Weekend Rant - Launching the Fall Season

The big long weekend is here and it heralds the beginning of the new Fall season. This is probably the time of the year that I appreciated Fox the most, as they (and the CW) are starting their seasons earlier in September and getting a step up on the other networks.

I hate waiting until October to see the new shows -- and after the strike last year (the great disaster of 2007) and all the abbreviated seasons with the shows, I am ready for a whole complete glorious season of my faves.

Bones is one of my Top Ten favorite shows and this Wednesday they are back with a 2 hour season opener. I love the chemistry between Booth and Brennan and all of the supporting cast are just incredible. The big season opener takes our team to London which sounds like fun, but I would just love to see them come to Montréal where the print version of Bones takes place. That will probably never happen as they seem to have really anchored her character in DC but it could make for an interesting variation at some point and an homage to the books. I will be like a kid in a candy store come Wednesday night.

There will be no Prison Break on the schedule this year. I took it off the Watch List last year after way too many gaping plot holes (bad writing will never win me over) and after missing one season I have no interest at all ... just the commercials alone for the new season have turned me off and that says a lot as I usually will watch anything with a couple of hot brothers like those 2 but there is no hope in hell this time around.

The new version of 90210 will be hitting the airwaves this week as well and I will be checking it out just to see how things look. I was never a big fan of the original, but do like some of the actors ( like Shannon Doherty -- who I loved in Charmed and like her bad ass sensibility) and am curious to see where they go with it. I was hoping for Tori Spelling to return ( I have loved Tori since she did the film Trick and have kept up with her show Tori and Dean: Home sweet Hollywood on Oxygen), but that doesn't seem like it will be happening. It's a real shame as 90210 is as Spelling as you can get. Maybe some one will see the light and give her a cameo as she deserves with some decent pay. It's a shame her mom is being such a twit about things .... she probably could have bank rolled the entire production and I hate all that stupid rich family drama. Tori seems to be a better mom but with all the stress and drama it will be interesting to see how her kids turn out in about 16 years. Hopefully Tori will be back for another season on Oxygen but I don't see the need to keep having babies.

Project Runway continued it's up and down season with an interesting product placement Challenge (can you say Saturn?) and I do like it when the designers get to play with unconventional materials... but Keith was such a downer the whole episode that I was glad when he was sent home. Sure he was great to look at, but his aesthetic was not that interesting and he was such a drama queen about being in the bottom 2 last week. I was shocked that Stella did not as well ( I thought this was the kind of challenge that she could excel in) and was relieved that she sews again for yet another week. This is probably a good example of designers not following their instincts or doing something to try to please the judges instead of doing what feels right. I was surprised that Laura was there to fill in for Nina (can anyone really replace Nina?) and it was great to see Rachel Zoe. Yes,I know it was more shameless Bravo promotion for The Rachel Zoe Project but I had already decided to check out the series after hearing the quote about her "flipping on her bitch switch" in the promos. Leanne impressed the hell out of me and she made a very interesting dress from car parts. Korto and Jerell also did some great work and thankfully there is some talent mixed in with the drama. I have never felt so bi polar about a season of Project Runway before and am convinced it is the mix of designers and underlying tension between the production staff and the big Bravo big wigs that has it feeling tainted in some way... there is something off this season and I still can't put my finger on it .. yet.

If I don't catch an episode of Outsiders Inn on CMT this weekend I think I will explode. I can not say that I am a glutton for punishment but just hearing the names Bobby Brown, Carnie Wilson and Maureen McCormick (Marcia, Marcia,Marcia) in the same breath sucks me in to the dark abyss we call Guilty Pleasures and I know this is one train wreck that I have to get a look at. Bobby has not been around much since his last reality show (and damn do I miss Whitney and her wacky antics -- Bobbaaaaaaaaaaaaay) and now that he is out of prison and flying solo I am sure there will be lots of fun and games. I find it kind of funny how some of the different Brady kids are still making their presence know on the tube (even after all these years) with Bobby, Cindy and Marcia all being on different reality shows in the past year. Is it true that even after all these years there is still no love for Jan Brady? I would love to see Eve Plumb back... screw typecasting or better yet revel in it ! Either that or I need another Brady Bunch movie fix -- there is something to be said about the classics.

Shear Genius - The Final Cut

It was Finale night last night on Shear Genius ... and I am unhappy to say that our lazy eyed lesbian Dee won the big prize. I was really pulling for Charlie ( I honestly think that he is the biggest talent there) and was disappointed that the Judges were overlooking his styling talent compared to Dee, who seemed to have a small advantage with guest Judge Sally Hershberger (same lesbian sensibilities maybe?)

All the whining aside, it was a great challenge (taking a woman through 4 stages/ages of life and having to do the 4 models in 3 hours was a daunting task) and it made the stylists push themselves as hard and fast as they could go. I still think that Charlie looked the most polished and finished at the end but I am not one of the Judges. It was nice to see that our southern girl Daniel, won fan favorite (such a chatter bug that one and I missed seeing him in the Finale) and I will honestly say that I will miss Rene and his `Hi Hi` greeting each round.

Next week we are getting around to the premiere of the second season of Top Design that looks great (the first season was fun, here`s hoping this one goes well) and the cast looks interesting. More fun stuff is around the corner as slowly but surely the new show are coming on to the schedule.

Congrats to Dee ... you beat Charlie and that was no easy task...

Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency - Extreme House Edition

Things are just as crazy as ever with the Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency. Last season ended with her not so shocking break up with business partner Peter, and this year Janice has the brilliant idea to buy a huge house, and relocate the agency there. This way she can live in the house and keep an eye on things. Janice thinks she is playing den mother, but we all know that she is just a control freak that wants to mold all the models into money machines. I think there is always that fine line between treating the models like human being and pieces of meat that Janice seems to dance around on a continual basis.

I was laughing like crazy when Janice decides to call Madonna`s brother (the one that wrote the crappy tell all book about his so called life with his sister) to help do a make over on her part of the house. In no time (yeah right), the changes are made and Janice is moved into the new place (the editing is as terrible as usual on this show) and it looks like Janice has a secret room to monitor the models all over the house from her suite, and it`s kind of like the Batman TV show with the switch to the monitoring room hidden in a mannequin.

`Let the games begin!` proclaims Janice.

I am already worried how Janice is going to use this against all the models but am jealous of her voyeuristic point of view. You just know that the models will get in to all sorts of trouble in that house. This year is like all the previous seasons, Janice likes to to stir things up so does another cattle call and gets more models. More models = more drama and before you know it her old gang are feeling miffed and putting on major attitude with the newbies. Kehoe was hilarious with his whole `You call those models?` riff and had me in hysterics. It seems that the boys and girls are as hot as ever. I am digging the hot deaf model (sorry-- hearing challenged) Martin who is a real cutie and fell instantly in love with Chandler`s eyes. All of the gorgeous eye candy like Dominic are still around and if there is any reason the check out the show it has to be him. The guy oozes hotness ... the bad news is that Janice still has Sorin dressed as her very gay bodyguard and the guy needs a break.

Still.. you know that you can`t drive by an accident with out looking and I will still have to check out the model disaster week after week to see all the drama that will ensue... sometimes you have to make sacrifices and this is one I am willing to do.

Weekend Rant - End Zone & New Beginnings

Shear Genius pulled out of the penultimate episode with a Seeing Double Short-cut Challenge (involving twins and a guaranteed place in the finale) and then the Avant-garde photo Challenge with guest Judge Michael Grecco.

The Short-cut Challenge (with guest Judge Jose Eber) was set up as a sudden double booking and our stylists got the twin of their client. I thought that Dee was going to explode (or need a towel) when she saw she had hot twins ... maybe this is some long time fantasy like many a straight man? Nicole did a dark and light version of her twins (I think they were the only ones willing to make that drastic of a change) and ended up winning the Challenge and getting a spot in the Finale.

I am not sure if I really agree with all the Judging (and Nicole has never won a single challenge to date) and I don't agree that she should be in the Finale. Maybe they had to make sure that the Finale wasn't completely gay ... just to be politically correct or some other crap -- it's not like there are tons of gay stylists -- anyways --

We get around to the big Avant-garde photo shoot and our Final Four are each given a season as a theme. Nicole gets Winter ,Dee gets Fall , Charlie gets Summer and Daniel gets Spring. They are all shown the set and get to meet with Michael Grecco (who seems to be quite the demanding photographer) and get a rough idea of how the shoot is supposed to go. Each of the stylists has a different challenge, Nicole has to work with her model laying in snow,Dee's client is jumping on a trampoline, Charlie's model is on a swing, and Daniel's model will be "lightly misted" during the shoot.

After all the prep and initial work it is clear that Dee and Nicole are way out of their element as they are struggling with the hair and how the shoot is going. Dee gets called on doing the same cut (again) that doesn't move well with the motion of the photo and if Nicole didn't have that Immunity and guaranteed place in the Finale she would have been out on her ass. Her shoot is a disaster is the snow and her styling is terrible.

Charlie seems to have not hit things off well with Grecco to start with, but quickly adjusts things and gets a nice photo off. I really think he is the only one in the gang that had even a clue about what the Challenge was and did a good job. He wins ( of course) and is very happy.

Poor Daniel has to deal with more than a simple misting -- his client is hosed down like she is on fire (Daniel doesn't miss a beat and is hilarious about the whole thing) but he has really missed the boat on the whole Avant-garde theme. Daniel likes to do big old Dallas hair and for some fracking reason has decided to put a big red braid in the model's hair that irks the shit out of Grecco and seals Daniel's fate. Our Texas boy is eliminated and next week is the beauty bloodbath between Charlie (sure to win) against Dee (nice try) and Nicole (no hope in hell).

Tabatha's Salon Takeover hit the airwaves this week with the first episode and I already completely hooked. I loved Tabatha in the first season of Shear Genius and she is so cold and robotic most of the time that it is really, really scary. You would almost think that the machines are starting to become self aware in a Sky Net kind of a way. Anyways -- Tabatha knows her stuff and when she arrives, people inevitably looked scared shitless and in panic mode. If you are not doing your job or don't know your stuff she will let you know. The Queen B has no issues with rank or responsibility as she takes over the salon and is clearly in command of those around her. I did like how they tried to show her softer side (not that soft but if you get a compliment from her you really appreciate it) and when she tells you to stop crying and put to put that energy in to something productive, I get visions of Martha Stewart on steroids. Tears are for the weak but at least she is not bad abrasive in that Gordon Ramsay kind of way and she can get her point across with out being too mean... just blunt enough to make your head spin.

Her first challenge was with a couple that really need some guidance and she did some pretty amazing work. It was nice to see follow up at the end of the episode (quite often you see the make over but not the lasting result) and to see how the changes worked out for the client several weeks later and if things have turned around for the better. I think if Tabatha has anything to do with, things will be successful, she doesn't look like the type to waste her time or energy.

