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Reality TV
February 3, 2010
'Amazing Race' casting call in Austin on Thursday
If you’ve always dreamed of dashing around the globe on “The Amazing Race,” you can try out for the CBS reality show on Thursday at the Domain.
According to CBS affiliate KEYE’s Web site, the tryouts will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday at 11410 Century Oaks Terrace (between the Apple Store and Victoria’s Secret).
You’ll need to bring a completed application for the show (available at the KEYE Web site, where you’ll also find other requirements to try out). KEYE staff will tape audition DVDs and send them to “Amazing Race” producers, along with would-be contestants’ applications.
If you make the cut, you could find yourself on Season 17 of the Emmy-winning show. And you’ll be following in the footsteps of a Central Texas team that will be seen on Season 16, which starts airing Feb. 14. Jody Kelly is a personal trainer from Round Rock. She’s on a team with her granddaughter Shannon Foster, a Southwestern University grad.
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January 27, 2010
"Idol" comes to Dallas tonight
“How I Met Your Mother’s” Neil Patrick Harris and Jonas Brother heartthrob Joe Jonas join Randy, Kara and Simon as they cull the crowd from last fall’s auditions in Dallas. I attended the first round tryouts at Cowboys Stadium and there were some colorful characters in the crowd (keep an eye out for Chicken Man). But was there any real talent? Spoiler sites have listed three Texans in the Top 24, but we’ll have to tune in to find out for sure. 7 p.m., Fox.
If you’re interested in the spoilers on the Texas Top 24’ers, read on after the jump.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: American Idol, Entertainment, Reality TV
January 15, 2010
Austin Grease Monkeys win 'Shark Tank' funding
A pair of Austin entrepreneurs obtained investment in a uniquely Austin business venture Friday night on the ABC reality show, “Shark Tank.”
Erin Whalen and Tim Stansbury, creators of Austin’s Grease Monkey Wipes, appeared before the shows investor “sharks” in hopes of obtaining $40,000 in funding in return for a 40 percent stake in their business. The duo demonstrated the heavy duty cleaning wipe initially created to help greasy cyclists clean up after tire repair. They were well prepared — Whalen holds a bachelor’s degree in business and Stansbury has an MBA in marketing — but initially appeared nervous and a little stiff.
All of the sharks loved the duo’s enthusiasm and branding, but four out of five of them rejected the pair’s business proposition before the final investor, Robert Herjavec, was won over by Whalen’s sunny insistence that the product would succeed. After he accepted the deal, a second investor, real estate tycoon Barbara Corcoran, also jumped on board, offering to split the risk and profits with Herjavec.
“We’re going to make this a national brand,” Whalen said, post-deal. “We’re going to make this an international brand. It’s going to be on store shelves everywhere.”
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Entertainment, Local people on TV, Reality TV
'America's Got Talent' holding Dallas auditions
If you’ve got talent, here’s your chance to show it off: “America’s Got Talent” will be holding auditions at the Dallas Convention Center on Jan. 30 and 31. Visit www.agtauditions.com for more info.
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Lots of network news: TCA Press Tour recap
NBC’s Jay Leno/Conan O’Brien feud dominated much of the Television Critics Association’s Winter Tour, an annual event in which networks and television writers meet in Pasadena and justify each others’ livelihoods.
The Peacock network declared Leno’s unsuccessful 5-nights-a-week prime time experiment a failure, abandoning its early posture that they were maintaining a “52-week strategy” and would give the affable but average host time to develop an audience. Admitting that the drumbeat from local NBC affiliates — whose late-night newscasts were suffering due to Leno’s weak lead-in — was becoming too loud and insistent, the network announced that it was brokering a deal to return Leno to his 10:35 p.m. CT slot and kick Conan O’Brien’s “Tonight Show” to an 11:05 p.m. CT start.
Perhaps NBC should have tried to obtain some buy-in from O’Brien before making the announcement. He declined the network’s proposal and the whole shebang remains in limbo.
What’s not in limbo is the future of “The Jay Leno Show.” It’s last airing is set for Feb. 11, which left NBC scrambling for post-Olympics programming (perhaps seeing the writing on the wall, the network green-lighted an unusually large number of new pilots for next Fall).
At least 8 new shows are in development, including product from David E. Kelly, Jerry Bruckheimer and J. J. Abrams; and brace yourselves — we’re going to see a “Rockford Files” remake. Also look for “Law & Order: Los Angeles.”
In other NBC news, Leno’s prime time failure means that on-the-bubble dramas “Trauma” and “Mercy,” and the spy-action-comedy “Chuck” have much better chances of renewal than they normally would, but their numbers are going to have to come up.
Here are TCA highlights from the other networks:
FOX
Fans of “Glee” were thrilled to hear that the show has already been renewed for a sophomore season. And several new cast members will be added through an online reality competition of sorts. Details on how to audition (online entries are welcome) can be found on the Fox Web site.
Star Kiefer Sutherland and executive producer Howard Gordon both said they’re on board for yet another season of “24.” No decision has been made, but both said they’d keep doing the show as long as Fox would let them.
Simon Cowell announced that he will leave “American Idol” after this season to produce and appear as a judge on the competitive talent show “The X Factor.” There were sly suggestions that ex-“Idol” judge Paula Abdul might appear on the new show with Cowell, but at this point that’s just a wild rumor. Buried by this announcement was news that David Hasselhoff is abandoning his own judging post on “America’s Got Talent,” to be replaced by “Deal or No Deal’s” Howie Mandel.
“The Simpsons” will continue to air for at least two more years, and the network remains committed to ratings-challenged “Fringe,” at least for now.
The debut of the game show “Our Little Genius” was moved back because of concerns that the manner in which contestants were informed of topics might make the show appear to be “rigged.”
ABC
Not much news from ABC. Much of their news was the lack of news about the final season of “Lost.” Suprise, surprise … show runners Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof remained predictably tight-lipped. A few tid-bits they did reveal: Cynthia Watros (Libby) and Harold Perrineau (Michael) will return in the final season. A collective squee was heard across the blogosphere in anticipation of Libby-Hurley romance and Libby-Desmond backstory resolution. Cuse and Lindelof have indicated that the finale won’t answer all of fans’ questions, and while ABC owns and could continue to milk the franchise in a number of ways, as far as the pair are concerned, at the conclusion of this season, the story of this particular group of characters is over.
Finally, the network renewed its Wednesday night comedy block of “The Middle,” (yay!) “Modern Family” (big, big yay!) and “Cougar Town” (boo) for second seasons.
CBS
“The Late Show” host David Letterman, who has been having a great time this week needling NBC (who chose Jay Leno over him to replace Johnny Carson years ago) remains in contract talks with his network, but will remain on until at least “deep into 2012.”
“Three Rivers,” in spite of having saved at least 8 lives (CBS got letters from people who received successful transplants due to the increased awareness created by the show) couldn’t save itself and has been canceled.
Network entertainment president Nina Tassler said that Charlie Sheen’s domestic problems (the actor has been charged with second-degree assault, menacing and criminal mischief) won’t affect the “Two and a Half Men” cash cow.
New drama “Miami Medical” replaces “Num3ers” on Fridays, but “Num3ers” might be back next season. CBS finds itself in the unusual position of having too many popular shows for its available slots.
The new reality series “Undercover Boss,” in which Fortune 500 bigwigs don disguises and infiltrate their own companies’ front lines, gets a rare new-series post-Superbowl premiere on Sunday, Feb. 7.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Entertainment, Fall TV, Friday Night Lights, News coverage, Ratings, Reality TV
January 13, 2010
Down Syndrome. Cancer. Alzheimer's. This ... is 'American Idol'
“American Idol” kicked off Season 9 Tuesday night in Bahston with nothing new except the notable absence of Paula Abdul and the appearance of celebrity guest judge Victoria Beckham (Posh from The Spice Girls).
I used to enjoy the audition rounds, but as the years go by I find myself more and more offended by them. They are so similar night to night and year to year that you can start to predict the pattern: Freak, freak, talent, freak, talent, talent with bio, talent with family illness, freak yells at judges, talent, bizarre freak, judges turn on each other, freak, freak, freak, Freak, FREAK. Oh, and one last talented singer to end the night on a high note.
Yes, every “Idol” hopeful should know by now that they are in for a potential smackdown, and some of them are so over the top and obnoxious that they deserve it. But there are others who truly believe — and, apparently, have been told over and over — that they’ve got talent. And there is no logic to why the judges treat some of those in this last group so tenderly, yet mock others mercilessly. It can be painful to watch, especially since these are the final rounds of auditions, meaning that Simon, Randy and Kara don’t even show up to watch these folks until months after they’ve made it through preliminary rounds, their false hopes built up by a series of “Idol” producers.
At some point, it just doesn’t seem funny anymore.
So I’ll be watching tomorrow, when the circus moves on to Atlanta, but I’m probably not going to be paying a lot of attention, and I’m going to try my best not to laugh.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: American Idol, Entertainment, Reality TV
January 6, 2010
Roundup: Lots of locals on TV soon
Neville (elephant), Round Rock’s Falyn Hunt, Banjo (monkey), Umi (bird), and Clarence (alligator) on Sprout’s “PICME.”
Local sprout appears on Sprout
Falyn Hunt, a 6-year-old kindergarten student at Callison Elementary in Round Rock, will appear nationally on PBS’ Sprout network this month. Hunt will appear on the 5 p.m., January 10 episode of “PICME” entitled “Showing Off.”
“PICME” puts children directly into the show’s story alongside animal friends Juno, Gerty, Banjo, Umi, Clarence and Neville by superimposing a digital image of a child’s face onto an animated body.
PBS Sprout is available in the Austin market on U-verse and DirecTV.
Swimming with the ‘Sharks’
A pair of Austin entrepreneurs are slated to appear on “Shark Tank,” the ABC reality show in which inventors, vying for investment dollars, pitch their products to a panel of ruthless multi-millionaires.
Erin Whalen and Tim Stansbury, co-owners of Grease Monkey Wipes, will demonstrate the features and benefits of their product — a heavy duty cleaning wipe initially created to help greasy cyclists clean up after tire repair — at 8 p.m. on the Friday, January 15 episode.
UPDATE: Here’s what Fit City columnist Pam LeBlanc wrote abut Whalen and Stansbury this summer:
Two Austin cycling buddies are peddling individually packaged cleaning wipes that take off grease, grime and those annoying body markings athletes get at triathlons. Erin Whalen and Tim Stansbury developed Grease Monkey Wipes after she had a flat tire on a 100-mile bike ride two summers ago. Filthy and annoyed after changing the tire, Whalen looked for a portable degreasing product she could carry with her while she was riding. When she couldn’t find one, she and Stansbury created their own. Both are avid cyclists. Whalen, 29, raced in Ironman Coeur d’Alene on Sunday and Stansbury is training for 24 Hours of Booty, an all-night charity road race. “I use them all the time,” Whalen says. “I just packed up my bike for Ironman and cleaned my entire bike with one.”
The wipes use a natural citrus-based formula and can be easily stashed in a saddle bag or jersey pocket. They come packaged in sets of 6, 12, 18 and 24 (just like beer, the Web site notes) and sell for about $1 a wipe.
A dozen Austin bike shops carry the wipes, including Austin Tri-Cyclist, 923 Barton Springs Road; Bicycle Sport Shop, 517 S. Lamar Blvd.; Freewheeling Bicycles, 2401 San Gabriel St.; Jack & Adam’s Bicycles, 1210 Barton Springs Road; and Nelo’s Pro Cycles, 3010-H W. Anderson Lane.
Local Variety
Lin Television’s KBVO (My Austin TV) will present a new, locally-produced variety show from the creators of Austin Swim (the live, Adult Swim viewing party formerly held weekly around town).
Dubbed “The Austin Variety Show,” the program, taped monthly before a live, South Austin studio audience, features music, comedy, performance artists and live audience games. Local businesses provide audience prizes and giveaways.
“The Austin Variety Show,” airing Sundays from 11 p.m.-midnight on Time Warner, Direct TV, U-verse, Grande and Suddenlink, is co-hosted by Austin musician and filmmaker Troy Dillinger and Second City alum Tom Booker. For more information, check out the show’s Web site or My Austin TV.
Here’s a promo video:
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December 24, 2009
Rotating judges for 'Idol' auditions
Amid reports that acerbic “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell will be ditching the show after this season comes interesting news of the guest judges who covered for departed Paula Abdul during the audition rounds taped earlier this year.
Victoria Beckham, Mary J. Blige, Kristin Chenoweth, Neil Patrick Harris, Joe Jonas, Avril Lavigne, Katy Perry and Shania Twain filled Abdul’s loopy shoes, according to this Associated Press story.
Kristin Chenoweth? Neil Patrick Harris? Inspired! Frankly, I’d rather see either of these two celebs on a weekly basis than DeGeneres (I’m anticipating that her shtick will get old fast). What do you think? I know lots of fans watch the audition shows and then tune out. Will this rotating panel of guest judges keep you tuning in?
“American Idol” returns Jan. 12 on FOX. Let’s hope Austin can watch.
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December 22, 2009
'Shear Genius' preview video
You can catch a couple of moments of Austin’s Giacomo Forbes in this preview for the new season of Bravo’s “Shear Genius.” Forbes styles hair at Bella Salon & Day Spa. Read more about him in this blog by Marques Harper.
“Shear Genius” returns at 10 p.m. Feb. 3.
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November 24, 2009
'Paranormal State' seeks Austin stories
The A&E series “Paranormal State” will be in Austin next month looking for supernatural stories.
Series star Ryan Buell is going on a 10-city tour that hits Austin on Dec. 5.
At the tour stops, fans can share tales of their own paranormal experiences. The stories will be featured at www.paranormalstatetour.com and could become part of future episodes of “Paranormal State.”
In Austin, the “Paranormal State” tour bus will be at the west entrance of Highland Mall (facing Airport Boulevard) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 5.
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November 19, 2009
G4's 'Campus PD' will feature San Marcos
San Marcos will be one of the college towns in the spotlight on the new G4 series “Campus PD.”
The series, which debuts next month, is about the police officers who do everything from “checking in on late night parties and keeping the streets free of drunk drivers, to patrolling campuses at night to make sure students are safe after late-night study sessions,” according to a news release from G4.
San Marcos is home to Texas State University. The other cities featured in “Campus PD” are Tallahassee, Fla.; Cincinnati; Chico, Calif.; and Greenville, N.C.
The news release about the show highlights some of the officers featured: “Viewers also tag along with Officer Jason Scott, known as ‘The Transformer,’ who is part of the San Marcos PD ‘Party Patrol,’ a special group tasked with breaking up parties. Scott has made it his mission to educate students in every encounter and do everything he can to inspire them to stay out of trouble.”
“Campus PD” premieres at 10 p.m. Dec. 9.
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October 30, 2009
Bulldogs and barbecue: Austinites on 'Judge Joe Brown' today
Wolfe, who adopted the rescue dog three months prior to the attack, maintains that everyone knew the dog was skittish around new people. He contends that the amount Cox is suing for is exorbitant and that she should share liability for the attack.
C’mon, Austin … does every barbecue have to end with someone getting bit in the face?
“Judge Joe Brown” airs at 2 p.m. on FOX.
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October 29, 2009
ABC's 'Supernanny' sets Saturday casting call at Austin Zoo
Can we call it “Zoopernanny?”
ABC’s “Supernanny” is holding an open casting call from 10 a.m. til 6 p.m. on Oct. 31 at the Austin Zoo and Animal Sanctuary, 10807 Rawhide Trail in Austin. The parenting show is searching for families of all backgrounds for season five, especially: families with unique interests; parents with ordinary and extraordinary circumstances; teen moms; parents with mean girls or bullying boys; culturally diverse parents; and blended families where both sides are seeking help. Producers want families from every type of background who are ready for a visit from nanny Jo Frost.
“We are very excited to host ABC’s ‘Supernanny’ open casting call,” said Patti Clark, The Austin Zoo and Animal Sanctuary president. “Like ‘Supernanny,’ The Austin Zoo and Animal Sanctuary is centered around the needs of young children by offering over 300 animals across 100 different species to learn about and experience close-up throughout our beautiful Hill Country zoo and sanctuary.”
For front of line privileges and priority casting, the producers ask that you e-mail your family’s story with a recent photo to cast4shows@yahoo.com or call 614.668.5700 for more information. To learn more about The Austin Zoo and Animal Sanctuary or the “Supernanny” open cast call visit www.austinzoo.org
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October 21, 2009
New Adam Lambert video: 'Time for Miracles'
Remember Adam Lambert? The Goth-inspired, gender-bending, vocally-gymnastic “American Idol” runner-up? MTV.com reports that his new video appeared on MySpace this morning.
The song, a power ballad called “Time for Miracles,” is from the John Cusack disaster film, “2012.” In the video, Lambert wails as the apocalypse unfolds around him. He’s not giving up because, well, it’s time for miracles. Buildings are toppling. Meteors pound the earth. Windows are bursting — but that might be due to Adam’s ridiculously high vocal register. I’m just saying.
Hey, watch out, Adam! The Eiffel Tower is falling and if it hits you it might smudge your eyeliner!
Lambert told MTV that the song, which is now available for purchase on Amazon and iTunes, is not representative of the tunes on his upcoming album.
MySpace has disabled comments for the video … hmm … so take a look below and let us know what you think:
Time For Miracles
Adam Lambert | MySpace Music Videos
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October 19, 2009
Wes Hayden named favorite reality villain
Austin’s Wes Hayden, from ABC’s “The Bachelorette,” was named favorite villain at the 2009 Fox Reality Channel Awards, reports seattlepi.com.
The site quotes Hayden as saying “it’s hard to swallow,” and says his distaste for the “villain” label may explain why he’s in talks with NBC for a new show.
Hayden will hold the honor in perpetuity, since Fox Reality Channel is going off the air in March, 2010.
What do you think? Was Hayden the bad boy the show made him out to be or was he — like Jessica Rabbit — just drawn that way?
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October 13, 2009
Dr. Oz helps Harker Heights woman today
Dr. Oz is featuring a Harker Heights woman on his show today.
From the show:
After two children, once svelte Army-wife Natalie, a service vet herself, had become obese. Her mission: to lose the baby weight (plus some) before her husband returns from Iraq. Formerly and unhealthy 180 lbs, she is now in fit and fighting form. The episode will air Tuesday, October 13th at 1pm on FOX.
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October 8, 2009
Michael Vick to star in new BET series
The Los Angeles Times reports that NFL star Michael Vick is starring in a new television series for BET.
The program, with the working title “The Michael Vick Project,” chronicles Vick’s comeback and also his troubled past (Vick was arrested in 2007 for running a dog-fighting ring and spent 18 months in prison. He now plays for the Philadelphia Eagles).
The article says the Humane Society is on board, but PETA (People for the Ethical treatment of Animals) has concerns. The paper quotes PETA spokesman Dan Shannon as saying, “People who abuse animals don’t deserve to be rewarded. They shouldn’t be given multimillion-dollar contracts … or given the privilege of being a role model.”
The show’s producers coined a new term, “docu-series,” to describe the program. They claim it will be a sober look at Vick’s life and not a typical reality series. BET claims the show is consistent with the network’s philosophy of family values, cultural uplift and community pride.
What do you think? Can you forgive Michael Vick? Does he deserve a second chance?
Would you watch this show?
Permalink | Comments (24) | Post your comment Categories: Entertainment, Reality TV, Sports on TV
October 7, 2009
The Hammer's down: DeLay drops out of 'Dancing with the Stars'
As leaked Tuesday afternoon, former Congressman Tom DeLay withdrew from ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” competition Tuesday night, citing stress fractures in both feet. DeLay’s departure means partner Cheryl Burke is history, too.
“You can’t practice, and if you can’t practice you make a fool of yourself out here,” DeLay said. “I don’t want to do that to Cheryl.”
“The Hammer,” as he was nicknamed on Capitol Hill, dropped out of the competition even though he was pronounced safe from elimination after the judges’ votes were combined from telephone votes from across the country. Debi Mazar and partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy were eliminated after receiving the lowest total number of votes.
The big question now is which remaining dancing duo will drive the show’s narrative from this point on — DeLay’s goofy performances and his injuries have been played up by the show’s producers throughout the beginning weeks of the competition and now he’s gone (although host Tom Bergeron extended an invitation to DeLay and Burke to return for the show’s season finale to dance the Texas Two-step).
Who should “DwtS” focus on now that DeLay is gone? Sound off!
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October 6, 2009
EW: DeLay to depart 'Dancing' due to injuries
It looks like former Congressman Tom DeLay won’t have to face the voters after all: EW.COM reports that injuries will force the Hammer to drop out of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” tonight.
Although the network would not comment, stress fractures in the former House Majority Leader’s feet had led to speculation that he might not even perform Monday night (he did — a Samba). We’ll never know, but DeLay’s injuries might have been a moot point; he and partner Cheryl Burke had stalled in the vote talley, regular placing second lowest and in constant danger of elimination.
The show airs at 8 p.m.
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DeLay on 'Dancing': Going for the bi-partisan vote
Newsweek has a great, fairly savage recap of Tom DeLay’s Monday performance on “Dancing with the Stars.” The piece’s writer, Holly Bailey, is right: the show really played the Hammer’s injuries for drama … it seems to be this season’s dominant story line.
Lance Bass and Paula Abdul were in the crowd cheering on DeLay and his partner, Cheryl Burke, who danced a Samba to “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” The former House Majority Leader wore bright red pants and a red and white striped shirt with an elephant on the back (he looked like he should have been serving pizzas at Shakey’s) while Burke wore a backless, blue, starred outfit with the Democrat party’s logo. When they were close to each other, I guess they were supposed to look like a flag.
The judges were kind with the commentary, but the pairs’ score of 15 (out of a possible 30 points) once again landed them in second to last place and in danger of elimination tonight. Will DeLay and Burke be sent packing in a dwindling field of contestants? Should they be?
Here’s video of the couple’s performance. Take a look and let us know what you think. Commenters, let’s take note of the duo’s “can’t we all just get along?” theme and keep our observations respectful and tolerant:
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'Idol gives back' returns next season
“Idol Gives Back,” the charity event featured on FOX’s “American Idol” in 2007 and 2008 (but absent last season) will return in 2010. The event will be broadcast on April 21 during the results show for the Top 7 finalists according to Zap2it.com. “Idol Gives Back” will benefit Children’s Health Fund, Feeding America, Malaria No More and Save the Children as well as the United Nations Foundation, the site reports.
With times so tough, FOX’s head of alternative programming Mike Darnell says the event will emphasize how even very small contributions can make an impact. The previous, star-studded “Idol Gives Back” events have raised more than $140 million for charity.
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September 29, 2009
Tom DeLay's "Dancing" departure delayed
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay made it through week 2 of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” He and partner Cheryl Burke performed a relatively clean (if uninspired) tango Monday night. It was much less bizarre than last week’s lip-sync and air guitar YouTube-phenomenon cha cha to the Troggs’ “Wild Thing.”
The number received a lowish score of 18 from the judges. Combined with their score from the previous week, DeLay and Burke ended the night tied for the second lowest combined total and in a prime spot for elimination.
But viewers voted — Kathy Ireland and partner Tony Dovolani were sent packing instead — and the Hammer and his professional coach will return next week.
Did the judges and America make the right call? What type of dance would you like to see DeLay and Burke perform? Would you like to see DeLay go all the way or do you find his booty-shaking embarrassing? Sound off!
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September 21, 2009
Tom DeLay: 'Dancing's' wild thing
When we create a blog post, we have to categorize it. For this post I chose “Reality TV” and “Entertainment.” Too bad there wasn’t a category labeled “Oh, Dear God! My Eyes!”
Tom DeLay debuted on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” Monday night, performing a cha-cha to the Troggs’ “Wild Thing” with professional dancer Cheryl Burke. Wearing a long-sleeved brown shirt and pants and a sequin-studded brown vest, the former Speaker of the House strutted, lip-synced, shook his redistricting money maker and air guitared his way to infamy.
The “DWTS” judges gave DeLay and Burke a score of 21. Should he stay or go?
Here’s incriminating evidence — er, I mean, video:
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September 2, 2009
Ryan Seacrest wants to hear your dreams
Got a dream?
Is it extraordinary? Selfless? Off the wall?
Need money to make it happen?
Producer Ryan Seacrest (he really is the new Dick Clark!) is holding an open casting call in Austin on Saturday, Sept. 12, to hear your pitches for a new cable network show called “Chance.”
“Is there something you’ve always wanted but could never quite afford?” Seacrest’s press release reads. “Do you have a lifelong ambition that you are desperate to fulfill? We’re looking for people 14+ to come up with unique, inspiring, outlandish and exciting ideas! If you need money and want your dreams to come true, come plead your case at one of our open calls. Whether you’re asking for $50 or $250,000 — if you’ve got passion and the gift of gab, the money could be yours!! You can literally ask for anything!!!”
(My dream is to be able to purchase more exclamation points, since I just used the last 50 I had quoting Seacrest’s press release.)
The ‘American Idol’ host’s peeps are only making five stops nationwide and our city is on the list, so maybe your odds are pretty good. The Austin stop will be Sept. 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the YMCA Town Lake Branch, 1100 W. Cesar Chavez St.
Make sure to check out the show’s Web site before you go; there’s an application form there and a list of required items you must bring with you.
Happy begging!
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August 30, 2009
This week's TV picks
Andy and Dwight keep each other company at the company picnic on “The Office.”
Monday:
‘CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock’ 7 p.m., ABC: Featured performers include Trace Adkins, Martina McBride, The Judds and Kid Rock. Everybody — sing along with me: ‘One of these things is not like the others …’
‘The Soup Presents’ 9 p.m., E!: This episode spotlights TV’s most dysfunctional couples, including Jon and Kate Gosselin, and Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa. Wow. I’m not sure which of those pairs should feel most insulted.
Tuesday:
‘Warehouse 13’ 8 p.m., Syfy: An artifact helps Claudia change a light bulb, which reminds me of a hundred old jokes.
‘Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien’ 10:30 p.m., NBC: Tonight Conan welcomes Norm MacDonald and Cheap Trick, two of my favorite things that won’t go away.
Wednesday:
‘Glee’ 7:58 p.m., FOX: In case you missed the hugely popular pilot episode of this new fall series, here’s your chance to catch up. It kinda’ goes downhill from here, but this episode’s a winner. Also, in case you skipped over the time, it starts at 7:58 p.m., so don’t miss the first two minutes.
‘Man vs. Wild’ 8 p.m., Discovery: Bear tests his survival skills in Texas’ Chihuahuan Desert. I hope he brings some Milk Bones.
Thursday:
‘The Office’ 8 p.m., NBC: The season 5 closer takes place at the Dunder Mifflin company picnic. In the midst of a fiercely competitive volleyball game, Michael has a sweet reunion with his former love, Holly.
Friday:
‘Making Over America with Trinny and Susannah’ 9 p.m., TLC: Apparently, in order to be a co-host on this makeover show (tonight working miracles on a frumpy Delaware innkeeper) you’ve got to have two n’s in the middle of your name.
‘Catch It Keep It’ 9 p.m., Science: An Xbox must be saved from flaming projectiles, a gasoline-soaked floor and a runaway car. Hmm. I just have to keep my teenage boy’s Xbox safe from soda cans, half-eaten Pop-Tarts and dirty socks.
Saturday:
‘Country Fried Home Videos’ 7 p.m., CMT: In one segment, a pigeon tricks a turtle. Hey, I’d like to sympathize, but anybody who doesn’t know how devious turtles can be just deserves what they get.
Sunday:
‘Amazing Wedding Cakes’ 9 p.m., WE: A bride wants her cake to match her dress. Somebody save me a piece of the train.
‘Reality Hell’ 9:30 p.m., E!: The title of this show is just redundant. That’s right; I went there. Seriously … is the fall season here yet?
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August 25, 2009
Paula Abdul lands new hosting gig
This just in: America is officially running out of divas.
Returning after a four-year break, “VH1 Divas,” which has featured appearances by Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey and others — will return next month with a less stellar lineup, according to MTV.com.
September’s card includes Kelly Clarkson, Miley Cyrus, Adele, Leona Lewis and Jordin Sparks.
Miley Cyrus? Jordin Sparks? Isn’t this a little like that “Saturday Night Live” sketch that had Screech from “Saved by the Bell” appearing on “Inside the Actors’ Studio?”
The big news is that the whole affair will be hosted by Paula Abdul, who announced the gig Monday the same way she announced her departure from “American Idol” … via the micro-blogging service Twitter (I think if Paula got into a car accident, she would tweet before calling 911).
The article states that additional “Divas” performers will be announced soon. Who would you like to see? Sound off, below.
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August 18, 2009
Joe Jonas to be 'Idol' judge in Dallas
Joe Jonas of the Jonas Brothers will be a guest judge for “American Idol” auditions in Dallas, “Entertainment Tonight” reports.
These auditions will be for contestants who made it through the preliminary round in Dallas back in June. For pictures from the June auditions, visit the Collective Vision blog.
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"Dancing" Tom Delay: "I'm in it to win it."
Former House Republican Whip Tom DeLay, an upcoming contestant on “Dancing with the Stars,” told ABC’s “Good Morning America” today that he’s “in it to win it,” the Associated Press reports.
Th Sugar Land, Texas native, who earned the nickname “Hammer” for his persuasive tactics in keeping party members in line, claims that wearing sequins or sporting an open-shirted look would require some “negotiations.” He did not state whether he would be negotiating for or against those possibilities.
“Dancing with the Stars” is known more for impressive dance moves than political maneuvers, but who knows? Delay’s own brand of fancy footwork could come in handy.
Perhaps he could redistrict the judging panel to get a more favorable voting result, as he did for Republicans with the Texas congressional districts in the early 2000s. (Though he pled not guilty, Delay was forced to resign from his position as Majority Leader following indictment by a Texas grand jury that he had conspired to violate campaign finance laws during that same period.)
It strikes me that “Dancing with the Stars” and other reality shows are a little like ’70s staples “The Love Boat” and “Fantasy Island,” but in reverse: On those cheesy Aaron Spelling classics, actors such as Sonny Bono and Fred “Gopher” Grandy would parlay recurring appearances into political careers. Now, perhaps, reality TV is the place where washed-up politicos go to kick-start entertainment careers (former Chicago Governor Rod Blagojevich was prevented by a judge from joining the cast of “I’m a Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here!” leaving his wife, Patti, to go in his place).
Do you think Delay will be successful on the show? Who would you rather see?
Season 9 of “Dancing with the Stars” premieres Sept. 21.
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August 12, 2009
Live in Austin? Ty Pennington wants to fix up your house
ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” is looking for Austin abodes to upgrade.
From the ABC press release:
“We are looking for the deserving people and inspiring families that America can really root for,” says Casting Supervisor Morgan Fahey. “We’re looking for those special people who have amazing strength of character and never give up. Whether it’s keeping their chin up in really tough circumstances or going out of their way to help others. We want to help people whose stories have really affected their community or made a big difference in other people’s lives.
“There are a lot of people who are heroes to those around them because of the way they inspire others and quietly serve their communities on a daily basis,” Fahey added.
The “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” producers are looking for families whose homes desperately need to be rebuilt. “We really want to help families whose homes present major problems for the family, those big issues that affect the family’s quality of life on a daily basis. We want to find deserving people who just don’t have the resources, ability, or time to fix those serious issues without our help.”
To be eligible, a family must own their own single family home and be able to show producers how a makeover will make a huge difference in their lives. Interested families should e-mail a short description of their family story to casttexas@gmail.com
Nominations may be submitted by the family or by a member of their community. Each nomination must include the names and ages of every member of the household along with a description of the major challenges within the home. Anyone submitting a nomination should be sure to explain why the nominated family is deserving, heroic, and/or a great role model for their community. If possible, include a recent photo of the family. All nominations must include a contact phone number.
The deadline for nominations is August 25th, 2009. For more information on how to apply visit ABC’s website.
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August 11, 2009
More from the 'Bachelorette' reunion
Five contestants from the last season of “The Bachelorette” reunited Monday night at Ranch 616 in Austin to talk with fans about the show and what’s happened in their lives since filming wrapped.
Mike Stagliano The former break-dance instructor, says he was heartbroken for more than two months after he was booted from the show before reaching the final four men fighting to win Harris in the end.
Then, at a wrap party following the show’s “Men Tell All” episode, Stagliano says he met his true love: “Bachelor” alum Holly Durst.
“I’m gonna marry her,” the 25-year old says with a smile on his face.
Stagliano said Durst, who appeared on “The Bachelor” as a potential suitor for Matt Grant, has met his parents and they love her.
For now, the two are commuting to see each other, Durst from her Los Angeles area home and Stagliano from his home in Queens.
Stagliano, who is a children’s book author as well, says sales for his “Wesley’s Stories: Afterschool Adventures,” have picked up since his appearance on the show. He’s now working on his second book.
“I’m so thankful,” Stagliano said.
Jesse Kovacs Kovacs, who comes from a winemaking family, says life has stayed busy since he left the show’s filming, and hasn’t slept in the same bed for more than three days.
His family received 75 wine orders the day after an episode showing Kovacs booted from the show aired.
The Carmel Valley, Calif. resident says that for now he’s spreading himself thin doing appearances and traveling, because he knows this won’t last forever.
He’s also doing his part to promote Kovacs Brothers wine, offering samples at Ranch 616 last night.
“It’s been crazy since the show ended,” he said.
David Good Much like Austinite Wes Hayden, Good, 33 has been on his own mission to clean up his name, after he was portrayed as angry and often drunk on the show.
Good says he and Hayden had something in common: They were raw with their comments, which made for good television.
“People can hate on Wes and I, but we tell it like it is,” he said.
Good said he’s also working on a book about the “man code,” a heavily discussed topic on this past season’s “Men Tell All” episode.
At one point, Good told host Chris Harrison not to mention the phrase anymore after a debate on whether it was appropriate to let Harris in on details about other men possibly having girlfriends.
But now, Good claims that there’s a lot more to the “man code,” and it’s about doing what’s right “for your family, your country and your friends.”
But Good still takes time out to bash some of his former castmates from the show, including Jake Pavelka, who came across as a squeaky-clean pilot from Dallas.
“Jake is a complete fake person,” he said. “People don’t like you (referring to Jake), because you’re a nerd!”
Tanner Pope Pope has left his contract position as a project manager for a financial firm in Dallas and has hired a publicist to look into doing television work or endorsement deals. Fans might wonder if that means becoming a nail-polish spokesman. After all, Pope was portrayed as the foot-fetish fiend on the past season of “The Bachelorette.”
The Dallas native, however, says there is more to him than a foot obsession, however. Pope says he’s 30, and he’s ready to find true love. Pope said he got off on the ‘wrong foot’ with Harris, talking to her about other men on the show. Pope is nephew of Austin developer Tom Stacey.
Stacey bought Pope a classy, Versace-laden wardrobe from Austin store Keepers for his appearance on the show, Pope said.
He said that after a scene with Pope stripping down to his undies in front of the other men and Harris, he got an offer to do porn, which he turned down.
For now, he’s enjoying the attention he gets.
“I get recognized now,” he said. “So it’s cool.”
Wes Hayden Weeks after Hayden launched his own public-relations fight to save his name, the Austinite says all has gotten better for him.
Hayden was portrayed as the ultimate villain on this season’s “The Bachelorette,” and he and the show went their separate ways after he began publicly criticizing his treatment on the show.
He use to receive hundreds of hate-mail messages, which have now all but ceased, he said.
He’s also resumed his music career with his band, and run into little trouble, especially since tales of Swiderski dating other women surfaced.
“Everything is really good,” he said. “I’m happy, music is great, and everything has changed.”
Hayden, however, won’t hesitate to take another shot at the show. Referring to Swiderski’s situation, he said “that just goes to show you the show is bull(expletive).”
Below, Wes Hayden, left, and David Good pose with ‘Bachelorette’ fan Helen Chu.
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'Bachelorette' men reunite in Austin
Several men from this season’s “The Bachelorette” said Monday that show winner Ed Swiderski had an extraordinary advantage: access to a computer and cell phone during filming.
The men, in Austin on Monday night for a mini-reunion appearance, said they were all banned from having the items during filming, but somehow Swiderski had access. They now say reports that Swiderski was in relationships with two more women during filming are pretty damning.
“I think I saw it coming,” said David Good, the Ohio transportation business exec who was portrayed as angry and often drunk on the show. He just missed the cut for the final 10.
Good — who joined Austinite Wes Hayden, Dallas resident Tanner Pope, New Yorker Mike Stagliano and winemaker Jesse Kovacs at downtown hotspot Ranch 616 - met Austin fans and reminisced about the past season of the ABC show, and subsequent fallout. The event was in part the brainchild of Austin publicist Pam Blanton, a fan of the series who helped get the men together in Austin.
Reached Tuesday, Warner Horizon, the show’s production company, had no comment about what the men said during the reunion.
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August 8, 2009
Kate Gosselin speaks in Austin
Speaking in Austin on Saturday, Kate Gosselin said that the very public end of her marriage this year has rivaled being pregnant with sextuplets as the toughest time in her life.
“There have been days I have not wanted to get out of bed,” Gosselin, the star of the TLC series “Jon and Kate Plus 8,” told the audience at the Balance Expo for Women at the Palmer Events Center. The Gosselins are parents of a set of twins and a set of sextuplets. They announced their separation in June.
She said a focus on her children keeps her going, and that she and the children have gotten closer than ever this summer.
“They are happy, they are healthy, they are loved,” Gosselin, who’s also the author of “Multiple Bles8ings: Surviving to Thriving with Twins and Sextuplets” and “Eight Little Faces.”
She asserted that the media scrutiny on her family would not go away if they ended the show, which she said helps provide for the children and is a healthy and normal part of life for them.
Gosselin made frequent references to Jon in relating stories about her family, but took only gentle digs.
“We always joked that when we met we should have walked the other direction,” she said early in her talk, acknowledging the events of the past few months.
Gosselin said she grew up dreaming of being a mother one day, and of especially wanting twins. She had her own twins, Mady and Cara, at 25, what she felt was an advanced age for having her first children.
She devoted a large part of her talk to relating stories of her pregnancy with sextuplets and was frank about the physical and emotional difficulties. “It was like a jail sentence,” she said of her long hospitalization during the pregnancy. Unable to work herself and with her husband out of a job, she described “that terrible guilt that you’re bringing these babies into the world and you can’t provide for them.”
Gosselin said she started allowing news coverage of her family to update all those who had helped them in caring for the children about how the kids were doing. She cited her faith frequently in talking about getting through the pregnancy and the first years of the sextuplets’ lives.
With the dissolution of her marriage and the tabloid attention, she said she felt she was being tested again, but that it renewed for her the goal of being the best mother possible.
“The decisions that I make are not taken lightly,” she said.
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August 6, 2009
Kate Gosselin will be on 'Today' 2 days after Austin visit
Kate Gosselin will give her first TV interview since her separation on the “Today” show Monday, NBC has announced.
The star of the TLC show “Jon & Kate Plus 8” is scheduled to be in Austin this weekend to speak at the Balance Expo on Saturday.
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August 5, 2009
Who should replace Paula on 'American Idol'?
This photo illustration shows what the ‘American Idol’ panel could look like next season, if they move judge Kara DioGuardi over to the right of Randy Jackson (and crop her out of this picture) and if Cyndi Lauper were made a new judge and her head became abnormally large. Photo illustration by Dale Roe from Associated Press photos.
So … Paula Abdul, FOX and The Associated Press all say contract negotiations were unsuccessful and that “American Idol’s” original loopy, female judge will not be back.
“With sadness in my heart,” Abdul notified her Twitter fans in a surprisingly lucid tweet, “I’ve decided not to return. I’ll miss nurturing all the new talent, but most of all being a part of a show that I helped from day 1 become an international phenomenon” (actually, that must have been a couple of tweets).
FOX and the show’s producers noted that the “tremendous talent” that is Paula has been “an important part of the ‘American Idol’ family over the last eight seasons and we are saddened that she has decided not to return to the show.”
Wow.
Can you imagine an Abdul-less “Idol?” Was evil Kara DioGuardi brought on to force Paula’s hand and get her to leave? Could you honestly sit and watch Simon and Kara square off every week? I’m not sure it works for me — isn’t “Idol” pretty much the “Simon and Paula Show?”
I’m hoping that this is all just posturing or a stupid, awful sideshow befitting the “Idol” circus. After all, we heard the same thing about the voice cast of “Futurama” weeks ago and that drama ended happily ever after.
But, just in case nobody steps in and fixes this mess (Bill Clinton, are you reading this?), we need an additional female judge on the panel. I’ve seen the name “Cyndi Lauper” bandied about on Twitter and Facebook (okay, I’ve actually joined in on the bandying; I have bandied). I think she’d be okay, but she’s probably too rational and savvy (and, anyway, she’s not “so unusual” any more).
Who would be your pick to replace Abdul? Let me know, below.
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July 28, 2009
Court appoints guardian to oversee estate of Octomom's kids
Score one for the kids. From the Associated Press:
A California judge appointed a lawyer Monday to oversee the estate of Nadya Suleman’s octuplets, saying he wanted to ensure they weren’t exploited by reality television shows, tabloid photo spreads or other paid ventures. Orange County Superior Court Judge Gerald Johnston dismissed arguments for family privacy and ruled Monday that an independent party should be appointed to scrutinize the finances of Suleman’s octuplets.
Suleman just inked a deal for her octuplets, born in January, to join her six other children (all under age 8) in a reality television program to begin filming in September. The children stand to collectively earn nearly $250,000 over the three years of the contract. The petition for a guardian was filed on behalf of Paul Peterson, a former child star and advocate for child entertainers.
Read the full story here.
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July 27, 2009
More octuplets headed to television
Nadya Suleman has signed a deal to star in a reality television series to be filmed by a British production company. Suleman gave birth to the six boys and two girls in January and also has six other children. Nick Ut/Associated Press
“Octomom” Nadya Suleman has inked a deal for each of her 14 children to earn $250 a day to star in a reality television show to begin filming September 1, according to court documents obtained by the Associated Press. The contract guarantees that the children will earn a total of nearly $250,000 over three years.
15 percent of the pay will be deposited by production company Eyeworks (“Breaking Bonaduce”) into a trust account which can’t be touched until the children turn 18 or become legally emancipated, the story says. That leaves Suleman with only $213,000 of “mad money,” by my count.
