sideshow Bob with David Hyde Pierce as his brother and John Mahoney as their dad.
“Cheetah Girls 2” (Pop-Up Edition)—8 p.m.—Disney Channel
“Desperate Housewives”—9 p.m.—ABC—Richard Chamberlain guests as Lynette’s stepfather.
“Brothers & Sisters”—10:01 p.m.—ABC—Steven Weber, Chevy Chase and Lyle Lovett guest.

Tonight's Sweeps Schedule...

Remember when the holidays meant reruns? Well those days are long gone.

Because I had a busy weekend and I am running terribly behind, I’ve only got tonight’s sweeps schedule for you. I’ll have the rest of it and my Pick of the Week later tonight.

Plus, I still owe my pal Chuck my comments on “High School Musical,” so I’ll have those later tonight too…

Here’s what sweeps goodness you can catch tonight (Monday, November 19th)…

Chuck—8 p.m.—NBC—Rachel Bilson continues her guest stint.
Two and a Half Men—9 p.m.—CBS—Jenny McCarthy guests.
Ellen’s Really Big Show—9 p.m.—TBS—Ellen DeGeneres hosts this variety show taped during the 2007 Comedy Festival.
CSI: Miami—10 p.m.—CBS—Calleigh (Emily Proctor) gets the spotlight.
Weeds—10 p.m.—Showtime—Season Finale
The Bachelor—10:02 p.m.—ABC—Season Finale

Today's Strike Headlines...

Here are today’s strike headlines…

Several soap writers have decided to cross the picket line in order to save their jobs…

“Variety” reported this morning that a high-ranking producer-writer for “The Young and the Restless” has informed the WGA that he plans to go “financial core,” which means he will give up full membership in the guild and withhold the dues spent on political activities in order to continue writing during the strike. Apparently, two other “Y&R” writers have gone “fi-core” as well.

Reports are that a writer for “Days of Our Lives” is also considering crossing.

Writers can be disciplined for breaking the strike, but “fi-core” status is not a violation of the strike agreement—as the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers posted on its website. It is possible, however, that the WGA would publicly embarrass members who go “fi-core”…

Both “Pushing Daisies” and “Men In Trees” have prepared possible season finales in case the strike lags on.

“TV Guide” reports “Daisies” added some cliffhangers to its ninth episode to “hopefully encourage the audience to come back and see how they [turn out].”

“Men In Trees” will have 19 episodes completed when production ceases since they had episodes carried over from last season…

"Hannah Montana" Fans Fight Back

Some “Hannah Montana” fans are suing Miley Cyrus’ fan club because their memberships did not give them priority in purchasing concert tickets as they were led to believe.

The lawsuit was filed today in Nashville on behalf of a New Jersey woman and thousands of other fans who joined the club hoping it would be easier to get tickets to a “Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus concert.

There has been no comment from Miley’s people…

"Heroes" Flashback: What Was the Point?

Last night, I actually watched “Heroes”…

How could I not? After all, this was the episode that was going to tell us what happened right after Peter blew up and fill in all the other details between the finale and the premiere.

So after all that buildup and all those months of waiting, what’s the first thing we see? Those blasted twins Maya and Alejandro! Does anyone out there care why they’re on the run?

I didn’t think so…

No, we care about the characters we came to love last season. But unfortunately, we didn’t spend much more time with them last night than we have all season…

Apparently the whole purpose for the episode was to tell us that Adam (the artist formerly known as Kensei) convinced Peter to break him out of The Company facility to heal Nathan and to “save the world.” But did we really need an hour to do that? Couldn’t a quick flashback have shown us just as well without all of that Elle craziness?

We did find out how D.L. died, but did we really need to drag that out for an hour as well? And quite frankly, did any of us really care?

Those of us who were hoping to find out how Sylar survived were sorely disappointed, as he wasn’t even shown. And we got nothing from Claire as well (although that was probably a good thing). Ditto Matt, Mohinder, or Molly.

I guess watching that black stuff ooze out of peoples’ eyes is more important…

I was told that last week’s episode was a major improvement, but even though I didn’t see last week, I’ve got to believe this was a step back. The story was pretty much pointless and with each commercial break knocking of another month, it was unbelievably choppy as well.

