Friday, March 31, 2006

FRIDAY FUN: Featuring the Crazy Cast from 'Scrubs!'


This is definitely the funniest comedy that you're not watching. Scrubs blends plenty of slapstick humor with a heavy dose of heart and wonderful characters. I recently discovered some great behind-the-scenes stuff on this fun show.

Ever wonder what it was like to film the show in front of a live audience last season for the first time? Star Sarah Chalke (Elliot) describes her experience and how it led to a cool summer job.

Click HERE to go to the nbc.com page with the link to her interview
(Scroll down to "Featured Video")


You can also view videos from cast members Judy Reyes (Carla), Neil Flynn (Janitor) and Ken Jenkins (Dr. Kelso) by clicking on that "Featured Video" link at the nbc.com page linked above.

The web site IGNFilmForce.com has a ton of cool Scrubs behind-the-scenes features including blog entries. In the most recent entry, you can watch Executive Producer Randall Winston answer fan questions from the mailbag and watch as Costume Designer Carey Bennett explains the difference between medical scrubs and the ones used on the show, including how you can get your own pair. There's also an interview with John C. McGinley (Dr. Cox):

An Interview with John C. McGinley
Ken P. goes in-depth with Dr. Cox.
by Ken P.

March 10, 2006 - John C. McGinley is one of those actors that you've seen in dozens of films, is instantly recognizable, and whose performance in any project is always solid as a rock.

Like the legendary character actors of the 60's and 70's - people like Gene Hackman, Robert Duvall, Roy Scheider, Ned Beatty - no matter how big or small the role, drama or comedy, McGinley brings a palpable intensity to any scene he's in.

As Dr. Perry Cox in Scrubs, he's brought to life one of the most loveably caustic characters to hit a television sitcom since the days of Ed Asner's Lou Grant.

He's also a tireless fundraiser for the National Down Syndrome Society, particularly in conjunction with their annual Buddy Walk.

Shortly before the start of the current fifth season of Scrubs, I had a chance to chat in-depth with Johnny C. (as he's known to his friends - though I'm sure he'll smack me upside the head for being presumptuous when I see him in L.A. next week) about his career, his philosophy, being a father, and much more.
To read more of IGN Film Force's in depth interview with McGinley, click on over to their site.

Don't forget that there are two exciting recent news items on Scrubs!
- You can now watch all of the current season's episodes of this hilarious show on iTunes. Each episode is $1.99, but you're certainly getting enough bang for your buck (or rather buck - 99). Click HERE to get iTunes free.

- NBC is giving you the opportunity to name Carla and Turk's baby! Just send in your name suggestion for a chance to pick the sex and name their impending bundle of joy. If your name suggestion is chosen, you'll also get a future character named after you! Click HERE for all the baby-naming details.

That's all for this edition of Friday Fun! Be sure to check back here Monday for the latest edition of Pass the Remote and next Friday for another installment of Friday Fun! Have a great weekend everyone!

Martin Turns a Corner and 'CSI' Rounds Up an Unusual Suspect! Plus a 'Model' Interview and a New Home for 'Race'

It seems that Martin may have finally turned a corner with his addiction to pain meds on Without a Trace. At least he's willing to admit that he has a problem and fixing it is not something he can do alone. Of course, it took Sam's constant checking up on him and her subsequent yelling session to get him to finally realize that he wanted help. I think with their history together, it's best that she turned him over to Danny. I liked Martin and Danny's scene together at the end of episode when Martin finally showed up at group. I thought the missing persons case was one of the best of the year so far. I found myself completely involved in Matt's plight, and I couldn't help but to feel such heartache for him and his siblings. He sacrificed everything so he could keep his brother and sisters together after their drug-plagued mother abandoned them. It's just so sad to watch these crime dramas and see all the different ways that drugs hurt the people who don't even use them. I'm just so happy that they found Matt unharmed and before he did anything to seriously jeopardize his future. I loved Viv's emotional connection with Matt, and I found it very appropriate that she was the one who took him down to booking. Loved, loved, loved when his mother's attorney asked Viv to wait so his client could see her son, and Viv just looked at him and shook her head. The last thing Matt needed was to see his mother in that condition. Overall, an excellent episode that managed to nicely blend Martin's battle with the missing person case.

CSI was excellent last night too, wasn't it? I really felt like we were members of the jury, and there is no way I could have convicted Marlon either. By the end of the episode, I really thought that Hannah had killed Stacy. The child prodigy had me convinced that she had motive, access to the necessary chemical, and the means to pull it off after she revealed that she had used a flat bed cart to move the body. I was as shocked as Sara when Hannah told her that she didn't kill Stacy. She made up her confession in order to keep her brother out of jail because she felt that the family treated him unfairly. Wow, just wow. I'm glad she wasn't responsible, though, because she does have a bright future. Like Sara, I was concerned that she wasn't going to turn out alright, so finding out that she was innocent was a relief. It's sad that Stacy's killer will never see the inside walls of a jail cell, though. That makes me kind of dislike Hannah a little. No denying it, though, the girl is smart and she played the justice system like a fiddle.


After she experienced emotional turmoil with fellow contestant Jade, Gina (left - photo courtesy UPN) fell to pieces on America's Next Top Model Wednesday night. It wasn't a huge surprise to see the judges send her packing at the end of the hour. The now 22-year old Gina talked about her feud with Jade to bloggers last night during a teleconference. "We were always kind of negative to each other. It's really unfortunate," she says. She and Jade may not have been close, but Gina says that she was close to Nnenna ("She was just a sweetheart to me") and Danielle. "She was supportive and always made everyone laugh. She always gave me tips on my photo shoots. She was really awesome," she says sincerely. Gina has a different impression of her dinner experience with Janice Dickinson. She says she was excited to get the chance to meet the supermodel and learn from her, but things didn't turn out well at the restaurant when Dickinson asked her who was giving her a hard time. Gina reluctantly pointed to Jade, and Dickinson sided with Jade. "I'm not the type to rat people out, but she was really persistent," she explains about the misstep. Gina also faced Madagascar hissing cockroaches for a runway show, something she calls a "scary" experience. "They were huge and they didn't give us much time to prepare for it," she says. She felt that the fairytale photo shoot was the most challenging, but the shoot where she had to go bald was her favorite. "I hope a lot of people, after seeing that episode, realize that they don't have to hide behind their hair to look beautiful," she explains. "A lot of people have this idea that you have to have hair to be beautiful." So, what does the future hold for the little girl who dreamed of being a model since she put on her mom's lipstick and heels? She says that she'd love to pursue modeling, but she always has her education to fall back on. She believes that Top Model was a great experience, and she'd like to take it and run with it. "I think if anything, I've grown into a tougher skin." America's Next Top Model airs Wednesday nights on UPN.

About Last Night...CBS won the first hour of the night with the return of Survivor, followed by NBC comedies Will & Grace (with special guest star Britney Spears) and My Name is Earl (r) and ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (After the Storm). At 9, CBS stayed in the lead with CSI, followed by a tie between ABC's American Inventor and NBC comedies My Name is Earl and The Office. The final hour of the night went to CBS' Without a Trace, followed by NBC's ER and ABC's Primetime. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - NBC's Deal or No Deal continues. Fox's The Bernie Mac Show returns from hiatus with back-to-back episodes.

@9 p.m - Robert Wagner, Hal Sparks and Brooke Burke guest star on a new episode of NBC's Las Vegas. Over on CBS, Annabeth and her office investigate a string of real-estate fraud cases involving a crooked developer on Close to Home. ABC's In Justice airs its first season finale.

@10 p.m. - The FBI investigates the murder of a female Iraqi activist on CBS' Numb3rs. Over on NBC, Finn gets dragged into a shaken baby case and the decision to pull life support from the infant on Conviction.

SUNDAY EDITION
@8 p.m. - Lilly and Jeffries reopen the 2002 case involving the death of a local cabaret singer on CBS' Cold Case. Adam Pascal guest stars and is reunited with his Rent co-star Tracie Thoms (Det. Kat Miller). I've heard through the grapevine that we'll be hearing Thoms sing in this episode. If you've seen Rent, then you know this is a real treat! Over on NBC, it's the night before election day on The West Wing.

