SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Be on National TV During Future Airings of 'Veronica Mars!'

The PR team behind Veronica Mars has advised me of an exciting new opportunity for the show's biggest fans. UPN is looking for tapes to air during future airings of Veronica Mars of you and your friends watching the show! Get all the details below:

VERONICA MARS Viewing Party

If you videotape you and your friends watching Veronica Mars, you may get a chance to see yourself on national TV!

UPN is offering its dedicated Veronica Mars bloggers a great opportunity to have your 15-seconds of fame! Every week, get a group of friends together for a Veronica Mars viewing party and shoot some video of your event. The tape can include anything you want: sound bites of your friends talking about their favorite characters, you saying why you love Veronica Mars, or a group shout-out to your friends and family in your hometown. But keep it clean, because your tape could end up airing on UPN during an episode of Veronica Mars!

Every week starting in April, tune in to Veronica Mars on UPN to see if your party is chosen as the featured party that airs during that week’s episode. Even if your party doesn’t make it on UPN, make sure to check out UPN.com to see if it is online.

Creativity counts and don’t forget to express why you are the biggest Veronica Mars fan. This is an excellent opportunity to convert your friends into Veronica Mars fans!!!!

Please keep in mind that if your video is broadcast on TV, it will need to be brightly lit and the audio will need to be clear. Also, in order to ensure that we can use it, the video can’t include any copyrighted materials, such as logos on clothing, music or television programming playing in the background, or signage, like posters, paintings, photographs, and etc.

The featured parties will run during a commercial break and UPN’s producers will be editing your footage into an on-air promo, so the tape only needs to be a few minutes long. Finally, depending on your home video camera, VHS, mini-DV or DVD are best.

In order for UPN to be able to use your tape on air or on UPN.com, you and all of your friends at the party need to sign releases and provide a current photograph of each of you so we can identify who everyone is.

If you are interested in submitting a tape for the promotion, please send me an email (tvfan08@yahoo.com), and I will give you the contact information for receiving the releases and sending in your tape. Happy viewing!

The Teams Have a Smashing Good Time! Plus the Scrubies, ABC Finales and Ratings

Eric & Jeremy (Team Slacker) compete in the Detour (photo courtesy cbs.com)

It was another thrilling edition of The Amazing Race last night! After each of the teams found Phil-on-the-mat, they learned that they would be making the 1000-mile trip to Frankfurt Germany. One member of Team Slacker (or Team Casanova according to Phil) asked the other member how they were going to get there. I so wanted Phil to tell them that they had to walk the 1000 miles. I mean, if they're looking to impress Team Double D, what better way to do it than "to be the man who'd walk a thousand miles to fall down at your door" (my apologies to the Proclaimers). All of the teams began making their way to the airport to book flights to Frankfurt. Team Slacker scored a serious coup when they nabbed the last ticket out on a flight that was about to leave. Lake/Michelle just missed the cut off and had to settle for a flight that left two hours later. As the rest of the teams arrived at the airport, minor drama ensued when the ticket window had long lines and computer malfunctions. Team Hippie managed to luck up when the closed window in front of them suddenly opened. They purchased tickets for the same flight as Lake/Michelle. The rest of the teams had to settle for the earliest flight out the next morning. Once the first three teams arrived in Germany, caught a train to Stuttgart and found the Mercedes-Benz Factory, they were surprised to learn that it didn't open until the next morning (Really guys? Have you ever seen this show before?). It didn't seem to matter much because the other teams next-day flight was too far behind to allow them to catch the three already there. The next morning, the teams had to take a ride on the auto manufacturer's test track with speeds up to 170 kph and high banking turns. After each team completed the challenge, they learned that they would need to drive 200 miles to the town of Bad Tolz to receive their next clue.

All of the teams seemed to easily find Bad Tolz, except for mother/daughter team Wanda and Desiree, who wound up going in circles on the interstate and lost a huge chunk of time. Unfortunately for Team Double D, they had decided to follow Team Mother/Daughter. Meanwhile back at Bad Tolz, the teams encountered a Roadblock. One team member had to search under Travelocity Traveling Gnome (TAR shameless plug number 2 for the night) hats and boots to find their very own Travelocity Traveling Gnome and then bring the gnome to Phil when they reached the Pit Stop later in the race. Do you think that Phil has a collection of traveling gnomes stashed away somewhere? This was one of those tasks that is much easier for the first few teams that complete it, so everyone seemed to breeze through it until the last teams arrived. More on that later. After finding the gnomes, teams learned that they had to travel to Bavaria Film in Grunwald. On the way to the gnome Roadblock, Lake and Michelle stopped and picked up a local who they thought would help them reach their destination faster. Too bad this local was still drunk from his night out, but he was able to navigate the team anyway. Once the teams arrived at Bavaria Film, they found this leg's Detour: Break it or Slap it. In Break it, each team member took a turn breaking a stunt bottle over the other member's head until they found a label with the word "Prost" on it. In Slap it, teams had to learn and perform steps from a German folk dance. All of the three leading teams chose the former. Team Slacker struggled with it and decided that the task was only fun in the beginning, but they found a label just as the other two teams arrived. Lake/Michelle found a label on their second try, followed by Team Hippie. Each team learned that they needed to travel 10 miles to Munich and find the Siegester, a monument to peace and the Pit Stop. Team Slacker was sure to secure a kiss from the poor girl handing out the clues before they took off for the Pit Stop. All three teams made their way there, with Team Slacker coming out victorious. Phil told them that they were the biggest Casanovas ever to grace The Amazing Race. Next came Lake/Michelle and finally Team Hippie who took the opportunity to run backwards to the mat, which caused Phil (or as I like to call him Captain Obvious) to remark to his gnome-like friend that the team was running backwards. Man, if Phil hadn't pointed that out, I never would have realized it! Good catch, Phil! You guys know I LOVE Phil!

Meanwhile back at the Detour, all of the other teams sans Team Double D and Team Mother/Daughter, were trying to complete Break it while Fran and Barry worked on Slap it. They struggled with the dance moves, but after a few tries finally got it and the clue and made their way to the Pit Stop. Meanwhile, Team Nerds found the label first and sped off to the Pit Stop as well. Team MoJo and Ray/Yolanda struggled with Break it. Monica decided that she and Joseph should switch to Slap it, and they soon learned that they should have chosen it all along as they quickly mastered the steps and received their next clue. Ray/Yolanda switched as well and quickly completed Slap it. Meanwhile back at the Roadblock, Team Double D and Team Mother/Daughter struggled to find their gnome, with Team Double D finding theirs first and speeding off to the Detour. Desiree searched and searched, but she kept coming up empty. It started to get darker and the entire scene reminded me of those poor sisters a few seasons back who couldn't find the clue in the haystack and then Phil had to come tell them that they had been eliminated from the race. I was worried that the same fate would befall Team Mother/Daughter, but just then, Desiree found her gnome! They made their way to the Detour, where they found Team Double D (who had just completed Slap it) making their way back to their car and the Pit Stop. Team Mother/Daughter hurried through the Detour and caught up with Team Double D, but it wasn't enough to keep them from finishing in last place and getting eliminated from the race. What did you think of last night's episode? Were you bummed to see Wanda/Desiree leave? Drop me a comment with your thoughts.


You know an episode of one of your favorite comedies is going to be great when it starts off with one of the characters giving her boyfriend a mouth guard and then progresses to Maria Menounos' obsession with JD's hair and the term "Kelly Rippa" catching on all over the hospital! And then there were the hilarious scenes with Dr. Cox reading lines with one of his patients so he too can "go the extra mile." You just gotta love Perry as Blanche DuBois from A Streetcar Named Desire! The best moment from the entire episode, though, was learning about Prick, the hospital's hypodermic needle mascot. I'm still laughing hysterically at this one even as I type it now. It was made even funnier when Turk decided to dress up as Prick to impress Dr. Kelso into giving him a permanent surgical position at Sacred Heart. I'll let you insert your own jokes here. Speaking of jokes, here's a look at last night's best, funniest and all around awesome lines in this week's edition of The Scrubies.