What do you think? Will you watch “Nadya Plus Eight Plus Six?” I think I’ll pass.
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July 21, 2009
Dr. Laura and Kate Gosselin: Incompatible panelists?
TVWeek has dug up a blog post about reality television star Kate Gosselin written by conservative talk show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger about a month and a half ago. Both women are slated to appear in Austin Saturday, August 8 as speakers at the Balance Expo for Women 2009.
The event “explores the variety of resources available addressing family, work, fitness and more,” according to the Expo Web site.
TVWeek quotes in part, from Schlessinger’s blog:
My heart goes out to the kids. Is it humane to children to let their parents exploit them in a television program when their images and intimacies are exposed to everyone for all time when they have no say or control? Is it in the children’s best interests to be USED as entertainment by two parents so self-absorbed that they put money and celebrity in front of their children’s privacy? It’s like putting your children in a circus freak show strip and having a barker yelling: “Come in, come in and see what happens to children when their parents use them for your entertainment… It’s exciting, it’s damaging, but you won’t be able to take your eyes off ‘em. Watch ‘em wiggle. Watch ‘em cry. Watch ‘em squirm. It’s so much fun…bring popcorn and beer and come watch the show.”
Do you agree with Dr. Laura?
I’m not sure I’m the target audience for the Expo, but I’d like to do some people-watching in the green room.
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July 20, 2009
Kate Gosselin coming to Austin
Reality television star Kate Gosselin of TLC’s beleagured “Jon & Kate Plus 8” is slated to appear in Austin at Balance Expo for Women 2009, Saturday August 8 at the Palmer Events Center. The event, sponsored by Mix 94.7, Majic 95.5 and Talk 1370, “explores the variety of resources available addressing family, work, fitness and more,” according to the Expo Web site..
Gosselin, whose strained relationship with husband Jon has been the subject of both the suspended season of her show and tabloid headlines, is slated to discuss “how she balances her career, her life as a TV reality show star, her children, and how she’s handling her much-publicized divorce,” the site says. Family problems don’t seem to be affecting speaking engagements for Gosselin, who is making a similar appearance at a California event.
Other speakers are slated to appear, including: radio talk show host, Dr. Laura Schlessinger; life coach Ann Daly; and “American Idol” Season 7 finalist Michael Johns. The event will be preceded by the Balance 5K - a women’s only 5k benefiting the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. Register for the run here.
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So You Think You Can Dance Tour coming to Austin
The So You Think You Can Dance Tour is coming to Austin in October, and tickets go on sale Saturday.
The show will be Oct. 27 at The Theatre at the Frank Erwin Center, according to a news release from the venue. Fan favorites including Ade, Brandon, Evan, Janette, Jason, Jeanine, Kayla, Kupono, Melissa, and Randi will perform.
Tickets are $38.50, $48.50, and $56. They will go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at all Texas Box Office Outlets (including select H-E-B stores). Tickets are also available by phone at 477-6060 or 1-800-982-2386 and online at TexasBoxOffice.com.
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Would you watch an Abdul-less Idol?
“American Idol” judges, from left, Simon Cowell, Kara DioGuardi, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson. Jason DeCrow, Associated Press photo
The Associated Press and other sources are reporting that Paula Abdul might not be back as a judge next season on “American Idol.”
What do you think? Would you boycott an “Idol” devoid of Paula’s goofy antics or is it time for her to go?
Sound off!
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July 19, 2009
More with Wes Hayden of 'The Bachelorette'
If you read Claudia Grisales’ interview with Wes Hayden and want more, here are some additional excerpts from their conversation.
What’s the reaction been like since you were featured on the show?
It’s intense. The hate mail is intense. People have actually called my record promoter and she’s actually had a death threat. And then my ex-girlfriend, they mentioned her name on TV. She is getting so much hate mail. They have taken her cell phone and plastered it all over the Internet. It’s a hateful thing.
Did you have a sense you would be portrayed this way?
I never thought they would hear me saying everything in context and then just cut me how they wanted. I’m from a small town in Texas; we don’t do things like that. I don’t intentionally try to make somebody out to be a bad person, but this is Hollywood, this is how these people get paid.
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July 17, 2009
Catch "Catch it Keep it" tonight on Science Channel
Zach Selwyn and Mike Senese hope their show catches on. Science.Discovery.com photo.
I like Discovery Channel’s “Mythbusters,” but there’s never really anything at stake, is there?
The Science Channel may have solved this problem with “Catch It Keep It,” premiering tonight at 9pm Central.
Part “Mythbusters,” part “Trading Spaces” and part reality show, “Catch It Keep It” follows a trio of competitors guided by host Zach Selwyn as they attempt to win a prize by rescuing it from certain destruction in a span of 48 hours.
In tonight’s episode, for example, the contestants must design and construct a counter weight net system to catch a $2500 Il Bello Fly Scooter when it’s launched off a 15 degree, 80 foot ramp, 26 feet off the ground at 40 MPH. The perilous situation meant to result in decimation for each week’s prize is designed by Science Channel’s “engineer of destruction,” Mike Senese.
At the end of each show, the contestants’ rescue schemes are put to the test. Then Senese tells how he would have solved the puzzle with his own design and build.
Future episodes include rescuing an 100-gallon aquarium from the forces of a level 5 hurricane; protecting a year’s supply of beer from a powerful explosive charge; and saving a Gibson Les Paul guitar from a firestorm of thermite.
In other words, it’s still smashing, burning and blowing stuff up, but there’s a catch.
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July 9, 2009
New 'Project Runway' cast has 2 Texans
The long-delayed sixth season of “Project Runway” finally arrives next month. Lifetime, the show’s new home, has heightened the anticipation by releasing the names of the latest batch of contestants.
Two hail from Texas. Shirin Askari, 25, is from Garland, and Louise Black, 32, is from Dallas, according to the Associated Press. Get an early look at their work by clicking here and here.
The new season of “Project Runway” begins Aug. 20
The rest of the contestants:
Ra’Mon-Lawrence Coleman, 31, of Milwaukee.
Rodney Epperson, 50, of New York.
Ari Fish, 26, of Kansas City, Mo.
Qristyl Frazier, 42, of New York.
Gordana Gehlhausen, 45, of San Diego.
Mitchell Hall, 26, of Savannah, Ga.
Althea Harper, 25, of New York.
Logan Neitzel, 25, of Seattle.
Nicolas Putvinksi, 27, of New York.
Johnny Sakalis, 30, of Los Angeles.
Irina Shabeyeva, 27, of New York.
Christopher Straub, 30, of Shakopee, Minn.
Malvin Vien, 24, of New York.
Carol Hannah Whitfield, 24, of New York.
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June 26, 2009
Texas casting call for 'The Biggest Loser'
Everything’s bigger in Texas, and NBC is counting on it. “The Biggest Loser,” the network’s hit weight-loss reality series, is including San Antonio on a contestant-seeking tour this summer. Producers will be in San Antonio July 11 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Nix downtown, 414 Navarro St.
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June 22, 2009
Idol finalists on musical Journey
The “American Idol” Top 10 (well, Top 9 and a wax dummy … see Adam Lambert photo, left) seem to be full of “Glee.” Rehearsing in Burbank for their nationwide summer tour, the performers worked on a version of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” a song which enjoyed a resurgence in popularity after a catchy madrigal version was featured in the pilot of the FOX fall series, “Glee,” according to the Associated Press. I smell some cross-promotion here. Just sayin’.
The tour kicks off July 5 in Oregon.
In this June 7, 2009 file photo, singer Adam Lambert arrives at the Hollywood Life 11th Annual Young Hollywood Awards in Santa Monica, Calif. Dan Steinberg photo, Associated Press
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June 16, 2009
Austinites: Is one of you the next American Idol?
We’re heading up to Dallas for the ‘American Idol’ auditions. Are you?
If you live in the Austin area and plan to try out on Friday, June 26 at Dallas Cowboys New Stadium, let us know. We’d like to meet you up there, ask you some questions, snap a few pictures and give you some ink (you might as well get used to the paparazzi now).
Mostly we’d like to get in good with you so that when you release your debut CD (we’ll give you a pass on the sure-to-be-crummy “coronation song” Simon Fuller will release as your first single) we can hang with you and get a signed copy.
Click here to e-mail us.
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June 11, 2009
'Real Housewife' in hospital for baby's birth
If you’re a fan of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” — and we have to admit we are — Life & Style Weekly is reporting that Jacqueline Laurita is in the hospital for delivery of son Nicholas via C-section.
Jacqueline’s attempts to have a third child have been a storyline on the Bravo reality show, which has its season finale next Tuesday at 9.
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June 10, 2009
'Top Chef Masters' sounds tempting
“Top Chef Masters” premieres tonight at 9 on Bravo. From the reviews, the new show sounds reminiscent of a Bravo classic that used to occupy this Wednesday timeslot: “Project Runway” (which has moved to the Lifetime network).
Like “Runway,” “Top Chef Masters” makes skill and creativity the main attractions instead of amped-up dramatics. If you’re looking for a nicer alternative to the summer’s sleazier reality offerings (such as “I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!”) this show should be worth a try.
The competition pits award-winning chefs against each other in challenges such as preparing a dinner in a dorm room using a microwave and hot plates. It is, of course, a spinoff of the original “Top Chef,” whose contestants haven’t yet made it big.
The L.A. Times calls “Top Chef Masters” “A thing of pure delight, it takes all the ego out of the equation and leaves only the art.”
The New York Daily News says: “Those who prefer TV food competition shows to be blood sport may find that ‘Top Chef Masters’ starts out a little tame. But it’s a tasty treat for those who enjoy food and would like to think that people who prepare it feel the same.”
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June 8, 2009
'American Idol' Kris Allen sings Anthem, inks contract
Kris Allen sings the National Anthem before game 2 of the 2009 NBA Finals
Fresh off his National Anthem performance before game 2 of the NBA finals Sunday, “American Idol” champ Kris Allen has been officially signed to 19 Recordings/Jive Records, Entertainment Weekly reports.
I hadn’t realized that Allen already has two singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including the stupid, awful coronation theme “No Boundaries” (co-written by Idol judge Kara DioGuardi). If that aural mess can chart so high, it only bodes well for Allen’s full album’s late fall release.
Are you the next American Idol?
The FOX television show just wrapped its 8th season, but season 9 audition dates have been announced and Dallas is on the list. Registrations are June 24-25 with tryouts on the 26th. If you’re planning on hopping the highway to stardom (that would be I-35 North) by auditioning, please e-mail me at droe@statesman.com. We might want to follow you up there for a future story.
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June 7, 2009
'I'm A Celebrity' star Heidi Pratt hospitalized
In what can only be described, if true, as a bone thrown to viewers, tmz.com reports that Heidi Pratt (“The HIlls”) and her husband Spencer, stars of NBC’s summer reality offering, “I’m A Celebrity — Get Me Out Of Here!,” have been “tortured” by the network for attempting to leave the show.
The Web site claims a cast member compared treatment of the Pratts, who were locked in a dark room for a day and night with only rice, water and beans, to that of detainees at Guantanamo Bay. Ms. Pratt was reportedly taken to a hospital where she was diagnosed diagnosed with a gastric ulcer.
It’s hard to imagine how the likes of Sanjaya Malakar or Stephen Baldwin would know about the inner workings at Gitmo (although, if there’s any justice, Rod Blagojevich, former Illinois Governor and wife of the show’s Patti, might eventually spend some time there) but it’s a safe bet that the only real torture NBC is inflicting is upon anyone who accidentally lands on this show while channel surfing.
The Pratts (best name-to-occupation match since my old hometown’s Chiropractor, “Will Tickle”) have been pulling a “we’re leaving … no, we’re staying” routine since the show began last week, successfully making themselves the most annoying and talked-about contestants. It remains to be seen if this hoopla is all just designed to generate more publicity for “Celebrity,” which takes up two more hours of network prime time Monday at 7 p.m.
NBC may be trying to pass this obnoxious couple off as famous, but my prediction is that the only way they’ll get TV time after this show ends is by having octuplets.
Are you a “Celebrity” fan? Do you think this is all orchestrated? Post your comments below.
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June 1, 2009
Boyle loses? Britain's got talons
“Britain’s Got Talent” runner-up and Internet phenomenon Susan Boyle is being treated for exhaustion at a mental health clinic in London today, according to the Associated Press.
Amidst cries of unfair treatment by the media, Boyle was admitted to The Priory, a clinic that caters to celebrities.
“Nobody has had to put up with the kind of attention Susan has had. Nobody could have predicted it,” Piers Morgan, a “Britain’s Got Talent” judge, said on British television.
Admonishment of “elements of a press who like nothing better than to build people up and then drag them down” came from Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond (Boyle resides in a small Scottish town).
In the end, predicted winner Boyle, who sang “I Dreamed A Dream” from “Les Miserables,” lost to Diversity, a dance group, by almost 5 percent of the 4 million votes cast.
Here are the show’s final performances from Boyle and Diversity, as well as the naming of the winner.
Susan Boyle:
Diversity:
And the winner is …
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'Multiple' happenings on reality television
If Kate and Jon Gosselin’s crumbling marriage leads to the cancellation of their TLC reality show (will you be watching tonight?) we all have something else to look forward to: the Associated Press is reporting that Nadya Suleman has inked a deal to star in her own television gig.
A production company has signed the “Octomom” (who, in addition to her six other children, gave birth to six boys and two girls in January) to a documentary-style show “less intrusive than a reality TV type of program.”
The show hasn’t yet been sold to an American television network. TLC (home of “Jon & Kate Plus 8”) had expressed interest in working with Sulemon following the octuplets’ births but, according to Entertainment Weekly, the backlash against the idea on the cable network’s message boards led TLC to reconsider.
Netherlands production company Eyeworks “came up with this idea, presented (it) to her and she liked it because she’ll get to use a camera and do some of the filming herself,” Sulemon’s lawyer told The Associated Press.
Well, yeah, that explains it. It would be a shame to let the logistics and rigors of raising fourteen kids under the age of 7 as a single mother get in the way of some fun videography — everybody needs a creative outlet!
I haven’t heard of any possible titles being floated for the show, so let me suggest the one of the following — Eyeworks, take your pick:
Eight Isn’t Enough
The More, The Scarier
Ocean’s 14 (hey, she lives in California — there’s gotta’ be a body of water around there somewhere)
The Young and the Restless (whoops, already taken!)
Almost 16 Candles
Fertility Bites
Can’t wait, but hate Jon & Kate? WEtv, home of “Platinum Weddings” and “Women Behind Bars,” debuts “Raising Sextuplets” June 11 at 9 p.m. The show chronicles the lives of proud parents Jenny (TCU grad!) and Bryan Masche, and their babies Savannah Jane, Bailey Elizabeth, Grant William, Cole Robert, Molli Grace and Blake Nickolas.
Jenny describes the “multiples” experience on the WE site:
“The great joy of raising sextuplets is definitely the six smiling faces calling out ‘mama, dada,’ the twelve little feet running toward you and the twelve little arms around your neck hugging you! Six little mouths to kiss and six little ones to cuddle… the amount of love we experience for the six of them is sometimes incomprehensible, and we feel our hearts may burst!”
Don’t worry, Jenny. Should that happen, there’ll be plenty of camera men, wardrobe folks, boom mic operators and other crew members around to dial 911.
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May 29, 2009
'Idol' judge outs Adam Lambert on 'The View'
This morning on “The View,” “American Idol” judge Kara DioGuardi told Barbara Walters that “Idol” runner-up Adam Lambert is gay.
“I don’t think that Adam was ever in (the closet),” DioGuardi told Walters. “I think he was always openly out.”
Lambert has been coy about his sexuality, a subject of speculation and debate during the “Idol” season.
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May 25, 2009
'Jon & Kate' not getting along so great
I must confess that I’m not a “Jon & Kate Plus 8” watcher. Having spent the early years of my marriage around a bunch of daycare infants, I’ve really had no desire to relive the trials and tribulations of child rearing vicariously through the Gosselin couple, their twins and sextuplets.
Lately, though, as the show prepared to head into its fifth season, the hype has been impossible to escape. Salacious tabloid headlines are everywhere, and if “Jon,” “Kate” and “infidelity” were terrorist buzzwords, recent Internet chatter would have placed the country on high alert.
I watched several episodes of the “J&K” TLC marathon, trying to understand what all the excitement was about — the March 23 season four finale scored the best ratings in the series’ history. The big question then was how the couple’s marriage was tolerating their growing celebrity, and a cliffhanger of a fourth-season ender led viewers and the Gosselins alike to wonder if the show would continue.
But here they are and, according to an interview with Entertainment Weekly, they’re doing it for the kids.
Today’s premiere hammered that point home relentlessly as the Gosselins’ celebrated (?) the sextuplets’ 5th birthday party. Opening with separate interviews of a weary-looking, flush and unshaven Jon and an immaculate Kate (was there any doubt she’d have this all compartmentalized and tidy?) the show seemed to dive right into the tabloid controversy but, in reality, barely broke the surface of the shallow end. There were plenty of references to vague indiscretions, but few details and no direct admissions of guilt.
Kate dismissed the claims of an affair with her bodyguard outright, explaining that she travels for her job (she has authored books based on her experiences raising eight children) and must take security with her. The tabloids’ allegations, she protested, made her furious. That’s all we heard about that.
Much more time was indirectly spent on reports that Jon had engaged in an affair with a 23-year-old schoolteacher (photos of the pair driving together are easily found online). Jon says “Whether it’s true or false doesn’t matter — it affects every part of your life.” He claims that he hasn’t been thinking clearly enough for months, but adds, “I never cheated on Kate, and that’s the way it is.”
Still, no matter what they say to each other in private, there’s more going on here than the Gosselins are willing to admit to their audience, at least so far.
Much of the episode focused on preparations for the children’s birthday party. Jon was noticeably absent, and Kate didn’t miss an opportunity to point out that she was handling all of the preparations by herself.
During the party itself, both spouses are in attendance. They walk past each other many times but fail to acknowledge each other’s presence. The children, eating cake and swinging at pinatas, seem oblivious to the marital strife. In the couch interview at the end of the show, when we do finally see Jon and Kate together, they are together in only the most perfunctory way, and they remain so for only a short time.
Neither can describe the status of their relationship; neither can predict where it’s heading.
Kate, wiping tears from her eyes, says the party was important because it could be “our last family picture.” Jon talks about how important it is to be friends and able to get along “whether you’re married or not married.”
They both talk about how they need to make sure their kids remain safe, happy and loved.
It remains to be seen if the show’s many fans will stick with it if its main themes become “can this marriage be saved?” and the paparazzi-bashing cries of “we never asked for any of this” (yes, you did).
My impression heading into this episode was that Kate was depicted as a shrew, constantly putting her husband down and taking him to task. What a difference a few months can make. I am aware that reality show plotlines are skewed to and fro through editing as nimbly as if they were written in advance, but Kate really came across as the sympathetic character here.
In the end, her birthday-party observation about the irony of how we treat cartoonish pinatas serves as an apt subconscious assessment of the growing pains her show (and family) is going through: “You have characters you love,” she says, “and you just beat ’em to death.”
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May 19, 2009
All singing, all dancing: "Glee" debut; "Dancing" finale
It’s good, old fashioned hoofin’ and hollerin’ on television tonight.
Over on FOX, check out the debut of “Glee,” a rare one-hour comedy series from Ryan Murphy, the creator of “Nip/Tuck” and “Popular.” Tonight’s pilot episode is engaging, especially the snarky first half. Applying equal amounts of “Malcolm in the Middle,” “High School Musical” and “School of Rock,” “Glee” follows an idealistic teacher in his efforts to recruit popular, talented members to McKinley High’s show choir (currently populated by misfits and social outcasts) and regain the group’s former glory. The school’s principal has given him just two months to turn the program around.
Stereotypes abound … students include a conflicted athlete/singer and an arrogant ingenue (see “HSM”), the nerdy kid in the wheelchair (see “Malcolm”), a stutterer and a sassy, full-figured diva (see “School of Rock”).
The teaching staff borrows its own familiar cast of sitcom characters, featuring the gruff football coach, stern cheerleading taskmaster, overly-sensitive counselor and no-nonsense principal. Nothing particularly new here (well, the former glee club director does have a new career selling his extra medical marijuana), but the writing is sharp and the musical numbers are well-executed, if cheesy.
“Glee” works best when it focuses on the funny and romantic … the staff members, especially, are full of surprising quirks, and a budding romance between married club director Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) and fellow teacher Emma Pillsbury (Jayma Mays, with impossibly big, brown eyes) is, so far, not acted upon and sweet.
Less successful are the overly-earnest “we can do it” and “be who you want to be” scenes, as well as the sticky subplot involving Will’s unhappy marriage. It remains to be seen where “Glee” will go after tonight’s set-up, but I’m hopeful Murphy and crew can keep the maudlin to a minimum. Like the McKinley’s principal, I am willing to give it a couple of months.
Over on ABC, “Dancing With The Stars” stages its Season 8 finale. Actor Gilles Marini and partner Cheryl Burke seem to be the odds-on favorite to take home the Mirrorball trophy, but popular opinion says the three finalist duos are as closely matched as any in the show’s history.
“Glee,” FOX, 8 p.m. “Dancing With The Stars,” ABC, 7 p.m.
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February 12, 2009
"Survivor" debuts with Austin's Joe Dowdle, KEYE-ex Nanci Wilson heading for KXAN
Joe Dowdle, a 26-year-old real estate broker from Austin, is one of the 16 castaways the new season of “Survivor: Tocantins — The Brazilian Highlands.”
He will join one of the competing tribes when the 18th season premieres tonight at 7 on CBS.
Dowdle is a University of Texas graduate and an official member of the Texas Cowboys, a service organization that acts as “ambassadors” for the school.
In his “Survivor” statement, Dowdle says he thinks he’ll win the competition because he is “dedicated, goal oriented” and plans to use a “persuade-and-evade” strategy to make alliances and win challenges.
We’ll keep track.
Nanci Wilson headed for KXAN
Nanci Wilson, who recently resigned from KEYE, will join KXAN when her six-month non-compete clause expires.
She will be heading up the NBC affiliate’s investigative team, which is similar to what she was doing at KEYE.
Good for KXAN and good for Austin news hounds. Now if KXAN would just pick up ex-KEYE capital ace Keith Elkins …
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February 11, 2009
Hooray for Stump! And get ready for new "Dancing"
Hooray for Stump! The 10 year-old Sussex spaniel who won best-in-show at the “Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show” last night was a crowd favorite that prompted squeals and cheers similar to beagle-boy Uno’s victory last year.
USA’s coverage of the two-night canine extravaganza had its moments of glory, but, as usual, the cable net packed the six hours with so many of the same Pedigree commercials you want to boycott the brand forever.
Doggie expert and eloquent analyst David Frei did his usual fine job, paired this year with Westminster first-timer Mary Carillo. Loved her … she was clearly enjoying herself and reacted to some of the weirder looking dogs just like the rest of us.
“So what’s the hair-to-dog ratio on a Pekingese?” she chuckled as last night’s Peke waddled past the cameras.
Of course we watch the Westminster dog show to ooh and aah over the sleek and huge pure-breds, as well as the fluffy-cute toys and terriers. But we also watch for the odd-lookers, the ones with too much skin, too much hair and other humorous traits. We wonder, as Carillo did, what a Pekingese would look like shaved.
Unlike most awards shows, Westminster always finishes on time — and usually in a swirl of woof-woof excitement. Stump didn’t leap up and howl, as Uno did last year, but he carried his crown with dignity and distinction. Big woof.
Another strange bunch of stars heading for “Dancing with the Stars”
ABC announced its cast of hoofers yesterday for the new season that arrives March 9.
Don’t you think pro Julianne Hough and her singer-songwriter boyfriend Chuck Wicks have a bit of an unfair advantage? There are other couples in the mix, but none of them paired with each other.
Jewel and her bull-rider husband Ty Murray have signed on for Season 8, but they will compete against each other. And newly engaged professional dancers Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Karina Smirnoff are in the mix, but not paired together.
Athletes usually have an advantage. This time around we’ll have big ol’ NFL-er Lawrence Taylor and teensy-weensy Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson. At 17, Shawn will be the youngest “Dancing” competitor ever … and the shortest.
B-list actor/reality stars include Denise Richards, Gilles Marini and Steve-O. And the list includes singers Belinda Carlisle and Lil’ Kim, “Access Hollywood” anchor Nancy O’Dell and computer wizard Steve Wozniak. The latter likely will be the first to go. He seems like stunt casting.
Last and definitely not least is film and TV actor/comedian David Alan Grier (currently on “Chocolate News”), who is my pick for the season’s surprise winner. I just have a feeling he’s going to hit the floor with a flourish and wipe out the competition. Two snaps.
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September 10, 2008
'Greatest Dog' crowned tonight, 'ER' will bring back dead Dr. Greene
We’re down to three. Which pooch do you think deserves to be crowned “America’s Greatest Dog?”
The CBS canine reality show concludes with tonight’s finale at 7. The final three teams compete for the title with a Best in Show competition that will feature more challenging events from previous weeks.
I know some people love these little pups with hairdos that require clips, but I prefer low upkeep dogs, the kind you can roll around with in the grass without having to comb and fluff them after.
For no reason other than a personal hunch, I’m going with the boxer (the guy in the middle photo) to take the title.
‘ER’ brings back the dead
Dr. Mark Greene died of a brain tumor after eight seasons on the acclaimed NBC medical drama “ER.” The lingering death took up most of a season, and we actually witnessed his death. He’s been a goner since spring 2002.
So how can “ER,” which is entering its 15th and final season on Sept. 25, announce that Anthony Edwards will reprise his role on Nov. 13.
Executive producer John Wells declined to explain the resurrection — except to say that Dr. Greene will not actually return from the dead but be seen in flashbacks.
But because most of the characters Greene interacted with also are gone or dead, it’s unclear how and why those flashbacks will happen.
Also returning for the final season will be Noah Wiley, whose character, Dr. John Carter, wandered off to Africa when last we saw him.
Could be a season filled with ghosts.
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August 25, 2008
Bye-bye Olympics, hello 'Dancing'
If only there had been one day between the end of the Beijing Olympics and the beginning of yet another television marathon …
Before we settle into coverage of the Democratic and Republican conventions — potential first lady Michelle Barack is the first featured Democratic star tonight in Denver — we pause to take a quick look at last night’s closing ceremony from Bejing.
Although it degenerated into something vaguely reminiscent of a Las Vegas extravaganza, the official closer nevertheless had its moments.
The human tower of dancers switching from impersonating flowers to metal siding to lapping flames, the drummers turning themselves from one thing into another, the fireworks that turned much of Beijng from night to day …
The Chinese certainly proved capable of putting on a show. And, according to many athletes interviewed over the past 17 days, the Chinese also put on an extraordinarily well-run and enjoyable sporting competition.
Polite and enthusiastic crowds filled nearly all the venues, whether Chinese athletes were performing or not. Yes, the cheers for home competitors were heartier (I believe “near deafening” is how one commentator put it), but Americans and others were greeted extremely warmly, too.
London in 2012 has some very big shoes to fill.
Next round of hoofers on ‘Dancing wth the Stars’
When this wildly popular reality competition returns to ABC on Sept. 22, one of the celebrity competitors will be an 82-year-old actress and an 18-year-old actor.
Seriously. I’m not making this up.
Joining relative whippersnappers like singers Lance Bance and Toni Braxton will be Cloris Leachman, a nine-time Emmy winner perhaps best known as Mary Tyler Moore’s best pal Phyllis on the old “MTM Show.”
According to many sources, Leachman was born in April of 1926. So, unless my math is mistaken, she’s 82. Talk about ground-breaking!
The new season of “Dancing” also will include 18-year-old actor Cody Linley, best known as Jake Ryan on Disney’s series “Hannah Montana.”
Celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito, sprinter Maurice Greene, reality celebutante Kim Kardashian, soap star Susan Lucci, gold-medal beach volleyball star Misty May-Treanor, B-list actor Ted McGinley and retired NFL defensive back Warren Sapp also will be among the competitors.
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August 6, 2008
So you think you can watch the dancers, China, presidential debates and more?
We’re down to the final four tonight and the actual winners tomorrow night on “So You Think You Can Dance.”
Have you picked your favorites? In case you’ve lost track, the final four are: Courtney G., Katee, Joshua and Twitch. The hoofing, spinning, splitting and cheerleader-style gymnastics begin at 7 tonight and 7 Thursday night on Fox.
And if you need more information than one human being can possibly consume, check out the Fox site.
Fox is so high on this show it has already been renewed it, and creator/executive producer Nigel Lythgoe already has announced he is leaving his behind-the-scenes job on “American Idol” to devote himself to his on-camera (he’s a judge) and off-camera roles on “Dance.”
ABC looks at ‘China Inside Out’
If you’re in the mood for a thought-provoking documentary as you settle in for 17 days of the Beijing Olympics, ABC’s got a winner in “China Inside Out.” The program airs tonight at 9 in place of “Primetime.”
The report by Bob Woodruff looks at predictions that we’re heading into “the Chinese century” and whether that’s a good or bad thing for the rest of the world. Woodruff, by the way, speaks Mandarin and began his journalism career covering the uprisings in Tiananmen Square in 1989.
With the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics coming Friday night, this is an intriguing and timely look at the global impact of China and the impact of the communist revolution.
Woodruff, you might recall, continues to recover from the traumatic brain injury he suffered in January 2006 while covering the Iraq war. The road back has been long, with many frustrations and setbacks, but Woodruff appears to be on top of his game with this special.
Debates could use snappy moderators
The Commission on Presidential Debates has named Jim Lehrer and Gwen Ifill of PBS, Tom Brokaw of NBC News and Bob Schieffer of CBS News as moderators of the three presidential debates and one vice-presidental debate.
For the serious-minded among us, this is good news. It means that neither Fox’s Bill O’Reilly nor MSNBC’s Chris Matthews will embarrass themselves, the candidates and the audience with loud, obnoxious questions.
Lehrer, of course, is the calmer-than-calm anchor of “The NewsHour,” and Ifill is the brainy and smooth moderator of “Washington Week.” Brokaw, of course, is NBC’s former anchor and current fill-in for the late Tim Russert on “Meet the Press.”
But wouldn’t it have been fun to have Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert alternate the four gatherings? Seriously, ratings would soar.
And John McCain and Barack Obama have been honing their comedy skills all through the campaign.
Opportunity lost …
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July 30, 2008
Ratings: broadcast=bad, cable=good!
You know we’re in the dry, dull days of summer when the top-rated show of the week is “American’s Got Talent” — followed closely by “Wipeout” and a weary rerun of “Two and a Half Men.”
Check out the full Nielsen Top 20 list.
When 10 million people are tuning in to a show that pokes fun at people trying to leap over big pink balls, you know you’re dealing with terminally bored viewers.
But I lift my spirits somewhat when I check out the Nielsen ratings for cable. Now that list has some good shows that reflect viewers’ good taste.
Last week’s top-rated cable program was TNT’s “The Closer,” which attracted 7 million quality-starved viewers. About 5 million viewers also tuned in for fresh episodes of “Saving Grace,” “Monk,” “Burn Notice” and ‘Law & Order: Criminal Intent.” That’s 5 million for each of those original cable shows.
Whole lot a’ shakin’ at “Big Brother”
Monday’s Los Angeles earthquake shivered the timbers at the “Big Brother” house, which I’m sure we’ll get to see repeatedly on the CBS reality show.
Caught on tape, the quake had the inhabitants wandering outside, trying to figure out what to do next — and possibly trying to figure out if an earthquake was really happening or if they’d gotten hold of a bad mojito.
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July 28, 2008
Emmys to get five reality hosts; Fox hoofers coming to Austin
Kicking off the official TV season on Emmy night, a handful of reality show hosts will be in charge.
The announcement shouldn’t have been a big surprise — the Emmys have been flailing around in search of viewers for several years. But the decision to rotate five reality hosts in the master of ceremonies role seems to me like the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has given up any attempt to have the awards show celebrate true prime-time quality.
Sure, the nominated categories will include classy fare like “Mad Men” and “The Office,” and presumably all of the nominees will show up for the ceremony Sept. 21. But the hosts set the tone, and I just don’t see these folks serving up a classy tone. Howie Mandel? Oh, puleeze.
ABC’s telecast of the Emmys will feature, Ryan Seacrest of “American Idol” (last year’s solo host, a harbinger of this year’s pending disaster), Tom Bergeron of “Dancing with the Stars,” Mandel of “Dear or No Deal,” Heidi Klum of “Project Runway” and Jeff Probst of “Survivor.”
The ceremony’s executive producer, Ken Ehrlich, tried to justify the decision Friday be saying it was an attempt to “stay current with the state of television today.” Right. It’s a blatant attempt to lure the millions of people who watch reality shows.
And that would be fine if somehow watching the Emmys shoved viewers into paying attention to the really good (but sadly low-rated) shows out there like “Pushing Daisies” and “Friday Night Lights.”
Last year’s Emmy telecast was the second-lowest rated ceremony ever, with fewer than 13 million viewers tuning in. That’s about half the number that watches “American Idol” — and, lest we forget, Seacrest hosted that one.
So … maybe someone should explain to the Academy folks that viewers don’t watch reality shows for the hosts. They watch to see the real people who are competing.
Austin veteran on MTV tonight
A quick reminder: Austin’s own Lorenzo Zarate is one of three Iraq war veterans to be featured on MTV’s “Choose or Lose & Kanye West Present: Homecoming” (tonight at 9).
My colleague Patrick George wrote about Zarate’s surprise visit from famed rapper Kanye in today’s Metro section. In April, the Reagan High graduate, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his war duties, agreed to participate in the documentary.
Viewers also can go to Chooseorlose.com and interact with the show and the veterans, find ways to take action on these issues and share their own thoughts on the subject.
Fox hoofers coming to the Erwin Center
The featured players in Fox’s hit summer reality show “So You Think You Can Dance” are coming to the Frank Erwin Center for an Oct. 12 performance. Tickets go on sale Saturday, Aug. 2 at 10 a.m.
Tickets are not cheap, starting at $35 and topping off at $54.50. For more information, call (512) 477-6060 or 1 (800) 982-2386 or order on-line at TexasBoxOffice.com.
The tour will feature routines from the TV show as well as new pieces choreographed for the tour. This year’s Top 10 dancers include: Chelsie H, Comfort, Courtney G, Katee, Kherington, Gev, Joshua, Mark, Twitch and Will.
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July 23, 2008
Net chiefs embarrassed by reality shows? Absolutely not!
Anyone expecting a network chief to be embarrassed by the influx of cheap reality shows is going to be disappointed.
As long as the show is cheap to produce and grabs a few million viewers, cheesy reality apparently remains a genre to be proud of — even something as low-class as the marriage-busting, polygraph-dependent “Moment of Truth.”
“You know, this is Fox,” shrugged the network’s entertainment president Kevin Reilly in Los Angeles last week. “We never give up on our DNA. I have no excuses for it.”
Stephen McPherson, ABC’s president of entertainment, was equally sanguine about one of his network’s seedier summer entries.
“ ‘Wipeout’ is just a really fun summer show,” McPherson told skeptical TV critics. “It’s pure escapism.”
McPherson said more episodes of “Wipeout” (that’s the one with the huge balls that an assortment of sad and usually overweight people bounce off of and into a mud pool) likely will be ordered, but probably only for airing in summer. In the most recent Nielsen ratings, “Wipeout” attracted more than 8.5 million viewers, making it seventh on the Top 20 list for that week in July.
It’s hard to argue with the success of some of these show, even though you’ve got to wonder about the appeal. Ranking up there along with the odious “Whipeout” in last week’s Top 20 were NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” (No. 2), Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance” (5), NBC’s “Celebrity Family Feud” (12), Fox’s “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader” (15) and CBS’s “Greatest American Dog” (19).
Let’s just hope viewers will refine their tastes a bit when the really good scripted comedies and dramas return.
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July 8, 2008
"Bachelorette" chooses, Haas news stirs mud
Two observations about yesterday:
“The Bachelorette” must have made a true-love choice in last night’s finale.
And seriously, some of you guys are really mean-spirited about our local news folks.
SPOILER ALERT: We’ll dispense with the first obvservation first. “Bachelorette” DeAnna bypassed the classically cute Jason, a 31-year-old account executive, and handed her rose to Jesse, a professional snowboarding dude who looks more than a little goofy.
One can only wonder exactly what DeAnna’s attraction was to this Jesse guy, but love is blind and all that. Will the faux engagement turn into a real marriage? Don’t bet on it.
Now, back to the nasty response to our news that KVUE anchor Christine Haas is leaving Austin to take a job with KHOU in Houston.
Some of you just couldn’t have been nicer, some of you couldn’t have been more cynical and critical. That’s all good. But others, well, it’s a good thing that I get to delete inappropriate blog comments before they appear on line.
If you’re one of those nasty folks (and you know who you are), here’s the guideline for exclusion: no foul language, no exceedingly mean comments about physical attributes, no sexual references, no libelous comments or super-personal suggestions about a person’s private life.
The meanness that accompanied last night’s Haas-news blog spread to other local newsies in speculation about a possible replacement. Some of the comments may be appropriate for TMZ.com but not for this TV blog that proudly waves under the banner of this newspaper.
So keep those comments coming in — make them critical, make them snide and snarky, make them observational, whatever.
But ask yourself: Would I say this to the person’s face? If the answer is no, don’t write it in a public forum.
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July 7, 2008
"The Bachelorette" picks one tonight ... maybe
Tonight’s the night when DeAnna picks her lifetime mate … or not.
“The Bachelorette” has its big two-hour finale tonight at 7 on ABC. DeAnna Pappas, the 26-year-old real estate agent who’s been interviewing potential hubbies since May, plans to take her two finalists to Georgia to meet her family.
This is a standard event in these dating/courting shows, providing contestants ample time to make fools of themselves as they try to impress the parental units. Tonight’s schtick should be no exception.
After the Georgia trek, DeAnna will go on a final date with each of her remaining suitors and then accept or reject a proposal. You may recall that DeAnna has ample experience with televised rejection, having been selected and then NOT proposed to by Austin’s own Brad Womack on last season’s “The Bachelor.”
Will she want revenge now? Or will she want the big diamond and accompanying publicity that would go with a made-for-TV wedding?
Those of you who love this sort of semi-reality will be all a-twitter when the dramaq unfolds. I’m busy with a dirty patio — and just about anything else I can conjure up to do that does NOT involve faux romance.
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June 26, 2008
Check out "Hopkins 24/7" -- stat!
It may be filed under “reality TV” in various listing services, but ABC’s “Hopkins 24/7” is pure documentary. If you have to pick one network series to get hooked on this summer, this one, arriving tonight at 9, is it.
If the title sounds familiar, that’s because the series, set in Baltimore’s prestigious Johns Hopkins Hospital, had a summer run in 2000. One of the standout “characters” tracked in those episodes was a young woman from Houston who was battling a brain tumor. Unlike most TV shows, “Hopkins” revealed, after weeks of pulling for her recovery, that she didn’t make it.
Such is the way of real-world medicine, as opposed to “Grey’s Anatomy.” In the six episodes that begin tonight, we’re probably destined to get our hearts broken yet again — either by the patients or one of the over-worked doctors in the spotlight.
My memory may not be razor-sharp on the 2000 episodes, but the new batch seems to focus a bit more on the hospital folks who put their personal lives on hold for years of sleepless nights and grueling training.
One of the stand-outs in the first few episodes is Dr. Brian Bethea, a heart and lung surgeon whose dedication and brilliance at Hopkins is offset by his crumbling marriage at home. It’s a fairly typical scenario: wife puts career aside to put husband through medical school, kids arrive (perhaps too soon) and doctor has no time for family. Pain ensues.
One of the wrenching patient scenarios in the opener involves a young girl who survives a near-drowning but is diagnosed as brain dead. Her family agonizes over whether to keep her on life support.
These intimate portraits are not easy to watch, but the programs are gripping and deeply moving. A bit more fulfilling than, say, the screaming on “Wife Swap.”
Actors’ strike?
Knuckles are turning white all over Hollywood. On the heels of the crippling writers’ strike comes the threat of a strike by the Screen Actors Guild. The walkout could come as early as Monday, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), which represents mostly TV actors, already has a deal in place (but not officially finalized by members); but SAG, which is bigger (70,000 members) and also represents many AFTRA members (40,000 actors are members of both), has not.
Contracts between actors and producers expire June 30. An extension could be put in place if negotiations appear to be productive, but the mood is said to be tense and somewhat dark right now.
Production on TV shows, usually on break in June and most of July, has revved up in case a strike shuts them down. If a few new episodes can be produced, the hope is that a strike would not fatally disrupt the fall season.
At issue, as usual, is the percentage of new media profits that producers are willing to share with actors. SAG claims producers have offered them less than the deal AFTRA appears poised to sign.
The good news in all this bad news? Bargaining continues. Stay tuned.
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June 25, 2008
Farewell to UT grad on MTV's 'Real World'
On tonight’s episode of “Real World,” the housemates learn the sad fate of a University of Texas grad who mentored some of them in their quest for careers in TV news and TV.
Brandon Schantz, a San Francisco, Calif. native who graduated from UT in 2002 with a degree in broadcast journalism, worked with the “RW” kids in this season’s Hollywood edition which began filming in early 2007. In the spring of that year, Schantz was diagnosed with lymphoma but continued working with the kids, even after undergoing surgery in October.
As the series was wrapping up, Schantz, then 27, died on Dec. 6. Tonight on “Real World” (at 9 p.m.), his death is revealed to the housemates, and Nick, in particular, takes it hard.
“He worked for me from 2000 to 2002, when I was at KEYE, and he was just a really special kid,” said meteorologist Troy Kimmel, the chief weather guy for KVET/KASE and a UT lecturer.
Besides the production internship at KEYE, Schantz also interned in the sports department at KXAN while he was at UT. After graduating, he became the sports director for a CBS station in Cheyenne, Wyo. — one of the youngest sports directors in the country at age 22.
The next step in Schantz’s career took him back to California, where he set up a successful production company in Los Angeles. He worked as a videographer with several music groups, including the quintet Rooney.
Friends and family are setting up an endowment in Schantz’s honor at UT’s College of Communication to fund summer internships for students hoping to go into broadcast journalism. Information on Schantz and the fund can be found here: http://brandonschantz.squarespace.com.
