A Short Break...

Due to the craziest set of circumstances I've ever experienced, I am moving this weekend, so I will be out of touch until Monday.

Stay tuned...

"The Nine" Gets Yanked...

Fans hoping to catch the next installment of “The Nine” tonight are going to be disappointed.

ABC has pulled the show after it posted its lowest ratings yet last week. However, insiders say that ABC Entertainment President Steve McPherson is a fan of the show and hopes to find it a new home later in the season. The network never gave the show a full season order, so unless that changes there are only six episodes remaining. It will be replaced tonight with a special edition of “20/20.”

I could see this coming, which is why I was upset with myself that I forgot to watch it last week. I hope to catch it online, but if any of you saw it, please post a comment so I can find out what happened with Lizzie...

Idol Update, Part 2: "Daughtry" Sales, Katharine's Changes, the BMAs & the Final Word on Kelly vs. Clay

Daughtry did themselves proud this week by selling 304,000 copies of their self-titled debut—good enough for #2 on the Billboard Chart (As predicted, Jay-Z debuted at #1 with sales of 680,000.). Tomorrow, we’ll see if “It’s Not Over” makes the singles chart…

Speaking of debut CDs, you’ll have to wait a little longer to hear Katharine McPhee’s, if she has her way. Katharine told VH1 that she has been extremely vocal about pushing her release date to 2007, so she won’t be rushed. Among the contributors to her CD are Babyface, Chad Hughes of the Neptunes, Kara DioGuardi (who has written songs for Kelly Clarkson and Hilary Duff) and Timbaland’s production partner Nate Hills. Katharine says the CD is a combination of Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand and the Pussycat Dolls.

One song you won’t find on the CD is “Over the Rainbow.” Katharine told producers she didn’t want the song on the album, because it didn’t go with the other songs. She also promises there won’t be any songs about her personal issues. And she tells VH1 that if the record thing doesn’t work out, then she’ll try “the movie thing,” and if that doesn’t work, she’ll “just get knocked up and be a happy married woman.”

In my opinion, the problem with Katharine is that no one is sure what genre to put her in, so I applaud her trying to get that worked out before the CD is released. But I think she’s making a mistake not capitalizing on “Idol” now, especially during the holiday shopping season. The show could give her a boost when it returns, but will fans have moved on by then? Just ask Justin Guarini about the impact a release delay had on him…

Finally, “Billboard” released its finalists for the 2006 Billboard Music Awards and Carrie Underwood is a finalist in three country categories: Artist of the Year, Female Country Artist of the Year, and Country Album of the Year. Plus, she’s nominated for Album of the Year. However, since the winners are determined by actual performance on the Billboard charts, I think her only award shot is Female Artist, since she’s up against two sales juggernauts in the other categories—Rascal Flatts and “High School Musical.” Carrie is scheduled to make an appearance, so that helps her chances. Remember that Chris and Katharine will appear as well. The “Billboard Music Awards” airs Monday, December 4th at 8 p.m. on FOX…

And while Blogger is allowing me to post pictures, please permit me to put in one final word about Kelly vs. Clay, courtesy of RT, my second favorite Canadian:

'Nuff said...

Question of the Week: Holiday Movies and Specials

This is the time that the networks roll out their traditional holiday specials and movies.

ABC aired “A Charlie Brown Christmas” last night and USA has aired “Elf” at least a dozen times already.

So this week’s Question of the Week is: What is your favorite holiday special or movie?

I have a list of specials/movies that I watch (though some are on tape or DVD) that includes “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “Mickey’s Christmas Carol,” “The Animaniacs Christmas Special” and the remake of “Miracle on 34th Street” (I know the original’s a classic, but who can resist Dylan McDermott’s baby blues?).

But my favorite is without a doubt “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” Not only is it still hilarious, but it makes me wax nostalgic for my high school days when a certain English teacher accidentally showed her students something other than a holiday movie (That’s a long story.).

It also reminds me of my old neighbors who covered their entire house with lights, wrapping them straight across the windows and stapling them to their siding. I can still hear the “kerchunk” that would greet me every Saturday morning after Thanksgiving. The last year I lived there they added to their display with a Nativity scene featuring a neon pink baby Jesus. Everyone in town called them the Griswolds (from the movie), even though that wasn’t their real name.

I’m told they don’t decorate their house anymore, though. I like to think it’s because they know I’m no longer around to enjoy it.

Of course, it may also have something to do with the newspaper actually calling them the Griswolds in print…

By the way, Bravo is scheduled to air “Christmas Vacation” Sunday, December 12th at 8 p.m. and again at 10 p.m.

Now, it’s your turn…

Idol Update--Jennifer Hudson, Chris & Katharine; Plus Fantasia & Taylor Try to "Breakaway"

In the biggest non-surprise of the week, Clive Davis has signed Jennifer Hudson to Arista Records. Funny how nobody wanted her until she became a frontrunner for an Academy Award nomination…

Usually when an Idol winner releases their second CD, it’s an attempt to separate themselves from the show and “Breakaway” so to speak. Apparently Fantasia is following in those footsteps.

In an interview with VH1, Fantasia says her second CD, “Fantasia,” which drops December 12th, is “totally different” and that she didn’t have time to put her own input on the first one. Fantasia admits that her producers had a hard time at first with her vision, but she was persistent. “I feel like this album is my baby,” she says.

Part of the problem many people had with the first CD was the number of songs dealing with all of the things she went through in her life, but that’s not the case here. Aretha Franklin, Missy Elliott, Babyface and many others contributed to Fantasia’s vision of “urban rock.” The first single is “Hood Boy” featuring Big Boi. “Hood Boy” got special mention in this week’s “Entertainment Weekly” on the Must List. Fantasia will appear on “The Tonight Show” Wednesday (11:35 p.m., NBC)…

It looks like Taylor Hicks may not be waiting until that second CD to distance himself from “Idol.” In an interview with “Relix” magazine, Taylor admits that he doesn’t watch “Idol.” But more interestingly he says that he passed on another song before he was given “Do I Make You Proud.” He told the producer, “No way, you’re not going to make me sing this song. I’m out of here,” and he got up and walked out of the studio [I can’t help but wonder if the song was Katharine’s atrocious single, “My Destiny.” Surely there couldn’t have been another song worse than that one.].

There’s no doubt that Taylor’s CD is going to be a lot different than any other Idol winner’s. I’ve heard three of the songs and they all have an old soul kind of feel to them with lots of horns. “The Right Place” has a gospel quality to it, while “The Runaround” is a little over –brassy, but custom-made for Taylor’s dance moves. “Dream Myself Awake” is a good song that I would go with for his first single, but I’m betting on “Runaround.” You can hear them for yourself at http://www.taylorhicks.com/. Taylor is scheduled to appear on “Christmas at Rockefeller Center” Wednesday at 8 p.m. on NBC and Friday night on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC)…

“Idol” is well-represented in the nominees for the VH1 “Big in ‘06” Awards. Chris Daughtry is up for Big Reality Star and Katherine McPhee is nominated for Big “It” Girl. You can still vote at www.big.vh1.com/index.html. I only ask that you vote for Kiefer Sutherland for Big TV Star while you’re there. The “Big in ’06 Awards” air Sunday, December 3rd at 9 p.m. on VH1…

Speaking of Chris and Katharine, they will both be presenters at the Billboard Music Awards December 4th at 8 p.m. on FOX…

I’ll post Chris’s CD sales as soon as I get them tomorrow…

Last Night's "Heroes"

As is always the case with “Heroes,” I have a few questions…

So Sylar steals people’s special powers by removing their brains? And then what? Does he put it inside his brain? Is that why he always wears a baseball cap? And if that is what he does, then wouldn’t he also have the waitress’ brain tumor too?...