@9 p.m. - Bree gets closer to her sponsor and faces off with Lynette and Edie and Karl have an engagement party on ABC's Desperate Housewives.

@10 p.m. - Chris O’Donnell, Mare Winningham and Laurie Metcalf guest star on ABC's Grey's Anatomy.



QUICK CUTS

*Mark your calendars and reprogram your VCRs because CBS' The Amazing Race is moving to a new night and time. The reality competition is moving to Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. beginning next week. CBS says that comedies Out of Practice and Courting Alex, displaced by the Race move, will return to the schedule at a later date. For the time being, reruns of the network's crime dramas will fill the Tuesday night slot that Race previously held. The Amazing Race airs its next episode this Wednesday, April 5th, at 8 p.m. on CBS.

*NBC is flipping Law & Order and Heist beginning next week. Law & Order will return to its previous slot on Wednesday nights. Since moving to 9 p.m. to make way for Heist, the show has struggled, landing in fourth place for the hour on the two Wednesdays that it aired there. Heist, which will move to 9 p.m., hasn't fared much better in its 10 p.m. slot, landing in third behind CBS' CSI: NY and ABC's The Evidence. The change takes effect this Wednesday, April 5th.

*And finally, CBS' short-lived dramedy Love Monkey is getting a new run on cable's VH1. The music channel will air all eight 1-hour episodes beginning next month according to a network spokeswoman. CBS aired three of the eight episodes before pulling it. VH1 will air those three episodes back-to-back on April 11th, and will air the others on a weekly basis beginning April 18th.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in Monday for thoughts on Cold Case and Desperate Housewives. Plus, all the latest television news. And be sure to check back here today for another exciting edition of Friday Fun where you'll go behind-the-scenes with the funniest comedy you're not watching. Stay Tuned...


SAVE EVERWOOD NOW! Click HERE to learn how to help the show get another season

Don't forget to help Veronica Mars with the $4,000 Shower Campaign. Click HERE for details

Thursday, March 30, 2006

'Veronica' Goes to College! Plus 'Lost' in a Locke-down, 'Idol' and 'Model'


We're back at square one with the bus crash on Veronica Mars. Admit it, you thought you were smarter than the show when you thought you had it all figured out. Sure, Terrence looked guilty with hidden explosives located in the same place where he keeps his expensive cars, but the hanger belongs to Woody Goodman! Woody must be responsible for the bus crash, mystery solved, case closed. Ah, but Veronica Mars is never that simple. Last night we learned that Woody has those explosives to implode the old stadium. Of course, this doesn't eliminate Woody or Terrence as suspects, but it does make me revisit the possibility of other suspects just when I thought I had it narrowed down. You've gotta love a show that toys with its audience by pulling us in different directions all the time and keeping us on our toes. Speaking of keeping us on our toes, what role did the Fitzpatricks play in the bus crash, if any? Perhaps Felix's death and the bus crash are more related than we realize. In addition to the brief, important revelation about the explosives, we also learned that Logan didn't have the best of intentions with Hannah when they first met, but his feelings have changed. I didn't realize how strongly he felt for her until the scene where her father broke them up and then the subsequent scene where Logan finds out that Hannah has been shipped off to a boarding school in Vermont. Logan's deep feelings for her should have come as no surprise to me since I remember him falling very hard for Veronica as well. The character is definitely intense. In other Logan news, a hooker ("Escort, hunny") swiped Cliff's briefcase for some "man." Bad news for Logan since his case files were in there, and I'm leaning toward Dr. Griffith as the thief. Cliff was at an Ob/Gyn convention, so Hannah's doctor father probably had easy access to it. I know he made that deal with Logan, but he has to get the Fitzpatricks off his back somehow. I think Logan is headed for some harsh times ahead.

We also got our first taste of Veronica at college last night. Did you notice that she never solved the serial rape case? Could this be an indicator of what to expect next season? Will Veronica go to Hearst and find that more rapes with the same M.O. are going on and then work to solve the case? Or maybe it's something that the show visits later this season. Very interesting. I also forsee an interesting relationship between Veronica and the frat with the scoring system. I loved how she easily handled all those college boys! I wonder if Troy is sincere when he says he's reformed. It's hard to tell with him because he seemed sincere when he was playing Veronica for a fool, so, like Veronica, I will never trust him again.I know we're all sad that Arrested Development is pretty much dead, but how awesome would it be if both Michael Cera and Alia Shawkat joined the cast of Mars next season! Alia's character certainly has more story left, considering that her rapist is still out there, and I can see Michael's character becoming an interesting ally with Veronica. See, this is why we must get a third season! This was an excellent episode that gave us plenty to chew on and set up some interesting prospects for the episodes to come this season and next.

RANDOM MARS MUSINGS
1) Madison and (gasp!) Lamb?! That's awesome!
2) As was Veronica's hysterical reaction to seeing the two of them on the hotel elevator security tape
3) Keith and Cliff's visit to Sheriff Lamb was pure comic gold. How great was that campaign flyer?
4) Veronica's reaction to Keith's escort was so great
5) The Emmy nomination line and scene was pure genius. But then, what else would I expect from television's best written show?


Lost has been stuck in the land of ho-hum episodes lately. It started off the season with a bang, but lost its way somewhere between there and last night's excellent outing. I can only hope that this episode is a foretelling of what's to come for the remainder of the season. Henry Gale isn't really Henry Gale - he's just the man that stole the real Mr. Gale's identity after he probably killed and buried him. Which begs the question, who is the man in the hatch with them? It seems that he is a member of the Others, which means he more than likely knows all about the hatch. Did he cause the strange malfunctions because he knew that Locke would enlist his help? We know from the flashbacks that Locke wants to trust people, even if he shouldn't, so it was only a matter of time before he began trusting "Henry Gale." If "Henry" did cause the hatch malfunctions and then stopped them, why reveal that weird island map only visible under UV light (see it HERE at Pink is the New Blog, courtesy of this SITE)? This just plays further into the idea that this entire island is some sort of weird social experiment and the "Others" are the ones conducting it. It seems that they are toying with the survivors' minds more and more. "Henry" went back for Locke, but more than likely because he still needs to establish trust with him. I'm sure he never counted on Jack and Kate finding that food drop courtesy of the Dharma Initiative. I'm sure he never assumed that Sayid would dig up the buried body at the "balloon" site either. Are we even sure that's a balloon and not another food drop parachute? And who was the real Henry Gale? Did he really crash his balloon on the island? So many questions! I need answers!

The Idol Moment
You guys know that I love Lisa, but her performance Tuesday night was definitely one of the worst along with Ace's ridiculously phony version of "Drops of Jupiter." I definitely wanted Ace to go, so I was happy to see him in the bottom three, but not so happy when Ryan sent him back over to safe land. I had resolved myself to the fact that Lisa was going home, and felt that she deserved to after Tuesday's performance. BUT, I will never be OK with the fact that Katharine McPhee was in the bottom two! Bottom two!!?? Really people? I wasn't the biggest fan of her Christina Aguilera impersonation, but my gawd! The girl has one bad performance and you send her to the bottom two? For Simon's sake, Ace makes ears everywhere bleed every week and he gets to stay! This is why I teeter between liking and loathing this show. I feel like it morphs into a teeny-bopper popularity contest somewhere along the way, and that's the point when I start to lose interest. I can only hope that the serious wrong of Katharine in the bottom two will be righted next week.


The Model Moment
Gina (left - photo courtesy UPN. Not for use on other sites/blogs) is a very pretty girl. She has the whole model-look going on, but she just doesn't have her stuff together emotionally to last in a competition. We've been not- so- slowly watching her self destruct these past few episodes, but last night's meltdown after dinner with Janice, and how she let that stay in her head, was cause enough to send her home. I feel bad for Gina because she seems like a lovely girl, but she just doesn't have the confidence to propel her shoots, poses or anything else to the next level. Jade is back on my loathe list. I can't stand the way she badgered Gina and wore her down so badly that she basically ensured her own elimination at the judges meeting. I'm still rooting for Leslie, Brooke and Danielle. Oh and guys, I'm thinking that Nnenna is now available after her hot photoshoot last night! Just a reminder, I'll be talking to Gina tonight via a teleconference. If you have any questions for her, drop me a comment and I'll try to get an answer.