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June 24, 2008
'Wipeout' and 'Japanese Game Show' debut on ABC
Scratch tonight off your viewing calendar if you’re not a fan of reality TV. Or watch reruns on CBS, which is the only major broadcast network without reality shows tonight.
Two newcomers debut on ABC: “Wipeout” (7 p.m.) and “I Survived a Japanese Game Show” (8 p.m.). The former puts a series of ill-equipped participants through silly physical challenges, like leaping from one huge pink ball to another without falling into the mud pond below.
The latter sends 10 Americans to Japan to compete in one of that country’s legendary (and highly bizarre) game shows. Hilarity and humiliation ensue.
NBC, which loosely defines celebrity and talent, has “Celebrity Family Feud” (at 7 p.m.) and “America’s Got Talent” (8 p.m.).
The former features Wayne Newton, Vincent Pastore, Adrianne Curry, Christopher Knight, Corben Bernsen, Ice T and Margaret Cho battling with their families in a revival of the old show. The latter is the return of last season’s hit talent show that features everything from wannabe opera singers to sword swallowers.
Fox has “Hell’s Kitchen” all night, and even the CW has “Beauty and the Geek.”
If you punch the remote fast enough, you might be able to swirl all of these realities together for a truly surreal experience.
“Camp Rock” rocked
Friday night’s premiere of “Camp Rock” on the Disney Channel pulled innearly 9 million viewers between the ages of 9 and 14. That’s called a big-time kid/tween hit.
It’s not bigger than “High School Musical” or “High School Musical 2,” but it’s definitely one of the most-watched program among young viewers and all viewers of the calendar year.
“Camp Rock,” which surely will be repeated a gazillion times during the summer, features the wildly popular Jonas Brothers.
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June 12, 2008
"Project Runway" set to return July 16
Finally, at long last, Bravo has announced the fifth-season debut date for “Project Runway” — July 16 at 8 p.m.
Mark you calendars and plan accordingly. I’m thinking cocktails and an assortment of olives on premiere night. At the very least.
Returning to the runway, host/supermodel Heidi Klum heads a panel of industry luminaries, including fashion’s “big gun” Tim Gunn, designer Michael Kors and fashion expert Nina Garcia.
Gunn will once again act as mentor to the young designers as they take on weekly fashion challenges.
The 16 contestants will be whittled down week-by-week to the finalists who will get to show their own lines at New York’s famed Fashion Week.
This will be the final season for “Project Runway” on Bravo. You may recall that Lifetime, in a move that stunned fans and industry insiders alike, snatched the fashionista show for the sixth season in 2009.
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May 22, 2008
'Idol' runner-up Archuleta looked relieved ... seriously!
Did teddy-bear-cute David Archuleta look relieved to lose last night, or am I projecting?
The oft-trembling, weeping 17-year-old kid lost the “American Idol” title to 25-year-old rocker David Cook in last night’s mega-results show on Fox.
Instead of sagging to his knees and sobbing, as he has done when positive comments and thunderous applause were heaped upon him after a sterling performance, Archuleta grinned ear-to-ear and practically skipped off the stage when Cook’s name was called.
Despite Archuleta’s superior vocal skills, Cook was the worthier winner — in style, looks and temperament. It’s easy to see him commanding a major concert venue and keeping his cool amidst throngs of adoring fans.
Archuleta needs a couple of years to digest his new fame; then he’ll be ready. There’s no doubt he’ll land a recording contract and move on to fame and fortune. He’s just not ready.
Last night’s two-hour “Idol” finale moved pretty briskly, considering the occasional moments of excruciating “entertainment,” such as Donna Summer’s oddly unsure performance and a steady stream of so-so rockers — like George Michael.
My favorite moment? The vintage tape of Gladys Knight singing “Midnight Train to Georgia” with new background scenes doctored in featuring Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr., as her wannabe Pips. That was truly inspired.
As always, I worried a bit about Paula’s dangerous dress, which tended to shift in awkward places as she boogied to each song. When she moves and her dress top doesn’t, it’s scary. But all’s well that ends well. Nothing escaped.
Was the “Idol” result a shocking upset, as some pundits have suggested? Nah.
The tweeny-boppers who squealed so loud for Archuleta could never have out-voted the throngs who lifted Cook to victory. It’s easy to picture Cook on tour; it’s hard to imagine Archuleta out in the real world with only his overbearing stage dad to protect him.
Whew! Another “Idol” season over. Feels like school is out now, doesn’t it? Those of us who had become slaves to two nights of “Idol” AND two nights of “Dancing with the Stars” each week are finally free!
Now what?
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May 21, 2008
'Idol' crowns a David tonight, Kristi crowned on 'Dancing' last night
The Dueling Davids certainly gave viewers a contrast to ponder on “American Idol” last night, didn’t they?
Cute Kid (Archuleta) vs. Raspy Rocker (Cook). Nervous-to-the-point of trembling and weeping (Archuleta) vs. Laid-back-to-the-point of falling over and sleeping (Cook).
Judge Simon already has given the win to Archuleta, referring to the kid’s three-song performance as a “knockout” in an awkwardly themed boxing theme show. But tonight we’ll see if an upset is coming in the voting results show, starting at 7 p.m. and groaning on for two hours on Fox.
Doesn’t it seem like this season has lasted forever? I can barely remember the original contestants now. Does anybody even remember Chikezie now? How about scary biker chick Amanda Overmyer? So long ago, so far away.
After tonight, one David will be the Big Winner, while the other one could be an Even Bigger Winner. Some music industry folks believe the “Idol” contract is too restraining, and also-rans, after receiving tons of exposure and acquiring millions of fans through the show, actually make out better than the winner.
I mean, who do you remember most, Taylor Hicks or Chris Daughtry? Ruben Studdard or Clay Aiken? Tonight’s loser could very well be the real winner.
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May 20, 2008
'Dancing' winner crowned tonight, 'Idol' smackdown of the Davids tonight too!
Last night dancers danced; tonight the big mirror ball will be awarded on the “Dancing with the Stars” finale, a two-hour extravaganza, starting at 8 on ABC.
And (this is a BIG night for reality TV, folks) tonight at 7 the two Davids take to the stage for their final singing showdown on Fox’s “American Idol.” Wednesday night at 7, in a splashy finale sure to be filled with dozens of commercials and a few surprises, the 2008 winner will be crowned.
So much to watch, so much to say … where to start?
OK, since “Dancing” ends tonight, I’ll rush out onto a limb and predict that Kristi Yamaguchi and her partner Mark will win. And if they don’t, they should have won.
It’s swell that Latino heart-throb Cristian de la Fuente soldiered through the competition with a torn bicep tendon, but truth be told, he’s all hip-swiveling and blinding white teeth but little else. His partner Cheryl gets kudos for choreographing complicated dances for a one-armed man.
Surprisingly graceful (because he’s about 9-feet tall) football player Jason Taylor has been a thrill to watch, but, again, the super-skills just aren’t there. His partner Edyta does most of the moves and lets Jason swoop around and look elegant and gorgeous. Feet? Not so fabulous. And the Latin dances have been stiff.
That leaves Kristi. The knock on her from the beginning has been that, as an Olympic figure skater (not to mention Gold medal winner), she has a tiny, perfectly athletic leg up on the competition. She’s used to moving to music, she’s remarkably limber and she’s had some classic dance training. But, as Kristi pointed out in the beginning, she was not accustomed to even walking in high heels, let alone dancing in them.
So give her the mirror ball. It’s time for a woman to win anyway, after four seasons of guy winners. Oh, and Usher sings on the finale tonight.
Now, back to “Idol” where we know for certain that David will win after tonight’s showdown — we just don’t know which David.
If the tweeny-boppers have their way (and all those sequined cell phones start pumping up the votes tonight), 17-year-old David Archuleta will be crowned Wednesday.
But if more mature “Idol” fans come through, the recording contract will go to 25-year-old rocker David Cook, who has been spectacular and unique all season long.
Archuleta is cute as a teddy bear, but the next “Idol” needs to be edgier and more mature. Cute is fine for a TV show, but it’s probably not going to fill concert venues or sell CDs. That means the winner is/should be Cook.
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May 7, 2008
‘Sex' ends on Mother's Day, Jason (please) off ‘Idol' tonight
“Talk Sex” ends on Mother’s Day! Is there deeper meaning in the timing? We hope not.
Oxygen’s “Talk Sex” (11 p.m. Sundays), the sometimes shockingly frank call-in show hosted by 77-year-old Sue Johanson, bids farewell on Mother’s Day.
After six seasons on American cable TV (and 32 years altogether on the air), Johanson, a spritely Canadian nurse with a penchant for doling out sex advice, has decided to call it quits.
Oxygen insists it did not cancel the show, which is the network’s most popular late-night series.
“I’m going to miss playing with sex toys,” Johanson told the Associated Press.
Sunday night’s finale, appropriately, will feature the hostess-with-the-mostess counting down the year’s Top 10 Sex Toys.
Slacker Castro out tonight? Please?
Have “American Idol” voters finally come to their senses?
Let’s hope so, because if Jason Castro doesn’t get axed tonight, I’m gonna throw stuff at my TV.
We know the blue-eyed, dreadlocked Texan (and Aggie!!) has a following. No doubt. We just don’t know why.
Some might call his demeanor dreamy; I call it stoned. He drifts around the stage, batting his eyelashes, looking shy and totally out to lunch. A few weeks ago the cameras caught him yawning and practically nodding off as he waited to perform.
Last night, as if the slacker persona weren’t bad enough, Jason forgot the lyrics to his second song, Bob Dylan’s iconic “Mr. Tambourine Man.” If you’re going to mess up a Dylan song, mess up the tune, not the words. Dylan songs are all about the words.
At this point, I don’t really care who wins out of the remaining trio.
David Cook seems the most likely, but Syesha Mercado was brilliant last night. OK, I admit it. I actually cried during her performance of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come.” Huggable boy-toy David Archuleta, a long-time favorite of the judges and screaming tweens, is a 17-year-old wunderkind with terrific talent — but missing some heat due to his boyish adorableness.
Just PLEASE get rid of Jason Castro. He didn’t belong in the Top 10, and he certainly doesn’t belong in the final.
Results are tonight at 8 on Fox.
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April 29, 2008
Another 'Dancing' dancer crumples
Another dance, another crumpled dancer.
“Dancing with the Stars” is proving that dance is more contact sport than performance artistry. In case you missed last night’s competition, Chilean TV star Cristian de la Fuente pulled a muscle in his bulging arm during a samba with pro partner Cheryl Burke.
It was obvious something was wrong when de la Fuente’s swiveling hips stopped swiveling — and, finally, when he dropped Burke on the floor in a big, feathery poof.
Host Tom Bergeron wasn’t quite sure what to do, so he went to commercial as the super-hunky (can teeth actually be that white?) Chilean grimaced and gripped his arm. After the break, the wounded bird, with an ice pack strapped to his arm, received his not-so-good scores: three sevens. Bummer. And possibly unfair.
We werer told that EMS had swooped in during the ad and diagnosed de la Fuente’s injury as a “severe muscle cramp,” but today more people are saying it’s a pulled muscle, which is different and worse. We’ll find out in tonight’s results show (8 p.m. on ABC) whether the actor will be able to twirl farther in the competition.
Last season Marie Osmond fainted and plopped to the floor. This year, pro dancer Derek Hough injured his neck during rehearsal and then later came down with food poisoning.
It’s surprising there aren’t more injuries on the live telecasts. The dances (Latin, ballroom, whatever) are difficult and highly athletic to begin with, and to show off on TV, the pros always load ‘em up with even more daring moves. Presumably the threat of bodily harm simplys adds to the drama.
Entertainment Weekly’s super-snarky take on the current “Dancing” season claims this is the worst of the show’s six seasons. I beg to differ. I think the celebrity contestants, especially bubbly Marissa Jaret Winokur, are an especially entertaining group — folks you really want to root for in the competition.
And, really, isn’t Cockney-accented judge Len Goodman a major hoot? Half the time you can’t figure out exactly what he’s saying, but it’s fun trying.
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April 21, 2008
Huh? President Bush on 'Deal or No Deal'
While John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are on the campaign trail trying to convince Americans they are just plain folks, President Bush pops up tonight on a give-away reality show, thus making himself the ultimate “regular guy.”
On “Deal or No Deal” (7 p.m. on NBC), Bush appears in a pre-taped message from the White House, thanking contestant Joseph Kobes for his service in the Iraq War. Kobe is an Army captain who received a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star during three tours of duty in Iraq.
The game show is taped and in the can, but NBC is keeping mum on Kobe’s quest for the $1 million prize. Did the presidential kudo and good-luck message help? We don’t know, but because Kobe says he wants to win the money to pay off his parents’ home, well, surely luck will be on his side.
‘Gossip Girl’ returns to TV but not Web
The CW is hoping to drive viewers to its teen saga “Gossip Girl” on TV, which is sort of an odd concept in this digital multimedia age.
The show returns tonight at 7 with new episodes, and for the next five weeks, the show will be available only on TV. Online streaming will not be available for these new episodes, but viewers can stream the previous 12 episodes on cwtv.com.
Why the focus on regular old broadcast TV? Network execs are probably thrilled with the pre-return buzz for “Gossip Girl” and hope to squeeze big bucks out of TV advertisers with the notion of an “exclusive showing.” Web ads, as we all know, don’t pull in the revenue that on-air ads do.
The CW will have post-episode interviews with creator Josh Schwartz, behind-the-scenes video of the case and contests for fans hosting viewing parties.
Cindy McCain co-hosts ‘The View’ today
So, now that Barbara Walters has had John McCain’s wife Cindy co-host “The View” (she’s on today at 10 a.m. on KVUE), won’t she have to invite Michelle Obama and Bill Clinton to co-host sometime in the near future, too?
Seems only fair. The stunning Miss Cindy isn’t/wasn’t simply a guest on the show; she is/was co-hosting with Walters. That’s a different level of exposure.
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April 15, 2008
Who shrunk the most on 'Biggest Loser?' And other hot stuff.
Who’s gonna be the big winner on “Biggest Loser?” We’ll find out tonight in the live finale at 7 p.m. on NBC.
This grueling competition among fat people desperate to shrink remains one of NBC’s biggest reality hits, and the big hype this time is that the show might finally have a female winner after five seasons of male triumphs.
If the promos are any indication, the crown tonight will go to the now-tiny and very muscular Ali, who has dropped almost 99 pounds and picked up the most amazingly ripped abs I’ve ever seen. Did they surgically tighten her skin after all those pounds disappeared? Maybe. Whatever. She looks fantastic now.
The other gal in the running is the beautiful blonde Kelly, who has lost lots of weight but still carries a slightly zaftig shape. Will viewers go for curves or washboards? We’ll see.
The two-hour finale, if tradition holds, will be rife with giggling, sobbing and other extreme forms of human emotion.
Cross your fingers today!
The Screen Actors Guild, minus former partner union AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists), has begun contract negotiations with producers in hopes of avoiding a strike come June.
On the heels of the industry-crippling writers strike, an actors strike could prove doubly devastating to the entertainment industry — and especially television.
AFTRA broke away from SAG earlier this month, which was seen as a big negative for a peaceful settlement. But if SAG is successful, AFTRA, which begins its negotiations April 28, will feel strong pressure to follow suit.
Hillary and Colbert
Sounds like painful viewing, but Hillary Clinton has decided to risk a potentially embarrassing visit to Comedy Central’s “Colbert Report” on Thursday night (at 10:30). Just days before the Pennsylvania primary, the senator from New York will take on the fake right-wing political pundit Stephen Colbert.
Barack Obama declined the invitation, so the Illinois senator’s wife Michelle will joust with Colbert on tonight’s “Report.” Maybe Barack will pop in for a surprise visit.
John McCain and Mike Huckabee have fared well with Colbert, but there’s always a risk of leaving with egg splattered all over your face.
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April 8, 2008
'Idol' and 'Dancing with the Stars' dial 911!
Can all this health drama on reality shows be real?
It all started with Marie Osmond passing out on “Dancing with the Stars” last season. Thump! She hit the floor on live television. A quick commercial break covered the sprawling contestant, and by the time the show came back from the break, Marie was on her feet, batting those enormous false eyelashes and smiling.
This season professional dancer Derek Hough, who is paired with the increasingly fabulous (and amazingly long-legged) Shannon Elizabeth, snapped something in his neck during rehearsal and was sidelined with a neckbrace for a week. Heightened tension accompanied Hough’s performance last night, but the guy appeared to be miraculously healed after his ambulance trip to the hospital.
For tonight’s elimination (8 p.m. on ABC), look for a re-hash of the trials and tribulations suffered by the dancers. Cue the violins.
Meanwhile, over on “American Idol” (7 tonight on Fox), the season started with at least half the cast coming down with the flu, bronchitis and other voice-threatening viruses. Then last week, rocker David Cook made his very own ambulance trip after his already high blood pressure spiked and set off a wave of panic among the production crew.
It’s understandable that contestants on “Survivor” would suffer injuries and health woes, but you’d think song-and-dance competitions could avoid such emergencies. If hosts Ryan Seacrest (“Idol”) and Tom Bergeron (“Dancing”) collapse, we’ll know something’s fishy.
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March 31, 2008
Klutzes gone, 'Dancing' takes off!
Now that the gigantic (and gigantically clumsy) magician Penn Jillette and wooden tennis pro Monica Seles have been voted off the dance floor, “Dancing with the Stars” is getting good.
Tonight (7 to 8:30 p.m. on ABC) we’ve been promised a scorching hot tango by rapper-turned-hoofer Mario. And, by the way, the romance rumors already are swirling about Mario and his professional partner Karina Smirnoff. Both deny, natch, but the duo really can steam up the room.
It’s way too early to tell where this season will wind up, but in the early going, figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi has been getting the best scores from the judges — and deservedly so. Let’s face it, figure skaters are trained to be graceful, and many of the women skaters have ballet training.
But as Kristi pointed out in the first episode, when asked if she had an advantage over other competitors, she’s not used to moving her feet without skates on — and she’s not used to even walking in high heels, let alone spinning.
Priscilla Presley has surprised viewers and judges with her dramatic moves. It’s a crying shame her face doesn’t move as gracefully has her body.
As always, voting viewers will have the final say. If the judges give fabulous scores to a team that nobody votes for, that team doesn’t have a prayer. It’s a popularity contest as well as a dance contest, so contenders have to do the work and work the crowd.
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March 18, 2008
'Dancing' with stars and clunkers!
The guys were first up on the new season of “Dancing with the Stars” last night, and the half-dozen wannabes have, as the judges all said, a lot of work to do.
Only two were remotely pleasant to watch: Miami Dolphins defensive player Jason Taylor and 21-yearold R&B/pop sensation Mario. Both young men produced squeals of delight from the studio audience — and, presumably, a few female oglers at home.
With music in his bones (he does a little dancing on stage as a singer), Mario looked like a natural — graceful, sharp and full of charisma. Football fellow Jason looked a bit uneasy at first, prancing around a dance floor for the first time. But he’s so long and elegant-looking, with that blinding smile and soon-to-be-better dance steps, you just get the feeling that he might be the one to watch. Remember Emmitt Smith? Yep, some football players can cut a rug. Maybe it’s that competitive fire.
The most likely to be bumped quickly? Penn Jillette, the talkative half of the juggling illusionist team of Penn and Teller. Penn is large and clumsy and makes those turns like a battleship in a too-tight harbor. Also likely to exit soon? Radio host/comedian Adam Corolla. If you’re going to talk while you’re competitive dancing, you’ve got a focus problem. And he’s got one.
There’s always one “Dancing” contender who’s not very good but who charms voters into thinking he should continue, and that’s actor Steve Guttenburg this time. He was just so happy to be there he couldn’t stop yammering after his not-so-hot dance performance. Audiences love a happy hoofer, especially one with severely limited skills (we identify with him!), so I’m looking for Steve to stick around.
Chilean actor Cristian de la Fuente might have hot latino blood, as he mentioned multiple times in his predance feature segment, but he looks more like a bullfighter. Hunched back, dangling arms — not good. He’s very handsome and could improve, but expectations run high for a gorgeous latino, and Cristian was a major disappointment.
The ladies take to the dance floor tonight at 8:30 p.m. on ABC. Tennis great Monica Seles looks shockingly tall, doesn’t she? Let’s see if she can dance …
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February 19, 2008
New 'Dancing' celebs: They're h-e-e-e-e-r-e!
Surprise, surprise! The dozen semi-celebs who will compete in the sixth edition of “Dancing with the Stars” look better than usual — and they all improve so much that we could be looking at the best group ever.
When “Dancing” returns March 17 (on ABC), we’ll see actors, comics, athletes, singers and magicians. Last time it was a big deal that Heather Mills McCarthy, now entangled in a super-nasty divorce with Beatle Paul, competed. You might recall she has one fake leg but did a pretty decent job of hoofing it up.
This time around one of the celebrity dancers will be actor Marlee Matlin, who is deaf and might be able to hear the beat of the music but not the music itself.
In alphabetical order, here’s the twinkle-toe lineup, as announced last night on the truly dreadful spinoff “Bruno vs. Carrie Ann” finale:
ADAM CAROLLA — A Los Angeles TV and radio personality who hosts his own morning drive show. He’s also an actor-comedian who hosts Comedy Central’s “The Man Show” and the long-running radio show “Loveline” with Dr. Drew Pinsky.
CRISTIÁN DE LA FUENTE — A Chilean actor famous for Spanish-language telenovelas such as “Como ama una mujer.” He was also a regular on “Family Law” and “CSI: Miami.”
SHANNON ELIZABETH — Actress/model whose films include “American Pie” and “Scary Movie.” Models have bad luck on “Dancing with the Stars.”
STEVE GUTTENBERG — Actor who starred in “Police Academy,” “Three Men and a Baby,” “Short Circuit,” “Cocoon,” “Diner” and “The Boys from Brazil.”
MARIO — Multiplatinum selling R&B/pop singer and actor known for “Just a Friend” and “Let Me Love You.” He also appeared in the dance movie “Step Up,” which maybe should disqualify him.
MARLEE MATLIN — Academy Award winner for her film debut in “Children of a Lesser God,” the actor also had recurring roles on “The West Wing,” “The L-Word,” “Nip/Tuck” and “Desperate Housewives.” Deaf since early childhood.
PENN JILLETTE — The talking half of the famous illusionist team of Penn & Teller. The duo is a major attraction in Las Vegas.
PRISCILLA PRESLEY — Elvis’ ex-wife starred in the “Naked Gun” films and the popular nighttime soap “Dallas.” She looks incredibly clumsy, but maybe she’s not.
MONICA SELES — Tennis champ and holder of nine grand slam singles titles. After a spectator stabbed her in the back on the court, she lost her edge but returned for one final grand slam (Australian Open) in 1996.
JASON TAYLOR — Last year’s NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Taylor has played defensive end for the Miami Dolphins for more than a decade.
MARISSA JARET WINOKUR — Created the role of Tracy Turnblad in the hit Broadway musical “Hairspray,” for which she won a Tony and Drama Desk Award.
KRISTI YAMAGUCHI — An Olympic gold medalist (1992) and world champion, she’s one of the most popular skaters ever. Strong and graceful, she should ace the competition.
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February 18, 2008
'Bruno/Carrie Ann' finale: who cares? Except for one thing ...
The only reason to watch the bloated “Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann” finale tonight has nothing to do with the lame spinoff reality show itself.
No, the only reason to tune into ABC tonight is to see the next batch of celebrities revealed who will hoof it up on “Dancing with the Stars.” Who will be the next B-list celeb to drop 20 pounds and surprise us, as Marie Osmond did last time? Who will be the athlete who surprises us with his grace, as Emmitt Smith did the season before last?
“Dancing” returns to the network March 17, so mark your calendars.
“Bruno vs. Carrie Ann” was an ill-conceived spinoff featuring teams of singers/dancers under the direction of “Dancing” judges Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba. A desperate concept poorly executed, the show limps off the air tonight after the winning team is announced.
Oh, and host Drew Lachey performs, in case that thought gets you going. The two-hour finale, which has not been a strike-proof phenom like Fox’s equally awful but oddly popular “Moment of Truth,” might get a rating bump at the end, when the “Dancing” cast is scheduled to be announced.
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January 29, 2008
Danger! Babies on reality TV!!
I was preparing to spew forth about NBC’s frightening new reality show “The Baby Borrowers” when the network announced that the show will not premiere Monday, Feb. 18 as planned.
It’s not gone for good, but at least it’s gone for now. Whew.
What was this dreaded concoction? “The Baby Borrowers” is described by the creative publicity folks at NBC as “a unique social experiment.” They failed to mention that five children, including infants, might be placed in mortal danger.
The show would take five teenage couples and challenge them to parent children ranging in age from infant to toddler to preteen to young teen to senior citizen. The couples would live in real houses, work jobs and handle day-to-day responsibilities such as paying the bills, mowing the grass and, oh yes, taking care of the kids.
This concept not only sounds dangerous, it sounds depressing. There might be a greater mission in the producer’s mind than drawing a crowd. Maybe he hoped to highlight the perils of teen sex and pregnancy. But I doubt it. “Baby Borrowers” just seems like another shocking attempt to attract disaster-hungry viewers.
NBC says “Baby Borrowers” will “join the schedule at a later date.” In its place on Feb. 18 will be another kid-related reality show, “My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad,” which at least doesn’t sound quite as dreadful.
The replacement reality is described as a family-friendly version of “Fear Factor” — a competition pitting teams of fathers leading their kids through a series of stunts and challenges that test dad’s physical, mental and parenting skills. Winners get money to put toward their children’s future.
Sigh … still dreaming of an end to the writers’ strike and all this reality hoo-ha …
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January 16, 2008
'Idol' off to a good start
Alternately cringing and grinning, I made it through last night’s seventh season opener of “American Idol.”
OK, I didn’t just make it through … I secretly loved most of it. Usually I hate this phase of “Idol,” when the embarrassing parts squeeze out the entertaining parts. But last night was pretty darn good. I’m sorry.
The folks in Philadelphia led the audition episodes, with some genuine talent and a bevy of borderline nut jobs. But the best moment — and the one that signals this season just might be less cruel than last season in this stage — was the judging trio’s response to a sweet girl named Temptress.
The 16-year-old had a not-so-fabulous audition and tried to take the rejection like a grown-up, but tears began to flow and just wouldn’t stop. Paula, Randy and, yes, even Simon offered words of encouragement and then got up and group-hugged her. Then they walked her back to the lobby and told her mother how much they liked her — but not as a singer.
Sniff, sniff. Nicely done. Reality show with heart. Loved it.
Tonight we move on to the Dallas auditions, which, as evidenced by the promos, appear to have some of the strangest looking wannabes ever.
For all things “Idol,” be sure to keep up with my friend and colleague Gary Dinges, whose “Idol Chatter” blog is the best thing you’ll read on the blockbuster reality show, hands down. It’s smart, funny and totally cool.
Speaking of bloggers …
Austin PBS station KLRU is looking for submissions for its community journalism series “Docubloggers.” The topic for a special contest is “Reflections on Life in Central Texas.” The first-place winner will receive a video camera, and the winning video will be telecast on the series’ Feb. 21st episode.
Submissions that aren’t included in the telecast will be featured on the show’s online site at klru.org/docubloggers.
Videos should be between 30 seconds and 5 minutes in length and must be received by Feb. 15. Submit online at klru.org/docubloggers or send DVDs or tapes to Docubloggers Contest, KLRU-TV, P.O. Box 7158, Austin, TX 78713.
“Docubloggers” received a 2007 Lone Star Emmy for its pilot. The series airs Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. on KLRU.
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January 10, 2008
Oh, boy! Watch celebs slur and spit on VH1's 'Celebrity Rehab'
Voyeur TV reaches a new low (and that’s saying a lot) with the arrival of VH1’s “Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew” (9 tonight).
Dr. Drew Pinsky, a buff psychiatry professor at the University of Southern California, peeks in on his VIP patients at the Pasadena Recovery Center. A major camera hog, Dr. Drew, who also hosts the radio show “Loveline,” casts a semi-worried grin over an assortment of horrors, with scenes of actor Jeff Conaway (“Taxi,” “Grease”) by far the worst.
Slurring and slouched in a wheelchair, Conaway has a seizure and winds up in the emergency room. His speech is so incomprehensible that subtitles are used. Poor Conaway, who bombed out of another VH1 reality show (“Celebrity Fit Club”) to go to rehab, is the “star” of the first episode.
Dr. Drew describes himself as an “addictionologist” but seems more interested in celebrity meltdowns and tantrums and medical treatment of addiction. Detox? It’s there somewhere because promotional scenes depict various famous folk with their heads in toilets.
Other patients include Brigitte Nielsen, B-movie actress and former Mrs. Sly Stallone; Joanie Laurer, the wrestler known as Chyna Doll; and porn star Mary Carey. You get the drift.
“Celebrity Rehab” would be funny if it weren’t so seedy and sad. Not only are these patients struggling with addiction, they’re also struggling to retrieve their celebrity. What could be more depressing than someone so willing to be in the limelight that barfing on TV is a plus?
VH1 is promoting this trainwreck as an informational series about substance abuse and addiction. Shame, shame.
Look quick! New episodes tonight!
Several network shows return with new episodes, but in the case of the wildly popular “Grey’s Anatomy,” it’s the last one — at least until the writers’ strike is over.
“Grey’s Anatomy” (8 p.m. on ABC) deals with a medical emergency involving Dr. Bailey’s young son.
Also tonight, we have new episodes of ABC’s “Ugly Betty” (7 p.m.) and “Big Shots” (9 p.m.), CBS’s “CSI” (8 p.m.) and “Without a Trace” (9 p.m.) and NBC’s “My Name Is Earl” (7 p.m.), “30 Rock” (7:30 p.m.) and “ER” (9 p.m.)
Enjoy ‘em while they last.
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December 27, 2007
'Idol' planning time is here
For the truly “Idol” obsessed, Fox has announced a schedule for the first part of its seventh season of the blockbuster reality series, starting with the premiere and concluding with performances by the Top 12 contestants.
Mark your calendars accordingly:
“American Idol” returns with a two-night, four-hour extravaganza on Jan. 15 and Jan. 16. The Tuesday-Wednesday schedule featuring those ear-splitting rejects will continue for eight episodes and 10 hours. Lordy. The auditions, which draw wannabes from all over the country, were held last summer in San Diego; Dallas; Omaha, Neb.; Atlanta; Charleston, S.C.; Miami and Philadelphia.
The first “Hollywood Round,” at which point the truly awful allegedly will be gone, is Feb. 12. If you’re like me, this is the point at which you can watch “Idol” without cringing or cursing. The next night the Top 24 will be revealed. On Feb. 19 and Feb. 20, the top dozen guys and the top dozen gals will perform, with the elimination of two men and two women on Feb. 21.
Guys on Tuesdays, gals on Wednesdays and elimination announcements Thursdays will continue until the Top 12 are announced on March 6. All of which means the really talented folks will warble for the first time in a two-hour episode on March 11, with the single-contestant whacking process to begin on March 12.
The finale will air sometime in May. No date yet because Fox will want to drag this out as long as corporately possible with home-town visits and assorted “specials.”
“American Idol” has shown no signs of cooling off in its previous six seasons, and this new season — coming as it does in the midst of a strike-plagued season filled with reruns and uncertainty — could catapult it into the stratosphere.
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November 28, 2007
Bravo, Helio! 'Dancing' champ deserved the mirror ball
Suddenly my Mondays and Tuesdays are free … shall I read a book? Go to the gym? Or wait for the next edition of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars?”
Probably the latter. The other choices are way too taxing for this time of year.
Last night’s “Dancing” finale was fabulous. Brazilian race-car driver Helio Castroneves definitely deserved to win. Besides hoofing skills, he was by far the most fun contestant to watch. Host Tom Bergeron called it charisma, but to me Helio’s appeal was his infectious grin and the fact that he was having the time of his life and brought the audience along with him.
OK, “Scary Spice” Mel B was possibly the better dancer. And Marie Osmond, 48, might have been the sentimental favorite because of her in-season traumas and middle-aged years. But that rag-doll dance Monday night assured her departure in the first 20 minutes of last night’s finale. Bye-bye, Marie. You were funny and fun to watch.
Helio and his cute-as-a-button professional partner Julianne Hough sparkled for 10 whole weeks. There’s no way to know for sure, but I suspect Julianne brought in a good chunk of the votes herself. Bubbly and wildly talented, Julianne helped speed skating champ Apolo Anton Ohno win the dancing contest last season, too. She was as much of a draw as Helio.
While I enjoyed “Dancing with the Stars,” I have absolutely no interest in the upcoming spinoff, “Dance Wars.” Judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli will train a bunch of singers and dancers and compete as teams. Zzzzzzzz … Plus Drew Lache will host. Double-zzzzzzzz. Color me gone.
From Malcolm to homicidal maniac?
Yep, that seedy looking guy in tonight’s episode of “Criminal Minds” (8 p.m. on CBS) is Frankie Muniz, previously the adorable “Malcolm in the Middle.”
Muniz, who turns 22 on Dec. 5, plays a famous comic-book artist who, according to press material, “helps” the FBI team search for a serial killer in Los Angeles. What do you want to bet he turns out to be the serial killer?
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November 27, 2007
One last 'Dancing;' who will win?
It seems like forever ago, but it’s really only been 10 weeks since Wayne Newton, Floyd Mayweather and Mark Cuban lumbered onto the floor in “Dancing with the Stars.”
The rotten apples have long since gone (along with at least one really good one, Cheetah Girl Sabrina Bryan), so tonight at 8 we’ll have the bloated, two-hour results. If you’ve followed the show all season, you can skip all the recaps and tune into about the last 15 minutes for an end to the suspense and the crowning of the winner.
Who’s going to win?
Going on judges’ points alone, that would have to be “Scary” Spice Girl Melanie Brown. But public voting counts big in this competition, and Marie Osmond has a surprisingly ardent fan base. She’s been surrounded by lots of drama, which might have contributed to the appeal: She fainted, her father died and her son wound up in rehab. Plus she really IS fun to watch, all grins and gumption.
But Marie’s rag-doll freestyle dance last night might have killed her chances. The usually fawning judge Bruno Tonioli described it as a bizarre combination of “Baby Jane and the Bride of Chucky.” That was too kind. It was awful.
Race-car champ Helio Castroneves also has been a huge fan favorite this season, in no small part because of his enthusiasm, mile-wide smile and his hugely talented partner Julianne Hough. He’s probably improved the most as a dancer and has had the most fun of anybody. Voters like that.
After winnowing to three from the original dozen, “Dancing” is down to one final surprise, and I can’t really pick a winner. How about you?
NBC renews two newcomers
With the writers’ strike now in its fourth week, it might be a moot point, but NBC has given full-season renewals to “Chuck” and “Life.” The former isn’t a big surprise, but the latter sort of is — “Life” has been sagging sadly in the ratings.
And speaking of the strike, negotiations are continuing this week between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The talks are being conducted in secret and under a media blackout, so we don’t have a clue what’s happening.
But as long as they’re talking, there’s hope.
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November 21, 2007
'Dancing' toward the finale!
Jennie Garth, whose career peaked years ago on “Beverly Hills 90210,” was sent packing on last night’s “Dancing with the Stars” semifinal — after delivering her best performance ever Monday night. Go figure. Maybe viewers got tired of watching her do that weird thing with her mouth.
Left to twirl again in next week’s finale are Marie Osmond, whose popularity has grown from week to week (sympathy for fainting? losing her father? slogging through a divorce? 16-year-old son in rehab?); charismatic race car champ Helio Castroneves; and super-muscular “Scary” Spice Girl Melanie Brown.
Poor Jennie. Just when she got her confidence going and seemed to finally be enjoying herself. Zapped like a bug at a barbecue. The Yummy Mummy, as the ridiculously effusive judge Bruno Tonioli dubbed her, ended her competitive hoofing career with a fragile grin.
What next? Helio consistently lands the highest scores, but Marie and the entire Osmond clan apparently remain beloved icons among the viewing public. Don’t be surprised if she wins that huge, hideous trophy — unless her dances next week are marred by total ineptitude or crashing falls.
The final performance airs Monday with the winner crowned on Tuesday. So far this season, ABC’s hot reality show has sucked in more than 28 million viewers each week.
‘Bachelor&’ Finale Part II
Rumors or wishful thinking? Tuesday, after Monday night’s ridiculous no-proposal conclusion to Austinite Brad Womack’s run on “The Bachelor,” rumors swirled that something interesting might happen on Tuesday night’s “After the Final Rose” episode.
Wrong. Nothing happened. Absolutely nothing. Brad did not change his mind and pop the question to DeAnna or Jenni — or any of the other rejects — as had been speculated on talk radio.
Looking more and more like a sad-eyed loser, Brad tried to explain himself to the women he dumped — thus revealing why the guy owns a bunch of bars in Austin but can’t seem to find a date in his home town.
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November 20, 2007
'Bachelor' ripoff
It’s the journey, not the destination.
If you believe that, maybe you aren’t feeling ripped off by last night’s “Bachelor” finale. But if you think the destination has some merit, you must be royally ticked off that Austin bar owner Brad Womack bailed on his assignment.
He was supposed to pick from two finalists — Jenni and DeAnna. And he led us on with his pained decision-making, fretting and oodling over both as “almost perfect.” Turns out almost wasn’t nearly enough, and when it came time to bestow the engagement ring, Brad wept and faded to black.
Cluck cluck.
Boy, if that doesn’t sound the death knell for “The Bachelor,” I don’t know what will. For weeks we’ve been led on by the winnowing process. We’ve watch the oh-so-sincere Brad bloke babble on about how special each and every contestant was.
Turns out Brad, like a gazillion other woeful bachelor types, suffers from fear of commitment.
In the early going of the finale, Brad shopped for a ring, agonized over his breaking heart, ditched Jenni and decided that DeAnna would be the perfect wife. Then he stiffed DeAnna.
Tonight all the ladies will return and, we hope, bash Brad to smithereens for leading them all on. What a waste of time.
Katie Couric speechless?
CBS News writers haven’t had a pay raise in three years and are likely to go on strike Monday.
Does that mean Katie Couric, anchor of the once-hallowed “CBS Evening News,” will open her mouth but nothing will come out? Probably not, but she won’t sound as (a) smart or (b) clear. Writers are important to joke-spouting sitcom stars, but, really, news writers are essential.
Let’s hope talks will resume soon. The two sides haven’t sat down to negotiate since January (‘07).
The entertainment folks are finally sitting down to talk Monday, so maybe the newsies will join the goodwill.
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November 19, 2007
'Bachelor' concludes, 'Dancing' showcases final four
Tonight is a big night for reality TV, although I’m struggling to care about the season finale of “The Bachelor” (9 p.m. on ABC).
I know I should care, because the “Bachelor” himself is noted Austin bar mogul Brad Womack. But this show has always given me the creeps — women begging for a man but really hoping for national TV exposure and maybe a modeling career to go with it.
If these people are all so beautiful, why can’t they find true love without competing?
But that’s just me. I guess it’s no different from the old “Dating Game,” but I just think we should have moved beyond this kind of TV matchmaking.
Having gotten that out of my system, for those of you who do care, tonight Brad is supposed to pick between Georgia real estate agent DeAnna and Phoenix Suns dancer Jenni. (Is it just me, or do these women look disturbingly alike?)
The teases for the show indicate a surprise finale — something that’s never happened before. My guess: Whoever Brad picks will turn him down. Will he then move on to his second choice? Or do the right thing and come home to Austin, where many fabulous women will be waiting?
A bigger finale surprise might be that we’ll find out that Brad’s twin brother Chad has been the pretender all along, and since he’s married, no selection will be made.
On a happier note (at least for me), “Dancing with the Stars” (tonight at 7 on ABC) showcases the final four couples. Will Marie finally get the boot? Or Spice Girl Mel B? Surely not race car champ Helio? Maybe lip-licker Jennie? Dancing is tonight; results revealed tomorrow night.
Strike: Day 15
Finally, we have reason to hope that the already crippling writers’ strike will end before we’re all driven to toss our HDTVs in the trash.
Over the weekend, the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers agreed to re-start negotations on Nov. 26. Talking is a step in the right direction, so we’ll keep our digits crossed.
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November 15, 2007
'Runway' is off and running ... Are you a 'Beauty' or a 'Geek'?
Have you recovered from your “Project Runway” bash last night? If so, good for you. If the season opener is still lingering on your TiVo, consider this your SPOILER ALERT and read no further.
Nobody had to craft a ball gown out of garbage bags, so we weren’t treated to any major creativity challenges. I think I could probably design something attractive with access to $50,000 worth of fabric, but nobody asked me to …
No matter how many babies Heidi Klum has, she always looks to be in spectacular shape. We hate her for that. And don’t you just want to smear peanut butter all over the perfectly turned out Tim Gunn? Really, this guy doesn’t have a piece of lint on him. It’s unnatural.
Meeeeeow! Now that we’ve got that out of the way:
“Project Runway” got off to a bang last night, booting the poorly equipped Simone right off the bat. Good riddance. I’m not putting any money on UT grad Elisa to stick around for long either. Sweet-natured Heidi ripped her pretty badly. We’ll see how the remaining 14 blossom (or fade) in the weeks ahead.
For constant commentary on “Runway” as the season progresses, count on American-Statesman fashion writer Marques Harper to keep you posted in his blog.
Are you a beauty? Or a geek?
Casting directors for the CW’s reality show “Beauty and the Geek” are in town searching for beauties and geeks for the show’s fifth season.
If you think you qualify in either category — and long to become a reality TV star — the casting call is today (Thursday) from 3 to 6 p.m. at the DoubleTree Suites at 303 W. 15th St. Be sure to let us know if you make the cut!!
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November 14, 2007
Fashionistas: Tonight's the night!
Tonight is a really big deal for fashionistas and reality TV fans. Writers’ strike? What writers’ strike?
“Project Runway” launches its fourth season tonight (9 p.m. on Bravo), preceded by two past-season reruns starting at 7. That means the truly obsessed can tune in for an entire night of designer wannabes’ mentor Tim Gunn’s cooing and host/judge Heidi Klum’s glorious glow.