How wild was it that Nathan flew for the first time during the car accident? I thought that scene was very cool.

And how classic (yet sad) was it that Hiro teleported when he closed his eyes to kiss the girl? I was wondering how they were going to fix that one and I admit I didn’t see that coming…

How come we didn’t see Isaac’s origin story? Is that because he’s the hero that will fall next week?...

And are we really going to find out that HRG is just being a good dad?...

Thoughts?

I'm back...

Why is it that whenever I take a few days off, Blogger takes days off as well?

I apologize for the tardiness of these posts, but I believe everything is up and running now. Be sure to scroll down for what you've missed.

Picks of the Week: Hellos, Goodbyes and Old Friends

First, we say a short goodbye to “Prison Break” with what is sure to be a wild cliffhanger. The show will return January 29th. “Prison Break” airs Monday, November 27th at 8 p.m. on FOX…
Over on NBC, we say hello to our “Heroes” as we meet them before they had their powers (and watch them get them). Last week’s “Save the cheerleader” episode was a little disappointing, but this one could be a crucial piece to the puzzle that no fan should miss. “Heroes” airs Monday, November 27th at 9 p.m. on NBC…

And Tuesday, make time for some old friends with the annual showing of “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Don’t even try to tell me that you don’t still tear up when the kids save Charlie Brown’s tree. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” airs Tuesday, November 28th at 8 p.m. on ABC…

Thursday, “The O.C.” returns after a one-week absence. It’s not a special episode of any kind, I just won’t rest until all of you are watching this show. “The O.C.” airs Thursday, November 30th at 9 p.m. on FOX…

Plus, don’t forget that Matthew Fox is hosting “Saturday Night Live” this weekend. I guarantee you there will be a “Lost” parody of some kind. The bad news for Fox is that Tenacious D is the musical guest, which means he could have the show stolen right out from under him. “SNL” airs Saturday, December 2nd at 11:30 p.m…

The End of Sweeps

Alas, we’ve reached the end of the magical time known as November sweeps. Here’s what’s scheduled for the last four days…

Monday, Wayne Brady guest stars as Barney’s brother on “How I Met Your Mother” (8 p.m., CBS). “The Bachelor: Rome” wraps up its season with a two-hour finale (9 p.m., ABC) and TBS debuts a new original comedy “10 Items or Less,” (11 p.m.) which has been described as “The Office” in a grocery store…

Tuesday, ABC premieres the latest “24” clone, only this time, it’s a comedy. “Big Day” chronicles a bride’s preparations for her wedding (9 p.m.). TBS premieres its second original comedy, “My Boys,” which tells the story of a female sportswriter and her male friends (10 p.m.). “Boston Legal” wraps up its two-parter (10 p.m., ABC) and Mariska Hargitay returns to “Law & Order: SVU” and brings Bob Saget and Catherine Bell (“JAG”) with her (10 p.m., NBC)...

Wednesday, Al Roker and Ann Curry host “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” (8 p.m., NBC) with Christina Aguilera, Enya, Taylor Hicks, John Legend, Bette Midler, Martina McBride, Sarah McLachlan, Lionel Richie and Sting. “Jericho” wraps up the first part of its season before taking a 10-week break (8 p.m., CBS).

Thursday, “The Office” gets some help from its British creators with a story co-written by Ricky Gervais (8:30 p.m., NBC). “Scrubs” finally returns with its sixth season premiere (9 p.m., NBC) and “Men In Trees” moves to its new day and time (10 p.m., ABC)…

Last Night's "Desperate Housewives"

So apparently the new neighbor turned out to be an even bigger monster than Lynette realized.

But here’s my question. If he is leaving town (and I’m still wondering about that), why did they even do this story to start with? Will Lynette make it her mission to go after him? Lynette’s stories have been really weak this year.

I have to say I was surprised by his confession because most of the magazines and websites had him pegged as a potential spoiler for Lynette’s marriage. Maybe that was the original thought and they abandoned it halfway through?

And I’m starting to think that Orson’s mother killed Monique. Or did she help Alma do it? I was glad to see that Alma’s alive because I would still like to see Orson be a good guy—if you can look over the whole hitting Mike with his car.

Your thoughts?

Spending Thanksgiving With "Friends"...

Because of my TV obsession, when I think “Thanksgiving,” I don’t think about my family gathered around the table.

I think about “Friends”…

This year my wish was finally going to be granted with the release of a “Friends” Thanksgiving DVD (Yes, I know I have all of the season sets, but it’s just not the same.). But apparently, the previous single DVD releases were a bust, so Warner Brothers changed their plans.

Since these episodes are so much a part of my holiday, I thought I would take a minute to stroll down memory lane and rank them from my least favorite to my favorite. Note there are only nine because there was no Thanksgiving episode in season two…

9) “The One with the Late Thanksgiving” (Season 10)
Joey, Phoebe, Rachel and Ross all have other things to do, so they show up late for dinner. Since the beauty of these episodes is all the friends together, this one was a bit disappointing—especially for the last one.

8) “The One Where Chandler Hates Dogs” (Season 7)
When Phoebe sneaks a dog into Monica and Chandler’s apartment, Chandler is forced to admit that he hates dogs. And Ross becomes obsessed with Chandler’s “Name the States” game, while Rachel makes her move on Tag—thanks to Joey. Again, the friends are split up for much of the episode and the dog thing just really doesn’t work for me.

7) “The One Where Underdog Gets Away” (Season 1)
Due to a variety of circumstances, Monica ends up cooking dinner for everyone. However, they all have different potato requests (except for Chandler who hates Thanksgiving), driving Monica crazy. But dinner is ruined when they’re all locked out of Monica’s apartment after going to see the Underdog balloon that got away from the parade. This was the first episode where I really got a sense this show was going to be something special.

6) “The One With the Football” (Season 3)
When the other friends decide to play touch football, Ross and Monica try to put aside their competitive ways and join in. But things turn ugly when Joey and Chandler fight over a girl and Monica challenges Ross for the “Geller Cup” (which is a troll doll attached to a piece of wood). This one has some classic moments, including Rachel’s big play that doesn’t quite end the way you think it would.

5) The One With Rachel’s Other Sister” (Season 9)
Christina Applegate won an Emmy for her portrayal of Rachel’s sister, Amy, who causes trouble for everyone when she gets the crazy idea that she should raise Emma if Ross and Rachel died. The mix of sweetness and humor (mostly at Chandler’s expense) are a perfect combination.

4) “The One With All the Thanksgivings” (Season 5)
It’s a trip down memory lane as we see the first time Monica and Rachel met Chandler. It was a slight rewrite of history, but seeing Courteney Cox in the fat suit and Jennifer Aniston in that nose is always fun. Plus, Monica’s attempt to “seduce” Chandler is a classic and I always laugh when they bang his severed toe against the ER door.

