Weekend Rant - Holiday Blitz

Things have been zipping along this holiday season, and I wanted to get down some final thoughts before putting out my Top Ten lists of 2008.

First of all, congratulations are in order for the first winner of So you think you can dance Canada, the incredible Nico. It was not really a surprise, the guy deserved and easily won the title, and it was a phenomenal first season for the show. I am happy to say that the show exceeded my expectations and was more enjoyable than the American version.

Congratulations are also in order to Nick and Starr for winning this past edition of the Amazing Race, the brother and sister team were very impressive in this round and won many of the legs. It was nice to see a team that got along well, played hard and did a great run. It was an enjoyable season, and I am happy that the next one is just around the corner this February.

I am really getting into the final manipulations in Survivor: Gabon, and the wrench that Sugar threw in to the gears at the end of the last episode was priceless. I don't care what anyone else is saying, but I am convinced that Sugar is going to win it all. She has been under the radar a lot for someone who everyone knew had the hidden Immunity Idol, and her passing her idol to Matty at the last minute and ousting Crystal (thank god -- she really got on my nerves) has shifted the balance once again and Kenny better watch himself for the next round. I can hardly wait until the Finale this Sunday, and am still betting on the Pin Up Girl. She appears to be the accidental strategist but I am pretty sure there is more than that going on.

CSI is starting the departure of Grissom, and it's breaking my heart as much as the crew on the show. I bet the majority of tears on the show are the real thing and I can only imagine how emotional the scenes are. The introduction of our new (soon to be) level 1, Dr. Raymond Langston (Laurence Fishburne). I am happy it's not a quick in and out kind of meeting and that we get to see our new guy in his current job, but no one can replace Grissom. The big question will be to see what the chemistry will be like with the rest of the team, and how the new dynamics are going to play out. I am still interested but have quite a bit of trepidation.

Heroes is still not hitting all the right notes for me with the current storyline and I hope that things start getting back on track soon. I was disappointed that they decided to kill of Elle (one of the few interesting characters) and I am getting tired of all the back and forth with Hiro. At least it seems like he has his memories back but now is stuck back in time and powerless once again? I am starting to see Hiro as the joke here and never to be the actual Hero that he wants to be... at least the scenes with his mother were great but the time ripples from this particular event ( Hiro getting the catalyst instead of Claire) should be felt in modern time. This show is getting more confusing to watch but I am crossing my fingers that there will be something interesting that comes out of all of this.

Per usual, my biggest highlight of the week was Pushing Daisies. This past episode, The Legend of Merle McQuoddy, was such a brilliant combination of all the things that I love about this show that it's probably impossible to list every single thing that I loved, but some of the highlights included the developing drama with Chuck's undead Dad Charles Charles, and his disdain for pie. The whole pie or cake argument is not only a pivotal part of the storyline, but it is completely reflective of the fact that the show has only a few episodes left and soon all of us will be with out pie. I wish that someone had the balls to keep a quality show like this running on the air, but it appears that the almighty dollar reigns supreme once more.

Charles Charles is not quite the man that Chuck thinks he is (and how different is he really after being dead for so long and then undeaded?). The fight with him and Ned was brilliant, and we'll have to see what happens now that so many rules are being broken. I am surprised that we haven't seen Digby recently and wonder if he will show up in the last couple of episodes before the end.I almost expected Digby to jump in at one point and help Ned.

Olive just kills me, and between her snippy comments back and forth with the Diorama Widow (sorry but every time I think of those two and their back and forth passive aggressive barbs I hear Olive asking " Are those cotton balls stuck to your ass?".) I was rolling on the floor over that one and all the other bitchy comments that were exchanged between our ladies. Once again, high five to the art direction team and their brilliant choice of rain ponchos for our characters, Olive's rain gear was covered in olives (naturally), Ned had Pies all over his and our dear Emerson had Sharks all over his rain poncho. Sheer brilliance on all levels. Bryan threw a little nod to Prop 8 in his addition to the storyline that our Mr.McQoddy was shipwrecked and rescued by a Gay Family Cruise ship (more brilliance), and I loved the allusions to Batman at the beginning with the lighthouse signal, and it was another fun mystery story that got Olive further into the detective business with Emerson and a possible career option. We even got treated to a bit more music this week, this show must be saved some how. We need a Christmas Miracle!

Weekend Rant - Cold Comfort

Pushing Daisies had to be the biggest highlight of this past week, and Comfort Food , had even more tasty goodness than our last episode. The cold comfort is the impending demise of the show and the fact that the stories are getting better and better. The art direction is still astounding, and I loved the whole "Bake Off" atmosphere and odes to characters like Colonel Sanders (Colonel Likkin), the sheer insanity of the Waffle Nazi and the surprise appearance of Muffin Buffalo, another shout out to Wonderfalls and the whole zany universe that Bryan Fuller has created. My dream of a cross over featuring George from Dead like Me, Ned and Jaye from Wonderfalls may only be realized in a dream (or comic book).

We got treated to another song by Olive (as beautiful and brilliant as usual), and the more we learn about our main characters and their past, the more I get attached to this show. I know it's not every one's cup of tea, but it has so much depth and is so unusual that I can help but feel cheated that it will not get to realize it's potential. As usual there was tons of witty quips and a hilarious slow motion run to the finish. Chuck's story with her un-dead dad and the repercussions of lying to Ned to keep dad alive (and conveniently saving her and Ned's life at the cemetery) just got to the crux of the issue at the end of this episode, and I can hardly wait to see what happens next week. Cold comfort indeed.

The Amazing Race got closer to the finish line and will finish up this run tonight -- I was a bit in shock when Dallas forgot their bag with their money and passports and ended up eliminating him and mom during the penultimate leg, and even more shocked that the Frat boys actually kept it together enough to finish and be finalists this week. Andrew & Dan may have snuck into the Top 3 but they are so dysfunctional that I can't honestly see them winning and it would be the biggest upset in Race history if they do. I am still betting on Nick & Starr to win the big prize but Ken & Tina might beat them to the finish line. It will still be fun to watch tonight and I am happy to hear that the next round is already scheduled for February.