About Last Night...NBC won the first hour of the night with Deal or No Deal, followed by Fox's Bones and CBS comedies Out of Practice and Courting Alex. At 9, Fox took over with its combination of the American Idol results show and Unan1mous, followed by ABC's Lost and CBS' Criminal Minds. UPN's Veronica Mars beat the premiere of The WB's Bedford Diaries to land in fifth place. The final hour of the night went to CBS' CSI: NY, followed by ABC's The Evidence and NBC's Heist. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - Survivor is back on CBS, and tonight the tribes merge. Britney Spears guest stars on NBC's Will & Grace. Over on ABC, it's another Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (After the Storm) special. This time, the team travels to the storm effected areas of Florida.

@9 p.m. - A shocking confession throws a high profile murder trial for a loop on CBS' CSI. Over on NBC, Earl tries to cross off "made a kid scared of the boogyman" from his list on My Name is Earl. Julie Cooper gets engaged on Fox's The O.C.

@10 p.m. - Samantha works to uncover what's going on with Martin while the team searches for a missing bike messenger on CBS' Without a Trace. Over on NBC, police bring in two teenagers involved in an car accident, but all is not what it seems on ER.



QUICK CUTS

*20th Century Fox Television is now confirming that Arrested Development is over - for now. In a statement issued yesterday, the company says, "While there are no plans to resume production at this time, we know all too well from our experience with 'Family Guy' -- another brilliant comedy which didn't find its audience in its first network run -- that anything is possible." The statement follows the news from earlier this week that show runner Mitch Hurwitz would not continue with the show should cable outlet Showtime pick it up.

*And finally, you can now catch up on this season's episodes of NBC's Scrubs that you've missed! The hilarious hospital comedy is now available for download on Apple's popular iTunes music service. As usual, each episode will set you back $1.99. Scrubs, which is produced by ABC-affiliated Touchstone Television and airs on NBC, will be listed under the NBC storefront on iTunes, marking the first time that another studio's product will be listed under a different network's name. NBC is also releasing more shows on Comcast's Video On Demand service. To see a complete list, visit The Futon Critic.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for thoughts on the return of CSI and Without a Trace. Plus Gina's thoughts on her Top Model experience, and as usual, all the latest television news!


SAVE EVERWOOD NOW! Click HERE to learn how to help the show get another season

Don't forget to help Veronica Mars with the $4,000 Shower Campaign. Click HERE for details

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

NEWS FLASH: 'Veronica Mars' Has NOT Been Canceled!!!


From the good folks at mPRm:

There's a rumor on the internet that Veronica Mars is canceled. It's not true. Please help us spread the word. If you were on the Rob Thomas Blogger Press Conference yesterday, you know that he's planning for a third season. Season three is still absolutely possible with your support!



So tune in tonight, 9 PM, ET/PT on UPN.
So, be sure to clear your schedule tonight and tune in for an all-new episode of Veronica Mars! Creator/executive producer Rob Thomas calls tonight's episode one of his favorites this season! You can't miss this! We now return you to your regularly scheduled edition of Pass the Remote, so scroll on down for all the latest including breaking news on Prison Break, Commander in Chief, The 4400, and more from Rob Thomas on his show's upcoming move, the exciting season finale and thoughts on a possible change for season 3!

Teams Fall to Pieces on the 'Race!' Plus the Scrubies, 'Mars' ' Rob Thomas and Nielsen Wednesday

Monica from Team MoJo tries to complete the Roadblock (photo courtesy cbs.com)


Wow, this Race is certainly moving fast. The teams were not long for Germany, as they learned when they ripped open the first clue of this leg, and discovered that they were bound for Palermo, Italy. Once there, they would have to find the Teatro Massimo. You know the drill, each team left the Pit Stop in the order in which they arrived, and they all give us plenty of silly dialog that makes us mock them. Take Monica for instance; I love Monica, but it's never wise to tell us that the other teams underestimate you because they think you're the typical dumb blonde, and then follow that comment with a completely botched pronunciation of your next destination. Instead of Palermo, she gave us PALER-mo. Moving on, the teams quickly made their way to the airport where Team Slacker (Eric/Jeremy) and Team Hippie (do I even need to specify?) were goofing off with the wheelchairs as they waited for the ticket counters to open. Lake/Michelle decided to search for a computer and buy their tickets over the Internet. Team Hippie went along as well, but things went sour when Michelle couldn't read the German Internet. Team Hippie seemed to have no trouble and snatched the last two tickets on the earliest flight to Palermo, much to Lake's chagrin. He, of course, instantly blamed Michelle, but also revealed that he doesn't "do the Internet." I suppose that's Michelle's fault as well. Once the ticket counters opened, Team Slacker was able to talk their way onto Team Hippie's flight, but they weren't able to get on the same, earlier connecting flight that Team Hippie snagged over the Internet. Random TAR question, why do all of the teams have such a love affair with Lufthansa airlines? I mean it seems like a fine airline, but what is it that makes the teams automatically default to it? Maybe it's just a well-placed product placement, but my curiosity is piqued now, and obviously, TAR and Lufthansa have completed their mission. Anyway, Lake/Michelle had to settle for a later flight along with a group of other teams. Everyone was making their way to Palermo via different connecting flights. Lake almost burst a blood vessel when he found out he and Michelle were on a later connecting flight, but they were joined by the last group of teams. Once in Palermo, teams found their next clue, which had them driving 42 miles to Castellammare de Golfo to get their next clue. Lake/Michelle slipped out of last place when Team Double D stalled out on the stick shift. Soon enough, all the teams were heading to their next destination.

Once there, teams found this leg's Detour: foundry or laundry. In foundry, teams had to carry a 110-pound church bell to a special transport vehicle, they had to drive the bell to a church and carry it up a set of steps. In laundry, teams had to search more than 2,400 pieces of laundry hanging on clothes lines for a piece with the TAR flag on it. Team Hippie chose the laundry and quickly began searching it. They found the marked piece rather quickly and learned that they would need to travel 13 miles to the ancient city of Segesta and find the archeological zone and hike one mile to the Teatro di Segesta. The clue warned that there was a Yield ahead. Meanwhile, Team Slacker searched for a marked piece of clothing while Team MoJo worked on foundry. While they continued their search, the boys couldn't help but take a jab at Phil's turtleneck collection. Every time they came across a turtleneck, they joked that it must be Phil's. I'd be careful Team Slacker - Phil sees all. He already knows about your womanizing ways, but this, this could push him over the edge. You don't insult Phil and his turtlenecks! Anyway, Team Slacker found their clothing and began worrying about the Yield. Team MoJo (or rather just Jo since he carried the bell for about 80% of the task) completed foundry and began making their way to the next destination. Fran/Barry worked on laundry after searching for the clue box in a scene that was reminiscent of the one in Brazil. Soon they were heading off to the next destination as well. Team Nerds began working on laundry while Ray/Yolanda carried the bell. Ray's excessive strength propelled the team through the task, but Lake/Michelle and Team Double D were quickly working through laundry. Team Nerds was getting more and more frustrated as they kept coming up empty, but they finally came through with Lake/Michelle and Ray/Yolanda close behind. Team Double D struggled in last place, but suddenly found their marked piece of clothing and began their journey to the next clue box.

Team Hippie, meanwhile, had reached the Teatro and chose not to yield anyone. They encountered a Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member had to correctly assemble a classical Greek statue. What they didn't know was that there were two extra pieces. Oh that Phil, he's a tricky one! The tricky part didn't trip up Team Hippie as they raced through it and made their way to the Pit Stop in first place. Team Slacker was close behind and Team MoJo behind them. Monica "I'm not a dumb blonde" MoJo lamented herself for not realizing that the statue had two extra pieces. But, she wasn't the only one who didn't realize it. Team Nerds struggled and struggled, but just couldn't figure out how to make all the pieces fit. Meanwhile, Fran/Barry completed the task and cruised to fourth place. Lake/Michelle got turned around because Lake was convinced that the bright illuminated building was the Teatro (it was actually the Pit Stop), but it didn't matter much because they still reached the Yield mat before Team Double D and Ray/Yolanda, who had gotten terribly lost trying to reach the Teatro. Lake decided to yield Team Double D. The girls were extremely upset and cried while they waited for their time to run out. Meanwhile, Lake breezed through the statue building and he and Michelle landed in fifth. Team Double D took to the Roadblock after their sand ran out while Lori still struggled with the two extra pieces. Ray/Yolanda finally arrived and began working on the statue. Lori soon figured it out, and Team Nerds landed in sixth. Ray/Yolanda finished next and avoided elimination. Team Double D finally got the OK from the judges, but it was too late. The girls were eliminated from the race. What did you think of last night's episode? Were you glued to your TV sets at the edge of your seat? Drop me a comment with your thoughts.