3) “The One With Chandler in a Box” (Season 4)
After Chandler kisses Joey’s girlfriend, Kathy, Joey punishes him by putting him in a box. Plus, Monica invites Richard’s son (Michael Vartan) to dinner as her date. I really like this one for its sentimentality and the relationship between Joey and Chandler.

2) “The One With the Rumor” (Season 8)
Monica invites Will (Brad Pitt), an old friend from high school, to dinner. The problem is that he hates Rachel, who discovers Will and Ross formed an “I Hate Rachel” club in high school and started an ugly rumor about her. Not every major guest star the show had worked out (like Bruce Willis), but this one did. However, I admit it’s a little hard to watch now.

1) “The One Where Ross Got High” (Season 6)
Chandler tries to impress Monica’s parents so she can tell them they live together; but instead, he discovers that they don’t like him because they think he got high in their house. But when Monica outs Ross as the real culprit, a flurry of secrets come out. Plus, Rachel screws up the Thanksgiving dessert. This is one of my favorite episodes of all-time, as those 30 seconds of secret flying are one of the funniest sequences ever.

TBS is scheduled to do a mini-marathon on Thanksgiving Day with “The One Where Ross Got High” (8 p.m.), “The One Where Chandler Hates Dogs” (8:30 p.m.), and “The One With All the Thanksgivings” (9 p.m.).

However you spend your Thanksgiving, I wish you and yours a happy one. I’ll be taking the rest of the week off; but I’ll be back on Monday…

Thanksgiving Viewing Schedule

Here’s just a taste of what Thanksgiving will bring you television wise…

Of course, it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The 80th edition will be hosted by Matt Lauer and Meredith Viera on NBC (9 a.m.) and Hannah Storm and Dave Price on CBS (9 a.m.)…

NBC has its own holiday tradition with the National Dog Show, hosted by John O’Hurley (11 a.m.) while CBS and FOX stick with football. The Detroit Lions host the Miami Dolphins (12:30 p.m., CBS) and the Dallas Cowboys host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4 p.m., FOX). The NFL Network premieres its game coverage as the Kansas City Chiefs host the Denver Broncos (8 p.m.). Bryant Gumbel and Cris Collinsworth have the call.

Turkey Day also means marathons and here is just a sampling:

“The Closer”—13 hours of the Kyra Sedgwick drama (8 p.m., TNT)
“Eureka”—20 hours of the quirky SciFi hit (10 a.m.)
“That 70s Show”—12 hours (Noon, FX)

A Sitcom Icon's Meltdown

I've been so caught up in the whole Kelly-Clay thing, that I haven't commented on the bigger story this week--the meltdown of Michael Richards, who will always be known as Kramer from "Seinfeld."

The truth is, I really don't know what to say. As Derek pointed out in a comment yesterday, the timing is lousy for the release of "Seinfeld" Season 7 on DVD this week. I've even heard that people are considering boycotting the reruns.

Here is what I would like to know. How did Richards get to be so bitter and angry?

I know it's hard for actors who have played an iconic character to get past that and move on with their careers. But to build up into this?

As I said, I just don't know what to say...

Kelly vs. Clay vs...Rosie?

I promised myself I wasn’t going to say anymore about the whole Kelly-Clay thing. You guys have been bringing up so many of the good points yourself, I didn’t really need to (Feel free to keep it coming, by the way.).

But then Rosie got involved, and try as I might to stop myself, here I am typing this.

If you missed it, yesterday on “The View,” Rosie O’Donnell blasted Kelly Ripa for her rant against Clay. Her main complaint was that Kelly’s response to Clay putting his hand on her mouth, “I don’t know where that hand has been,” was homophobic.

I really appreciate Rosie standing up for Clay, but there were two problems with her argument. First, it gave people a chance to take Kelly’s side. Regardless of what you thought about the incident, most people would agree that Kelly’s reaction was not anti-gay. She was simply trying to one-up Clay in the laugh department, and apparently trying to control her anger.

Second, Rosie’s accusation once again opened up the can of worms that Clay has been trying to get away from his entire career—the question of his sexuality. Making it worse was Kelly calling into the show to defend herself and openly discussing the topic with Rosie on national TV, without Clay present to defend himself.

However, what made me angry was not Rosie opening her mouth, because I know she meant well. It was Kelly opening her mouth once again and saying that Clay probably thought that since he’d been bullied his whole life, he would take this opportunity to bully her.

WHAT?!

No doubt Kelly will discuss this—or even the Tori Spelling spoof of the moment on the “American Music Awards” last night—on the show today, but I won’t be seeing it. As much as I hate to miss Daughtry’s first national TV appearance, I have sworn off “Live with Regis and Kelly.”

And yes, that even includes appearances by Kiefer Sutherland—which should tell you how mad I am about this whole thing.

The saddest thing of all is that due to the lack of promotion for the appearance, no one would have ever even known about what happened if Kelly had just kept her mouth shut.

But I guess we know all to well what an impossibility that is…

Idol Update: November 21, 2006

I thought that this would be a fairly uneventful week “Idol”-wise; but Kelly Ripa took care of that. If you’ve missed all the fervor over Kelly vs. Clay Aiken, be sure to scroll down and read my previous posts…

I realized later that in my review of the new Daughtry CD, I didn’t say whether I liked it or not. I do, I just think it’s a little too familiar. Don’t look for it to hit No. 1 since Jay Z’s CD is also out today. You can listen to it for free at http://music.aol.com/songs/new_releases_full_cds.adp?defaultTab=6&defaultItem=1. Daughtry will appear on “Live With Regis and Kelly” Wednesday, November 22nd—if anyone still wants to watch that show…

Speaking of releases, Katharine McPhee’s CD has been pushed back to December 19th. Katharine is scheduled to appear on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on CBS. The coverage begins Thursday, November 23rd at 9 a.m…

The American Music Awards air tonight (Tuesday) at 8 p.m. on ABC. Katharine, Taylor Hicks, Clay and Ryan Seacrest are scheduled to present. Carrie Underwood is scheduled to perform. Carrie is nominated for Favorite Country Female Artist (along with Faith Hill) and Favorite New Breakthrough Artist. Kelly Clarkson is nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist and Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist…

TV DVD Releases: "Alias" Collection, "Seinfeld," and More!

Remember a few weeks ago when I said that “Alias” fans will have to make the choice to upgrade or not. Well this is the week and it’s a doozy of a decision. “Alias: The Ultimate Collection” features all 105 episodes encased in a detailed replica of the Rambaldi Box. You also get a hardbound book that is supposed to answer the show’s “biggest mysteries.” Plus, if you find the secret compartment, you’ll discover a bonus disc. I would seriously consider the upgrade.

Here are the other releases scheduled for this week…

Da Ali G Show: Da Complete Seereez
Alias (Season 5)
Boston Legal (Season 2)
Davey & Goliath: The Lost Episodes
Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist (Season 2)
Family Affair (Season 2)
How I Met Your Mother (Season 1)
Kenny vs. Spenny (Season 2)
Mother and Son (Season 1)
Perry Mason (Season 1, Volume 2)
Seinfeld (Season 7)
So noTORIous (Season 1)
Star Trek: The Animated Series (Complete Series)
Voltron: Defender of the Universe (Collection 2: Yellow Lion)

A Slight "Heroes" Con

I said in an earlier post that I didn't think the promos for "Heroes" were a con. That we would actually learn the meaning of "Save the cheerleader. Save the world."