The Scrubies
"My job is to make sick people better, not to help Bernie in there score a slice of Episcopalian tail on opening night." Dr. Cox to JD after JD suggests that he should read lines with his patient in order to go the extra mile

"You know, in 4 1/2 years I've watched your pal Stephanie go through a multitude of irritating fads: the Ugg boots, the campaign for better grammar among the staff and of course, the double European air kiss. And seeing as you two are sorority sisters, I was kind of hoping you'd be able to tell me when this extra mile crap is likely to end." Dr. Cox to Turk regarding JD

"All day sucker, my ass! Try 20 minutes." Dr. Kelso after finishing an enormous lollypop

"Knowing him, he's probably out getting her a cake shaped like a cancerous white blood cell." Dr. Cox regarding JD and his campaign to go the extra mile with his leukemia patient

That's this week's Scrubie honorees. If you have a quote that you would like to nominate for a Scrubie, leave me a note and I'll post it in a future edition. Or, just drop me a comment on your thoughts about last night's episode.

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 and Hope and Faith. At 9, Fox continued its dominance with the second hour of American Idol, followed by CBS' The Unit and NBC's back-to-back episodes of Scrubs. 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 learn to walk the walk while dealing with Madagascar hissing cockroaches on UPN's America's Next Top Model. I've seen some advanced clips from this episode, and the cockroaches do not go over well! Plus, Jay designs a fairytale-themed photoshoot that has the girls falling into their poses. Over on Fox, the remains of a young documentary filmmaker are found in a ventilation shaft in an underground Washington, DC, tunnel on Bones. NBC airs a special night of Deal or No Deal. CBS moves Out of Practice and Courting Alex to their new slots at 8/8:30, respectively.

@9 p.m. - Talk about a loaded hour of television! I'm going to start with UPN's Veronica Mars because it's the most awesome show to ever awesome, but also because Kristen Bell is an absolute sweetheart! I received a personalized, handwritten thank you from her in the mail the other day for attending the Veronica Mars Bloggers Press Day last month! Can you believe how sweet that was? On tonight's episode, Harry Hamlin and Charisma Carpenter return while Veronica helps Wallace's new girlfriend find her runaway bride sister. Over on ABC, Sun must decide whether she should tell Jin a secret that could upset the balance on the island on Lost. We find out which contestant gets the boot tonight on Fox's American Idol. After Idol, Fox premieres its new reality show Unan1mous which locks 9 strangers in a room until they decide which one of them should get the $1.5 million dollars. NBC moves Law & Order an hour earlier. CBS has Criminal Minds and tonight, the team investigate a series of killings that appear to be the work of a vigilante. And now I'm completely exhausted from just typing it all, let alone trying to take it all in tonight! DVRs and VCRs everywhere will be working overtime tonight.

@10 p.m. - ABC premieres its new crime drama The Evidence. The show stars Martin Landau and Rob Estes. Each week, the evidence in the crime will be presented to viewers at the beginning of the show, and we'll learn how it all fits together. Over on NBC, it's the premiere of Heist. This series, starring Dougray Scott, revolves around a group of professional thieves who are plotting to simultaneously rob three prominent Beverly Hills jewelry stores during Academy Awards week. Over on CBS, the 6-year old witness to a museum curator's murder refuses to talk on CSI: NY.



QUICK CUTS

*ABC is planning huge finales this May for its most popular shows. Look for 2-hour finales from Lost, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Alias, Boston Legal, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and America's Funniest Home Videos according to the network. Anatomy will air its finale over two nights on May 14th and 15th, with Legal wrapping up its season the following night. Alias will end its 5-season run on May 22nd. Look for Home Edition and Housewives to wrap things up May 21st. Lost will end its sophomore season on May 24th where it will go head-to-head with the season finale of Fox's American Idol. And finally, Invasion will wrap things up with a typical 1-hour finale on May 17th.

*Former Veronica Mars actress Alona Tal (Meg Manning) might be back on the same network with her former employer this fall. The actress has just been cast in a new pilot for the CW according to The Hollywood Reporter. The show, called Split Decision, follows a girl who gets a chance to reinvent herself when she moves to a new high school. It will have dual plotlines that follow her decision to sit with either the popular kids or the arty outsiders on the first day of school in a Sliding Doors-esque premise. Another Mars actress is also signed on for the pilot, Jessy Schram, who plays Logan's latest girlfriend Hannah. We'll find out if the show makes the CW's line-up on May 18th when the network announces its fall schedule.

*And finally, it's Nielsen Wednesday! CBS won the week with the most viewers led by CSI: Miami (#4), The Unit (#5), NCIS (#6), Two and a Half Men (#7) and 60 Minutes (#10). American Idol (#1, #2), Grey's Anatomy (#3), Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (#8) and Deal or No Deal (#9) rounded out the top 10. To see the list of the top 20 shows from last week, click on over to USA Today.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for thoughts on Veronica Mars (including another VM related special announcement!) and Lost! Plus, the Idol and Model moments and all the latest television news! And be sure to check back here later today for a chance to be a part of Veronica Mars (sort of)! I'll explain in a special edition later today.


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

'CSI' in Any Other City Just Isn't as Sweet! Plus, 'Four Kings' Pulled and 'Anatomy' Awarded

In preparation for this entry today, I watched last night's episode of CSI: Miami. I hadn't seen this show in a long time, but I quickly remembered why I don't usually watch it (in addition to the fact that it's up against Medium). This CSI is missing the magic that makes the original so special. It also has the David Caruso problem and really cliched writing (last night's "When you say it, I believe it" "That's because it's true"), but more importantly, it's missing the magic. It makes me sad because I do love Calleigh (actress Emily Procter has much good will built up with me because she was the awesome Ainsley Hayes on The West Wing). The original has a wonderful set of characters that play off of each other perfectly. It blends humor with the absurd and throws in a little emotion on the side all while never taking itself too seriously. Miami seems to take on a more serious tone, and yet, I find myself laughing at things I probably shouldn't be laughing at because it ventures into the ridiculous. I will give props to both shows for making their cases match the atmosphere of their locations. CSI's venture into the bizarre side of human nature and its often darkly lit scenes blend nicely with the wild world of Las Vegas and the active nightlife the city offers. Miami's expensive cars, opulence and flashy appeal combined with its bright sunny days and picturesque blue waters match that city's wealthy culture and warm weather. And then there's CSI: NY, which admittedly, I haven't seen since last season. I have heard that the show has vastly improved, and the ratings seem to reflect that as well. I think the problem with NY is more that it doesn't have anything to distinguish itself from other cop shows on television. There are 4 editions of Law & Order that all take place in New York, and fellow Jerry Bruckheimer crime drama Without a Trace also bases itself there. It is also lacking memorable characters like the original (although I do like Hill Harper's character). I remember reading about a third installment of CSI, and how the producers had narrowed down the cities to New York and New Orleans. I think New Orleans would have served this edition better than another New York based cop drama. Having said that, I don't think it's the location that makes the other two editions inferior to the original, but rather a combination of characters, writing, cases and originality. It sounds cliche, but nothing can top the original.

