A Friendly Warning for Time Warner Customers...

I just wanted to give Time Warner Cable customers out there a friendly warning about what may happen to them tomorrow.

Viacom has told Time Warner that unless an agreement is reached for a fee increase it will pull all of its networks tomorrow. Those networks include Nickelodeon, MTV, VH1, Comedy Central and BET.

YIKES!

Time Warner has asked for an extension, but has so far been turned down, according to TVWeek.com.

Experts say that Viacom has some leverage because of Nickelodeon’s ratings, but that in today’s economy an increase will be tough to get.

If the networks are pulled, Viacom plans to run ads on other networks featuring Spongebob Squarepants and blaming Time Warner for the situation.

Stay Tuned…

The Best and Worst of 2008

So now the time has come for me to recap the year with my Best and Worst of 2008…

But just like John Madden used to do with his All-Madden Team, all of the winners (and losers) had to be from shows that I actually watched—with some noted exceptions.

Here we go…

Best Drama: “NCIS”
To me, there were few bigger TV stories this fall than the rise of this show in its sixth season. But it just proves that good writing and a great cast will get you everywhere.

Worst Drama: “Heroes”
I almost felt like it was wrong for me to pick on “Heroes” since I only saw one episode in 2008. But as badly as this show has spiraled out of control, I couldn’t not mention it.

Best Comedy: “The Big Bang Theory”
If you’re not watching this show, you’re really missing out. Yes, the humor is geeky, but it’s hilarious. And Jim Parsons (Sheldon) is a comic genius.

Worst Comedy: “Kath & Kim”
I don’t even have the words to describe this comedy starring Molly Shannon and Selma Blair.

Best Reality Show: “Flipping Out”
Reality shows are only good if they’re real; and this one was as real as it gets as Jeff’s hidden camera sting to catch a lazy employee led to the dissolution of a marriage.

Worst Reality Show: “The Moment of Truth”
Do I really even need to explain this one?

Best Reality-Competition Show: “Top Chef”
Unlike “Project Runway,” “Top Chef” was able to pull off two good cycles in the same year. Granted, “Top Chef: New York” isn’t over yet, but it’s off to a good start. However, it will be hard to top “Top Chef: Chicago” and my guy Blais.

Worst Reality Competition Show: “Celebracadabra”
Remember when C. Thomas Howell was a promising young actor with his entire career in front of him? A career that didn’t include competing in (and winning) this ridiculous reality show? From the moment I heard the words “Go forth and magish,” I wanted to cry…

Best New Show: “Leverage”
It only took almost the entire year, but finally the best new show arrived in the form of this Robin Hood meets “The A-Team” drama.

Worst New Show: “Kath & Kim”
I know I’ve already mentioned this one, but it’s that bad.

Best Cancelled Show: “Back To You”
Although I felt at the time that FOX was making a mistake, I didn’t realize how big a mistake until I watched the DVD of the entire season. This was a funny show that FOX could seriously use now.
Runner-Up: “Women’s Murder Club”

Best Guilty Pleasure: “The Two Coreys”
When you talk guilty pleasures, they don’t get much guiltier than this one. Yet somehow I got completely sucked in. There was just something so raw about it that just kept me watching.

Best Show I’m Not Watching: “The Mentalist”
There’s no reason for me not to watch this show, except that I just don’t feel like sitting down and watching it.

Best Actor: Kiefer Sutherland (“24: Redemption”)
I’m just glad “24: Redemption” aired this year so I could get this in.
Runner-Up: Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”)

Best Actress: Natalie Zea (“Dirty Sexy Money”)
The writers completely destroyed her character, but not her ability to play her.

Best Use of a Guest Star(s): Harry Anderson, Markie Post and Charles Robinson, “30 Rock”
Jennifer Aniston got all the hype for this episode, but it was these three “Night Court” veterans that made the episode as Kenneth the Page finally got what he wanted—the wedding of Harry (Anderson) and Christine (Post).

Worst Use of a Guest Star: Emilio Estevez, “Two and a Half Men”
Finally, after all these years, we got the reunion of Charlie Sheen and his brother Estevez; but for what? Estevez’s character died within moments of being introduced and his only major scene featured a few one-liners about the afterlife. It was a total waste of a golden opportunity.

Best Story: Ted and Stella’s Courtship, “How I Met Your Mother”
Britney Spears got all the headlines but Sarah Chalke (Stella) was the best guest star on “HIMYM” this year. And Ted and Stella’s first date, which was filmed as one continuous scene in real time, was genius. I’m just sorry she wasn’t the mother

Worst Story: Tripp-Wren-Nick Love Triangle
I don’t know what was worse—the fact that Tripp was old enough to be Wren’s father, the fact that Tripp was married or the fact that Tripp thought of Nick as his own son. But any of the three made this story absolutely disgusting. And Donald Sutherland’s strange accented portrayal of Tripp didn’t help.

Worst Story I’m Not Watching: Izzie and Denny’s Love Story, “Grey’s Anatomy”
It’s bad enough that Creator/Head Writer Shonda Rhimes has brought Denny’s ghost back as many times as she has. But Izzie having sex with Denny’s ghost? What the heck?! Of course all would be forgiven if this were just Rhimes’ way of getting back at Katherine Heigl for badmouthing the writers in her famous Emmy non-submission statement.

Best Moment: David Cook Wins “American Idol”
Let’s face it. Season seven of “Idol” was a bit of a disappointment. But when Ryan Seacrest announced David Cook as the winner, it was a beautiful, touching moment—exactly what TV is all about.
Runner-Up: Hurley declares, “I’m one of the Oceanic Six!” on “Lost "

Best Football Broadcast Team: Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson I always loved Danielson with Brent Musberger on ABC, but Lundquist and Danielson, the CBS college football team, are even better. They take shots at people, at network promos and each other and they are genuinely funny doing it.
Runner-Up: Brent Musberger and Kirk Herbstreit (ESPN on ABC College Football)

Worst Football Broadcast Team: Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski and Tony Kornhiser (“Monday Night Football”)
You want to see and hear what tension looks and sounds like? Watch “Monday Night Football.” Kornhiser is not a football expert and Jaworski never lets him forget it as Jaws clearly resents Kornhiser’s presence. Jaws talks down to him, he snaps at him and basically does everything but calls him a total idiot. Of course, it’s possible he did that too and I just missed it.

Biggest Story of the Year: NBC Retaining Jay Leno
This story wasn’t only big because it meant that Jay wasn’t going to another network. It was also big because it meant the end of primetime TV as we know it. By giving Jay a nightly show at 10 p.m., NBC is basically throwing in the towel on trying to program anything for that time—which means five hours less of programming a week. Oh how the mighty have fallen…
Runner-Up: The Rise of “NCIS”

Worst Network Move: ABC’s Decision to Hold Its Three New Dramas Until This Season
ABC decided to hold the second halves of their three new strike-shortened dramas—“Pushing Daisies,” “Private Practice” and “Dirty Sexy Money”—until this season. And the results have been disastrous. Both “Daisies” and “Money” have been cancelled and “Practice”—which would be cancelled if it weren’t a “Grey’s Anatomy” spin-off—is moving timeslots. Yes, all three have continuing stories, but all three were just starting to gain momentum—especially the Emmy-nominated “Daisies.” Not to mention that “DSM” returned as a shell of its former self.

Biggest Disappointment: “Project Runway” Season 5
This was supposed to be Bravo’s beautiful swan song. But instead it only left a bad taste in our mouths as there were no interesting personalities, the talent was suspect, the challenges were just blah product placements and Kenley—one of the most annoying reality show contestants ever—inexplicably made it all the way to the finale.
Runner-Up: “Dirty Sexy Money” Season Two

Biggest Heartbreak: Tim Russert’s Death
One of these days I’ll make it through a Tim Russert tribute without crying. But that probably won’t be anytime soon.

So what do you think? Feel free to debate my choices and add some of your own by posting a comment or e-mailing me at hdstaytuned@hotmail.com...

While you mull over your choices, I wish you all a Happy New Year!

Photo Credits: Art Streiber/CBS, NBC, Sonja Flemming/CBS, Mitchell Haaseth/NBC, Bravo, Patrick Wymore/FOX, Bravo, VH1, TNT, Fox Home Entertainment, Andrew Eccles/A&E, Randy Tepper/CBS, Kelsey McNeal/FOX, Randee St. Nicholas/ABC, Greg Gayne/Warner Bros., Eric McCandless/FOX, Scott Garfield/ABC, Michael Becker/FOX, Craig Blankenhorn/CBS Sports, ESPN, Bravo

Pick of the Week: Some Fun Party Companions

Before I tell you about this week’s Pick, let me first congratulate Chad Pennington and the Miami Dolphins on their big win Sunday.

Talk about your sweet revenge…

Now to this week’s Pick…

For some, New Year’s Eve means going out and living it up. But for others, it means staying at home and watching the ball drop in Times Square on TV.

And although “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” is more traditional, allow me to make another suggestion…

My Pick of the Week is “CNN New Year’s Eve with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin.”

If you saw this show last year or you watch “My Life on the D-List,” you know how adorable Cooper and Griffin are together.

Plus, you never know what Kathy’s going to do on live TV…

“CNN New Year’s Eve with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin” airs Wednesday, December 31st at 11 p.m. on CNN…

Photo Credit: Bravo

Important Change to Sunday's Big Game

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas.

I’m guessing that yours wasn’t as filled with “Top Chef” reruns as mine was (You gotta love Bravo!)…

I wanted to interrupt my Christmas vacation to remind everyone that the big Dolphins-Jets showdown that I blogged about earlier this week is now at 4:15 p.m., which means that it will be shown locally.