And what is up with that Elle chick (Kristen Bell)? Could she be any more annoying?

Wait. Don’t answer that…

Tim Kring says he’s figured out the show’s issues (and I believe him) but he came to those conclusions after completing the first chapter of the season (which will now serve as the only chapter due to the strike)—which means we’re stuck with the issues until the finale on December 3rd.

And which means that I am done with “Heroes” once again…

Yes, He Has Talent...

Remember Terry Fator, the ventriloquist who won “America’s Got Talent”? His career just keeps getting bigger and bigger…

Fator just signed to a 2008 schedule at the Las Vegas Hilton in a deal worth more than $1.5 million. He’ll kick off the new schedule with a special New Year’s Eve show.

Fator has performed at the Hilton before. They actually booked him for dates last October before he won “Talent”…

Random Thoughts From the Weekend...

So here are some random thoughts from the long weekend…

Last week I mentioned the lack of chemistry between Tony Kornheiser and Ron Jaworski on “Monday Night Football.” Want to see and hear some great chemistry? Tune into a game being done by ABC’s Brad Nessler, Bob Griese and Paul McGuire. I was originally opposed to making this a three-man booth, but these guys know how to have fun. And McGuire has really loosened Nessler up (Maybe too much. He surprisingly cursed Saturday.). I only wish the game had been as much fun Saturday (Where was the Ohio State defense?)…

Caught Heather Locklear’s appearance on “Hannah Montana” Saturday and it looks like I spoke too soon about Billy Ray’s luck. If he was really that lucky, he would have actually gotten to work with Locklear. She barely appeared in the episode…

I would love to see the demographics on “Dirty Sexy Money” to find out why ABC advertises it so heavily during NASCAR races. You know I love “DSM,” but it just doesn’t strike me as a show that appeals to NASCAR fans…

And speaking of NASCAR, I suppose that when you win as many races as Jimmie Johnson has, you deserve to win the championship. But that doesn’t mean I’m happy about it…

Finally, let me just say God bless Bravo. There’s nothing better when you’re feeling a little under the weather than a “Project Runway” marathon…

Was Green Week a Big Deal or a Big Joke?

I said in last week’s Pick of the Week post that I couldn’t quite write off NBC’s “Green Is Universal” Week as a big joke since it brought David Schwimmer back to TV.

But upon further review, I think my initial instinct was correct…

It all kicked off during “Sunday Night Football” as all the logos and graphics turned green. But then, NBC decided to take it a step further and demonstrate energy conservation by having Bob Costas, Cris Collinsworth, Keith Olbermann and Tiki Barber do the halftime and postgame shows in the dark. It was one of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen—especially since the sponsorship logos were still allowed to shine brightly.

It was also a bad move since the stunt involved two of the most sarcastic men on TV—Costas and Olbermann. When Olbermann yelled, “Collinsworth just stole my wallet!” any chance of the stunt being viewed as a serious example went right out the window. And the gang didn’t stop there.

And unfortunately, neither did NBC…

I should say at this point, in the interest of full disclosure, that much of what I know about this week comes from watching “Best Week Ever”—which should give you a strong indication as to how silly it all was…

During Monday’s “Journeyman,” Dan had to take out the recycling. But as “Best Week” pointed out, he didn’t even separate anything. As one of the pundits said, “Come on, show I don’t watch. You’re better than that.” “Days of Our Lives” had the college-going characters wear white t-shirts with huge black letters that read “Save the World.” Could they have been a little more obvious, please? The week concluded with the “Deal or No Deal” girls sporting green dresses and getting a visit from Kermit the Frog.

I will say that the “30 Rock” episode with David Schwimmer was solid and much funnier than the Jerry Seinfeld episode. Schwimmer was perfectly cast as the geeky actor who gets a big head playing the GE environmental mascot. And Al Gore was funny as himself—especially when he rushed off like a superhero to save a whale. But that was really the only highlight of the week…

I am all for encouraging people to help the environment but I think it should be done through PSAs and stories on “Today” and not by forcing it into storylines of shows or sporting events where it doesn’t belong.