Every time we turn on the television it seems there's one of these procedural cop shows on the air. Most of them do very well. In any given week, you can expect to see CSI, CSI: Miami, Without a Trace, Cold Case, Law & Order: SVU, CSI: NY and NCIS along with new procedural -ish Criminal Minds all in the top 20 shows of the week. Some worry that the networks will over do it as they did with the reality craze in the early 2000s. With the recent premiere of Conviction (creator Dick Wolf says this law show blends more character than most procedurals) and the still yet to premiere ABC crime procedural The Evidence, is there any sign of the trend over saturating the market? Last season, NBC tried out a fourth edition of Law & Order, called Trial By Jury, but pulled it after it failed to deliver the ratings the network had hoped for on Friday nights. CBS, which has found success with 5 Bruckheimer crime shows, is still trying to find a solid audience for the latest Bruckheimer show Close to Home. That show started out on Tuesday nights against Law & Order: SVU (the highest-rated of the L&O franchise), but stumbled, so CBS moved it to its current Friday slot where it has done much better. Yet when CBS recently announced several renewals for next season, Close to Home was noticeably left off the list, indicating that the network wants to wait and see before it commits to the show for another season. The original Law & Order (now in its 13th season), which started the procedural movement, has lost some of its steam in the ratings, falling to second in its timeslot this season to CSI: NY. NBC is moving the show an hour earlier to make room for its new drama Heist this week, which will pit it against Lost and American Idol. It's fierce competition that will probably sink the crime show into fourth place for the hour behind Criminal Minds. In recent seasons there has been a push for more character-based, serial dramas thanks to mega hits Lost and Desperate Housewives, but the market for crime procedurals is still out there and thriving. Consider the fact that CSI averages around 30 million viewers an episode and only seems to be growing in popularity as it gets older, proving that the procedural is still going strong as well. Just as with anything else in life, television needs a balance. Currently, things seem to be evenly distributed, giving viewers like us a lot of variety so we can load up our viewing plates with serials, procedurals, law, order, comedy and even a small dose of reality. I wouldn't want it any other way.

About Last Night...NBC won the first hour of the night with Deal or No Deal, followed by CBS comedies King of Queens and How I Met Your Mother and Fox's Prison Break. At 9, CBS took over with comedies Two and a Half Men and The New Adventures of Old Christine, followed by Fox's 24 and ABC's Supernanny. The final hour of the night went to CBS' CSI: Miami, followed by NBC's Medium (r) and ABC's Miracle Workers. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - The 11 finalists compete with songs from the 50s tonight on Fox's American Idol.

@9 p.m. - JD encourages his fellow doctors to go the extra mile with their patients on NBC's Scrubs (a second episode follows (rerun), and this week it's John C. McGinley's (Dr. Cox) favorite episode). Over on CBS, Jonas attempts to rescue a group of American missionaries in hiding in The Philippines on The Unit. ABC airs back-to-back new episodes of Sons & Daughters.

@10 p.m. - The teams head to Germany where one team follows another who leads them in the wrong direction on the way to the Roadblock on CBS' The Amazing Race. Over on NBC, a co-ed on financial aid is found dead with a lot of cash on NBC's Law & Order: SVU. ABC's Boston Legal finds Shirley Schmidt and former husband Ivan Tiggs (Tom Selleck) working together on a divorce case.



QUICK CUTS

*NBC is pulling its Thursday night comedy Four Kings. Effective immediately, reruns of My Name is Earl will occupy the 8:30 p.m. slot on Thursday nights until further notice. Four Kings had been averaging only 7.5 million viewers and it is the lowest rated show on NBC's Thursday night line-up. The network hasn't said whether or not it will air the remaining 6 episodes of the series in the future.

*And finally, Grey's Anatomy may have just started last season, but it is already getting the distinguished "classic" label - future classic, that is. TV Land named the medical drama a Future Classic at the TV Land Awards last night. The award "recognizes the one new show from the past calendar year which best exemplifies the qualities of an emerging television phenomenon that will endure for years to come" according to the press release. The TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV air Wednesday on both TV Land and Nick at Night at 9 p.m.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for thoughts on The Amazing Race (It's the conclusion of a thrilling two-parter!) and The Scrubies! Plus, 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

A Psychological 'Case!' Plus 'Simpsons,' a Nick Lachey Comedy and TV on DVD Monday

Wow, there is a lot to say about last night's episode of Cold Case, and luckily, I have an entire edition to say it in because there was little else on over the weekend. I've always been a fan of Cold Case's "whydunit" approach (to quote star Kathryn Morris). It's something that separates this show from the crowded market of crime shows on television today. The show has backed away from that premise in the last couple of seasons, but it was back in full force last night! The show is at its best when it tackles the psychological depths of human nature. Because they're dealing with long unsolved cases, it's fascinating to delve into how someone commits a crime and how that affects them through the years. It had obviously taken a toll on John, last night's killer. Shortly after he began confessing, I started to believe that he must be dying of an illness. Otherwise, it didn't make any sense as to why he would come forward 26 years later after claiming another victim. This man learned that he was suffering from, and eventually dying from, MS 26 years ago, and never accepted his fate until he walked into that police office. He was so angry that the disease took away the belief that he would live forever that he wanted to take it away from others. He killed one young man right after he found out and he tried to kill another when the final stage of his disease began 26 years later. He had jumped off a 100-foot bridge into a raging river and lived to tell the tale, but a disease that took over his life years before was going to get the best of him, and he just couldn't handle that truth.

Lilly's interro - gation scenes with John were well played. Kathryn Morris is so deserving of an Emmy and she doesn't even get nominated! It's such a shame. Between her performance last night and in "Saving Patrick Bubley" (the episode where the four brother had all been killed) earlier this season, she should be a shoe-in, but she won't even get the nomination again. She managed to bring Lilly to the brink of being too emotional, but never really taking her there (see above). We got that Lilly was finally talking about her experience with George and how it affected her deep down without her going off on an emotional diatribe that would have been out of character for her. Finding out that her encounter with George affected her in a more permanent way was nicely done and it provided some unforced closure that the show had neglected this season. It's funny because I would have thought that Lilly struggled more with the idea that she had killed George or the fact that he fed her all that crap about her being just like him or even just the fact that she was forced to relive a painful experience from her childhood through the ordeal, but it was the loss of something very valuable to her that seems to have affected her the most. It was the same thing that turned John into a killer - losing the belief that you can live forever by facing your own mortality. Both dealt with the realization in a destructive way: John wanted others to suffer the same loss and Lilly has gone from being an emotional basket case to getting involved in a seemingly dead-end live-in-the-moment relationship with a former flame. She was the perfect person to extract from John the location of the new victim.

My one complaint for this episode was the lack of the time issue. Here they were trying to get information from a killer on where his next victim is slowly suffocating to death, and yet, I never once felt that there was any sense of urgency or race to beat the clock. I expected to spend the episode on the edge of my seat, but that never happened. Every time one of the detectives mentioned the dwindling time, it was more of an afterthought than a focus. This episode was centered on one location - an interrogation room - and a small amount of time (instead of the usual days that go by in a single episode), so playing up the time factor would have enhanced the pacing for me. Earlier this season Law & Order: SVU did a similar episode where Olivia was on the phone with a little girl who claimed to be a kidnap victim. The episode also revolved around a single location (Olivia in an office on the speaker phone) and a small amount of time, but the time factor was played up much more heavily and I found myself on the edge of my seat in this case. Surprisingly, the lack of the time element didn't really hurt this episode, though. It was well done despite the slight misstep and the playing it up would only have enhanced it. Overall, this was an excellent episode and a stand-out for the season. What did you think of Cold Case's break from its usual format? Did you like the intense interrogation scenes? Leave me a comment with your thoughts on last night's episode.

About Last Night...CBS won the first hour of the night with the last 44 minutes of 60 Minutes and the first 16 of Cold Case, followed by ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and NBC's The West Wing. At 9, a rerun of ABC's Desperate Housewives won the hour, followed by the last 44 minutes of Cold Case and the first 16 of the CBS movie and NBC's Law & Order: Criminal Intent. The final hour of the night went to ABC's Grey's Anatomy, followed by NBC's Crossing Jordan and CBS' movie. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - Fox's Prison Break finally returns as Michael comes up with a plan to keep Lincoln alive after his escape plan fails. Over on NBC, Deal or No Deal continues.

@9 p.m. - CTU follows new leads to Bierko while conspiracy theorist and First Lady Martha Logan questions the administration's next defensive tactic on Fox's 24.

@10 p.m. - Horatio protects Marisol after she witnesses a robbery on CBS' CSI: Miami.



QUICK CUTS

*Fox wants more of two of its animated comedies. The network announced that it is renewing both The Simpsons and King of the Hill. The Simpsons got a two-year pick-up that will carry it through the 2007-08 season, making it the longest running animated series ever and the longest running current show. King got a one-year deal that will carry it through next season. The show probably won't premiere until January because of the long production cycle for an animated show. King is the second longest running comedy currently on television behind The Simpsons.

