MSN TV Blog

The Dumbest 'Survivor' Move Ever...or Dumbest Reality-TV Move Ever?

Locke's Knife Fixation Started at an Early Age

The CW Gives Up on Sundays

'Women's Murder Club' Is Probably a Goner

Two Thursday Night Blondes Planning Exit Strategies?

'30 Rock' Goes to Washington

New Mom Gets Ol' Boot on 'Hell's Kitchen'

'Top Chef:' Wedding Woes

Down to the Final Three on 'ANTM'

Josie Was No Pussycat

'Scrubs' Pays Homage to The Princess Bride

In Which I Rail Against the Phrase 'Love Interest'

'ANTM' Bids Farewell to Its Mild Kat

More 'Gossip' Next Season

'Breaking Bad' Is Coming Back For a Second Season

How About We Do An 'American Idol'/'Don't Forget the Lyrics' Crossover?

Another Strike? I Won't Pretend I'm Not Worried

TV Tidbits

Who Will Be 'Beauty and the Geek'?

Set A Course for (Culinary) Adventure

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Fri, 09 May 2008 18:25:06 GMT

O. M. G!

My wife thought I was crazy because I was literally laughing for like a half-hour straight at last night's "Survivor."

In case you didn't watch it, Erik won yet another immunity challenge, guaranteeing him a place in the Final Four and creating the situation where one of the girls (or should I say, Natalie) would likely have be voted off. Then Cirie concocts a plan so crazy that Natalie said she felt stupid for even listening to it: Convince Erik to relinquish his individual immunity and then immediately boot his butt.

And yet, somehow, the longshot worked. Between Natalie, Cirie and Amanda, they managed to push enough of Erik's buttons to get him to think that giving up immunity might somehow win jury sympathy for him.

As soon as he said that he was giving it up, pretty much everyone in the jury was laughing their butts off. Erik was keeping his fingers crossed for luck. None, sadly, was forthcoming.

After it all, James proudly proclaimed he lost the stank of being the dumbest Survivor ever.

But really, why would anyone give up immunity, especially a) knowing the point of the game was that everyone's a potential liar and b) having seen two men get backstabbed and a third surprised by the play of an immunity idol?

Hopefully, I'll talk to Erik later today (and post that interview and the one I did with James and Alexis before Sunday's finale).

Speaking of which, I really hope Cirie wins. That masterstroke alone was worth a cool $1 million.

- posted by Raoul

Fri, 09 May 2008 18:08:26 GMT

After a pretty dreadful Jackcentric episode (sorry for the redundancy), "Lost" seemed to return to form with an exploration into Locke's past. It seems Dharma/Richard/various Island-related factions had their eyes on him since he was a young 'un. But early recruitment of him failed because he wanted to be one of the cool kids.

In the present, Locke, Hurley and Ben go on a crazy road trip to the Open Pit of Dharma Skeletons, where Locke gets a clue to lead them to Jacob's cabin. Inside, he meets up with Christian (Jack's dad) and Claire (Heftier Ghost Claire?). The Freighties have somehow gotten wise to Michael being a mole. (If only some of them worked for CTU, the nation would have been far more secure.) They try to cap Mike to no avail. While the mercs are gearing up for Round 2 with Lostzilla, Sayid is heading to the rescue of the Lostaways. Having been lost for years, Des says wisely he's had enough of the Island and isn't going back.

So here's some of Kate and my thoughts about how things shook out.

Kate: I thought last night's episode was pretty great.

Raoul: So this time around we got the story of Li'l Locke.

Kate: Do you think Richard is his daddy?

Raoul: Who knows with "Lost," but it would totally undercut the whole big Oedipal drama with his con man daddy, the real Sawyer.

Kate: I don't see why. And I don't see how Richard ended up at the hospital if it wasn't his baby.

Raoul: My take on this episode is that it confirms a long-held suspicion of mine: Locke has the same sort of quasi-psychic abilities that Walt had. And somehow Richard and Dharma detected that and sought him out.

Kate: Okay, but as a baby? I don't disagree with what you're saying at all, I just think Richard is the daddy.