Heroes is pushing things a tad with their never ending eclipse that temporarily took away powers only to be things back to where there were before. The saving grace is our comic book nerds who are helping Hiro get back his memories that he no longer wants now that he has looked in on events in the 9th Wonders comic book. I just get tired of Hiro always reverting and going back to who he was before instead of becoming the kick ass warrior that we saw in season 1. Some of the story has been lost along the way but I was glad to see more of HRG in action like we know and love. The show needs to concentrate more on what works and to stop rebooting things non stop.

Survivor: Gabon is proving that out witting the other players is the way to win the game, and Bob has really been stepping his game up these past 2 weeks with some killer Individual Immunity performances and not one, but two fake Immunity Idols. I still think the biggest danger is Sugar, and she seems to some stay under every one's radar, even when she is being quite the bitch and not playing that nice. She still hasn't played her own Hidden Immunity Idol and doesn't seem to be in danger (and it appears the rest of them are so into their own game play that they have forgotten about it) and seems to be in the right direction to make it to the final four. It will be interesting to watch how things play out over the next couple of weeks.

On a side note: enough was enough and over the past few weeks I have dropped Stylista (what a snore fest) and can hardly wait until Stargate Atlantis finishes. I am just not liking the stories and everything feels terribly forced. It sucks when you have a great series that goes downhill ( I still blame all of it on the departure of Weir) and try as they might, they just can't get that chemistry back that was there a few seasons ago. It's a shame.... maybe the next series will resurrect the franchise.

So you think you can dance Canada - Final Four

After 3 months of competition (and it seems like only last month we started), we finally got down to the Final Four and the last dances before the final vote on the penultimate episode of So you think you can dance Canada . This week it was all about finding that one great dancer and I really think it was pretty obvious who had the goods after all was said and done.

I loved that we had Dan Karaty back at this important time, and I loved his opening number that was all very insane Mad Hatter influenced and had some great flow and cane work. The dancers did a great job but per usual Nico shined. There is nothing that they have thrown at him that the guy has not been able to handle.

It was a great mix of everyone paired up with everyone (in every combination possible including boy/boy and our 2 girls together) and it was a lot of choreography and practice to pick up in one week. The judges were very supportive last night of all of the dancers, and even when Miles blanked on some of the choreography in his number with Natalli, the judges brushed it off and told him to do the same and just to do his thing. It was very kind, but at the same time you knew that was going to be a factor at the end of the night when it came to voting.

Allie did very well for the evening, and I really think that she will be in second place once the do the first part of the elimination and Natalli and Myles are thanked and commended for their hard work and talent. Her contemporary number with Nico was breathtaking and I love her lines. She really has gone out of her element but brings such a natural grace and beauty to everyone dance that she performs. Natalli did an okay job, but was not as consistent as Allie over the evening and I think that maybe an influence at voting time. Miles did manage to get some good stuff out but was overwhelmed at times. Miles is astounding and has gone really far from his style, but ultimately it will be Nico who wins the big prize and gets the title. He doesn't even drive (which is not unusual for us urban dwellers who are used to transit and making our way around this great city), so it's kind of ironic that he wins the car but who cares? He's a great dancer and has been great to watch.

I can hardly wait until the big finale Sunday night -- I voted until I lost count this past Wednesday and am looking forward to seeing all the Top Ten perform again and the return of Mia Michaels and Mary Murphy to the panel. If this keeps up they will have to give Mary dual citizenship so she can be a regular on our show. Good luck Nico!

Weekend Rant - Week in Review

The holiday season is upon us, so the ranting may be a bit sporadic but come the end of year, I will be putting up my Top Ten in Reality and Best in Show for this season. Some series have already taken a break until the New Year, and the rest of them are on their way as things get wrapped up but I am a tad disappointed with the lack of Holiday themed episodes in some of my favorite series.

The Amazing Race was hilarious this past episode with our loser Frat Boys being total knobs in a Pit stop that required marching with the Russian Army. Dan & Andrew had another really bad episode riddled with errors and were saved by a non elimination round. I have never seen any one as uncoordinated as Dan in my entire life and I was praying for elimination. My favorites, Nick & Starr, had a rough round but managed to stay in the race and will hopefully get some ground back next round. It was nice to see Dallas & Toni win a round for a change.


This past week, I checked out the Stephen Colbert Christmas Special and it has quickly made it's way on to the Watch List as a regular holiday staple. I loved his irreverent look at things and the hilarious musical numbers. From the opening credits to the cheesy content, it covered all the essential elements of a Christmas Special, with the right amount of sarcasm and irreverent sense of humor to make it a truly enjoyable experience. Some of my favorites of the evening included his hilarious duet with John Stewart called "Can I Interest You In Hannukah?" and the very funny song by one of my favorite artists Feist, simply titled: Please Be Patient. I know I will be watching it at least one more time before Christmas and here's hoping it is actually an annual event and not a one shot like some of my other favorites.

Dancing with the Stars finished up this round with Brooke taking home the giant Mirror Ball Trophy and Lance finishing in 3rd place. I am pretty much sure it was the freestyle round that did him and Lacey in, as their performance just didn't have the oomph that Warren and Brooke did. I still applaud Lance for a great season and I had really hoped to see him come in second (in a worse case scenario) but was feeling kind of uneasy after their last performances. Warren did much better than expected and I really think it came down to style and music choice. No big complaints though, it was cute to see how excited Derek was about winning, and I am looking forward to seeing the next round.

Chuck finished up the storyline with his ex in a timely fashion and I loved the whole Thanksgiving vibe that they had going for the episode. I was a tad disappointed not to get the chance to meet the Awesome family (if they are all as hot as Captain Awesome then that would be completely awesome), but the storyline was hilarious and I loved the whole Black Friday thing at the Buy More. Big Al is under used but greatly appreciated, and it was nice seeing all the gang together at the end. The season is great this year.

Heroes is putting together a fascinating story, but I don't understand why an eclipse takes away powers (hopefully it will be explained) and no idea if the effect is temporary or permanent. Considering that an eclipse takes about 10 minutes to occur I am wondering how much time actually takes place during the episode. The development of things between Elle and Sylar is electric (sorry, I couldn't resist) and I liked the bonding time between HRG and Claire. We haven't seen enough of him this year and I am fascinated by his character. Mama and Papa Petrelli are really stealing the show for me and I am loving all their character development. The Petrelli boys are in trouble in Haiti and poof all of them are powerless (again I don't understand how eclipses work in this world) but the saving grace is Hiro and Ando in the comic book shop with none other than uber geek Seth Green and the return of the 9th Wonder comic books. I wonder what magic potion is going to set things right? The bad news, once we hit the holiday break there will be no new episodes until after January. Bad move NBC, the show was just getting it's mojo back and putting it on hold is not the smartest thing to do.