Reality Bites Back hit another win with Hunting with the Stars this week. Why you may ask? "Because America always loves it when you pair someone you know from something with someone you don’t know at all." says hilarious host Michael Ian Black. Each of the remaining comics are paired up with what appears to be an E List “celebrity” partner and we get a look at them as they have time to practice their hunting skills. Theo gets paired up with the infamous Kato Kaelin, Amy is with former teen idol Leif Garrett, Chris gets Chyna the wrestler , and Mo is with none other than Susan Olsen (Cindy Brady). After the first competition (based on their intro clip -- The Preceding Edited Package Challenge -- this show is just too brilliant) Mo and Susan are safe. After the Capture the Swag Challenge, Amy and Leif are safe as they have collected the most Swag Bags with out being shot by the other teams. In the final round our remaining contestants(Theo and Chris) get to Hunt the Stars, and who ever does it in the fastest time stays in the game. I am not sure who said it but the "Look, Chyna just got shot in the balls" comment had me in hysterics. The level of parody these comedians are doing is brilliant at times.

Theo wins and poor Chris is sent home. The montage of Chris failing miserably was brilliant and I can't believe that next week is the parody of the Amazing Race -- The Amazing Disgrace !

My glut of the Olympics is almost over ( I am looking forward to the end after 2 weeks of intense viewing) and I can hardly wait to see the closing ceremonies. This was an amazing experience seeing so much of the games in HD and I can honestly say that I am humbled by the power and determination of the athletes. It's all very awe inspiring stuff and a nice change in the viewing schedule. I am looking forward to a more regular viewing schedule, and the return of the Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency this week. No other show screams Guilty Pleasures more than this one with all the hot gay and straight guys, the beautiful and kinda screwed up models and all those crazy and dramatic situations that Janice seems to put herself into. It looks like things are getting geared up for the upcoming fall season and I can hardly wait.

Project Runway - Most Fabulous Challenge Ever!

Things could not have gotten more fabulous or dramatic than the Drag Queen Challenge on Project Runway. Not only did we get to see some très fabuleux girls doing their thing, but finally got to see Keith getting called out on his continual re-hashing of the same thing over and over. It`s about time ..... seriously. Looks can only take you so far in this competition and if you can't walk the walk (or drape the fabric) then it's good bye Charlie.

Once of the fun things about the episode was the return of Chris (it seems like quite a few of the fan favorites are returning this year) and while I was a tad disappointed that Chris didn't wear his Wonder Woman outfit, his ode to Heidi was too funny. His huge Germanic Opera drag queen outfit was hysterical (gotta love those mirror ball boobs) and he carried it off well with his signature laugh. Too bad he wasn't there for the judging, but more on that later.

As for the baked one (Blayne) -- I have to say that I am there with the rest of them that if one more fricking things is `liscious` it will be the final words out of his mouth. Can anyone tell me why the idiot is still there? You would think that with all those sharp pointy objects around that some designer would gut him like a fish for being such a twit but the rules probably frown at such behavior. Too bad.....

The over all competition was pretty good -- some of the designers had to go a bit out of their comfort zone as they are not used to tailoring for such big girls, and as usual I am amazed by Stella. I can`t believe that she was passed over once again and didn't get much attention for all of the interesting work that she puts in. She certainly knows what a Drag Queen is (and I was in hysterics with those who had no idea what to do with all these big boned girls) and knew how to add her twist the lovely ensemble that she created for Luisa Verde. I was so hoping that Stella was going to get radical Acid Betty as a model (that would have been heaven) but Terri got Betty and did an interesting if somewhat busy ensemble.

Most of the designers seemed to get into the right head space for the challenge and go for it. Some of the designers had models that were more challenging ( I was in hysterics with Suede and Hedda Lettuce and their little bitchfest - Drag Queens always have the best names and the huge attitude to go with it) but overall the designers were pretty much into the challenge and understood that they had to go over the top and make the ensemble reflect the personality of the Drag Queen. It's not as easy as it looks to make the right proportions for our guests and it was a trip to see everyone rework a male mannequin to fit their model.

As for the judging (with fabulous guest RuPaul).. I don't think that I have seen the Judges having so much fun in a challenge (and I have the feeling that this will be repeated in the future) and Michael and Nina were in fine form. I was a tad miffed that Chris wasn't there for the Judging, but at least he got to do the walk around with Tim and critiqued the work before the Runway show.I loved how we got to see our gang of Drag Queens as boys and in make up (some of those guys are really cute) and I don't think any of them had ever had the chance to get their makeup and wigs done by the pros like that before -- it was a trip.

Michael Kors out did himself with his sad chicken comment and I don't think I have ever seen Nina smile as much during judgement. As usual, some of the designers hit it and others failed terribly. When all was said and done Blayne, Kenley, Suede, Stella and Leanne were passed through right away (and I say it again, Stella doesn't get enough attention) and that left Korto,Terri, Jerell, Joe, Keith and Daniel as the highest and lowest scores. Joe gets the win and managed to catch that Ann Margaret on the Love Boat vibe that Varla was looking for and his outfit fit our gal real fine.I loved the anchor accessories! The final two came down to Keith and Daniel, and Daniel was aufed after making another cocktail dress that was boring. Daniel keeps talking about his refined taste and I just think he has a serious stick up his ass and am glad that he is gone.

At least this episode has redeemed this season (slightly) and if someone can push the baked one off the building it will be even better.

Stargate Atlantis - Ghost in the Machine - WTF??

I haven`t blogged much about this season so far of Stargate Atlantis, mostly because this season has been pretty bad so far. I haven`t enjoyed the storyline (or more the lack of story) and the current development with trying to fit in Woolsey in to the mix just hasn`t been that interesting. I do understand that they are trying to set the stage for this season, but it`s taking too long and has not been interesting in the least.