Because when Tim Gunn tells me to do something, I do it. When a stupid teenager in an ugly shirt on a soap does, not so much…

"Numb3rs" Adds Up For Once

There was nothing else on, so I tuned in to “Numb3rs,” and I’m glad I did…

I usually only watch this one when I’m at my parents’ house. In all honesty, the math makes my head hurt and I’ve been pretty leery about the show ever since the season premiere with its total waste of Val Kilmer and its “quantum leap” solution to the Colby story. But Friday’s episode was extremely strong as Charlie (David Krumholtz) took the lead (and even saved Colby’s life!) and Amida (Navi Rawat) finally emerged from his shadow.

A district attorney died playing a virtual reality game, leaving the FBI at somewhat of a loss—until Amida admitted she had played the game for years. So, she took the lead in bringing down the killer. But her competitive juices took over and she ended up blowing the operation and putting herself in danger.

In fact, when Charlie declared his love for her during a TV interview, the dead meat stench was so strong, I was sure that Amida was a goner. I’ve never really been a big Amida fan, but I was actually nervous for those last five minutes. Thankfully, though, Amida survived and had a touching reunion with Charlie.

The secondary story was strong as well as the real heart of the show, the brilliant Peter MacNicol (Larry), was in great form as usual as Larry struggled to return to his normal routine (He had been living in a monastery upon his return from space.). The story produced a wonderful pairing in MacNicol and Judd Hirsch (Alan). As Alan contemplated moving into a condo to give Charlie and Amida the house, I was hoping he would ask Larry to move in with him. But Larry, almost reading my mind, hilariously said, “You could move in with me, but I don’t reside anywhere right now.” I really hope the writers don’t let that thought go.

Next week, it looks like the show will be turned back over to Don (Rob Morrow) and his many issues.

Oh well, it was fun while it lasted…

“Numb3rs” airs Fridays at 10 p.m. on CBS…

Today's Strike Headlines...

So here are today’s strike headlines…

“Lost” co-creator Damon Lindelof wrote an op-ed piece for “The New York Times” saying that “things have gotten ugly” in the strike. Lindelof warns that if the strike lasts for more than three months, the season will end in December and no new series will be seen until 2009…

“Scrubs” creator Bill Lawrence refused an offer from NBC to script a series finale for “Scrubs.” Lawrence said the finale NBC proposed was full of scenes where “two people kiss.” He plans to wait out the strike and craft his own finale and use “all of his leverage” to give the show a proper ending. Considering the lack of love NBC has shown “Scrubs” over the years, I’m not sure that leverage is all that much…

The WGA is angry at Ellen DeGeneres for resuming taping of her talk show. But because her show is syndicated, the show’s producers could be sued for breach of contract if they fail to deliver all the episodes promised…

Meanwhile, NBC is mulling over using guest hosts to bring the “Tonight Show” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” back to the air. The show is hoping to avoid laying off the shows’ staffs…

And one striker is trying to make the best of a bad situation. Hilary Winston of “My Name Is Earl” used her status as a strike captain to send out an e-mail encouraging single writers to picket together…

A Long Weekend...

It's a long weekend, so I'm going to take a break from all this strike insanity and enjoy it. I hope you do the same...

See you Tuesday!

Pick of the Week: Finally Time to "Make It Work"

It seems like it’s been forever. But this week, it’s FINALLY back…

My Pick of the Week is the return of the best reality show on television, “Project Runway.”

I’m thrilled it’s back, but I do wish it wasn’t on against my favorite new show, “Dirty Sexy Money”…

“Project Runway” premieres Wednesday, November 14th at 10 p.m. on Bravo…

This Week's Sweeps Schedule...

Since the February sweeps period is probably going to be a little blah, you’ll want to catch every event of the November one.

But remember that all of this is subject to change…

Monday, November 12th
“Prison Break”—8 p.m.—FOX—Fall Finale. The show will return January 14th.
“Chuck”—8 p.m.—NBC—Rachel Bilson (“The O.C.”) guests.
“Heroes”—9 p.m.—NBC—A flashback episode shows us what happened in the four months between last season’s finale and this season’s premiere.
“Journeyman”—10:01 p.m.—NBC—John Schneider guests.