Bones absolutely killed me with the past episode The Bone that Blew that featured the return of Brennan's dad and a guest appearance by Gina Torres. I loved seeing dear old Dad once again, but was a bit taken back by his new role as a science teacher. I don't remember Max being into science but even with that he had the best line of the night when he asked Boothe if he was gay because he wasn't sleeping with Bones. It was a hilarious moment. The weirdest moment was seeing Booth interviewing Ezralow (Gina) and I had flashes of the Angel TV series and saw him with Jasmine. Disturbing yet welcomed feelings. The chemistry between the characters is still great, I loved the attempt at getting Hodgkins to play King of the Lab with one our rotating interns (Wendell) and I still have a gnawing feeling that Sweets is more than he lets on.

Finally, my heart is breaking as the episodes of Pushing Daisies start wrapping up. This week's edition, with a twist on a modern day Robin Hood and a hilarious appearance by Jennifer Elise Cox (Jan Brady from the Brady Bunch Films) as an Anna Nicole type character. The story was great and I loved the whole thing about Ned and trying not to touch anything in the Trophy Room full of taxidermy animals. Very funny stuff. The creepy stuff about digging up Chuck's dad at the end of the episode was disturbing and I hope that things have not deteriorated too much before the big reveal. I think it has been many years so not quite sure how Ned's ability works with rotted corpses, mind you they have made it seem like he has revived dead things in various states so we'll have to see how things work out.

As it stands, there are maybe 6 episodes left (sniff sniff) and I plan on revelling in each and every one of them before things end. How I wish ABC would change their mind about cancelling this brilliant series.

So you think you can dance Canada - Top 6

So you think you can dance Canada got back on track this week with the much awaited departure of Izaak (a few weeks too late for me, I would have liked to have seen Vincent as one of the last men standing) and the unfortunate dismissal of Lisa. A couple of weeks ago I was sure that Lisa would be there until the end but Natalli has really impressed me (and enough of the voting public) over the past few weeks and Allie has just been a complete revelation. It goes with out saying that Nico is the front runner for the title and I will be surprised if anyone else comes close. Miles has been great and gone much farther than expected, but I think he is missing the technique that Nico has. It will all play out next week and I can hardly wait.

It was fantastic to have Mary Murphy back on the judging panel and I am hoping she will be around next week for the final round. The choreographers have been better than expected but I was completely bored with Tré's Step Number and the entire time was trying to figure out who put it together (I believe my exact words were: Who choreographed this crap?) and then had a panic attack when they announced it was by Tré. I am just crossing my fingers that her fingers aren't going to be all over the Tour when they hit here in February.

Here's to Nico as the last guy standing (and winner of the first season) followed by Allie for the final girl. We'll see once they shake their groove thing one last time on Wednesday.

Weekend Rant - The Week in Review

This was another gut wrenching week in TV land and per usual for every high point there was something else to counterbalance. TV karma can be interesting at times.



Although I haven't mentioned the Big Bang Theory much this year (so far), the gang had me in hysterics with Sheldon's " Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock " and the explanation on how it all works together. The show is not missing a beat this season and is still one of the funniest things on the tube. I loved seeing Sara Rue again! I hope to see her around more but was really hoping for more of my favorite Sarah Gilbert and wondering if she is going to add more spice to the current love triangle.

Chuck broke my heart with Chuck vs the Fat Lady featuring the return of his Ex Jill and then the big reveal that she is an agent for FULCRUM. I could see that one coming a mile away but it just seems cruel to be tugging so deeply at Chuck's heartstrings. I loved all the inside nerd jokes and Sarah's jealousy and can see where they are going over the long term and I think that we will all be happy with the end result. Morgan got the Buy More back under control from new Assistant Manager Milbarge via a hilarious wine cooler induced drunken rant (Tony Hale is as brilliant as usual) and I have really been enjoying the flow of this season. Adam Baldwin kills me with his inane ability to communicate so much with a simple mmphh or some other grunt. Sheer brilliance.

Heroes current storyline Villains is much more adventure driven and making for a better story than the last ark, but there are parts that seem disjointed and I am having a problem understanding (and following) what they are doing with Hiro and his current regression to a younger mental age. Yes, I know that it is all due to mean Mr.Petrelli and all his awesome powers but I just feel that they are exploiting the Hiro character so that he can just repeat the fun things that made him interesting to begin with.

I love Hiro and want to see him go to his potential and be the kick ass hero and not continually being bounced back and forth and trying to find his mission. I am still a tad peeved that Monica has not been around this season and thought that her character had great potential.

Some the pieces of the puzzle are starting to come together... and seeing Elle and Sylar getting all chummy is really interesting (even more so know considering their newly revealed history) and they are quickly becoming the most interesting part of the ensemble. Peter is returning to his old emo self and our flashback into floppy haired Peter territory didn't really help. We'll have to see what things look like after the mysterious eclipse (again?) that will take away every one's powers. Let's hope it works on both sides of the spectrum, and it's both the heroes and the villains that start shooting blanks or things are going to get very messy very quick. Time for the cheerleader to save the world?

Pushing Daisies had one of it's best episodes ever with " Oh Oh Oh . . . It's Magic" that was well, magical. Ned reluctantly agrees to help The Great Herrmann ( a fantabulous guest appearance by Fred Willard) who is the headliner and owner of the Conjurer's Castle, and his animal assistants are being mysteriously killed off in a series of freak accidents. I thought it was kind of a strange coincidence when we learn this episode that The The Great Herrmann has been a surrogate dad to Ned's half-brothers Maurice & Ralston ever since their father abandoned them and disappeared during a magic show at the Castle. Hermann felt kind of responsible and told the boys that dear old dad was off doing important things.