Ardent fans across the land are probably planning fancy dinners and watching parties. The hip and beautiful people routinely tout “Runway” as the best show on television — even though the cable ratings are relatively piddling, with about 2 to 3 million people tuning in last time.
Nevertheless, it’s a select group, and I plan to join the fab folks, at least tonight. If I had to commit to watching every episode of every reality show on TV, I’d never leave my house. So the plan is to watch the opener, check out an episode or two in the middle of the run and then come back for the final couple of episodes. That’s plenty for me.
Returning as judges, along with Klum, are Nina Garcia (author of “The Little Black Book of Style”) and designer Michael Kors. Tonight we’ll meet the 15 contestants who will whip up haute couture from drapes and bedspreads in pursuit of a $100,000 grand prize and enough publicity to launch pro careers.
Second-season winner Chloe Dao of Houston decided to stay in Houston and expand her store, Lot 8. Did winning “Runway” help her? Well, she’s now negotiating with Neiman Marcus about designing a line of clothing for the upscale store. That would be a nice little boost, wouldn’t it?
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October 31, 2007
"Dancing with the Stars" goes daffy
Now that the World Series is over (pox on Fox, good on Sox!) I can finally get back to my regularly scheduled viewing.
But what the heck has happened to “Dancing with the Stars?” Holy moly, last night’s results show was shocking, and not in a good way!
SPOILER ALERT:
First of all, Barry Manilow, just say no to more plastic surgery. Please. The pop wonder performed three songs, including “Mandy,” and I swear his face didn’t move the entire time.
Jane Seymour was absent due to illness. The poor woman missed one episode due to her mother’s death, and now this — apparently food poisoning. At least she got enough votes to bring her back, barring yet another tragedy.
But the really big disaster was the dismissal of the one dancer who really should have won the whole she-bang — Cheetah Girl Sabrina Bryan! The judges, especially a weeping Carrie Ann, were appalled, and the crowd was booing. So was I, and, seriously, I’m embarrassed about that because I was home alone watching. As always, my faithful hound Gus assumed he had done something wrong, jumped off the sofa and headed for the door.
Have all the tweens and teeny-boppers who love Disney’s Cheetah Girls abandoned Sabrina? Are their sequined pink cell phones hopelessly broken? Why didn’t the best dancer in the competition didn’t get enough votes to stick around?
Why is Marie Osmond still lumbering across the dance floor? Maybe that fainting spell stirred up buckets of sympathy votes. But how to account for goofy soap star Cameron Matheson getting the votes?
Ejecting Sabrina — she of the high energy, adorable smile and perfectly executed dance moves — is so ridiculous I might have to abandon the show — at least until the finale. It’s too depressing to watch the good ones tossed aside like that.
Nods of encouragement
ABC has given a vote of confidence to its freshman fairy tale “Pushing Daisies.” The series about a pie maker who brings people and things back to life (for 60 seconds) has gotten the go-head for a full season. That’s 22 episodes for the highly praised show, which airs tonight at 7.
Likewise Fox has ordered more episodes of the Kelsey Grammer-Patricia Heaton sitcom “Back to You,” bringing that show’s episode total to 24 for its freshman year.
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October 19, 2007
Will 'Next American Band' really be 'Great?'
The wildly successful “American Idol” has spawned countless ripoffs, and tonight’s debut appears ready to join the throngs of unsuccessful copies.
Although it comes from the same British producers of “American Idol,” “American Band” (7 tonight on Fox) looks like just another too-familiar pretender.
Like most reality competitions, the show wasn’t mailed out for preview, except for a highlight reel featuring totally predictable elements: praise for a couple of promising acts and withering criticism from tart-tongued British judge Ian “Dicko” Dickson. He tells one unfortunate girl group they sound like screeching cats — which, of course, they do.
The other judges are Goo Goo Doll John Rzeznik and rocker Sheila E.
Tonight’s two-hour premiere features the requisite humiliating auditions, this time performed at an outdoor venue near Las Vegas.
Promotional material recruited bands that were “all ages, all looks, all sounds.” Tonight’s up-and-down gathering includes soul, punk, country, rock and even one retro-swing group. Most of the groups apparently have been performing together for a while, but none of them has a major recording contract — which is the prize for this competition.
Austin being Austin, you just know one of the bands — maybe even one in the final 12 unveiled tonight — will be from Austin.
Don’t forget “Friday Night Lights”
It’s easy to forget that “Friday Night Lights” now airs on Fridays, so don’t forget. If you’re not going to be home, set your recorder. The third episode moves things along considerably, and Tim Riggins factors into the story line more than in the first two episodes.
And, not surprisingly, Coach Taylor realizes he misses his family and the Dillon Panthers.
“FNL” airs tonight at 8 on NBC (KXAN Channel 36).
What in the world is Versus?
Callers, e-mailers and blog commenters want to know: What the heck is Versus?
Versus is a cable sports channel that used to be called Outdoor Life Network — primarily known for carrying the Tour de France back when Lance Armstrong was competing.
The question arises now because Versus is carrying some college football games that Central Texans care about. The Aggies were on Versus a couple of weeks ago, and tomorrow’s Texas Longhorns game against the Baylor Bears is on Versus — that’s Saturday at 11:30 a.m.
Versus is available on Time Warner’s digital sports channel 470. Yes, that means you have to have the digital tier of service to get Versus and thus the game.
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October 12, 2007
Austin teens compete on 'Endurance: Fiji'
The sixth season of the Emmy-nominated reality show, “Endurance: Fiji” begins Saturday night on Discovery Kids, with two of the 16 teenage competitors hailing from Austin.
Leslie Powell, a 15-year-old sophomore at Westwood High School, boasts a talent for volleyball and claims an array of unusual pets, including coatimundi, an arctic fox, goats and baby skunks. Oh, and she has dogs and cats, too.
Andres Ramirez, 15, a sophomore at Stephen F. Austin High School, believes his strength is his faith. His favorite sport is basketball, but he also plays football and runs track.
The teens test their mental and physical skills and strategize with their teammates to collect 14 pyramid pieces representing qualities such as strength, courage and perseverance. The winning team receives a fantasy vacation.
“Endurance” airs 7:30 p.m. Saturday on Discovery Kids, Time Warner’s Cable Channel 140.
LBJ Library on C-SPAN tonight
The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library will be featured in a live two-hour telecast tonight starting at 7 on C-SPAN’s documentary series “Presidential Libraries: History Uncovered.”
President Johnson gave the Navy television unit unfettered access to his administration. The result: intimate scenes of White House life typically off limits to TV cameras. The program will feature newly released phone conversations, Lady Bird Johnson’s home movies of Lyndon campaigning for his first U.S. Senate seat in 1941 and film of their private time at the LBJ Ranch.
In addition to these never- or rarely-aired archival materials, the program will feature interviews with curators and historians, as well as call-in segments.
Has ‘Friday Night Lights’ jumped the shark?
Callers, e-mailers and bloggers have been mulling whether the highly praised “Friday Night Lights” jumped the shark in its season opener, with the accidental killing of Tyra’s attacker — and the apparently intentional disposal of the dead guy’s body by Tyra and Landry.
The story line certainly was out-of-character for the NBC drama, which trots out another episode tonight at 8 p.m. But I’m hoping it will be dealt with in a manner befitting the show and the two characters. Landry, after all, didn’t kill the guy on purpose. He was defending Tyra when he hit the guy; the fatal blow apparently happened when the guy hit the ground.
Do we really know what happened after the screen went dark in that scene? Was Tyra’s attacker really tossed off the bridge? Was he dead when he hit the water?
We didn’t expect “Lights” to turn into a mystery-drama, but it (briefly?) has, and I’m hoping this unexpected twist is wrapped up quickly.
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September 26, 2007
"Dancing" with the guys ... "Nashville" axed
The men weren’t nearly as good as the women on last night’s all-male “Dancing with the Stars.”
Nobody compared to the surprise brilliance of Cheetah Girl Sabrina Bryan, although there were a few guys who weren’t as awful as they might have been.
By far the best last night was Indy race-driving champ Helio Castroneves. He was smooth, elegant and having the time of his life. If personality and grace are the keys to success here, he’s a winner. Plus, the judges gave him the highest score of the night.
Wayne Newton, King of Las Vegas, was scared to death, and it showed. He was stiff, awkward and unsure of just about every step he took. Poor guy. He’s been on stage since he started crooning at age 4, but dancing completely rattled him — by his own admission. Give him props for courage, but he’ll probably turn out to be this season’s Jerry Springer: kept around out of pity and because he’s such a nice guy, then booted.
Mark Cuban was my surprise. The egotistical billionaire from Dallas was better than expected — and incredible considering he had a hip replacement seven weeks ago. Most people can’t walk that soon after surgery, let alone dip, swirl and leap in the air for a heel-clicking conclusion. Amazing.
Another nice surprise was model Albert Reed, who knew he had to make a dynamite first impression because he’s the least-known and youngest member of the group. Plus, viewers aren’t usually overcome with warmth for models. His dancing was good, but his personality was terrific.
Soap star Cameron Mathison made no impression whatsoever, so I guess he wasn’t awful. Or very good.
Boxer Floyd Mayweather was a disappointment, but athletes are genetically competitive, so I’m betting he’ll rebound — if he gets the chance. He got the lowest score of the night.
Tonight is elimination night, and I don’t think it takes a genius to predict that supermodel Josie Maran will be the first to go.
Speaking of first to go …
The first casualty of the new season — officially only three days old at this point — is Fox’s umpteenth singing contest, “Nashville.” After two episodes that were so low-rated they barely showed up on the Nielsen meters, the show was yanked. I don’t anticipate an outpouring of sorrow.
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September 25, 2007
'Dancing' shines, 'War' opens big
When Cheetah Girl Sabrina Bryan was first shown rehearsing for her “Dancing with the Stars” debut last night, I confess my first thought was this: “Gee whiz, she’s chubby. This could be embarrassing.”
Well, shame on me! The girl is dynamite. She’s quick on her tiny feet, strong as an ox and incredibly graceful. The judges were impressed with her opening cha-cha (except for the hip-hop elements she tossed in), and the studio audience screamed and gave her a standing ovation.
Sabrina had the highest score of the night, which featured ladies-only. Tonight the men, including Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Vegas legend Wayne Newton, lumber onto the dance floor. Who will be the biggest surprise? Can’t wait to see.
But back to the ladies. Supermodel Josie Maran could be the first to go. Just because you’re pretty, lean and frequently featured in Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit edition doesn’t mean you can dance. Poor thing … she went SPLAT at the end of her fox trot. It was ugly.
Actress Jennie Garth was surprisingly light and confident on her feet, Marie Osmond got high scores she didn’t deserve (having eight kids made her a little less light on her feet than, oh, maybe a hippo), Mel B (Scary Spice) didn’t make much of an impression at all and Jane Seymour surprised no one with her graceful performance. The 56-year-old English rose used to be a ballerina, so she has a bit of an edge.
After tonight’s guy gallop, Wednesday’s results show will boot a couple off.
Millions came, but will the stay?
PBS estimates 15.5 million viewers saw Sunday’s first episode of “The War,” the seven-part Ken Burns’ documentary about World War II. (That doesn’t include the repeat of the 2 1/2-hour film later in the evening.)
These preliminary numbers exceed all but three of Burns’ previous series: “The Civil War,” “Lewis & Clark” and “Baseball.”
“The War” continues tonight and Wednesday then returns next week, airing Sunday through Tuesday (Oct. 2). The 16-hour totals won’t be available until the second week of October.
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September 24, 2007
'Bachelor' and 'Dancing' return tonight
Reality TV fans, tonight is your night!
“Dancing with the Stars” and “The Bachelor” trot out their new seasons tonight on ABC.
If you’ve been orbiting Mars for a few months, you might not know that Austin bar owner Brad Womack is the hunky new guy on “The Bachelor” (8:30 p.m.). Click on the show’s site, and you can see Shirtless Brad running the hike-and-bike trail at Lady Bird Lake in his little introductory video. He also irons his shirts shirtless and performs a few other domestic tasks with pecs and abs in full, rippling view.
We wish him luck … maybe he’ll pick a life mate and get married at one of his downtown bars. Or maybe he’ll secretly switch places on the show with his twin brother Chad Womack. So many possibilities.
“Dancing with the Stars”, which I always plan to ignore but eventually get sucked into, returns at 7 p.m. with a brand new batch of klutzes who will eventually learn to swirl with at least some degree of athleticism and grace.
The competitors this time around are a decidedly mixed lot.
Jennie Garth, former star of “Beverly Hills, 90210,” is young and lithe and could do well. Plus she’s pretty.
Mark Cuban, billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks and HDNet, on the other hand, is likely to burn out quickly. He might be a jock lover, but his athletic skills — and, really, folks, ballroom dancing requires LOTS of strength and agility — are questionable. Remember Tucker Carlson? I rest my case.
Ditto Las Vegas crooner Wayne Newton. He can sing and snap his fingers, but can he dance without snapping his back? The dude has been around FOREVER.
Actress Jane Seymour of “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,” is a trained ballet dancer. She’s a lock to stick around for a long time in spite of her 50-plus years.
Marie Osmond sings AND dances, and she’s one of those overachievers who hates to fail at anything, so I’m guessing she’ll give it her all. Will she succeed? We’ll see.
Also spinning for the judges: Melanie Brown, aka Scary Spice; Sabrina Bryan, aka one of Disney’s Cheetah Girls; Brazilian race car driver Helio Castroneves; models Josie Maran and Albert Reed; soap star (“All My Children”) Cameron Mathison; and boxing champ Floyd Mayweather.
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September 19, 2007
Will 'Kid Nation' collapse or soar?
If CBS’s controversial new reality show “Kid Nation” is a hit, it won’t matter that critics have been blasting it for months.
But if, after all the publicity (negative beats none, you know) the series doesn’t draw a crowd for tonight’s premiere (7 p.m. on KEYE Channel 42), don’t look for these kids to ever finish building their little society in the wilds of New Mexico.
CBS declined to provide previews, so we’ll all find out together what this particular form of child exploitation looks like. (Or not. I may skip it out of protest, although that’s probably not the professional road to take.)
You might recall the premise is that 40 kids, ages 8 to 15, were plopped down in a ghost town for 40 days (yep, during the school year) and told to forge their own country.
Among the many negatives that surfaced during the summer: child labor and welfare laws were broken, injuries occurred (burns and accidental bleach-drinking included) and parents signed away their kids’ horror stories “in perpetuity” for a mere $5,000.
CBS is so sure it has a hit on its hand that it is casting for a second installment of “Kid Nation.” Where it will be filmed — presumably a state with absolutely no child protective legislation — has yet to be decided.
Emmys sink, as we predicted
The Sunday night telecast of the Emmy Awards on Fox drew a record low 12.9 million viewers in the national Nielsen Media ratings report.
The previous low was 13.8 million in 2004, when the Emmys aired on ABC.
NBC’s Sunday night football game, featuring the New England Patriots and the San Diego Chargers, beat the Emmys with 15.2 million viewers.
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September 14, 2007
Texans in Tennessee for Fox's 'Nashville'
Fox’s new music competition show “Nashville” arrives tonight at 8, with four Texans prominently featured among the 10 contestants.
Chances are probably slim and none that Central Texans will be riveted to the opening installment of a country-music reality show, since many of us are in ear-shot of ACL Fest all weekend.
But if you do plan to check out “Nashville” — either tonight or later in the show’s run — here’s a quick rundown of the Texans (none from Austin, by the way) who’ve gone to Tennessee and hope to make the big-time there:
Rachel Bradshaw, 20
Hometown: Westlake (a town near Dallas, not the Austin ‘burb)
She’s the daughter of former Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback Terry Bradshaw, and she has been dreaming of a country-music career since she was itty-bitty. She’s not completely unknown in the Dallas area, having warbled at assorted fairs and festivals for years.
Jeff Allen, 26
Hometown: Canton, near Dallas
He left Texas a couple of years ago to pursue a career in Nashville and has worked with some of the biggies there, including Vince Gill and Hal Ketchum. He wants to solo.
Matt Jenkins, 24
Hometown: Aledo, near Fort Worth
He’s fighting a downward spiral at an early age. Jenkins had a record deal at 19 and played the Grand Ole Opry not long after, but now he could use the boost that reality TV can provide.
Clint Moseley, 26
Hometown: Lindale, in East Texas
He’s done a little acting (“The O.C.”), but singing has not been the focus of Moseley’s career thus far. In fact, he works for his father’s jet sales company. But apparently he’s got a nice voice, and this is his shot.
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September 11, 2007
'i-CAUGHT' ends its jittery run tonight
“i-CAUGHT,” an alleged newsmagazine “re-invented for the YouTube generation,” ends its six-week run tonight at 8 on ABC. Don’t expect a wave of protests in hopes of reviving it. Are you pining already? Neither am I.
A project that might have sounded good in the pitching session, “i-CAUGHT” pretty much proves that TV and the Internet are two entirely separate media. Mashing the two together produced little more than an odd-looking combo of “America’s Funniest Home Videos” and “CNN Headline News.”
Anchored by Bill Weir (of “Good Morning America’s” weekend edition), the series attempted to explain the onslaught of video images spewed out by cell phones, Webcams, surveillance cams, downloads and uploads. The show tried to tell the real stories behind the grainy images — the motivation, the context and what happens to the people after their video is seen publicly.
For the most part that effort failed. It’s just an onslaught of more cheap video.
Like “America’s Home Videos,” “i-CAUGHT” depended on viewers supplying the product. The jiggly pics with awful sound were augmented by ABC News reporters’ efforts to explain the phenomenon.
Cable news networks and broadcast news have been using amateur video for years. Some of the most stunning footage of the Sept. 11 attacks in New York were caught on amateur video, and the first shots from the April massacre at Virginia Tech also came from a civilian on the ground who happened to have a cell phone with video capability.
Mixing sleazy celebrity video, such as David Hasselhoff’s drunken attempt to gobble a hamburger, with soldier-shot video from the war in Iraq is an awkward mix at best.
The show’s companion Web site is still up, so if you find yourself desperate for more “i-CAUGHT” after tonight, (check your pulse and then) check it out. The site is much better (which isn’t saying much) than the TV show.
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September 6, 2007
Tim Gunn: Turning fashion victims into victors
If you love sartorial fashion guru Tim Gunn on “Project Runway,” you’ll love him even more on his new Bravo show, “Tim Gun’s Guide to Style” (9 p.m. Thursdays).
“It’s undeniably a makeover show, but we don’t walk into someone’s house and tell them what to wear,” Gunn said in Los Angeles earlier this summer.
Assisted on the show by supermodel Veronica Webb, Gunn sets forth a verbal contract with his fashion victims that requires them to do all the work. They must make an emotional and physical commitment to be the best they can be.
“They have to embrace the challenge,” Gunn said.
The contestants presumably know what they’re getting into, because they’ve all begged to be made-over on the show. Most of them are in ruts because of their lifestyles — new moms, office workers, teachers, etc. Gunn’s goal is to pry them out of their ruts, to engineer a “fashion epiphany” by tossing out all the unflattering stuff from their closets and picking out 10 stylish classics. Grandly this is called “the semiology of dressing.”
A basic black dress? Gotta have one. Ditto a perfect white blouse or two, a couple of suits (pants and skirt) and a trenchcoat. And fit is everything — never too tight or too baggy.
Gunn pulls no punches when it comes to famous women who dress badly. He’s appalled by some of the choices Meryl Streep has made for red carpet appearances, and he thinks Sen. Hillary Clinton’s perpetual black pant suit is “a crashing bore.”
But Gunn is much kinder to everyday women who just need a little nudge in the right direction.
“I tell the truth, but I’m thoughtful and respectful,” he said. “I really believe in the right of people to choose, and we’re not all the same.”
Choice is one thing, but Gunn does have a few absolute no-nos: cargo shorts, bare midriffs and Crocs.
Who’s your favorite local anchor team?
Today Austin360.com is rolling out a new batch of A-List polls, and one of the categories is best local evening news anchor team.
Ron and Judy at KEYE? How about Robert and Michelle at KXAN? So many choices, so many channels. Vote for your favorite, and we’ll write about the results.
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August 29, 2007
Mark Cuban, Wayne Newton and Marie Osmond on 'Dancing with the Stars'
Unless he’s been harboring a secret talent all these years, I’m predicting that Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban will be the biggest dud (not dude) on the new season of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.”
The celeb contenders were announced this morning on “Good Morning America.” When the new season of this hit reality show debuts Sept. 24, there will be a dozen alleged “stars” (really? Mark Cuban is a star?). That’s the biggest batch ever to compete. Look for the bad ones to drop like flies pretty quickly.
Six men and six women will be paired with a dozen returning professional hoofers who will attempt to forge the amateurs into some semblance of grace and strength.
Remember conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, who sat in a chair while his partner danced around him in a previous season opener? He didn’t even try and, despite his cute bow-tie, was bumped immediately. Cuban could follow in Carlson’s clumsy footsteps. Cuban’s partner is Kym Johnson.
Other stars announced for “Dancing” are:
Melanie Brown, aka “Scary Spice,” member of the British pop group the Spice Girls. Partner: Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
Wayne Newton — really, I’m NOT making this up. The Vegas legend with the shiny helmet hair will be paired with two-time champ Cheryl Burke.
Marie Osmond — again, I’m NOT making this up. The big-toothed “Donny & Marie” grinner will be whirled around the dance floor by Jonathan Roberts.
Jane Seymour, British-born star of “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” and countless gauzy miniseries. Partner: Tony Dovolani.
Helio Castroneves, two-time Indianapolis 500 champ. Partner: Julianne Hough.
Jennie Garth, former “Beverly Hills 90210”star. Partner: Derek Hough (brother of the aforementioned Julianne Hough).
Sabrina Bryan, former member of the Disney Channel’s singing group The Cheetah Girls. Partner: Mark Ballas.
Josie Maran, magazine model and Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit edition star. Paired with Alec Mazo.
Cameron Mathison, popular soap star from “All My Children.” Partner: Edyta Sliwinska.
Floyd Mayweather, aka Pretty Boy Floyd, six-time world boxing champ in five different weight classes. Partner: Karina Smirnoff.
Albert Reed, 22-year-old Abercrombie & Fitch model with legendary catwalk grace (not to mention fabulous abs). Partner: Anna Trebunskaya.
Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris return as hosts, along with the judging trio of Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba.
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August 24, 2007
Oprah to tackle O.J. book controversy
Oprah Winfrey will host (referee?) what could be a major knockdown between the families of the two people O.J. Simpson was acquitted of killing, ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman, over the publication of O.J.’s book “If I Did It.”
Denise Brown, sister of Nicole, and Fred and Kim Goldman, father and sister of Ron, agreed to sit down with each other on the Sept. 13 edition of “Oprah.” The normally civilized talk show could well turn into a nasty installment of “Jerry Springer.”
You might recall that O.J.’s book, which he claimed was not a confession but a rumination on how he might have murdered his wife, was ditched by the publisher a few years ago because of controversy and protests surrounding the project. Both the Brown and Goldman families were opposed to the book then — especially to O.J. making money from it.
But in the past few months, the Goldmans reached a deal with a New York publishing company to release the book, with the proceeds going to the Goldman family in an effort to receive the $33.5 million they were awarded in a civil suit that found O.J. liable for the murders.
Denise Brown is horrified by the prospect of details of her sister’s 1994 slaying being released in a book-for-profit and wants “If I Did It” to be ditched for good.
Oprah will attempt to moderate this “discussion” and also promises to offer her own opinion. It’s just a guess, but I’ve got a feeling she will not be sympathetic to the Goldmans. Of course if she is in favor of the book’s publication, it’s practically a guaranteed best-seller. Yikes.
‘Anchorwoman’ axed after one show
Fox’s new series “Anchorwoman,” which premiered Wednesday, has been canceled. The reality show was about the desperate decision of Tyler station KYTX to hire bikini model Lauren Jones to anchor its low-rated local news. The national ratings — 2.7 million viewers — for the Fox show were almost as low as the local news ratings for KYTX, so “Anchorwoman” has signed off.
If you’re desperate to find out how Jones fared at the station, you can catch the unaired episodes on Fox’s Web site.
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August 23, 2007
'Kid Nation' -- child abuse as entertainment?
It might have seemed like a good idea at the time, but “Kid Nation,” the new CBS reality series that placed 40 children in the New Mexico desert to build a society without contact with their parents for 40 days, is boiling into a nasty controversy.
Charges of child abuse and violation of child labor laws have been surfacing for months, but with the Sept. 19 premiere of the series approaching, the controversy is heating to the point where some people wonder if the show will actually get on the fall schedule.
Filmed in a deserted town near Santa Fe, the series has been criticized from the get-go by state officials there, who claim the production violated child labor and welfare laws because the kids were filmed 24/7 under harsh conditions.
Not surprisingly, there were physical and emotional injuries along the way. A 12-year-old girl from Georgia suffered facial burns while cooking, and several scrapes and even a broken bone were reported. A few kids, who ranged in age from 8 to 14, took advantage of the option to leave because they were so upset by conditions in the camp.
CBS issued a statement to the New York Times on Tuesday:
“These kids were in good hands and under good care with procedures and safety structures that arguably rival or surpass any school or camp in the country.”
The kids and their parents signed contracts stating they would not discuss the filming for three years after the show airs (a $5 million penalty is in place), and the children signed away “rights to their life stories in perpetuity.”
A stipend of $5,000 for those who stuck it out seems paltry compared with the unhappy circumstances that unfolded. Since all participants were minors, the question that should be raised here, besides where is CBS’s sense of shame, is WHAT THE HECK WERE THE PARENTS THINKING?
‘High School Musical 2’ — once more with feeling
An encore presentation of the record-setting movie musical “High School Musical 2” will air tonight at 7 on the Disney Channel.
The movie debuted last Friday after months of breathless anticipation and became the most-watched basic cable telecast of all time in total viewers (17.2 million) and kids 6-11 (6.1 million) and the most-watched entertainment program ever among tweens 9-14 (5.9 million).
Over the weekend, “High School Musical 2” delivered 33.1 million total viewers for the three telecasts that aired Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Oh, and one more thing: the soundtrack debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart.
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August 22, 2007
Bimbo or 'Anchorwoman?' You be the judge
Poking fun of local TV news, dumb blondes and Texas is such old news, but Fox’s condescending new reality show “Anchorwoman” is hellbent on showcasing all of the above.
“Anchorwoman,” which debuts at 7, plops buxom blonde swimsuit model/WWE “vixen” Lauren Jones onto the local news desk at KYTX, the CBS affiliate in Tyler. Embarrassment and (allegedly) hilarity ensue, as the anchors and reporters take offense at the stunt pulled by station manager Phil Hurley in a desperate attempt to boost ratings.
Jones, of course, has no experience whatsoever — in either journalism or, apparently, reading. She arrives in stiletto heels, miniskirt and barely-there tank top and proceeds to wobble through words on the TelePrompTer. If cleavage were brains, she’d be genius.
Newsroom colleagues, not surprisingly, do not respond well, but the show makes sure to poke fun at them, too — which is not to say some of them don’t deserve it. I mean, how do you take a local newscast seriously that boasts Stormy the Weather Dog on staff? And the irritated anchor Annalisa Petralia, who whines about the possible demise of her journalistic credibility, is seen concluding a report on men not washing their hands after going to the bathroom with the following: “That’s why boys have cooties.”
Now that’s serious journalism, right? “Anchorwoman” has its moments of cheap laughs, but, really, the whole concept is so yesterday.
Texas vs. Yale
It doesn’t happen very often, but tonight the Texas Longhorns take on the Yale Bulldogs.
Huh? Yep, the two universities’ business schools are going head-to-head for the $200,000 prize in CNBC’s “Fast Money MBA Challenge.” The universities have been battling for more than a month and are the last two biz schools standing.
The championship game is at 8 p.m. on CNBC, telecast from the Nasdaq Stock Market’s Times Square studio in New York. The team with the best market value of the stock portfolios they’ve created wins.
The $200,000 prize, to be split among the winning team members, must be used for tuition, school loans, books, room and board or other school related expenses.
CNBC viewers can guess who will win tonight’s battle by text messaging or signing up via the Web at mbachallenge.cnbc.com to be entered to win an iPhone from Apple. The winner will be announced live at the end of the program.
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August 8, 2007
Austinite is the new 'Bachelor'
Ta-da! Brad Womack, who owns several Austin bars — including the Chuggin’ Monkey and the Dizzy Rooster — has been chosen to star in ABC’s new season of “The Bachelor.”
Womack, 34, is billed by the network as the reality romance series’ very own “McSteamy.” You be the judge.
Apparently owning or co-owning (with brothers Chad and Wesley) all those fabulously popular bars in town has not helped Womack find a suitable babe-mate, so he’s going to let producers of “The Bachelor” help.
Born in Atlanta, Womack moved to Texas when he was 12 and attended Texas State University for a year before taking an 8-year odyssey working in oil fields around the country.
His next career was bartending with twin brother Chad. They saved their money and bought their own establishment and have been adding to the Womack Family Bar Empire ever since.
“The Bachelor” begins its new season on Monday, Sept. 24 on ABC.
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August 7, 2007
Grinning Drew's got the 'Power'
Most of you TV blog readers (and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time) surely know by now that I’m not a fan of reality TV.
More often than not, it’s cheap and tawdry and spends an inordinate amount of time making fun of alleged real people — who really aren’t all that real because they’ve been cast to play certain parts in the manufactured reality of television.
But I digress … If I were going to subject myself to a new summer reality show it just might be Drew Carey’s “Power of 10,” which debuts tonight at 7 on CBS.
The big draw for me is Carey, a genuinely funny, regular guy from Cleveland whose enthusiasm and good cheer are totally contagious. He really is intrigued by the format, and he really does enjoy interacting with the contestants.
Here’s the deal for “Power of 10”: Players have to guess within a certain range of percentage points how Americans responded to a variety of survey questions. The top prize is $10 million, and if the answers are correct, the top can be reached quickly — in five questions.
Carey told TV critics in Los Angeles last month his interest was piqued by the fact that a lot of people don’t think the way he assumed they did. For example:
Outside of California, only 12 percent of Americans know the name of their governor. Californians, of course, have a muscle-building star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, for their governor, so he’s kind of hard to miss. Including California in the percentage total, a whopping 20 percent of Americans can name their governor. Guess Rick Perry needs a name tag.
A big majority of respondents, 69 percent, say that if they saw a Mexican national trying to cross the U.S. border illegally they would phone police.
A shocking 18 percent of those polled said they would never vote for a black person for president. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?
Carey, who devours newspapers and considers himself a student of political and current affairs, thinks “Power of 10” could stir up some water-cooler conversation around the country. He hopes it does.
“The show takes you out of your comfort zone because you’re going to see that a lot of people don’t think the same way as you do and don’t have the same beliefs that you do,” Carey said. “I hope it makes people think about that stuff. It’s going to shake a lot of people’s beliefs.”
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July 30, 2007
Reality TV still loves Austin
Reality television’s fascination with Austin continues …
When the new season of MTV’s “Real World: Sydney” debuts on Aug. 8, 20-year-old Austinite KellyAnne will be among the participants.
According to the skimpy info provided on the show’s Web site, KellyAnne is a self-described “tease” who likes to party and be the center of attention.
Doesn’t that description apply to practically all of the female participants of “Real World,” past and present?
On a more serious note, the University of Texas McCombs School of Business is one of eight major university business schools to compete in CNBC’s new game show “Fast Money MBA Challenge,” which debuts this week, Wednesday at 8 p.m.
The other participating biz schools are Columbia, Yale, Dartmouth, MIT, NYU, UCLA and the University of Chicago.
The contest will feature 32 current MBA students, grouped in school teams, competing head-to-head in categories testing their financial expertise to accumulate money in a virtual investment portfolio.
The champion team will receive $200,000 — which will be divided among the four members and must be used for tuition, loan repayment or other school-related expenses. The final game is scheduled for Aug. 22.
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July 26, 2007
Austin cop a 'Superhero?' Michael found on 'Lost?'
When the second season of the Sci-Fi Channel’s “Who Wants To Be a Superhero?” debuts tonight at 8 p.m., don’t forget to root for Austin police detective Jarrett Crippen.
The 38-year-old Crippen will present himself as The Defuser in the Stan Lee-produced series.
“Superhero” challenges 10 finalists to create their own super-powered characters, and Crippen’s Defuser is described as an elite combat-trained athlete who is an expert at gadgetry and “nonlethal weaponry.” He has super-speed, strength, agility, hearing and eyesight — including night vision.
The winner gets to have his or her original super-hero immortalized in a Stan Lee comic book.
Fox 7 on the road
KTBC’s Fox 7 News is on the road again for the fourth season of “Hometown Fridays,” featuring live and taped segments from communities around Central Texas.
The segments — featured in the morning, noon, 5 and 9 p.m. newscasts — began last week in Taylor, with a visit to the rodeo. This Friday, the focus shifts to Williamson County.
The communities are chosen through nominations sent to the station’s Web site (www.myfoxaustin.com) by local residents.
Will ‘Lost’ be found?
After floating away from “Lost,” Michael Dawson, the tortured father played by Harold Perrineau, will return when the show begins its new season. No word on whether son Walt will be with him.
Michael and Walt (Malcolm David Kelley) were missing all last season, although the noticeably more grown up Walt did appear in a dream or a vision to Locke. Michael, you might recall, made a treacherous deal with The Others to save his son at the end of the show’s sophomore season.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that Michael will join the survivors he betrayed. He could be participating in flashbacks or flash-forwards. You never know with “Lost.”
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July 20, 2007
Double whammy of Drew Carey coming
Drew Carey — rotund, bespectacled and grinning — just might be the perfect game show host. He’s smart, he’s quick-witted and doesn’t abuse or talk down to either viewers or contestants.
Carey’s perfect, assuming we have to have another game show.
In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re awash in game shows right now. At least a half-dozen of the loud, bells-and-whistle, big-cash giveaway shows are sprinkled throughout the broadcast networks’primetime schedules.
Carey’s “Power of 10” arrives next month on CBS primetime, asking contestants how they think the majority of Americans answered various questions, from the silly (how many people don’t wear underwear) to the serious. Some of you might be surprised to learn that 69 percent of Americans say they would call the cops if they saw a Mexican crossing the border illegally.
Every time a contestant’s answer comes close to the results of the opinion poll, the prize money is multiplied quickly (by 10) toward the eventual top haul of $10 million. “That’s serious bill-paying money,” as Carey says.
“I never wanted to be on TV again,” said the laid-back Carey, whose sitcom “The Drew Carey Show” was a major hit on ABC for years, and his improv comedy “Whose Line Is It Anyway” got modest ratings as well. “I was sick of seeing myself on TV, and I have plenty of money. But I was intrigued by the questions on this show, and it isn’t really work. I get to hang out with people I like for a couple of days a week and give away millions of dollars — and it’s not even my money!”
Carey freely admits he made a bundle on syndication of his sitcom.
“Unlike Victoria Beckham, I answer my own door,” he quipped before bursting into that trademark, high-pitched cackle.
“I was having such a good time not being on TV,” Carey said. “I had all the benefits of being on TV - people still liked and recognized me. My shoulders felt a little lighter and I slept better. I thought, wow, this is great! I don’t want to ever be on TV again.”
He was perfectly happy hanging out with his buddies in L.A., visiting friends and family in his beloved hometown of Cleveland, doing standup tours when he felt like it and becoming completely obsessed with major league soccer. He has season tickets to the L.A. Galaxy.
But then all these TV execs started offering him fun things to do that won’t take up much of his time and will let him hang out with the American TV audience again.
And it’s likely that we’ll soon get a double dose of Carey. CBS is in serious negotiations with him to step into the legendary shoes of Bob Barker on “The Price Is Right.” Although that might sound like he’s about to take on a bigger load than he likes (which wouldn’t fit into his “no fun, no work” motto), the daytime gig would still only be half-days for a couple days a week. And Carey is a huge fan of the show.
“That show needs to be treated with a lot of respect,” Carey said in one of his rare serious moments. “I think I would be good at it. Again, it’s easy to do, not really work and really just time out of my day spent giving away prizes. As long as Bob Barker is happy about me, I think fans will be happy.”
A deal is expected to be announced soon.
Little things mean a lot
CBS might have come up with a way to appease angry viewers who are sick of NFL football running all over their favorite primetime shows on Sunday nights.
A new tech service called CBS Eye-lert will notify you by cell phone or e-mail of possible delays on NFL Sundays and then follow up with an approximate new starting time for your program. The network also is working with TiVo to alert viewers’ recording devices to the delays.
You can sign up for Eye-lert on CBS.com.
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July 16, 2007
Tim Gunn's dream of "style epiphany"
Tim Gunn, in his usual professorial demeanor and sartorial splendor, told TV critics slumped in a Sunday afternoon press conference, that the biggest style no-no in America is ill-fitting clothes. Too big, too tight, too short, too long.
The famous “Project Runway”gent was dressed very precisely in a fine-fitting black suit and white shirt. His White hair was perfectly coiffed, pancake makeup oh-so-subtle.
“People should try things on, look in the mirror and assess honestly — does that fit me?” he said, allowing his gaze to slowly pan the room.
Print reporters are notoriously un-stylish, so this was an uncomfortable moment to say the least. And it doesn’t help that Gunn takes himself very seriously. He’s not what you’d call cuddly, if you get my drift.
Gunn, who insists he is critical but never “crushing,” will host a new makeover show on Bravo called “Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style,” beginning Sept. 6. The makeover victims will have to agree contractually to look deep within themselves and find fashion style amid the clutter and psychological damage of their personal lives. This will, he states with a slight frown, not be easy.
“A lot of emotion bubbles up in the course of the show,” Gunn said with a quick tug on his French cuff. “I am a truth teller, but I’m thoughtful and respectful. I really believe in the right of people to choose — and that we’re not all the same.”
Working with his “fashion accomplice” Veronica Webb, a former model, Gunn will swoop into his subject’s closets and toss the bad stuff, try to retrieve a few workable pieces and then head to the stores. He’ll take the wealthy women to high-end stores, the not-so-rich to places like Target. His discerning eye will help transforms these ducks into unbelievably stylish swans.
“The goal is for our subjects to have a fashion epiphany,” Gunn said perhaps a bit too grandly. This is, after all, the umpteenth fashion makeover show we’ve seen.
Gunn, who has covered fashion red-carpet arrivals at glittery awards shows for “Today,” said he would love to get his makeover claws into Meryl Streep. Her Oscar appearances have ranged from frumpy to foolish. She looks fabulous in movies but needs work in her personal fashion life.
“I adore Meryl Streep,” Gunn said. “She’s incredibly talented and intelligent, but the message she sends with the way she dresses is ‘I’m too smart to care about this,’ “Gunn said. “I’d like to help her.
As for his own personal fashion evolution, Gunn said he was a “a big nerd” growing up in Washington, D.C. At some point in his teens he turned preppy, but it took him many more years of introspection and to come up with his current, highly GQ appearance. … maybe there’s still hope for the rest of us.
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July 2, 2007
‘Big Brother' arrives, ‘Studio 60' departs
If you’re one of those desperate-for-more-reality-TV folks, you’re probably looking forward to the eighth season premiere of CBS’ “Big Brother” (7 p.m. Thursday on KEYE Channel 42).
And if you are looking forward to “Big Brother,” well, get a life! No, seriously, there is a bit of news about this tedious show: A few of the 14 cast members have been selected to room with their worst enemies. This means that CBS realizes that the show has lost whatever drama it once had and now must manufacture a whole new brand of “reality.”
And in a rather desperate attempt to nab a younger demographic, “Big Brother” boasts much younger contestants than previous incarnations of the series. All but three of the 14 participants are in their 20s this time around.
The new “Bro” group includes: a cocktail waitress from Las Vegas, two college students from Kansas, a waitress from California, a bar manager from Los Angeles, a shoe salesman from Chicago, a “talent management assistant” (whatever that is) from New York, a school counselor from Maryland, a nanny from Beverly Hills, a receptionist from Chicago, a business owner from Oregon, a painting contractor from Wisconsin, a former pro football player from Minnesota and a graphic designer from Los Angeles.
“Studio 60” leaves on a high note
“Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” NBC’s much-ballyhooed series from Aaron Sorkin, never quite lived up to its hype last fall. After starting strong and fading fast, the series was yanked and then canceled …
But NBC brought it back after the official season ended in May for a proper farewell. Last Thursday’s episode was indeed a richly satisfying and proper goodbye.
Sorkin wrapped up each character with surprisingly happy endings, perhaps signaling that he’s not a cynical or sour as we might have thought he was.
If you haven’t seen the episode yet but plan to, this is your SPOILER ALERT.
Jordan not only did not die after prematurely giving birth, she survived and asked Danny to be her baby’s adopted father. Marriage, it was clear, was just around the corner for these love birds.
Matt and Harriet finally patched up their angry but deeply passionate love affair and headed off into the night, hand in hand.
Simon and Jack ended their stalemate over an on-air apology, and Tom’s brother was rescued from Middle Eastern terrorists.
All’s well that ends well … too bad Sorkin couldn’t have made the series better from the third episode on.
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June 27, 2007
Shaq attacks fat, BET showcases Jennifers
Gigantic NBA star Shaquille O’Neal, a towering 7-foot tall behemoth who tips the scales at 335 pounds, has a soft spot in his heart for fat kids, and it shows in his new ABC reality series “Shaq’s Big Challenge.” In spite of his height, he used to be fat — especially as a kid.
Unlike most weight-loss shows, this one, which debuted last night and will air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. during the summer, genuinely seeks to help. Ignoring multiple opportunities to poke fun or express pity and shame, “Shaq’s Big Challenge” portrays the genuine heartbreak and dangers of childhood obesity.
Over six months of filming, Shaq goads and coos six kids, ranging in age from 11 to 14 and weighing between 182 and 285 pounds, into a program that hopes to lead them to physical fitness. He and his team of doctors, trainers and nutritionists hone in on the kids and their parents, urging exercise and an end to cheeseburgers and soft drinks.
You quickly realize that this is not your average ha-ha-it’s-a-fat-kid show when medical exams reveal potential heart problems and other obesity-related diseases in these children. All of them flunk their initial president’s physical fitness tests, and one collapses after plodding through a 17-minute mile. The doctor’s description of “morbid obesity” prompts tears from parents and kids alike.