Well, it turns out that it was a partial con as the cheerleader was saved; but we still don't know how that saves the world. Is it because HRG's people were able to get Sylar?

The tension of the show was pretty good, but the ending was a tad disappointing. Is that really what we've been waiting for?

The previews for next week show that we will learn more about how everyone got their powers (Nikki's story looks particularly interesting.) and we finally see the face of Sylar. And I think you'll see that it looks very much like Zachary Quinto, who was last seen as Tori Spelling's best friend on "So noTORIous" (He also played Adam in season three of "24.").

What did you think of the big Homecoming night? Let's discuss...

Proud to Be a FOX Fan

Today is a day you can be proud to be a FOX fan.

News Corporation, which owns FOX, announced today that it is pulling the planned O.J. Simpson special. The move comes after advertisers balked and several affiliates refused to air the show.

Although FOX made the decision, the real kudos here go to North Dakota’s Prime Cities Broadcasting for paving the way by being the first affiliates to refuse to air the show. Kudos to the advertisers as well for ignoring the lure of a sure-fire ratings grabber.

I’m usually opposed to affiliates and advertisers taking this kind of action, but I feel it was absolutely necessary in this case and applaud them for taking a stand.

Kelly vs. Clay: Are You Kidding Me?

This afternoon, I logged onto my blog to moderate comments; and I couldn’t believe what I was reading.

Several people (Thanks to them, by the way) posted to tell me about Kelly Ripa going off on Clay Aiken on this morning’s edition of “Live With Regis and Kelly.”

If you missed it, Kelly told Regis and the audience that she didn’t think Clay “was respectful in any way” to her during his stint as co-host on Friday. She also said there was some “impropriety” and “hostility.” What Kelly was most upset about was Clay putting his hand over her mouth during the Emmitt Smith interview.

Kelly apparently felt compelled to discuss the incident on this morning’s show after receiving “many” phone calls and hearing from Howard Stern who completely agreed that Clay behaved inappropriately.

Are you kidding me?

Obviously, Kelly can dish it; but she’s incapable of taking it. As I said in my earlier post, Clay was funny and he was forced to take shots at her (what she calls hostility) so he could get a word in edgewise. Was Kelly being respectful to Clay by not letting him talk?

As far as the hand over her mouth, you can call it rude if you’d like, but I think she had it coming after refusing to let Clay ask a question. And again, it was funny.

Not to mention that Clay was just doing what Regis has no doubt wanted to do for years.

I think what stuns me the most is that Kelly felt like she had to bring it up on today’s show, instead of just letting it go (Was that based on the advice of the classy Howard Stern?). Her unprofessionalism is astounding.

And it stinks for Clay that his new promotional push is being derailed by Kelly’s pettiness.

Basically what it boils down to is that Kelly can’t handle the fact that someone finally stood up to her—and got more laughs doing it. It’s just a shame that she has to badmouth Clay to feel better about it.

You can see Kelly’s rant at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFEZ9jkO14I.

Picks of the Week

Regardless of what you think of her, there are few artists as big as Madonna. This week, she brings her Confessions Tour to NBC with “Madonna: The Confessions Tour Live.” She’ll be doing a collection of her hits and new songs, but you won’t see “Live to Tell” as the controversial cross sequence has been edited. “Madonna” airs Wednesday, November 22nd at 8 p.m. on NBC…

But I’m pretty sure the biggest event of the week will be “Heroes” as we finally learn the meaning of “Save the cheerleader. Save the world.” And no, this isn’t a promo con. We are apparently going to get an answer—and I’m sure more questions. This will be a big test for the show’s story. “Heroes” airs Monday at 9 p.m. on NBC. I’ll be posting right after the show airs, so be sure to join the discussion…

For more of what you can see this week, scroll down to this week’s Sweeps Schedule…

Sweeps Schedule: Week of November 20th

Usually, Thanksgiving week means holiday specials, movies and reruns. But because turkey day is coming earlier this year, the networks are still in the heart of sweeps. That means a lot of cool stuff and new episodes, even on the holiday…

Monday, celebrate Thanksgiving with the Peanuts gang on “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” (8 p.m., ABC). Then, ABC goes a little more adult with “The Bachelor: Rome—The Women Tell All” (9 p.m.)…

Tuesday, music fans of all genres will be happy as ABC airs the “American Music Awards” (8 p.m.) and NBC has “Tony Bennett: An American Classic” (8 p.m.). Patty Hearst guest stars on “Veronica Mars” (9 p.m., CW)…

Wednesday, the reality show that helped start it all returns for its 18th season. “Real World: Denver” premieres at 10 p.m. on MTV…

Thanksgiving Day, it’s all new episodes of your favorites. “Deal or No Deal” gets a visit from the “Football Night in America” crew in a two-hour episode (8 p.m., NBC). Roger Daltrey of The Who guests on “CSI” (9 p.m., CBS). Of course, The Who performs all of the “CSI” theme songs. “Grey’s Anatomy” has an extended 70 minute episode, so set your VCRs accordingly (9 p.m., ABC). And “ER” does one of its very special episodes featuring Maura Tierney (10 p.m., NBC). “Shark” (10 p.m., CBS) is also new. Only FOX follows tradition with “Spider-Man 2” (8 p.m.)…

Friday, ABC’s got “Shrek 2” (8 p.m.)…

Saturday, it’s the basic cable premiere of “March of the Penguins” (9 p.m., Hallmark)…

Sunday, it’s a special holiday tradition—the Hallmark Hall of Fame tearjerker. This year it’s “Candles On Bay Street,” starring Alicia Silverstone (9 p.m., CBS). “Boston Legal” moves back to its original slot for one night to open up a two-parter (10 p.m., CBS)…

I’ll have all of the Thanksgiving Day specials for you in a different post on Wednesday…

Live With...Clay?

Neither the RCA, the Clay Aiken nor the show’s website said anything about why Clay was going to be on “Live With Regis and Kelly” Friday, so I just presumed he would be promoting his Christmas tour.

So imagine my surprise Friday night when I hit play on my VCR and saw Clay sitting at the desk, co-hosting with Kelly.

I really wish there would’ve been a little more promotion on this one because if you missed it, you missed something really cool.

Clay was funny, flirtatious and just plain fabulous. If you watch “Live,” you know that Kelly Ripa rarely lets anyone get a word in edgewise—including Regis. But Clay confronted that head-on, taking shots at Kelly whenever he could and even putting his hand over her mouth at one point so he could ask Emmitt Smith a question.

Ryan Seacrest might want to watch his back…

The downside was that all the excitement over trivia “a go-go” and Clay’s constant attempts to be heard led to the worst performance I’ve ever heard from him, as his voice cracked several times. In his defense, though, the sound was completely off as the band was not loud enough and his backup singers were too loud. However, it was nice to see Clay singing one of the original songs from his CD (He did “A Thousand Days.”).

Clay made up for the performance, though, with his fancy footwork with Karina Smirnoff (Mario Lopez’s “Dancing” partner). So much for Clay not being able to dance.