The character development was phenomenal as we learned more about Ned and his dislike of magic (more issues with dear old dad) and his bond with his half brothers. We also got more insight into Dwight Dixon as he gets to know the Aunts , and is apparently linked by military service. I love Aunt Lily and how she is instantly suspicious of his motives, and can see that he is after something more important. He knows a lot about the family and seems to be looking for a watch (that is supposed to be buried with Chuck but he discovers her empty grave) that maybe a clue to treasure or something. He is also looking at getting closer to Vivian. I think the most touching moment had to be at the end of the episode when Olive chatted with Lily and in a role playing scenario talked to her daughter for the first time (lived via listening device by Chuck) that was so touching and real that you could feel the emotions between all of them.

Damn you ABC for cancelling this show... I can only hope that some network would be willing to pick it up and give it the credit it deserves. Another example of a brilliant yet cancelled show.

Arghh!

Smallville left a cliffhanger at the end of an episode that won't be resolved until the new year (a tad early to finish this part of the season for my taste but you can't do anything about that) and there was this Cloverfield vibe that they had and it actually worked. I am not always a fan of the camcorder type footage but the the blurry looks and quick takes that they put together worked although I would have preferred a better look at Doomsday or better yet, seen Davis "transform" into the killer. There hasn't been a clear look at our boy in his destructo mode and it's going to be a hell of an episode when we have the big fight between our reluctant hero and the biological matter that came from Krypton. It maybe that Lex is around some where as well and I am not sure if that looks like some other Brainiac type equipment as well. It was a great visual to finish the episode.

It was nice to see the wedding, loved the stuff between Lois and Clark (and once again, Erica is such a kick ass Lois, I loved her in military mode getting the wedding put together) and liked how the writers handled the return of Lana (all dark and brooding) and the potential for some big tension between her and Lois. Lana opened Clark's eyes that maybe it wasn't the best idea that he had Chloe's memories of his super past suppressed (as did dear Ollie mention something similar) so I have hopes that after the big Doomsday/Brainiac storyline that Chloe will be our super BFF again. I loved seeing the preview for January and the appearance of the 3 founding members of the Legion of Super Heroes. I can hardly wait to see how they slip Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad (or whatever incarnations they will be) and the whole time travel thing into the history.

Supernatural is really good this year and the current storyline with Angels and Demons is astounding. I loved the surprise revelations this week and the whole concept of Angels falling and losing their Grace (which can be found) was an interesting twist on the mythos. This week we got treated to seeing Dean make out with our fallen angel, Anna (just as steamy as the previous week when we got to see Sam) and it looks like the boys have been working out. The story plays out epic and I loved the big fight scene and seeing the demons get toasted when Anna gets her Grace back. Learning that Dean has a Hell induced Stockholm Syndrome was a surprise (I just assumed that you get tortured and don't have any option) and I can understand his grief over the bad things that happened in a bad place. Jensen did a great acting job and I am looking forward to the rest of the season starting in January.

Survivor - Gabon is being completely manipulated by our pin up girl, Sugar, and if she keeps playing this smart (and she was damn vicious this week) she is definitely going to win this edition. I was in complete hysterics the way that she manipulated Randy and poor Bob (your time is numbered my friend) with the fake Idol fiasco and almost lost it during Tribal Council. i don't know if any of the other players are catching on, but she is running the game (in the most subtle way) and I love how everyone goes to her with their ideas and secrets. I just feel sorry for our Bromance couple of Marcus and Charlie who have to deal with Randy being on the Jury and being with them at Ponderosa. If things don't change soon expect Sugar to be the ultimate Survivor of Gabon.

On a final note, I have been checking out the new The Brave & the Bold cartoon series starring Batman and a new set of rotating guest heroes and I like the format and starting to adapt to the new look and style of Batman that they are portraying. I am finding it reminiscent of the 1960s style Batman, but the stories are more contemporary and the guest stars more current in the DC universe. It feels like the art direction has been influenced by The New Frontier movie by Darwyn Cooke. It is interesting that they have him working more and more with other heroes and hoping this will translate eventually into the film work and maybe even more animation. It's fun seeing a lighter Batman (not all dark and broody but definitely more of the the dominant and all knowing Batman portrayed in comics. It's some interesting stuff but I really miss the Justice League series from a couple of years ago.

So you think you can dance Canada - Top 8

For the second week in a row I plead with the Canadian public to get rid of Izaak. He is the weakest dancer and things are now getting to the point of being completely ridiculous. This week he was teamed up with Arrassay (one of the strongest female dancers) and she saved his ass on the Tango with her incredible work and won the Judge's admiration and still got sent home?

I hate to see who is going to be paired up with our Unlucky Charm this week... it looks like I am going to have to intensify my efforts and use every land line in the vicinity to get as many votes out there for my favorites of the competition.

I have no idea who and why is voting for Izaak (and everyone that I have spoken with all ask the same question --Why?) and I hope there is some kind of reality check this week and it's truly the worst of the best and not the cream of the crop that is sent packing.If not, I plead once again for people to vote for their favorite dancer and keep the most talented in the competition and not to lose perspective.

This week special guest judges Mia Michaels and Dan Karaty joined our regular "permanent" judges Tré Armstrong and Jean Marc Genereux on the panel, and it was fantastic to get some feedback from Mia. I have a ton of respect for her work and her and Dan seemed to be very impressed with the quality of dance and I love how Dan said that the censors work different here as some of the stuff the dancers were getting away with on stage is way more graphic than what could be allowed in the USA. Of course, Dan saying that our dancers are second to none was a fantastic compliment and makes me wonder if we could one day see an edition of So you think you can Dance North America ? and we could have the best dancers from all of North America.

I really hope the voting goes better this week as we work towards the final in a couple of weeks. On a side note I got tickets to see the Top Ten perform live and will get to see them on February 14th and I can hardly wait! With the quality and level of dance already seen on TV it will be a great show!

Dancing with the Stars - Semi Finals

I just wanted to make sure that I got a quick posting off before they decide the couples for the finale next week. While I was a tad disappointed with some of the dances last night, I was ecstatic (and I think they were happy campers also) that my favorites, Lance & Lacey, did such a great job last night and jumped to the top of the leader board. I was in panic mode for a few minutes when I saw Lance kick his shoe off by accident, but like a true performer he just kept going and did a great job.