Kudos to CBS and the NFL for recognizing a huge game when they see it.

I now return to my Christmas vacation. I’ll be back next week…

Go Dolphins!

Happy Holidays!

I’m going to be away from the blog for a few days, so I wanted to wish everyone Happy Holidays…

But, I wanted to leave you a little present. So for those of you who aren’t familiar, allow me to introduce you to the holiday known as Christmukkah, courtesy of “The O.C.”…

I'm getting nostalgic already...



You can watch this entire episode here.

My Top 10 of 2008

‘Tis the season for TV writers to compile their Best and Worst of the Year Lists for all to read and debate.

I’ll have my Best and Worst for you next week.

So to tide you over, I’m giving you my Top 10 of 2008, the 10 shows I thought were the best I saw all year.

Feel free to tell me whether I’m right or wrong…

First, here are the shows that almost made the list in no particular order:

“Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style”
“Shatner’s Raw Nerve”
“Leverage”
“Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List”

And now to the big winners…

#10 “How I Met Your Mother”
Yes, I know the jokes can sometimes go on for too long. And yes, sometimes I know they make Barney a tad cartoonish. And yes, I wanted Stella to be the mother to. But darn it all if this show doesn’t just keep getting better by the week. And then there’s the guy I’m starting to think I would watch read the phonebook—the MEGA talented Neil Patrick Harris…

#9 “NCIS”
To call this the little show that could would be the understatement of the year. Its last new episode racked up a series record 19 million viewers—an unheard of surge for a show in its sixth season. Let’s face it. People are looking for something worth watching and they’ve found it in this procedural that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It just proves that good writing and a great cast will get you places. Now let’s see what it can do to “American Idol”…

#8 “Football Night In America”
I know what you’re going to say. You can’t put a football pre-game show on your Top 10 list. But if I were making a list of my favorite shows, “FNIA” would be right near the top. Why else would I tape it and watch it the next day when I already know what happened? Plus, HUGE bonus points to the producers for sending Tiki Barber and Jerome Bettis out to game sites during the last part of the season. Not only did they manage to contribute meaningful interviews to the show, their absence from the studio allowed a real camaraderie to form between Bob Costas, Cris Collinsworth, Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann. And you know anytime my guy Cris gets to talk more, I’m happy…

#7 “Lost”
I never meant to become a Lostie. Really I didn’t. But then something happened to me last season. I got all caught up in the identity of the Oceanic Six. I started visiting websites to look at screen caps from episodes. I religiously read Doc Jensen’s recaps at EW.com and got all caught up in his theories. And now, I’m eagerly awaiting the season premiere next month. Stupid

producers and their great idea to set an end date for the show…

#6 “Tabatha’s Salon Takeover”
I’ve never been a fan of “Shear Genius,” so I didn’t expect to like this one. But Tabatha Coffey was awesome as she put clueless salon owners and hairstylists in their place. But probably the biggest highlight of the season for me was when she made two young women whose dad had bought the salon for them put a For Sale sign in the window. The thought of having to sell the business devastated them so much that they got their act together and started being more in charge…

#5 “Project Runway” (Season 4)
The fact that this season was so good just makes season five all the more painful. Granted, there weren’t any real villains this season but with such great talent, villains weren’t necessary. There was plenty of humor, though, thanks to adorable oddball Chris March. But the real star of the season was winner Christian Siriano. Although he talked a very big game, it was obvious that was all for show and he really was just a loveable guy with extraordinary talent…

#4 “Boston Legal” (Season 5)
I had pretty much given up on “BL” after the whole Craig Bierko disaster. Not to mention Denny sleeping with the dwarf who could have been his daughter. But since this was the last season, I had to give it another chance; and I couldn’t be happier that I did. These final 13 episodes were a beautiful way to end the series. And that Thanksgiving episode was a true holiday classic that will not be soon forgotten…

#3 “Flipping Out”
What’s the key to a good reality show? Reality. And I don’t know that I’ve ever seen more reality than on the second season of this show. When Jeff Lewis installed a nanny cam in his office to catch his House Manager Chris not doing his job, he got way more than he bargained for when his dismissal of Chris led to Chris leaving his wife, Jenni, Jeff’s assistant. But the show was able to balance the intense drama with Jeff’s wonderfully wacky sense of humor and his hilarious relationship with his housekeeper Zoila. Next season, Jeff will be helping plan his brother’s wedding and you just know that’s going to be awesome…

#2 “Top Chef”
I didn’t think that “Top Chef: Miami” could possibly be beat. But then along came “Top Chef: Chicago” to prove me wrong and introduce me to one of my favorite reality contestants of all time (Richard Blais, if you’ve forgotten). And now, “Top Chef: New York” is off to a great start—even if the contestants aren’t…

And my number one show of 2008?...

#1 “The Big Bang Theory”
I was going back and forth between this one and “Top Chef” for weeks, but after that hilarious Christmas episode when Sheldon freaks out over Penny’s gift to him (She got Leonard Nimoy to sign a napkin for him.), I had no choice. This is the absolute funniest show on television—hands down. And yes, the humor is sometimes a little geeky, but then I’m a big geek. Case in point, one of my very favorite TV lines of the whole season was when Sheldon responded to Leonard watching the TV show “Clone Wars” before watching the movie “Clone Wars”: “I prefer to let George Lucas disappoint me in the order he intended.” I’m sorry, but that’s funny. And Jim Parsons (Sheldon) is a comic genius…

So what about you guys? What shows would make your top 10? Feel free to share your thoughts by posting a comment or sending an e-mail to hdstaytuned@hotmail.com...

Photo Credits: Sonja Flemming/CBS, Art Streiber/CBS, NBC Sports, Art Streiber & Bob D'Amico/ABC, Mitch Haaseth/Bravo, Bravo, Craig Sjodin/ABC, Kelsey McNeal/Bravo, Bravo, Cliff Lipson/CBS

"Top Chef The Game" Review: Fun Even If You Don't Know What You're Doing

One of the funny things about me being such a fan of “Top Chef” is that I know absolutely nothing about cooking.

Oh, I can follow a simple recipe; but I don’t know a seviche from a salad.

In fact, many times I’m forced to go to the glossary in the back of my “Top Chef” cookbook to find out what they’re even making.

So it’s no surprise that I would not be very good at “Top Chef: The Game.”
But that doesn’t mean I didn’t have fun trying…

In this game, you guide your chef through quickfire and elimination challenges making dishes to score points for technique, but also to please the judges, Padma and Tom. But don’t panic, you don’t have to be a master chef. However, it does help to know what flavors work together—which I obviously don’t, since I was told to pack my knives more than once. Once I figured out the hints, though, I started doing much better and even made a four star dish that pleased Tom.

Just don’t ask me what was in it because I don’t have a clue…

Because this is “Top Chef,” you have to race against the clock, which is not always easy, but it does make things more interesting. And there are even other chefs who like to trash talk. But they can’t possibly ruin your fun, because there’s just too much to be had…

And don’t look now, but I might actually learn a little something about cooking while I’m having fun.

Wouldn’t that be something?

If you're a fan of the show, you must have this game. It's lots of fun...even if you don't know what you're doing...

“Top Chef: The Game” (SRP $19.95) is for the Win XP/Vista/ Mac OS X platforms and is available in stores and online now from Brighter Minds Media, which happens to be based in Columbus, Ohio…

Photo Credit: Brighter Minds Media

Sunday's Big Game: As Juicy As It Gets

“This is the only way fate would have it, right? I just don't think it would happen any other way. There wouldn't be any other scenario. This is how sports works.”

That’s how Chad Pennington himself describes the situation he now finds himself in. And it is as juicy as it gets…

Now you guys know I try not to dwell too much on sports in this blog since I know not everyone’s a fan. But what’s happening to Chad and his Dolphins is just too huge to ignore.

You’ll recall what happened to Chad during the offseason. The New York Jets got all caught up in Brett Favre mania and no longer had use for Chad. So he was waived by the Jets and picked up by the Dolphins.

Now, fast forward to week 16 of the NFL season. The Dolphins are 10-5 with Chad as their starting quarterback (which earns Chad a nice little bonus, by the way) and are in control of their own playoff destiny. There’s just one team that stands in their way…

You guessed it. The New York Jets.

If the Dolphins win Sunday, they’re in the playoffs. If they lose, they could still make it, but they’d need a lot of help.

The Jets meanwhile can only make the playoffs if they beat the Dolphins AND if New England loses or if they beat the Dolphins AND New England wins AND Baltimore loses (which as hot as they are, probably isn’t going to happen).

Does it get any bigger than that?

According to WOWK’s website, they haven’t made a decision about which game they are going to carry Sunday. And even though I’ll be out of town and won’t be able to see it, I implore them to carry the Dolphins-Jets game.

I know the Steelers are playing the Browns, but the Browns are playing their pathetic third string quarterback and the Steelers have already clinched the number two seed so Steelers fans can just get over themselves.

This is Chad’s shot at sweet revenge. And I think all of us would love to see him get it…

The Miami Dolphins take on the New York Jets Sunday, December 28th at 1 p.m. on CBS…

DVD/CD Review: Band From TV

If you “Desperate Housewives” fans thought James Denton (Mike) looked completely natural playing in a band when Blue Odyssey made its debut on the show, that’s because he was.

You see, in real life, Denton is a member of Band From TV…

For the past few years, the band has been performing at various venues to benefit some wonderful causes. And now they’ve released a DVD/CD to benefit those causes even more.