Wednesday, November 14th
“Pushing Daisies”—8 p.m.—ABC—Paul Reubens (aka Pee Wee Herman) guests.
“Dirty Sexy Money”—10 p.m.—ABC—Another sweeps wedding—this time, it’s Karen and Freddie.
“Project Runway”—10 p.m.—Bravo—Season Premiere

Thursday, November 15th
“Ugly Betty”—8 p.m.—ABC—Mo’Nique guests.
“30 Rock”—8:30 p.m.—NBC—Edie Falco guests.
“CSI”—9 p.m.—Jorja Fox’s last show
“ER”—10 p.m.—NBC—Goran Visnjic (Kovac) guests.
“It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia”—10 p.m.—FX—Season Finale
“Without a Trace”—10 p.m.—CBS—Nancy McKeon guests.
“Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style”—10 p.m.—Bravo—Returns with all new episodes

Friday, November 16th
“Good Morning America”—7 a.m.—ABC—Duran Duran performs.
“Women’s Murder Club”—9 p.m.—ABC—Jason Sehorn, Angie Harmon’s husband, guests.

Saturday, November 17th
“More of Me”—9 p.m.—Lifetime—Molly Shannon stars in this TV-movie about a harried woman who finds a way to split into three versions of herself.

Sunday, November 18th
Ford 400—3:45 p.m.—ABC—The NASCAR Nextel Cup Champion will be crowned.
American Music Awards—8 p.m.—ABC
The Simpsons—8 p.m.—FOX—Jack Black guests as the new comic store owner in town.
Family Guy—9 p.m—FOX—Carrie Fisher and Phyllis Diller guest.

Billy Ray Gets Lucky

Billy Ray Cyrus is quickly becoming one of the luckiest guys on TV…

First, he danced with Karina Smirnoff on “Dancing With the Stars.” Then, Brooke Shields played his wife on “Hannah Montana.”

And now, who’s playing his date on tonight’s episode of “Hannah”? Heather Locklear.

See what I mean?...

“Hannah Montana” airs tonight (Saturday) at 8 on Disney Channel…

Today's Strike News: The "Governator" Steps In

Don’t look now, folks, but the “Governator” is stepping in to try and “terminate” the strike…

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said Thursday that he is talking to the parties involved because “it’s very important that we settle this as quickly as possible, because it has a tremendous economic impact on our state.”

The governor said he feels sorriest for the crew members who will lose their jobs as the strike lags on. “The studio executives are not going to suffer, the union leaders are not going to suffer, the writers that are striking, they are not going to suffer. Those are all people that have money.”

If he finds a way to end this thing in time to save “24,” I might have to lead the charge for a Constitutional amendment to get this guy elected President…

Today's Strike Headlines...

Every night I come home and check all of my sources for some good news.

But today, all there was to read was the horrible news from yesterday phrased in every clever way possible…

“Picket Shock Clocks ‘24,’” “Jack Bauer will finally get some rest”…you get the idea.

I don’t think the reality of the situation has set in with me yet, but come January, I’ll probably be a basket case…

Here is today’s strike news…

UCLA screenwriting students have received letters from their faculty warning them not to become scab writers. The faculty are telling the students that trying to build a writing career through scab work is “potentially disastrous”…

Many WGA members are ignoring one of the strike rules. Rule 8 says members must give in-progress scripts to the WGA during the strike, but many writers are ignoring that due to threatened litigation by the studios…

ABC said that for now, they plan to air the eight completed episodes of “Lost.” Executive Producer Damon Lindelof said the final written episode ends in a cliffhanger that won’t be resolved until after the strike…

Studio heads are starting to spin the strike by saying they won’t be harmed. News Corporation President and COO Peter Chernin said the strike is “probably a positive” for FOX because they were in a better position thanks to “American Idol” and their slate of animated shows which are “about a year ahead.” In a conference call Wednesday, Chernin said, “We would expect if anything that it would lift our market share and have us win this season by an even greater margin than we expect to.”