*The CW is adding to its pilot repertoire with a new sitcom starring Nick Lachey. Lachey will play a bachelor living in Manhattan in the pilot called She Said/He Said according to a network spokesman. Word on whether the show will make the new CW's line-up (a combination of the soon-to-be defunct WB and UPN) will come May 18th when the network makes its schedule announcement.

*And finally, it's TV on DVD Monday! Look for the powerful war drama Over There to hit store shelves tomorrow along with Huff (season 1), Bewitched (season 3), The Flying Nun (season 1), Roseanne (season 3) and South Park (season 7). To see a list of all of tomorrow's releases, click on over to tvshowsondvd.com.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for the reasons why a CSI in any other city isn't as sweet (and other thoughts on the prolific nature of procedurals). Plus, 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

FRIDAY FUN: Inside Scoop From 'Mars'

As you know, I was lucky enough to visit the set of Veronica Mars last month for the Veronica Mars Bloggers Press Day. While I was there with my fellow bloggers (see links to their blogs in the right column under "Veronica Mars Blogs"), we learned some interesting inside info on the show. Here are two fun anecdotes:

2 Racy 4 TV

The shirt pictured above was intended for one of the guest characters on Veronica Mars to wear in a flashback in an upcoming episode (2.18). Said character had a friends-with-benefits relationship with Dick Casablancas, so they thought it would be clever to have her wear this shirt. The censors at the network didn't find it as clever, so the shirt now reads "I (HEART) Dick Casablancas." Now when you see the episode and the amended shirt, you'll know the true story behind it.

Ode to a Dog?

The Lilly Kane Memorial Fountain is located at the entrance to Neptune High. On the fountain, is a nice engraved message in memorandum to the murdered Lilly. How nice, right? Well, the passage actually comes from an episode of Freaks and Geeks that aired on NBC back in 1999-2000. Except in the episode, the words are used for a eulogy for a dog!

And Finally...

I snapped this picture of Veronica's dresser with a photo of her and her mother Lianne during happier times. You know, before her mother sped out of Neptune to keep Clarence Wiedman from hurting Veronica, returned after Veronica's sleuthing found her on a bar stool in the middle of nowhere and then absconded with the reward money Veronica and Keith had gotten after finding Duncan for the Kanes. This is the same money that was supposed to be for Veronica's college fund after she used the original money to fund Lianne's (wasted) stint in an alcohol treatment facility. I guess we need to keep our fingers crossed that Veronica gets that Kane scholarship!


You can catch all new episodes of Veronica Mars every Wednesday after America's Next Top Model on UPN. Everyone from Buffy creator Joss Whedon to Clerks director Kevin Smith to author Stephen King is watching. Shouldn't you? And 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!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Mother's Day: 'Earl' Style! Plus 'Inventor' and a CW Renewal Mix Up

(Photo courtesy NBC.com)

With the NCAA Basketball Tournament causing my usual Thursday night line-up to take a back seat, I'm able to talk about different shows this week. One of those shows is one of my favorite comedies currently on the tube: My Name is Earl. I came late to the party on this show, but since watching my first episode, I haven't missed one. Like my other favorite comedies, Scrubs and Everybody Hates Chris, this show blends big laughs with tremendous heart. Earl is such a good person (since he karma-induced change), and I love how he'll stop at nothing to cross the righted-wrong of the week off his list, even if the person he wronged is himself. Last night's episode found Earl busy with two items on his list. He wanted to make up for the Mother's Days he had ruined in the past. After finally fulfilling the coupon book he had given to his mother after stealing it from another kid one year when he was a child, Earl had to do something for his dad at his mother's request. Earl and his dad don't really speak, but Earl settled on getting his father's car back from the man he lost it to in a drag race years ago. The best part of this story line came when Earl returned the car and found out that his dad had planned to give it to him someday. Earl then had to add himself to his list since he cheated himself out of the car and the potential for better experiences with it. He decided to fix up the car at his parents house and soon enough his father was helping. Earl realized that he hadn't just cheated himself out of a car, but out of the experience of working on it with his dad. Meanwhile, Joy sent the kids with Darnell to his parents house for the week as her Mother's Day gift, but she was so lonely without them that she wound up drunk most of the time they were gone. I loved the way Randy filled the void that her family left. I also loved the many scenes of Joy drunk, especially the one at the bar with the margarita she was drinking directly from the blender.


People were pulling out all the stops last night on ABC's latest reality show American Inventor (photo courtesy ABC.com)! I didn't catch the entire 2-hour premiere, but the things I did see - just wow. I'm going to start with the woman who thought she had a novel idea with the little bed caddie thing. Now, when I graduated high school and went to college more than seven years ago, I almost bought one of these at Bed Bath & Beyond. I also worked in that store one summer, and it was a very hot item. We couldn't keep it in stock! This woman swore up and down, after the judges told her it already existed, that they were lying. I guess I'm lying too. Oh, and so is Bed Bath & Beyond, Linen 'n Things, Target and just about every other retail store in America. I loved how she admitted that she called one of those 1-800 numbers to get her patent, and one of the judges told her that those numbers are a scam, and she still didn't believe him! Oh well, it's her $12,000. What was up with the creepy child-cage-packaged-as-a-fun-timeout-room woman??!! That thing was just disturbing. I loved the man with the exercise weights that brought judge Mary Lou Quinlan to tears. Part of me felt bad for the 14-year old boy with the doggie air conditioner, but the other part felt that he needed a dose of humility. Overall, it was an interesting show, but probably not something that will become appointment viewing for me. Did you catch the premiere of American Inventor last night? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts.

About Last Night... ABC won the first hour of the night with the premiere of American Inventor, followed by CBS' NCAA basketball coverage and NBC comedies Will & Grace and Four Kings. At 9, a second hour of Inventor easily took the crown for ABC, followed by NCAA coverage on CBS and comedies My Name is Earl and The Office on NBC. The final hour of the night went to NBC's ER, followed by CBS' NCAA coverage and ABC's Primetime. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - Deal or No Deal continues on NBC. CBS bumps its usual Friday line-up for coverage of the NCAA Basketball Tournament (begins at 7 p.m.).

@9 p.m. - Mary has to coordinate a huge wedding for one of Sam's biggest whales on NBC's Las Vegas. Over on ABC, an anonymous tip leads the NJP to reinvestigate a couple convicted of a bombing crime on In Justice. The WB's premieres its new Jerry Bruckheimer comedy Modern Men starring Jane Seymour as a life coach helping three men deal with their relationship issues at 9:30 p.m.

@10 p.m. - Finn investigates the mysterious suicide of a 12-year old girl whose mother claimed her daughter was dying of cancer on NBC's Conviction.

SUNDAY EDITION
@8 p.m. - Lilly and co. use the pieces of a killer's demented puzzle in order to save a young boy's life, all while time is quickly slipping away on CBS' Cold Case. From what I'm hearing this is a can't-miss episode, so clear your schedules Sunday night for this one. It comes to us from writer Veena Sud who also wrote last season's intense serial killer arc as well as some of the series' most emotional episodes. Speaking of last season's serial killer (SPOILER WARNING - STOP READING NOW IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW), series star Kathryn Morris told TV Guide's Mike Ausiello a while back that there will be some reference to Lilly's experience with George in this episode. She seemed to hint that this guy knows about Lilly's experience with him (END SPOILER WARNING). Over on NBC, an unexpected twist gives Vinnick an opportunity to damage the Santos campaign with only two weeks left before the election on The West Wing.

@9 p.m. - The brutal beating murder of a female Secret Service agent in her home has Logan and Barek looking through her husband's many clients on NBC's Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

@10 p.m. - Mary Kay Place guest stars on ABC's Desperate Housewives as a series of deaths occur at Seattle Grace and the uncanny events bring out the doctors’ superstitious sides and make Izzie nervous about Denny’s surgery. Over on NBC, Jordan investigates why several firefighters perished in a devastating wildfire on Crossing Jordan.