“Hoggin’ All the Covers” features the original members of the band: Denton, Hugh Laurie (“House”), Bob Guiney (“The Bachelor”), Bonnie Somerville (“Cashmere Mafia”), and founder Greg Grunberg (“Heroes”) [The band has since been joined by Jesse Spencer (“House”) and Teri Hatcher (“Desperate Housewives”).]. They’re backed by a group of professional musicians and backup singers.

But if you think this is just a group of celebrities that think they have talent when they really don’t, you’d be wrong because the band has some serious musical chops. Grunberg is a phenomenal drummer and he has a pretty good voice too. Guiney has got a good pop voice and Somerville could out-Janis Joplin Janis Joplin. Denton has got a great country twang, not to mention a pretty solid Elvis impersonation. And Laurie is an extremely gifted keyboardist with a pretty good voice himself.

The DVD/CD features a live performance as the band rips through an eclectic group of classic covers like “Piece of My Heart,” “You Really Got Me” and “Viva Las Vegas.” Music Director Chris Kelley does a great job with the arrangements including putting “Pink Cadillac" over “The Theme From Peter Gunn” (which sounds really cool).

But in all honesty, Band From TV isn’t about sounding good (although they do). It’s about having fun. And as the DVD shows, they have a lot of it.

And the fact that all that fun is for charity just makes it that much better…

Proceeds from the DVD/CD will benefit the favorite charities of the band members: the Epilepsy Foundation (Grunberg), Save the Children (Laurie), Donate Life (Denton), The Art of Elysium (Guiney) and the Child Abuse Prevention Program (Somerville).

And not only will you get to see the concert on the DVD, but you’ll also get hilarious interviews with the five celebrities and the professionals that back them up. And there’s an interview with Greg Grunberg about his charity and how the band got together. Plus don’t miss the backstage time lapse feature to hear the fab five doing a great rendition of “Man of Constant Sorrows” (which they don’t do during the concert).

During this season of giving, we always see people doing good for others. It’s nice to see people who do it all year long—and enjoy doing it as much as these people do...

“Hoggin’ All the Covers” is available exclusively at Amazon.com. You can purchase it here.

Photo Credit: Amazon.com

Pick of the Week: Going With My Heart

It’s Christmas week, which means lots of holiday movies and specials, so I wasn’t really sure what to go with here.

But in the end, I had to go with my heart…

My Pick of the Week is the “Flipping Out” Holiday Marathon…

This is your chance to see one of the year’s best reality shows beginning with the second season’s second episode and ending with the hilarious reunion show.

And it’s also a chance to whet your appetite for next season, which I hope is coming very soon…

Unfortunately, though, the marathon’s airing during the day, so you’ll need to set your VCRs/DVRs. I know I’ll be setting both of mine…

The “Flipping Out” marathon airs Tuesday, December 23rd from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Bravo…

Photo Credit: Bravo

Last Minute Help for the Holidays #3: Plug It In and Play

The Plug It In and Play Games from JAKKS Pacific are a great alternative for anyone not wanting to purchase an expensive game system. They just plug directly into the TV…

And there are some great TV-inspired choices this year…

There’s “Deal Or No Deal”…

This adorable apple-shaped “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?”…

The always popular “Wheel of Fortune”…

And, of course, “Disney’s High School Musical”…

All of these games (Ages 6+ SRP $19.99) are available in stores and online now…

Last Minute Help for the Holidays #2: "Hannah Montana" and "Camp Rock"

There are SO many “Hannah Montana” toys it’s hard to keep track…

So I thought I’d spotlight just a few for the last-minute shopper…

There are tons of “Hannah Montana” dolls out this year (I like the ones that showcase certain moments from the show.), but the most special is “Holiday Pop Star Hannah Montana.” Hannah comes dressed in a cute holiday outfit and sings “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” The doll (SRP $34.99), which is suitable for both collecting and playing, is for ages 6+…

Your favorite “Hannah Montana” fan can also perform with “Hannah” instruments like keyboards and guitars. I know someone who is getting the “Hannah Montana Rockin’ Electric Guitar” (Ages 3+, SRP $19.99) under her tree this year…

But the Taj Mahal for “Hannah Montana” fans has to be the “Hannah Montana Malibu Beach House.” Each area of the house (Ages 6+, SRP $159.99) is an authentic replica of that area from the TV show…

But if the Jonas Brothers are more your tween’s thing, don’t despair. There are some great toy choices for them as well from the “Camp Rock” line…

I wasn’t a fan of “Camp Rock,” but I have to admit these “Camp Rock Singing Dolls” are pretty cute. You can buy them separately or as the “Final Jam!” set. Solo Mitchie sings “Who Will It Be?” and solo Shane plays “Play My Music.” The set allows children to recreate the movie’s finale with Mitchie singing “This Is Me” and Shane singing “Gotta Find You.” The dolls are for kids ages 6+ (SRP $21.99/$34.99 for set). Non-singing dolls are also available (SRP $12.99/$24.99 for set).

Your children can learn to perform the “Camp Rock” songs themselves with the “Camp Rock Guitar Video Game.” The game (Ages 6+ SRP $69.99) plugs into the TV without any additional software…

All of these products are available in stores and online now…

Photos Credit: JAKKS/Play Along Toys

Last Minute Help for the Holidays #1: "Merv Griffin's Crosswords"

For many people, crossword puzzles are a great way to pass the time, while engaging the mind.

But crosswords have always been more of an individual pastime—until now as Parker Brothers has made crossword puzzles a game for the whole family.

Based on the TV game show, “Merv Griffin’s Crosswords,” the “Crosswords” board game allows players or teams to earn points by answering the clues to a crossword puzzle. The person/team with the most points wins.

There are different ways to play, including players serving as “spoilers” to knock others out of earning points.

But the heart of the game is the crossword puzzle. And who doesn’t enjoy a good one of those?

“Merv Griffin’s Crosswords” board game (SRP $17.99) is for 2-6 players ages 12+. It’s available in stores and online now…

Photo Credit: Hasbro

The Return of An Old Friend

It felt like the return of an old friend…

As the hour progressed, I actually started talking to the TV. I gasped, I laughed, I cheered. At one point I felt positively giddy.

And then it dawned on me. I was reacting this way to “Dirty Sexy Money.” The show that has been beyond dreadful all season long.

And then something else hit me. My favorite show from last season had finally gotten itself back together just in time for the last episode we’ll see in who knows how long (if we ever see the rest of them).

It made me a little sad…Okay, a lot sad…

So what happened with the show? I couldn’t even begin to tell you. It’s like some temporary writers came in after the strike and screwed everything up for seven weeks and then left so the regular ones could get back to work. As I told you earlier, the last two weeks have shown a major improvement. But last night’s was classic “DSM”—dirty, sexy fun!

I was a little worried when the episode chose to pick up from last week’s cliffhanger with a news documentary that picked up a month later and briefly grazed over what happened. But it actually worked. It allowed one story to get resolved and the others to move forward.

Karen (Natalie Zea) returned to her old self. Simon (Blair Underwood) continued his mustache twirling ways (and I mean that as a compliment). Lisa (Zoe McLellan) got limited air time and the time she got didn’t consist of needless whining. Jeremy and Nola (Seth Gabel and Lucy Liu) actually made sense as a couple. Brian (Glenn Fitzgerald) once again struggled with being happy—which is always worth watching. And Donald Sutherland finally remembered how to act again.

But the best part was a super twist that I should have seen coming, but didn’t. The show introduced the possibility that Nick and Brian’s dad, Dutch, is alive.

And as usual, it was Brian who put it all into wonderful perspective with one of the best lines I’ve heard all year. As Brian and Nick sat in Brian’s church contemplating the possibility, Brian said, “Hey Nick, this whole freakin’ building is dedicated to the idea that everyone thought some guy was dead and then he wasn’t. I’m just saying it wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened.”

Like I said, I should have seen it coming. But with all of the horrible crap the show has been producing this season, I think it’s easy to see why I didn’t.

Now, we wait to see when or if ABC will schedule the three remaining episodes so we can see if Dutch is indeed alive.

And considering my luck with ABC shows, I’m not going to hold my breath…

As happy as we are to see old friends return, it’s even tougher when we have to say goodbye, isn’t it?

You can see the episode for yourself at ABC.com…

Photos Credit: Vivian Zink/ABC

Chuck Todd Gets His Due

I said last week that I hoped NBC News had big plans for Chuck Todd.

It appears that they do…

Today, NBC News announced that Todd will be the Chief White House Correspondent.

Todd will also stay in his post as NBC News Political Director and he has been named a Contributing Editor to “Meet the Press.” As such he will make frequent appearances on the show.

Sounds a little like a compromise to me, but I’m happy…

Photo Credit: Virginia Sherwood

Shout! Factory Fulfills Our “Dreams”

“Surf dudes with attitudes…Kind of groovin’…laid back moon…”

Does that spark any memories for anyone?

For those of us who lived on TNBC during the 90s, we recognize that as the opening phrase of the theme song to “California Dreams,” NBC’s Saturday morning show about a teenage rock band.

And if that sparked some happy memories, this will have you screaming…

The wonderful folks at Shout! Factory (the people who brought you the fantastic “Sports Night: 10th Anniversary Edition”) are bringing “California Dreams” to DVD…

According to TVShowsonDVD.com, the first two seasons of the show will hit stores March 29th…

And that’s not all the great people at Shout! Factory have planned for us next year. They’re also giving us “Mr. Belvedere,” “Blossom” and “My Two Dads.”