Raoul: It's a little creepy that they were apparently watching him all his life. But a little cool too.

Kate: I think the ways in which Locke skirted his destiny as a kid/teen were really interesting.

Like, he picked up the knife because he wanted it to be his.

Raoul: I'm trying to remember if we heard the song Locke's mom was dancing to out of the original hatch. And if it means anything beyond the producers really having a jones for the 60s.

Kate: He didn't go to Mittelos Biotech because he wanted to be a jock.

I don't know the song...want me to try to Google it?

Raoul: Yeah, that personality test was a little crazy. I wonder what the different items meant.

Yeah, if you'd like.

Kate: Anyway, though, I think free will is actually a pretty important thing even on the island, and I think it might even be why the island has "chosen" Locke over Ben.

Raoul: I think it was "Downtown" which may have been featured in a prior episode.

Kate: The sand was probably sand from the island, and the compass had to do with being a leader and a "finder."

The knife, on the other hand...

Raoul: Also, does it mean that there are X other kids out there that Richard's trying to track down, with each item "belonging" to one of them?

The comic book to me seemed a callback to Walt.

Kate: I bet the comic book is significant, too. Any insight there?

Kate: I'm also wondering about the Baha'i holy book.

Raoul: Re: the comic book, it looked like one that the "Lost" people made up, and it was about a hidden city.

Kate: The song was "Everyday" by Buddy Holly, BTW.

Raoul: It's interesting to speculate on what would have happened if Locke picked the one that really "belonged" to him.

Kate: Even then, I think he messed up on purpose.

Raoul: Oh totally. I think he picked up the sand and the compass first because they were more attuned to him.

Kate: Right, they were his.

So, what did you think about Christian and Claire in the cabin?

Do you think Claire is dead?

Raoul: That was my second reaction. My first was, "Man they're desperate to try and give Emilie de Ravin something to do." And my third was, "Man Emilie is looking a little puffy. What's up with that?" Sorry for the departure into mild sexism there...

Kate: I wonder if the actress is pregnant.

Not that relevant to the story, though.

Raoul: I wonder why Jacob chose Christian to "speak" for him. And does that mean the Christian Jack sometimes sees is real?

Kate: I think so. Weren't you saying that you thought Christian was one of the original pirate crew?

Slave ship, I mean.

Raoul: No, but that's an interesting theory.

Kate: Who was it? I guess it was my dad. Hi, Dad!

Raoul: You know I do think was part of the pirate crew? Daniels!

Kate: Yes, that makes sense, though if we really think that through he was probaby part of the cargo.

Raoul: True. I'm scared of him. He's going to show up again and Locke's gonna be in TROUBLE

Kate: I'm not sure that he's a bad guy now. He could just be another lost soul looking to make his way back to the island.

Raoul: The way he had Locke positioned at the stairs made me think he was going to push him down them.

Kate: Me too! And it was totally on purpose...but maybe not malicious.

Raoul: I wonder if he's got a separate agenda from Richard and/or Widmore.

Kate: I think he might. He keeps appearing in sort of low key ways.

Sooo...moving the island? Really?

Raoul: Yeah, it'll be interesting to see what that involves.

Kate: Well, it makes me wonder if the island isn't completely artificial, like someone built it.

(Shades of Rambaldi)

Raoul: And back on the freighter, did I miss something or forget something? I don't remember the crew being wise to Michael's double-agent status. Maybe I'm just getting old.

Kate: No, I don't think the captain knew, anyway.

I had a "did I miss something" moment too...and I refuse to admit I might be getting old.

Raoul: Oooh, going back to Locke, he somehow depicted Lostzilla back in the day. How cool is that?

Kate: Right! And I think that's really key. Alpert saw that, so he absolutely knew that Locke was bona fide, but because Locke refused to pick the objects that were his, he couldn't take him. Thus, free will matters.

Raoul: Wasn't Ben a tad bitter this week?

Kate: He just lost his kid. I think he'll be bitter from "now" until he dies (which won't be that long, I think.)

Raoul: What??? NOOOO!!!! Blasphemy! Take that back!