Though I’m discouraged by the lack of promotion this appearance got, I am encouraged that Clay appears to be back on track just before the Christmas shopping season. Clay even looked more like himself, ditching the long bangs and lightening his hair. I think he too was stung by some of the backlash, so it’s nice to see he’s moving past it.

And if the singing career fizzles, I think he’s definitely got something to fall back on.

Vive le Taylor and Ryan!

I have to say that when I first heard of a possible Taylor and Ryan coupling on “The O.C.,” I was concerned that this was the moment that would derail the show’s comeback.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Often on these shows, these kind of couplings come off forced. But this one honestly makes sense.

And that is the beauty of “The O.C.” this season. For the first time in two years, it makes sense.

In case you missed it, Taylor impulsively married an attractive Frenchman named Henri Michel while in Paris after he told her he loved her. The only problem was that Taylor didn’t love him. But when she received a letter from him, saying he was coming to visit, Taylor was worried she wouldn’t be able to tell him no and would have to go back to France.

With Seth in Providence with Summer, the only person Taylor could turn to was Ryan—who she barely knows. She asked Ryan to accompany her to meet her husband, but only his lawyer showed up. When the lawyer told Taylor that the only way she could get a divorce was if she’d been unfaithful, she told him that Ryan was her lover. But since they were speaking in French, Ryan didn’t know.

Later, when Taylor asked him to sign a paper she claimed was to attest to her character, Ryan discovered that Taylor was claiming they had slept together over 30 times. Ryan told her he just couldn’t handle something like this and left Taylor to handle the lawyer on her own.

As Ryan was leaving his new job (at a Mexican restaurant), he ran into Sandy, who gave him another “getting over Marissa” pep talk and told him how much he admired his desire to help people who needed it (After all, that’s how he and Marissa kept ending up together.). Ryan realized that he needed to help Taylor and rushed to meet her and Henri’s lawyer. When he got there, Taylor was crying that she didn’t love Henri and just couldn’t bear to go back. So, Ryan did the only thing he could, which was tell Taylor he was sorry he was late and give her a big kiss. The lawyer told Taylor he didn’t need Ryan’s signature. He knew love when he saw it.

Ryan just walked away before Taylor could speak, but of course, Taylor was completely smitten. And trust me. If a good-looking guy like Ryan gave you a kiss like that, you’d be weak in the knees too. As a thank you, Taylor showed up on Ryan’s doorstep with a peach torte (He told her that was his favorite fruit.). The episode ended with a happy Taylor leaving the poolhouse, her mind reeling.

It was “O.C.” magic like we haven’t seen since before the horrid end to season one. Ryan got to show off his sense of humor and his chemistry with Taylor was completely natural—not the forced kind he sometimes had with Marissa. I don’t know how the writers came up with this pairing, but I am so glad they did.

If you are not watching “The O.C.” you must make amends for that immediately. Yes, I know that it’s on the same time as “Grey’s Anatomy,” but that’s what VCRs are for. And besides, “Grey’s” will be in reruns very soon while “The O.C” will still be showing new episodes—which is FOX’s logic for keeping “The O.C.” in that timeslot (although I’m not sure you can use FOX and logic in the same sentence these days).

I still believe that no matter how good it gets (and despite my pleas), FOX will pull the plug on the show very soon; and you will kick yourself if you weren’t there for what’s sure to be a great ending.

Until then, vive le Taylor and Ryan!

Good News for "Smith" Fans!

What did we do before the Internet?

"Smith" fans can now see the four un-aired episodes of the show on CBS.com. You can also read synopses of the last five episodes that were never shot to give you an idea of how the series was going to end.

You can access all of this at http://www.cbs.com/primetime/smith/.

Another Show "Vanish"es From FOX...

FOX has pulled the plug on "Vanished" effective immediately. It will be replaced tonight by two hours of "Trading Spouses."

The remaining episodes will be shown on MySpace. You can access it through www.fox.com/vanished.

I actually gave up on "Vanished" again after watching the first episode after Agent Kelton was killed. It was just so ridiculous I had to stop watching. However, I still feel like this is another betrayal by a network who had seemed to promise a story resolution.

It's good that there is a way for us to see how it all comes out. It's just not the same watching it on a computer.

Ironically, beginning next Friday, "Vanished" will be replaced by "Justice," which FOX has already cancelled.

Order Up!

A few more shows have received full season orders from their networks…

FOX has given full orders to “’Til Death” and “Standoff." The order for “Standoff,” however, was for six additional episodes instead of the usual nine since after January, FOX will have less room on its schedule. There’s no word on where “Standoff” will move to after “American Idol” returns. I would’ve guessed Monday at 8 to fill the slot until “Prison Break” returns, but there’s a possibility “Break” could return in January, if the show can get ahead on its production schedule…

CBS is talks now to order additional episodes of “The Class.” There’s a good chance it won’t be the full nine since the network is so high on its midseason comedy, “Rules of Engagement” starting David Spade and Patrick Warburton…

I have still not heard anything about the future of “Help Me Help You” or “The Nine.” I’m guessing that ABC is giving things another week before making a decision…

The CW has ordered seven more episodes of “Veronica Mars,” bringing the total for the season to 20. Since the writers planned the season over 22 episodes, some changes in story are currently being made…

In other order news, ABC has ordered another season of “The Bachelor.” The network was encouraged enough by this season’s numbers to ask for another round, which could air as early as spring.

Friday Free-For-All: November 17, 2006

Allow me to kick off the Free-For-All with a few thoughts…

As much as I love “A Few Good Men” (and I really, really do), how is that movie appropriate programming for ABC Family?...

And as much as I love “The Lost Boys” (and I really, really do), how is that movie appropriate programming for American Movie Classics?...

Let’s get these two back on Bravo where they belong!

Now that I’ve got that off my chest, what’s on your mind this week?

The "Dancing" Crown is Awarded

So, Emmitt and Cheryl won the "Dancing With the Stars" title.

I have to say I'm a little surprised; and I don't think I was the only one. Karina (Mario's partner) looked pretty ticked.

And why couldn't Emmitt's family come join him in the celebration?

I bet everyone will be trying to get Cheryl as their partner next year.

Your thoughts?

TV on DVD Schedule: November 14, 2006

Here are the TV DVDs that hit stores this week…

3rd Rock From the Sun (Season 6)
Adventures of Superman (Seasons 5 & 6)
The Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes Comedy Hour (Golden Collection Vol. 4 & Spotlight Collection Vol. 4)
CSI (Season 6)
Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers (Vol. 2)
Columbo (Seasons 6 & 7)
DuckTales (Vol. 2)
Family Guy (Season 4)
Friends (The Complete Series Collection)
Get Smart (The Complete Series) (available only from TimeLife)
The Golden Girls (Season 6)
The Gummi Bears (Vol. 1)
Gunsmoke: The Directors Collection
Home Improvement (Season 5)
Homicide: Life on the Street (Complete Series)
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (Season 4)
NCIS (Season 2)
Northern Exposure (Season 5)
Quantum Leap (Season 5)
Reba (Season 4)
Six Feet Under (The Complete Series)
That Girl (Season 2)

"Jericho" Gets "Lost," While "The King" Returns

Following in the footsteps of ABC with “Lost,” CBS has decided to split the first season of “Jericho” in two.