I would love it if they’d finish out the TNBC collection by eventually giving us “City Guys” and “Hang Time” as well…

To whet your appetite, here’s the only song I remember from “Dreams” (besides the theme), “Castles on Quicksand.” Believe it or not, I still find myself singing it from time to time…

Alan Rosenberg Is Ticking Me Off

I have always been a fan of Alan Rosenberg.

He is in one of my favorite TV-movies of all time—“The Temptations.”

But sadly, I don’t think I will be able to watch his part in that movie the same way ever again.

Because, let’s face it. Alan Rosenberg, the president of SAG, is ticking me off…

Now, I know I need to tread lightly here because I don’t want to offend any union members out there, but I just can’t see how an Actors’ Strike could possibly be beneficial at this time.

As I said before, I strongly believe that everyone should get what they are entitled to and if actors aren’t getting a big enough piece of the new media (Internet, downloads, etc.) pie then they should get more.

But why is the deal that was good enough for the writers and the directors not good enough for the actors? Can someone explain that one to me?

Danny Devito and Rhea Perlman have begun a petition that asks for the strike authorization vote scheduled for next month to be called off, the deal from the studios be accepted and the guild rally its forces to get a better deal in 2011. The petition has now been supported by big names like George Clooney and Robert Redford.

The pro-strike actors, which include Martin Sheen and Eric Bogosian, argue that new media concerns cannot wait until 2011 and must be dealt with now. Rosenberg himself argues that the guild cannot allow the economy to force the actors to accept a bad deal.

But how can you not consider the economy? All TV and movie studios are cutting jobs and cutting back on productions. Both TV and movies are just now recovering from the Writers’ Strike. Another strike in this economy could be absolutely crippling.

In fact, I believe that an actors’ strike could kill network television as we know it…

So why is Rosenberg pushing so hard for a strike vote? If he doesn’t get the 75% he needs, then SAG will just have to accept the deal anyway, so what’s the point of all of this?

What do you guys think?

SAG Award Nominations: The Show Must Go On

While they continue to hash out this whole strike thing, the show must go on. So SAG announced its nominees for the SAG Awards this morning,

And I have to say that I’m pretty darn happy about the TV nominees…

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

RALPH FIENNES / Bernard Lafferty - "BERNARD AND DORIS" (HBO)
PAUL GIAMATTI / John Adams - "JOHN ADAMS" (HBO)
KEVIN SPACEY / Ron Klain - "RECOUNT" (HBO)
KIEFER SUTHERLAND / Jack Bauer - "24: REDEMPTION" (FOX)
TOM WILKINSON / Benjamin Franklin - "JOHN ADAMS" (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

LAURA DERN / Katherine Harris - "RECOUNT" (HBO)
LAURA LINNEY / Abigail Adams - "JOHN ADAMS" (HBO)
SHIRLEY MacLAINE / Coco Chanel - "COCO CHANEL" (Lifetime)
PHYLICIA RASHAD / Lena Younger - "A RAISIN IN THE SUN" (Lifetime)
SUSAN SARANDON / Doris Duke - "BERNARD AND DORIS" (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series

MICHAEL C. HALL / Dexter Morgan - "DEXTER" (Showtime)
JON HAMM / Don Draper - "MAD MEN" (AMC)
HUGH LAURIE / Gregory House - "HOUSE" (FOX)
WILLIAM SHATNER / Denny Crane - "BOSTON LEGAL" (ABC)
JAMES SPADER / Alan Shore - "BOSTON LEGAL" (ABC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

SALLY FIELD / Nora Walker - "BROTHERS & SISTERS" (ABC)
MARISKA HARGITAY / Det. Olivia Benson - "LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT" (NBC)
HOLLY HUNTER / Grace Hanadarko - "SAVING GRACE" (TNT)
ELISABETH MOSS / Peggy Olson - "MAD MEN" (AMC)
KYRA SEDGWICK / Dep. Chief Brenda Johnson - "THE CLOSER" (TNT)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series

ALEC BALDWIN / Jack Donaghy - "30 ROCK" (NBC)
STEVE CARELL / Michael Scott - "THE OFFICE" (NBC)
DAVID DUCHOVNY / Hank Moody - "CALIFORNICATION" (Showtime)
JEREMY PIVEN / Ari Gold - "ENTOURAGE" (HBO)
TONY SHALHOUB / Adrian Monk - "MONK" (USA)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

CHRISTINA APPLEGATE / Samantha Newly - "SAMANTHA WHO?" (ABC)
AMERICA FERRERA / Betty Suarez - "UGLY BETTY" (ABC)
TINA FEY / Liz Lemon - "30 ROCK" (NBC)
MARY-LOUISE PARKER / Nancy Botwin - "WEEDS" (Showtime)
TRACEY ULLMAN / Various Characters - "TRACEY ULLMAN’S STATE OF THE UNION" (Showtime)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

BOSTON LEGAL (ABC)
DEXTER (Showtime)
HOUSE (Fox)
MAD MEN (AMC)
THE CLOSER (TNT)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

30 ROCK (NBC)
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC)
ENTOURAGE (HBO)
THE OFFICE (NBC)
WEEDS (Showtime)

I am a little disappointed, however, that the SAGs do not give an award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a TV Movie or Miniseries. I don’t think there’s any doubt that “24: Redemption” would have gotten a nod in that category…

I also think it’s a little wrong that because there are no supporting categories in the TV awards that James Spader and William Shatner are forced to compete with each other. Personally, I’m happy with either one of them winning. And you know I definitely want “Boston Legal” to win for ensemble, although it probably doesn’t stand a chance—unless the actors want to give their peers on the show the love its network did not…

And because the SAGs love Kiefer, I think he has a great shot at winning—especially since the movie had such an important political message. I think Paul Giamatti is his strongest competition…

The SAG awards air Sunday, January 25th at 8 p.m. on both TBS and TNT…

Photo Credits: Craig Sjodin/ABC & Ron Tom/ABC

Help for the Holidays #11: Board Games Are Still Fun

With computers, Nintendo DSs, Wiis and all of the other gizmos kids have these days, board games are quickly becoming a thing of the past.

And that’s a shame. Because sometimes there’s nothing better than gathering friends and/or family around the table for a board game. Thankfully, companies like Hasbro/Milton Bradley are still cranking them out with the latest characters.

When I was a kid that meant “The Rescuers” and “Wonder Woman.” But this year, it means “The Naked Brothers Band” and “High School Musical 3”…

I don’t know anything about “Brothers” but that didn’t keep me from appreciating “The Naked Brothers Band VIP Concert Tour Game.” Basically, players move across the country trying to pick up the best tickets possible for each concert. The better the tickets, the more points you get. You can also collect points at rest stops. The player with the most points after all the concert stops have been made wins.

The game itself is pretty simple, but it takes some strategy to navigate the board and beat your opponents to the punch.

“The Naked Brothers Band VIP Concert Tour Game” (SRP $14.99) is for 2-4 players ages 7+…

There’s a lot of strategy involved in the “High School Musical 3 East High Forever Game”—and that’s a good thing—as you try to collect more points than the other players before time runs out.

Each player gets to be whichever “HSM” character they choose (two guesses who I picked) and then navigate the halls of East High trying to collect points. But you have to do it quickly before senior year comes to an end.

Because each character has their own way to collect points (that other players don’t know about), you have to be strategic about how to use those opportunities. And there are, of course, opportunities to mess up other players and keep them from collecting points.

“High School Musical 3 East High Forever Game” (SRP $19.99) is for 2-4 players ages 8+…

Both games are available in stores and online now…

Photos Credit: Hasbro

Help for the Holidays #10: A New Batch of Great TV Ornaments

Several weeks ago I told you guys about some TV-inspired ornaments that would make great Christmas gifts.

Now, here’s a new batch from the 2008 Carlton Heirloom Ornament Collection…

If you read my “American Idol” blog, you’ve already seen this one—the “American Idol” ornament (SRP $25.00) that actually plays Ryan Seacrest saying, “This is American Idol.” And yes, I do have it…

Lucy is all decked out for Christmas on the “I Love Lucy” ornament (SRP $17.50)…

And how adorable is this “The Andy Griffith Show” ornament (SRP $20.00) that actually plays part of the theme song…

Garfield is all ready to watch a Christmas special on his ornament (SRP $15.00)…

And here are two different ornaments for “The Simpsons” fans—Bart (SRP $10.00) and Homer, which plays a cat screech and Homer saying, “D’oh” (SRP $20.00)…

Plus, there are plenty of TV-inspired choices for kids including “Sesame Street” Elmo ($15.00)

and Abby Cadabby (SRP $15.00),

SpongeBob Square Pants ($15.00)

and Dora the Explorer (SRP $15.00)…

Plus, there are two ornaments commemorating the classic Christmas specials, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (SRP $22.50) and "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" (SRP $22.50). "Rudolph" plays a selection from "We're a Couple of Misfits" and of course, his nose lights up. The "Santa" ornament plays a selection from "Put One Foot in Front of the Other."

These ornaments are available wherever Carlton ornaments are sold. To find the Carlton retailer nearest you visit the Carlton website…

Photos Credit: American Greetings

Stocking Stuffer Alert #2: “Death In Daytime”

Most people know Eileen Davidson as Ashley Abbott from “The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold and the Beautiful.”

But I will always know her as look-alikes Kristen, Susan, Sister Mary Moira and Penelope from “Days of Our Lives” (She was so robbed of an Emmy.).

However, now I will also know her as a pretty good author after reading her first novel, “Death In Daytime.”

“Death” was in my stack of things to read for weeks, but there was always something else that took precedent. But one night I decided I would get started by reading a few pages before I went to sleep.