I’m so glad FOX can find pleasure in my pain…

Summer Redstone, executive chairman of Viacom Inc. and CBS Corporation, also said CBS was in a good position since many of its shows, like “CSI,” do well in repeats…

The studios are turning up the heat on writers who are also showrunners (known in the business as hyphenates). CBS Paramount and Twentieth Century Fox have sent breach of contract letters telling showrunners to return to their producing functions or face lawsuits. For now, the showrunners plan to use the move as leverage. One showrunner told “Variety,” “We will gladly return to our jobs the day that the producers return to the negotiating table.” Showrunners rallied in mass Wednesday outside the Disney studios…

Meanwhile, Seth MacFarlane told reporters that this Sunday’s episode of “Family Guy” will be the last with his involvement. There are other episodes close to being completed, but MacFarlane said he will not record any of the voices or assist with the show in any way. FOX could complete the episodes without him, but MacFarlane said, “It would be unwise, because I would be angry”…

Producers have confirmed that the final new episode of “The Office” will be November 15th due to the production shutdown…

And “Desperate Housewives” producers have confirmed that when production shuts down this week, there will only be three new episodes remaining…

Finally, Jon Robin Baitz, creator and executive producer of “Brothers & Sisters,” has sent a letter to Governor Schwarzenegger, asking him to get involved…

Laila Ali Finds a New Competition

Laila Ali is turning her “Dancing With the Stars” turn into a new gig…

Ali and Hulk Hogan will co-host NBC’s new version of “American Gladiators,” which will premiere next year…

So much for Rosie's Comeback...

Rosie announced on her blog that talks with MSNBC are now over…

An NBC executive told “The New York Times” that they were in negotiations with Rosie for an MSNBC show, but that they wanted her to commit to a two-year deal, while she only wanted one.

Rosie wrote on her blog that her “loose lips” led to the end of negotiations. Rosie alluded to the possible deal during a stand-up show earlier this week.

Rosie said on her blog that she's not bitter, because "everything happens for a reason"...

Is "Bionic Woman" Losing Juice?

The freefall continued for “Bionic Woman” this week as it came in fourth in the key demos Wednesday night.

After a strong start last month, the show has dropped viewers with every episode as it continues to try to find its way both in front of and behind the camera. Who is actually running the show is unclear and NBC refuses to comment—which is not a good sign…

Go Behind the Scenes With Billy Ray...

Billy Ray Cyrus is getting his own reality show…

CMT is developing “Billy Ray Cyrus: Home At Last,” a four-episode reality show that will follow Billy Ray as he prepares to go on tour, while also trying to be a good father to his children, including Miley, who will appear in the show.

The show will be produced by Jason Hervey and Eric Bischoff, who brought us the wonderful “Scott Baio is 45…and Single,” so Billy Ray is in good hands…

“Home At Last” will premiere November 24th at 9:30 p.m. and air over four Saturdays on CMT…

“Heroes” Creator: “We made a mistake.”

It’s not every day that a person behind a show admits that they screwed up, but that’s exactly what “Heroes” creator Tim Kring did in an interview with “Entertainment Weekly” this week—via telephone from the picket lines…

Interestingly, the interview comes just a week after Kring gave an interview in which he responded to the criticism of the second season by saying that the audience just needed to learn how to watch the show. Apparently, he’s had some second thoughts…

Here are some of the highlights of what he said…

On the slow pace this season: ''We assumed the audience wanted season 1 — a buildup of intrigue about these characters and the discovery of their powers. We taught [them] to expect a certain kind of storytelling. They wanted adrenaline. We made a mistake.”

On waiting too long to get to the point: “We took too long to get to the big-picture story.” Kring said he now sees that Volume 2 (the first 11 episodes of the second season) would have been better served if Peter’s vision of the future had appeared in the season premiere instead of waiting until episode seven.

On the hated newbies: Kring said Monica, Maya and Alejandro “shouldn’t have been introduced in separate storylines that felt unattached to the show.” Kring said the way Elle (Kristen Bell) was introduced—by weaving her into Peter’s story—is a more logical way to bring in new characters. Kring said a few of the new characters won’t survive past the second volume.

On the hated Hiro story: “[It] should have [lasted] three episodes. We didn't give the audience enough story to justify the time we allotted it.”