Brooke & Derek had a disaster of a first dance that was full of errors and even if it bumped them down the standings. A couple of weeks ago you would have thought it was impossible for them to door poorly but it shouldn't affect being in the finale unless the public doesn't vote.

I am still pulling for Cody & Julianne to be there next week as the third couple. I think Cody has grown incredibly during the contest and I would love to see him go on, but Warren & Kym have some great chemistry and have lots of fan support and that may pull them through and bump off our golden boy. Mind you, there are all those teenage girls that keep screaming when he struts his stuff ( I thought his Paso Doble was great) and that may be his saving grace... we'll know later tonight.

I do have to say that the pros they brought in to perform last night were astounding -- the lifts and quick feet were insane, are they sure this is not some extreme sport?

I am still betting on Lance winning the whole thing -- he has been a great performer and deserves be there next week after getting their best scores of the season. Go Lance & Lacey!

Weekend Rant - Emotional Roller coaster

Talk about an emotional roller coaster of a week on the tube. Things started off great with (finally) the elimination of our Divorced girls (with way too much baggage) from the Amazing Race and an interesting episode of Desperate Housewives that brought some stories around full circle and showed some new guest stars ( I love Lily Tomlin) and you know that it is all on the verge of hitting the fan.

Later in the week, the departure of Maurice from Dancing with the Stars was kind of predictable but I was screaming at home when my faves Lance & Lacey got through to the next round. I can't believe that Julianna was back to dance (wow) and loved seeing Lacey with Benji. I can't believe how much exposure some of the So you think you can Dance? participants are getting and it's so nice to see some fun dance numbers on the show. I am glad that Cody survived to get his partner back, and this week will show who if he is really a contender or the next to go. I preferred the dance solo part of the competition to the crappy team thing they did last week.

This week there was a great episode of Heroes (neatly renamed Villains for this round) that used the Lost flashback method to show why some of our characters are evil. While I applaud the occasionally use of the flashback method I hope that Heroes is not moving in that direction as I can't handle having too many shows that are either in the past or future instead of the now. Mama Petrelli is such a fascinating character (and not quite as Villainous as she seems to be portrayed) and I am really liking her character development. I loved seeing how some of the characters are related (and have similar powers) and the interaction with Linderman. The story is nice and complicated, is getting very interesting and I can hardly wait to see how Hiro saves himself with that big cliffhanger ending.

South Park made me laugh my ass off this week with their spoof of High School Musical that was ridiculously funny, and was probably the funniest episode so far in this season. The writing is still good but I haven't been gobsmacked by any episodes until now. The South Park gang needs to have at least one musical episode per season and I am still hoping for a great Holiday themed episode this year but it probably won't happen with the season finale around the corner.

Smallville continued one of it's better seasons and although I did like seeing the Brainiac storyline move forward , I hate the idea that Chloe is no longer in on Clark's super secret, and am really crossing my fingers and hopefully that will change and become just a bad idea. It was cute to see Clark and Chloe as kids and sharing their first kiss, even if Chloe knew from even that early time that they were intended to only be friends. We know the storyline is not over after seeing Brainiac take over the Fortress and got some new information about Doomsday (handy things those Kryptonian symbols) and the apparent link with our bad computer and Paramedic guy Davis. We will have to see how weepy it all gets next week with Chloe's wedding, Lana will be there and maybe we can see a cat fight between her and Lois for Clark.

There was another outstanding episode of Supernatural that has me on the edge of my seat with the conflict between the Angels and Demons. I love the storyline with our reluctant psychic who hears Angels, and appears to be a liability for the "good" side and needs to be silenced. Those archangels are pretty Rambo about things and don't think twice about the "greater good" and it makes for some pretty heavy stuff ... getting to see the flashbacks with Sam (and the development of his relationship with Ruby and her current body) explained some of his behaviour and filled in some gaps (and gave us a hot peak at his bod -- someone has been working out) and the big ending to this week's and sneak peek at next week certainly have my attention. There is some really good writing on the show this season.

Things were great on the last episode of Survivor: Gabon and I knew that Charlie was not going to be heartbroken if he got eliminated and sent off to the Ponderosa with bromance Marcus. If you check out the Ponderosa on the CBS Survivor site you can see our happy couple together and even planning their outfits together for their next appearance as the Jury.

As far as the game goes ... Sugar is really running things more than people realize (and it seems that there is some sort of collective amnesia that makes everyone forget that she has the Individual Immunity Idol) but I have to applaud Bob on his fake out Immunity Idol that he put together that may let him bluff his way out of a situation if used on the right people. It was great work and I can't get over how well he is playing.. he may be the guy to sneak through now that things have merged and there are less and less big physical threats. I am really enjoying seeing the show in HD and loved the reward visit to the village. The show is such a visual treat and this location in Gabon has been astounding.

Of course for all the good there had to be some sort of cosmic balance so I was then hit with the bad news that at least one but more thank likely a couple of my favorite shows are finishing up.

Pushing Daisies has not been picked up for more than it's initial order of 13 episodes, and my heart is breaking with the thought of yet another visual opus disappearing off the airwaves. I love Bryan Fuller's work and hope and pray to see more or at least the ending that he envisioned for his characters. Rumor has it that he may even consider doing a film or comic book to tie things up if necessary.

I can't believe that Fox is cancelling MAD tv after all these years, and think that their excuse of production costs to be complete bullshit. MAD tv has been one of my Saturday night staples for 14 years and has had some amazing comedic talent that have made their presence know on TV via the show. I really hope that one of the other networks will jump on it as viable competition for SNL and keep it on the air. This bad news was a downer on my week and I really hope it's only a bump on the road.

So you think you can dance Canada - Top Ten

I am still cursing myself that I didn't have time to post before the Elimination this week, not that it would have made any difference as voting closing 2 hours after the show, but more to get my opinion out and tempt fate. I still can't believe that Izaak didn't get voted off this week after his poor performances, and I was even more shocked that it was Danny that got the axe. The way the girls in the audience scream like banshees each time he gets on stage made me think he was a sure thing. You just never know....

As for the girls, I hate to say it but I called it after the performances that it was Kaitlyn who was going to leave ... and all for the simple reason that she wore that damn wig in her dance number and confused the voting public. She looked too different with the long hair and missed out on the rest of the competition.