Carla's finally pregnant!! There's going to be a Scrubs baby! And you can help name the child. NBC is holding a baby-naming contest. The winning baby name entrant will have a future Scrubs character named after them as well as the distinction of choosing the name and sex of Carla and Turk's baby. For all the details, click on over to nbc.com. In other Scrubs dealings, how funny was the electronic hide and seek game? Who knew Janitor was a track star in hurdles? And oh my gawd, Pizza Rolls are seriously the hottest things ever! I could totally relate to Turk. The baby-shaped balloons were hysterical as was the campaign to keep Carla from finding out that she was the only one who didn't know she's pregnant. I especially loved the wine scene. As usual, here's a look at last night's best, funniest and overall awesome lines with this week's edition of the Scrubies.

The Scrubies
"If I get one this little, everybody's going to think I'm gay." JD, spoofing the little dog myth, in a daydream sequence that found him at the Grandfather kennel

"My friend, we just Lo-jacked the janitor." JD to Turk after getting Janitor to swallow the electronic tracking device for the hide and seek game

"Abort the babies!" JD, referencing the baby-shaped balloons, to the crowd after learning that Carla would be upset if she learned that everyone knew about the baby before she did

"He's got you two by the short ones." Dr. Kelso to Dr. Cox and Elliot regarding JD's blackmail tactics to get them to agree to his plan to keep Carla from knowing that everyone already knew about the baby

"This plan is fool-proof!" JD
"That's impossible. You two are involved." Dr. Cox to JD and Turk, who subsequently bumped into each other trying to walk away

And the night's best line/exchange goes to.......

"We're having a baby!" Turk, who had his arm around JD, to Dr. Cox
"Red states be damned! I'm sure you're going to make great fathers." Dr. Cox

That's a look at this week's Scrubies. If you have a quote that you would like to nominate for a Scrubie, leave me a comment and I'll include it in a future edition.

About Last Night...Fox won the first hour of the night with American Idol, followed by CBS' NCIS (r) and ABC comedies According to Jim (r) and Hope & Faith (on its new night). At 9, Fox stayed in first with House, followed by CBS' The Unit and NBC comedies Scrubs and the debut of Teachers. The final hour of the night went to NBC's Law & Order: SVU, followed by ABC's Boston Legal and CBS' The Amazing Race. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - The girls get tips from Janice Dickinson and complete a seasonal photoshoot on UPN's America's Next Top Model. I've seen some advanced clips from this episode, and it looks like tensions are rising between the girls, especially Gina and Jade. Brooke struggles a bit with her photoshoot, and all of the girls are very excited to learn that they'll be working with male models this time instead of cockroaches. One of the girls gets a little too close to her model. Over on Fox, Angela fears that Brennan's latest case may be her boyfriend on Bones. NBC airs Deal or No Deal on a special night.

@9 p.m. - You guys trust Veronica Mars creator/executive producer Rob Thomas, right? I mean, this is the man who gave us this awesome show. Well, he told bloggers last night in an Online Teleconference (for more on that see today's Quick Cuts) that tonight's episode and next week's episode (episodes 16 and 17) are his favorites from the season! And, if you don't trust him, then you have to trust his parents. They concurred after watching the episodes on a recent visit with their son. So if you have never seen an episode before, you must click on over to marsinvestigations.net and get yourself caught up pronto! Then, tune in tonight on UPN and catch the latest episode with special guest stars Michael Cera and Alia Shawkat (both from Arrested Development). Tonight, Veronica gets caught in a rape investigation after running into someone from her past while touring Hearst College. I know what you're thinking, "but Lost is new tonight too and it's promising 5 shocking events!" People, this is why the TV gods invented DVRs and VCRs. Speaking of ABC's Lost, tonight Locke must enlist the help of an unlikely ally when the hatch takes on a life on its own and look for Katey Segal to return. Fox airs the American Idol results show with special guests Shakira and Wyclef Jean. And the WB premieres The Bedford Diaries.

@10 p.m. - A helicopter containing a liver from an organ donor is hijacked from the roof of a hospital, killing an intern in the process on an episode, that was co-written by series star Gary Sinise, on CBS' CSI: NY. Over on NBC, Mickey puts his plan further into motion by bringing in a getaway driver to test out an escape route on Heist. ABC's The Evidence finds Cole and Bishop trying to solve the murder of a boxer found dead in an alley following a fight.



QUICK CUTS

*Veronica Mars creator/executive producer Rob Thomas says that he's happy to follow Gilmore Girls when his show moves to Tuesday nights next month, even if the two shows aren't on the same network - yet. Thomas made the comments during an online teleconference with bloggers last night. He is, however, slightly concerned about the move. "I'm a bit nervous about all of our fans finding us," he says, but he also believes that Lost and Veronica Mars have similar fans, so moving his show out of Lost's path will hopefully help it. "We've done so much better when Lost is in repeats," he concedes. Thomas also discussed this season's big finale. "We're blowing out the bank on the season finale," Thomas says enthusiastically. "It's a big, big episode spanning the continent." And what about a season 3 on the new CW network, including a possible pairing with the aforementioned Gilmore Girls? Thomas says he's hopeful right now that his show will be back next fall. And if it does return, Thomas and his writing staff are mulling over the idea of three, shorter mysteries next season instead of the 2 overarching season-long mysteries of season one and two. Each mystery would be solved in roughly 7-8 episodes, allowing more fans to join in along the way. "People are leery of joining in [during the season] because they don't know the mystery. We want to welcome more fans in," he explains. Nothing is set in stone, including the show's pick-up, but Thomas is looking for fan feedback because he feels the fan support is crucial. "It is the passion of the fans and the press that have kept this show on the air," he says sincerely. Leave me a comment with your thoughts on the potential three, shorter mysteries season. Veronica Mars moves to Tuesday nights beginning April 11th on UPN. We'll find out if the show will get another season when UPN announces its fall schedule on May 18th. If you'd like to help the show get third season, click on over to marsinvestigations.net to learn what you can do.

*Fox's Prison Break is coming back for another season. The network announced yesterday that it's giving the hit thriller a second season. The show has been receiving good ratings since it returned March 20th, winning its timeslot in the 18-34 year old category.

*ABC is moving Commander In Chief when it returns to the schedule next month. The political drama will go from its crowded Tuesday night slot to Thursday nights at 10 p.m. up against CBS' powerhouse Without a Trace and NBC's still potent ER, but it will have the successful American Inventor as its lead-in. Commander In Chief will return Thursday, April 13th on ABC.

*When USA Network's The 4400 returns this summer, don't be surprised if you see a few flocks of birds hanging around. That's because actress Tippi Hedren (she of Hitchcock's The Birds fame) will be making a multi-episode guest appearance. The network isn't disclosing any details about her role, but it is saying that fans will be surprised. The entire original cast including Billy Campbell (Jordan Collier) and Katrina Lombard (Alana Mareva) will return for the show's third season. Lombard now will be a series regular. The show will return to its 9 p.m. Sunday night slot when it returns sometime this summer on USA.

*And finally, it's Nielsen Wednesday! CBS edged Fox for the win in total viewers (Fox had the edge in the 18-49 year old category). The Eye network was led by CSI: Miami (#4), 60 Minutes (#5), Two and a Half Men (#7) and The Unit (#10). American Idol (#1, 2), Desperate Housewives (#3), Deal or No Deal (#6), Lost (#8) and Unan1mous (#9) rounded out the top 10. To see a list of the top 20 shows, click on over to USA Today.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for thoughts on Veronica Mars and Lost. Plus the Idol and Model moments and all the latest television news!