The show will go on hiatus after its November 29th episode. It will return February 14th with a recap episode, followed by new episodes beginning February 21st. The network plans to use the Super Bowl and the Grammys to promote the show.

To fill the void, CBS will bring back “The King of Queens” for the month of December. Then, it will go on hiatus as well with seven episodes left to air in 2007 (Kind of makes you wonder why bother, doesn’t it?).

Idol Update, Part 2: Daughtry Rocks Out

There’s a pattern developing in “Idol” land, and it’s a welcome change.

It looks like the “Idol” gurus have finally learned their lesson and are allowing the Idols to be themselves on their CDs. It started a few weeks ago with Kellie Pickler and now the trend continues with Chris Daughtry.

“Daughtry,” the self-titled debut from Chris’ new band is the CD that Bo Bice probably wishes he could’ve made. Whereas Bo’s CD was full of light rock (instead of Bo’s stronger original stuff), Chris gets the chance to rock out. One track (“What I Want”) even boasts a guest appearance by Slash of Guns ‘n Roses.

Personally, however, I like Chris when he’s showing his softer side, which he does quite well on “Breakdown” and the power anthem, “What About Now.” My favorite track is “Over You,” which strikes a good middle ground between hard and soft with a more upbeat tempo.

The only problem is that I keep getting a “been there, done that” feeling when I listen to the CD. The first single, “It’s Not Over,” sounds like a combination of Nickelback’s “Saving Me” and Fuel’s “Hemorrhage”—which isn’t a bad thing, necessarily. I’m just concerned that Chris will get lost in the crowd of similar acts.

“Daughtry” hits stores November 21st. You can listen to it for free at http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/daughtry__chris/1377926/album.jhtml?popThis=playIt().

FOX Crosses the Line...And Makes Me Sick!

There’s a line in an Al Pacino movie that says something like “just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in.”

Well, just when I thought that FOX was out of the salacious sweeps special business, they allow the king of trash reality, Mike Darnell, to pull them back in.

Darnell’s previous attempts like “Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire?” were almost laughable in their absurdity. “Who’s Your Daddy?” was insulting to adopted children everywhere.

But this one just makes me want to throw up.

Are you ready for this? FOX is planning a two-night sweeps event entitled “O.J. Simpson: If I Did It, Here’s How It Happened.”

In the special, Simpson will detail how he would have committed the murders he says he never committed. The interview was conducted by the publisher of his book, “If I Did It,” which will be released the day after the special airs.

The special will probably be a ratings blockbuster, but it will be one more smear on FOX’s reputation, which was finally starting to come around.

I know that FOX is in trouble. None of its new shows have been hits and they’re limping into January and the return of “American Idol.” They’ve also put a lot of their eggs into the basket of “24;” but it will no doubt be weakened by NBC’s “Heroes.” But to go down this road?

The only good thing that could come out of this is that Fred Goldman will probably receive most of the profits from the book to help settle the award he won from his civil suit. But I’m guessing this is absolutely not the way he would’ve wanted to get any money.

The special is scheduled to air November 27th and 29th at 9 p.m.; but this is the last time it will be mentioned by me on this blog. I will not list it in my Sweeps Schedule and I will not be watching it.

The thought of the network with the reigning Best Drama Emmy winner stooping this low just makes me sick to my stomach.

Question of the Week: "Dancing With the Stars"

So Mario and Emmitt danced their final dances and both ended up with a score of 89.

Emmitt is now favored to win according to Vegas, but what do you think?

This week's Question of the Week is: Who will win "Dancing With the Stars"?

What Did "Show Me the Money" Show You?

Did you catch "Show Me the Money" last night?

And if you did, did it make you feel a little sleazy for watching it?

I don't know which was worse--the scantily clad women dancing into every commercial break (not to mention during the extended introduction to the show) or William Shatner and the contestant dancing. I wasn't sure if I was watching a game show or "Solid Gold."

What did you think?

Another "Heroes" Question...

So about last night's "Heroes"...

Was anyone else lost? I usually keep up pretty good, but not last night.

Is HRG (Horned-Rim Glasses) really a good guy? Did someone implant the heroes with their powers?

And most importantly, are they really going to save the cheerleader in November?

Let's discuss...

Yes, Bianca Has Talent

Last week, I asked if Bianca Ryan, the winner of “America’s Got Talent,” had talent. I’m happy to report that the answer is undoubtedly, yes.

Listening to the CD, you would never guess that Bianca is only 12. Yes, her voice does show some youthful cracking during the ad-libs on “I Believe I Can Fly,” but on the rest of the CD her voice is completely solid.

Simon Cowell has done an interesting thing here. He has included standards like “You Light Up My Life” to appeal to older fans and new songs to appeal to the younger fans. Personally, I don’t like the older stuff (even though Bianca sounds great on them), but it’s a combination that just might work (Are you listening Clive Davis?).

The new songs are the standouts for me, especially the Hilary Duff-esque, “Superstar.” It doesn’t showcase her voice, but it lets her have fun and it’s a good song.

Let’s face it. There’s nothing original here; but it’s hard to deny that powerhouse voice.

Now all Simon needs to do is team Bianca with the ultimate duet partner—Clay Aiken. Talk about bringing down the house.

I’ll get to work on that one…

Forgot to say...

In my post, “Notes About the Weekend,” I forgot to give kudos to “Saturday Night Live,” which was actually funny Saturday. Maybe it’s because they didn’t do as many sketches as usual. I didn’t mean to watch the entire episode, but you kind of hated to go to bed because you didn’t know who you might miss. If you did, Steve Martin, Martin Short, Paul McCartney and Tony Bennett all made cameos…

Speaking of things that are funny, in this week’s “Sweeps Schedule,” I forgot to mention “Comic Relief 2006,” which will air Saturday, November 18th at 9 p.m. on TBS and HBO. Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams will be back for the first time in eight years to raise money for areas affected by Hurricane Katrina…

Idol Update: A "Dreamgirl," Carrie's Milestone, The Truth About that Meatloaf Duet, and Kelly & Clay Make Appearances

So who would you say is the most successful “Idol” alum? Kelly Clarkson? Clay Aiken?

Well in a few months, you might be saying Jennifer Hudson.

This week’s “Entertainment Weekly” names Jennifer as a best bet for a Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her role in “Dreamgirls.” The magazine also named “Dreamgirls” as a best bet for Best Picture.

Jennifer, an alum of the third season of “Idol” is most remembered for her shocking elimination when “the three divas” (Jennifer, LaToya London and Fantasia) ended up in the bottom three. Interestingly, the movie’s director, Bill Condon, tells “EW” that he had to teach Jennifer how to be a diva, because she was being too nice. “Dreamgirls” opens December 25th. And yes, Jennifer did beat out Fantasia for the part.

Jennifer is not the only “Dreamgirls”-“Idol” connection. Her co-star, Anika Noni Rose, played Kelly’s best friend, Kya, in “From Justin to Kelly”…

Last week, Carrie Underwood’s CD, “Some Hearts,” was certified as quadruple platinum. This makes it the second-best seller among the Idol albums (Kelly’s “Breakaway” is #1.). According to her label, this is only the second debut country album by a female artist to achieve that status (Gretchen Wilson has the other.).