QUICK CUTS

*And finally, you just knew it had to be too good to be true, right? Yesterday, TVWeek.com reported that the new CW network had renewed 13 series including Veronica Mars and Everwood. Not true according to TV Guide's Mike Ausiello who writes about the gaffe in today's edition of the Ausiello Report. It seems a reporter at TVWeek.com "assumed too much" at a development presentation the CW gave to advertisers Wednesday according to a rep from the network. TVWeek.com quickly pulled the story from its site Thursday afternoon, but not before many of the shows' fans quickly spread the erroneous news. The CW will announce who makes the cut on the upstart network during its fall schedule announcement on May 18th. Fans of both shows can show their support for them by writing letters. To find out more on how you can save Veronica Mars, click over to Mars Investigations. To find out how you can help Everwood, visit Save Everwood Now (Be sure to read all the way to the bottom for the latest info).


That's all for today. Be sure to tune in Monday for thoughts on Cold Case (I'm really psyched about this episode. Will it live up to my expectations?). Plus, all the latest television news. And don't forget to check back here later today for the next installment of Friday Fun! You don't want to miss this edition!


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

'Mars' Gives Us an Explosive Revelation! Plus 'Idol,' 'Model,' 'Office' and Internet TV

Veronica (Kristen Bell) interrogates guest star Kristin Cavallari (photo courtesy UPN/Warner Bros. Not for use on other sites/blogs)

It's so good to have Veronica Mars back, so good that I'm going to completely overlook Kristin Cavallari's so-so performance. She only had a few scenes and she wasn't terrible, but not great either. I had a feeling all along that the person blackmailing the gay teens at Neptune High was one of them. After Cavallari's character Kylie outed herself on the student news, I was pretty sure she was also the blackmailer. I did think that her reason for outing her girlfriend had good intentions, even if her tactics weren't the best. I just couldn't figure out how Kylie was connected to the pizza delivery muggings, but that's because she wasn't. Two seemingly connected events were actually just random coincidences, which I thought made the mystery of the week a little stronger. Overall, though, I felt that the mystery was a bust. It just didn't have enough intrigue or development for me to get completely into the story.

I'm OK with the lackluster mystery of the week because there was a lot of explosive revelations about Terrence's possible involvement in the bus crash and new developments on the Logan/Hannah front (photo courtesy UPN/Warner Bros. Not for use on other sites/blogs). Both of these storylines made up for the weaker one. First, Logan and Hannah. So, Logan knew that Hannah's father was the "eye witness" on the bridge framing him, but he says he didn't know that when he met her. He seemed pretty sincere when he told Hannah, and he didn't lie to her about anything else when he came clean, so I'm going to believe him for now. I think he probably saw Dr. Griffith pick up Hannah and realized that a golden opportunity had just landed in his lap. I loved the way he confronted Dr. Griffith and didn't back down. The question is, will Hannah join forces with Logan now that she knows the truth about her father? And if she does, will Logan have more leverage over Dr. Griffith? It's an interesting dynamic, and as much as I want to trust Logan, you always have to be on your toes with him. The character is so rich and complex, and that makes him incredibly fascinating. Speaking of incredibly fascinating, how about that look Veronica gave when she found out that Hannah's father is a plastic surgeon! Things are beginning to heat up in Neptune!

On the Terrence front, we learned that he has a shaky-at-best alibi and he happens to have some explosive devices in his hangar (which he uses to house his many expensive cars). Of course, Jackie pointed out to Veronica earlier that evening that Woody Goodman actually owns the hangar, so it's possible they aren't Terrence's explosives. I get that Terrence was gambling at a casino during the bus crash, but what I don't get is how this proves he's not involved. I know the casino blocks out cell signals to decrease cheating and there are photos showing Terrence at various places inside the casino, but the photos skip from 7:01 p.m. to 7:06 p.m. and the bus crash happened at 7:03 p.m. Couldn't Terrence have slipped out of the casino in that five minute span, make the call that triggered the explosion and then go back inside to continue gambling? I mean, I know he doesn't want the whole gambling thing coming out, but as Keith told him, casinos are some of the most videotaped places in the world. Surely this didn't slip Terrence's mind when/if he chose to use it as his alibi. I'm not saying that he's responsible, but when you couple the missing five minutes with the explosives that Veronica found, it's certainly possible. I'm not ruling him out, but then again, I don't rule anyone out on this show because every time you think you have something figured out, it finds a way to surprise you.


The Idol Moment
Well, the top 12 experienced the first casualty last night, and I can't say I'm bummed. I always thought that Melissa McGhee (photo courtesy Fox's American Idol) was the weakest link. Compared to her competition, she was just alright. I thought Ayla was more deserving of a top 12 berth, but that wasn't in the cards for her. Despite forgetting some of her lyrics the other night, I think Melissa did a nice job, but she was still my least favorite. I was surprised to see cutie Ace in the bottom three just because he is so popular. I guess his fans were too busy voting for Kevin Corvais (insert eye roll here). Zap2it's TV Gal predicted that Kevin would be this season's John Stevens, and I think she's right. I'm hoping not since the whole John Stevens debacle frustrated me to no end. My favs right now are still Katharine, Paris, Lisa (OMG!! I was so upset when she was in the bottom three. I will swear off this show if she doesn't make at least the top 5. Well, maybe not, but you know what I mean), Chris and, like Simon, I have warmed up to Taylor. He just exudes so much energy and he can sing! We're down to 11 contestants, who will go next? I think Kellie Pickler's days are numbered. I just don't get her appeal. Her voice is just so-so and she's just too ditzy for me, endearing, but ditzy. What did you think about last night's results? Were you happy to see Melissa go or sad that she went before some of the others? Leave me a comment with your thoughts.


The Model Moment
I am also happy with who got the boot last night on America's Next Top Model. Wendy (photo courtesy UPN) from New Orleans was sent packing after the judges felt that she wasn't a model. She's a pretty girl, but I have to agree. She seemed really sweet and she was obviously still struggling with everything that happened to her and her family during Hurricane Katrina, so I felt bad for her when she found out she was leaving. I liked everyone's makeovers except for Sarah's, but she's such a beautiful girl that it doesn't affect her looks. I agree with her, it just doesn't fit her personality. She's still my favorite, though. I thought it was interesting to learn that Jade's arrogance and lack of humility are really just a cover for her deep-rooted insecurities. I actual have a tiny ounce of sympathy for her now (yeah, it probably won't last). Furonda is increasingly getting on my nerves, and I think someone needs to knock her down off her pedestal real fast. I really like Nnenna. She just seems like a class act and very regal. I think that Joanie's days are numbered. What did you think about last night's elimination? Was Wendy your pick as well? Who do you think is going next? Leave me a comment with your thoughts.

About Last Night...Fox won the first hour of the night with Bones, followed by CBS' Survivor clip show (CBS had more total viewers) and ABC comedies George Lopez and Freddie. At 9, Fox maintained its lead with American Idol and new comedy The Loop, followed by CBS' Criminal Minds (r) and NBC's Law & Order (r). UPN's Veronica Mars landed in fifth ahead of the WB's Beauty and the Geek rerun. The final hour of the night went to CBS' CSI: NY (r), followed by NBC's Law & Order (r) and ABC's Invasion. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - ABC kicks off its new reality show American Inventor with a 2-hour premiere. Simon Cowell and the producers of American Idol will conduct the biggest search ever for America’s best new invention on the new reality competition. Over on Fox, The Loop moves to its usual timeslot. CBS begins its coverage of the NCAA basketball tournament, so that means no usual Thursday line-up. Basketball coverage begins at 7 p.m.

@9 p.m. - Earl tries to do something nice for his mother on Mother's Day and Beau Bridges guest stars as Earl's father on NBC's My Name is Earl. Over on Fox, Marissa and Volchok grow closer on The O.C.