SAVE EVERWOOD NOW! Click HERE to learn how to help the show get another season

Don't forget to help Veronica Mars with the $4,000 Shower Campaign. Click HERE for details

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Welcome Back to 'Everwood!' Plus, Simon's New Show and 'Idol's' Star Power

So, Ephram loves Amy and he told her so after they sort of mistakenly slept together before the show's hiatus, and Amy still has feelings for Ephram, in fact, she believes that he is her "person," but she's not ready to enter back into a relationship with him because she wants to go off and have her Europe, but she still finds herself wondering if she should be with him. Oh, and Amy is concerned that they only have one more shot of making their relationship work, so she doesn't want to blow it if she's not fully ready to commit to Ephram because she's still so young. I think that about covers last night's Amy/Ephram report. You all know that I want these two together forever and have since the pilot, but I have a tremendous amount of respect for Amy's decision. She wants to go out and experience the world before she settles down with the guy she's more than likely going to spend the rest of her life with, and I think she's smart. She needs to know that she can do things for herself, have her own life and be happy with herself before she can commit to her happily ever after. She and Ephram will find their way, it's just going to take some time. I'm OK with this because I think it's the smartest move for both of them. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that they can go back to being friends again because I love their friendship, and even Amy admitted that she misses him more than she expected. In other Amy news, I like the way the writers are having her open her horizons at college. The character is developing and growing from a teenager to a woman in the natural progression that most girls do as they enter college and break out on their own. It's just too bad that it's coming at the expense of her friendship with Hannah. That's another friendship I miss, so girls, you need to work through your sudden differences and go back to being friends. You both need each other!

In other Everwood news, Ephram is finally going back to the piano! The fear that the piano might not make him happy anymore, when it's the one thing he is still holding onto, was keeping him from sitting down and playing. But, that changed when he was forced to play after Will died. I think that scene at the house when Will's son asks Ephram to play and he finally agrees to do so is one of my favorite this season. It's just so poignant and meaningful. So, will the Abbotts adopt or not adopt? I loved Rose's example of what they could handle. She's right, though. Nina's not giving up on Jake and Andy's not giving up on Delia. I think the latter is just going through that tough age where you're not really sure where you belong and who your true friends are, so you get caught in a sort of unhappy limbo. And then there's Edna, who missed Irv so much that she started having mild panic attacks at the thought of him enjoying life without her. Silly Edna, she should know better than to think that Irv could truly be happy without her. Yes, it was good to have Everwood back. The best scene from last night had to be the one shortly after the first episode started. Hannah and Bright met up at Sam's to plan their afternoon, but before they could go very far with their plans, both of their cell phones rang, and this hilarious scene unfolded (I went ahead and uploaded the video because it's that good):

(Video hosted courtesy of Putfile)


Just a reminder, if you wish to see Everwood make the jump to the new CW network next season, click on over to my Save Everwood site to learn where to send you letters. The show had a so-so return last night in the ratings, so we need the letters now more than ever! What did you think about last night's Everwood doubleheader? Were you happy to finally have the show back? How about Amy and Ephram, are you OK with Amy's decision, or are you thinking she's crazy? Leave me a comment with your thoughts.

About Last Night...NBC won the first hour of the night with Deal or No Deal, followed by ABC's Wife Swap and Fox's Prison Break (which actually had more total viewers). The first episode of The WB's Everwood landed in fifth ahead of UPN's comedies. At 9, CBS landed in first with comedies Two and a Half Men (r) and The New Adventures of Old Christine, followed by Fox's 24 (which had more total viewers) and a tie between ABC's Supernanny and NBC's The Apprentice. The second hour of Everwood tied for fifth with the UPN comedies. The final hour of the night went to CBS' CSI: Miami (r), followed by ABC's Miracle Workers and NBC's repeated Heist premiere. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - Fox's American Idol shrinks down to 1 hour instead of its usual cumbersome 2 (serious happy dance time!) with the top 10 finalists.

@9 p.m. - Turk accidentally finds out about Carla's exciting news before she does on NBC's Scrubs. Over on Fox, House and his team race against the clock to find the source of a man's illness, but the clues point to a shocking answer on House. NBC premieres its newest comedy Teachers at 9:30.

@10 p.m. - The teams travel to Italy where things get crazy when they have to reconstruct broken statues on CBS' The Amazing Race. Over on NBC, rapper Ludacris guest stars as Fin is torn between family and "the system" on Law & Order: SVU. ABC's Boston Legal finds a rough day in court for Alan Shore when he experiences a horrifying condition that causes him to speak unintelligible gibberish.


QUICK CUTS

*NBC, Simon Cowell and the producers of American Idol are looking for America's talented people for a new summer reality competition. America's Got Talent will search for the most talented person in America with casting calls in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Atlanta next month. Cowell, himself, will make a special appearance during the L.A. casting call April 6th. According to executive producer Ken Warwick, the show is "looking for performers of all ages in every talent category in hopes of finding that next big name in lights." Look for the show to premiere sometime this summer on NBC.

*And finally, Shakira and Wyclef Jean are lending some extra star power to Wednesday's American Idol results show on Fox. The pair will perform Shakira's new single "Hips Don't Lie." Look for their performance and the results from tonight's competition tomorrow night on the live results show on Fox.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for thoughts on The Amazing Race and the Scrubies! Plus, all the latest television news! And don't forget today's your last chance to send me your questions for Veronica Mars' Rob Thomas and Jason Dohring via the comment link or email (tvfan08@yahoo.com). I'll be speaking with them tonight!


SAVE EVERWOOD NOW! Click HERE to learn how to help the show get another season

Don't forget to help Veronica Mars with the $4,000 Shower Campaign. Click HERE for details

Monday, March 27, 2006

Vera's Marriage Grows 'Cold!' Plus, Gaby's 'Desperate' Move, 'Bones' and TV on DVD

I always seem to enjoy the episodes on Cold Case that make good use of the year they take place. After all, what's the point of setting a case in the past if you don't utilize the year? This isn't to say that I don't enjoy the cases that tend to not reflect the year well, but I almost always like the ones that do. Last night's tennis-themed episode nicely incorporated the famous Battle of the Sexes match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, Title IX and other women's rights causes from the time period. It seemed very plausible to me that colleges would have staged their own Battle of the Sexes match-ups after Billie Jean King defeated former Wimbledon men's champion Bobby Riggs in the legendary 1973 match. What I love most about these more historic episodes is seeing the different attitudes. I know we have Title IX now, but even so, can you imagine a college athletic director saying the things that UPenn's (fictional) Arnold Brown said to Andi? Who, by the way, I totally pegged as the doer until we learned that he was dead. This show is not big on dead doers because it loses its whole sense of justice that makes it so strong, so I knew he was out. Even seeing Fritz's attitude about losing to a girl and how the match-up was a lose/lose situation for him was fascinating when you put it in today's context. It's amazing to think that this wasn't that long ago. Andi's dad was the typical overzealous parent, and I didn't want him to be the killer. I was very glad when we learned that he left her room angry with the still-alive Andi, although I found it kind of tragic that that exchange was their last. I know that had to be weighing on him all these years. There were subtle clues that pointed to the reporter along the way (his constant coverage of her, acting like he owned her at the alumni dinner and calling her "superstar"), but I was still surprised when Andi's father said that the caller called him "sport." Loved, loved, loved Lilly's interrogation with Eric. I don't know whether it's the writing or Kathryn Morris' brilliant acting or a combination of both, but Lilly's interrogations are always the best. She blends the right amount of intimidation, brains and understanding and I always enjoy watching her chip away at these suspects. She maintains control, but always seems to give the suspect the illusion that they have the upper hand because she appeals to their emotional side. The way she called Eric "sport" was priceless! Lilly seemed more together last night than she has seemed all season. I think she may have turned a corner emotionally. It was nice to see the old Lil back.