Shaq seems genuinely worried and becomes, at times, more motivated than his charges to whip them into shape. Rippled muscles notwithstanding, he’s a big ol’ softie.
Shaq, of course, is no stranger to TV. Most sports superstars know how to take charge in front of a camera, so he’s extremely comfortable in his role as host.
I might not watch this reality show every week, but I’ll definitely check in from time to time to see how the kids are doing. In a tease last night to next week’s show, Walter, the oldest and largest kid in the group, is shocked to see his toes when he gets on the scale!
BET Awards serves up another show-stopper
The two Jennifers — Holliday and Hudson — belted out a fabulous duet of the song that made them both famous on last night’s “BET Awards” telecast.
The original star and the “American Idol” castoff (who won and Academy Award) sang “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” from “Dreamgirls.” It was breathtaking, to say the least.
Another highlight was 63-year-old Diana Ross, in a skintight gold body suit, receiving the BET Lifetime Achievement Award. She looked as good as Beyonce, who is no slouch in the glamour department.
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June 12, 2007
No talent on 'America's Got Talent!'
For every tasty summer TV treat, there are a couple of shows that are so bad they could drive your right out into the steaming hot, mosquito-infested night air.
Case in point: “America’s Got Talent”, which gobbles up two hours tonight from 7 to 9 p.m. on NBC.
Everything about this dreadful “talent” show is wrong. The host is Jerry Springer, whose talk show is thoroughly disgusting and who proved without a shadow of a doubt on last season’s “Dancing with the Stars” that he has the grace and rhythm of a donkey.
Judges? OK, so it might be entertaining to see if David Hasselhoff is drunk. It’s hard to look at the guy these days without remembering that sad video, shot by his own daughter, of him rolling around on the floor trying to eat a hamburger.
Sharon Osbourne is supposed to be the Paula Abdul figure on “Talent,” offering a bit of consolation and motherly support. But, really, she’s married to Ozzy and has two annoying grown-up kids of her own, so how good can her support actually be?
And, of course, there’s an uppity Brit, Piers Morgan, to rip the contestants to shreds with a glance and a disgusted wave of the hand.
Speaking of Brits, “Talent” comes from executive producer Simon Cowell, who has become a multi-multimillionaire thanks to his judging and producing talents on “American Idol.” He should know how to put on a decent show, but this celebration of non-talent is an embarrassment.
ME wins Tellys
What’s ME and what’s a Telly?
ME Television, our 24-hour music-and-entertainment cable network, emerged from Time Warner’s local access lineup in 2005. It is seen in Austin on cable channel 15 and in 40 nearby cities.
Founded in 1978, the Telly Awards honor local and regional cable TV programming.
“ME Live!”, a nightly series featuring live music performances by local and touring acts, won two Tellys for episodes featuring Paula and Willie Nelson at the Saxon Pub and Collective Soul at the Glenn at the Backyard.
“Texas Legends,” a one-hour documentary series devoted to legendary musicians and historical venues, received a Telly for a program on the Paramount Theater.
“Austinville,” spotlighting notable places and personalities in Austin, took home two awards.
Spurs and Eva
Are the San Antonio Spurs going to cream the Cleveland Cavaliers again tonight? Maybe. Probably, although the NBA Finals (7:30 p.m. pregame, 8 p.m. game on ABC) take place in Cleveland tonight, where it may not be so easy to overwhelm the Cavs.
One thing is certain: We’ll get to see “Desperate Housewives” star (and San Antonio native) Eva Longoria scream her lungs out for fiance Tony Parker. Yes, she’ll also primp and make sure the camera angle is “just so,” but this girl is an avid round-ball fan, and when she gets wrapped up in the action, she’s a vein-popping shrieker.
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May 23, 2007
Finally, Jordin wins, 6th "Idol" ends
At the end of four months and 51 hours of television, 17-year-old Jordin Sparks, she of the dimpled grin and booming voice, was crowned the new “American Idol.” Beat-boxer Blake Lewis settled for also-ran.
Suspense was definitely in the air when time ticked down to 9 p.m., when the show was supposed to be over, and the winner had not yet been announced. Talk about dragging out the results. At 9:03, Sparks, whom just about everyone predicted would win, did.
More than 35 million viewers were expected to tune into the star-spangled, two-hour finale on Fox. Instead of one surprise performer, such as last year’s jaw-dropping appearance by Prince, this year’s edition was packed with big names. Who was there? Who wasn’t. Former “Idols” Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks and Ruben Studdard sang, along with pop vets Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight, Tony Bennett, Green Day and Bette Midler. Motown songs were featured prominently, as were tunes by the Beatles.
Unflappable host Ryan Seacrest presided over the live telecast from Los Angeles’ Kodak Theater. A few technical glitches (Midler slid off key, apparently unable to hear the orchestra at first) didn’t seem to bother anyone, but Sanjaya Malakar, the castoff “Idol” with the bizarre hairdos and other-worldly sound, failed to stir the excitement producers had hoped when he bounded onto the stage with Aerosmith’s Joe Perry. No raucous cheering erupted.
There were sweet moments, like judges Randy and Paula dancing as Midler crooned “Wind Beneath My Wings.” There were stellar moments, like Melinda and LaKisha belting out a song with Gladys Knight — both of those rejected contestants sounded better than the two finalists. And there were excruciating moments, like the Golden Idol Awards, which are just an excuse to make fun of some of the most horrendous audioners from months ago.
After five seasons, “American Idol” remains a TV and pop culture phenomenon. A new season will gear up, with auditions to be held in as yet unnamed cities this summer. The TV show, always a No. 1 show in the Nielsen ratings, will return in January … and the beat goes on.
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May 22, 2007
'Idol' splatter!
Boy, that was kind of a mess, wasn’t it? First we had to hear about Paula’s broken nose and then we had to wade through both “Idol” finalists wrapping themselves around an awful song, the totally unsing-able “This Is My Now.”
Whew! It’s time for this contest to end, folks. When the best thing about the last performance is a guy who didn’t even make it to the final last season (that would be Chris Daughtry, in case you fell asleep), it’s Trouble with a capital T.
The judges, including the oddly attired Randy Jackson (in an extra-large Michael Jackson military jacket?), gave the edge to Jordin Sparks. I agree, but she wasn’t nearly as good as she has been, and poor Blake Lewis was painfully close to awful. Was he really relaxed or just not caring? Hard to tell. The 25-year-old man-boy made 17-year-old Jordin seem like a sophisticated lady.
Maybe the Kodak Theater intimidated Blake and Jordin. Maybe “American Idol” is getting old … or should shorten its season by a month or two. Hard to know what exactly made the night seem so dull, but I just kept wishing Melinda and LaKisha were up on that stage. Those gals have never been intimidated by anything in their lives.
Tomorrow’s two-hour results show is going to need Prince and about a dozen other big-time surprises to send this season off with a dose of luster.
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May 8, 2007
‘Dancing' into Austin!
If you haven’t had enough elaborate hoofing by May 22, when “Dancing with the Stars” reaches its sequin-and-feather season finale, you can gorge on more when the pro-am dancers come to the Frank Erwin Center on Wednesday, June 20.
Tickets for the performance go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at all Texas Box Office Outlets (includes select Central Market and H-E-B stores in the area) and online at TexasBoxOffice.com. For more information, call 512-471-7744 or visit www.uterwincenter.com.
Ticket prices have not been announced yet, but a spokeswoman with the Erwin Center says they expect to have that info soon. And as soon as they have it, we’ll have it right here in the TV blog.
In its fourth season, “Dancing with the Stars” continues to be a phenomenon. The tour will include celebrity and professional dancers from the current season and past seasons. Among those scheduled are Joey Fatone and Kym Johnson, Drew Lachey and Cheryl Burke, Joey McIntyre and Julianne Hough, and Joey Lawrence and Edyta Sliwinska.
Slow death for ‘Lost’
ABC’s announcement that “Lost” will end in 2010 is depressing — and not because the once-fascinating show will go away.
The general consensus is that “Lost” has lost its way this season, with the plane-crash survivors thrashing around in search of a storyline that isn’t totally ridiculous.
The network and producers proudly proclaim that the series, which returned last fall only to disappear in November for more than two months, will be scheduled in three shorter, uninterrupted seasons. The goal is to built toward a “highly anticipated and shocking finale” in the 2009-10 season.
Barring a major stroke of genius by the writers, it’s hard to imagine this show limping along for three short seasons and then suddenly bursting into excitement in 2010. … unless the polar bear returns. Then a world of possibilities opens up.
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May 7, 2007
Series or Miniseries: ‘Paris does time'
Poor Paris. She may have to take a 45-day break from her life of luxury to learn what her parents apparently never taught her — namely that laws must be obeyed.
In case you missed it, heiress/celebutante Paris Hilton was told by a judge in Los Angeles on Friday that she will have to spend a bit of time behind bars.
The poor girl burst into sobs, comforted by her mother, who promptly began shopping her daughter’s woes to various TV outlets. It was unclear whether Mom Hilton was pitching a new reality series — “Paris Does Time,” “Celebutante in the Cell” — or just trying to get a positive-spin interview out while the tears were fresh.
Hilton actually stood before the judge and said she didn’t know she wasn’t supposed to drive on a suspended license because she doesn’t read her own mail. (Her license was suspended in an alcohol-related reckless driving incident.)
“I have people who do that for me,” she pouted to the judge. She also said she didn’t have time to talk with her lawyer about restrictions on her behavior during probation. So many parties, so little time.
Over the weekend, the 26-year-old Hilton quickly fired her publicist, who she said gave her faulty advice, and told several entertainment TV reporters that she felt she was treated unfairly because she’s blond, beautiful and famous.
One thing we can expect if Hilton does wind up in the slammer on June 5, her designated date for incarceration, is there will be cameras present, and Hilton will be posing. Everything is potential publicity, and nobody bathes in the limelight better than Hilton.
E! Network will undoubtedly use the poor girl’s plight to its advantage when “The Simple Life Goes to Camp” debuts Memorial Day (May 28).
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May 2, 2007
"Idol" brutality: Two go home tonight!
Blood’s gonna spill on “Idol” tonight … Remember, this isn’t just a results show. It’s a double results show.
As in two rejects will be sent packing because the warblers got a bye on last week’s charity night.
Tuesday night’s performances this week were so universally swell that it could be a tough call. Vote totals from last week will be added to this week for the double-reject results.
Who gets the hook? LaKisha and Chris were in the bottom two last week, but LaKisha certainly redeemed herself last night with her growling rendition of Bon Jovi’s “This Ain’t a Love Song.” Simply splendid.
Chris, however, continues to be annoying. It’s not that he has a bad voice. He’s just too Timberlake and nasal. Not up to par with the rest of the contestants.
By now we all know how I feel about Phil, the lanky space cadet (actually, he’s a Navy guy). There’s something about him that just creeps me out, even though he’s not awful vocally. He has a weird vibe that I just can’t get around.
Top “dawgs” last night? Melinda, as usual, and the newly black-haired Blake. The prize for innovation and originality goes to Blake, who gave Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name” his own special twist. If anybody can knock Melinda out of the winner’s circle, it’s Blake.
The bummer of the night was the cardboard appearance of President and Laura Bush. At the end of the performances, the duo thanked the nation for contributing more than $70 million to charity on the “Idol Gives Back” program.
In the taped appearance, the Prez asked Laura if he ought to sing. She said, “No, darling. They’ve already seen you dance.” (A reference to an unfortunate drum and boogie the Prez performed with a West African dance troupe recently.) The couple stared at the camera, frozen in their chairs, fake-chuckling and looking about as comfortable as a couple of polar bears in the Sahara desert. Not good.
Double elimination starts at 8 tonight … I’m already nervous.
“Cheers” mailman fired
John Ratzenberger, who played know-it-all mailman Cliff on “Cheers,” got booted from “Dancing With the Stars” last night.
While he wasn’t exactly graceful, Ratzenberger was a swan compared to Billy Ray Cyrus, who stomps his feet and flips his hair. Billy Ray dancing? Not so much. He lets his professional partner handle that.
Maybe next week Billy Ray will go bye-bye.
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April 26, 2007
Sobbin' and lovin' 'Idol' ... how embarrassing!
I planned to pay scant attention to last night’s two-hour “Idol Gives Back” charity-fest … Figured I could drop into the last five minutes and be done … But I wound up crying like a baby through the whole thing and loving every minute.
From the 13-year-old boy in Africa who couldn’t stop the tears when Ryan Seacrest spoke of the boy’s dead parents to the illiterate American woman who choked up with pride over her daughter’s ability to read, the program was packed with genuinely emotional moments.
Even Simon Cowell looked spent by the time it was over.
Favorite nonweepy moment? Celine Dion’s duet with Elvis. I have no idea how that happened — in front of a live audience — but it was spectacular. (For my next birthday, I want somebody to digitally pair me with John Legend for a gushy romantic ballad!)
In keeping with the charity theme, nobody was sent packing from the “Idol” competition. Good decision. It would have been jarring and inappropriate to end a feel-good, do-good show with a “you’re- outta-here” moment.
Seacrest didn’t reveal the decision until he had Chris and Jordin twitching beside him. After the host told Chris he was safe, dead silence spread through the studio audience. But then Jordin was told she was safe, too, and a roar erupted.
Next week two will bite the dust when this week’s votes are rolled in with next week’s tally. All you Jordin fans had better start charging up you cell phones. We can’t have her leave now! She might not win, but she definitely should be in the final.
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April 19, 2007
A fond farewell to Sanjaya
Pardon me while I celebrate the end of Sanjaya Malakar’s ridiculous reign on “American Idol.” When the 38 million votes were tabulated, the string-bean racked up the lowest number. I’m dancing on his “Idol” grave. No apologies.
Weak vocals and silly hair finally got the better of him, and he was booted off last night’s show. Yes, as you might expect, 17-year-old Sanjaya wept — copiously, onto LaKisha’s shoulder. Then he sucked it up and sang his final number for the sobbing tweens in the audience. The judges could barely contain their joy.
Now we can get serious about “American Idol.” Now it’s a singing competition, not a joke.
The scary thing about last night’s results show is that LaKisha and Blake wound up in the Bottom 3 with Sanjaya. What the heck was that about? Nasal Chris and Goofy Phil were more deserving of the basement trio.
Whatever. Our long national nightmare is finally over. Unless you’re planning to buy tickets for the “Idol” finalists’ summer concert tour, you’ll never-ever have to deal with Sanjaya again. Come to think of it, he’ll probably pop up in the over-wrought, never-ending season finale on May 23, but you can take a snack break at that time.
Almost too much good news today …
Besides the axing of Sanjaya, Joan Rivers got the boot yesterday, too! How much good news can one couch potato take?
TV Guide Channel has announced that Joan and daughter Melissa Rivers will no longer host the hissing, catty red-carpet shows that precede every major and minor awards show now. Apparently two years of this mean-spirited, increasingly annoying duo was enough.
Former “Dancing with the Stars” competitor Lisa Rinna, she of the hugely overdone collagen lips, will handle red-carpet duties.
This isn’t the first time that Joan Rivers has been fired. She and her daughter were bumped from E! Entertainment’s awards shows, too.
Rinna’s first time on the carpet will be Sept. 16, for the Emmy Awards.”
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April 10, 2007
"Dancing with the Stars" not so shiny this season
I fell for ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” big-time last time around.
This time? The glow is fading, and it has nothing to do with the contestants — although I’m truly sick of people gawking at Heather Mills’ fake leg. Really, who cares? And any dance competition featuring Cliff the Mailman from “Cheers” is probably doomed.
No, this season the judges are rubbing me the wrong way, not the contestants. (I survived Tucker Carlson; you’d think I could survive any bad hoofing.) Maybe it’s time for a change at the judges’ table, because they all seem to be suffering from severe mood swings this spring.
The trio started the new season praising everybody to the heavens and then turned downright mean last night when poor Leeza Gibbons admittedly klutzed her way through the paso doble. Yes, she was bad, but we’ve seen worse, right? And, really, much of the blame for that bad dance goes to the music — a dumb rendition of Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name.”
The judges have been all over the map, handing out high scores to so-so dances. Ballroom judge Len Goodman, the Brit nobody ever heard of until American reality TV came calling, probably has the most hoofing credibility. He’s sort of the Simon Cowell of “Dancing.”
But the dancer/choreographer duo of Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba is grating, at best. Is Bruno’s Italian accent really that over-the-top? I have a feeling he doesn’t sound like that when he’s ordering lamb chops at the grocery store. And Carrie Ann wouldn’t know constructive criticism if it bit her on those enormous false eyelashes.
Olympic speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno is a thrill to watch, so I’ll probably keep watching — for a while. And Joey Fatone and Laila Ali are surprisingly light on their feet.
But if I have to listen to the up-and-down shrieking of Bruno every week, I may switch to closed-captioning.
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April 4, 2007
From 9 to 8 on 'Idol' tonight
“American Idol” was operating in an alternate universe last night.
Paula Abdul dubbed Phil, who massacred “Night and Day,” a young Frank Sinatra, and star mentor Tony Bennett raved about the oddly alien Sanjaya. In case you missed it, Sanjaya danced around in a white suit, grinning like a maniac while searching for the notes to “Cheek to Cheek.”
And although the judges had their usual effusive praise for LaKisha, I thought she was completely off — for the first time — with her screechy, belt-out version of “Stormy Weather.” Didn’t get it at all.
On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised that this group of pop-star wannabes can tackle big band classics and, on the whole, not totally embarrass themselves. Most of them actually can carry a tune.
Best of the lot? By far (and as always) Melinda, who soared with “I’ve Got Rhythm.” Whether she wins “Idol” or not, this former back-up singer has a recording contract waiting for her.
Blake also did a splendid job with “Mack the Knife,” and Jordin’s rendition of “On a Clear Day” sparkled.
So who gets the axe tonight (8 p.m. on Fox)? Phil definitely will be in the Bottom 3. So will Haley, whose flirty “Ain’t Misbehavin’ ” was more wiggle than song.
That leaves Chris, who reaped praise for “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” and Gina, who underwhelmed with “Smile” — but I’m a Gina fan, so I’m pulling for her.
Bottom line: Haley is probably history. Sanjaya will stick around for comic relief for another few weeks.
Coach Taylor coming to Austin?
In the promos for tonight’s episode of “Friday Night Lights” (7 p.m. on NBC), Coach Taylor tells his wife and weeping daughter that he’s decided to take the job in Austin.
This decision is bound to be reversed, however, because there are no Dillon Panthers without Coach Taylor, and if there are no Dillon Panthers, there’s no “Lights.”
Next week is the much-anticipated season finale — which we desperately hope will not be the series finale. Fingers crossed.
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March 30, 2007
Slimy 'Kids' Choice Awards' comes to Nickelodeon on Saturday
When next year’s long-winded, hideously dull Oscars roll around again, I have two solutions: green slime and loud burps. Seriously.
“The Kids’ Choice Awards,” airing live Saturday at 7 p.m. on Nickelodeon, is watched by millions and enjoyed by everyone in front of and behind the cameras.
Why? As previously mentioned, green slime and loud burps.
Yes, it is aimed at kids and tweens, but the participating celebs — and there are dozens of big names every year — take great delight in showing up. And they love having gobs of green goo dropped on their heads.
Among the galaxy expected to attend this year are nominees Will Smith, Halle Berry, Julia Roberts, Queen Latifah and Johnny Depp. Musical performers include Gwen Stefani and Maroon 5.
Categories, decided in online voting, include movies, TV, music and sports. More than 25 million votes were cast last year. As of this week, more than 32 million votes have been cast this year.
The awards are orange-blimp trophies — highly coveted in Hollywood. Seriously.
Justin Timberlake, winner of the Loudest Burp contest of 2006, is the host. (Previous burp winners include Cameron Diaz, Jessica Alba and Hugh Jackman.)
‘The Dream’ has died
After two miserable outings, ABC’s ill-conceived reality show “The Great American Dream Vote” is dead. Couldn’t have happened to a more worthy candidate.
Silly people with foolish dreams begged viewers to vote for them — so they could get their pig farm or whatever. Nobody cared, thank heavens.
Host Donny Osmond led the effort, but the show debuted with fewer than 6 million people watching — and dropped off 18 million people from the show before it, “Dancing with the Stars.” Finishing fifth in the time period warrants the quick hook ABC gave “Dream.”
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March 28, 2007
The other-worldly 'Idol'
Can we please throw this baby out with the bathwater?
On last night’s “American Idol” the ever-weird Sanjaya massacred the No Doubt number and stunned the world with yet another bizarre hairdo. He looked like a skinny rooster with an enormous tuft sprouting from his head.
The fake Mohawk and the 17-year-old Sanjaya’s other-worldly performance left Judge Simon shaking his head and smiling an uneasy smile. “I don’t think it matters what we say. I think you’re in your own universe.”
Oh, yeah. And the terrifying thought is that millions of people are voting for him. Sanjaya’s support is an odd combination of love and hate. On the love side are the “tween” girls who scream and weep the minute he sets foot on the stage. On the other side are people aligned with the Votefortheworst site and shock-jock Howard Stern, who urge people to boost Sanjaya to victory.
It’s the height of cynicism to push an unworthy candidate toward victory. Don’t do it. Surely TV viewing hasn’t sunk to this level.
The Queen picks another best-seller
Oprah Winfrey, whose Book Club picks guarantee swarming sales, has chosen Cormac McCarthy’s super-dark novel “The Road” for her latest anointing.
McCarthy (“All the Pretty Horses,” “Blood Meridian”) is famously reclusive when it comes to media exposure, so it will be interesting to see if he agrees to sit down with Oprah on her daytime chat show.
“The Road” was published last fall and is considered a contender for the Pulitzer Prize, to be announced in April. It is a lean account of a father and son struggling to survive in an apocalyptic aftermath.
Oprah took a break from recommending books after she was burned by James Frey’s “A Million Little Pieces,” an alleged memoir that turned out to be fabricated. But then she got back into the swing with a huge push for Elie Wiesel’s Holocaust saga “Night” and, most recently, Sidney Poitier’s memoir “The Measure of a Man.”
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March 21, 2007
Slammin' Sanjaya
If Sanjaya isn’t voted off “American Idol” tonight, I’m gonna demand hazardous duty pay for having to watch him next week.
The floppy-haired teenager with the blinding white grin and over-plucked eyebrows was excruciating in his impersonation of a hard rocker. Sanjaya trying to channel the Kinks? Painful.
I don’t care how many weeping tweenage girls are text-voting on their pink sequined cells, this Sanjaya business has got to stop. Now. It would be the end of “Idol” as a hit show if someone with so little talent actually won.
I’m sure Sanjaya is a nice guy, but “Idol,” as the judges keep trying to tell the audience, is a SINGING COMPETITION.
And yet, last night Randy said said it was Sanjaya’s best performance — which, of course, isn’t really much of a compliment. And Paula wiggled her praise, too. Only Simon was left to roll his eyes with the only honest assessment.
Will the parents of that sobbing little girl, Ashley, please ween her from “Idol?” She’s clearly too emotionally involved with it. The camera zeroed in on her sobbing and stayed there. When Ryan brought her up on stage at the end and introduced her to all 11 finalists, the sobbing became so violent I was afraid she’d drop dead on the spot.
More escape to come!
Fox has given an early pickup to “Prison Break,” the superb little series that has been chugging along for two seasons with only so-so ratings but great critical buzz.
The first season found brothers Lincoln Burrows and Michael Scofield planning their escape from prison and trying to unravel the conspiracy that unjustly brought Lincoln to Death Row to begin with.
This season, the brothers and six other on-the-lam convicts have been fleeing evil government folks and nutty FBI folks.
What will be the premise for a third season? No word. At least one or two of the supporting players will undoubtedly wind up dead — hopefully NOT “T-Bag,” arguably the juiciest, slimiest villain ever seen on the small screen. Maybe the brothers will wind up back in prison next season.
“Prison Break” airs its season finale April 2.
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March 19, 2007
It's hoofin' time again -- but will one leg go flyin'?
Watching a clumsy but well-buffed football star blossom into a graceful, passionate ballroom dancer was the main joy of last season’s “Dancing with the Stars”.
Former Cowboy great Emmitt Smith not only conquered the challenge, he won the trophy. It didn’t hurt that his professional partner was Cheryl Burke, who can turn just about anybody into Fred Astaire.
If we are to believe the ABC promos, the big deal for tonight’s fourth-season debut (at 7 p.m.) should be the suspense generated by Heather Mills’ prosthetic leg. Will the ex-Mrs. Paul McCartney, who desperately needs some good press, fling the leg off during the paso doble? If so, will she bravely keep going on the remaining leg?
The charm of “Dancing” used to be the pairing of B-list celebs, such as John Hurley, with fabulous professional hoofers who try to transform the clumsy ones into spinning swans.
Now, apparently, we are supposed to be intrigued by the possibility of a limb disconnecting. There’s even an online casino betting line on the fate of Heather’s leg.
Sounds desperate and cheap to me, but I’ll take a gander anyway. I fell for “Dancing” hook, line and sinker last time around — for the dancing and for Emmitt, not for flying body parts.
Besides Mills, whose celebrity is tied to the Beatle she’s battling in a London court, the new contenders are boxer (and Muhammad Ali daughter) Laila Ali, NBA vet Clyde Drexler, Olympic speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno, country crooner Billy Ray Cyrus (minus the mullet), former N Sync singer/actor Joey Fatone, former Miss USA Shandi Finnessey, ex-“Entertainment Tonight” anchor Leeza Gibbons, model Paulina Porizkova, actor John Ratzenberger (Cliff on “Cheers”) and former “Beverly Hills, 90210” guy Ian Ziering.
If anyone has a leg up (so to speak) on the competition, it would seem to be Ziering, who has the good fortune of being paired with Burke.
Tom Bergeron and E! Entertainment reporter Samantha Harris are return as well-dressed but often goofy hosts.
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March 9, 2007
Bad votes on 'Idol'
In whittling down ‘American Idol’ wannabes to the final dozen, the show received 37 million phone and text-message votes this week.
And right about now, I bet the three judges are squirming. Will this be the the first time a true loser wins? Will the record company that awards the contract be saddled with a wispy disappointment like Sanjaya?
Of the four contestants who got the boot Thursday night, two should have made the cut, and two who did survive really and truly shouldn’t have.
Voted off the “Idol” island last night were Sabrina Sloan and Sundance Head, who clearly deserved to stay.
“I’m speechless,” judge Paula Abdul said. “This is a singing competition, and Sundance, you’ve been one of our finest. … This is mind-boggling.”
Even perky host Ryan Seacrest seemed stunned by the results. Besides Sundance and Sabrina, Jared Cotter and Antonella Barba (whose racy photos on the Internet stirred up a ruckus) were sent packing.
“How’d this happen?” Seacrest asked the judges when the dust had settled.
Randy Jackson shook his head and said “America got this one wrong, dude.”
As for Sanjaya Malakar (who can’t seem to decide on a singing style or a hairstyle), Cowell wondered if the people who voted for him had the volume turned down on their TV sets.
I’m not going to miss Antonella or Jared for a second, but Sundance and Sabrina leave a big hole — talent-wise and personality-wise. Instead of that duo, I would have happily ejected goofy-looking Phil Stacey and marginally talented Haley Scarnato.
We still have some formidable talent. It’s not exactly a stretch to predict that a woman will win “Idol” this time around. My money is on Melinda Doolittle or Lakisha Jones.
Nevertheless, Blake Lewis, the beat-box guy, is wildly talented, and so is curly-mopped Chris Sligh. On the women’s side, rocker Gina Glocksen is making a surprising surge — at the right time in the competition. America loves to see a contestant blossom, and that’s exactly what Gina is doing now.
BUT … I still think this “Idol” is Melinda’s or LaKisha’s to lose. They’re both just so consistently fabulous, it’s hard to imagine they won’t face off in the May finale. If it turns out to be Sanjaya and Haley, that’ll be tragic.
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February 28, 2007
Are you smart enough to ignore Fox's new show?
A show that celebrates stupidity — and presents the truly stupid as amusing entertainment — is offensive.
So what does Fox hope to accomplish with the new game show “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” Clearly the goal is to make kids feel superior to their parents. Given the caliber of the parents on this show, that’s an easy task.
One befuddled parent is stumped when asked how much 2X5 equals. To quote Ross Perot, “Now that’s just sad!” It’s certainly not funny, although howls of laughter peel from the studio audience.
With “American Idol” as a lead-in, “Are You Smarter” is likely to grab an audience, at least for the first week (night two of its premiere event is tonight at 8:30). But surely — hope springs eternal in this critic’s heart — curiosity will not turn into love.
Jeff Foxworthy (best-known as the blue-collar comic who immortalized the phrase “You’re a redneck if …”) is the host. His former WB show was canceled last season, so we won’t blame the guy for wanting a paycheck.
On “Are You Smarter,” adults are asked questions from fifth-grade textbooks for the chance to win $1 million. A group of actual fifth-grade kids are standing by to help and ridicule these incredibly inept adults. “I’m having a major blonde moment!” wails one poor woman.
You’ve got to wonder how this show was pitched to Fox execs — and what went into their decision to greenlight it. Maybe they’re all dumber than fifth-graders.
The “Idol” seesaw …
Last night the male contestants on “American Idol” stepped up and turned in mostly fabulous performances. OK, Sanjaya, channeling Michael Jackson just a tad was weird, but the rest of them were pretty good — and much better than last week.
If tradition holds, though, that means the female contenders tonight will be not so good. Last week they were terrific, but consistency rarely rears its head in these early performance rounds. I bet Simon will get his gripe on tonight and chew out the ladies.
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February 20, 2007
'Idol' overdose?
Let’s stipulate that “American Idol” is a monster hit. Let’s also stipulate that even reality TV foes like me are addicted to it.
But even the best dark chocolate can make you sick if you eat too much. Ditto “Idol.”
This week and for a couple more weeks, Fox’s “Idol” gobbles up three nights of TV instead of two. The Top 12 male contestants compete tonight at 7; the Top 12 female contestants compete Wednesday night at 7. Each performing night is a two-hour telecast.
And then Thursday, a one-hour results show at 7 p.m. will reveal the rejection of two male and two female wannabes.
Isn’t five hours of “Idol” just a tad too much? Especially for a live show that most people actually watch live, rather than record, because everyone will be talking about it the next day at work or school.
So, yes indeed, the three-night, five-hour schedule is way too much. And unnecessarily so.
Besides dozens of ads during each half-hour, there will be program padding a-plenty, including clips from past shows and lots of segments with host Ryan Seacrest making glib comments and needling the testy judges.
So here’s my plan: I’m going to watch as much of the performance episodes tonight and Wednesday as I can and skip the Thursday results show altogether. The results will be immediately available online, and I don’t need to slog through all those “after-the-break” moments.
The only results show I’ll watch will be the May finale.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why Fox is stuffing excessive amounts of “Idol” down our throats. The network was sagging pitifully until the January return of favorites such as “Idol” and “24.”
To the dismay of competing networks, the sixth season of “Idol” is turning out to be even hotter than the previous five. Last season “Idol” averaged 31.7 million viewers per episode. This season it’s averaging 33.5 million viewers. In the multichannel, network-sagging universe, that’s amazing.
Nevertheless, I think there’s a good chance viewers will grow weary of and saturated by three nights of “Idol” a week.
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February 15, 2007
Local 'Idol' booted
It’s a relief to be rid of the really bad warblers, but last night’s “American Idol” elimination episode was, well, weird.
First of all, we lost Jimmy McNeal, the terrific 23-year-old singer who is a senior at Texas State University in San Marcos. I thought for sure we’d get to see this super-talented Waxahachie native for at least a few more weeks.
Brandon Cobb/AMERICAN-STATESMAN
“It happens. It’s alright,” McNeal said this morning after the Hollywood rejection, which actually took place weeks ago. “I’m very, very happy that I did it. This was my fourth time to try out, and I’ve never gotten past first round before. I guess I just wasn’t what they were looking for — then or now. It’s a TV show.”
Grumpy judge Simon Cowell had praised McNeal in an earlier audition, comparing him favorably to former “Idol” winner Ruben Studdard. So it was surprising when the boom was lowered in picking the final 24 contestants.
“I’m very hard on myself,” McNeal said. “Even if I have my best performance ever, you always think there’s something you could do better. But I thought I was good enough to make it. I guess they thought different.”
Texas State students and faculty had rallied around McNeal, as had friends and family in Waxahachie. There were even plans for “Idol” T-shirts featuring the impeccably mannered and popular student.
McNeal, a music major, hasn’t given up on his dream. He plans to pursue a singing career after he graduates. Because of a holding contract Fox has with all “Idol” contestants, he can’t do anything professionally until after the May finale airs.
“This is a stepping stone for me,” he said. “I’m thankful to ‘American Idol’ for showing my audition … I wasn’t sure they would.”
Also last night on “Idol,” the fabulous Robyn Troup, who won the “My Grammy Moment” competition and got to sing with Justin Timberlake on The Grammys, got the hook. Good enough for Grammy, but not good enough for “Idol.” The “Idol” episode was taped before the Grammys, but the Houston native has such obvious talent you’d think she would have made it to the Final 24.
Next Tuesday, the top 12 male singers perform, and, on Wednesday, the top dozen women follow.
The men who made the cut are Chris Sligh, 28, Greenville, S.C.; Sanjaya Malakar, 17, Federal Way, Wash.; Brandon Rogers, 28, West Hollywood, Calif.; Philip Stacy, 29, Jacksonville, Fla.; Blake Lewis, 25, Bothell, Wash.; Rudy Cardenas, 28, Los Angeles; Paul Kim, 25, Saratoga, Calif.; A.J. Tabaldo, 22, Santa Maria, Calif.; Nicholas Pedro, 25, Taunton, Mass.; Chris Richardson, 22, Chesapeake, Va.; Jared Cotter, 25, Kew Gardens, N.Y., and Jason “Sundance” Head, 28, Porter, Tex.
Michael Becker/FOX
The women competitors are Melinda Doolittle, 29, Brentwood, Tenn.; Gina Glocksen, 22, Naperville, Ill.; Haley Scarnato, 24, San Antonio, Tex.; Jordin Sparks, 17, Glendale, Ariz.; Stephanie Edwards, 19, Savannah, Ga.; Leslie Hunt, 24, Chicago; Alaina Alexander, 24, West Hollywood, Calif.; Sabrina Sloan, 27, Studio City, Calif.; Lakisha Jones, 27, Fort Mead, Md.; Nicole Tranquillo, 20, Philadelphia; Amy Krebs, 22, Federal Way, Wash., and Antonella Barba, 20, Point Pleasant, N.J.
Michael Becker/FOX
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February 13, 2007
'Idol,' show dogs and torture
Haven’t we all suffered enough? This week, at long last, the excruciating early-round auditions for “American Idol” conclude, and the Top 24 semifinalists — a dozen guys and a dozen gals — will be unveiled.
That happens, perhaps appropriately, on Valentine’s Day (Wednesday). Tonight is a performance night for the Hollywood round.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed for Jimmy McNeal, 23, a senior at Texas State University in San Marcos. He auditioned in San Antonio last summer and was one of 22 out of 11,000 contestants from that city to earn a ticket to Hollywood.
If you saw McNeal’s audition, you remember him as the guy who channeled Sam Cooke and prompted grumpy Simon Cowell to coo happily, “You’re like a little fun Ruben, aren’t you?” The reference, of course, is to former “Idol” winner Ruben Studdard.
McNeal, a Waxahachie native, is contractually forbidden to discuss his participation in “Idol” until (if?) he is eliminated. We should find that out Wednesday.
And now for the GOOD dogs …
With toys and terriers out of the way, tonight’s edition of “The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show” (7 p.m. on USA) brings on the dogs I love.
Sporting dogs such as Brittany spaniels and Labrador retrievers don’t require blow driers or hair clips to be cute, and that’s a relief. Who among us really wants to spend more time grooming our dogs than ourselves?
Sporting dogs are first up tonight, followed by hounds and herders. The Big Finish will be the crowning of Best in Show, in which winners from all groups compete.
Love ‘24’ but …
I’m still a huge fan of “24,” but is anybody else squirming over all the torture scenes this season? It’s been too much for my taste — and not just because Jack Bauer tortured the heck out of his own brother (and their father subsequently killed the poor guy).
Every episode thus far has had grueling scenes of torture, such as last night’s near-drowning and shoulder-drilling of CTU guy Morris. Enough’s enough. Let’s get back to conspiracy and suspense.
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January 30, 2007
Armed and ... gone
If you missed Erik Estrada and La Toya Jackson taking down criminals in Muncie, Ind., on “Armed & Famous,” sadly, your chance is gone. CBS closed shop on the cop show.
I’ll admit I watch some crazy reality TV shows. I even watched “I Love New York,” but this one I missed. Did anyone watch this show?
According to E! Online, Jackson threw a fit about a cat and Estrada threw one over being misidentified as Emilio Estevez. (He should only be so lucky.)
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January 17, 2007
Early 'Idol' is terrifying
Happy as I am to have Fox’s “American Idol” back in my life, I dread the next few weeks of geek-filled auditions.
I know some people live for these excruciating performances — like last night’s totally delusional juggler/singer, the one who burst into four-letter words and then uncontrollable sobs.
But I just feel awful watching them. Why don’t I turn away, watch PBS? Well, because it’s my job to live and breathe “Idol” for the next four months. If I don’t watch, how can I write about a show that’s destined to be No. 1 from now through May?
The opening episode Tuesday night, showcasing the deadly auditions from Minneapolis, made my skin crawl from beginning to end. Previews of tonight’s freak show from Seattle looked even worse.
In Minneapolis there seemed to be a preponderance of untalented, unattractive men. There was at least one scary woman — the hefty blonde gal with the excessive black eye makeup who described herself as “Idol’s” No. 1 fan. But even she seemed mild compared to the dude in the cowboy hat who thought he was singing Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues.” Which he wasn’t.
Most of these people are so pathetic and so clearly unaware of how awful they look and how bad they sound that I worry about their grasps on reality.
I also worry about the brutal rejections they receive. Couldn’t such criticism set off a dire reaction? These people clearly are not living in the real world to begin with if they actually think they have a chance on “American Idol.” Making fun of the less fortunate, which is clearly what these episodes set out to do, seems cheap and cruel.
The trainwreck last night involved more than the contestants, however. I don’t know exactly what’s going on with Paula Abdul, but she was a mess. Was she loaded? Sleep-deprived? Wacked out on the frigid weather in Minneapolis? Something was wrong. She slurred and slumped for the entire two hours. Simon and Randy should do an intervention — before it’s too late.
Oh, and in other “Idol” developments, Diana Ross said on Tuesday’s “Late Show with David Letterman” that she will be functioning as “a mentor” on “Idol” this season. Talk about a job that needed filling!
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January 10, 2007
Alternative reality
If the White House could spin tonight’s “Iraq strategy” speech by President Bush as a new reality show, maybe people would be more excited about the prime-time interruption.
Personally, I’m just glad the prez took the 8 p.m. time slot and not the earlier hour, which would have interrupted my weekly dose of “Friday Night Lights” — and ruined my entire week.
But I think too-GQ presidential spokesman Tony Snow should investigate the reality show approach to the war. With about a 35 percent approval rating, what have they got to lose?
Bush is, after all, “Armed & Famous” and is likely to play some version of “Deal or No Deal” with the new Democratic majority in Congress. The deal? Fork over 20,000 more troops for the war, to which the Congress could respond, “No deal!”
Maybe we could come up with a decent solution to this ongoing, tragic conflict if an innovative and patriotic reality producer concocted an appropriate game show. The winner would get to lead the parade down New York’s Fifth Avenue when our soldiers come home.
Something to consider …
Austin’s Birds fly onto ‘Tease’
Stylists from Austin’s Birds Barbershop on South Lamar Boulevard will compete on the debut episode of the Oxygen Network’s new reality hairstyling series, “Tease,” tonight at 8.
Hosted by “Dancing with the Stars” celeb Lisa Rinna, the premiere will feature Birds’ art director Laura Harkness, colorist Allie Barnard and co-owner Erin Portman.
In each episode. two aspiring stylists are pitted against each other to see who can produce the best hair makeover in just 30 minutes. A celebrity panel of judges critiques the models, while the audience picks their favorite. This winner then faces off against a high-profile celebrity stylist in a 90-minute race to win the show’s prize: The Silver Scissors!
“We’re very humbled that in just under a year in business, a national program like ‘Tease’ has chosen Birds Barbershop’s talent to represent Austin,” said Portman, who served as stylists’ assistant on the show. “I won’t spoil the ending, but suffice it to say that Laura and Allie rock on this episode.”
Tony Romo’s pain is NBC’s gain
By the narrowest of margins, NBC finished first in the latest Nielsen ratings.
Sunday’s prime-time NFL playoff game between the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks, the one Dallas quarterback Tony Romo flubbed and wound up weeping about in the middle of the field, was almost solely responsible for the Peacock’s victory.
The game drew an audience of 26.77 million people, according to Nielsen Media Research. The only other NBC show in the top group was “Law & Order: SVU.”
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January 8, 2007
How good is your 'gay-dar?'
Ladies, how good is your “gay-dar”?
Lifetime has concocted a reality show called “Gay, Straight or Taken” that sends one woman per episode on dates with three men with the goal of figuring out which one might be available to her needs.
Each week the cable network will air back-to-back episodes of this updated “Dating Game.” First up tonight at 7 is Jenner, a 28-year-old real estate agent who says her perfect date involves “wine, ice cream and a knock-out kiss.”
At 7:30, 24-year-old Jilina gets to evaluate three hunky guys. Jilina, by the way, describes herself as “honest and delicious.” We’ll be the judge of that.
Viewers know the premise of the show, but at the beginning of their three-part dating extravaganza, the women do not.
“I feel like I am at Toys ‘R’ Us, and you get to pick out which favorite toy you want,” coos Jenner upon meeting bartender Luciano, nightclub promoter Mike and personal trainer/actor Chris.
Then she gets a phone call from one of the guy’s girlfriends, followed by a call from a boyfriend. The goal of the game becomes apparent.
But how are these women supposed to measure availability and sexual orientation? Clues are allegedly found during a set of activities on the dates. Can you find homo hints in a game of touch football, swimming, salsa dancing, yoga and massage?