@10 p.m. - Dr. Weaver contemplates hip replacement surgery after she finds it hard to do her labor intensive job and Armand Assante guest stars on NBC's ER.



QUICK CUTS

*CBS might face the music to the tune of more than $3.6 million. The Federal Communications Commission ruled that a December 2004 broadcast of the network's hit show Without a Trace contained indecent material. The episode, entitled "Our Sons and Daughters," had a scene showing teenagers at a sex party that had "explicit and lengthy ... depictions of sexual activity, including apparent intercourse" according to the FCC. The organization felt that the scene went "well beyond what the story line could reasonably be said to require." CBS originally aired the episode in November 2003, and received complaints at that point as well. The proposed fine will not apply to all of the CBS affiliates in the country, just those in the central and mountain times zones and Alaska and Hawaii because they air Trace before 10 p.m. when material such as that contained in the episode is less acceptable. CBS says it "strongly disagrees" with the ruling on Trace.

*NBC's The Office isn't getting much of a break this year. The comedy will be shooting 10 webisodes that will air exclusively on NBC.com this summer. The serialized-arc will feature the accounting staff at Dunder Mifflin paper company in a mystery over who stole $3,000 from the Scanton office. The episodes will not be connected to this season or next. Look for the webisodes to premiere sometime this summer on NBC.com.

*The next edition of Rock Star will search for a lead singer for the new band Supernova CBS announced today. The band will feature drummer Tommy Lee (Motley Crüe), Jason Newsted (Metallica) and Gilby Clarke (Guns N' Roses). The show will narrow the field of contestants down to 16, and then choose the lead singer from there. Once the singer is chosen, the band will record its debut album of original tracks. Rock Star (working title) will return this summer on CBS.

*And finally, America Online is taking the concept of television to a height. The Internet service provider is now offering reruns of 30 classic Warner Bros. shows including Growing Pains and Eight is Enough on its new Internet channel. Dubbed, In2TV, the Internet only network is free to anyone with high-speed Internet access and is advertiser supported. The company plans to air more than 100 series and at least 300 episodes a month along with games, polls and other interactive features in the future.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for thoughts on American Inventor (Will it be Idol with inventions as it's being billed?) and My Name is Earl. Plus, 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

'Race' Keeps us Hanging! Plus the Scrubies, 'Veronica' Returns and Nielsen Wednesday

You're a tricky one Amazing Race! You decided to do one of those now infamous "Phil on the mat" non elimination eliminations last night that you usually reserve for the latter legs of the race. You definitely fooled me this once, but don't expect to fool me twice! And could they have picked a worse point in the competition to put up those dreaded three words ("To Be Continued...")? Who do they think they are? The evil producers from Deal or No Deal? Anyway, the teams started out the gate in Brotas, Brazil where they learned they would have to ride a 300-foot zip line to get their next clue. Nothing exciting transpired here, unless you count Lake getting lost and only partially blaming himself again. Oh, and there was the usual playfulness between friends Eric and Jeremy (Team Slacker). You know those two, they just can't start a leg without a fun pat on the rear end from each other. Speaking of Team Slacker, they apparently made some major strides at the Pit Stop with Team Double D, so maybe these crazy kids will find a way to make it last. That is, if Eric and Jeremy change into some clean underwear after that scare Team Hippie gave them at the zip line location. Seriously, have you ever seen someone jump so high out of their car seat? Awesome! Moving on, after the teams completed the zip line, they learned that they would be traveling to Moscow, Russia. The teams thought the language barrier was difficult in Brazil, just wait until they have to deal with another alphabet! Man, this edition is seriously making up for that family experiment. The prospect of going to Russia is very exciting to everyone, except for Lake. He apparently has a strange aversion to Russia, or rather "Freakin' Russia" as he put it. Speaking of Lake, did you know that he and Michelle haven't been "ugly" to each other yet? Yeah, I'm scared to see his definition of "ugly" too. The teams had to make their way to a bus stop, grab a departure time and head to the airport. Poor Fran and Barry were the only team on the last bus. At the airport, all of the teams landed on the same flight and made their way to "Freakin'" Moscow (TM Lake).

Once in Moscow, the teams had to find Chaika Bassein, a water sports facility once used to train Olympic athletes. Team Hippie was first to arrive, and it was Roadblock time. The Roadblock required one member to dress in a bathing suit, face the ice cold temperatures and dive 10 meters into the pool. Once in the pool, the team member had to dive down and get a clue. This Roadblock doesn't sound too difficult, but it produced a lot of drama. First, Yolanda began instantly regretting her decision to complete the Roadblock. It seems she's not a very good swimmer, but after a lot of hesitation on the diving board, she completed the task. The second dose of drama arose after Wanda (Team Mother/Daughter) jumped in the pool. We soon learned that she has a fear of diving down into deep water. She tried to get the clue, but to no avail. It seemed like all hope was lost as the show faded to commercial. When it started back up, I expected the usual "everything is fine now" routine, but for the first time that I can remember in the history of The Amazing Race, this was not the case. Eventually, and after a lot of coaxing from her daughter, Wanda completed the task. Meanwhile, the rest of the teams had made their way to the next route marker in an old, beautiful cathedral, where they found a Detour: Scrub or Scour. In Scrub, teams would have to travel to a trolley depot and wash a trolley thoroughly on the outside and inside. In Scour, teams would have to search 1,500 multi-piece Russian nesting dolls to find one of 10 tiny clues hidden inside (I LOVE these challenges!). And when I say the "rest of the teams," I mean everyone except Team Double D who discovered that they had forgotten their fanny pack back at the Roadblock. The girls had to find a taxi back, get the fanny pack, and then find another taxi back to the cathedral before they could even get to the Detour. Yeah, they seemed like goners. But wait! As the girls pulled up to the Roadblock, Team Mother/Daughter was just leaving! All hope was not lost.

The rest of teams struggled with the language/ alphabet barrier (see, I knew that was going to be a problem) and wound up at the Scour Detour instead of Scrub, much to their dismay. Now, Team Hippies, Lake/Michelle, Team Slacker, Ray/Yolanda and Fran/Barry were all stuck searching for a tiny clue hidden in the nesting dolls while getting-on-your-last-nerve music played in the background. I figured this was going to be a worse case scenario for Lake, but he didn't get too frustrated. I guess that's because Michelle found the clue right after Team Slacker found theirs. So, Michelle earned some serious brownie points that might keep Lake from degrading her for a task or two, but probably not. The rest of the teams continued to search. Meanwhile, Team Nerds and Team MoJo shared a taxi, but ended up driving around in circles for what seemed like forever. They finally reached the Scrub Detour, but Team Mother/Daughter and Team Double D had already gotten there. Apparently, it didn't just seem like forever, it was forever! All four teams began scrubbing away as Ray/Yolanda and Team Hippies both found the hidden clue back at Scour and made their way to Phil. Team Slacker and Lake/Michelle wondered aimlessly around Red Square searching for Phil, but Team Slacker got there first. Too bad for them that this was just a Phil on the mat finish, and they would need to keep racing. Will Fran and Barry ever find the hidden clue at Scour? Will the trolley washers complete their task? We'll have to wait until next week to know for sure, but the previews made the answers pretty obvious (photos courtesy cbs.com).

Once again, Scrubs continued to pack plenty of laughs into a 30-minute episode last night. I loved the Watchie-Talkies! We also had the return of JD's half acre, Crisco sunscreen, JD taking Turk to the fertility clinic, and Dr. Cox named the best doctor in the city, which led to the hilariously uncomfortable scene where Dr. Kelso had to admit that Perry is the best doctor. As usual, here's a look at last night's best, funniest and overall clever lines.