Nick Vera wasn't enjoying the same sort of emotional luck last night. After 12 years of marriage, plenty of fights, too many nights spent at hotels, and indescretion allusions, his wife finally reached the point where she had emotionally disconnected from him and their life together. It was one of those sad, honest moments that this show plays so well. You could feel that both of them were hanging on by a thread, but deep down, were ready to let go. They had pushed each other so far away that they reached the proverbial point of no return. It always seems that television shows present easy scapegoats when it comes to the end of a character's marriage (affairs, long hours, etc), but there really isn't anything simple about the end of a 12-year marriage. I liked the way this episode captured the complex nature. Major kudos to Jeremy Ratchford for his spectacular performance in this scene. He gives Vera a complexity that left me feeling bad for him when his wife dropped off his suitcase at work, even though we know that he hasn't been the most faithful husband. I hope that the show continues to delve into the complexities of Vera's situation without going down the Jack's divorce (Without a Trace) route. Bummer that the adoption thing is kind of off the table for now, but Vera's wife was smart not to let that keep them together. Things would have only gotten worse if they had brought a child into their crumbling marriage.


Speaking of adopting a child and bringing one into your marriage, Gaby and Carlos are a lot closer to having one of their own, or is that even further? Things didn't seem to be on the up and up in the closing scenes. Did anyone else get the impression that the birth mother is scamming them? Of course, it's not like this adoption is really all that legal anyway, but I think the deception goes much deeper than we know yet. I can't say that I feel 100% bad for Gaby, though, after all, she's the one who insisted that the birth mother be pretty. All of this mother's other qualities didn't seem to matter because she had a pretty outside, so Gaby's kind of making her own bed here. It's an interesting storyline, and I'm certainly looking forward to seeing how it develops. I'm also interested in Bree "I'm just not a compulsive person" Van De Kamp's struggle with alcohol. I'm hoping that her little jaunt in the department store is her rock bottom, and that she'll start to acknowledge her problem now. I could tell from their brief car conversation that something is going to develop between Bree and her sponsor (previews seemed to confirm it). He's so not her, but that's why I think this potential relationship could be a lot of fun. Lynette's new employee and her breast feeding creeped me out and Susan's antics were as silly as ever. Why doesn't she just own up to her feelings for Mike and be done with it? It seemed that he still has feelings for her as well. I guess we'll have to wait and see with this story. What did you think about each of the stories for the ladies of Wisteria Lane last night? How about last night's Cold Case episode? Feel free to drop me a comment with your thoughts on one or both of these shows.

About Last Night...CBS won the first hour of the night with the end of 60 Minutes and the beginning of Cold Case, followed by ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (r) and Fox's The Simpsons and The War at Home. The second hour of the night went to ABC's Desperate Housewives, followed by the end of CBS' Cold Case/beginning of a CSI rerun and NBC's Law & Order: CI. The final hour of the night went to ABC's Grey's Anatomy (r), followed by NBC's Crossing Jordan and the end of CBS' CSI/beginning of Without a Trace (r). For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - The WB's Everwood returns!!!! After more than three months, TV's best family drama returns with two back-to-back episodes. First, Amy and Ephram have to decide what their future holds after sleeping together during the last episode, and Jake and Nina face their biggest obstacle yet. Over on Fox, a face from the past haunts Lincoln on his execution day on Prison Break. NBC's Deal or No Deal rolls on.

@9 p.m. - Everwood continues with its second episode. Amy's new college professor and mentor encourages her to get involved with Planned Parenthood, so Amy tries to get Hannah involved as well, but it leads to a huge rift between them. Over on Fox, Jack Bauer interrogates the most recent link to terrorist mastermind Bierko and shocking secrets are revealed on 24.

@10 p.m. - NBC repeats the premiere of Heist.


QUICK CUTS

*Fox isn't making any Bones about it, the network wants to see more of its hit forensics show next season. Fox announced Friday that the freshman drama will get a second season. Bones has flourished in its pre-Idol slot, garnering more than 12 million viewers last week. On the flip side, The WB confirmed last Friday's broadcast of What I Like About You was the show's SERIES finale. It will not be returning for another season on the new CW network this fall. The comedy, starring Amanda Bynes and Jennie Garth, is the network's least-watched program with an average of 2.2 million viewers an episode.

*On the heels of its big return tonight, the cast of The WB's Everwood talks to Zap2it about this season's remaining episodes and its chances for a fifth season. Look for big things to begin happening with Hannah, a possible Abbott adoption and more on the Andy/Nina/Jake front. As far as the show getting a fifth season on the new CW network, star Tom Amandes is "concerned" since the show has not been given a definite pick up, a first for the family drama. You can read much more from the cast (including spoilers) over at Zap2it. If you would like to help Everwood get another season, click on over to my Save Everwood site for information on where to send your letters of support. Everwood returns tonight with back-to-back episodes on The WB. The new CW network will make its schedule presentation on May 18th.

*And finally, it's TV on DVD Monday! Look for Knots Landing (season 1) to hit store shelves tomorrow, along with Northern Exposure (season 4), Quantum Leap (season 4), Six Feet Under (season 5) and The X-Files (seasons 4, 5, 6). To see a complete list of tomorrow's releases, visit tvshowsondvd.com.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for the all-Everwood edition! Plus, all the latest television news! And don't forget to send me your questions for Veronica Mars' Rob Thomas and Jason Dohring via the comment link or email (tvfan08@yahoo.com). I'll be speaking with them tomorrow night!


SAVE EVERWOOD NOW! Click HERE to learn how to help the show get another season

Don't forget to help Veronica Mars with the $4,000 Shower Campaign. Click HERE for details

Friday, March 24, 2006

FRIDAY FUN: Fun with 'Everwood' and 'Trace!'


It has been more than three long months since we have seen a new episode of The WB's Everwood, but the wait is finally over!! The show returns this Monday, March 27th at 8 p.m. with two back-to-back episodes!!! Mark your calendars, free your schedules and sit down and enjoy one of the best shows on television. And when you're done enjoying the Everwood charm, be sure to sit down and write a letter to help the show get another season. Click HERE to get all the details. While you're waiting for the first new episode in more than three months, check out this interview with the show's newest star Sarah Drew, who plays the self-conscious Hannah, from thewb.com.

Sarah Drew
Hannah Rogers

On making-up:

"I was all dolled up and I bumped into Greg Smith at a WB event and he walked right up to me and looked right at me and didn't recognize me because usually when he sees me for the show I'm the girl with the frizzy hair and glasses. So not the glamour look. The good news is I only have to spend thirty minutes in the makeup trailer. I just wear mascara, chap stick, put my glasses on and Hannah arrives."

On bridging the kissing gap:

"When Bright and I first did our kissing scenes it was so funny because our director told me I should think of myself as the librarian with the glasses flying off. He's like: I want hands flying. I want crazy, crazy passion. So basically I attacked him."

To read more of this interview with Sarah, click on over to thewb.com. And remember to catch Everwood this Monday from 8-10 p.m. and every Monday at 9 p.m. on The WB! If you need a quick refresher on where we left off, here's a brief recap of the last episode
"Getting to Know You" from TV.com.

A very-much-in-love Ephram discovers that he has unwittingly become a "girlfriend" to Amy, but the friendship takes a turn for something more when a moment of intimacy leads to them waking up together the next morning. Meanwhile, Nina grows suspicious of Jake's recent strange behavior, which is further amplified when his brother, Brian (guest star Tom Parker), shows up unexpectedly. Delia takes up with the popular girls in school, which worries Andy. Also, Bright tries to rectify Hannah's low self-esteem issues. Lastly, Rose drops some startling news on Harold, which could drastically change their lives



Today's edition has a double dose of Fun. Those crazy kids over at Without a Trace are hamming it up for TV Guide's cameras this week. Check out these behind-the-scenes pictures from their latest cover shoot for TV Guide.

(From L-R) Eric Close, Poppy Montogomery and Enrique Murciano pose for their TV Guide photoshoot

Enrique Murciano hams it up with a TV Guide photographer

Close, Montgomery and Murciano get ready for the shoot


To see more behind-the-secenes photos from the shoot, click on over to TVGuide.com. And to read about how Martin will battle with his addiction to pain killers and how his friends come to his rescue, pick up the latest edition of TV Guide on newsstands now. Without a Trace returns next Thursday, March 30th on CBS.