Speaking of Carrie, she has received a People’s Choice Award nomination for Female Singer and another for favorite country song for “Before He Cheats.” “American Idol” received a nomination for Competition/Reality Show. You can vote for Carrie and “Idol” at http://www.pcavote.com/. I only ask that you kindly vote for Kiefer Sutherland while you’re there (for Male TV Star). “The People’s Choice Awards” air January 9th on CBS…

Kelly Clarkson will sing “Why Haven’t I Heard From You” on “CMT: Giants,” a special tribute to Reba McEntire. “Giants” airs November 18th at 8 p.m. on CMT…

Clay Aiken will appear on “Live With Regis & Kelly” this Friday, November 17th…

Fantasia’s forthcoming CD, “Fantasia,” will feature three tracks co-written and produced by Missy Elliott and another written by Diane Warren and produced by Babyface. The first single, “Hood Boy” features Big Boi of Outkast. The CD drops December 12th…

While doing publicity for his new CD, Meat Loaf offered some insight into last year’s “Idol” finale. Apparently, Prince didn’t show up until seven or eight minutes before he was supposed to go on. They were working up a number with Burt Bacharach and all the special guests when he showed up.

And what about that frightening duet with Katharine McPhee? Meat Loaf told VH1 he’s “never hated anything so much in [his] whole life.” He says he could never get the monitors right and because he couldn’t hear, his performance anxiety kicked in, making it an even bigger mess. He also says there was a “very strange vibe” backstage because it was a competition…

Remember that the “Idol” CD extravaganza kicks into high gear next week with the release of “Daughtry”…

(CD Photo courtesy of Amazon.com)

We're Back!

So first, I took Friday off and then Blogger decided to take a long holiday weekend itself.

But now we're both back (hopefully for good), so feel free to scroll down and see what you've been missing...

The Panthers will play on...

NBC has given a full-season order to "Friday Night Lights."

The show has garnered a lot of critical acclaim, but not much in the way of ratings against the tough competition of "Dancing With the Stars" and "NCIS."

NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly also said he's standing by "30 Rock," but he did not give it a full-season pickup.

Notes from the weekend...

I don’t know which was more disappointing Sunday—the “Simpsons” episode or the premiere of the “Simpsons” movie trailer.

After all of the hype about the trailer, I would’ve expected more than just one scene with a cute introduction. I realize that the movie is still in production, and one scene is probably all they could show; but they shouldn’t call that a trailer.

As for the episode, I’m still trying to figure out the point. Yes, the show got in some good digs at the government (although some of them were probably a little inappropriate for Veteran’s Day weekend), but the plot resolution was rushed and didn’t make sense.

I’m not a regular “Simpsons” viewer, so maybe that’s how the show normally works. But I was left asking myself what I was supposed to have found funny about the whole thing…

Here are some other thoughts about the weekend…

I loved seeing Dolly Parton guest star on “Hannah Montana” as—who else?—Aunt Dolly. If Kellie Pickler’s sitcom gets on the air, I’d be shocked if Dolly didn’t make an appearance…

Is anyone else sick of all those “Daybreak” promos? We get it already! I feel like I know everything that’s going to happen and I haven’t seen an episode yet…

Is my “Desperate Housewives” theory correct? Could Mike have really killed Monique? Or did Orson’s mother have something to do with it? Maybe Orson’s mom killed Monique and Mike knew it and Orson hit him to keep him quiet. This mystery’s getting good, but did we really need a pedophile to move into the neighborhood?...

Are the promos right? Is “Heroes” really going to explain the whole “save the cheerleader” thing in two weeks? And if they do, then what?...

"Men In Trees" Gets a Boost...

ABC announced last week that it is moving "Men In Trees" to the best spot on TV--Thursdays at 10 after "Grey's Anatomy." ABC also gave the show a full-season pickup.

The move bumps "Six Degrees" from the schedule, but ABC says it will return in January. However, it has not been given a full season order.

"The Nine" and "Help Me Help You" are also still awaiting word on their futures.

Sweeps Schedule: Week of November 13th

Here are the sweeps events scheduled for this week…

Monday, “CSI: Miami” (10 p.m., CBS) presents a story inspired by the real life close call of Eva La Rue (Natalia)’s sister. “Jeopardy” (Check local listings) gives us more celebrities with James Denton (“Desperate Housewives”), Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”) and Bebe Neuwirth. Other celebrities this week include Nick Lachey and Martin Short…

Tuesday brings us two premieres. ABC gives us a sneak preview of the William Shatner-hosted game show, “Show Me the Money” (9:31 p.m.), while CBS premieres the Stanley Tucci medical drama, “3 Lbs” (10 p.m.). Over on the CW, Laura San Giacomo reunites once again with her “Just Shoot Me” co-star Enrico Colantoni on “Veronica Mars” (9 p.m.). “Nip/Tuck” (10 p.m., FX) gives us a special episode as we see the McNamaras in 2026. This episode is also special because it features the departure of a major character…

Wednesday, BET brings us the “BET Hip-Hop Awards” (9 p.m.). Lord help them all if Kanye West doesn’t win anything. ABC premieres the Taye Diggs thriller, “Day Break,” which will fill the “Lost” timeslot until February. “I Pity the Fool” wraps up its first season (10 p.m., TV Land) while “Medium” returns to NBC (10 p.m.). Patricia Arquette’s husband, Thomas Jane, guest stars as Allison’s old (and deceased) boyfriend…

Thursday, “General Hospital” celebrates the anniversary of Luke and Laura’s wedding as they walk down the aisle again (3 p.m., ABC). But be warned. My sources say the ending will require a lot of tissues. “My Name Is Earl” (8 p.m., NBC) gives you claymation and Christian Slater, while “The Office” (8:36 p.m.) and “30 Rock” (9:20 p.m.) get expanded episodes. ABC hauls out its sweeps standard, the Barbara Walters special. This time it’s “30 Mistakes In 30 Years” (10 p.m.). This two-part special, which concludes Friday at 10 p.m., shows Barbara’s bloopers from her interview specials over the years…

Friday is season finale night for “Foxworthy’s Big Night Out” (8:30 p.m., CMT), “Ice-T’s Rap School” (9 p.m., VH1) and “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team” (9 p.m., CMT). “Monk” brings us a holiday special as Dan Hedaya guests as Monk’s father (10 p.m., USA)…

Saturday, CMT pays tribute to Reba McEntire with “Giants” (8 p.m., CMT). Dolly Parton, Faith Hill and Kelly Clarkson are among the performers paying tribute…

For more, be sure to scroll down to the Picks of the Week…

Picks of the Week: The Ones For All the Tostitos

In 2003, during the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Keith Jackson created one of my favorite sayings. He said that this game was “for all the Tostitos.”

Well, Tostitos isn’t sponsoring anything this week, but I think that phrase still applies to this week’s three Picks of the Week.