The Scrubies
"Perry, the last publication I read was the issue of Out my son left by the crapper when he was home this weekend asking for money." Dr. Kelso pretending to be ignorant about Dr. Cox's honor

"Yes I am. I'm going to give you a second so you can think about how lucky that makes you." Dr. Cox after a patient asks him if he's her doctor

"See, this is why I hate cancer." Elliot after learning that Keith wouldn't be able to come over that night because he had to tend to a patient with cancer

"Turk may be sterile." Carla after Elliot and Jordan were competing over who had it worse with their significant other
"We have a winner!" Jordan

"It's not weird that you know that at all." Dr. Cox to JD after learning that JD can tell when Turk's naked because his voice is higher

"People started talking and Perry ended up completely emasculated, so it worked out for me." Jordan on what happened after she got Perry his promotion

"Excuse me, are any of the reading materials in there available out here?" JD to the nurse at the fertility clinic

"If I wanted to waste my breath, I would have given my wife mouth-to-mouth last night when she went into cardiac arrest." Dr. Kelso to Dr. Cox

That's this week's edition of The Scrubies. If you have a quote that you would like to nominate for a Scrubie, be sure to leave me a comment and I'll publish it in a future edition. Or, if you would just like to comment on last night's episode of Scrubs or The Amazing Race, feel free to drop me a line as well.

About Last Night...Fox won the first hour of the night with American Idol, followed by CBS' NCIS and an hour of ABC's According to Jim. At 9, Fox's Idol continued its dominance, followed by CBS' The Unit and a tie between an hour of NBC's Scrubs and an hour of ABC's Sons & Daughters (NBC had more total viewers). The final hour of the night went to NBC's Law & Order: SVU (r), 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. - It's makeover night on UPN's America's Next Top Model and the girls get put on ice. Over on Fox, Bones moves to its new, temporary timeslot. CBS moves Survivor to this new slot while it airs the NCAA basketball tournament tomorrow night. Tonight's show is just a highlight reel from the first 15 days on the island.

@9 p.m. - UPN's Veronica Mars finally returns!! Tonight, Laguna Beach's Kristin Cavallari guest stars as a cheerleader who enlists Veronica's help to find out who is blackmailing her and other gay teens at Neptune High. And if you can't wait until the new episode airs tonight (like me), you can click on over to TV Guide's Insider column (beware, there are some minor spoilers) for the site's exclusive Q&A with the show's creator/ executive producer Rob Thomas. Over on Fox, we learn which contestant is going home on American Idol. At 9:30, Fox premieres its new comedy The Loop, which follows the youngest executive at the corporate headquarters of a major airline who also happens to be the first of his friends to get a real job.

Kristin Cavallari guest stars as a blackmailed cheerleader on tonight's Veronica Mars (photo courtesy UPN/Warner Bros. Not for use on other sites/blogs)

@10 p.m. - ABC's Invasion airs its last episode before it upcoming hiatus. Tonight, Christina forces Mariel to perform an ultrasound to find out what’s growing inside her.



QUICK CUTS

*NBC and Microsoft are teaming up to give you more chances to catch NBC's new thriller Heist. Before the show premieres March 22nd, you'll have a chance to see 16 minutes of the pilot exclusively on MSN Video the network announced yesterday. The preview is available now. The Internet site will also have the exclusive rights to stream the entire first two episodes of the upcoming series after they air on NBC. Heist follows professional thief, Mickey O'Neil (Dougray Scott) as he "assembles an expert team of career criminals to attempt one of the biggest heists in history. Their plan: simultaneously rob three of the most renowned jewelry stores on Beverly Hills' famed Rodeo Drive during Academy Awards week" according to the release. It premieres March 22nd on NBC.

*And finally, it's Nielsen Wednesday! Fox won the week fueled by the ever-popular American Idol, which landed in the #1, 2 and 4th positions for the week. CSI (#3), Grey's Anatomy (#5), Desperate Housewives (#6), House (#7), Without a Trace (#8), CSI: Miami (#9) and The Unit (#10) rounded out the Top 10. To see which shows made the Top 20, visit USA Today.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for thoughts on the return of Veronica Mars (Do the happy dance!) and The Idol Moment! Plus, 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

Siblings that See Ghosts Together, Stay Together! Plus a Big Announcement, 'Veronica Mars' and More 'Idol'

So, Medium was pretty excellent last night! As usual, it definitely kept me guessing and I never saw the big revelation coming, even though after we learned that Lea was dead, I thought back to the clues (no one in the bar hearing her drink order except Allison's brother Michael, Lea not knowing where she was staying, etc) and realized that the groundwork had been laid for this big twist. I just failed to see it along the way. Now, before any Ghost Whisperer fans write in and say that last night's Medium was some sort of rip-off of that show, it should be known that I do not watch Ghost Whisperer (I have never even seen an episode), so my thoughts on Medium will be independent of that show. Anyway, Allison's brother Michael rolled into town very unexpectedly at the same time that she began having dreams that he was involved in a bank robbery. During the robbery, the robbers took a young red head hostage as they made their escape. The next day, Allison learns that the robbery she dreamt about really happened and there is a red head hostage. So, what does a bank robbery with a hostage have to do with Michael coming to town? Nothing, except for the small fact that Michael meets a girl (Lea) on his first night in town and that girl wants him to get her stuff back from her ex-boyfriend. He agrees to get it, but everything gets turned upside down. One of her boyfriend's "business associates" is still in the hotel room while Michael tries to escape with the suitcase, which unbeknownst to him is full of money - money taken in the bank robbery. And remember that red head hostage, well she's Lea and she's part of the bank scheme, not really a hostage, and oh yeah, she's dead. It seems her ex-boyfriend shot her, decapitated her and removed her hands to make identification more difficult. Is this guy a prize or what? Lea doesn't realize that she's dead, though, until Allison councils her, and Michael doesn't believe in Allison's gift until he experiences it for himself. I think this is the first episode of this show where I felt a little choked up at the end. It was very well done.

COMING SOON!!!

As promised, I have a big Pass the Remote announcement! Coming soon to a computer screen near you, the new, more expansive Pass the Remote. Not the blog, but a brand new site serving all of your television needs. The new site, PassTheRemote.Net, will have television news, listings, Friday Fun archive, Best of Pass the Remote, a photo gallery and more! The best part, you'll still get your daily dose of thoughts on the previous night's programs, Primetime Pass, About Last Night and all your other favorite Pass the Remote features right here in this daily blog! The blog isn't going anywhere; it's just getting fancier new digs and an easier web address (www.passtheremote.net). Here's a breakdown of PassTheRemote.Net's features:

~NEWS: You'll have access to the day's biggest television headlines and stories
~PASS THE REMOTE BLOG: Easy link with a preview of the day's hottest topics
~BEST OF PASS THE REMOTE: Includes a photo gallery (which will house all of my pictures from my Veronica Mars set visit among other future endeavors) and easy reference links to the best editions of Pass the Remote (including all my posts on the set visit)
~FRIDAY FUN: An easy to use archive of all the Friday Fun editions of Pass the Remote
~LISTINGS: Find out what's on TV each night

And more! I'll keep you guys up-to-date right here on Pass the Remote on the launch date of PassTheRemote.Net. Stay tuned!

About Last Night...NBC won the first hour of the night with Deal or No Deal, followed by CBS comedies King of Queens and the premiere of The New Adventures of Old Christine and ABC's Wife Swap. At 9, CBS took the lead with comedies Two and a Half Men and a second episode of Old Christine, followed by Fox's 24 and NBC's The Apprentice. The final hour of the night went to CBS' CSI: Miami, followed by NBC's Medium and ABC's Miracle Workers. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - The top 12 contestants perform in a special 2-hour episode of Fox's American Idol. Over on CBS, the NCIS team is called in when a teenager holds his school hostage with a bomb.

@9 p.m. - JD gets fed up with intern Keith's level of perfection on NBC's Scrubs. Another episode follows at 9:30 (rerun), and this week it's Sarah Chalke's (Elliot) favorite episode. CBS' latest hit, The Unit, follows up its huge premiere last week with a mission that turns into an opportunity to catch a wanted terrorist.

@10 p.m. - The teams say goodbye to Brazil and head to Russia where they face the frustrating challenge of finding a clue hidden inside thousands of Russian nesting dolls on CBS' The Amazing Race. Over on ABC, Alan Shore’s secretary is arrested for tax evasion on Boston Legal.