That's all for this edition of Friday Fun! Be sure to check back here Monday for the latest edition of Pass the Remote and next Friday for another installment of Friday Fun! Have a great weekend everyone!

'Model' Talk, 'Earl's' Y2K and a 'Chris' Funeral! Plus an Edited 'Diaries' and a Live-Action 'Simpsons'

Kari poses for this week's fairy tale themed photoshoot (photo courtesy UPN. Not for use on other sites/blogs)

This week's elimination from America's Next Top Model left a lot of viewers surprised. Kari, an 18 year old student from Brookings, South Dakota, was sent packing over Gina. Tyra explained that Kari's first two pictures (including her first, in which she had to go bald) were great, but her third (above) just didn't cut it. The judges also weren't pleased with Kari's runway walk. "It was something that I didn't have any experience in, so I was really nervous about it," Kari said during a press teleconference with bloggers last night. She says that the show is designed to mold contestants into better models and she was 100% ready to be molded into a better runway walker. The judges felt that Kari wasn't exactly runway model material, and Kari admits that she is more interested in commercial modeling. "I'm not skin and bones. I'm happy with who I am," she concedes. Still, the 18 year old was disappointed when she was the one left without a photo, but she says she understands the process. "This is the sixth cycle of this show. They know what they're doing." Her elimination from the competition did give her the chance to go home, and the distance seemed to be bothering her during Wednesday's episode. Kari says the pressure, coupled with being away from home, started to weigh on her a bit, but she bounced right back. "There's up and down days. That day just pushed me over," she explains. And now that she's back home and off the show, what's next for Kari? "I'm open for anything. I'd be the first one to pack up and see what's out there for me," she says enthusiastically. Right now, she's back at school, but she says that she'd love to go into modeling or acting. "Whatever comes my way, I'm ready for it." America's Next Top Model airs Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. EST on UPN. Just a note, I'll be participating in most, if not all, of these ANTM Eliminee Teleconferences this season. If you have questions for any of the girls after they're eliminated, just drop me a note in that week's Thursday edition or send me an email anytime at tvfan08@yahoo.com


Last night's episode of My Name is Earl has to be my favorite so far. It out funny-ed the Christmas episode, which I thought was an impossible feat. What worked so well last night was that in addition to the usual hilarious lines, the overall premise of the episode was hysterical. In order to explain why Randy didn't want Earl to cross off number 24 (took red Take- a- Number machine), they had to take us back to 1999 on the dawn of Y2K and in the midst of the national panic that led up to the millennium. Darnell, the smartest of the group, explained that the computers were going to shut down and how that would lead to the end of the world. When the clock struck midnight, the power went out at Donny's sister's house, and they all assumed it was due to Y2K. In reality, the sister just hadn't paid her electricity bill and it was due to go out at midnight on January 1st. The crew decided to go looting, but heard grenades and bombs (read fireworks that they assumed was grenades and bombs), so stayed inside until the next day. They took to the streets, but didn't find a sole (everyone else was at the parade). When they arrived at a Wal Mart type store to loot it, they decided that since they were the only people left on Earth (or so they thought), they would just live there. It just got funnier and funnier as each person claimed their own section of the store and had to bargain for items not in their section until an all out war began. Randy quelled the hysteria by grabbing the red Take-a-Number machine and handing out numbers. Everyone was so impressed that they named him president. The next day, they woke up to find shoppers taking advantage of the January 2nd sale, and they realized that they weren't the last people on Earth. It was an excellent premise that was beautifully executed with smart writing and top-notch acting.


Why is it that the older we get, the more it seems that we only see most of our family at weddings and funerals? That latter was the case on last night's Everybody Hates Chris. Rochelle's father passed away suddenly while telling a joke at dinner and munching on a pork chop, which led Chris to declare that he's never eating pork chops again. Rochelle's extended family came to town, including her over critical mother, her weepy aunt and her never-held-a-job brother, to settle funeral plans. Chris explained that Rochelle's mother is even more of a ghetto snob than Rochelle. So when they got to the funeral parlor, she was sure to select that most expensive casket in order to keep people from thinking that they didn't have any money. Too bad Rochelle and Julius had to foot the bill. The funniest part of the episode came when the family was leaving to go to the funeral. Apparently, they had reserved one limo. There was a mad dash to the luxury car as Chris told us that come the day of the funeral, "there was only one thing left for us to fight over: Who gets to ride in the limo!" As usual, the humor was nicely blended with the more heart-felt as Rochelle finally got a hint of acceptance from her mother after she stood up to her. And Chris got his old mom back, which made him smile even if it meant getting yelled at for leaving his yo-yo out again.

About Last Night...CBS won the first hour of the night with its NCAA coverage, followed by ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition After the Storm and NBC comedies Will & Grace and My Name is Earl (r). At 9, CBS stayed in the lead with its second hour of NCAA coverage, followed by ABC's American Inventor and NBC comedies My Name is Earl and The Office (r). The final hour of the night went to NBC's ER, followed by ABC's Primetime and CBS' NCAA coverage. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - NBC's Deal or No Deal continues. CBS airs the NCAA Basketball tournament Sweet 16 round (begins at 7 p.m.).

@9 p.m. - Brianna becomes personally involved when she advocates for a man serving 30 years for stealing a case of vodka because it was his third strike on ABC's In Justice.

@10 p.m. - Billy has to prosecute a star rap producer charged with murder on NBC's Conviction.

SUNDAY EDITION
@8 p.m. - Lilly reopens the 1973 case of a young female tennis phenom who was murdered after beating a male player in a high profile battle of the sexes match on CBS' Cold Case (may start late due to NCAA Basketball coverage earlier in the day). Over on NBC, the Attorney General pressures Toby to reveal his source in the shuttle leak on The West Wing.

@9 p.m. - Gaby zeros in on a baby, Bree joins AA and Lynette's new employee has mothering issues on ABC's Desperate Housewives. Over on NBC, a crucial file in an ugly $20-million lawsuit may be behind the murder of a daring young man who was killed while trying to steal evidence on Law & Order: CI.

@10 p.m. - Jordan hears gunshots in her apartment building and finds a 13 year old with a gun in her hand standing over her father on NBC's Crossing Jordan.



QUICK CUTS

*You won't see the original version of the pilot for the new drama The Bedford Diaries when it premieres next week on The WB. The network edited out two scenes, one with two girls kissing and the other with a girl opening her jeans, in an effort to avoid fines from the Federal Communications Commission according to the show's executive producer Barry Levinson. Levinson says he doesn't blame the network saying, "We don't believe the show should have been edited, but the network is very fearful of what the FCC has been doing recently," alluding to the recent hefty fine waged against CBS for an episode of Without a Trace. The Bedford Diaries revolves around a college course on sexuality and stars Matthew Modine, Milo Ventimiglia and Audra McDonald. You can catch the unedited episode on thewb.com now. The regular series premiere, with the edited version of the pilot, will air Wednesday, March 29th on The WB.

*And finally, Fox's The Simpsons is giving viewers a chance to see live-action versions of the show's famous characters. This Sunday's episode will have a live-action opening sequence with lookalike actors playing the roles of Homer, Bart, Marge, Lisa and Maggie. A team from the British network Sky One created the clip. The Simpsons air Sundays on Fox.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in Monday for thoughts on Cold Case and Desperate Housewives (How far will Gaby go?). Plus, all the latest television news! And don't forget to send me your questions for Veronica Mars' Rob Thomas and Jason Dohring via the comment link or email (tvfan08@yahoo.com). Be sure to check back here today for another exciting edition of Friday Fun where you'll catch up with Everwood and find out which crime caper is hamming it up for a new photoshoot! Stay Tuned...