I was really unhappy with the last episode, and it looks like Torri Higginson has had enough of them as well as she didn`t make it back for this past episode, which was to feature the return of her character Dr. Weir.

After the way she got shafted by the writers (who seemed to think that bringing Samantha Carter on board was a good idea for one season and then to have her vanish off the map this year so she can go off to do that other sci fi series) I am not surprised, but disappointed that she is gone.. and that her role in the episode was done only by flashbacks and then the stupid idea to use FRAN`s template as a `new body` for Weir. After the whole song and dance number of it being Weir or not (I say no because it wasn`t her or the writers don`t know how to write her character) and the re-creation of the replicants and then that stupid ending with them floating in space may leave the remote possibility that Weir may appear another day, but I have pretty much given up on seeing her character again.

If she is gone forever -- then RIP Dr. Weir. You were a great character and one of the reasons I liked the show. Maybe she was dodging a bullet by not coming back and it was the best choice for her.... maybe she will get the last laugh out of this.

The way things are going, I am losing interest in Atlantis more and more each week and I can hardly wait until the fall TV season begins... then maybe we can get some decent sci fi. Friday nights used to be my favorite night of the week for sci fi and now it`s just crap...

Weekend Rant - Hitting the Finish Line

Even with all the world breaking events happening in the Olympics, some of the TV landscape is changing and this week heralded the season finales of Flipping Out and Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List. I was pretty full of Jeff and Co. and didn't really need the Reunion Special to tie things up (at this point I could care less -- I have so lost interest), and Kathy's season, overall, left me feeling luke warm and glad that it was over. Kathy has risen above her so called D List stature and has lost part of her appeal to me. Maybe it's me, but I preferred the Kathy that was willing to go that extra mile for her fans (and gays) and there was too much of her success and fabulous friends this season. I also felt a bit deceived by the whole Woz thing... after Kathy's last relationship problems I was hoping it was something serious and good for her and now it feels like none of it was real. That's probably more of the realization that this season was too scripted and too much in all the wrong ways. It didn't feel as Emmy winning this year -- that is probably what happens when success goes to your head.

The Olympics have been phenomenal so far --- I can't get over how many world records are falling to the wayside this time around and I am very impressed with Michael Phelps and his quest for the most medals. Hot stuff.... and I am still in complete awe watching most of the competitions. The beach volleyball has been incredible and I have been completely addicted to seeing Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor continue their winning streak (105 games) and had one small panic attack the other day when it looked like they were going to lose and they pulled a rabbit out of the hat to win that one. I still can not get over how well they are doing and I have to applaud all the athletes that have been pushing themselves beyond the limits of us mere mortals and doing Olympian feats.

My only complaint is that even with major HD channels, I don't get enough choice or variety as it seems all the networks are playing pretty much the same thing. Can't beat the HD though -- I have never seen so many athletes in so much detail. It's a visual orgy and it makes the competitions even that more interesting. The 3 networks (NBC,CBC and Radio-Canada) are all offering various insights in to Beijing (and China) via special reports, and I have to say that those on Radio-Canada reported by Jean-René Dufort (aka Infoman) have been the funnest of the gang. CBC had Sean Majumder doing his Raj Binder schtick (and not being that terribly amusing -- how I wish it was Rick Mercer doing the reports instead) but have redeemed themselves with the interesting Ying & Yang series by Sook-yin Lee. NBC has been putting out Mary Carillo: Exploring China which has made for some interesting yet strangely odd reports. Mary seems like to ask those silly questions that all of us think, but don't want to articulate because we might look like a special needs case. She has the most fascinating voice and presence about her ... enough to keep my attention and sigh "oh my god" when she makes one of her off the wall comments.

Reality Bites Back was hilarious in last week's Almost American Gladiators, and had me in hysterics in this week's installment of So you think you can Dive? Not only did we get a hilarious spoof of a reality competition show, they threw in a Rose ceremony and a Boardroom scene. It was all hilarious stuff and the parodies are getting better and better each time. This week we had former Olympic gold medal diver Greg Louganis as a Judge, and the free style part of the competition was outstanding. I felt Amy's dive of shame was the most creative and was glad to see her still in the competition. Mo is definitely the sexiest, Theo is trying to play up the good boy character and poor Bert tried his hardest to turn on our Judge but got shot down. After seeing the preview for next week's Hunting with the Stars (which looks like it does includes hunting the stars) I can hardly wait. This looks like one of those rare gems in the reality TV universe.

Weekend Rant - Olympics Fever

Olympic and Canadian fever has taken over most of the viewing schedule here at Couch Potato Central and there will be only a few rants coming over the next week on some of the regular shows that are currently airing. The Olympics only happen every few years and some sacrifices have to made -- all for a good cause.

After catching the spectacular opening ceremony early Friday morning (the 12 hour time difference makes for an early start here in eastern Canada), I have been taking in as many competitions as possible and it has been a great pleasure to watch all these great athletes. There will be tons of different events to take in, and I am happy to have already seen some gymnastics, swimming, rowing, volleyball and water polo. It's only the tip of the iceberg and it looks like it will make for some long days and nights glued to the tube watching the World's best. If you haven't heard the amazing story about Canadian gymnast, Kyle Shewfelt, it's simply incredible to see him compete less than a year after breaking both of his legs. It's always inspiring to see athletes like Kyle who push themselves and are such great role models for today's youth. It's not always about winning but also about how you play the game and sportsmanship. Bravo to Kyle and the best of luck to the rest of the Canadian Team.