The best news was hearing that they are going to be doing a Tour with the Top Ten and I can hardly wait to find out when they are coming to Montréal to see them live. Per usual, Nico strutted his very hot stuff and I have a whole new appreciation for our Ballerina, Allie after seeing their breathless Waltz. Allie's solo was red hot and showed that naughty side of ballet we don't usually see and it made me look at her in a completely different light.

Seeing the dancers perform the amazing choreography of Mia Michaels was a huge treat. I hope that she will make another appearance or 2 on this show and if would have been nice to hear her feedback or see her working with the dancers. They seem to have a problem finding that balance of time in the results show.

I just hope the voting public wakes up -- I don't want to see any of my favorite dancers leave and voted for 6 of them this week, so I have to love CTV and their unlimited voting. Luckily I was spared losing one of my picks (sorry Danny and Kaitlyn, but I didn't vote for you nor vote for Izzak or Lisa) and this week we probably risk losing Izaak(sorry buddy time to go) and maybe Natalli if the public doesn't vote more for her... things can get ugly quickly when any yahoo with a TV and a phone can vote.

Wake up Canada !!

Weekend Rant -- Playing Catch Up

Top Design finished up season 2 ... and while I am glad that Nathan won (and he really did, he was the most creative and interesting designer), I was still surprised by how many people thought that Preston should have won. The online voting showed him with a clear majority and I think the voting public was more taken with his pretty boy looks and muscles than his content. Preston was big and pretty and not that much more than that.

I even liked Ondine more than his stuff -- her style is more inviting and warm. Of course it all comes down to personal likes and dislikes and she hit all the right notes. I thought it was interesting that our remaining three got paired up with some of the previous designers and Mr Martha Stewart was very funny with his attitude towards working with Preston. Yes Eddie, very professional to leave the phone off to the side and ignore Preston. Too funny. Still.. when it came time to chose our winner our Judges looked at the big picture and chose Nathan for his creativity and ability to put his personal touch in to things. Great work.

I think I will miss the very mannish India Hicks and her over the top accent from each episode and we'll see if there is a season 3. If they do.. make sure your wacky judges are there every week please... things are always so much more interesting when Kelly Werstler is there.

I finally caught up with the insanity of this season's Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency (slash House) and I was pretty upset with how things rolled around this season. Janice's spying wasn't done to our advantage, there wasn't enough real work happening and the drama drama drama with the models could only be topped by Janice.

It must be part of the in grained personality of a supermodel (take Tyra Banks as another example) that everything has to be the end of the universe and I could not believe the disdain and disgust that Janice has for (the horror of .... dum dum dum) Plus Size Models.

Give me a fracking break. Yes Janice, we know that you are all high fashion (and have the mouth of a trucker to back that one back up) and are probably responsible for more girls having an eating disorder than you can count, but her reaction to Nathan's idea and her treatment of the Models was disgusting. There are ways of getting your opinion across with out looking like a complete asshole and Janice had no idea on how to do that. The only thing that I can really say is that if I thought Janice had any redeeming qualities at all that is no longer the case.

Anyways.... to make a long story short (and the reason I skipped the show for a few weeks and watched the final four episodes in one shot the other day), everything changes again. Yup, end of season with Janice is always a big change, like end of season with Tori and Dean is always about another house and/or probably a new house. Janice has decided to go High Fashion (her dream for the Agency, impossible to do in LA as they are not high fashion enough for our supermodelista) and is off to New York with Crystal in tow and maybe a few other models. JP is now a manager and will be helping out with things. Most of the interesting models were ignored this season and I am waiting for the spin off with JP and the LA division. Of course watching Janice have a meltdown and take NYC with her will be another thing all together and I will more than likely not able to resist sneaking a peek.

Stylista is boring me to pieces and I think that Nice Blonde Girl, who got eliminated this week, should really look a some fulfilling career that will not suck the life out of you. She was too nice for the competition and if that is a downfall, then I don't see her having many problems in life.

Other than that... the one with the huge rack is still not playing well with others and some how I feel may be the dark horse to win the competition. She is winning a few points with Anne Slowey and may get some kind of an advantage by being noticed. Our Rich Spoiled Girl has it out for the Diva and that may take both of them out of the equation. The challenge of having to do the Birthday party for Anne's devil child niece was an fun twist, but the behaviour of the contestants stilll makes me question where this show is trying to go.

Smallville hit one out of the park this week with Bloodlines, and we got to see the rescue and return of Kara, Lois in the Phantom Zone and then being possessed by Faora (wife of Zod) let Erica stretch her acting chops more and she did a great job. I honestly hope the people upstairs (hello DC and Warner Bros) take notice and think about her for the next film... she makes a dynamite Lois and has pretty good range of character.

I loved the story development, more information about our mysterious and hunky Paramedic and his miraculous recoveries and invulnerabilities, more about Chloe-Brainiac and her tapping more and more into that big computer in her head, more fun and games with Green Arrow and his interest in Tessmacher and just more overall adventure and fun and games. I am getting an itching to see Clark going more heroic and hoping to see more guest stars soon. The various story lines are getting very interesting and sooner or later it has to hit the fan with Brainiac. I am beginning to think that they are running out of excuses to keep up the old mantra of " no flights, no tights" for this series when all the signs are pointing that way. It was fitting that Clark and Kara were dressed similar at the end (with their natural penchant for primary colours) and that Kara is off to search for Kandor. If things follow the comic books at all, Kandor was shrunken and put in a bottle by Brainiac, so it may be a way to get Kara back as a guest star again.

My highlight of the week was the return of Bones after some time off during baseball season. It's harder to keep up with series that keep bumping on and off the schedule and it's a tad frustrating at times. I don' t usually have any problems getting back on board with the gang on Bones, and this week's episode The Skull in the Sculpture, was like old times with a fascinating mystery, more intern issues, Angelica's interesting past, and the return of my favorite, Prosecutor Caroline Julian. As usual, it was a fascinating story and I am really enjoying the beat of the season. Less interruptions in the viewing schedule would be appreciated Fox.