QUICK CUTS

*There's great news on the Veronica Mars front. UPN announced yesterday that it will air 9 consecutive new episodes of the show beginning tomorrow night. The network also released some plot points surrounding these new episodes that you'll see over the next several weeks. You know the drill, if you don't want to be spoiled, stop reading now (SPOILER WARNING). Veronica investigates who's blackmailing the gay students at Neptune High, Dr. Griffith tells Logan to stay away from his daughter Hannah, Veronica searches for a runaway bride who happens to be Wallace's new girlfriend's sister, Harry Hamlin and Charisma Carpenter return as Aaron Echolls meets with Kendall to discuss getting into Logan's hotel suite, Veronica runs into Troy while taking a college tour and Arrested Development's Michael Cera and Alia Shawkat guest star (END SPOILER WARNING). Veronica Mars returns tomorrow night at 9 p.m. EST on UPN.

*American Idol is getting its own pre-show courtesy of the TV Guide Channel. The new live hour-long show, dubbed Idol Tonight, will air before every new episode of the popular Fox reality competition. It will feature appearances by former contestants and past Idol stars, along with interviews with vocal coaches, casting agents and industry insiders. Former Idol contestant Kimberly Caldwell and former Popstars contestant Rosanna Tavarez will host the program that premieres tonight at 7 p.m. EST on cable's TV Guide Channel.

*And finally, Sunday's huge ratings battle between the return of HBO's Sopranos and the behemoth that is ABC's Desperate Housewives ended with both shows showing some battle scars. The Sopranos' audience was down from its last two season premieres according to Nielsen Media Research. The show still managed to garner an impressive 9.5 million viewers. Housewives was down from its season average, but only about 900,000 viewers, coming in with just over 22 million viewers for the hour. The two shows will face off again on March 26th when Housewives returns with a new episode.

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.


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

Scotty Learns the 'Cold' Truth and Gabby is 'Desperate' to Adopt! Plus DVD Releases and Alicia Silverstone's TV Return

There were many things in last night's Cold Case episode that shocked me. First of all, Scotty worked as a narc? Undercover? And he looked like this (above)? This just doesn't seem very Scotty, but then we learned that it wasn't, which led to the problem. And then there was the disturbing look at the world of drug mules, something that you hear about, but experiencing through a character on a television shows makes it hit a little closer to home. The final shocking turn, and what I found to be the most shocking, was the revelation that Scotty purposely omitted pertinent information when they first re-opened the case. From the promos, press release, and just about everything else, I had the impression that he and the murdered drug mule (Ana) were involved, so I was expecting some big "shocking" revelation scene where the rest of the characters (who don't have the benefit of promos) catch up with the rest of us. Imagine my shock when we learned that Scotty and Ana didn't have an inappropriate relationship, but rather, he just got too close to her in a more human way and that closeness led to his bad decision. I don't blame Scotty, though. Yes, he shouldn't have let his emotions get in the way (thus, the reason why he's not cut out for undercover narcotics work), but giving Ana his number in case of an emergency is not what led to her death. I can't even blame his sergeant, although he's not my favorite person after what he did, or rather what he didn't do (he could have protected her), because this murder came down to two people willing to do absolutely anything to get the two "cookies" of drugs that Ana had stashed as a bargaining tool to get her passport and money back. Cold Case is the master at manipulating emotions so well that you're willing to forgive the fact that it is purposely trying to evoke a deep sadness from you. This was certainly the case last night. How sad was Ana's murder scene in the SUV? When she looked up and saw herself achieving her dream it seriously pulled at my heartstrings. Manipulation successful achieved.


I have to give props to my girl Lilly. I thought for sure that she would have been all over Scotty for leaving out pertinent information, getting too close to Anna and almost blowing the entire investigation back in 1998. It just seemed so her, but she surprised me. I didn't detect a high-and-mighty moment in the entire episode. In fact, despite Scotty's past untruthfulness, she was one of the last to believe that anything more than friendship transpired between him and Ana. She didn't even get on him when he finally admitted that he hadn't been entirely forthcoming about the night of Ana's murder. She had more of a disappointed look to her than a judgmental or angry one. I do think that she took mental note of a pattern that seems to have developed in Scotty's life. He's not very good at controlling himself, especially during the times it seems most needed. There was no mention of Ray the motorcycle man, but several allusions to Scotty's misstep with Lil's sister last season. I liked the way the episode chose to hint at it without beating us over the head with what happened. We got that Lil might doubt Scotty because he lied to her about Chris without them telling us, so I appreciate the subtlety. I thought Scotty's realization that he needed to mend his ways was interesting and I'm hoping we get to see where it leads.

Please don't tell me that Desperate Housewives is going back to being boring. Not when things just started picking up this season! Even as I sit here to write about the episode, I find that there's little of note. Why can't all shows use set-up episodes as effectively as Veronica Mars? All of these shows (I'm looking at you Desperate Housewives and Lost) could take a page or two out of Veronica's notebook. I did find the Gabby-and-Carlos-try-to-adopt storyline interesting and comical until it took a turn toward black market baby-land. I don't know how I feel about that idea. John's mom working at the adoption agency was a surprising turn, and it led to a very uncomfortable scene. I really dislike the whole dying-man-needs-to-see-grandson story line. It has dragged on for far too many episodes. I thought it had gotten interesting when we thought that Paul had died, but that was just a red herring. We get it, Dierdre's father is the quintessential soap opera bad guy. Can we please move on now? Susan was up to her usual silly antics. Is anyone surprised that she still loves Mike? I guess maybe she'll be when she wakes up. Lynette and Tom should not be working together, although, it makes for interesting scenes between them. It's just not good for their marriage. The only other interesting story last night was Bree's decision to go to AA to fight Andrew's emancipation. This chick is in serious denial! She keeps excusing her behavior away while drowning herself in her many stashed bottles of wine. Bree, there are some things you can't handle yourself, please seek help!

About Last Night...CBS won the first hour of the night with Cold Case, followed by ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (Case won in households, Makeover in total viewers) and Fox's The Simpsons and The War at Home. At 9, ABC took over with Desperate Housewives, followed by NBC's Law & Order: CI and CBS' movie How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days. The final hour of the night went to ABC's Grey's Anatomy (which got the night's biggest audience again), followed by NBC's Crossing Jordan and the second hour of CBS' movie. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - NBC airs another edition of Deal or No Deal. Over on CBS, new Julia Louis-Dreyfus comedy The New Adventures of Old Christine premieres (another episodes airs at 9:30 p.m.).

@10 p.m. - Allison has a disturbing dream about her brother just as he rolls into town and she begins to fear the worst on NBC's Medium. Over on CBS, the team finds evidence that may prove that a man found innocent of killing his wife is really guilty on CSI: Miami.



QUICK CUTS

*Actress Alicia Silverstone is coming back to TV. She has just been cast in the lead role for the ABC pilot Pink Collar. The single-camera comedy (in the same tradition as this year's breakouts My Name is Earl and Everybody Hates Chris as well as Scrubs and Arrested Development) will follow the relationships between female co-workers. Silverstone was last seen in NBC's short-lived Miss Match back in 2003.

*Reruns of HBO's critically acclaimed Six Feet Under are coming to a basic cable channel near you. Bravo purchased the exclusive rights to the show's reruns for the next four years according to an HBO rep. The series, which ended its run last August, aired for five seasons with a total of 63 episodes. HBO gave the cable channel the right to edit out content to make it suitable for a PG audience just as it did for TBS' airings of Sex and the City. The episodes are expected to start this fall and air once a week on Bravo.

*And finally, it's TV on DVD Monday! Look for I Dream of Jeannie (season 1 - available in both color and black/white) on store shelves tomorrow along with Columbo (season 4), MacGyver (season 5), Murder She Wrote (season 3) and Sleeper Cell (season 1). For the full list of tomorrow's releases, visit tvshowsondvd.com.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for thoughts on Medium and a special announcement that will bring exciting changes to Pass the Remote! Plus, 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