SAVE EVERWOOD NOW! Click HERE to learn how to help the show get another season

Don't forget to help Veronica Mars with the $4,000 Shower Campaign. Click HERE for details

Thursday, March 23, 2006

The Healing Powers of the 'Lost' Island? Plus, 'Veronica' and the Runaway Bride, 'Idol,' 'Model' and a Schedule Change for a Favorite Show

Sun and Jin meet with a fertility specialist during a flashback (photo courtesy abc.com)

I don't know what it is about the Sun and Jin episodes on Lost, but they always seem to be some of my favorites. Last night's outing was no exception. I guess it's just the complicated nature of their relationship that seems to strike a cord with me. They have been through a lot together, been on the brink of separating and yet, deep down they have a compelling love for each other that doesn't seem to go away. It's fascinating to explore how things have gone so sour between them when they have this strong connection. Sun's pregnancy was certainly a surprise to her and Jin. I liked the twist that we originally thought that Sun was unable to conceive, but in reality, it was Jin. So, the island has allowed Locke to walk again and Jin to be fertile again. I also liked the way they led us to believe that there was a possibility that Sun had been unfaithful, but in the end, it was apparent that she hadn't. In other island news, I'm still torn about whether or not to believe Mr. Gale. He did draw a map, but it very easily could have been a trap as he stated to Jack and Locke during breakfast. From the previews, it seems that there is a balloon up in the tree, but that's no guarantee that he's telling the truth. And then there's the continuously brewing tension between Jack and Locke, which seems to be poised to boil over any minute. The constant tug-of-war for control has been ongoing this season, but Locke's decision to involve Ana Lucia, and then Ana's subsequent betrayal with the map, seemed to really frost Jack's cookies (and rightfully so). It appears that there is now a three-way fight for control. With the group showing the first signs of splintering amidst the growing dangers on the island, I wonder how things will progress this season. Things are beginning to look a bit ominous. I think we need to hold on tight because this show is about to take us for a wild ride!



How awesome is the Aaron/Kendall storyline? When these two team up, you know it's going to spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E for someone. Unfortunately for the departed Duncan, it seems the trouble is meant for him. When Kendall went into his shower and plucked that hair out of his drain, I knew a frame-up was in place. Now, the only question is, where will Aaron have Kendall plant "Duncan's" (I'm assuming it's his, but you never know) hair in order to frame him for Lilly's murder? I love how this show manages to incorporate storylines and characters from last season into storylines and characters from this season so seamlessly. Logan moved forward with his plan to use Hannah to get Dr. Griffith to recant his false witness account from the bridge, and it seems to have finally paid off. Only problem is that he's beginning to feel bad about using Hannah. They left us hanging with Logan going to Veronica for advice. I can only imagine that he needs her help because of what he has done to Hannah, but we'll have to wait until next week to know for sure. And then there was the runaway bride with a twist story. Jane (the daughter of the driver of the bus crash) went to Veronica after her engaged sister Heidi seemed to run off three days before her wedding. It seems the wealthy family of Heidi's fiance hired Vinnie Van Lowe (loved seeing him again) to look into her background. When they found out that she was a little wild and liked to hang around with bands, they told their son and he decided that he couldn't marry someone with her past. But if he dumped her, she would keep the family heirloom engagement ring, so he had Vinnie arrange for Heidi to meet back up with her former flame in hopes that she would call off the wedding and he would get the ring back. No such luck, and now he's out the family heirloom and a fiancee. I loved the Keith and Sheriff Lamb interaction, and the way Keith got the better of Lamb (again) by discovering that Terrence's car detailer would have found the explosives in that cabinet, so why would Terrence leave them there? It looks like the signs are pointing back to Woody Goodman again. After all, it's his hanger. That's going to be one awkward interrogation for Lamb! Can't wait!

Attention All Veronica Mars Fans!!!
In addition to yesterday's exciting announcement about your chance to be on national TV during an upcoming airing of Veronica Mars, I have another exciting announcement today. I will be attending a teleconference, along with other bloggers, with the show's executive producer Rob Thomas and star Jason Dohring (Logan Echolls) this Tuesday night! So, if you have any questions for Rob or Jason, please leave me a comment or drop me an email (tvfan08@yahoo.com), and I'll try to get them answered. I have some more BIG Veronica news today regarding a move for the show, so be sure to scroll down to the QUICK CUTS to get the latest.



The Idol Moment
So, Chicken Little is finally gone! I have nothing against Kevin Corvais personally; I'm just not a fan of his voice. In my opinion, he was the weakest link in the remaining top 11. His performance Tuesday night was better than his previous, but still not up to par. I wasn't surprised to see Bucky right there with him because I felt that he was definitely one of the weakest three the other night. Why people, why do you keep putting Lisa in the bottom three? I agree that she didn't give us her best performance the other night, but she can sing! The future does not look bright for Lisa and that makes me sad. I've been voting for you Lisa! I know I have been hard on Kellie Pickler because, frankly, I just don't get her, but I'm going to give her props because she chose the perfect song the other night and she rocked it. It was the first time that I could actually hear some talent under all that so-called charm. I'm still loving Paris, Katharine, Chris (How freakin' awesome was his rendition of Johnny Cash's "I Walk the Line???") and Taylor. So far, I'm happy with the way things are unfolding (except for Lisa's constant bottom 3 appearances).



The Model Moment
I can't say I'm as happy about who got the boot last night on America's Next Top Model as I am about Idol. Sure, Kari (Pictured to the left. Photo courtesy UPN) isn't exactly high fashion, but she was doing better than Gina in my opinion. Bummer! Jade actually didn't bother me last night. She seemed to have the wind knocked out of her sails the week prior and it did her personality some good. After winning the runway challenge and receiving a lot of compliments on her photoshoot, I'm very afraid of next week's Jade. My ankles are still sore from watching that runway judging at the end last night! I felt so bad for all those girls, especially Danielle. Her ankle-twisting looked so painful it made me cringe. I'll be talking to the eliminated Kari tonight as part of a press teleconference, so I'll have a report on her thoughts tomorrow. If you have any questions for her, leave me a note and I'll try to get them answered.

About Last Night...NBC won the first hour of the night with a special Deal or No Deal, followed by Fox's Bones and ABC comedies George Lopez and Freddie. At 9, Fox landed in front with American Idol and Unan1mous, followed by ABC's Lost and CBS' Criminal Minds. UPN's Veronica Mars landed in 5th ahead of a Gilmore Girls rerun on the WB. The final hour of the night went to CBS' CSI: NY, followed by the debut of ABC's The Evidence and the debut of NBC's Heist. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - Rochelle acts like nothing has happened after her father dies unexpectedly on UPN's Everybody Hates Chris. Jimmie Walker ("Good Times") and Loretta Devine ("Crash") Guest Star as Rochelle's Parents, Ernest Thomas ("What's Happening!!") Guests Stars as The Funeral Director and Antonio "Huggy Bear" Fargas ("Starsky & Hutch") Returns as Corner-Store Owner Mr. Harris. Over on ABC, the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition team travels to Biloxi, Mississippi to help communities devastated by Hurricane Katrina on this After the Storm special. CBS airs the first night of the NCAA Basketball tournament Sweet 16 round (begins at 7 p.m.).

@9 p.m. - Earl tries to cross number 24 off of his list (stole a red take-a-number machine) on NBC's My Name is Earl. Over on ABC, American Inventor moves to its permanent timeslot. Fox has The O.C. and tonight, Seth and Summer are faced with a new problem.

@10 p.m. - Abby and Kovac try to keep a 21 year-old girl brought into the ER with stab wounds alive while they wait for a surgeon to operate on NBC's ER.



QUICK CUTS

*Veronica Mars is getting a new timeslot starting April 11th. The show is moving to Tuesday nights at 9 p.m., where it spent last season. The move is designed to shield the show from its crowded Wednesday night slot up against American Idol, Lost and Criminal Minds. The new slot will pit the show against House and CBS' latest hit The Unit without its strong America's Next Top Model lead-in. Reruns of the show will air on Wednesday nights for the first couple of weeks after the move.

*And finally, NBC is lining up the stars for its new reality series Celebrity Cooking Showdown. The series, which pairs stars and celebrity chefs in a cooking competition, has lined up Naomi Campbell, Allison Sweeney, Ja Rule, Tom Arnold and Big Kenny among others. The show will air consecutively for five nights beginning April 17th on NBC.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for thoughts on two of television's funniest comedies - Everybody Hates Chris and My Name is Earl. Plus, a report on Kari's thoughts on her America's Next Top Model experience, and of course, the latest television news!


SAVE EVERWOOD NOW! Click HERE to learn how to help the show get another season

Don't forget to help Veronica Mars with the $4,000 Shower Campaign. Click HERE for details