But the next thing I knew, it was very late and those few pages had turned into 150. I just couldn’t put it down…

The novel centers on Alexis Peterson, a 20-year daytime soap veteran. Marcy, the new head writer of her show, hates her and is trying to phase her character out. The two have had numerous arguments, including one in which Alexis threw an Emmy at her.

So when Marcy ends up dead, Alexis becomes the prime suspect.

One of the cops on the case is totally obsessed with Alexis’ character, while his partner has Alexis fascinated. But she already has Paul, a forensics expert that Alexis just can’t seem to commit to.

Of course, it’s her interest in Paul’s line of work that convinces her that she can solve the case herself—which of course leads to more trouble.

You would think that with this kind of novel by a daytime veteran that you would spend most of
the book wondering who she based her characters on, but you won’t. You’ll be too busy trying to solve the mystery and guessing what trouble Alexis will get into next.

Davidson’s writing style is so fun and breezy that you’ll get sucked in immediately. And the short chapters keep you turning and turning until you don’t even realize just how much you’ve read until it’s way past your bedtime…

I was a little disappointed with the ending until I realized that another book is planned that will continue the lives of these characters.

And based on the sneak peek we got of the next one, it’s going to be just as much fun…

“Death In Daytime” (SRP $6.99) is available in stores and online now…

Photo Credit: Berkley Obsidian Mysteries

Help For the Holidays #9: "CSI" DVD Game

One of my favorite board games as a kid was “Clue.”

Well now Hasbro is using TV’s #1 show to turn that game on its ear…

The “CSI” DVD game basically uses the same principles of “Clue.” You gather evidence so that you can solve the case. But with “CSI,” you use forensic evidence to come to your conclusion.

And this game gives you the tools to gather the evidence—an investigation viewer and an evidence revealer.

Basically, each player takes turns gathering the evidence by playing different portions of the DVD. However, most clues are only for the player whose turn it is—if they have the proper tool.

You use the viewer to match the number on the screen with the evidence card. And the revealer allows you to detect whether a suspect is lying.

Just like with “Clue,” some parts of the DVD will help you and some won’t. But you won’t know which until you play them.

When you think you’ve got it all figured out, you make an arrest and then tell the timeframe of the murder and the weapon.

Because I wanted to see every detail, it took me quite a while to make an arrest. And even then I couldn’t narrow down the timeframe. Apparently, I wasn’t paying close enough attention. But I finally figured it out.

If you’re playing the game by yourself, gathering the evidence might seem a little tedious, but it’s necessary. However, if you’re playing with others, not everyone will get to see all of the clues, which makes it much harder to solve the case—unless you choose to work together…

The “CSI” DVD Game (SRP $19.99) is for 1-6 adult players and is available in stores and online now…

Photo Credit: Hasbro

Spend Your Holidays With Bravo

I am so giddy about this I can barely contain myself…

For the holidays, Bravo is doing a series of marathons of some of their classic reality shows.

Sunday, December 21st, it’s “The Rachel Zoe Project” from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and “The Real Housewives of Orange County” (Season 4) from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Tuesday, December 23rd, it’s the entire classic second season of “Flipping Out” from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. I’m actually thinking about calling in sick that day…

Wednesday, December 24th, before you get together with the family for Christmas Eve, watch my guy Blais on “Top Chef: Chicago” from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Christmas Day, see the current chefs in action on “Top Chef: New York” from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and episodes from seasons three and four of “The Real Housewives of Orange County” from 3 p.m.-11 p.m.

Friday, December 26th, it’s “The Millionaire Matchmaker” from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Saturday, December 27th, it’s the wild antics of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” from 12:30 p.m.-9 p.m.

Monday, December 29th, you can see a portion of the classic fourth season of “Project Runway” from 1 p.m.-9 p.m.

Tuesday, December 30th, it’s season two of “Million Dollar Listing” from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Wednesday, December 31st, before you count down to the end of the year, you can watch episodes from season five of “Project Runway” from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

And finally, Saturday, January 3rd, it’s “The Real Housewives of New York City” from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

The only thing that would make me happier would be a one-two punch of “Tabatha’s Salon Takeover” and “Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List”…

Set those VCRs now…

Photo Credits: Bravo & John Crooms/Bravo

The Top TV DVDs of 2008

So what were the top TV DVD sellers in 2008?

According to “Billboard,” they were:

10) “The Office” Season One

9) “Lost” Season Three

8) “Flight of the Conchords” Season One

7) “The Office” Season Three

6) “Family Guy”: Volume 5

5) “Family Guy Presents Blue Harvest”

4) “John Adams”

3) “Tom and Jerry’s Greatest Chases”

2) “High School Musical 2”

And the biggest selling TV DVD of the year? “Planet Earth,” which was one of Oprah's Favorite Things..

By the way, despite being the worst season of the show ever, the sixth season of “24” still came in at #25.

Please note that the “Billboard” year runs from December 1, 2007-November 29, 2008…

Photo Credit: Amazon.com

"Dirty Sexy Money": Too Little Too Late

As I was watching “Top Chef” Wednesday night, I flipped over to “Dirty Sexy Money” just for the heck of it.

And I was surprised to find that there was actually a lot going on. In fact there was so much I almost didn’t want to turn back to “Top Chef.”

And I think you guys know for me that’s really saying something…

So for the first time in weeks I was actually excited to watch my tape of the show. But before I could watch last week’s I had to watch the week before, which I had never bothered to watch.

In fact, I had lost so much interest in the show that I had forgotten to start the VCR until 17 minutes into the show. So imagine my chagrin when I discovered that those 17 minutes had more action in them than the entire season…

Simon (Blair Underwood) was finally revealed as the ubervillain he was apparently always intended to be. And in an interesting twist, he ended up as Tripp’s (Donald Sutherland) partner.

And the show wisely put the Wren story to bed, although I must admit I didn’t see much of how they did since I fast-forwarded through all of those scenes…

But the best part was that the show put the spotlight back on its best character—Brian Darling (Glenn Fitzgerald). Never the romantic before, Brian showed he does have a softer side by turning Karen’s (Natalie Zea) cancelled wedding into one for him and Andrea (Sheryl Lee).

If not for Lisa (Zoe McLellan) saying goodbye to her marriage—again—it would’ve been the perfect wedding…

But thankfully, “DSM” wasn’t done with Brian yet as the spotlight remained on him last week as well. Trying to deal with Andrea’s impending death, Brian made a deal with God. “It’s time for you to step up,” he yelled at the picture of Jesus, “and show me what you can do for me.”

It’s a position that unfortunately way too many of us are familiar with. And it injected a lot of heart into a show that hadn’t even had a pulse all season.

But there was more good stuff about last week’s episode. Carmelita (Candis Cayne) returned. Jeremy (Seth Gabel) showed some brains. Lisa was not involved at all. And FINALLY, Nick (Peter Krause) showed some backbone and stood up to the Darlings instead of just rolling over and doing whatever they wanted as he had all season.

The episode culminated in a classic cliffhanger as shots rang out at Patrick’s (William Baldwin) inauguration.

It was like this hideous season had never happened and the show picked up right where it left off last season.

But sadly, it’s too little too late…

If only the show had made some of these moves earlier, it may have survived. Now I’m just hoping that ABC will actually air all of the remaining episodes.

Especially if they’re as solid as last week’s was…

“Dirty Sexy Money” airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on ABC…

Photo Credits: Vivian Zink/ABC & Randee St. Nicholas/ABC

The Latest From the Strike Front

Perhaps you were hoping that because I hadn’t said anything recently about a possible Actor’s Strike that there was no chance of it happening.

Sadly, that’s not the case. However, events today may make it much harder for SAG to pull one off…

According to TVGuide.com, SAG plans to send out ballots January 2nd to its 100,000 members asking for a strike authorization. The votes would be tabulated by January 23rd.

But the New York Division Board of Directors of SAG has asked the guild to halt the vote for an emergency meeting of the national board to appoint new negotiators.

The New York Board has 14 of the 71 representatives on the national board.

Alan Rosenberg, SAG’s president, has agreed to the national meeting, but not to appoint negotiators. Instead he wants to address “the ramifications of this extraordinarily destructive and subversive action.” Apparently, the NY Board supported a strike in October.

But I think we can all agree things were different in October, right? The economy wasn’t in such a jam and the full impact of the Writers’ Strike on television hadn’t been realized yet. So, I think it’s not surprising that people are concerned about another strike.

Seizing on that concern, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers bought an ad in “Variety” and “The Hollywood Reporter” appealing directly to actors to vote no on the strike authorization because the new deal will benefit them significantly.

SAG, of course, says that the ad is full of lies.

Can’t we all just get along?

I understand wanting to get every dime you deserve. But in these troubled times, shouldn’t Rosenberg and his pals on the SAG board be giving this a little more thought? Hopefully, the SAG members are...

Stay Tuned…

"Dr. Horrible" Hits DVD...

If you fell in love with “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” like I did, you’ll be happy to know it will finally be available on DVD this month—but only at Amazon.com…

The DVD not only features “Dr. Horrible” in its beautiful 42 minute entirety, it also features a commentary by the cast and crew and “Commentary: The Musical,” a commentary completely in song with all new music and lyrics.

The DVD also features Evil League of Evil application videos from adoring fans.

And at a retail price of only $9.99, how can you possibly resist?

The DVD will be released by Amazon.com on Friday, December 19th.