The characters are fascinating and we are getting some interesting development with the gang at the Jeffersonian and I still say that there is some kind of connection between Gormogon and Sweets... and with Daisy (irritating intern who had to go) in the picture as some kind of love interest to Sweets I think we may have a new apprentice and some danger later this season. There is something about the storyline that is not finished yet and there is more to come.

My biggest shock of the week was the departure of Marcus on Survivor Gabon. Poor Marcus, he threw away the chance to have immunity at the beginning of the episode and then thought he was invincible with his majority of tribe mates. It seems like most of the best players get blindsided in this game and I am going to hate to see poor Charlie's face when he sees that Marcus is gone. The game is getting vicious and if and when the merge happens it will be interesting to see how it plays out. Mixing the teams up once again was a nice move and unexpected, and it's not playing out as any of them predicated. Crystal is turning into the biggest pain in the ass at the moment and I am amazed at how much of a wimp she is at the competitions. At the rate we are going I think that Sugar may take it all, she seems to be playing the smartest out of the gang. I have to give a big shout out to Bob, who impressed the hell out of me at the Immunity Challenge with his balancing act. The guy was an amazing example of mind over matter.

So you think you can dance Canada - Top Twelve

This week was the final one for the couples that we know -- it all changes next week with the Top Ten and changing partners. It will be a huge challenge for some of the dancers, and it should be hot to see the chemistry between some of the dancers. I assume that they will stay in typical "straight couple" mode and we won't see any same sex couples which is a real shame, there is some interesting dancing that could be the end result of mixing it up.

Maybe next season.

I am pretty sure that at least one of the choices made in who was eliminated was wrong, and I am still pretty upset that Francis and Lara were chosen to leave. Lara was my favorite and crafty acrobatic contemporary dancer who was poetry in motion... while Francis, our Ballroom guy, was amazing on the dance floor and showed he was more than a simple ballroom dancer. Why Izaak was kept instead of Francis is beyond me. I voted until my fingers bled (literally) and am still really surprised with the out come.

That's the risks of reality television... you have to vote to make sure your favorites stay.. and it appears that Francis didn't get enough.

Congrats to our dancers that made it through --- I am looking forward to the next part of the competition and if Blake's outstanding opening number from this week's elimination episode is any indication, we are in for some great dancing.

Dancing with the Stars - Week 7

The competition hummed along this week with Lance & Lacey still staying number one in my heart but lower on the board due to that damned group number. I do applaud the efforts to push the "Stars" further and make them do more... but it felt like the scoring was too harsh for the first time around.

At least we finally got around to Susan Lucci leaving (bye bye Erica), and if poor Cody doesn't find some chemistry with Edyta he will probably be the next to go. It's rough losing a partner so far along in the competition and as much as it would be nice to see Julianna back, her health and recovery is more important. There seems to be quite the competition between Julianna and brother Derek this year for that number one spot. Brooke seems to have it in the bag at the moment but I am still not counting Lance out, the guy knows how to entertain and takes bigger risks creatively than Brooke does.

It still seems that Lacey is rubbing the Judges wrong (she is a bit too much out of the box for Len) but I really applaud her wanting to bring some other flavour to the dance floor. I really like her work and hope this won't be her only season on the show.

Warren is still doing okay, better than expected for a big guy and he has great charisma and I still see him going farther than Maurice. He may be one of the fastest men on Earth, but he is so inconsistent on the dance floor. I still think it will be a fight to the finish between Lance and Brooke.

Weekend Rant - The Week in Review

The past week was one of those ups and downs one on the tube. A few things were great, there was some real crap and I even discovered a new show that has been picked up on the schedule.

The Amazing Race is starting to pick up steam and the challenges are as interesting as always, but I know I will be way more in to the competition once we get down to the final few teams. I like our travelling around this week to Cambodia and the temples were astounding and beautiful. I am not surprised that our long distance couple, Aja & Ty, didn't catch up, they just had too much of a time deficit and didn't have much of a chance. I am still routing for our brother and sister team of Nick & Starr and I hope they kick our frustrated divorcees off the Race soon. Kelly & Christy have to go. We don't get to see enough Dallas.

Heroes rocked my world this week with a fantastic episode. Lots of plot twists and turns and it's getting really hard to tell who is good and who is bad. Lots of grey area in this show, but I am really enjoying seeing more Elle, and loved the flight scene with Claire. The blonde squad is pretty damn tough.

Momma Petrelli is one dangerous lady (even in a coma) and her influence with Gabriel (Sylar) seems to be stretching further than things appear. Peter's miraculous survival after being thrown out the window a few stories up was just a tad too convenient. I am really digging the direction of the series this year and as some plot lines get tied up (Maya), others are being opened up and it's an intriguing story.

I can hardly wait to see what kind of Dream walk Hiro goes on and I have the distinct impression he is going to run into Mama Petrelli, she seems to be off in the dream realm and this better be the time when Hiro starts going bad ass superhero and being the Hiro we saw in season 1. Maybe I am just dreaming.. to could be that timeline and alternate Hiro no longer exists in the current time space continuum. The bad news is that we skip a week due to the election, and of course just when things were getting really interesting.

Dancing with the Stars made me happy and sad this week with Lance rising to number one position (yippee!) and my beloved Cloris being let go. Guest Judge Michael Flatley was quite the bore, and I wasn't sure if his appearance was only PR for his upcoming show (interesting and yes he is talented but there is still something smarmy about him I don't like). His scoring certainly threw the curve off this week. I thought Bruno was going to have a conniption.

Congrats to Lance & Lacey for their great Jive and dethroning Brooke from her pedestal. I thought that even though she was suffering, Brooke did an amazing job and that her Rumba was very hot. I still think that the "stick with boobs" (Susan Lucci) should go and Maurice & Cheryl are not far behind. It's a shame that Julianna is having surgery as it may affect Cody's performance, and he has really grown on me over the past couple of weeks. Warren is still a force to be reckoned with and at this rate should be Top 3 if Cody isn't. I will miss Cloris and her wacky antics, but we all knew that she was going to have to leave eventually and she lasted much longer than expected. She deserved all the standing ovations that she got and she certainly added an interesting element to the competition. I bet you she will be hanging around in the audience for the next few weeks and stirring up some trouble.