On the show’s attempts at romance with Claire and Hiro: “I’ve seen more convincing romances on TV…In retrospect, I don’t think romance is a natural fit for us.”

Personally, I translate Kring’s comments as him expressing regret for letting J.J. Philbin run away with his show…

The sad thing is that Kring’s realizations have come a little too late since the writers’ strike has stopped production and forced him to turn the December 3rd episode into a potential season finale. But Kring plans to use that as a chance to give the show “a clean slate” when production does begin on Volume 3. Then, Kring plans to reboot the show to attract new fans and win back those who’ve stopped watching. ''The message is that we've heard the complaints — and we're doing something about it.''

If it wasn’t for the possible death of HRG, he might even get me back watching…

The "Stars" Get Ready to Dance Through Ohio...

Tickets go on sale this Saturday for the “Dancing With the Stars” tour…

The tour is a little different this year in that not all the dancers will appear at every venue.

The tour will stop in Cleveland January 8th with Wayne Newton, Cheryl Burke, Sabrina Bryan, Mark Ballas, Joey Lawrence, Edyta Sliwinska, Monique Coleman and Drew Lachey. The same group will perform in Columbus January 9th.

The tour stops in Cincinnati January 17th with all of the above except Sabrina Bryan.
Alec Mazo, Derek Hough, Brian Fortuna, Kym Johnson and Karina Smirnoff are schedule to appear at every show.

Depending on the venue, tickets range from $51.50-$165.00. They will be available via Ticketmaster beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday…

"The Office," "Desperate Housewives" Shut Down, "Big Brother" Gears Up

Here are the latest strike headlines…

“The Office” was forced to shut down production after star Steve Carell refused to cross picket lines...

“Desperate Housewives” will shut down Wednesday, giving it only enough episodes to last until Christmas...

CBS is reportedly rushing a new edition of “Big Brother” into production. Rumor has it that the housemates will be B-List celebrities a la “The Surreal Life”...

FOX Makes the Bad News Official

FOX has revised its 2008 schedule and yes, there is a big blank in it…

The network announced today that it is postponing the premiere of “24” “to ensure that day seven can air uninterrupted, in its entirety.”

Though I agree it’s the right decision, it really hurts…

“Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” will take its slot beginning with its premiere January 13th and 14th. “Prison Break” will return to the 8 p.m. slot January 14th after a short hiatus following Monday’s episode.

Beginning January 4th, “Bones” will move to Fridays at 8 p.m. “American Idol” will take its place on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. beginning January 15th. “House” will return to the Tuesdays at 9 p.m. slot beginning January 22nd.

FOX also has several mid-season premieres scheduled for the spring including “New Amsterdam,” “Canterbury’s Law” and “The Return of Jezebel James.”

Of course, some of this could be changed if the strike would (please, please, please!) end soon…

Stay Tuned Becomes Strike Central

Before you scroll down and read all the latest news on the Writers’ Strike, let me start with a disclaimer.

It may sound like from my previous posts that I’m on the side of the producers. But the truth is, I’m not on either side. It’s just disappointing for a TV fan like me to see all the damage that will occur to my favorite shows—especially my beloved “24.”

So if there’s anything I can do to end this strike, someone please let me know. I’ll be waiting by the phone…

Meanwhile, be sure to scroll down even further for the latest Rosie news, my take on Brian Williams on “SNL,” a “Dancing With the Stars” romance report and much more…

A Year Without “24”?

RT, my second favorite Canadian, sent me this yummy picture of Kiefer Sutherland posing for a publicity still in Washington D.C…

I don’t know what came faster—the drool or the tears.

Because the sad truth is that all of this may be for nothing, as we may actually have to endure a year without “24”…

Due to the strike, “24” will only complete eight episodes—WAY short of the 24 needed to complete the season. And unlike other shows, the entire premise of “24” hinges on all 24 episodes being made.

That leaves FOX with two options if the strike goes long. They can show the eight episodes and then go on hiatus—a proven show killer—or they can shelve the show until next season.

And all indications are pointing to the latter…

Which brings up another sad point. Remember that Kiefer took jail time to preserve production of the show; but, of course, now there will be no production.