The soundtrack was released on Amazon.com today and you can also download it at iTunes. It also retails for $9.99…

Photo Credit: Amazon.com

Pick of the Week: A Dream Reunion

Ever since Charlie Sheen returned to TV in “Two and a Half Men,” millions of children of the 80s have been waiting for this moment.

Or at least I have been…

And that’s why my Pick of the Week is “Two and a Half Men.”

So what’s the big moment? An on-screen reunion of Sheen with his brother, Emilio Estevez.

What? You didn’t see “Men at Work”?

Estevez will obviously not be playing Charlie’s brother, but instead will be playing an old friend of Charlie’s. I won’t tell you what the storyline is, but suffice it to say it looks like Estevez’s appearance will be brief.

But even a brief reunion is good enough for me…

I’m also glad that this episode isn’t airing after January. I’ve always thought it was wrong to make people choose between Charlie Sheen and Kiefer Sutherland; but to make them choose between Charlie Sheen, Emilio Estevez and Kiefer Sutherland? Well, that’s just downright cruel…

“Two and a Half Men” airs Monday, December 15th at 9 p.m. on CBS…

Photo Credit: Greg Gayne/Warner Bros.

The Golden Globes Do the Right Thing

Congratulations to Kiefer Sutherland who received a Golden Globe nomination for “24: Redemption” (as I requested). He’s got some real heavy hitters in his category, but I think he’s got a good shot.

However since the Golden Globes are scheduled to air opposite the season premiere of “24,” I won’t be watching anyway…

Here are the other Golden Globe TV nominees…

Drama
“Dexter”
“House”
“In Treatment”
“Mad Men”
“True Blood”

Drama Actress
Sally Field, “Brothers & Sisters”
Mariska Hargitay, “Law & Order: SVU”
January Jones, “Mad Men”
Anna Paquin, “True Blood”
Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer”

Drama Actor
Gabriel Byrne, “In Treatment”
Michael C. Hall, “Dexter”
Jon Hamm, “Mad Men”
Hugh Laurie, “House”
Jonathan Rhys Meyers, “The Tudors”

Comedy
“30 Rock”
“Californication”
“Entourage”
“The Office”
“Weeds”

Comedy Actress
Christina Applegate, “Samantha Who?”
America Ferrera, “Ugly Betty”
Tina Fey, “30 Rock”
Debra Messing, “The Starter Wife”
Mary-Louise Parker, “Weeds”

Comedy Actor
Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”
Steve Carell, “The Office”
Kevin Connolly, “Entourage”
David Duchovny, “Californication”
Tony Shalhoub, “Monk”

Miniseries or TV Movie
“A Raisin in the Sun”
“Bernard and Doris”
“Cranford”
“John Adams”
“Recount”

Miniseries/TV Movie Actress
Judi Dench, “Cranford”
Catherine Keener, “An American Crime”
Laura Linney, “John Adams”
Shirley MacLaine, “Coco Chanel”
Susan Sarandon, “Bernard and Doris”

Miniseries/TV Movie Actor
Ralph Fiennes, “Bernard and Doris”
Paul Giamatti, “John Adams”
Kevin Spacey, “Recount”
Kiefer Sutherland, “24: Redemption”
Tom Wilkinson, “Recount”

Series/Miniseries/TV Movie Supporting Actress
Eileen Atkins, “Cranford”
Laura Dern, “Recount”
Melissa George, “In Treatment”
Rachel Griffiths, “Brothers & Sisters”
Dianne Wiest, “In Treatment”

Series/Miniseries/TV Movie Supporting Actor
Neil Patrick Harris, “How I Met Your Mother”
Denis Leary, “Recount”
Jeremy Piven, “Entourage”
Blair Underwood, “In Treatment”
Tom Wilkinson, “John Adams”

The 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards will air Sunday, January 11th at 8 p.m. on NBC…

Photo Credits: Timothy White/FOX, USA, & Kelsey MacNeal/FOX

Stocking Stuffer Alert #1: 20Q “The Simpsons”

If you’ve ever played with a 20Q game, you know that it can seriously freak you out.

You think of the most random thing, it asks you 20 questions about it, and then somehow it guesses what you’re thinking.

Well now, Mattel has expanded the game with a “The Simpsons” edition.

And yes, it’s just as freaky…

I don’t really know that much about “Simpsons” characters so I started with something simple—Marge’s hair. And because the 20 questions seemed so off, I never dreamed it would get close. But sure enough, it got it right.

However, it took 25 questions to get Bart’s skateboard and it never did get Lisa’s saxophone.

But Duff Beer? Ned Flanders? No problem.

If you’re a fan of “The Simpsons,” you’re sure to be entertained for hours.

And you’re sure to be freaked out a little too…

20Q “The Simpsons” (SRP $14.99) is available in stores and online now…

Photo Credit: Mattel

Julianne "Dancing" Her Way to Huntington

Hot on the heels of my review of her Christmas CD comes word that Julianne Hough is coming to Huntington…

Julianne will be at Veterans Memorial Fieldhouse April 23rd at 7 p.m. along with Phil Stacey.

Tickets go on sale this Monday at 10 a.m. and are $28, $23 and $18…

Photo Credit: Ondrea Barbe/Universal Music Group

"CSI" Review: Fishburne Brings the Creepy

Any time a major character gets replaced on a show it can be risky…

And when that show is the #1 show on TV, well, risky may be an understatement.

But in the case of “CSI,” I think it’s going to be in good hands.

Within the first 15 minutes of tomorrow night’s episode of “CSI,” Grissom (William Petersen) will announce to his team that he’s leaving CSI.

But before he can walk out the door, he’s confronted with a complex case involving a jailed serial killer. What appears to be two different cases actually turns out to be connected in a surprising way.

And to help make the connection, Grissom secretly joins the class of a well-known criminal pathologist, Dr. Raymond Langston (Laurence Fishburne). Langston is actually conducting live interviews with the serial killer and Grissom is hoping to learn more information through the class.

And if you’re thinking that this episode is creepy, you are absolutely right. I haven’t even told you the half of it…

Let me warn you, though, not to spend too much time trying to figure out how the mystery is going to get solved in the hour, because it doesn’t. The story will actually not be concluded until the show’s next new episode on January 15th, Petersen’s last.

And I don’t think I am giving anything away by telling you that also in that episode, Langston will join the CSI team.

Personally, I think he will make an interesting addition. Although we don’t get that much of a look at him in this episode, he’s already setting off a creepy vibe that will no doubt perplex the CSI team as they deal with the departure of their leader.

Plus, who knows. Maybe a show in its ninth season needs a good shake-up. Even if it is the #1 show on TV…

Laurence Fishburne makes his debut on “CSI” this Thursday, December 11th at 9 p.m. on CBS…

Photo Credit: Sonja Flemming/CBS

Help for the Holidays #8: A Family Night One-Two Punch

Some of my fondest memories as a child are our family game nights when the four of us would gather around the table and play some board games.

But sadly, I think that family game nights are becoming an endangered species...

Thankfully, Hasbro/Parker Brothers may have just the thing to revive it with the one-two punch of “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” and “Don’t Forget the Lyrics!”

“5th Grader” works much like the TV show. You answer two questions from each grade (1st-5th) to work your way up the money board. If you get all the way up the board without missing any questions, you can try to answer the million dollar question. Of course, at any time, you can take the money you’ve earned thus far and quit the game.

Just like on the show, you have the option to peek or cheat as well as save. But in this case, your classmate (another player) can earn money for helping you.

The player with the most money at the end of the game wins.

The fun of this game is seeing just how stupid you can feel as an adult when you don’t know an answer. And playing the game with your kids will make that even more fun.

And no, I am not going to reveal the category that tripped me up the first time I played…

“Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” (SRP $19.99) is for 2-4 players ages 8+…

“Don’t Forget the Lyrics” is also fun for the whole family, but it’s for ages 12+.

Why? Because it’s hard. Fun, but hard…

Just like the show, you have to fill in the blanks in the song lyrics. But since this is a board game and not a DVD game, you don’t have to sing if you don’t want to (but it does make things more fun).

But if you’re like me, you won’t know how most of the songs go anyway…

You can always get help with Three Lines (three possible choices), Two Words and Backup Singer (another player helps you out). But, the people that help you can collect money as well.

The person with the most money at the end of the game is the winner.

“Don’t Forget the Lyrics!” (SRP $22.99) is for two teams of players ages 12+.

Both games are available in stores and online now…

Photos Credit: Hasbro

CD Review: "The Julianne Hough Collection"

“Dancing With the Stars” fans know Julianne Hough as the two-time champ with the skilled moves and the gutsy choreography.

But now, music fans are getting to know her as a country singer with a lot of heart. And you’ll hear every bit of that heart on “The Julianne Hough Collection,” one of this year’s offerings from the “NBC Sounds of the Season” line (You may remember that last year’s was the outstanding “Elliott Yamin Collection.”).

If I had to describe the CD in one word, I would use “homey;” and since we’re talking about Christmas music that’s not a bad thing. Julianne rips out her best country twang on standards like “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” And her homey country style also works well on the semi-standard “Feliz Navidad.”

But the highlight on this CD is a duet with Phil Vassar, “It Wasn’t His Child/Mary Did You

Know.” The arrangement beautifully combines these two songs and Vassar is a great addition to Julianne’s voice. It’s one of those songs that when you hear it for the first time, you kind of want to stand up and cheer because it’s that good.

Unfortunately, however, the producers chose to follow this gorgeous spiritual track with “Santa Baby,” which comes off as a little jarring. Personally, I would’ve followed “Mary” with “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” or “Christmas Memories” (where Julianne shares some of her Christmas memories) and then did “Santa Baby.” But “Baby” is a perfect fit for Julianne so once you get past that initial jar it works quite well.