There is no question that I will be glued to the swimming competitions to see home boy Alexandre Despatie perform and am dying to see if Michael Phelps can hit his goal and become the biggest medal winner in Olympic history. Here's hoping the games follow their creed : "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well." I really hope to see some great Olympic games that are not marred by tons of doping charges and athletes that try to cheat. Cross your fingers on that one.

Speaking of winners -- a big congrats to Iliza Shlesinger for winning this edition of Last Comic Standing. Iliza was pretty fearless, and eliminated quite a bit of the competition before making it to the Final Four and then surviving one on one against fellow competitor Marcus. Here's hoping that Iliza hits Montréal at next year's Just for Laughs festival and I get the chance to see her live.

So You think you can Dance? - Joshua can !

Congratulations to Joshua for winning this edition of So you think you can Dance? He did a fantastic job, has been incredible all season and it was a surprise to see both him and Twitch standing there at the very end. It was great to see Hip Hop Dancers going so far in the competition, although I was a tad surprised that Katee wasn't part of the final two. When you look over all the favorite numbers that were performed last night, you can clearly see that she was in the vast majority of them and I really expected her to be there to the very end. Must have been cause Twitch is so damn hot....

Giving her the $50,000 and congratulating Katee on being the best girl... I just found that to be quite insulting, mildly pandering and very sexist. It was the first mention of any kind of "Runner up" prize and it seems kind of cheap considering that the best boy gets $250,000. I think it was the Judges way of saying that they thought she should have won and wanted to congratulate her for being so amazing. I guess I shouldn't complain but she deserved better.

As for the performances last night, it was just astounding to see the big number choreographed by Shane Sparks. It was nice work and a very hot number and even better that Shane was back, I wasn't sure if he was just busy or not interested in the show since he has his own full time Judge duties on America's Best Dance Crew.

There were Judges a plenty last night as Debbie Allen returned, along with Adam Shankman, Lil C, Mia Michaels, and regulars Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy. I loved how all of them chose different favorite numbers and we got to see most of the Top Ten perform again in various numbers. It's a great chance to see my faves like Gev again, and I bet the show with the Top Ten touring the States is a hot ticket. Too bad they don't come here to Montréal. (side note -- we will be having our own Canuck version of the show starting this September in Canada, so we won't be dance deprived until the next US version.)

The biggest scream of the night had to be the hot little number between Mary Murphy and Dmitry (season 2's often shirtless hot one) doing a Samba. Major Cougar alert and damn can that woman move, and she has got a great pair of legs. It's nice to see one of these Judges put their money where their mouth is and show their stuff. Later in the evening we get treated to a performance by the Debbie Allen Academy and Nigel joins them. He impresses me as well and it looks like the Judges agree that if you sit on the panel then you have to be able to dance.

It's nice to see a reality show that requires a certain level of knowledge if you want to be considered as a Judge. It's a shame that other shows aren't as picky about these things.

The other stand out for the evening for him had to be the insanely good Wade Robson number. All you nee to do is take a mad genius like Wade, mix in some Cirque du Soleil and set it to the music " Homage to the Rabbits" by Eric Serra.

What a wild whacked out number -- it was simply amazing with a multitude of representations of rabbits from all different kinds of books and mythologies, and the piece had the most phenomenal ending with all the characters unmasking as they paid "Homage to all the Rabbits who died in the hands of incompetent magicians.". I can not get enough of Wade and I hope we get to see more of him next season.

The Pop Off between Robert and Philip was not a fair fight (Robert just slaughtered the competition), but it was astounding to watch and Robert is one whacked out dude. I have never seen anyone move like that and it always seems so surreal.

The other big surprise of the night was the appearance of the "All Stars" of all of the seasons of the show rocking it to "Don't Stop the Music" by Rihanna (one of my favorite tunes). We got some views and great moves from a whole bunch of the previous participants including Dominic,Allison, Neil, Anya, Benji, Travis, Ivan, Jesus, Dmitry, Hok, Cedric,Ryan, and the entire Top 20 of this season. That was a number that could have gone on and on for me as I would have loved to have seen more of some of the other dancers one more time. There was a nice interview segment where there was some chat with previous dancers and it's great to see faces like Donyelle, Benji, Travis, and Lacey. It's like getting news from old friends.

This season felt short and sweet due to the way they ran the elimination this year, and I hope we get the chance to see more World Music next season.

I am just crossing my fingers and hoping that the first season of the Canadian version is as interesting -- I'll let you know when things get started, I am pretty sure that we have got some great talent here as well.

Project Runway - Olympian Effort

It appears that no NBC related network is free from some sort of Olympic tie -in, so this week Project Runway's designers were given an interesting challenge - Design a look for the American female athletes at the Olympic Opening Ceremony.

It is an interesting challenge as far as making a National statement and the designers were lucky enough to get their news from Olympian Apolo Ohno at the Armory Track & Field Museum. This is the second week in a row that I see no rapport with fashion and the guest Judge and although I know Apolo is cute and popular (and I loved him in Dancing with the Stars), he isn't a fashion expert... the guy is a Speed Skater -- anyways -

After this week's pilgrimage to Mood Fabrics (complete with some drama between Keith and Terri) we get back to work and a few of the designers are completely out of their element. Yup, these are the kids that were never in gym class and don't watch things like the Olympics. I loved the little exchange between the designers as they were talking about their athletic ability or experience.

The baked one (Blayne) thinks that he could win a medal for Tanning as if it is an activity or something important. This is the same guy that was jonesin' for a fix of electric beach earlier and is worried that he is getting pale and losing his shine.