“Gay, Straight or Taken” is silly enough to draw a crowd, sort of like the sight of thong-wearing Leslie strolling on Sixth Street. Or maybe it’s silly enough to be offensive. The women contestants are decidedly ditzy, as are the male trios, so it’s safe to assume none of this is intended to be taken seriously. All in all, it’s an odd entry in the ever-odder reality genre.
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January 5, 2007
C'mon! Let's dump Trump!
Some people just can’t take no for an answer, and apparently Donald Trump is one of those people.
Inexplicably the orange-haired real estate tycoon is still operating under the delusion that he’s a TV star and that his reality show, “The Apprentice,” is a top-rated show.
In his recent meltdown over Rosie O’Donnell, who had the unmitigated gall to criticize him on “The View,” Trump bragged that his show is “a huge hit.” In a week clearly designed to generate publicity, good or bad, before “The Apprentice” begins a new season on NBC this Sunday, Trump alternately bragged about himself and called O’Donnell a “fat slob” and “a degenerate.”
First things first: “The Apprentice” hasn’t been a hit since its 2004 season debut, and that had more to do with engaging vixen Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth than Trump. For about 10 minutes, popular culture was infused with the phrase, “You’re fired.” And then pretty much nobody cared.
But somehow Trump bullied NBC into sticking with him, even though last season’s show plummeted from 20 million viewers to less than 11 million viewers. And his personally promoted spinoff, featuring domestic diva Martha Stewart sending out hand-written termination notes, bit the dust in a hurry.
Like hydrilla, Trump keeps coming back. This time, “The Apprentice” will be based in Los Angeles, and the losing team will live in tents instead of the requisite Trump Tower-style mansion. Big whup. Carolyn Kepcher, Trump’s former protege, has been fired, replaced by Trump’s daughter Ivanka. So what?
One of my New Year’s resolutions is to curb my natural tendency to let mean-spirited people get the better of me, but I just can’t help myself when it comes to Trump. This is a guy whose towering ego drives everything he touches. He exaggerates his own success to the point of outright falsehood (is he really worth “billions and billions of dollars” as he claims?). And his slams against Rosie were unwarranted, pathetic and borderline homophobic.
If NBC had a spine, it would axe the new “Apprentice” before its new season debut. But The Donald is coming back, and now it’s up to us to show him just how popular he is.
More TV news on Austin360.com
Today: Read about ‘High School Musical’s’ Corbin Bleu, who stars in an upcoming Disney Channel flick.
Plus: Customize your TV listings
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December 18, 2006
Calling all culture vultures . . .
Wanna be famous? Wanna win $250,000? Yeah, we thought so.
If pop culture is your specialty, we’re about to make your day. VH1 and Entertainment Weekly will be in town Feb. 9-10 casting for the second season of “The World Series of Pop Culture.”
Put together a team of three, then log on to the VH1 Web site to sign up. Slots are limited, so don’t delay.
The Austin teams will duke it out Feb. 11 — Quick: On their self-titled sitcom, Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney work as bottle-cappers at what Milwaukee brewery? — and the winners will be guaranteed a slot on the show. Taping is set for March in New York City, so clear your calendars. Runners-up will also have a shot at advancing.
Not sure what you’re getting yourself into? You can check out a mini-marathon of shows from the first season starting at 3 p.m. Christmas Eve on VH1.
And, in case you’re wondering, Laverne and Shirley worked at the Schotz brewery … but you already knew that, right?
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December 7, 2006
Gun-toting celebs: reality TV or really stupid TV?
If I lived in Muncie, Ind., I would be terrified right now — for any number of reasons, but mostly because …
CBS is filming a new reality show there called “Armed and Famous” that will feature B- and C-list celebrities “enforcing the law” in Muncie. And they’ll be carrying guns when they do it! Let this sink in, please.
Erik Estrada, formerly of the 1970’s cop drama “CHiPs,” is among the faux law-enforcers. His comrades in blue include LaToya Jackson (mostly famous for being one of Michael Jackson’s weirder sisters), rocker Ozzy’s son Jack Osbourne, Wee Man (a diminutive skate-boarder best-known for crashing around on “Jackass”) and former pro wrestler Trish Stratus.
These folks were sworn in as reserve officers in Muncie this week. They have badges and guns, which makes them even more dangerous than when they were simply exhibiting their “talent.”
The series, which does not yet have an airdate, will follow the faux cops working alongside the real cops as they bust criminals and otherwise keep the mean streets safe for Muncie residents.
TV is well-known for its copycat practices, so it will be just a matter of time before a reality show pops up featuring celebs in the operating rooms and courthouses across America. Be very afraid. Do you really want a former “Brady Bunch” star delivering your first-born? Or arguing your case in a nasty divorce settlement? I think not.
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November 20, 2006
Just say 'No' to O.J.!
Apparently there are only three people in the world who think O.J. Simpson’s hypothetical murder confession, scheduled to air as a special called “If I Did It” on Fox Nov. 27 and 29, is a swell idea.
They are Simpson himself, Fox owner Rupert Murdoch and Judith Regan, the woman who conducted the two-part interview and who plans to publish a trashy book of the same title on Nov. 30. Advertisers are fleeing, stations are fleeing … even Simpson’s own attorney and a gaggle of Fox Newsies are ticked off.
Maybe I’m overly optimistic, but I think there’s a good chance this muck will collapse under its own slimy weight before broadcast. Surely Murdoch knows that this is not the legacy he wants attached to his network.
Over the weekend, several Fox stations, including some in Wisconsin, Alabama, Ohio, New Mexico, Rhode Island and California, announced they would not participate in Fox’s uber-tacky sweeps stunt.
And what of Austin’s KTBC Channel 7, which is owned and operated by Fox? Will Austin join the good-taste protest?
Station manager Danny Baker declined to comment on that possibility, pointing out that local reaction — admittedly all negative — “has not been overbearing at this point.”
Central Texans who would like to voice their opinions about Fox’s planned Simpson show can do so via e-mail (askfox@foxinc.com) or phone (310)-369-1000.
Stations owned by Fox have little option but to carry the network’s programming, no matter how vile and offensive it might be, which is why comments should be directed to the network rather than the station. The stations that have bowed out are not owned by Fox.
Even high-profile Fox News celebs Bill O’Reilly and Geraldo Rivera are in a lather over the Simpson special. Both are urging viewers to (a) boycott the show and (b) boycott any advertisers foolish enough to buy commercial time on the show.
For the record, I bet NOBODY will buy advertising in this show, thus rendering its profitability virtually nil. All Fox is going to get out of it is lots of viewers (maybe … I’m still not sure people really will support this degree of trash) and big holes for promos of other Fox shows.
Simpson, who was acquitted of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman in 1994 but found liable in a subsequent civil suit, is expected to pocket more than $3 million for the show. Most people find this notion beyond appalling.
In the interview, Simpson allegedly goes into gory detail about how he would have committed the two murder if he did it — which he claims he did not. Aside from morbid curiosity, why would anyone want to witness this? Just say no.
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November 16, 2006
Emmitt, si. Mario, no... OJ? Never!
I’ve decided to be happy and content today, thanks to the crowning of twinkle-grin Emmitt Smith on last night’s “Dancing with the Stars.” When he was running around with a football all those years, I had no idea he was so completely charming.
I’ve decided not to waste more time mourning Fox’s loss of any semblance of dignity with its upcoming O.J. Simpson’s money-making semi-confession to a brutal double murder.
When (and if) the airdate for “If I Did It, Here’s How It Happened” arrives, I’ll return to my crusade to persuade viewers to ignore this televised garbage. I keep thinking it’ll collapse under the weight of its own sleaze (not to mention lack of advertisers) and wind up on the Web. Or nowhere, preferably.
For now, the glow of grinning Emmitt has perked up my sagging spirits from Wednesday. There probably are very few fans of “Dancing with the Stars” who really think the three-time Super Bowl champ is actually a better dancer than Mario Lopez.
But he won the hearts of the judges and the viewing public, and that’s the name of the game. Plus, for a lumbering athlete, he was amazing light and graceful.
The problem with Lopez, from the very beginning, was that he is too good. The Animal Planet host and former “Saved by the Bell” actor, started his performing career as a professional kid dancer on “Kids Incorporated.” He only barely qualifies as an amateur contestant, which is why he can do so many moves that only the pros usually muster.
Now that ABC’s “Dancing” has twirled its last twirl for the season, maybe we can persuade more people to check out “Friday Night Lights.”
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November 14, 2006
Emmitt twirls toward victory tonight
So, can the former former Dallas Cowboy out swivel and twirl the hot Latino TV “personality?”
Vegas oddsmakers think so, but only by the slimmest of margins.
Tonight Emmitt Smith, 37, and his professional partner Cheryl Burke will spin through three dances in the final performance of ABC’s top-rated “Dancing with the Stars” (at 7 p.m.).
Mario Lopez, 33, and his pro partner Karina Smirnoff will do the same. “Hot Mario,” as the ever-drooling judges often refer to him, should be a slam-dunk for this trophy — which, by the way, is a really ugly glass-and-mirror thing. Besides his youthful stint on “Saved by the Bell,” Lopez has hosted various TV shows and taken a few dance lessons before he landed this ABC gig.
Smith, on the other hand, had boogied only when forced to by his wife, and only then at private parties. But ever-the-competitor, Smith decided from day one that he would tackle each dance with the same fervor he ran fancy patterns into the end zone for the Cowboys. He would not only succeed, he would excel.
Lopez has all the moves, seductive and smooth. Smith has the moves, too, although not quite as slickly performed. But it’s Smith’s charm and charisma that make him a crowd favorite. He grins the whole time he’s dancing, apparently having the time of his life, and he pumps passion into every performance.
We won’t know who takes home the ugly trophy until Wednesday’s dragged out results show, but smart money is on Emmitt Smith. He really has shown that the manliest of men can conquer ballroom dancing and have a swell time doing it.
AND DON’T FORGET: If you’re planning to catch Emmitt’s last dance, don’t forget to record tonight’s episode of “Friday Night Lights” (7 tonight on NBC), which just got picked up for the full season and deserves every eyeball it can attract.
‘3 LBS’ of tedium
Stanley Tucci is one of my favorite actors, so I was fully prepared to love his new medical drama “3 LBS,” which debuts tonight at 9 on CBS.
But it turns out that Tucci and “3 LBS” are channeling Hugh Laurie and “House,” and I’m not a fan of that grumpy disease-solving doc on Fox.
I realize I’m in the minority in this regard … I suffer considerable abuse from newsroom colleagues and critic cohorts because I don’t like “House.” But a cranky doctor just doesn’t spark my interest, and now we’re going to have another one.
Tucci is paired with a younger, cuter brain surgeon played by Mark Feuerstein, who is chock full of sweetness and light. But the interaction between the two is completely predictable and therefore more than a little boring.
Plus there’s that icky title to contend with, which refers to the weight of the average brain. Too clinical for my taste.
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October 20, 2006
'Extreme Makeover: Home' wants Austin family
Do you know a family that desperately needs a new home, preferably for an extraordinary reason?
ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” is looking for a family in the Austin area to feature on the show’s upcoming fourth season.
“We’re looking for inspirational families that America can really root for,” says casting director Quintin Strack. “This makeover will be the answer to their prayers and the solution to their current problems.”
If you’ve seen the show, you know what Strack is looking for. Extreme physical, emotional or financial needs often come into play with the chosen families.
To be eligible, the family must own their own home and be able to show producers how a makeover will make a difference in their lives.
Interested? Send an e-mail with a five-sentence synopsis of the family’s story to: CastingAustin@yahoo.com. The subject line should read: AUSTIN. Include the names and ages of each member of the household, along with a description of the top three things wrong with the home.
The deadline is Oct. 27. For more info: http://abc.go.com/primetime/xtremehome/index.html.
Woodruff returns to ABC News in the spring
Former ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff, who was seriously injured by a roadside bomb while on assignment in Iraq last January, plans to tell his story in a prime-time special tentatively set to air in the spring.
Through interviews with eyewitnesses and the medical teams who saved his life, Woodruff will report on his injuries and his painstaking road to recovery.
Woodruff’s report will include stories of soldiers and their families who have gone through similar crises in the war.
Next year Woodruff ‘s wife Lee will publish a memoir of their experiences dealing with the reporter’s traumatic brain injury. The couple will blend their individual stories of coping with the changes their lives have undergone since the attack.
Smells like a TV movie, too, doesn’t it?
Will Jimmie Roulette be one of HBO’s ‘Lucky 21?’
Cap City Comedy Club has nominated Austin comic Jimmie Roulette for “The Lucky 21,” a comedy series to be featured this year at the HBO Comedy Festival in Las Vegas.
Nominated comics will perform two shows between Nov. 15 and Nov. 18 during the festival at Caesar’s Palace. Audiences vote on the best comedian within “The Lucky 21,” and the winner receives an invitation to the 2007 edition of HBO’s annual U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colo.
Cap City was one of seven clubs in the country to host talent searches for NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” last season, so it’s got a good rep in the funny business.
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October 19, 2006
Intelligent design: Jeffrey triumphs on "Runway"
Were you happy with last night’s Big Finale for “Project Runway?” Do you like the designer who won? More importantly, would you wear his clothes?
My answers to the above questions are yes, no and yes.
The finale, featuring the long-awaited collections of the four remaining finalists in Bravo’s super-chic reality show, was loads of fun. Uli, Laura, Michael and Jeffrey certainly proved why they were the final four and got to strut their stuff during New York’s fabulous fashion week.
Winner Jeffrey Sebelia — he of the cheesy neck tattoos and greasy hair — is a major whiner with a vocabulary that’s heavy on bleeped words. (Surely after all this time he knows you can’t say those words on TV, even cable TV.)
But ugly and annoying are irrelevant if your designs are terrific, and, with the exception of one long dress that looked like the model had gotten tangled up in streams of toilet paper, Jeffrey’s line was spectacular.
“You have great style, and we want to see more of you,” cooed an enchanted Heidi Klum, the glam hostess of the show. (She should have specified that we want to see more of his clothes, not more of his straggly self.)
The judges used words like “exciting,” “innovative” and “edgy” to describe Jeffrey’s dozen designs. I would also call them beautiful and possibly even wearable by an ordinary woman. No soaring cardboard shoulders or necklines cut down to the pubic bone. You can actually imagine seeing one of his outfits at a performance of the Austin Lyric Opera. Without anyone snickering.
I’m not as addicted to “Project Runway” as some of my hipper colleagues, but the few times I’ve watched it I’ve found it imaginative and intriguing. Would you be able to come up with something cute to wear with materials from a recycling bin? Probably not. That’s why they design, and we shop at Target.
So that’s it for Season 3. Given the incredible popularity of this show, there’s no doubt that another batch of designer wannabes will be strutting their stuff in the future.
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October 17, 2006
'Dancing' saga continues ...
Yes, country crooner Sara Evans will appear on tonight’s performance episode of “Dancing with the Stars” (7 p.m. on ABC). But no, she will not be dancing or tearfully chatting with the three judges about her shocking situation. She’ll appear in a taped interview, allegedly explaining her decision to withdraw.
ABC has been running breathless promos since last weekend, touting an appearance by Evans, who dropped out last week after announcing that she had filed for divorce from her husband of 13 years. The divorce is expected to be especially rich with tabloid fodder, with the soon-to-be-ex, Republican fundraiser Craig L. Schelske, apparently charged with infidelity (with the couple’s former nanny) and an addiction to alcohol and pornography. He denies.
“Dancing With the Stars” is the highest-rated reality show this fall and probably will only get hotter with the bubbling melodrama. Speculation is rampant about whether any of the previously voted-off contestants will be brought back to fill Evans’ place. Last night, “Entertainment Tonight” asked Willa Ford, the most recent reject, about that, and she said she had been asked to return but declined. “I’ve moved on,” she huffed.
At this point, it looks like the show will go on with five final couples tonight instead of six — which means the show will either wrap up a week earlier than planned or the producers will s-t-r-e-t-c-h out another episode with behind-the-scenes stories and professional hoofers performing.
Evans was touted by former Texas congressman Tom DeLay in the early going for her “good Christian values” and “GOP support.” DeLay urged viewers to vote for her and reject “ultra liberal” talk show host Jerry Spring — who is still on the show.
A ‘dancedy?’
Speaking of dance … Marta Kauffman, one of the creators of the late-great “Friends,” is producing a pilot for the new CW network that will combine comedy, drama and dance.
The hour-long show will focus on a family that runs a dance studio. Given TV’s current love affair with dance these days, we can expect to see lots of twirling and dipping in the story lines.
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September 27, 2006
My cheap thrill: 'Dancing with the Stars'
My name is Diane, and I watch “Dancing with the Stars” There. I said it. Clearly I need counseling and support. We all have our dirty little secrets and guilty pleasures. ABC’s “Dancing” is mine.
I like the dancing, the music and the really cheesy comments from the hosts and judges. It’s like watching “The Gong Show,” except the contestants develop genuine talent.
Plus, I’ve always longed to twirl around a dance floor, preferably without falling down. Dancers have long legs and fabulous bodies. Let’s just say I don’t. My dancing is more like Elaine on “Seinfeld.” But I’d love to be able to two-step, tango, fox trot, etc. Chances of that happening are slim, so I watch other people strain muscles, sweat profusely and accomplish what I never will.
The show stretches out waaaaay too long — 90 minutes on Tuesdays for the actual dancing and another 60 minutes tonight (at 7 p.m.) for voting results. But, again, I can’t help myself. It’s one of those shows you can watch while doing almost anything else — and with TiVo you can zap through silly spots and commercials to winnow the whole thing down to about 15 minutes each night.
The new season’s contestants are already impressive, and we’re only a few weeks into the show. Who knew former Cowboy Emmitt Smith could be graceful? He didn’t have his best night last night with the tango, but, really, the guy’s got a great smile and some pretty good moves.
This season’s geezer/joke entry, Jerry Springer, is surprising everybody — including himself. He really did book a return flight for the first night of the competition. But viewers love his goofy attempts and so do the judges. What he lacks in skill he makes up for with an endearing grin and perpetual shrug. Last night he conceded he now hopes to make it to next week so he can learn to waltz for his daughter’s upcoming wedding. Awwwww.
Mario Lopez and Joey Lawrence are clearly the best male dancers, but their show-boating (Lopez broke every rule in the book in last night’s tango) have knocked their judges’ scores way down. They’ve got to be praying that voting viewers love them enough to compensate.
The hottest female hoofer is Vivica A. Fox, who bursts into tears every time she gets praise from the judges. When all that work pays off, she just can’t help herself … and that’s sweet to see.
The others? Monique Coleman does a pretty mean jive but has no chemistry with her uptight partner Louis Van Amstel, Harry Hamlin is so robotic he doesn’t even look human (smile, Harry!) and Willa Ford is, well, forgettable.
And then there’s country crooner Sara Evans, who has improved dramatically but has the unfortunate support of disgraced Texas politico Tom DeLay. Apparently with nothing else to do since leaving office, the Republican from Sugar Land sends out mass e-mails urging people to vote for Evans. The Hammer says:
“Sara Evans has been a strong supporter of the Republican Party and represents good American values in the media. From singing at the 2004 Republican Convention to appearing with candidates in the last several election cycles, we have always been able to count on Sara for her support of the things we all believe in. … One of her opponents on the show is ultra liberal talk show host Jerry Springer. We need to send a message to Hollywood and the media that smut has no place on television by supporting good people like Sara Evans.”
Jerry Springer can probably thank DeLay for keeping him around.
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August 24, 2006
Segregated "Survivor," plus or minus?
The segregation twist announced for the 13th edition of “Survivor” already has accomplished what CBS and creator Mark Burnett wanted — buzz and hype for a reality show currently perceived as worn and weary.
This week we found out that the latest version of “Survivor,” scheduled to arrive Sept. 14 from the Cook Islands in the South Pacific, will divide the 20 contestants into four teams along racial and ethnic lines.
There will be blacks, Asians, Latinos and plain-old whites competing — at least in the first part of the season. As voting off the island proceeds, the teams eventually will merge, and color lines will disappear.
Burnett, the mega-producer from England, has said this social experiment in fake reality just might have a positive effect on race relations reality. He did not follow up that statement by predicting that elephants will fly, but he could have done so with equal credibility.
In another of the gazillion interviews Burnett has conducted this week to promote “Survivor,” he also made the following statement: “In America today, I really don’t believe there are many people who hate each other because of their race”.
Again, elephants could very well take flight.
Reaction among fans on the Internet ranges from suspicion to disgust. For the most part, people see the segregation twist as a blatant attempt to curtail the ratings decline that “Survivor” suffered last time out. The Panama-set series averaged a series low 16.8 million viewers each week. Even with that little swoon, “Survivor” is still the most-watched reality show on TV.
Host Jeff Probst weighed in with his opinions on the flap in a Q&A blog on The Slug.
“This is an equal opportunity game,” says Probst. “Twenty people are given the same materials, the same odds of winning a million dollars.”
The goal, of course, is for sparks to fly. Maybe it will be interesting, but more likely it will be a manufactured version of reality, which is what reality shows are anyway. This one just has the potential to be more excruciating to watch than others.
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August 16, 2006
Who will win "America's Got Talent" and "So You Think You Can Dance?" Finales air tonight.
Two big summer reality shows screech to a conclusion and a semi-conclusion tonight — simultaneously, so if you care, be sure to set the recorder.
What are the odds that NBC’s surprise reality hit “America’s Got Talent” will crown someone who has talent after tonight’s performance episode and Thursday’s announcement?
Probably the same odds as tonight’s two-hour extravaganza (7 to 9 p.m.) not being packed with commercials, inane banter and tons of useless stuff. In other words, slim and none.
It’s considerably more likely that someone who can actually dance will be crowned the winner on Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance” tonigh).
But in both shows, we’re also likely to see people who think they have talent but who actually are embarrassing themselves for viewers’ enjoyment.
Regis Philbin, no doubt wearing one of his trademark shiny suits, will host “America’s Got Talent,” riding herd on the trio of judges that includes Brandy, David Hasselhoff and Piers Morgan. Nine acts will compete in various “talent” areas for the $1 million prize, to be revealed Thursday at 8 p.m.
“Sometimes I wish I had a buzzer,” Philbin said with candor in Los Angeles recently. “Some of the contestants want it pretty bad, but they just don’t have the goods to deliver.”
Here’s my question: If the yodeling 11-year-old singer Taylor Ware wins, what will become of her? Well, she’ll pocket a cool $1 million. But it’s not like a normal singer or dancer, who might get a contract to do something in show biz. The best a kid yodeler can hope for is a quick trip to Vegas and maybe a county fair. And a visit with Conan.
Conceived as a one-time summer quickie, “America’s Got Talent” has become such a hit that NBC is bringing it (and Reege) back in January.
“There’s nothing hard about it,” Philbin said with a sly grin. “I kinda love it.”
Says creator/producer Ken Warwick, whose credits include “American Idol”: “There’s a whole generation that doesn’t know variety. They’ve never seen ‘Ed Sullivan’ or ‘The Gong Show.’ “
If they watch “Talent,” they’ve still not seen “Ed Sullivan,” but they’ve definitely experienced “The Gong Show.”
On Fox’s hoofing contest, host Cat Deeley will announce the winner of this year’s prize — a one-year contract to work on Celine Dion’s spectacular Vegas show, “A New Day.” The crowning portion of the two-hour telecast begins at 8 p.m.; the earlier hour is a rehash of last week’s performances, so plan accordingly.
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July 31, 2006
The dregs of summer TV . . . sigh
I may have confessed previously that I’ve been surprised by how many of the new fall shows I actually liked this year as I waded through two dozen previews.
Now I’m wondering if the pilots really were that good or if I’m just appalled by what passes for prime-time entertainment on the networks this summer. I’ve found plenty to like on cable and PBS (tonight’s new “Mystery” is “Inspector Lewis,” which sounds like a winner). But the networks just keep heaping really bad reality shows onto their schedule.
Take tonight, for example. If you aren’t a fan of TNT’s “The Closer” and “Saved,” here’s what you have to look forward to: back-to-back episodes of “Hell’s Kitchen” on Fox; an ABC lineup that includes “Wife Swap,” “Supernanny” and the debut of “One Ocean View”; “Treasure Hunters” and the new “Star Tomorrow” on NBC; and a load of regular series reruns on CBS.
Just so you know the depths to which we have sunk, let me describe the two new reality shows for you.
“One Ocean View” (9 tonight on ABC) plucks 11 attractive young folks from New York City deposits them in a handsome summer house on Fire Island. Add a few tropical drinks and some tanned flesh and this is what ABC calls summer entertainment.
Housemate Miki explains in the opener that these young professionals are searching for “fun, romance, maybe even falling in love.” There’s an exotic dancer, business owners, a Wall Street lawyer and a couple that has recently broken up.
The result is supposed to be a sexy, real-life melodrama, but these folks are just shallow and exceedingly dull.
NBC’s new “StarTomorrow” (7 p.m.), dubbed an interactive music competition in publicity, is the umpteenth singer/band search competition. You’d think, given the clunker ABC entered in this genre (“The One,” which distinguished itself by coming in eighth in its time period on opening night, behind all mini-networks and several cable networks), the genre would get a rest. You’d be wrong.
At least NBC’s newcomer will take place mostly online.
Even sports options are pretty limited in this pre-football, post-basketball season. There’s baseball, more baseball and a bit of tennis and golf. But when ESPN tries to pass off darts and poker as sports, well, you know it’s time to shut down the set and read a book.
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July 27, 2006
Super enough for comics legend Stan Lee?
Just when you thought reality shows couldn’t get any weirder …
Well, actually, I stopped thinking that years ago, but my point (and I do have one) is there’s a new reality show on tap for tonight that is pretty darn weird.
Sci Fi’s new competition series “Who Wants to Be a Superhero?” features contestants in blindingly colored tights trying to convince Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee to immortalize them in a comic book and made-for-TV movie.
The series debuts tonight at 8 with the introduction of superhero wannabes including Cell Phone Girl, a vision in hot pink leather tank suit and vinyl boots whose powers include hearing up to a mile away and being able to “teleport” herself into cyberspace; Monkey Woman, an Amazonian sized gal with bananas dangling from her waist and thighs; Fat Momma, whose skin-tight black and pink costume is festooned with doughnuts; and Feedback, a nerdy looking guy in electric blue who absorbs powers from video games and generates a feedback that disrupts evil electronics.
As is traditional with reality competitions, the contestants are given “challenges” they must accomplish and then Lee, creator of Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four, axes the ones he deems not super enough to be superheroes.
The prize — starring in a comic book and Sci Fi movie — might bring fame to the winner but probably not much money. Lee and his company will maintain ownership of the character. Just in case Fat Momma takes off like a shot and Mo’Nique wants to play the part.
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July 26, 2006
'30 Days' . . . thought-provoking and fun
Morgan Spurlock’s “30 Days” is a documentary series, not a reality series. It just happens to come at a time when summer reality is king, but “30 Days,” which returns for a second season on FX tonight (at 9 p.m.) is an old-fashioned, let’s-investigate-the-human-condition documentary. And it just happens to be fun.
Spurlock, who gained fame by gaining a lot of weight in his Oscar-nominated fast-food doc “Super Size Me” (he says he hasn’t set foot inside a McDonald’s since), is a genial presence in this summer show that actually has some meat on its bones.
If you watched last season’s episodes, you may recall the opener, in which Spurlock and his girlfriend Alex (now his wife and expecting their first child), tried and failed miserably to live off minimum wage for a month.
In tonight’s opener, immigration is the topic of the day. Spurlock plucks a Cuban American from his legal life and plops him down with a family of illegal Mexicans living and working in East Los Angeles. Cuban American guy has no sympathy for the illegals and spends his spare time patrolling the California-Mexico border as a sharp-tongued Minuteman.
Don’t look for any fuzzy hugs in the end. The Minuteman holds fast to his views — despite allowing himself some sympathetic feelings for the family that hosts him.
In the next of the six scheduled episodes, Spurlock sends a down-sized American computer programmer to India to track down who got his job through outsourcing. This hour is partiuclarly powerful, although Spurlock lightens it up a bit with a scenario in which the American attends a seminar on how to “speak American.”
Spurlock doesn’t position himself in every episode, except as guide and narrator, but he does submit himself to a stint in jail to see how the convicted pay their debt to society. And, more importantly, to see who these people are. He’s surprised by his discovery.
“30 Days” is only a reality series in that it explores conflicting realities, letting participants walk a mile in the shoes of people of opposing believes, lifestyles and situations. In that regard, it is the noblest of reality shows.
A real fixer-upper
“This Old House” producers are considering Austin as the location for its second project this season.
If you live in Austin and are thinking of remodeling a historic home for energy efficiency, let the production know — by Aug. 15. Check out the list of criteria on www.thisoldhouse.com and send your proposal via e-mail to pickmyhouse@timeinc.com or by mail to:
Project Proposals—Austin, TX This Old House Productions P.O. Box 130 Concord, MA 01742
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July 22, 2006
'America's Got Talent'? Maybe
The hottest show this summer, whether the nation’s TV critics like it or not, is the bizarre “America’s Got Talent,” the NBC vehicle for finger-snappers, jugglers, yodelers and other wacky folks convinced they’ve got the goods.
Really, what can you say about a show that boasts David Hasselhoff as a judge? The show comes from “American Idol” mogul Simon Cowell’s production company, so maybe we shouldn’t be so surprised by its success. But the fact that millions of people are tuning in to watch a cross-dresser wail is pretty surprising.
“We threw out the rule book on this one,” conceded Ken Warwick, executive producer of this and the less jaw-dropping “Idol.” “We could have made it more cerebral, but we decided not to. Anybody who thinks they’re entertaining can come on. It’s like ‘The Gong Show.’ “
The winner of the competition, to be crowned in mid-August, will receive $1 million. Here’s the cash; there’s the door. Nobody was foolish enough to award a performance contract. I mean, what if a finger-snapper wins? Where would he go? Vegas? Conventions?
Hasselhoff, for anyone who has forgotten, is happy to break down the highlights of his career — even if you don’t ask. He was, of course, on “Knight Ridder” and “Baywatch,” from whence his fame has sprung. But he’s also a recording star in Europe and has had seven albums go platinum there. And don’t forget Broadway (“Jekyll and Hyde”) and the just-released movie “Click.”
“I’m a big punching bag here,” said Hasselhoff, who (good lord) announced that he’s trying to launch a play called “David Hasselhoff: The Musical.”
A couple of funny “geezers”
Flying in the face of the young demo obsession, NBC has a new comedy starring a couple of sixtysomethings.
John Lithgow, 60, and Jeffrey Tambor, 62, play best friends in “Twenty Good Years,” a sitcom about suddenly realizing it’s time to do all the exciting things you should have done years ago. If the pilot hadn’t featured Lithgow in a Speedo, I might have liked it more, but you’ve got to respect the guy’s courage.
“I have no shame, as you know,” said the frequently over-the-top Lithgow, who has been working on Broadway since “Third Rock from the Sun” was canceled five years ago. “I just can’t restrain myself. I need to be modulated, but at least they’ve got a lot to work with.”
Tambor, who starred in the late, great “Arrested Development,” plays a judge who can’t make up his mind, which the actor thinks is hilarious on the face of it.
Lithgow and Tambor have known each other for years but never worked together. Even though the show is too loud and too silly at times, their chemistry is obvious, and it may give the people who actually watch network TV (ages 55 plus) a reason to cheer.
Today’s word of the day is “Vanished.” Click here to enter the TV Blog contest.
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July 5, 2006
Austinite debuts on 'Rock Star: Supernova'
Planning to cheer on Austin rocker Patrice Pike on “Rock Star: Supernova?” If so, tonight’s the night (7 to 8:30 on CBS).
The pierced-and-tattooed version of “American Idol” opens its second summer season (last season “Rock Star” found a lead singer for INXS) with a slew of hard rock wannabes.
This time around, “Rock Star” isn’t looking for a lead singer for an old band. It’s looking to complete a new band staffed by old(er?) heavy-metal rockers.
One of the 17 contestants, including the aforementioned Austinite Pike, will join Guns N’ Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke, Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee and Metallica bass player Jason Newsted.
By the way, Pike isn’t the only Texan in the mix. Zayra Alvarez of Dallas and Diliana Robichaux of Houston are also competing.
But if weird names factor into the competition, the Texas gals don’t stand a chance against Storm Large, a tough-singing woman from Portland, Oregon.
After tonight’s 90-minute debut, “Rock Star: Supernova” will air Tuesdays (performance) and Wednesdays (voting). A familiar pattern that shouldn’t be too hard to remember.
Katie hype begins …
CBS has launched a summer promotional campaign leading up to the debut of former “Today” host Katie Couric as anchor of the “Evening News.”
Couric, the $15 million-a-year superstar, doesn’t officially arrive until Sept. 5. But lest anyone forget she’s coming, CBS will spend the off-season months with sub anchor Bob Schieffer telling folks that Couric is going to be fabulous. And very serious. “Just watch,” the comfy Texan insists.
The next batch of ads, beginning in early August, will feature Couric herself opining on news and how to cover it. Seriously … as in not grinning or being the Princess of Perky. Seriously, I think she can do it, but it’s going to take more than fuzzy promos to convince people. It’s going to take time and performance under fire.
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June 23, 2006
Austin rocker on CBS's 'Rock Star'
Is she mean enough to rock with the bad boys? That’s the question facing Austin singer Patrice Pike, one of the 15 contenders in CBS’s forthcoming reality show “Rock Star: Supernova.”
The winner of the competition will join a group, to be named Supernova, that includes Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe, Jason Newsted of Metallica and Gilby Clarke of Guns N’ Roses. The gang of heavy-metal musicians say they’re looking for a hard rocker, an edgy rocker and someone who is “mean” enough to join the club.
Pike has been singing for years, touring the United States and Europe with local bands Sister Seven and Blackbox Rebellion.
But she also has studied opera in Dallas and helps at-risk kids in Austin. How mean can she be?
“Rock Star: Supernova” debuts 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 5, on CBS with the first elimination show on Thursday at 8 p.m. The following week, the show will settle into its regular schedule, airing Tuesdays at 8 and Wednesdays at 7 p.m.
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June 21, 2006
'America's Got Talent?' Maybe not.
Talent show or train wreck? You decide.
As part of its new-shows-for-summer schedule, NBC tonight trots out the dizzyingly strange “America’s Got Talent” (8-10 p.m.).
The show’s main claim to fame — and certainly the network’s biggest promotional hawking point — is that “American Idol” producer/star judge Simon Cowell is the creator. He is not, however, on camera. Apparently there is a limit to the level of bad “talent” that even caustic Cowell will endure.
If you’re of a certain age, you will think of a warped combination of “The Ed Sullivan Show” and “The Gong Show.” If you’re of a younger age, you may think someone has slipped something hallucinogenic into your evening’s beverage.
Jugglers who drop things, comedians who aren’t funny, acrobats who fall, ventriloquists who make no attempt to hide their flapping lips and (most shocking of all) an 80-year-old stripper. They’re all part of the oxymoron that is called “America’s Got Talent.”
Regis Philbin, who really doesn’t need the money and ought to know better, is the host. Judges are aging “Bay Watch” hunk David Hasselhoff, singer Brandy and British “presenter” Piers Morgan. As always, viewers will be ask to decide who stays and who goes.
If only TV honchos would let us vote on whether the show stays or goes …
Creepy hybrid goes to “Prison”
William Fichtner, who played the alien-human hybrid Sheriff Underlay on ABC’s canceled “Invasion,” is joining the cast of Fox’s “Prison Break.”
In the “Prison Break” season-ender in May, the brothers were on the run after successfully breaking out of prison — which might seem to conclude the original concept. But the action continues next season with Fichtner playing an FBI agent tracking down the escapees.
“Prison Break,” which was filmed in Illinois at the infamous Joliet Prison, will be filming in Dallas this summer for the new season.
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May 24, 2006
Some 'Idol' thoughts
Who’s gonna win “American Idol” tonight?
Based on last night’s performance, especially of the songs chosen to be the two finalists’ first singles, neither. Geez. Who picks this pabulum?
Katharine McPhee’s saccharine “My Destiny” was horrendous, and Taylor Hicks’ “Do I Make You Proud?” wasn’t much better. The songs, not the singers, were at fault, but we still had to suffer through a couple of cringe-worthy performances. Both would have been better suited to something a bit more soulful.
Vegas oddsmakers have picked bluesy Alabama native Hicks to win, as did judge Simon Cowell. Will the Soul Patrol voters outnumber McPhee Fans? The new “American Idol” will be crowned tonight at the end of the overblown, drawn-out, two-hour results show (7 to 9 p.m. on Fox).
I’ve watched this, the fifth season of “American Idol” from beginning to end. With the exception of those early episodes designed to make fun of the inept and emotionally disturbed, I’ve really enjoyed it. There was real talent and some distinct personalities.
I still think Mandisa and Paris should have gone further in the competition, “Chicken Little” Kevin Covais should have been bumped the first night and Chris Daughtry should be winning tonight. Hands down, Daughtry was the best “Idol” of the season — maybe any season.
I also think Paula Abdul needs some serious counseling, not to mention less cleavage. Simon lightened up a bit on the cruelty, which was a big relief. He even apologized a couple of times — once for making nasty about Mandisa’s weight and another time for an especially harsh put-down of Katharine after a performance.
Next time around, “Idol” producers should consider the enormous age gap among contestants. The 16-year-olds looked like babies next to the 28-year-olds (Taylor turned 29 during auditions). Maybe 18 to 26 would be a better age spread.
Tonight’s crowning is destined to be anti-climactic, since both contestants will wind up with record deals, and a concert tour with all the finalists will gear up this summer.
But we’ll be watching anyway. The end of the “Idol” marathon is an event, so we’ll suffer through a gazillion commercials and Seacrest’s incessant pandering to reach the finish line.
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April 28, 2006
New and real: 'Oh, Baby ...'
Funny how the two cable channels once known for artsy cultural programming have become famous (or infamous) for reality shows.
Bravo has “Top Chef,” “Blow Out,” “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” and “Real Housewives of Orange County,” to name a few. A&E has “First Person Killers,” “Dog the Bounty Hunter,” “Dallas SWAT” and “King of Cars.”
Premiering tonight at 9 on A&E is “Oh, Baby … Now What?” No preview was offered, but this one at least sounds more like a documentary than a reality show.
The spotlight is on twentysomething actor Brad and his girlfriend Sara, parents-to-be of a baby named Hunter. How does this cute intruder affect Brad and Sara — and their social lives with friends? Will immature Brad step up and commit to Sara? Will either one of them be responsible enough to take care of poor Hunter?
“Oh, Baby … Now What?” comes from executive producer R.J. Cutler, whose credits include the Bill Clinton campaign film “The War Room” and, more recently, the rather formulaic TV series “Black.White.”
Sara’s pregnancy apparently was unplanned, and there is some concern in the early going that Brad may be unhappy enough about this change in lifestyle to jeopardize the couple’s future. And their friends aren’t terribly thrilled about the baby either, with some blaming Sara for “trapping” Brad with the pregnancy.
One thing we can count on with this and most other docu-reality shows is that these real people will be self-absorbed. Is there a human being in the universe more self-absorbed than “Blow Out” hairdresser Jonathan Antin? I think not. Let’s hope Brad and Sara aren’t quite as bad.
But if you’re a fan of this type of reality show, “Oh, Baby” at least has a more compelling concept than hair.
Rosie O to ‘The View’
So, former “Queen of Nice” Rosie O’Donnell will return to daytime TV as new CBS anchor Meredith Vieira’s replacement on “The View.”
Sounds like a fine idea to me. Although O’Donnell, a six-time Emmy winner, ticked off some of her fans with her lesbian coming-out after her own hit talk show departed, she was a perfect host.
O’Donnell is a stand-up comedian by nature, but she has also proven her acting chops. And, guests love visiting with her. Not just Tom Cruise, mind you, but a wide array of folks. She can be funny, but she’s also smart and current and plays well with others. And she can sing! Barbara Walters, Joy Behar and Star Jones Reynolds should be thrilled to have her.
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April 27, 2006
KLRU's 'Downtown' zeroes in on news
Toot! Toot! Toot!
That’s me calling attention to my colleagues, business editor Kathy Warbelow and business reporter Shonda Novak, who are featured in tonight’s installment of KLRU’s “Downtown” at 7:30 p.m.
In the second of three segments tonight, “Roll the Presses” follows the American-Statesman duo as they track down a story, cover a story and toss the final product on your doorstep.
Filmed last fall, the unfolding story by Novak is about commercial development in Austin’s Second Street district.
Next week, “Downtown” will feature American-Statesman fashion writer Jean Scheidnes on a similar reporting venture.
Yep, I picked Pickler!
I’m getting pretty good at this predicting stuff. Did I predict that country warbler Kellie Pickler would get the bump from “American Idol” on Wednesday night? Yes, I did.
Kellie’s excruciating rendition of “Unchained Melody” finally separated her from her fans; she received the lowest vote total and cheerfully said goodbye.
The 19-year-old North Caroline native, famous for not knowing what minx and calamari are, will be touring with the finalists this summer, so if you haven’t gotten enough of Kellie by now, there’s more to be gotten. Dates and cities have not yet been announced.
Adorable, big-voiced Paris Bennett had the next-lowest number of votes, so she’d better pump up the volume next week. Top vote-getters were Chris Daughtry (who I really think has the best shot right now) and Katharine McPhee.
Wanna make a car?
Sooner or later, reality TV is going to hit your happy button, and people who have always dreamed of designing their own car (that wouldn’t be me) might get psyched about Ford’s new idea.
The Detroit auto giant, which recorded a $1.2 billion loss for its first quarter of 2006, announced it is developing a reality show in which participants develop new concept cars. No network has yet signed up to take the series, but somebody surely will.
Here’s my question: Do participants have to join the auto worker’s union? Is this just a cheap ploy on the part of Ford to hire nonunion workers? If the reality plan calls for hundreds of contestants, we’ll know the answer.
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April 26, 2006
'Idols' on ice ... who goes tonight?
You’d think warbling love songs would be a fairly easy challenge for the six remaining “American Idol” wannabes.
You’d be wrong. Guided by Italian warbler Andrea Bocelli and producer-composer David Foster, the half-dozen remaining contestants had a tougher time last night than they did last week, when they all did extremely well interpreting American classics.