Kate: You don't think he's going to die?

Raoul: I think he has a long, bunny-killing, snarky comment-making, evil-manipulating life ahead of him. As long as Michael Emerson knows to stick with a designated driver.

Kate: Ha. I wish I agreed, but I think we'll see Ben bite it in a flash forward very soon. And I think he was in the coffin.

Raoul: That could make sense. My original speculation was that it was Michael, since it was a black neighborhood (seemingly), and since he was on the outs with our Lostaways. But it could have been Ben.

Kate: Michael isn't a bad guess. However, I think he's likely to die on the freighter and get thrown unceremoniously overboard. Also, if it was Michael I think Sayid would have come to the funeral. (Though maybe he was on a secret mission for Ben, except I think Ben is dead by June, 2007.)

Raoul: Yeah, how about the multiple attempts to kill him? I thought Harold P. played it slightly off. Michael should have been hopeful for death rather than appearing scared at the prospect.

Kate: Yeah, that makes sense. He is there to die.

- posted by Raoul and Kate

Fri, 09 May 2008 16:13:29 GMT

Variety is reporting that The CW is going to farm out its Sunday night programming next season. Basically, the network is negotiating with an unnamed media buyer to sell off a three hour block of airtime. The buyers will then develop their own shows...which will basically be vehicles for advertising.

Why are they doing this? Well, they haven't had much luck with their Sunday night programming. Remember the short-lived "Life Is Wild?" Or how about "Online Nation?" Yikes! If selling off Sunday night gives the network more resources to pour into its other shows (cough: "Gossip Girl") then I'm all for it.

- Posted by Kate

Fri, 09 May 2008 13:48:55 GMT

Although there hasn't been an official announcement yet, it doesn't look like ABC's "Women's Murder Club" is coming back for a second season. Kristin Dos Santos of E! reports:

"The upfronts aren't next until week in New York City, which is where all the official pickups and cancellations are set to be announced, but sources close to ABC have tipped me that while bubble show "Eli Stone" will get the nod for a season two, another hour-long drama, "Women's Murder Club," will not be returning."

That's some good news about offbeat drama "Eli Stone," anyway. Though it's always sad to see a show get the ax, I have to admit that I just couldn't get into "Women's Murder Club."

- Posted by Kate

Thu, 08 May 2008 22:12:27 GMT

Two actresses who have been mainstays of a couple of my favorite Thursday night programs are apparently looking to bolt.

TV Guide's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Allison Mack is making noise about not coming back for another season of "Smallville."

Which all could be a negotiating ploy to get a big payday. As the article points out, Michael Rosenbaum isn't going to be back as Lex in a full-time capacity. Neither is Kristen Kreuk as Lana.

Without Chloe, what does the show do? Give more screentime to Lois, who a lot of fans call "Nois" because she doesn't meet the qualities of the iconic Lois Lane? Have Kara as a regular and potentially upstage Clark? Bring Pete back full-time? Invent some new character?

I am partially hoping that Allison Mack does leave. For many years, she's made the best of subpar writing. She deserves to find a gig that would maximize her talents. Also, I think that I would finally be willing to break with a Lex-less, Chloe-less "Smallville" and be able to use my time more productively. Like by watching "Ugly Betty."

It's also rumored that Katherine Heigl is eager to put behind the crazy hours of "Grey's Anatomy" and build on her film career.

Time was I'd have been really sad about the news, back when I thought Izzie was a fun and loving character. Then time was that I would have been glad, when Izzie was written to be an adulterous ho-bag who killed her fiance and whined constantly about how unfair life was to her.

But a strange thing has happened over the last two episodes of "Grey's." Suddenly my hate of Izzie does NOT burn with the heat of 10,000 suns. I've mostly enjoyed her character the last few episodes. (Although on a side note, I really, really hope they don't try to hook George up with Lexie romantically, because ewww.)

Anyway, it seems like her departure from "Grey's" is probably not imminent. So she'll just have to be patient and make mediocre movies in the off-season like she's been doing.