God help me -- these designers are killing me this year and I actually laughed at the baked one. I am not condoning his behaviour but he is so sad and so funny that I can't help myself, it is clear that all that baking has baked his noodle and it's just so damn tragic and funny all rolled into one.

But I digress -- getting back to the episode -- the majority of the designs were terrible, and the only ones that stood out for me were: Joe, Terri, Korto and Leanne. I was leaning towards Joe's look but agreed with the Judges that Terri's look was more versatile and very elegant. In the end it was Korto that won and she kind of snuck in under the radar for me. I liked it but found it very similar to what she had done the week before with the Bell bottom pant suit look.

Stella's idea was interesting and I still find her to be one of the most honest designers and look forward to seeing what she bangs out each week. Most of the mediocre designers floated through and thankfully we had a minimal amount of Suede this week (there are the occasional small miracles in life it appears) and at the end it was between Daniel and Jennifer to be aufed. Jennifer got the boot (her design was so yawn) and now we are down to 12. At this rate the show should be over by Christmas, can't we get back to double elimination weeks again? There are still too many designers and not enough talent this season.

Shear Genius - Do Me & my Bitch

After last week's complete disaster, I am pretty sure that the not so merry band of Judges and Jaclyn of Shear Genius were pissed off at the contestants for missing the boat on the now infamous Charlie's Angels challenge. No fear, last night's challenge sent our contestants to the dogs (literally) and made for some fun and games, but it was still lacking some of the oomph that I want from this show, and am not sure if it's the combination of personalities or the kinds of challenges that have been thrown at the stylists.

Let's get to the Short Cut Challenge of last night. I loved the whole green vibe and using what is in your kitchen to make you beautiful .... but there were a couple of huge problems with the whole concept.

First problem - seriously -- is that Nexxus is the main sponsor of the show and if their product doesn't get used they will not be happy -- so the eco-friendly thing isn't going to work until companies like Nexxus make green products.

The other big problems was that if you have no experience in using products like Squid in hair -- then do you really know what the frack you are doing? As amusing as it was to see the panic in most of the stylist's eyes, it just wasn't logical as far as challenges go. I think it would have made more sense if we learned later on how the various things could be used.

I did appreciate Daniel's panic attacks and the whole squid fiasco, but had no idea why Paulo won and not that it made any difference in the long run.

Now the whole Dog and Owner Challenge -- talk about a disaster waiting to happen. I can see the rapport with getting an owner to reflect their pet, and could see a challenge that incorporated that, but doing the dog as well was too much. These are stylists and not accustomed to working with animals (although the majority of dogs were very cute and well behaved) and don't know the techniques.

I agreed with Charlie when he was asked if he liked the Challenge and he bluntly rasped at them "NO". At least he didn't get the boot and that finally Nekisa (hooray!) got cut. About fricking time is all I have to say -- I have been saying for weeks it was time for her to go and it finally happened.

I am upset though that the boys keep getting their asses handed to them by Dee and she is quickly turning my beloved stereotype of the gay hairdresser into an endangered species. Watch your asses boys -- there is a new stylist in town and she is kicking ass and taking names. Bet she is right pissed off that her infatuation with the faux lesbian is now finished with Nekisa out of the house. I have the feeling things are going to get even bitchier in that salon over the next few weeks and it should be a welcome change from watching the Olympics.

I am getting really psyched for Tabitha's Salon Takeover though as we keep seeing the ads and I can hardly wait to see the Queen B in action very soon.

So You think You can Dance? - Final Four

Things were certainly exhausting on the last night (already?) of competitions on this edition of So You think You can Dance? The Final Four were choreographed quite intensively and we finally got the opportunity to see some different combinations than the regular boy/girl thing. The dances were okay and there were some highlights but I didn't get that huge WOW factor as I often do when seeing work by some of the choreographers. It was nice to see each dancer perform with each of the other dancers individually, do their solo and a great group number by Mia Michaels. (more on that later)

It was cute to see each dancer get their own personal one on one interview with Kat Deeley (and the chance to see a bit more of what makes each dancer tick) and a final solo. The 2 hour show zipped by pretty quickly and by the end I was feeling tired (it's hard work keeping up with all these dances and I was only watching them) and I could only imagine the sheer level of exhaustion in our competitors.

Bravo to all of them -- they all worked their asses off to get to the finale.

Courtney has been a very pleasant surprise this season and after seeing more of her bio I had an even better appreciation for her. I love the whole Jersey girl thing and realizing that she is not really a trained dancer was a bit of a shock. She gets comments about how cute the number that her and Katie did (a Broadway number that was choreographed by Tyce) and I am getting the impression that they felt it was just a sugary number with no content like I did. (sorry Tyce) She has really performed well over the series and the Judges comments seem to lean towards telling her to keep it up and get more training.

I am reading into their comments that she won't win ( there is only 1 winner and they way the finale is designed means that this year we have 3 losers -- it still feels rushed to me) but I applaud her beauty and commitment to dance.

Twitch has been getting rave reviews from the Judges (and well deserved) and he has really shows what humor and personality can bring to the competition. This is another finalist that has no training, and has been performing way outside of his comfort zone for almost all of the competition. He and Joshua rocked it hard in their Russian Tropak number and he was great in the Foxtrot with Katee. The Judges keep telling him how great of performer he is, and I am reading that as another No. Twitch is a great performer but not the winning dancer. I am really getting the impression that the Judges are setting the stage for the Finale and getting the dancers prepared.

I do have to say that our host, Kate Deeley is looking a lot better this season (she must have replaced her stylist), but Kat sure likes the boy sweat -- she has been all over some of the guys this year (practically bathing in it) and if she was a bit older I would make some bad cougar comment. She certainly loves Twitch.. let's hope we don't have another Paula Abdul situation here boys and girls.