Mega-star-in-the-making Katharine McPhee was dubbed “in a league by yourself” last week by usually cranky Simon Cowell. But last night, Kat’s rendition of Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing” prompted criticism from all the judges, including Paula Abdul, who noted pitch problems. Simon told her flat out she chose the wrong song because she simply “isn’t as good as Whitney.”
Elliott Yamin fared better, prompting Paula to sob for joy and Randy Jackson to crown him “the bomb tonight.”
Paris Bennett’s “The Way We Were” seemed flawless to me, but Paula said she “over-sang” the song, and Simon slammed it as “old-fashioned.”
Frequent favorite Taylor Hicks didn’t impress the judges either with his rendition of “Just Once,” and Kellie Pickler landed in murky water yet again with an awful performance of “Unchained Melody.”
The night’s best turned out to be (no surprise here) Chris Daughtry, who closed the show with “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?”
Bottom line: Tonight’s vote will ship sweet Kellie Pickler back home. Unlike the others, she is not improving, and cute country corn has taken her as far as she can go.
Barring big changes in the next few weeks, I think Daughtry will win.
‘Lost’ star heading to jail
As ABC’s hit “Lost” cruises toward its May 24 finale, new episodes (at 8 tonight) will begin setting up the cliffhanger.
Tailies, Others and Main Cabin Folks are all heading toward something spectacular.
And that includes characters played by Michelle Rodriguez and Cynthia Watros, who were busted for driving under the influence in Hawaii last December.
Watros, a first-time offender, had already settled her legal slap with a fine and probation. But Rodriguez, who was already on probation for offenses in Los Angeles (including another DUI), had to appear in court Tuesday to figure out her fate.
Perhaps surprising to some, Rodriguez, 27, pled guilty (after initially pleading not guilty) and chose to serve a five-day jail sentence instead of performing 240 hours of community service.
“Lost” producers insist Rodriguez’s stint in the Big House will not affect the show’s production.
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March 14, 2006
Celebrity chefs, cartoon chef
Is there a logical conclusion to the celebrities-trying-new-stuff reality show?
They dance (spraining muscles), ice skate (gashing chins), play poker (looking stupid) and lose weight (getting insulted).
Now NBC has decided to send them to the kitchen and see if they can cook.
“Celebrity Cooking Showdown”, produced by Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, will air nightly for one week, starting April 17. Celebrities — not yet named — will be paired with famous chefs — including Wolfgang Puck, Cat Cora (Food Network’s “Kitchen Accomplished”) and Govind Armstrong (Table 8, Los Angeles) — in a gourmet cooking competition.
Chef-judges will determine the yummy factor; viewers will be allowed to weigh in on the prettiness factor, i.e. “presentation.” Viewers also will have a shot at winning a new GE kitchen (guess who owns NBC) in a connected contest.
Taken to its illogical extreme, this celebrities-trying-new-stuff trend could become dangerous. Do we really want Suzanne Somers cutting hair or, heaven forbid, Tony Danza performing surgery?
Speaking of chefs
Gotta love the hypocrisy of the Isaac Hayes— “South Park” snit, don’t you?
In case you missed it, Hayes, the voice of seductive Chef on the sometimes tasteless but often hilarious animated satire, grandly announced Monday that he was leaving the show because of its “religious intolerance and bigotry.”
“South Park” creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker fired back that Hayes was only too happy to rip into Christians, Muslims and Jews. But when the show poked fun at Scientology, which happens to be Hayes’ faith, he suddenly found the religious satire offensive.
There’s no question that “South Park” can be offensive, but the show is an equal-opportunity offender. People who are uncomfortable with such humor know to stay away.
It’s been ripping into all aspects of society since 1997, so nothing about its well-known zingers should be a surprise — especially not to one of the principal voice actors.
The episode that sparked Hayes’ displeasure aired last November and featured noted Scientologist Tom Cruise locked in a closet.
Stone, responding to Hayes, released a statement accusing the former Chef of wanting “a different standard for religions other than his own. And to me, that is where intolerance and bigotry being.”
Ouch. Guess Chef will get a new voice — or depart “South Park.”
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March 10, 2006
To 'Deal' or Not To 'Deal'
Poor Peacock … Just about the only light in NBC’s piazza right now is the return of the game show “Deal or No Deal”.
How sad is that for a network that once had most of the Top 10 shows? Pretty sad.
“Deal or No Deal,” which crept onto the air with zero expectations on a quiet week in December, was a surprise hit when it aired five nights in a row.
For this, its March run, NBC had planned to stretch it out with a one-night-a-week schedule, but ratings were too fabulous (averaging 12 million viewers) to stick with only one night. So now the show airs twice weekly — on Mondays and Fridays at 7 p.m.
Howie Mandel, the stand-up comic who became famous as a fuzzy-haired intern on “St. Elsewhere” a gazillion years ago and is now a shaved-head germaphobe, is host of the show. (Like Monk, he refuses to shake hands.)
What the heck are these “Deal” screamers doing anyway? Well, not much.
Here’s the set-up:
Contestants choose a numbered briefcase — carried by 27 models onto a blindingly overlit stage. Contestants must decide to keep the briefcase they chose or make a deal with the bank in exchange for whatever dollar figure they think is in the case.
Near-hysterical contestants ask friends, family and screaming audience members for advice.
The grand prize, which starts at $1 million, grows by $500,000 each night. It’s all a matter of luck and risk. If you like that sort of thing — accompanied by a germaphobe host — you might get hooked. Or not.
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March 3, 2006
Sweet reality? That's "#1 Single"
A couple of weekends ago I stumbled onto a reality show on E! that did not make my skin crawl.
In fact, I’ve fallen in love with “#1 Single”, which is possibly the sweetest show ever filmed for TV about the search for love and marriage. I discovered this show during one of those weekend marathons of back-to-back episodes. For two hours, I lolled on the couch and purred.
The reason “#1 Single” isn’t a cheesy, sex-obsessed display is Lisa Loeb, a self-described “baco-vegetarian” whose love-hungry life is the show’s focus. The 37-year-old pop singer, who grew up in Dallas, is straddling the line between desperate-to-be-married and still-picky-about-men.
Here’s how she describes her dream mate: “Intelligent city guy (NYC or L.A.) between 30-45. Must be smart, funny, sensitive (not wimpy), adventurous and family oriented. Preferably Jewish. No diets, no fake hair. Healthy and active a plus. Must love cats.”
Upon arriving in New York, Loeb invites herself to dinner with a rabbi and his family and grills them for advice. She has nice table manners, which, in this era of Ozzy Osbourne reality, is a big plus.
The series debuted in January with Loeb relocating from Los Angeles to New York — in part to work on a new album but also to look for a husband. Her biological clock is ticking and her good Jewish mother in Dallas keeps popping in to check on the prospects for grandchildren.
Loeb’s situation is funny, heart-warming and poignant. Her dates have included a suave Italian heir (too controlling), a guy who took her to the zoo (then spent the whole time talking on his cell phone) and a guy she met at a dog-lover’s gathering (who didn’t own a dog).
Offering support in her quest are Loeb’s sister, an assortment of friends and an ex-boyfriend.
“#1 Single” isn’t life-changing or shocking, but it is a sweet little show that anyone who is or has been single (and isn’t that all of us?) will find relatable.
New episodes air Sundays at 9 p.m.
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February 27, 2006
Austinite debuts on tonight's 'Apprentice'
Last season’s installment of “The Apprentice” was a bust by most people’s assessment.
The ratings sagged, and the academic-versus-street-smart concept was lame. The academics tended to be wimpy losers, and the street-smart folks were less than polished.
The Donald returns tonight with the NBC reality show’s fifth season, on a new day (8 p.m. Mondays) and a new part-time staff. In place of George and Carolyn, occasionally we will have Donald Jr. and Ivanka, Trump’s two lovely young offspring.
Oh, and we have an Austin contestant to follow — again. High-tech businesswoman Amy Henry participated in “The Apprentice” in the spring of ‘04.
Tonight we meet Roxanne Wilson, 26, an appellate attorney with the Austin law firm of Winstead Sechrest & Minick, P.C. She may be spunkier than the other three lawyer contestants because she also teaches Jazzercise.
Trump has already convinced (arm-twisted) NBC to sign up for another season of “The Apprentice” that will air in the fall — and that one will move from New York to Los Angeles.
No surprise in the hoofer competition
It would have been big news if Drew Lachey and his professional dance partner Cheryl Burke hadn’t won “Dancing with the Stars”.
The hit ABC dance competition, which wound up last night with a two-hour finale, crowned the right amateur winner this time. Last time, you may recall, Kelly Monaco erroneously beat John O’Hurley for the hoofing honors.
Lachey, a former pop singer with 98 Degrees, wowed judges and viewers from Day One.
Former pro football star Jerry Rice also made it to the final, along with wrestling lovely Stacey Keibler, but Rice was never on the same level talent-wise as the other competitors. Lots of charm and hard work went into his performances, but not much grace or talent came out.
Lachey and Burke topped off their fabulous run with Lachey leaping over his partner in a jump that could have injured both Burke and their chances of winning. But the risk paid off.
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February 7, 2006
'Idol' goes wicked awesome
Now that we’re past the horrors of the Austin auditions, we can relax and watch the tryouts from Boston on tonight’s 7 o’clock installment of “American Idol”.
Wicked awesome.
After tonight’s screeching, cursing and tantrum-throwing from the hinterlands, we head to Hollywood for Wednesday’s show. There will still be utterly awful performances. We know that because we’ve seen some of the completely talentless people passed through earlier.
But at least we know we’re heading for the good stuff. After suffering through the early rounds (I know, some of you actually prefer the tragi-comic auditions), we’ll soon be seeing the real talent.
That’s the point at which I begin to like and care about “American Idol.” Up to now, I’ve been suffering, people, suffering for my job.
Tuesday traffic jam …
The pile-up of good shows on Tuesday nights continues, and only my good friend Janet, who owns and operates a half-dozen VCRs, can accommodate the load.
Besides “American Idol” on Fox at 7 tonight, we’ve got an hour of “Scrubs,” still one of the funniest comedies on TV, at 8 p.m. on NBC; “Criminal Minds,” one of the best new crime dramas, at 8 p.m. on CBS; and “Supernatural,” the wacky, campy ghost-hunting drama on the WB. I’m not a “House” fan, but lots of you guys are, and the surly doctor is on Fox at 8 p.m., too.
Moving on to 9 p.m., the competition continues with new episodes of “The Shield,” the tense cop drama starring Michael Chiklis that is soaring with the arrival of Forrest Whitaker as a truly creepy internal affairs investigator; the totally brilliant comedy-drama “Boston Legal” on ABC: and the likable new CBS comedy-drama “Love Monkey” with Tom Cavanagh.
Ladies and gentlemen, start your recorders!!
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February 2, 2006
Weird Austin "Idol" hopefuls debut
A dozen hopefuls from the Austin auditions made it through to the Hollywood round on last night’s “American Idol,” which was as noteworthy for its, uh, “creative” editing as it was for its embarrassing warblers.
Host Ryan Seacrest did his standups and intros at all the important Austin landmarks — the Capitol, the University of Texas Tower, etc. And there were scenes outside the Erwin Center, where more than 5,000 wannabes sweated out the first-round auditions back in August.
But “Idol” made it look like last night’s Austin group sang for Simon, Paula and Randy right here in Austin — which they didn’t. The judges never came to Austin because of our influx of Katrina and Rita evacuees. Instead, the Austin auditioners were flown to San Francisco, where they sang for the star judges.
A tad deceitful, but that was hardly last night’s worst problem. I’ve got a feeling we’re not going to see any of our wannabes wind up performing on the big stage with the Final 12. When the 175 Hollywood hopefuls are winnowed to 24 and then to 12, I’ll be surprised if we have an Austin representative.
The whole point of the early “Idol” episodes is to show how awful some of these delusional folks are, and the point was certainly well-made.
Cierra and Tessie Mae: What the heck were you thinking? Allison, you had two opportunities to carry a tune, and you blew both?
Our group of terrible tunesters was almost as awful (though not as foul-mouthed) as Tuesday’s auditioners in Las Vegas. Not quite but really, painfully close.
“What’s going on with Austin?” judge Randy Jackson wondered after some guy named Donelle from Fort Worth appeared to be imitating a chipmunk.
And that was right after a sweet-faced guy named Julian cheerfully sank into a split and then rendered an ear-splitting performance of Trini Lopez’ “Lemon Tree.”
“It’s not over just because you don’t like my voice,” pouted a strange-looking woman named Paula, who actually thought she was channeling her personal idol, Paula Abdul.
The odd group of people who dressed up like blood-splattered zombies and crashed the Erwin Center auditions got some airtime, thus keeping Austin weird for the nation’s “Idol” fans. Aren’t we proud?
On last night’s show, we only saw four of the dozen who were sent to Hollywood, and they were (drum roll, please):
Jason, a funeral director from Longview (who came to Austin with his pal Kevin, a Randy Jackson lookalike). He did an OK version of Josh Groban’s “You Raised Me Up.” Not great.
Ricky, a music major from Texas A&M, whose performance of “I Can’t Make You Love Me” had Simon positively cooing. “You have the nicest singing voice,” Simon said. “I loved it.”
Ronnie, a towering ego from Tyler who sang “Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone.” Not bad, but not great.
And 16-year-old William from The Woodlands, who did “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg” splendidly but apparently not good enough for Paula, who cast a dissenting vote.
Let’s hope the other eight who made it to Hollywood are better. Or at least not embarrassing.
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November 15, 2005
Martha's 'Apprentice' axed ... or just finished?
Killed or simply dying of natural causes? Apparently that’s the burning question about NBC’s “The Apprentice: Martha Stewart.”
Here’s my question: Who cares if the show was canceled or not? It’s going away, and if anyone cared, it wouldn’t be going away.
The Donald Trump spinoff has been languishing in the ratings (it averages only 6.7 million viewers a week) almost from the get-go, so it’s no surprise that there will be no second season after the show’s finale airs Dec. 21.
NBC insists Martha’s “Apprentice,” which airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m., was never intended to go beyond a single season. But the nasty old media is reporting that the show has been canceled.
Martha Herself joins NBC in insisting that only one season was planned, ostensibly so she can concentrate on her daily talk show, which actually has viewers.
But truth be told, Martha’s very polite “You just don’t fit in” never caught fire like The Donald’s “You’re fired.”
Even the Donald’s “Apprentice” is doing only slightly better on Thursday nights (10.5 million viewers), which indicates to me that the franchise itself is worn out. It’s just no longer amusing to watch nutty folks get fired.
Two versions of “The Apprentice” on consecutive nights is two too many, even though Martha’s spinoff had a much more interesting cast.
Among the remaining “Martha” contenders is Austin’s own Amanda Hill, an attorney for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Hill is a Texas Tech grad and eye cancer survivor who would seem to have a good chance of “fitting in.” By Dec. 21, it’s entirely possibly that absolutely no one — except maybe Martha and her new employee — will care.
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September 15, 2005
'Survivor' -- Again?!?
Here’s the common reaction among friends, colleagues and loyal readers who have taken the time to notice tonight’s season premiere of “Survivor”:
Is that show still on the air?
Who watches that show?
Well, folks, here’s the startling truth: “Survivor,” which begins its 11th edition at 7 tonight on CBS (KEYE, Channel 42), remains one of network television’s enduring hits. Last season there were two installments — set in Palau and Vanuatu — and both wound up in the Nielsen Top 10 rankings for the year.
The latest installment takes place in the Mayan ruins of Guatemala and promises to be “more grueling” than past adventures. Hopefully that doesn’t mean we’ll see more dramatic weight losses or gut-wrenching slime ingestions.
The 16 new castaways, as usual, are en eclectic mix, ranging in age from 21 to 63. There is only one contestant from Texas — a Dallas real estate broker/model named Blake Towsley (a guy).
There is one semifamous contestant: former Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Gary Hogeboom, who is now a 47-year-old real estate developer in Michigan.
Among the occupations represented are a farmer, a nurse, a sports radio talk show host, two Ivy League students, a zoo keeper, a magician’s assistant, a fishmonger, a water ski instructor, a retired firefighter, a cop, a hotel doorman and a makeup artist.
Tonight’s opener, host Jeff Probst told TV critics in a recent teleconference, features an 11-mile hike through the steamy heat of a Central American rain forest. Some contestants collapsed and, of course, threw up. What’s a “Survivor” episode without hurling?
#### Bush speech messes up schedule
President Bush’s speech about the Katrina catastrophe, which airs live at 8 tonight on all the broadcast and cable news networks, has forced CBS to reconfigure its carefully laid out “CSI” premieres.
Last season’s breathtaking “CSI” finale, directed by Quentin Tarantino, was supposed to air tonight, but has been bumped to the night of Sept. 21 by Mr. Prez. To accommodate that “CSI” repeat next week, the season opener of “CSI: New York” has been delayed from next Wednesday to the following week, Sept. 28.
And the second episode of Fox’s new series “Reunion,” scheduled for tonight, has been put off until next week.
ABC and NBC are basically ditching reruns.
This had better be good, Mr. President. We hate missing our premieres.
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August 30, 2005
'Big Brother' is big loser
It may not be the worst reality show of all time, but it’s certainly in the top baddies of the current crop.
What’s to like about CBS’s “Big Brother” ? I mean, really. All these folks do is fight, cry and stab each other in the back. At least on “Survivor,” “The Apprentice” and even “Real World,” the contestants attempt to get along part of the time. (On “Real World” they attempt to have sex, but that’s another story.)
Plus, the housemates on “Big Brother” are distinctly unlikable. Don’t believe me? If you haven’t seen this, the sixth incarnation of “Big Brother,” check it out tonight at 7 on CBS (KEYE Channel 42). (Or consider yourself fortunate that you’ve avoided it ‘til now, and stay away.)
Big rewards on “Big Brother” go to folks who lie. For example, Jennifer lied her lips off to get Kaysar bumped. And she’s not the only liar in the bunch.
And, is there a male reality star in existence who’s more annoying than Howie? He can’t really be that excited, pumped up or angry all the time, can he? He’s either chemically enhanced or just plain nuts. Probably the latter.
The “competition” is stupid, too. There are all kinds of ridiculous contests, votings, veto-challenges, evictions and nonevictions. Head of household (HOH) is supposed to be some kind of power trip, but it doesn’t seem to leave the HOH person in high esteem with the group.
If you can find anyone to root for in this batch of whiny malcontents, feel free. The whole thing just seems beyond stupid to me. I’ve been checking in on the show from time to time because, you know, it’s my job. But I think I’m finished with this mess. Life (and prime time) is too short.
Tear-jerking reality on the way
Speaking of reality shows (and aren’t we always?), ABC has decided to reincarnate the ultimate sob-story reality show, “This Is Your Life.”
Viewers of a certain age might remember the original, which aired on NBC from 1952 to 1961 with Ralph Edwards surprising ordinary folks and celebrities with an instant replay of all the good and bad times of their lives. Long-lost friends, lovers and relatives were reunited with the “surprisee,” prompting oceans of tears from all concerned.
Tears of joy are a mainstay on ABC’s hit reality show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” too, so presumably “This Is Your Life” will fit snugly with that weeper.
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August 26, 2005
From thousands to hundreds, "Idol" hopefuls continue hoping
From thousands to less than 100, “American Idol” hopefuls lined up again today for another shot at stardom. A slightly smaller group will make the same trek Saturday. The group culled from the first round of casting was too large to be seen in one day.
The lucky few who make it past this second nerve-wracking experience will get to sing for star judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson on Oct. 2.
Instead of wrapping around the Erwin Center, as the throngs did Thursday, the first group of call-backs today occupied less than a block in the predawn hours. This was a more subdued and serious gathering than the Frisbee-tossing gang of the previous day.
Once the well-oiled production staff opened the doors, the contestants moved quickly to the stadium floor to await their “quality time” with executive producers Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick.
“We’re looking for the very best and the very worst,” quipped Lythgoe before he and partner Warwick hunkered down for a full day of listening.
The worst? Well, you never know when a William Hung might pop up and be so bad everybody’s talking about him.
“The success of William Hung was based on his honesty,” Lythgoe said. “He really thought he was good and could get better. We try to weed out the people who are just trying to be bad.”
Warwick said much is expected of the Texas contestants because first “Idol” winner, Texan Kelly Clarkson, is now a platinum-selling success story.
Today’s auditions will give the producers a real chance to hear the contestants. Yesterday’s cattle call had a dozen contestants singing at the same time, separated only by skimpy curtains in boothlike hutches.
Lythgoe and Warwick today will listen to each contestant in the Erwin Center’s Lone Star Room, while the others wait nervously in the auditorium. It’s a much more time-consuming and thoughtful process.
“This is more than a talent show,” Lythgoe said. “We’re watching dreams come true. Of course, dreams can turn into nightmares, especially when they wind up on national television.”
The jolly executive-producing duo, who started out in show biz as dancers in their native England, did a little soft shoe before shuffling off to make or break the “Idol” hopefuls. Heading into the show’s fifth season, these chaps clearly love their work.
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August 22, 2005
'Idol' wannabes: Help is here!
If you’re among the thousands of wannabes from Central Texas and beyond who are planning to join the “American Idol” throngs this week, I’ve got tips for you.
Where do I get off thinking I can help? Have I ever in my entire life auditioned for anything? Well, no. I have no visible or audible talent. Just writing, and some folks would argue that one.
But we’ve had “Idol” auditions in Austin before. November 2002 to be exact. And I covered ‘em from pre-crack of dawn to the thrilling/crushing conclusion. I’ve seen the weary, the nervous and the hungry line up and march in. I’ve felt your pain.
So I’m here for you now. All I ask in return is for those who make the cut to get in touch with me. Call or e-mail and let me know your progress. I want to keep track of “our people.”
As we’ve written before, “Idol” is doing the Austin auditions a bit differently. Allegedly to avoid having folks camp overnight at the Erwin Center, the show’s crew will be handing out wristbands Tuesday and Wednesday before the Thursday auditions.
Go to Gate B (west side of the Erwin Center) early. No starting time has been revealed, but we know two things: no overnight camping will be allowed, and, according to a spokesperson for the show, nobody will be turned away.
After you’ve got your wristband, return no earlier than 5 a.m. on Thursday to await your audition. Star judges will not be present. You’ll see casting directors. If you make it past them, you’ll be called back to sing for producers. People who make it past that round will be called back in early October — here in Austin — to sing for Randy, Paula and Simon.
OK, that’s it for specifics. Now for the tips:
Worry less about how you look and more about how you sound. The judges really are looking for good singers. And if you’re just coming to make the “worst of” reel, you’re wasting your time. There’s much less emphasis on the William Hung types now.
Bring water and energizing snacks to the wristband line and the audition line. You’ll need ‘em both times. Hydrate those pipes!
You’re allowed to bring a friend or relative. Do it. It’s going to be a long, emotional roller coaster day, and you’re going to need the support. If you’re under 18, you have to bring a legal guardian, so butter up your parents ASAP.
They are not kidding about ID requirements. You will be dropped like a hot rock if you do not have two forms, including at least one with a photo. Driver’s license and passports are preferred.
Memorize several songs, and choose them carefully. Forgetting the words is a no-no. Forgetting the melody is bad, too. One song won’t do the trick, because sometimes the judges will hate a song (“Feelings” springs to mind, as well as “One Moment in Time”) but want to hear you sing. Be ready.
Be upbeat and cheerful without coming across as hysterical. If you’re a fan of the show (and chances are you are), you know that casting directors, producers and star judges do not like contestants who appear to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown. You may be terrified, but fake it.
Good luck, and don’t forget to get in touch.
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August 18, 2005
Austin attorney chosen for 'Apprentice: Martha Stewart'
Austin attorney Amanda Hill, 30, is one of 16 lucky (unlucky?) contenders chosen for NBC’s “The Apprentice: Martha Stewart,” which debuts Sept. 21.
Hill, 30, received an undergraduate degree in public relations and a law degree from Texas Tech University. She interned with then Texas Supreme Court Justice Priscilla Owen and currently practices employment and medical malpractice law for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Hill’s NBC bio (we’re not allowed to talk with her ourselves until the network permits) says she is an eye cancer survivor, volunteers with various projects benefiting cancer research and lives right here in River City with her husband Jason and dog Teddy.
Stewart, domestic diva turned ex-con, will choose from a group of 10 women and 6 men between the ages of 22 and 42. They include an ad exec, chefs, designers, a magazine publisher and assorted entrepreneurs.
Like Donald Trump’s “Apprentice,” Stewart’s spinoff will have contestants living together in a Manhattan loft, performing domestic-diva challenges and facing weekly firings by The Martha. Her catchphrase, not yet revealed, will not be “You’re fired.”
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August 17, 2005
Wes bombs on 'Real World: Austin'
Last night’s “Real World: Austin” managed to make it through an entire episode without Melinda and Danny weeping — separately or together.
Instead, the jiggly reality cameras were trained on Wes’s hopeless pursuit of Johanna. How stupid is this would-be Lothario? He brought home a one-night stand from Sixth Street, had sex with her so the entire house could see and then put the groupie girl in a cab and sent her home.
This was supposed to make Johanna jealous. Instead, it made her yawn and go to bed — alone. If Johanna isn’t falling for cute bartender Leo, which apparently she is not, there’s not a snowball’s chance she’s going to fall for Wes, a pasty-white frat boy whose sole purpose in joining “Real World” was to get drunk and have sex.
Next week’s promos indicate Danny returns from burying his mom in Boston, thus freeing Melinda from her current state of mope-dom. The duo will be free, once again, to snuggle, coo and probably weep some more.
I’m really trying hard to care, but it’s just not happening.
Bravo: How low can you go?
I’ve been trying to think of what it would take for me to watch tonight’s debut of Bravo’s six-part series “Battle of the Network Reality Stars” This is what I’ve come up with:
A gun pointed at my husband, my son, my stepdaughter, my father, my dog or good friend (and office mate) Kitty Crider.
A million bucks.
Free cosmetic surgery from the best surgeon in New York and a month-long recovery at The Plaza.
As a TV critic, I watch lots of shows I don’t like because it’s part of the job. “Battle of the Network Reality Stars” is asking too much. It would require hazardous duty pay, and since nobody has offered it, I’m not going to watch.
If you want to watch “Survivor” Richard Hatch joust with little person Charla Faddoul of “The Amazing Race,” go right ahead. It’s on at 8 p.m. But don’t call, write, e-mail or blog-comment to me about it. Please.
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August 15, 2005
It's official: Paula will return to 'Idol'
It’s not exactly on a par with Watergate or Clinton’s impeachment scandal, but Fox’s inquiry into an alleged affair between “American Idol” judge Paula Abdul and former contestant Corey Clark was a Big Deal in some circles.
The just-announced conclusion that Abdul can continue as judge on “Idol” was never in doubt. From the moment the allegations surfaced, by a rejected contestant who was trying to jump-start a noncareer, Fox stood behind Abdul. She remained on “Idol” for the rest of the season and was involved in plans for the next season.
When Fox entertainment chief Peter Liguori addressed questions about Abdul at the TV critics meetings in Los Angeles last month, he stirred up controversy by responding with evasive nonanswers.
Asked about a fraternization policy between judges and contenders, Liguori said fraternization was against the rules “if it affected the outcome of the contest.” Which seemed to indicate that it would have been OK for Abdul and Clark to “date” because he was voted off, thus indicating she didn’t help him advance. Hmmmm.
Fox’s independent investigation (600 hours of legal work for 3 1/2 months) by a former federal prosecutor and a gaggle of entertainment lawyers, found that:
A sexual relationship between Abdul and Clark was “not substantiated by any corroborating evidence or witnesses.”
Clark’s allegation that Abdul helped him during the competition was “not substantiated by any corroborating evidence or witnesses.”
Abdul acknowledged she had phone chats with Clark while he was a contestant (extensive phone logs proved that point on a “Primetime Live” report), but the subject matter could not be resolved. So, you know, they could have been discussing the Los Angeles smog or something.
We’ll never know exactly what transpired between Abdul and Clark. Rumors persist, even among “Idol” insiders, that something did happen.
Fox has finally coughed up a better fraternization policy: absolutely no fraternization between judges and contestants, whether the outcome of the contest is affected or not.
Ellen and Emmys: Together Again
The best news of the weekend is that Ellen DeGeneres, whose daytime talk show is a major hit, will return as host of this year’s “Emmy Awards”.
The ceremony takes place Sept. 18 on CBS. It should be an easier gig than her previous hosting of the delayed Emmys after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks of 2001. That was difficult, but she did a fabulous job.
“You know me, any excuse to put on a dress,” DeGeneres joked in a statement announcing that she was returning as host.
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August 3, 2005
Want to be an 'Idol'?
Throngs of wannabes are bound to show up for the Aug. 25 “American Idol” auditions at the Frank Erwin Center. If any of you pop star hopefuls would like to bypass camping out in the heat the night before, consider entering a contest sponsored by Fox 7 TV and KISS FM radio.
The winner will be guaranteed an audition, which means you can show up the morning of the auditions all rested and ready.
Enter online today through Sunday at fox7.com or 967kissfm.com.
You must be between the ages of 16 and 28. Entries should include a photo and a 125-word paragraph on why you should be the next “American Idol.”
On Monday, 75 contestants will be chosen in the first round; on Wednesday those people will compete in a singing competition at Main Event Austin, at 13301 N. U.S. 183.
Fox 7 and KISS will announce the 10 finalists Aug. 11, and those contestants will perform, two each day, on Fox 7’s early morning news for a week. The final competition will take place Aug. 18 at Main Event, with the winner, who will get to move to the front of the line Aug. 25, will be announced on Fox 7 and KISS the next morning.
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July 21, 2005
'Dancing with the Stars' to return midseason
Surprise, surprise … ABC has picked up another season of “Dancing with the Stars,” the summer’s smash hit. The dance competition will air sometime during midseason, which means January or beyond.
Before it returns, the show may have to address the controversy that has been bubbling ever since the July 6 finale when clumsy Kelly Monaco and her pro dance partner beat the elegant and graceful John O’Hurley and his partner.
Fans of O’Hurley, the top-vote getter through most of the show’s six-week fun, immediately accused ABC of rigging the finale so that Monaco, a star of the ratings-challenged ABC soap “General Hospital,” would win.
I have to say that never entered my mind. I just assumed the three judges suffered from temporary insanity (or hysterical blindness) when the each gave Monaco’s final performance the only perfect 10s of the competition. Didn’t they see her whack her partner in the head with her foot during one of those Las Vegas show-girl moves? Didn’t they notice that she was constantly trying to spit out her unkempt mane that kept flying into her mouth?
If there was any kind of corporate conspiracy, it was well-hidden behind inept judges who apparently fell in love with spunky Kelly for reasons other than dance talent.
Where’s Larry? He’s back Sept. 25 on HBO
Larry David’s hilarious comedy series “Curb Your Enthusiasm” has been gone so long (way more than a year) that most of us thought it had been canceled. Or that Larry David was still pondering its fate.
HBO has announced that “Curb” will return for a fifth season in September. Suddenly, my chuckle possibilities are considerably brighter. To prepare, you can take a refresher course on Season 4.
PR war begins over Supreme Court
President Bush’s nomination for the Supreme Court is already getting the TV ad tug.
John G. Roberts, a federal appeals court judge with a conservative record, might not set off the kind of ruckus that Robert Bork did years ago, but partisans are lining up pro and con for the small screen.
On the right, Progress for America came out with a pro-Roberts ad on Wednesday. On the left, People for the American Way and the National Abortion Reproductive Rights Action League will respond next week with their own spots.
Since members of the U.S. Senate, who will confirm or reject the nominee, are unlikely to be sitting around watching TV in the evenings, this seems like a big waste of time. But partisans are hoping couch potato constituents will contact their political representatives.
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July 20, 2005
'The Apprentice' wants you (maybe)
Want a chance to be humiliated in front of millions of people and then maybe go to work for The Donald?
“The Apprentice” is holding open auditions in Austin on Saturday, July 30 at the Omni Hotel downtown.
If you’d rather skip ahead of what promises to be a mile-long line, KXAN, Austin’s NBC affiliate that airs Donald Trump’s job competition show, is holding an online preaudition contest that could guarantee you a place in the later cattle-call audition.
On KXAN’s Web site, write a very brief (as in 30 words or less) explanation of why you should be the next “Apprentice.” Authors of the 10 best entries, as chosen by KXAN, will then tape 30-second segments with morning news anchor Kate Weidaw.
KXAN.com readers will watch the clips online and vote for five finalists, who will then receive wristbands and guaranteed auditions at the Omni on July 30. These five finalists will be featured on KXAN’s morning news program Wednesday, July 27. If you can’t wake up early enough to be at the station between 6 and 7 a.m., don’t bother to enter.
“The Apprentice” is possibly the most conservative of all the reality shows, with a high-paying job for the Trump organization at stake. Which means applicants should consider wearing business attire and not trying to look like “Real World” wannabes. The Donald prefers corporate types.
TiVo says, ‘Watch these ads!’
Most people buy digital video recorders for two reasons: to record shows for more convenient viewing and to delete commercials.
Now TiVo, the original digital recording device, wants viewers to watch commercials.
This week TiVo announced plans to insert symbols identifying advertisers during what is supposed to be commercial breaks. So when viewers are zipping and zapping through them, the advertisers and their products will be more visible.
The theory is viewers will be intrigued by some products and want to pause to watch them or download a “long-format” commercial.
Sounds like a hard sell, but TiVo is frantically looking for ways to stem the tide of its ongoing revenue decline. The company, founded in 1997, has more than 3 million subscribers but has yet to turn a profit.
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July 19, 2005
'Miami Ink' -- oddly compelling!
Just when you thought the saturated reality genre couldn’t possibly come up with a new twist, “Miami Ink” arrives.
This new reality show, set in a Miami tattoo parlor, debuts tonight at 9 on TLC. Unlike most reality shows, “Miami Ink” is neither silly nor profound. But it is oddly serious — and, even more oddly, rather compelling.
I know, I know. You probably think I’ve finally succumbed to reality brainwashing. And maybe I have. But these shows are everywhere, and it’s my job to check out the new stuff.
“Miami Ink” didn’t make me want toquit my job — as most of the icky dating and humiliation-producing shows have. For one thing, its edginess doesn’t come off as manufactured. It seems genuine.
People who chose to permanently decorate themselves are either supremely confident or foolish. Either way, they’re an interesting lot.
In tonight’s opener, clients pop into the shop, owned by philosopher/tattoo artist Ami (“Everything can be fixed,” he tells a distraught customer who tatt has been misspelled), for various reasons.
Most, like a young woman wanting to etch a tribute to her brother who committed suicide, have serious intentions. I expected to see drunken kids wanting an obscenity or the name of a current boyfriend/girlfriend emblazoned on a bicep.
But sober tributes rule. And the execution of the tattoo itself is presented as art.
“Miami Ink” might not be as fascinating to everyone as it was to me … I have a feeling I was influenced by a long-held, secret desire to have a tiny, multicolored armadillo on my lower back.
‘Sopranos’ Indecision: 2005
Is this really it for Tony Soprano? Not even HBO knows for sure.
At the Television Critics Association summer press tour, HBO executives were grilled about whether the upcoming sixth season of “The Sopranos” would actually be the last one. It’s scheduled to return in March 2006, but these folks definitely move at their own pace.
HBO chief Chris Albrecht said in a news conference that he really, really doesn’t know.
“Sopranos” creator David Chase hasn’t decided what he wants to do, although he did say last year that the sixth season is the last. Of course Chase also said the fifth season would be the last and then changed his mind.
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July 7, 2005
Boo! Kelly wins 'Dancing with the Stars'
Kelly Monaco should have been crowned Most Improved Las Vegas Show Girl. Instead, she beat out the elegant and graceful John O’Hurley to win ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” contest last night.
The “General Hospital” fireball and her partner, pro dancer Alec Mazo, got three perfect 10 scores from the apparently sight-challenged judges on their freestyle dance. Oh, please. That was not dancing.
Hip-shaking, breast-shimmying, trick-performing (Alec spun her over his head after she did a back-bend “walk” down a flight of stairs), she looked like an ice skater. But the judges didn’t care. She beat out O’Hurley and his pro dancer partner Charlotte Jorgensen for the title.
O’Hurley, aka J. Peterman from “Seinfeld,” was by far the best of the amateurs. Paired with Charlotte, he was magnificent, from waltz to samba to cha-cha.
Pause. Deep breath: Can you believe I got so invested in this silly thing? I can’t believe it either. And here I am, embarrassing myself be admitting it in public …
I got hooked on “Dancing with the Stars” by accident, as I was spinning through channels searching for something — anything — to watch on Wednesday nights. When I landed on the show, I was mainly attracted by how cheesy it looked and by how ridiculous the “competition” seemed.
Former heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield, gamely plodding through ballroom dances (he lasted two weeks), was a hoot. And so was Monaco. She was so stiff and terrified at the beginning that she was painful to watch. And those glittery, midriff-baring costumes were soooo tacky.
“Is there a death in the family?” quipped Bruno Tonioli, the snappish choreographer who quickly became the most outrageous judge. “Your face, it’s like somebody died. “
That was cruel, but it was also an understatement at the time. Kelly was clumsy and grim.
From the get-go, John and Charlotte were deemed “the couple to beat” by two of the three judges. Their scores were consistently high, and they were definitely crowd-pleasers.
But then so were the previously eliminated Joey McIntyre (New Kids on the Block) and supermodel Rachel Hunter. Trista Sutter of “The Bachelorette” received a barely lukewarm reception, perhaps because she couldn’t dance her way out of a high school prom.
Kelly definitely had drama on her side. During one dance, she snapped a strap and nearly had a major wardrobe malfunction, but she gamely hoofed on.
“All my life I’ve been the underdog,” she said, eyes welling, chin quivering after last night’s triumph. Good lord.
“Dancing with the Stars” has been the surprise hit of the summer, finishing No. 1 in the ratings several times. Nearly 20 million people tuned in last week, and last night’s numbers should soar.
ABC has not said so yet, but don’t be surprised if a second edition of “Dancing” pops up before Labor Day. Maybe I’ll be able to resist.
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July 6, 2005
Week 3: 'Real World: Austin' staggers on . . .
Well, that was a relief, wasn’t it? Danny pulled through his face-saving surgery on “The Real World: Austin” last night.
Melinda’s muttered fear, before he was rolled into the operating room, that she might never see him again rang just a tad hollow, didn’t it? I mean, we saw Danny before the production left town in May. There really wasn’t much credible suspense on that score.
People who are longtime fans of “Real World” tell me that this, the Austin-filmed edition, is better than the Philadelphia edition and several others. Apparently fans of the show are taking to the current cast of characters in a big way.
I’m not a big “Real World” fan, so I’m watching the show for professional reasons rather than, you know, fun. But I have to admit I’ve been riveted by how gorgeous these kids are and by how completely devoted they are to getting drunk. Don’t they know their beauty will fade quickly if they’re forever pickled?
On the gorgeous meter, I’d put Melinda first, Johanna second, Nehemiah third and Danny fourth. Wes, Lacey and Rachel are more cute than gorgeous, but certainly better looking than the rest of us.
You’d think after all the trouble this little gang got has gotten into — Danny breaking his face in a Sixth Street fight and later Johanna getting busted by cops for getting into an altercation with a flower vendor — these folks would choose sobriety from time to time.
But they don’t. They take shots at home to “relax” before going out, and then they get really plastered at the bars. (Wonder if Johanna and Dizzy Rooster bartender Leo are still an item … ) Why don’t these kids get headaches? Last night, Wes nearly stumbled through a glass door.
You’ve got to wonder what was really going through Danny’s dad’s mind last night when he arrived to check on his son’s broken face. Danny is 21, old enough to drink and certainly old enough to know better. And he clearly is close to his dad — who must have been wondering why he gave his son five months off from their construction business to wallow around Austin.
“Live 8” dead in prime time
“Live 8” might have been a fabulous batch of concerts, but it died a miserable death in prime time Saturday night on ABC.
The highlights special — including performances by U2, Paul McCartney, Coldplay, The Who, Green Day and Pink Floyd — averaged less than 3 million viewers.
It finished a distant fourth, almost 2 million viewers behind Fox’s third-place combo of “Cops” and “America’s Most Wanted.”
What happened? Well, Saturday night is traditionally the lowest-rated night of the week, and this just happened to be the Fourth of July weekend, making viewership even lower.
But perhaps more importantly, the people who might has wanted to watch “Live 8” probably already saw the marathon daytime coverage of the concerts on MTV and VH1.
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June 30, 2005
Good riddance, 'Welcome to the Neighborhood'
ABC’s decision to pull the ode-to-prejudice reality show “Welcome to the Neighborhood,” filmed in an upscale Circle C cul-de-sac in January, was correct.
The decision to film the show in the first place, however, was just plain stupid.
I was working on a Big Story about this show, which was scheduled to debut July 10. I had talked with executive producer Jay Blumenfield about what the heck he was thinking when he came up with the concept, and I talked with one of the neighbors who spouted off in promos that he “won’t tolerate homosexuals” living next door to him.
To recap, “Welcome to the Neighborhood” was a six-week reality show that had seven “diverse” families competing for a luxury home. Three families living in the suburban Austin cul-de-sac would decide the winner. The competing families included:
A gay couple with an adopted African American child, a Wiccan family, a heavily tattooed family sporting pink hair, a large and loud Latino family, an African American family, an Asian American family and a “normal” family with a stripper mom.
The judging neighbors were all white, Christian, Republican and determined to have only “families that look like us” move into the cul-de-sac. The producer indicated “preconceptions change over time,” and one of the on-air promos showed a tearful neighbor saying she’ll never again judge a book by its cover.
Maybe she won’t, but my interview with one of the Circle C judges, Jim Stewart, did not reflect that sentiment. He said he had “no regrets” about stating his views on homosexuality. Or anything else for that matter. Nor did he change his mind.
I cringed when I watched the first two episodes. Every imaginable prejudice was on display, and every stereotype was dutifully trotted across the screen — including negative stereotypes of the conservative Christians. I know lots of Christians who voted for Bush, and they don’t sound like these Circle C folks.
ABC, without warning, yanked the show last night — sending me an e-mail statement around 7:30 p.m., when, of course, I was home having dinner and not checking office e-mail.
Complaints had surfaced from the National Fair Housing Alliance and Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The negative buzz was getting louder, and ABC finally woke up and smelled the coffee, which turned out to be rancid.