If you’re looking for a Christmas CD with good traditional and contemporary songs that you can just let play then this one is a good choice. It makes me think that maybe Julianne is not making a mistake by leaving “Dancing” to concentrate on her music career…

“NBC Sounds of the Season: The Julianne Hough Collection” is available exclusively at Target stores and online at NBCUniversalStore.com…

Photo Credit: NBC Universal

"Boston Legal" Finale: Hand That Man an Emmy

It was obvious that Monday was a very special episode of “Boston Legal” because Alan Shore (James Spader) gave not one, not two, but three passionate speeches.

First, Alan railed against the government legislating marriage in an attempt to stop an injunction to keep him and Denny from getting married (He, of course, won.). Second, he railed against the Chinese corporation that tried to fire the entire Crane, Poole and Schmidt litigation department (He won that one too—for now.). And third, he argued that a dying man had the right to an experimental drug if it would extend his life.

And it was after that third one, that I actually said aloud, “Hand that man an Emmy.”

And since giving Spader an Emmy would mean not giving Kiefer Sutherland an Emmy, I think you’ll agree that coming from me, that’s high praise indeed…

I know that a lot of people don’t like Spader’s performance because of Alan’s over-the-top political rants and quite frankly I’m not a huge fan of those rants either. That’s why his final speech of the series was so memorable. Although he started out with his cocky, sarcastic attitude (in front of the US Supreme Court, no less), he eventually became an emotional man desperate to hang on to his best friend. It was so beautiful and moving that it even made Alan’s opposing counsel (Kimberly Williams-Paisley in a fantastic guest spot) cry, although I’m proud to say that I kept it together—but just barely.

As Alan told the court that if he could, he would take Denny’s Alzheimer’s away because he loved him, it was hard to keep it together. But more than that it managed to make Alan and Denny getting married all the more plausible…

As Alan said, it was like “jumping the shark,” but somehow it wasn’t as it was completely believable to think that Alan would marry his dear friend to help him get through his final years.

We also got to see Carl and Shirley get married (in a double ceremony with Alan and Denny presided over by Justice Scalia, no less) and Jerry and Katie kiss for the first time; but let’s face it. We were tuning in to see the final balcony scene with Alan and Denny.

And as the camera panned out to the Boston skyline, we watched Alan and Denny dance their first dance as a married couple as Alan argued with Denny about who got to lead. It was actually a pretty satisfying finish…

Because only “Boston Legal” could make two heterosexual men getting married seem sweet…

When “BL” was good, it was very, very good and when it was bad, it was horrid. So it’s great to see that it went out on a high.

Alan, Denny, Jerry, Katie, Shirley and Carl. You will be missed…

You can see the final scene for yourself here…




You can watch the entire episode at ABC.com…

Photo Credits: Vivian Zink/ABC & Craig Sjodin/ABC

HUGE News: Jay's Staying at NBC!

See what I miss when I don’t check my e-mail at night?

Allow me to interrupt your morning with HUGE news that you’ve probably already heard. Jay Leno is staying at NBC.

The network is expected to announce at a news conference today that Jay will get a new show weeknights at 10 p.m.

This is HUGE for two reasons. Number one, it means Jay is not going to another network. Number two, it means that NBC will not have any scripted shows at 10 p.m. during the week.

Jeff Zucker hinted that changes were coming at a presentation yesterday in which he mentioned the idea that NBC may have to cut back on programming due to its financial struggles.

But giving up 10 p.m. every night? YIKES!

I have to say that I’m a little bummed about this because I really wanted Jay to go to another network and destroy Conan O’Brien in the ratings. And, I’m not sure how this whole 10 p.m. thing will work for him. But I’ll get over it because if Jay’s happy, I’m happy.

And the fact that Jay probably got the NBC execs to crawl back to him with this offer does give me some satisfaction.

I’ll have more on this one later…

Pick of the Week: A Final Trip to the Balcony

Was there really any question as to what my Pick would be this week?

My Pick of the Week is the series finale of “Boston Legal.”

And don’t worry. I’ve got my tissues ready…

The two-hour finale (which is actually two separate episodes) follows Alan and Denny as they return to the United States Supreme Court for Alan to try and get Denny a drug he desperately needs to slow down his Alzheimer’s. As I said, it’s got Emmy-bait written all over it—if someone remembers it come Emmy nomination time next year.

Also, Shirley and Carl are planning their wedding and Jerry and Katie are dealing with their new relationship. And, the firm must deal with being broke, including entertaining an offer from a Chinese group.

As I’ve said before, ABC is being rather mum about the details on this one; but what else would you expect? They’ve been mum about “BL” for years—except to take credit for its Emmys…

The series finale of “Boston Legal” airs Monday, December 8th at 9 p.m. on ABC…
ABC is doing no tribute, but thankfully, we have people on YouTube willing to pick up the slack…

Here’s one very well done tribute I found that shows all the changes “BL” has gone through in the past five years set to Matchbox Twenty’s “How Far We’ve Come”…

"The Librarian 3" Review: Truly Entertaining

Sometimes I lose track of programs that I need to review, and that’s what happened with TNT’s “The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice.”

And so now I owe you all an apology for not giving you more notice about this one because it is a truly entertaining two hours…

If you’ve never seen any of “The Librarian” movies (this is the third in the series), I would describe them as Indiana Jones for TV—except in this case, Indiana Jones is a bumbling geek.

Noah Wyle is Flynn Carsen, the Librarian. But that is not nearly as boring as it sounds because the part of the library he works for is the strange, mystical part that collects artifacts like Excalibur and the Fountain of Youth.

The guardian of these artifacts is Judson (the always wonderful Bob Newhart), the head of the Library, who is rather strange and mystical himself. Also assisting Flynn is Charlene (Jane Curtin), the director of personnel, who crunches the numbers to make sure that Flynn’s adventures don’t go over budget.

When the movie opens, Flynn’s Librarian duties are interfering with his personal life. Because he can’t tell anyone what he does, he’s unable to maintain a serious relationship. After witnessing Flynn’s temper tantrum, Charlene suggests he take a vacation. And after being summoned there by a beautiful woman in his dreams (Stana Katic), Flynn heads to New Orleans.

In New Orleans, Flynn becomes involved in the search for the Judas Chalice, the cup made from the 30 pieces of silver Judas was paid for betraying Jesus. Not only must Flynn find it, but he must keep it from a group of Russians who have their own nefarious reasons for getting their hands on the chalice.

If you’ve seen the previews, you know the element I’m leaving out of this; but since telling you will give away a major part of the story and help you figure out the big twist at the end, I’m going to keep quiet about it. Let’s just say that there’s more to the woman of Flynn’s dreams than meets the eye.

The movie, executive produced by Dean Devlin (“Independence Day,” “Leverage”) and directed by Jonathan Frakes, looks absolutely gorgeous as we’re led through mysterious cemeteries, swamps and all kinds of other creepy places.

And even though you will see the twists coming from a mile away, they’re still worth waiting for as the script does a great job of combining the creepy with the humorous—and that’s not easy to do.

But the real highlight of the movie is Wyle, who was born to play Flynn. He has just the right combination of geeky and daring; and his aw-shucks charm draws you in and doesn’t let you go until the very last moment.

And as improbable as some of the climax may seem, you’ll buy every minute of it thanks to Wyle’s wonderful performance…

“The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice” premieres tonight (Sunday, December 7th) at 8 on TNT. If you miss the premiere, you can catch encores tonight at 11; Tuesday, December 9th at 7 p.m.; Wednesday, December 10th at 9 p.m.; and Saturday, December 13th at 6 p.m. or 10:30 p.m…

Photos Credit: Erik Heinila/TNT

On This Morning's Announcement...

I thought I would wipe away the tears and write a little something about this morning’s announcement of the new moderator of “Meet the Press.”

Don’t tell me you’re surprised to hear that I cried…

Tom Brokaw got a little nostalgic as he talked about how much he appreciated the support he received from viewers as he took a job he really didn’t want to take. Then he introduced the new moderator, David Gregory.

And that’s when I lost it. Not because I was sad about Chuck Todd not getting the job but because of the respectful and reverent way Gregory accepted the baton, paying tribute to Tom and of course Tim Russert.

But leave it to Tom to keep it from getting too sentimental as he cautioned Gregory that he could no longer do his dead-on impersonation of him…

I’m still unsure as to how this is going to work, but it was nice to hear Gregory say “I’m not Tim…I can only hope to make him proud.”

Here’s hoping that he will…

You can see the announcement for yourself here…

"Flirting w/Forty" Review: Fun In the Sun

Robert Buckley is a lucky actor…

First, he got all hot and sweaty with Kim Raver on “Lipstick Jungle.” And now, he’s getting all hot and sweaty with none other than Heather Locklear in the new Lifetime movie, “Flirting w/Forty.”

See what I mean?

But if you’re thinking “Forty” is some cougar pounces on a young guy story, you’d be wrong; because this isn’t Locklear the vixen. This is Locklear the single mother struggling to find her way. But she plays that part just as well as the vixen parts we’ve come to know and love her for…

Locklear is Jackie, a divorced mother of two who is just days away from her 40th birthday. To cheer her up, her best friend, Kristine (Vanessa Williams) plans to take her to Hawaii for her birthday. But when a family emergency comes up, Kristine has to cancel and Jackie ends up going alone.

But she’s not alone for long…

Buckley is Kyle, a surf instructor who takes an interest in Jackie. He starts out teaching her to surf, but it, of course, leads to more.