Katee has been superb all season -- and after all the comment by the Judges last night (they were all fawning over her left and right), I am pretty sure that she will be taking home the trophy. I don't think any other dancer has preformed as well all season, and I completely agreed with Mary Murphy that Katee has been in all the best moments of this season.

Just last night, she was incredible once again in dancing a lyrical number choreographed by the great Wade Robson. It was one of the stand out numbers of the night, and paired her once again with Joshua. As Mary says, "Magic happens" when those two are put together and who am I to argue with her? Katee has such a magical presence and flows seamlessly from movement to movement. You can't ask for more than that. It is still hard to believe that she almost got chopped in Vegas, and that would have been a shame for all of us.

The writing seems to be on the wall that Katee will win, but the probable other winner is none other than her "most often" partner, Joshua.

Joshua has been phenomenal the entire competition, and I can not get over the fact that they guy has no training at all, yet has managed to pull off some amazing ballroom and more contemporary styles. If anyone else is a natural dancer in the competition other than Katee, it has to be him.

I also think that he has been one of the hardest working dancers this round. His combination of dances last night was probably the most exhausting (but I do agree with Nigel that they need to suck it up and do it -- they are dancers and this is their job and it is the finals) but he pushed himself as hard and as far as he can go. He has been the biggest surprise for me all season and I hope he goes at least to the final two (depending on how they do the elimination this evening).

I loved how it all culminated with the Final Four dancing their hearts out in Mia's Contemporary dance number. She pushed all the dancers to that point where physically the dance takes over and it was all raw emotion. I loved hearing Courtney scream from time to time during the number and thought that all of them put their heart and soul in to the dance. Here's hoping to see Katee and Joshua in the Final 2. I don't think that anyone will be disappointed with any one of these dancers winning this year, they have all been incredible.

Reality Round Up - Winning Week

Things got wrapped up this week for this edition of American Gladiators and what a ride this past season has been. Not only have they added tons of new events and gladiators, but the original events are back and the pantheon of Gladiators have been getting their groove on in a serious way.

Crush has become one of our favorites at home, and we are always in complete awe as she decimates competitor after competitor. Not only is she one tough cookie, but drop dead gorgeous and has a certain twinkle in her eye and that sly little grin. She has passed Hellga as our favorite female Gladiator. Don't get us wrong, we love Hellga but find Crush more exciting to watch. We are still waiting for the gender confirmation tests before we give our opinion on Steel. Something just doesn't add up for some reason.

Gender issues aside, the competitions have been great and the finale was a great example of athletes pushing themselves as far as they can go. Seeing all those bangs and bruises all over the competitors brings the reality a bit closer home, and considering that all the finalists were smaller guys and girls, the sheer size difference between the huge hulking gladiators and them was bound to leave a few marks. There have been many a night that we look at how huge the Gladiators are and realize that the are twice the size of us mere mortals. Here's hoping we get even more next year.

Make sure that you don't miss the spoof of American Gladiators (the aptly named Almost American Gladiators) Thursday night on this week's edition of Reality Bites Back on Comedy Central. If it is any where near as brilliant as their other spoofs it will be a real hoot.

I Survived a Japanese Game Show found it's survivor last night, and it was the charming Justin Wood (who reminds me of Joel McHale of The Soup) who survived all the wacky challenges and took home $250,000 for his time. The Japanese certainly have some weird challenges in their game shows and I am almost ashamed to say that I loved the Squishy Squishy challenge last night, which had the finalists collecting Squishy juice in a giant Sumo sponge costume, running an obstacle course and then squeezing the juice out at the end. The Japanese seem to like things that are embarrassing or that seem to mimic bodily functions, or go for the bizarre like the Bug Splatter on Windshield challenge. The show was weird and different and I thought it was an interesting look at Japanese culture and the behind the scenes of one of their most popular shows, Majide. It probably won't be back for another season, but I enjoyed the competition. Hai? Majide!

Reality Round Up - Olympian Speed

Last Comic Standing has been barreling along at breakneck speed for the past couple of weeks. Just when we got down to the funniest people, they have eliminated 3 this week and we will know the winner in next's week finale.

WTF? That means no more elimination games and challenges and the past few episodes they were burning off 2 at a time --which is not a good sign for any show if they are rushing to air your series. I wasn't sure if it was because of that Olympic Deadline ( 8-8-08 if you have missed it) and they want to clear up all their prime time for covering the games ... or was it because the show wasn't a ratings winner (and that's a shame, there are some very funny and talented comedians on the show) or a combination of both.

Anyways -- the point is moot and now that Sean Cullen (the already fairly successful Canadian boy) has been given the boot, my heart lies with the fantastic Iliza Shlesinger! The other finalists are: Marcus, Jim Tavare, Louis Ramey and Jeff Dye. I wasn't surprised that Adam got eliminated but was shocked to see that Ron G killed with the crowd but was finished as well. It was a weird elimination competition.

Marcus has a shot with his great combination of voice work and energy. Jeff has his funny moments, and I love Jim and his great Bass work and Louis played up the good old USA national pride element to his advantage -- but Iliza has won in several eliminations so far and is a real survivor and I think she will make it all the way.

I am not exactly sure why Fox seems to be frightened by the upcoming Olympics, but they too are rushing this round of So you think you can Dance? and I am not liking it. Another week of double eliminations ( I liked it better when the there were single eliminations in the Top Ten) and even though he danced one of the best numbers of the season, Mark was finally eliminated. Umm -- oh yeah -- Chelsie was eliminated too!