First, it’s Mario vs. Emmitt for the “Dancing With the Stars” title. I don’t watch the show, but I’ve got to root for Mario since he’s a “Saved By the Bell” alum. Maybe they can get Elizabeth Berkeley (Jessie) next year. “Dancing With The Stars” airs Tuesday and Wednesday at 8 p.m. on ABC. Be sure to check out the Question of the Week Tuesday to vote for your choice…

Second, the time has finally come to crown a champion in NASCAR with the year’s final race, the Ford 500 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Jimmie Johnson needs to finish 12th or better to take the crown; but it won’t be easy. The Ford 500 airs Sunday at 3 p.m. on NBC…

But for my money, there is no bigger television event this week than the Ohio State-Michigan game. This one will decide who goes to the BCS Championship Game and you guessed it, play for all the Tostitos—or whatever product is sponsoring the game. Ohio State-Michigan airs Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on ABC…

ABC continues to ask "What About Brian?"

ABC has given a full season pickup to "What About Brian."

The show hasn't done exceptionally well in the ratings, but it has held its own against "Studio 60" (for what that's worth). The network has been most pleased by its ability to hang on to "The Bachelor" audience (for what that's worth).

No more "Justice" in the world...

FOX has pulled the plug on one of my favorite new shows, "Justice."

The show will finish out its 13 episode order, but it has been cancelled (though no one will use that word anymore). It will be replaced by "House" reruns beginning this Monday.

You may remember that I was pretty fired up when the cancellation rumors started a while back, but I have to admit I'm not as passionate about the show as I once was. That's mainly due to it airing against my favorite new show, "Heroes." And if FOX has to sacrifice a show right now, I'd rather it be "Justice" than "The O.C."

The show could have been successful, it just never found the right place. "Justice" is the kind of show another network would put at 10 p.m. and FOX just doesn't have the option.

Everything Jerry Bruckheimer touches is gold--except on FOX. I'm guessing he'll think twice before going to them again.

Saturday Free-For-All!

Happy Veteran's Day, Everyone!

My apologies for taking the day off yesterday and not posting the Friday-Free-For-All. I also apologize to those of you who were trying to get comments up yesterday. I think I'm all caught up now.

So let's do the Free-For-All on Saturday. What things from the world of TV are on your mind today?

Here's something on my mind. I've got all of these cool pictures to share with you, and Blogger won't let me. So if anyone has any tips, please feel free to share.

Good News for "Studio 60"

NBC has given "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" a full season order.

The ratings have not picked up, but NBC really had no choice considering the investment it has put in the show. Plus, "Studio 60" is a favorite with upscale audiences (i.e. big spenders).

More sad news...

CBS has just announced that veteran "60 Minutes" correspondent Ed Bradley has died of leukemia. He was 65.

This came as quite a shock to me, because I didn't even know he was sick.

I am not a regular watcher of "60," but even I know that Ed Bradley was the heart of the program. He will be missed.

You can watch career highlights and post a comment at www.cbsnews.com.

Kellie Pickler: The Sitcom

I just couldn’t save this until Tuesday…

FOX is developing a half-hour comedy for Kellie Pickler.

According to “Variety,” Pickler will play a naïve small-town Southern girl (a real stretch, I know) who discovers her biological father is the state’s well-respected governor. His dreams of being President are put in jeopardy until he and Kellie form a father-daughter relationship that ends up helping his standing.

Chris Peterson and Bryan Moore (“That 70s Show”) will write and create the project, which has gotten a script order. “Idol” guru Simon Fuller will be one of the executive producers.

It’s important for Kellie fans to remember, though, that this does not mean the show will ever get on the air. You may remember that Season 4 fave Constantine Maroulis had a sitcom in the works for ABC (produced by Kelsey Grammer’s company), but ABC rejected the script and it never went any further. However, since FOX is behind this one, I think Kellie’s chances are a little better.

While I’m on the subject of Kellie, let me tell you that her CD, “Small Town Girl,” sold 79,000 copies in its debut week—good enough to top the Country Albums chart and hit No. 9 on the Billboard 200.

Soap Spotlight: A New Super Hero, Casting News and Your Online "Passions"

Last week, “Guiding Light” teamed up with Marvel Comics to create a new super hero, The Guiding Light.

And no, that’s not a joke.

Every Wednesday, “Light” does a special episode called “Inside the Light,” where they focus the entire hour on one character. Last week’s episode was “She’s a Marvel,” which focused on Harley Davidson Cooper. After an electricity mishap, Harley found herself with superpowers and became The Guiding Light.

In conjunction with the episode, you can find an eight-page “Guiding Light” story in several Marvel comics out this month.

“Light” head writer David Kreizman says that teaming up with Marvel was “such a natural fit for us because comic books and soap operas have so much in common.”

This is actually the second time “Light” and Marvel have teamed up. “GL” costume designer David Kreizman designed Storm’s wedding dress in the “Black Panther” comic.

You can see the entire episode and get all of the behind-the-scenes secrets at www.cbs.com/daytime/gl/behind/specials/...

Austin Peck wasted no time in finding another daytime role after he was written off the “Days of Our Lives” canvas (as Austin). Peck will play Brad Snyder on “As the World Turns.” Brad was last seen on the show (played by another actor) in 1999. Peck has signed a three-year contract and will first appear in early 2007…

In my favorite casting news of the week, Betty White will join “The Bold & the Beautiful” in a limited run as Stephanie’s mother, Ann Douglas. If you saw White whack that guy with a frying pan on “Boston Legal” last season, you know she was made to play a classic soap opera witch. Alley Mills (“The Wonder Years”) will play Stephanie’s sister, Pamela. Their first air date is scheduled for December 1st…

Finally, NBC announced this week that it is now streaming full episodes of “Passions” online at NBC.com (What did we do before the Internet?). The shows will remain accessible for a week until they are replaced by new episodes.

So why “Passions” and not “Days”? NBC owns “Passions,” which allows it to more easily clear the digital rights…

So what soap-related things are on your mind this week?

"Hannah" continues to have the "best of both worlds"...

Not even Barry Manilow could knock off the Disney juggernaut known as Hannah Montana…

The “Hannah Montana” soundtrack was once again No, 1 on the Billboard 200 selling another 203,000 copies. Barry Manilow’s “The Greatest Songs of the Sixties” came in second.

The “Hannah Montana” soundtrack is the first TV soundtrack to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It’s only the third TV series soundtrack to ever top the chart and the first since “Miami Vice” in 1985-86 (1959’s “The Music from Peter Gunn” was the third).

Last week “Hannah” broke a record held by the Beatles and Elvis Presley with six singles debuting on the Billboard Hot 100 in the same week. The Beatles and Elvis each had three. “Hannah” had a total of seven songs on the chart, though, as another song re-entered the countdown from August.

Though the songs are actually performed by Miley Cyrus, they are credited to Hannah Montana. The one song credited to Cyrus, “I Learned From You” (her outstanding duet with her dad) did not make the chart; but I’m still holding out hope for it.

On a Sad Note...

If you watched “The Tonight Show” last night, you heard Jay Leno announce the passing of the “Fruitcake Lady.” She was 95 years old.

I only hope that I have that much spunk if I make it to 95. She will be missed.

You can view the remembrance that aired last night and leave a message of condolence at
http://www.nbc.com/nbc/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno/fruitcake_lady/. If you’ve never seen any of her bits, it’s worth your time to see her cooking with Mel Gibson and Tom Cruise and watch her dole out advice in her homespun, yet blunt way.