Neither Austin in particular nor TV in general is well-served by this kind of lowest-common-denominator programming. In the spring, “Wife Swap” had an episode that plopped a conservative Christian from Austin into a lesbian family, and that, predictably, didn’t go well. Young people drinking to excess and getting their heads bashed in on “The Real World: Austin” is pretty crummy, too.
Exposing prejudice and celebrating drunkenness just don’t stack up as entertainment in my book. Plus, it makes Austin look dumb.
So even though I lost what was turning out to be a pretty good story, I’m glad ABC yanked “Welcome to the Neighborhood.” I just hope there’s a lesson learned by programmers. But probably not.
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June 28, 2005
Reality TV shows us how to get fired ... duh
Just to prove how unreal reality TV can be, CBS debuts “Fire Me … Please” tonight at 8.
Last time I checked, people were trying to find jobs, and those who already had them were (a) grateful for the weekly paycheck and (b) working hard to stay on the payroll.
Not in the wonderful world of reality TV, where tonight we are introduced to a competition in which two people start new jobs on the same day with the goal of getting fired. The first one to be axed by 3 p.m. on the first day at work wins $25,000.
Assuming the winning worker was only making $25,000 a year, maybe getting fired is OK. One year’s salary in one day. Not bad. But then you’ve got to go out and find another job, and how does that one-day stint look on a resume? Not good.
Participants are expected to perform lovely acts, such as sneezing into food, to achieve the desired expulsion.
The only good news about “Fire Me” is that it’s scheduled for only four episodes.
Spencer’s goatee should go
KXAN weatherman Jim Spencer showed up on the air recently sporting a new goatee and a moustache.
According to Spencer’s on-air comments, reaction has been “mixed.”
We like Jim Spencer. He’s a fine weatherman and an exceedingly nice human being.
But that new goatee makes him look older (not bad) and meaner (bad). Shave that sucker off, Jim. Go back to your kinder, happier face. Not that it is any of our business.
‘Real World’ Round 2
Now that you’ve met the new seven housemates and seen Boston Danny get his face smashed during a Sixth Street brawl, you can return to “Real World: Austin” tonight at 9 to see how his surgery turns out.
Be warned that the entire season will find poor Danny embroiled in drama. The poor kid just wanted to have fun in Texas, but a little black cloud is hanging over his sad, crushed head.
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June 21, 2005
'Rescue Me' is back and better than ever
The first 13 episodes of “Rescue Me” last season were good, really good. But I missed a few of them without crumbling into a quivering mass of regret.
This season’s “Rescue Me,” which begins tonight at 9 on FX, is like crack. Once you start watching, you can’t stop. The preview package arrived with three episodes on one DVD. To save time, I usually watch just one, but three hours after popping in the preview, I was panting for more.
Denis Leary’s tormented New York firefighter Tommy Gavin starts off tonight in a royal battle with the bottle. At one point he douses himself with booze and flicks his lighter. For one drunken moment, setting himself on fire seems like the best way to snuff despair.
At the end of last season, Tommy was banished from his beloved firehouse after nearly causing the death of pal Franco during a fire. Adding personal misery to his professional turmoil, Tommy’s wife Janet disappeared with the kids.
At the beginning of this season, we find Tommy banished to a quiet suburban firehouse where the prim-and-neat firefighters whip up gourmet meals, polish the furniture and levy fines for cursing. Clearly this is not a good place for action-hungry Tommy to be.
Because Tommy’s woeful existence isn’t complicated enough, he’s gone and gotten Sheila (widow of a fellow firefighter killed on 9/11) pregnant.
“Rescue Me” is one of the most emotionally complicated dramas on TV. Leary and co-creator Peter Tolan have written an addictive combination of dark humor, riveting drama and realistically twisted characters.
At times the humor can be uncomfortable — such as Tommy’s ineffective attempt to get out of a parking ticket by hiding behind the trauma of 9/11.
“That was four years ago, champ,” the cop barks. “Deal with it.”
Now that I’ve already gobbled up the first three weeks of the second season in one sitting, I’ve got to wait a month to feed my “Rescue Me” habit. Bummer.
So bad it’s … just bad
Some shows are so bad they’re good. Like “Dancing With the Stars.” “I Want To Be a Hilton,” which stumbles onto NBC’s lineup tonight at 8, is not that show.
Kathy Hilton, mom of publicity hounds Paris and Nicky, hosts this bizarre competition among blue-collar types who allegedly want to become New York social climbers. Actually, they just want to be on TV and win $250,000.
She criticizes these poor souls mercilessly, as if knowing which of six forks is the correct utensil for eating snails is important.
But here’s my questions: How far up New York’s social register can Kathy Hilton be if she’s hosting a cheesy reality show? This is certainly not the kind of endeavor the Rockefellers or the Posts engage in, is it? Either Kathy is desperate for money or attention … or she’s trying to tick off her high-society chums.
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June 15, 2005
'Super-Size' guy classes up reality TV
Here’s a concept: an enlightening reality show.
Who knew it was possible? Well, Morgan Spurlock did, and his new FX series “30 Days” proves this 34-year-old filmmaker knows what he’s doing. The show debuts tonight at 9.
Spurlock is the guy who packed on the pounds and made himself sick eating nothing but McDonald’s for a month in the 2004 documentary “Super-Size Me.”
Now he’s going to see what other insights he can find over the course of a month. Each episode will telescope 30 days’ worth of social/cultural adventure into an hour and examine the results. In a nutshell, this is social issues as entertainment.
Tonight Spurlock and his fiancée, Alexandra Jamieson, attempt to live on minimum wage for a month. In case you forgot, minimum wage is currently $5.15, which it has been since 1997 — despite considerable rise in cost of everyday necessities.
The couple travel to Columbus, Ohio, to find jobs and housing. Spurlock goes to work for a temp agency, doing odd jobs such as landscaping and house-painting; Jamieson hires onto a small deli as a dishwasher and table cleaner. Their combined 40-hours-a-week income, after taxes, comes to $356.94.
They find a one-bedroom apartment in a not-so-nice neighborhood for $325 a month. Without a car, they must walk or ride the bus to work. Food tends to be only slightly nutritional and, of course, hot dog-cheap. They don’t go to McDonald’s, but maybe they should.
“Another day, another $44.26,” Spurlock says dropping his day’s pay into a coffee-can bank.
A minor injury and a mild illness plunge the uninsured couple $1,200 into debt. Bottom line: Living on minimum wage walks a thin line between difficult and impossible.
Future episodes will find a Christian man living as a Muslim in a Muslim community and a Midwestern man who believes homosexuality is “an affront to God” rooming with a gay man and playing on a gay soccer team in San Francisco.
“30 Days” is really more advocacy journalism than reality TV, which, in my book, is a good thing. Check it out. It’s refreshingly smart.
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June 10, 2005
This week's reality: One barks, the other doesn't
One sings, one barks. Woof.
ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” which premiered last Wednesday with 13.5 million viewers, saw its audience swell to nearly 15 million viewers this week. That makes it the top-rated show in prime time for the night and could boost it to close to the Nielsen top for the week.
The ABC show, based on a BBC version from two years ago, is basically “American Idol” without the singing. B-level celebrities are paired with professional dancers for a ballroom competition decided by three snippy judges and the viewing audience.
Sounds awful, but dancing is just plain fun to watch, and the required dances are tough. We’re not talking about the twist, folks. We’re talking rumba, cha-cha, waltz, quick-step, etc.
Poor Evander Holyfield might be a champ in the ring, but he was a chump on the dance floor this week. It was sad, amusing and inspiring. You’ve got to give the guy props for trying. He was clearly terrified, but plodded right along.
The celeb to beat in this contest is John O’Hurley, formerly Elaine’s boss Peterman on “Seinfeld.” The guy has perfect posture and the will to win. He’s funny and brilliant at the same time. What’s not to like?
Well, come to think of it, the two hosts are completely unlikable. They’re not even credited on ABC’s Web site, so that tells you something. And the three judges are clearly trying to be Paula, Randy and Simon. You’ve never heard of them before, and you probably won’t remember them later.
But the dancing … haven’t we all dreamed of twirling around a dance floor — instead of tripping over our partner’s toes? This is one reality show that lets us live out a fantasy.
But then there’s the barking dog, CBS’ “The Cut,” which arrived Thursday night. No ratings yet, but it debuted opposite the first game of the NBA Finals, so what do you think?
Not that it deserves less competition and a bigger audience. “The Cut” is a seriously pathetic attempt to replicate “The Apprentice,” but Tommy Hilfiger doesn’t have the annoying sparkle that Donald Trump has.
Hilfiger, who appears to enjoy insulting the designer contestants, is absolutely no fun to watch. At least The Donald appears to have an ounce of human kindness stirring beneath that Tang-colored hair.
It’s my job to watch these train wrecks once, but I don’t have to beat myself up a second time — especially if the ratings are bad. Thank you, NBA. Keep up the good work.
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June 2, 2005
Vanilla Ice and Wang Chung - together at last!
The British press described it as “the battle of the has-been bands,” but NBC is touting its new summer reality show, “Hit Me Baby One More Time” as “an exciting new series that will reunite the audience with some of their favorite classic musical performers.”
Those “classics” include Tiffany, Flock of Seagulls, Loverboy, Arrested Development, Vanilla Ice, Wang Chung, Sophie B. Hawkins, Cameo, Tommy Tutone, The Motels and faded “Fame” star Irene Cara.
The series debuts tonight at 8, with host Vernon Kay of the British TV incarnation reprising his role. In the United Kingdom, these guys and gals are called “presenters,” by the way.
The show is a competition to be determined by viewers. The performers will warble their greatest hit and cover a popular contemporary song.
A background segment will remind viewers — or, more likely, tell them for the first time — why these vets were famous in the first place. The mini-bios also will update us on what the has-beens, uh, performers, are up to now. For some, the answer is likely to be nothing.
I don’t think voting will come close to the 30 million votes common to each episode of “American Idol.”
Teens pick favorites
“The O.C.” racked up seven nominations for the Teen Choice Awards, leading the pack of adolescent favorites.
The Teen Choice Awards are a joint effort of Fox, which will televise the ceremony Aug. 16, and Teen People magazine. Awards are handed out for TV, movie and music favorites.
TV nominees are just about every show on TV (including Britney Spears’ reality show, which just debuted), so I’m not sure we should get excited until the winners are announced. Nevertheless, here are the TV show nominees.
Drama:
“7th Heaven”
“Alias”
“Everwood”
“Grey’s Anatomy”
“House”
“Lost”
“The O.C.”
“One Tree Hill”
Comedy:
“Desperate Housewives”
“Family Guy”
“Gilmore Girls”
“Scrubs”
“The Simpsons”
“That ’70s Show”
“That’s So Raven”
“What I Like About You”
Reality:
“American Idol”
“America’s Next Top Model”
“The Ashlee Simpson Show”
“Britney & Kevin: Chaotic”
“Fear Factor”
“Growing Up Gotti”
“Punk’d”
“The Simple Life: Interns”
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May 11, 2005
Uchenna and Joyce ace 'Amazing Race'
One reality finale down and a couple of biggies to go.
A married couple from Houston beat former “Survivor” stars Rob and Amber to win “Amazing Race” last night on CBS.
Uchenna and Joyce Agu nabbed the $1 million prize after acing lots of ridiculous challenges and performing such sacrificial tasks as head-shaving. In case you missed it, Joyce shaved her head to win a “fast-forward challenge” in India that boosted the couple to the end of one leg of the journey.
Uchenna, 40, and Joyce, 44, reached the finish line in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., after an arduous trek from Long Beach, Calif., through South America, Africa, India, Europe and the Caribbean.
“Survivor” cuties Amber Brkich, 26, and “Boston Rob” Mariano, 29, came in second but stole much of the limelight during the seventh edition of “Amazing Race” — because they were already famous when the race began.
Besides the Agus’ nonfamous status, I was pulling for them because Uchenna, an energy broker, had the great misfortune of working for Enron, and the couple’s finances were therefore in disarray.
They said last night they plan to pay bills and finally invest thousands for in vitro fertilization treatments to help them have a child. That sounds like better use of a million bucks than the luxury items that Rob and Amber undoubtedly would have purchased.
“Idol” shrinks from quartet to trio tonight
Last night’s performance episode of “American Idol”, oozing country twang and bouncing with Philly soul, comes home to roost tonight with voting results.
Nobody really bombed Tuesday night, although Vonzell had some kind of emotional meltdown, and Carrie sang beautiful notes on one song while looking like a zombie on another.
After thunderous applause for scandal-plagued judge Paula Abdul, Carrie, Bo, Vonzell and Anthony waded through sappy country songs for the first of their two performances. The only highlight of this portion of the show was Carrie’s rendition of the Dixie Chicks’ “Sin Wagon.”
Word of advice for Bo: Stop swinging the microphone stand around. It looks stupid and, dude, it’s dangerous.
After Vonzell forced her way through Trisha Yearwood’s “How Do I Live” — which was a mess more because of the band than the singer — Paula asked how she was feeling, prompting her to burst into tears. The emotional outburst so unnerved Simon that he had nothing to say.
The second set of songs, representing the Philadelphia sound made famous by Gamble & Huff, went better for just about everybody. Which was a relief. At this stage, it’s awful to see somebody bomb.
Who’s going home tonight? Carrie has never even been in the bottom group, so her fan base seems firm. Anthony has been in the bottom group several times but always escapes. You’d think Bo would be safe, but he’s been a low-vote getter a couple of times, as has Vonzell.
My guess (hope?) is that Anthony will succumb.
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May 9, 2005
The surreal Austin 'Real World'
The house really is gorgeous, and the housemates really are beautiful, friendly and amazingly polite. Maybe they were on good behavior because it was Sunday, Mother’s Day, and because they’re now officially homesick and ready to end their “Real World” tour of duty. The production leaves town later this week.
Yesterday I rang the doorbell at the red-brick “Real World” domicile at Third and San Jacinto streets. A large man wearing a head-set answered the door and instructed me to sign a confidentiality agreement promising not to reveal anything I saw or heard inside.
An odd request of a reporter whose job was to enter the mysterious residence, meet the cast and write a story for thousands of people to read. That story is on the front page of today’s American-Statesman.
Turns out it was a case of mistaken identity, and the photographer and I were soon welcomed inside.
The house, which was empty for a longtime and was either an electrical warehouse or a grocery store (depending on whom you ask) before the glamorous remodeling, is truly stunning.
If I were filthy rich, which I’m not, I would lease it. The property was listed a couple of weeks ago by Premier Properties, but the listing has disappeared, which probably means some fat-cat law firm or high-tech company has snatched it up. Calls to the agency were not returned last week.
Anyway, my favorite room was the living space, which is actually a humongous room divided be decor into several areas. Vinyl and plastic furniture, placed on top of a large white shag rug, dot the living room. The hanging Plexiglass chairs, which are very cute but dangerous, can pitch an unprepared seater onto the floor. They also create an echo chamber when the sitter talks, which can make for a druglike experience.
Hidden in one corner of this cavernous building, behind a locked metal door, is the Control Room. The cast has not been inside this room and, according to one of the producers, doesn’t know it exists in the house. They think editing and monitoring are done somewhere else.
Inside this secret structure is a bank of video monitors — 44 of them — beaming multiple shots from all over the house, including the bathroom (but not the toilet or shower stalls). It’s more than a little creepy, but also fascinating. This is the sort of surveillance one imagines the CIA conducts inside the homes of suspected terrorists.
The seven cast members were all friendly and welcoming but tired. Several months of heavy drinking and partying will do that to you, whether you’re twentysomething or fiftysomething. They all said they enjoyed living in Austin, but they all seemed more than ready to head for the airport.
The two guys with the worst online reputations (in chat rooms that are now gone) were by far the chattiest and most forthcoming during my visit. That would be Danny, the Bostonian with the perfect “wicked” thick accent, and Wes, the frat guy whose underage status never held him back on Sixth Street.
The girls were considerably quieter, although raving beauty Melinda perked up after pizza arrived. Lacey, the only “Real World” resident who doesn’t drink heavily or engage in sexual escapades, seemed the most “normal” and down to earth.
I’ve seen the first “Real World: Austin” episode (debuts June 21), and it’s safe to say the show’s trademark debauchery is maintained. Austin comes off looking great, except for some sauced locals who make the cast look sober. There’s a clash on Sixth Street that results in a trip to the hospital, revealing just how dangerous this kind of lifestyle can be. Good drama, scary situation.
I had a fine time on my Mother’s Day visit to “The Real World” house, but I sure wouldn’t want to live there under those alcohol-drenched, 24-7 spy-cam conditions. Not my cup of tequila.
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May 5, 2005
'American Idol' scandal stinks all over
Everything about this “American Idol” scandal is seedy, isn’t it? As a fan of the show, I feel like taking a shower in disinfectant.
If rejected 2003 contestant Corey Clark’s allegations are true, sweet-smiling judge Paula Abdul is toast. Her resurrected career will be roadkill. Encouraging words are one thing. Coaching, providing money for clothes and serving up sexual favors are quite another.
Clark doesn’t exactly come off as an innocent victim, though. He was 22 at the time of the alleged affair with 40-year-old Abdul, old enough to know better. He was having the time of his life with Abdul up in the Hollywood Hills. Fellow contestants say he was having sex with at least one other contestant at the time, so his libido was getting as big a workout as his vocal chords.
After he was bumped from the show for failing to reveal past legal woes, Clark spent a couple of years plotting his revenge. The guy seems more cold-hearted than heartbroken right now.
Now that Clark has a book and a CD coming out, he’s spouting his story to any media outlet that will listen. He doesn’t seem the slightest bit remorseful about his actions. And on ABC’s “Good Morning America” today, he said he will not cooperate with any kind of official investigation of his charges against Abdul and “American Idol.”
ABC using its news division and reporter John Quiñones to attack competitor Fox is icky, too. Last night’s “Primetme Live” reeked of tabloid smut, from the nighttime car ride past Abdul’s home to jerky close-ups of phone bills and receipts to ambushing former contestants with charges that Clark unfairly bumped them two seasons ago.
Is Clark credible? “Primetime” had records indicating he might be. His friends claim to have seen Clark and Abdul at clubs from time to time, and Clark’s parents insist they knew about the affair all along. Quiñones’ “smoking gun” was a recent phone message in which Abdul (or at least someone who sounded exactly like her) begged Clark not to talk to the press.
Abdul hasn’t directly refuted Clark’s allegations. She has simply said, in statements and on “Entertainment Tonight,” that she won’t “dignify” them with a response. That won’t be good enough if Fox launches an official investigation. She’s going to have to confess and apologize or prove the charges bogus.
The real victims of this bloody wreck are the millions of young viewers who take “American Idol” seriously. They think the contest is legitimate, they phone in votes every week and they assume contestants and judges are actually singing and judging — not ripping each other’s clothes off.
The sad and sordid affair, unfolding as it has during May sweeps, is likely to boost the ratings for “American Idol,” at least temporarily. If Abdul is booted off the show, however, who knows what impact that will have. She’s definitely a fan favorite.
“American Idol” could hype the search for a new female judge, but the bloom might be off this family entertainment rose. Parents and kids alike could spend more time wondering who’s zooming whom than casting votes, buying CDs or going to concerts.
(On the other hand, Scott Savol was voted off last night, so there was some good “Idol” news.)
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May 4, 2005
'Idol' votes, 'Primetime Live' stoops
It’s all “Idol” all the time tonight, starting with voting revelations on Fox’s “American Idol” (at 8 p.m.) and winding up with what promises to be an exceedingly seedy expose of the popular singing contest on ABC’s “Primetime Live” (at 9 p.m.).
That thumping noise you hear is the late Roone Arledge, former president of ABC News, rolling over in his grave. Dissing the entertainment competition and helping a rejected contestant sell a tell-all book are not the kind of “news” coverage Arledge envisioned.
But we’re in the midst of the May sweeps, and ABC is sick of Fox sucking its young viewers away two nights a week. So, anything goes.
After refusing to release any details about its “investigative report,” ABC News finally dribbled out a few teases late yesterday in anticipation of tonight’s program.
The exposé is based on claims by Corey Clark, a contestant kicked off the show’s second season for failing to disclose legal troubles. He says he had a sexual relationship with judge Paula Abdul during his brief tenure as one of the Final 12.
ABC says Clark reveals to reporter John Quiñones that Abdul offered him tips on song selection and money to improve his wardrobe. The network says it has a recent taped phone message of Abdul imploring Clark not to talk about her to the media. And the program has Clark’s parents backing up their son, saying he told them of his relationship with Abdul at the time. They tell Quiñones that they “disapproved.”
Fox has promised to look into evidence of improper conduct on Abdul’s part. If the allegations are true, we can assume that Abdul will be removed as a judge.
Anticipation of a scandal likely will boost Fox’s ratings for the show tonight, which, thanks to the Web site www.votefortheworst.com (which, oddly enough, is down today), probably will see chunky-grumpy Scott Savol survive to warble another day. Actually, Anthony Fedorov’s performance Tuesday was worse than Savol’s, but he has that Clay Aiken-worship thing going on.
If there is any justice in the “Idol” world, Bo Bice and Vonzell Solomon will be in the May 25 finale. But nothing about this season’s competition has been just … or even normal.
‘Super-Size Me’ director to down-size on FX
Morgan Spurlock, who created the nauseating fast-food documentary “Super-Size Me” has released information on the subject of the first installment of his new FX reality series, “30 Days.”
Instead of stuffing himself with Big Macs for a month, Spurlock will try to live on minimum wage, a paltry $5.15 an hour, for 30 days. He and his fiancée, Alexandra Jamieson, took minimum-wage jobs in Columbus, Ohio, and will attempt to pay the bills and adjust their lifestyles accordingly.
The show, in which people experience a new lifestyle for a month, will debut June 15. Other topics include a Christian living as a Muslim for 30 days and a conservative straight man living with a gay roommate.
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May 2, 2005
Reality Swarms Into Arts Channels
In case you haven’t noticed, cable’s alleged “arts” channels — Bravo and A&E — aren’t very artsy any more.
Both once offered plays, ballets and concerts on their prime-time schedules. Not so much any more. Reality shows and off-network reruns have hit the arts cable channels like a big old brick.
A&E currently showcases “Airline” and “Knievel’s Wild Ride,” “Family Plots,” “Bounty Hunter” and “Cold Case Files” among is heavily hyped originals. It also retains the trademark “Biography” series, but the famous folks profiled lean more town Celine Dion than Beverly Sills these days.
Bravo leaped into the ratings race with “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” a couple of years ago, and that little taste of success prompted “Showbiz Moms and Dads” and the classier “Project Greenlight.”
A recently received press kit describes Bravo’s big reality push for this summer and next season. The descriptions, including “Battle of the Network Reality Stars” (coming Aug. 10, so mark your calendars), make the channel’s lineup sound more Fox-like than Bravo:
“Sports Kids Moms & Dads” (June 1) — Just like the previous “Moms & “Dads” shows, but this one featuring parents and coaches screaming at each other.
“Being Bobby Brown” (June 30) — What can you say about a show that describes the oft-jailed, oft-rehabbed singer as “a family man and husband?” This docu-style series promises to include Brown’s wife Whitney Houston, an off-and-on rehab victim herself. Personally, I prefer my dysfunctional families to be cartoons, but that awful show about the Gottis was popular for a while.
“Real Housewives” (Aug. 10) — It doesn’t take a genius to figure the inspiration for this show, which will take viewers inside “one of the most affluent gated communities in America,” presumably where the wives are more messed up than their poorer counterparts.
There is one Bravo entry that interests me, but it may not appeal to non-newspaper types: “The Daily News,” coming in 2006, will be set in the newsroom of the New York Daily News. It will follow four or five reporters as they chase stories and engage in bloody professional warfare with their arch-rival, the New York Post.
With arts programming all but abandoned by these cable channels, it seems like a good time for PBS to step up to the plate and embrace culture and performance.
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April 28, 2005
Mary Kay and Vili, together at last -- on 'ET'
It’s the kind of scoop that Barbara Walters, Diane Sawyer and Katie Couric used to fight over. But this time, it’s Jann Carl of the syndicated daily “Entertainment Tonight” (6:30 p.m. on KVUE Channel 24) that got the “get.”
Don’t even pretend you’re not interested in tonight’s heavily hyped interview with Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau. You know you are. Whether it’s morbid curiosity or some kind of pseudo-psychological interest, millions will tune in to see this once illegal and now legally engaged couple.
Letourneau, you’ll recall, is the then-married teacher and mother of four who was arrested for having sex with Fualaau, her 12-year-old sixth-grade student. The actual charge was “child rape.”
The 34-year-old teacher was pregnant by her boy-toy at the time, and the court showed mercy by suspending most of her sentence. But when she was caught having sex again with Fualaau — and once again became pregnant — she was locked up.
Now, more than seven years later, Letourneau, 43, is free, and she and 22-year-old Fualaau are cooing lovebirds whose May wedding will be shown on “Entertainment Tonight.”
Is this true love or a sick obsession? Will we be able to tell when Jann Carl, probably wearing a fuzzy pink sweater, asks such probing questions as, “When you look in Mary Kay’s eyes, what do you see?”
This is less a pulp fiction romance story than a bizarre twist of fate, but you’ve got to admit, it’s intriguing … in a creepy sort of way.
“American Idol” gets even stranger
All right, this “American Idol” stuff is beginning to stoke the conspiracy theorist in me.
Constantine Maroulis, the sly-smiling rocker from New York, was kicked off Wednesday night, and Scott Savol, the grumpy guy who touts himself as an “average Joe,” didn’t even make the Bottom Three.
I’m getting the chilling sense that there’s a movement to crown Savol the new “American Idol” in order to ruin the popularity and credibility of the No. 1 show.
Who would want to do that, you ask? How about ABC, which is putting together an alleged “news” special on behind-the-scenes scandals at the Fox show. The bulk of the May 4 “Primetime Live” is believed to focus on allegations from a book proposal by ousted contestant Corey Clarke. Among other things, Clarke claims to have had an affair with judge Paula Abdul during his stint on the show. She denies it.
If Savol, whose performances have ranged from “ah-ight” to “godawful” (Randy Jackson’s and Simon Cowell’s words, not mine, although I agree), wins, “American Idol” will be a joke. And nobody will want to waste time phoning in votes for a joke.
Something fishy is going on here.
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April 21, 2005
'Blow Out' blowing back
If you enjoyed last summer’s hissing, whining and weeping on Bravo’s well-coiffed reality series “Blow Out” (and, inexplicably, I did), you’ll be thrilled to know that the show is set to return with new episodes on June 7.
The first season followed celebrity hair stylist Jonathan Antin as he struggled to open a new salon in tony Beverly Hills. Drama, melodrama and even a touch of horror ensued.
The second season of “Blow Out” will chronicle Antin’s efforts to launch a line of hair products. Can you say, product placement?
Segues will be made to the super-stylish folks we came to know and love-or-loathe in Antin’s fabulous salons in Beverly Hills and West Hollywood.
Will Antin’s new business venture leave him a bankrupt failure or a wildly successful billionaire? Not surprisingly, the studly stylist is stressed out about all this, so we’ll get to visit his therapy sessions and peek in on his relationship with his girlfriend.
Adios, Anwar
As I suspected, “American Idol” booted off another superb candidate Wednesday night. After Tuesday’s ’70s disco-themed performance, Anwar Robinson, 25, was sent packing. We’ll miss that smile and those lovely dreadlocks.
The adorable middle-school music teacher from New Jersey sang “September,” by Earth, Wind and Fire, which apparently wasn’t a hit with viewers.
This is getting truly scary.
Wanted: A pal for Paris
Fox is looking for a new sidekick for Paris Hilton on “The Simple Life,” now that the hotel heiress’ best friend since babyhood, Nicole Richie, is out. Of course a replacement won’t be necessary if the show isn’t picked up for a fourth season, which it hasn’t been yet.
Apparently the recasting is the result of a serious breach in the friendship between the spoiled reality stars.
No specific details about the rift between the rich and famous have surfaced, but friends of Paris are whispering that it’s all Nicole’s fault. Maybe Paris is miffed that Nicole has gotten even skinnier than Paris.
“It’s no big secret that Nicole and I are no longer friends,” Hilton said in a statement released to the media Wednesday.
Fine. But wouldn’t it be good for “The Simple Life” if the feuding former friends were forced to work together on the show? That would be a lot more interesting than having them giggle and mouthing, “That’s hot!” all the time.
Clawing is so much better than cloying.
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April 20, 2005
All Amber and Rob All the Time
Reality TV stars Amber Brkich and Rob Mariano must be totally addicted to the limelight.
These “ordinary people,” who fell in love on “Survivor” and now compete on “Amazing Race,” will get married in a CBS special, “Rob and Amber Get Married” on May 24.
Actually, the couple tied the knot last weekend in the Bahamas, but I guess CBS decided not to show the wedding live. Instead, the nuptials get the two-hours-with-commercials treatment.
Talk about camera hogs. These two lovelies wouldn’t know what to do with privacy if they had it. CBS is probably negotiating for honeymoon and childbirth specials, too.
Rob and Amber are professional reality show contestants. They have three stints on “Survivor” on their resume, plus the current edition of “Amazing Race.” They’re among the finalists, and if they win, well, we’ll never be rid of them.
Bad Votes or Not, I’ll “Idol” On
I admit it. I hold a grudge, at least when it comes to “American Idol” I’m so ticked off Nadia Turner was ejected last week that I have no confidence in tonight’s voting results.
In fact, I’m beginning to think Scott Savol is going to win the whole thing. He was on key in last night’s ’70s dance music performance (he did “Everlasting Love”), and even the judges oodled over him.
In a perfect world, I wouldn’t be so hooked on “Idol.” I’d be able to give it up and not bat an eyelash. But I can’t do that, and now I’m pulling for Vonzell … or Bo … or Constantine … or Anwar.
Pope TV
The election of Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday was resplendent with fabulous TV ingredients — suspense, anxiety, confusion and excitement.
Cable news had cameras trained on the bells and the smoke stack for, quite literally, over an hour Tuesday morning. The broadcast networks broke into programming when it appeared that a white puff was coming out.
Then the wait began … and the questions. Was that really white smoke? Looked pretty gray. And the bells, which were supposed to ring with the successful voting, were silent. Then, finally, they rang.
In this newsroom, which includes folks who haven’t been inside a church, synagogue or mosque in years, crowds gathered around our hanging TV sets.
Why? It was a moment in history, it was truly exciting and it was on TV.
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April 14, 2005
Waiting for Scott to explode on 'Idol'
He’s grumpy, frequently off-key and has a humongous chip on his shoulder, but Scott Savol has millions of “American Idol” fans voting for him. Go figure.
One of my favorites “Idol” contestants, Nadia Turner — gracious, gorgeous and loaded with talent — got bumped last night. Life isn’t fair, and “Idol” is practically illegal.
But I’ve decided that keeping Scott around does have its up side. (The downs far outweigh the ups, but I’m fighting off depression here.) When he’s finally voted off — and he will be voted off — he’s going to cause an incredible scene.
He’ll probably lunge for the judges’ table and wring Simon Cowell’s neck. Then he’ll insult the audience and moon his fellow contestants. It’ll be ugly, but it’ll be great TV.
Scott was a sentimental favorite in the early going because he’s (a) overweight and (b) the victim of a father who told him he’d never amount to anything.
And he sounded pretty good when the competition was less fierce. Now, compared with Anwar, Bo, Constantine, Carrie and Vonzell, he sounds, well, lame.
Plus, the guy’s got no class. After he was told he was in the Bottom Three last night, he belted out an angry rendition of “She’s Gone.” After quickly learning he was safe, he stomped past his two Bottom Three competitors as if to say, “So there.”
The night before, on the performance show, Scott griped that he was the true rocker, not Bo or Constantine. In response to Simon’s criticism of his off-key warbling, he bragged that he was doing what millions of people “wouldn’t have the nerve to do.” Which is, you know, beside the point when it comes to defining true talent.
“Sopranos” sing the same old song again … sigh
Is it real indecision or just a ploy? Every time creator David Chase and his minions begin production on a new season of “The Sopranos”, they grandly announce that this is absolutely, positively The Last Season Ever.
That’s what Chase has been saying from the get-go, and that’s what he said when he agreed to the upcoming sixth season, which begins production at the end of this month and returns to HBO in early 2006. He swore to quit after four seasons, but the offer of $20 million for a few more episodes changed his mind.
The sixth season, as past seasons, will have a mere 10 to 13 episodes. Compared with normal series runs of 18 to 22, that’s not exactly hard labor. If HBO forks over enough money, “The Sopranos” will continue.
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April 11, 2005
'Apprentice' bad boy busted
“Apprentice” contestant Chris Shelton, the lone remaining major-league jerk on the show, was arrested for disorderly conduct early Sunday morning at a casino in Tampa, Fla.
You remember Chris. He hasn’t been fired yet but should have been.
He’s the real-estate millionaire in the original group of contestants without college degrees. It doesn’t take a college degree to know this 22-year-old hot-head has a tempter unbecoming a business executive. Or a civilized human being, for that matter.
Chris is one of six remaining “Apprentice” candidates vying for a job with Donald Trump. All but a couple of the shows were taped in advance, so the arrest won’t have an impact on the finale. But it’s probably safe to assume this guy won’t make it to the Final Three.
The Donald has bad hair, but he’s not stupid enough to hire Tantrum Boy.
The scene of the alleged “Chris Crime” was Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, where he exploded over a $20 cover charge in the hotel bar. Yelling and cursing in the lobby, he was arrested and hauled off to the clinker. He was released on a $250 bail.
What a loser.
Denny Crane is surgically removed
“Boston Legal,” one of David E. Kelley’s best shows in a long time, is gone for the season — a victim of the stronger success of its temporary time replacement, “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Denny Crane and Company will be back, but not until fall.
The new ABC medical drama, about first-year surgical interns in Seattle, debuted March 27 in the cushy post-“Desperate Housewives” time period. It was supposed to stay there just long enough to attract a following.
“Boston Legal” was supposed to return this month for five more episodes.
But the medical drama is averaging 5 million more viewers on Sundays at 9 p.m. than the legal drama, so ABC decided to keep it where it is.
“Boston Legal,” which has bumped into controversy this season, has already been renewed for next season. Now the new season will have 27 episodes — including the five spring holdovers — instead of 22.
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March 31, 2005
Jessica out? Nah! Shoulda been Scott
Although tubby Scott Savol could barely carry a tune in Tuesday night’s performance, “American Idol” voters didn’t even place him in the Bottom 3.
Wednesday’s vote reveal was stunning.
I realize Scott is a sentimental favorite. In the early going, we heard him say his father told him he would never amount to anything. And he does have a lovely singing voice, albeit a sometimes awkward stage presence.
But if viewers are judging performances with their votes, they must have been watching something other than reality Tuesday night. Scott was awful.
Jessica Sierra, who has one of the most powerful voices in the whole competition, got the boot last night. Also in the Bottom 3 were big-voiced Nadia Turner and charismatic music teacher Anwar Robinson.
It’s singers vs. survivors on May 25
And speaking of “American Idol,” which I often am, Fox will be locked in mortal combat with ABC when the singing contest has its finale in May.
ABC said Wednesday it will air the “Lost” finale on the same day as the “Idol” crowning.
That’s Wednesday, May 25, so alert your DVR. Then you’ve got to decide which show to watch live and which to watch later.
“Lost,” for the record, appeals to many of the same young viewers (except for the preteen set) who watch “Idol.”
Happy birthday, Al
On the occasion of its one-year anniversary, Al Franken’s left-leaning radio network Air America gets the documentary treatment on TV.
“Left of the Dial” airs tonight at 7 on HBO.
The liberal alternative to conservatives Rush Limbaugh and Bill O’Reilly, Franken has gotten more media coverage than listeners since his radio debut, and the HBO film chronicles the rocky launch and shaky first year of Air America.
Check out the mostly positive review by my colleague Tom Jicha of the South Florida Sentinel. And you should know that Jicha is not a wild-eyed liberal himself.
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March 30, 2005
Bravo's new 'Showdog Moms & Dads' is a funny breed
“Showdog Moms & Dads” is an excruciatingly funny reality/documentary series about five canine owners whose obsession with purebreds is nothing short of ridiculous.
Think “Best in Show”, Christopher Guest’s hilarious 2000 film that parodies the showdog scene.
The TV version debuts tonight at 9 on Bravo and is cleverly preceded by taped highlights from the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show — to get viewers in the mood.
The competitive level of “Showdog,” however, doesn’t come close to the aristocratic Westminster. The dogs and shows featured here are the lower-rung level.
Here’s your guide to the wacky real-life characters, some of whom, it should be noted, are semitragic:
Kyra, a bubbly woman in love with her Weimaraner. She and the dog compete in agility contests and perform for kids’ birthday parties. Kyra’s husband doesn’t share her doggie devotion, and she declines to say whether she would rather spend time with her human partner or her pet. “There are some questions you’d just rather not know the answer to,” she says giggling, as she does throughout.
Moira, a veteran dog show participant who trains dogs for a living. Like Kyra, she seems to prefer pups to people, but tragically, the person in Moira’s case is her sad and lonely adolescent son.
Brandon and Ryan, a twentysomething Seattle couple who fight over their tiny dogs, which they dress in cute clothes. They are first-time purebred owners who haven’t quite made it to the show level — and may not if they can’t figure out how to get their expensive new dog’s testicles to “drop.”
George and Connie, carbon copies of Cookie and Gerry Fleck in “Best in Show.” They are so obsessed with their dogs they can’t stop talking about the pups’ poop.
Lourdes, who would be totally tragic if she didn’t look like a parody of a Miami socialite. She talks about failed fertility treatments she and her husband went through — and now faces infertility with her dogs.
Crazy characters and crazy critters.
Fuzzy reality
Maybe the heartless, gross reality trend exemplified by “The Bachelor” and “Fear Factor” is giving way to a warmer and fuzzier genre.
On the heels of ABC’s wildly popular “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” which puts needy families in fine new homes, CBS is developing a couple of kinder, gentler realities:
“Reunion” will help track down family members who’ve been out of touch for years.
And “Crossroads” mirrors “It’s a Wonderful Life,” showing people what their lives would have been like if they’d done things differently. A group of observers will construct what adjoining lives would have been like if the person never existed.
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March 29, 2005
Serena and Venus: Reality stars?
Tennis aces Serena and Venus Williams will be starring in their own reality show in July.
That new foray into the limelight will go with their own signature lines of clothing and their personal Web site.
In their new series, the tall and extraordinarly powerful young women will share with us the “glamour” of their off-court lives, their friends and family and possibly other intimate details when the six-episode series arrives on the ABC Family Channel.
I’m not exactly sure when everybody turned into TV stars, but at some point they did.
Witness “The Gastineau Girls,” that God awful E! Entertainment cable show starring the ex-wife of former NFL player Mark Gastineau and their daughter. Besides spending money and looking alike, these “girls” aren’t exciting enough to warrant their own TV show. They’re shallow and boring.
Now, it’s entirely possible that the Williams Sisters will be fascinating, but they practice tennis four to six hours a day, and they pose for photographers. How exciting can that be?
Next thing you know, the Bush sisters will have their own reality show — which, actually, might be fairly amusing, what with the D.C. bar-hopping and all.
Fox blocker a really silly idea
Proof positive that people would rather whine than change the channel:
For $8.95, you can buy a device that screws into the back of your TV set that prevents Bill O’Reilly from shouting at you. The Fox Blocker, invented by an Oklahoma guy, Sam Kimery, who described himself as a Republican-turned-independent, has actually been bought by a few hundred people.
Changing the channel, apparently, is too difficult. Even if you disagree with the conservative pundits all shouting at the top of their lungs, Fox News isn’t exactly the Playboy Channel.
Plus, most cable services already offer “blocking” services, and the V-chip, which is in most TV sets today, can be similarly programmed.
No, the Fox Blocker is a publicity ploy, and the fact that anyone bought it is a testimony to the fear of free speech — and the near-terminal laziness of the average couch potato — in this country.
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March 24, 2005
'Idol' names latest reject tonight
This “sorry-wrong-number” business with Fox has messed up my viewing schedule. And possibly the network’s credibility when it comes to “American Idol.”
In case you missed it — and if you’re an “Idol” fan there’s no way you did — Tuesday’s voting was rendered null and void when the wrong phone numbers were posted for three of the 11 remaining contestants.
The errors went to Mikalah Gordon (who nobody in their right mind would be voting for anyway), country crooner Jessica Sierra and fabulous middle-school music teacher Anwar Robinson.
Last night’s hastily arranged show provided recaps of Tuesday’s performances, plus additional comments from judges and contestants, and a re-voting opportunity for two hours after the telecast. This time, host Ryan Seacrest insisted, the correct numbers were on screen.
Tonight at 8, Fox has yet another edition of “Idol” to reveal the new vote count. The debut of the dreadful new sitcom “Life on a Stick,” which was bumped by Wednesday’s elongated edition of “Idol,” follows at 8:30.
Fan Web sites, including televisionwithoutpity.com, exploded with conspiracy theories Wednesday.
Some irate folks insisted Fox created the controversy on purpose in order to stretch the show another night and thus sell even more ads for the No. 1 series.
Other hysterical fans insisted that Fox did the dirty deed to try to stump “power voters” who like to jam phone lines with multiple votes for a favorite contender.
Fox insists the wrong numbers, posted in the final minutes of Tuesday’s program during the recap portion, were human error on the part of an outside contractor.
Whatever, the flap certainly generated even more hype for “Idol,” which already attracts nearly 30 million viewers a pop.
Doctors bump lawyers … Boo!
ABC’s new medical drama, “Grey’s Anatomy,” is pretty darn good. One of the intriguing surgical interns is played by Sandra Oh (“Sideways”), which automatically gives the show legitimacy.
But why does “Grey’s” have to replace one of the best new shows of the season? That would be “Boston Legal,” which has been forced to take a hike for several weeks.
“Grey’s Anatomy” arrives at 9 p.m. Sunday, following a new episode of the blockbuster “Desperate Housewives.”
I understand the programming strategy here. It’s hard to launch a new series, and the most effective way to do it (the theory goes) is to slip the newcomer into a time slot viewers normally watch.
But ditching Denny Crane? Sacrilege!!
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