Mark & Courtney had danced a wild Jazz number choreographed by Sonya Tayeh (music "The Garden" by Mirah), and if you missed it then you missed a completely sick dance number. I love it when they pull out these great and twisted minds and let them loose, and this season we have seen some great new choreographers in the house. It's a shame we haven't seen Wade Robson this year (and a couple of others seem to be absent as well, right Mr. Shane Sparks?) and with the season wrapping up so quickly it means that we see less numbers with the dancers and miss opportunities to see creativity.

That sucks. One of the things I love about this show is that it has been going places that no other dance show has done and it's great to see real dance. Not just fluff and tricks.

I wasn't really surprised with seeing Chelsie leave. The majority of dancers that are too limited in one specific style don't usually last until the finale in the competition. She did a great job though and needs to be commended on going so far. Courtney is much more rounded over all dancer and that really shows when the dancers do their solos.

Joshua (now braces free), Twitch, Katee and Courtney will be dancing their hearts out next week for the finale as they try to finish it all up before as the Top 4 Dancers. My money is still on Katee to take it all (she has been incredible), but I am not counting out Joshua who has been just as remarkable and even more of a surprise. Here's hoping there are some great choreographers working with our final 4 -- my eyes will be glued to the screen. That's a good show.

Kathy Griffin redeemed herself slightly this week (these things take time) in this week's episode of My Life on the D List as she mocked herself in her struggle to get a Grammy Nomination. The entire photo shoot (and I loved the stuff outside on the bus bench) was hilarious and you can see the fun in self exploitation. We all know that Kathy is an expert in being a media whore and she puts her full talent to work (not to mention a great support team), I will not be surprised if she gets a Grammy nomination.
Kathy's mom is still the grounding force and hidden gem in each episode. Not only is mom getting in good with the gays (watch your ass Kathy --lose the gays and you lose lots of your fan base), but I love her chatting with Kathy and explaining that Kathy can't win a Grammy as Kathy is not musical. I think mom overlooked Kathy's recent piano performances which have been pretty good. I love that mom is becoming a celebrity of her own and got the magazine cover. Her interview and the interaction with our friend from Grandparents.com was adorable.

Watching Team Griffin get in a tizzy with our hyper financial genius Suze Orman was hilarious -- but I am still wondering if Kathy is going to get into trouble with her continual Oprah/Gayle jokes -- I bet she has already been banned from Oprah for life. Pretty damn funny stuff though.

Weekend Rant - Sci Fi Fun & Games

EUReKa came back to the airwaves this week, and it's another of my favorite programs with it's great mix of comedy, sci fi geeks and some progressive thinking. Of course, it really doesn't hurt that sexy Colin Ferguson (who plays the very down to earth but so out of his element Sheriff Jack Carter) is originally from Montréal and has that home boy appeal. Carter is the great "straight man" to all of the zany characters in the government/corporation think tank of a town. EUReKA is one special little town, and I love seeing the mixture of "what if ?" and all those wacky inventors as we all know there is a very fine line between genius and insanity.

The current season zipped out of the gates at light speed this year and followed up nicely from where things were hanging at the end of last season. The special effects budget looked better in the season opener and the chemistry was still there with all the characters. It's kind of funny that they have changed their protagonist from last year (red headed Dr. Beverly Barlowe) to " The Fixer " (red headed Eva Thorne) and I wonder if the red hair is any indicator of being good or evil. Not that it looks completely natural on either of them or anything. Anyways ... the story was a great one to start off the season and it had some nice comedic moments balanced with the touching ones and it left me all warm and fuzzy inside. Just like a good TV show should.

I can't say that I have been as impressed with the return of Stargate Atlantis over the past couple of weeks. Yes, I know that I bitched non stop last season about how they had the Samantha Carter character brought in for no apparent reason last year ( except to replace Dr. Weir, who I still miss). Last season sucked for me, and even the changes they have done so far this season with having Carter removed and Woosley brought in to replace her (and believe me I love Robert Picardo), it's still not doing it for me. The team of characters don't have the same chemistry as they did before, not since the loss of Weir and the apparent re-animation and re-departure of Doctor Carson Beckett. I am still in shock that I have seen the guy that plays the Chairman on Iron Chef as a character a couple of times on the show (Tyre) and keep expecting him to pull out some secret ingredient. That would have been way more interesting than that sad story line with Ronon. If they get back to some hot chemistry between Ronon and Doctor Keller they might make something interesting out of both characters but at this point things are not that interesting. Teyla is slowly getting back to duty after having the baby (congrats) and for some reason they are pushing her towards some kind of techie role. Like I said -- I don't understand what they are doing with the characterisation on this show or if the writer's have a clue.

I am glad that they have started doing some changes, but as the last remaining Stargate Show on the air I am still hoping for better cohesion and some better stories or this franchise might be over quicker than expected. At best, it's still testing my patience.

I did get a copy of Stargate: Continuum and am happy to say that if follow up nicely the franchise and it was great to see so many of the characters again.

It was a great time travel story (and who doesn't love a great one of those?) and in our alternate time line we get to see bad ass Vala (still one of my favorite new characters) and an unsettling vision of how things could have been if the Stargate Program hadn't been put together.

Seeing all of the originals and their great chemistry together was like welcoming old friends in to your house and things were like old times. I hope the direct to DVD movie is enough of a success that they will churn out a few more as I want to see more of this gang, and would have preferred if they had stayed on the tube instead of the gang in Atlantis. But as we all know, you don't always get what you want when it comes to programming and the TV graveyard is full of "Brilliant but cancelled " shows.