That’s gotta hurt…

Personally, I’d like to see Kiefer use this time to work on his problem. Then, at least one good thing could come out of this nightmare…

I mean, seriously. What am I supposed to do with my Monday nights if there is no “24”? I might actually have to spend more time with my fiancé…

The Writers Raise a Little "Cane"

It seems the strike is disrupting production in more ways than one…

Twenty picketing writers with bullhorns disrupted production of “Cane” at a Hollywood café Monday, bringing the shoot to a halt. The location was moved and security was brought in…

Writers also disrupted a location shoot for “Desperate Housewives.” Julia Louis-Dreyfus was reportedly among those picketers…

Will “Scrubs” Be Robbed of Its Proper Ending?

Bill Lawrence’s plan to give his show, “Scrubs,” a proper send-off is now in critical condition…

NBC gave “Scrubs” a last-minute 18-episode renewal so it could have a proper wrap-up. But due to the strike, “Scrubs” will only complete 12 episodes, leaving the show six episodes short of Lawrence’s planned goodbye.

However, Lawrence says his top priority now is not the end of his show, but getting the strike settled. He told “The Hollywood Reporter,” “Right now, I fear that a lot of the writers have no real clue just how tough this is going to be. I’d imagine things will get very grim sometime after Christmas”…

The “Mafia” Will Now Hit Later

ABC has pushed back the premiere date of “Cashmere Mafia” until next year to ensure more fresh programming if the strike lags on.

The drama was originally scheduled to premiere November 27th…

Will the strike end “Heroes” Too?

“TV Guide” reports that “Heroes” shot an alternate ending to its December 3rd episode before the strike began that could serve as a season finale if the strike happened.

The episode was originally only supposed to conclude the “Generations” story arc.

And I though last year’s finale stank…

What Will Happen to “Lost”?

It seemed like the perfect plan. ABC would postpone “Lost” until February so it could run uninterrupted.

But now the strike threatens to mess up that plan…

When “Lost” shuts down its production, it will only have eight episodes in the can, leaving ABC with a choice”: Air only eight episodes with no prepared season wrap-up or not air “Lost” at all this season.

Most likely, ABC will air the episodes. But as to what effect that will have on Lindelof and Cuse’s three-year wrap-up plan, I have no idea…

Comedies Shut Down Production…

First, the late-night talk shows went dark. Now, several half-hour comedies have shut down production…

“The Big Bang Theory,” “Rules of Engagement,” “Two and a Half Men,” “’Til Death” and “Back To You” have all shut down, but will continue to air new episodes until the supply is exhausted.

The shutdowns were necessary since sitcom writers tweak the scripts the entire week of production.

“The New Adventures of Old Christine” shut down before the strike began Monday to prevent star Julia Louis-Dreyfus from having to make a difficult choice, since she is married to a writer. In fact, the entire cast walked the picket line Monday.

The show had only completed eight of its 13-episode midseason order.

“How I Met Your Mother,” “My Name Is Earl,” “Scrubs,” “Notes From the Underbelly,” “Carpoolers,” “Cavemen,” “Samantha Who?” “Aliens in America,” “Girlfriends” and “The Game” are still in production for now.

“Everybody Hates Chris” and midseason comedy “Miss/Guided” have wrapped.

“The Office” is still in production, but reportedly was only able to shoot two scenes since Steve Carell didn’t show, Rainn Wilson called in sick, and B.J. Novak and Mindy Kaling, as writers, were on strike.

The status of “30 Rock” is also a little unsure since star/executive producer/creator Tina Fey is also a writer. While on the picket line Monday, Fey said she was contractually obligated to work the rest of this week, but then the show would be forced to shut down…

Info courtesy of “The Los Angeles Times,” “TV Guide,” “TV Week” and “Variety”

Writers’ Strike: How Did We Get Here?

So let’s start this at the beginning. How did we get here?

Sunday night, at the urging of a federal mediator, representatives of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and the Writers Guild of America spent 10 hours at a hotel in Hollywood trying to reach a deal.