Jackie thinks their fling is over just as soon as she leaves the island, but Kyle has other ideas and Jackie must decide if she wants to continue her newfound life or go back to her old ways…

The first 45 minutes or so is a real treat as we get to see the romance blossom between Jackie and Kyle. And because it’s in Hawaii, we get to see Kyle with his shirt off a lot, and—let’s face it—Buckley is not hard on the eyes…

But the movie starts to drag a little when Jackie gets back to the mainland and her life intrudes on her happiness.

However, this is Lifetime, so the movie finds its way again just in time for the ending…

“Forty” is a fun movie with an actress completely in her element (who still looks great in a bikini by the way). And Buckley is a talented (not to mention hot) young actor who is totally believable as someone a woman 13 years his senior would fall in love with.

I know I did…

“Flirting With Forty” premieres Saturday, December 6th at 9 p.m. on Lifetime. If you miss it then, you can catch an encore Monday, December 8th at 9 p.m.

Photo Credit: Mario Perez/Lifetime

"Leverage" Review: Worth All the Excitement

TNT is extremely excited about its new drama, “Leverage”…

How excited?

Well, they’ve been promoting it for months on both TNT and TBS (“You’ve got me beggin’ you for mercy…”). During one week in October they mailed a different postcard to the media each day introducing one of the show’s characters. Then, they sent out the first two episodes to the media. And finally last month, they sent out a special reminder with the next two episodes.

So, do they have a reason for all this excitement?

I’m pleased to say that yes they do as “Leverage” is one of the best new shows I’ve seen all season…

If I had to describe the show in one sentence, I would say it’s a modern day Robin Hood story turned on its ear. The main characters are robbing from the rich to help the poor and less fortunate, but they never stop robbing from the rich to help themselves…

Timothy Hutton is Nate Ford, a former insurance investigator. Nate is as honest as they come as he recovered millions of dollars in stolen items for his employer. But when Nate needed his company to help him by paying for his son’s medical costs, they didn’t come through leading to his son’s death and leading Nate to leave his job.

In the pilot, Nate is approached by an aeronautics executive who needs to recover stolen airplane designs from his rival. He wants Nate to lead a team of thieves to get the designs back and he entices him with a bonus—the theft will screw Nate’s former company out of millions. Not being able to resist, Nate agrees to lead the team of people who aren’t used to being a team:

Christian (Eliot Spencer) is the “retrieval specialist” who hates guns, but doesn’t really need them…

Parker (Beth Riesgraf) loves money and knows no fear. And, oh yeah. She’s just a tad on the crazy side…

Hardison (Aldis Hodge) is the computer whiz…

The trio are not really excited about working together, but when they get double-crossed, they decide to come together as a unit to get even. Nate then adds Sophie (Gina Bellman), a master grifter, to the team to help out with his revenge plot.

And what a plot it is…

And that’s the fun of the show. Watching this fab five do their thing reminds me a little of “The A-Team” as they pull cons, sneak into tight places and pull off amazing feats of thievery.

And each of the team member’s quirks—Parker’s unpredictability, Hardison’s wise-cracks, Christian’s toughness (not to mention his hotness) and Sophie’s lack of legitimate acting abilities—make it all entertaining.

“Leverage” is from Executive Producer Dean Devlin (“Independence Day”) who makes his directorial debut with the pilot. Devlin shows he’s adept at TV directing by bringing the episode a cool McG quality with his swooshing camera angles.

In fact, very little about “Leverage” doesn’t have a cool quality. And who doesn’t need a little more cool on their must-see-TV list?

“Leverage” premieres commercial free Sunday, December 7th at 10 p.m. on TNT. The show then moves to its regular timeslot Tuesdays at 10 p.m. beginning December 9th…

Photos Credit: TNT

Help For the Holidays #7: A True Blue Friend

La-LA-la-la-la-la, LA-la-la-la-la…

Ah yes. It’s time to revisit the little blue people that stand just three apples tall…

The Smurfs.

We know them best from the classic 80s cartoon series; but it was actually 50 years ago that Belgian cartoonist Peyo introduced the characters in a series of comic strips.

And this year, JAKKS is celebrating that with a Smurfs 50th Anniversary Special Edition Plush.

The 12” Smurf says smurfy phrases when you squeeze his hand and it comes with an early Smurfs sketch and a special anniversary figure.

But the real bonus here is that the plush comes with a DVD of my favorite “Smurfs” episode of all time—“The Smurfette.” If you don’t remember, the episode shows how Gargamel created Smurfette to destroy the Smurfs.

All children of the 80s who loved the little blue guys and gal—and you know that you did—should have this special collectors’ item.

The Smurfs 50th Anniversary Special Edition Plush (SRP $14.99) is available now…

Have a smurfy day! La-LA-la-la-la-la…

Photos Credit: JAKKS

Is This Really What NBC Has Come To?

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse for NBC, they do…

When “Celebrity Apprentice” returns, it will be expanded to two hours.

Are you kidding me? TWO HOURS?!

According to “Week,” the show will air Sunday nights after “Sunday Night Football” ends its run.

Doesn’t anyone remember that the beginning of NBC’s slide was when they turned the network over to Donald Trump to begin with—breaking up their Thursday comedy block for him and then running both his and Martha Stewart’s versions during the same season?

NBC has made no official announcements, but among the contestants for this edition—as reported on various websites—are Scott Hamilton, Joan and Melissa Rivers, Jesse James and Khloe Kardashian.

Do we really need two hours with any of those people? Honestly?

Wow. Is this really what NBC has come to?...

Photo Credit: Ali Goldstein/NBC

“BL” Takes On ABC

If you’re a fan of “Boston Legal,” you know the show is not afraid to go for the inside joke. And many of them come at the expense of its network, ABC.

Earlier this season, during his interview for partner, Jerry (Christian Clemenson) referred to the possibility of Denny, Alan and him leaving the firm. “Don’t think we haven’t been approached for a spin-off. The network certainly doesn’t want us.”

And all season long, characters have referred to “cancellation.”

But last night, the show took ABC head-on…

Catherine Piper (Betty White) returned for seemingly no reason until she convinced Carl Sack (John Larroquette) to take on a case for her—to sue the television networks for age discrimination. Carl’s “we’re mad as [heck] and we’re not going to take it anymore” speech was full of jabs at ABC (and other networks) for their love of shows that appeal to the 18-34 demo. “In fact,” Carl bellowed, “the only show that features adults over 50 as their leads is ‘Bo—‘ well I can’t say that because it will break down the wall.”

But “BL” wasn’t done breaking down the wall. In a classic balcony moment, Alan (James Spader) and Denny (William Shatner) discussed their glee over returning to the US Supreme Court:

Denny: “It’ll make a great finale…It’ll get ratings.”

Alan: “If they promote it. But apparently there’s a law against promoting us.”

See why I love this show so much?

Alan also referred to the “special nine o’clock start time” since “BL” is getting a two-hour send-off next week.

The only problem with having so many of these inside jokes is that it makes for a bit of an uneven episode. Of course, following last week’s fantastic hour, anything was bound to be a disappointment…

However, we did get one thing we’d been waiting for. It looks like Katie has decided to give things with Jerry a try. We didn’t get a big kiss or anything like that. Just a subtle “Let’s go for a drink, Jerry.” When Jerry said “as colleagues,” Katie responded, “Jerry, let’s just go for a drink,” and left the room. After taking a few moments to think over what she meant, Jerry climbed over his desk and ran out after her.

In a show as over the top as “BL,” sometimes it’s subtlety that makes the best moments…

But I’m guessing subtlety will not be on the menu for next week’s finale as Alan argues in front of the US Supreme Court to get Denny an Alzheimer’s drug he so desperately needs (It’s got Emmy bait written all over it.). And the firm must decide whether or not to sell out to a group from China. Plus, Carl and Shirley continue to plan their wedding.

ABC is not releasing a screener of the finale, nor are they sharing very many pictures from the episode, so I honestly have no idea what’s going to happen. But you can bet it will be a little sad and a little crazy with plenty of swipes at the hand who once upon a time fed them and now barely acknowledges their existence…

And since ABC refuses to give the show the love it deserves, I will be showing it some love of my own this week.

So, Stay Tuned…

Photo Credit: Eric McCandless/ABC

Will Gregory "Meet the Press"?

So I watched “Meet the Press” Sunday so I could hear Tom Brokaw’s goodbye and possibly the announcement of the show’s new host.

After all, Brokaw had told David Letterman that his last day would be December 1st.

But the end of the show came and there was no goodbye or replacement announcement. In fact the only announcement made was that next week’s show would feature an interview with President-Elect Barack Obama—meaning Brokaw would be staying around another week.

As to who will eventually relieve Brokaw of the post he has held since June, “The Huffington Post” reported last week that David Gregory, the chief White House correspondent and host of MSNBC’s “Race for the White House” would be getting the job—a charge NBC denied Monday.
But just one hour ago, the Associated Press reported that Gregory is working on a deal, according to an NBC News executive.

Gregory has always been the person I thought was first in line for the job, but I’m not sure he’s the best person for the job. You know I believe that person is NBC News Political Director Chuck Todd, mainly because that’s who Tim Russert wanted to replace him.

In all honesty, though, Todd isn’t quite ready and Brokaw is too burnt out to continue. That leaves either Gregory or chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell and given that choice, Gregory is the way to go. I only hope they find an important role for Todd.

But the sad truth is that Gregory nor Todd can ever truly replace Tim Russert.

I wish Gregory the best of luck as he tries to come close...

Photo Credit: NBC News