Top Design started the finale.. and thankfully little Mr Martha Stewart was eliminated and will not be in the last part of the finale. My pick is still Nathan to win, and I can hardly wait to see how these condos finish up. Hopefully Kelly Wearstler will be there for the final judgement, I am getting tired of Bravo sending Flipping Out's Jeff Lewis to fill in as nothing can replace Kelly and that wacky energy she brings. I think she has a real job elsewhere and is always busy, or just can't really give a damn like most of us who are just watching to see how it ends as a matter of principal rather than actual interest. It'll all be over this week.. finally.

Smallville flirted with the idea of Clark being a superhero and Jimmy almost discovering the big secret about our farm boy. Since we no longer have the same creative team as the previous seasons... are we finally going to see more of a transition and some actual flying, costume and Superman? I hope so... I am really digging the new beat, Lois and Jimmy, the Green Arrow and the whole Metropolis thing. Tessmacher is still boring me to pieces but Chloe-Brainiac is starting to amp things up and it may get very interesting. Time for Clark to man up and start being a hero.

Supernatural killed me last week with their Fright episode and Dean's killer air guitar to Eye of the Tiger at the end of the episode (damn that boy is sexy and funny), was the highlight of last week. This week's Halloween episode was damn scary, and between the razors in the candy, the risks of bobbing for apples and the very old traditions of Samhain there were several shudder moments. The presence of a couple of scary angels that aren't afraid to smite a town to save the world managed to up the anty even more and things were very tense between our boys. It's an interesting dynamic with having one of the brothers influenced by angels and the other demons and it has a very Cain & Abel feel to it. My hope is always that over the long haul the boys will win their fight against evil. Lilith is turning into quite the threat. This show is still the highlight of the week and I can hardly wait until the next episode.

CSI is still one of the best shows on TV and I am really digging the new CSI Riley Adams and like her character and the way she fits in with the team. I still remember Lauren Lee Smith from Mutant X and glad to see her still flexing her acting chops. She has my interest and the stories are as still gripping as ever. I still dread the idea of Grissom leaving and know that it will have a profound impact on the rest of the team.

I no longer have any interest in seeing if any of those vapid twits on Paris Hilton's My New BFF get to be in Paris' posse. All I can say is no Onch means no interest so TTYN Paris. Thankfully I came to my senses this week and have more tolerance or patience for such a bunch of dribble.

Stylista is still attracting enough of my attention to give it one more episode, but this week's episode and all the drama was too much. The only good thing was seeing the bitch fight between the Diva and Rich Spoiled Girl. Anxiety boy had to go (and after that meltdown do you really think that he had a hope in hell of being there for another week?) and Geeky Gay Guy is probably not far behind with his major frack up of the week. Big Girl got her TreSemmé moment but I don't expect to see her around for much longer. Maybe we can luck out and get a double elimination next week as this herd needs some serious culling. If there were not those few minutes of brilliance with Anne Slowey each episode it would already be dropped off the Watch List, the cast is so immature for a prize of this magnitude and I just wish they would grow up and prove themselves.

Finally, I was presently surprised with the 2 hour premiere of Legend of the Seeker. I miss the good old days of Hercules and Xena and this seems to fit in quite nicely with those kinds of shows. There is nothing like some good sword and sorcery stories and I like the hunky Seeker (Richard Cypher) and his friend Kahlan, who is of an ancient order of magical women known as Confessors and the wacky wizard Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander. The origin story had some nice special effects, a decent storyline and some fun magic. There has to be something said for the great costumes and it's nice to see a series being filmed in New Zealand again. I will definitely be checking it out for the next while to see where it goes.

Pushing Daisies - Dim Sum Lose Some

Pushing Daisies can not possible get any better. This week`s episode was so quick and witty that I have the feeling I need to watch it again to catch all those little details that I missed the first time around. I am still kind of disappointed that the ratings are not higher for the show and am still crossing my fingers that it sticks around for a few seasons.

If you haven't checked it out yet (and I highly recommend that you do, the episode is available on line), some of the little treasures that you missed this week in Dim Sum Lose Some are:

Emerson and the "Help Me" note in his fortune cookie from the Chinese Restaurant under his office, I loved how things in this series are tied together and even though we had seen the Chinese letters in Emerson's office window forever, it was the first time that things were really referenced in the series. I love me some good dumplings too and the unfortunate demise of our master chef made up for a pretty comédie noire scene of our resurrected chef running around with a pipe through his head. Death by exploding steamer is a pretty funny thing if done right, and I loved the Matrix feel of the explosion.

The whole den of inequity feeling that they were going for with the camouflaged poker (cards replaced by Dim Sum instead) was brilliant and the little twists and turns in the story were great. It was not as predictable as first glance and the undercover stuff was all very funny. Ned and Emerson were hilarious as their 1970s inspired Undercover Brother and some incarnation that reminded me of Burt Reynolds. It must have been the pornstache.

Chuck is a continual surprise with her ability to translate (almost fluently) for the gang. The flashback sequence was hilarious as Chuck wasn't quite sure if it was milk or something else that the gamblers were drinking and it added another flavor to the scene. Chuck and Olive are turning into a great undercover team and as usual, the costumes and makeup were incredible. The design crew does amazing work in this show. The street scenes look astounding and the decor in the Dim Sum restaurant was as kitschy as you can get and it had to be a real restaurant, in fact it reminded me of a restaurant that I had Dim Sum in Vancouver.

The return of Simone (click click and her clicker) was another boost for Emerson. Simone killed me in her first appearance and I am happy she is back in the picture. Emerson seems to be getting some nice plot and character development this year, and the scenes with them were great. Simone knows how to click a guy insane.

Ned got some great development with the appearance of a mystery man looking for his father, Ned getting all tangled up in his emotions and Chuck discovering that Ned has twin half brothers (or one whole brother as Ned likes to say) who are Magicians. Ned has many issues with dear old Dad and the more flashbacks we see of his youth, the more it becomes clear that he is angry and feels that he was pretty much discarded years ago. Dad has yet to prove otherwise ... and it appears our mystery man is after more than we think. Watching Ned freak out over these emotions that he has locked away forever is almost painful to watch, but you know over the long term there will be some important growth. That is definitely one of the things I love about the series and how the overall plot is developing with each episode. More please!