Then, at around 9:15 p .m. PT, the AMPTP negotiators, while surfing the Internet, discovered that the East Coast writers had begun the strike at 12:01 a.m. ET. AMPTP President Nick Counter asked his WGA counterpart, David Young, if he was willing “to stop the clock” and delay the strike so negotiations could continue. Young said no. They were willing to negotiate, but they would not postpone the strike.

The AMPTP felt further negotiation was futile, so the meeting ended.

Just seven hours earlier, writers took their DVD demands off the table when it appeared negotiations had made some headway. But now it’s a war of they said-they said as the AMPTP argues that they had made significant enough concessions to postpone the strike, while the WGA argues that there had not been enough progress to stop the strike.

And unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the two groups will be back to the table anytime soon. Counter said yesterday that no negotiations were possible as long as strikers were on the streets. Young said the guild would return to negotiations only if the studios were ready to “seriously respond” to the WGA proposals…

Info courtesy of "The Los Angeles Times" and "TV Week"

Will “ER” Go Another Year?

“Variety” reports that “ER” executive producer John Wells expects to begin talks sometime this month with NBC about another season, even though all signs have pointed to this being the show’s last season.

NBC might have an incentive to keep it if Warner Bros. could find a way to reduce the cost, which is now more than $5 million per episode.

Wells said he hopes a deal can be reached because they “still have some stories to tell.”

The show celebrated its 300th episode at a Hollywood party last week…

Brian Williams Scores Big Laughs on “SNL”

If Saturday’s “Saturday Night Live” was, in fact, the last episode for a while, at least it went out on top…

And though I’m still not sure if it was a good idea, I have to say that Brian Williams was quite good.

Williams never cracked up, never bumbled a line, and never looked at the cue cards. He even did a New York accent (although honestly it sounded more like Hans or Franz). Williams not only proved he’s funny, but that he’s also a good actor.

Unfortunately, NBC is being a little stingy with its clips from Saturday’s show (I can’t believe they wouldn’t include the Publishers Clearinghouse sketch.). But you can see the hysterical digital short and Brian’s new idea for a “Nightly News” opening sequence here…

“Monday Night Football” Gets Nasty

You guys know that I’m not a Steelers fan, but I did watch a lot of last night’s blowout.

But I wasn’t watching for the action on the field. I was following the action in the booth…

After returning from a commercial break (apparently early), Tony Kornheiser could be heard saying, “Alright, I get it,” in a rather nasty tone. Then, a few minutes later, while making a point, Kornheiser said to fellow analyst, Ron “Jaws” Jaworski, “I know you don’t want me calling the game, Jaws”…

Yikes!

Jaworski and Kornheiser have never had the greatest chemistry. Kornheiser belabors the most insignificant points, while Jaws is an expert in breaking down games. However, they’ve found a way to coexist. But last night, something must have snapped. The tone of the remainder of the game was downright nasty with Kornheiser going on long diatribes about the dumbest things and Jaws completely ignoring him.

It was definitely more entertaining than the game…

“Dog” Gets Wrangled Himself

Those of you who are fans of the A&E hit, “Dog the Bounty Hunter,” are going to have to get by with the DVDs until further notice…

A&E has pulled the show from its schedule indefinitely after a phone conversation in which Duane “Dog” Chapman repeatedly used a racial slur was posted online. The conversation was actually leaked by Dog’s son, who was no doubt upset since the slurs were aimed at his girlfriend.

Last week, Dog apologized after A&E stopped production. “Dog” is A&E’s highest rated show…

Is Rosie Ready to Return?

The “New York Times” is reporting that Rosie O’Donnell is in talks for her own show on MSNBC…

She would reportedly take Dan Abrams’ 9 p.m. slot and go head-to-head with Larry King on CNN…

“HSM 3” Getting Closer to a Reality

“Us Weekly” is reporting that Vanessa Hudgens is now locked into “High School Musical 3” with a “substantial increase” in pay.

Hudgens’ publicist said they are still in negotiations.

“Us” also reports that Ashley Tisdale’s deal is done as well.

Zac Efron will return, according to the report, although his deal isn’t done yet; and Corbin Bleu and Monique Coleman are in final negotiations. No word, however, on Lucas Grabeel’s status.

A Disney rep said the cast is still in negotiations and gave no further comment…