- posted by Raoul

Thu, 08 May 2008 20:03:26 GMT

Tonight's episode of "30 Rock" sounds pretty action-packed, and no wonder: it's the season finale. Jack heads to Washington, D.C. to take up his new position in the Bush administration. Edie Falco is guest-starring, so we know he'll be seeing lady love C.C. as well. Matthew Broderick plays a fellow Bush appointee. It seems the two of them are going to hatch a plot to get fired. Hmm...

Meanwhile, Liz has a pregnancy scare, Kenneth tries out to be a page at the Olympics and...Tracy continues to work on his porn video game!

I'm sure going to miss "30 Rock" this summer.

- Posted by Kate

Thu, 08 May 2008 19:48:22 GMT

On Tuesday's "Hell's Kitchen," the chefs cooked for a Sweet Sixteen party.

First up on the chopping block were Matt, who screwed up the fish for the guest of honor (among others), and who in the past sent out undercooked chicken wings and who made Chef Ramsay gag with his signature dish IIRC.

Also up was Rosann, who undercooked the guest of honor's steak (I like my food pretty rare, and I don't even know if I could eat it. In the past, she helped contribute to Vanessa getting burned.

And then there was Shayna, who never seemed to actually screw up seriously on the episode Tuesday, but was just kind of pokey and she was a new mom to a three-month old. Ramsay seemed so surprised that Shayna was up for nomination that he pulled Rosann and made her subject to elimination.

So Ramsay eliminated....Shayna?!?! This doesn't make much sense to me, except in so far as it allows for more drama and screwups. For instance, starting next week, Matt is going to be cooking with the girls.

Here's what Shayna had to say for herself yesterday:

MSN: Shayna, sorry to see you get kicked off of "Hell's Kitchen" last night. It was somewhat of a surprise.

Shayna: Yes, it was a shock to me. I really expected him to say Rosann or Matt's name.

MSN: Why do you think he went for you rather than either of them?

Shayna: I'm not really sure. Maybe at the end of the day, he thought my place was back at home with my newborn daughter. I know I was slower at prep than some of the cooks, but certainly I was efficient in speed and accuracy of my services.

MSN: So why did you decide to go on "Hell's Kitchen" just three months after giving birth?

Shayna: Well, I had been actively pursuing trying to get on "Hell's Kitchen" after I saw the first season. The third season, I was pretty close to getting into the audition process, and then I found out I was pregnant. When the auditions came out for the fourth season, I just knew it was something I had to do.

MSN: How tough was it to be away from your daughter at that crucial bonding time?

Shayna: It was extremely difficult. Of course, I would have never left had I not felt she would be completely safe in the capable hands of my husband and friends and family assisting in the child care during that time. It was difficult. But at the same time, it was a point in her life where she's not going to remember that Mommy left. She's not going to be able to look back at that. I don't think it affected our bonding. When I came back, I was fully immersed in motherhood again.

MSN: Yeah, but when your daughter is like 16 or something, won't she realize you were away for this time period?

Shayna: She probably will. But the truth is I didn't take the decision likely, and any efforts that can advance our family are worthwhile efforts.

MSN: So how would you describe your overall time on "Hell's Kitchen"?

Shayna: I thoroughly enjoyed it. I felt like it was culinary boot camp. Just like an armed forces boot camp, it's all about tearing you down to build you back up into the perfect soldier or the perfect cook. I think Gordon Ramsay is a wonderful man and I don't regret my decision to go there at all.

MSN: Now Gordon Ramsay didn't really attack you personally -- at least, not that I remember.

Shayna: No, he didn't. Up until last night's episode, I had not really been yelled at for my service either.

MSN: It just seems really weird you were singled out when Rosann had done so many bad things, Matt had done so many bad things, and in the episode last night, they both screwed up the guest of honor's orders. Why not one of them?

Shayna: I don't know, to be perfectly honest with you. Ultimately it's Gordon's decision. I don't think I should have gone home when put up against those two. I don't think it should have been me. Matt has repeatedly sent out raw food that had to be sent back. Rosann was at the point where he had to take over her station for her. But them's the breaks, as they say, right?

MSN: I suppose. You mentioned before that you were dinged for being somewhat slow at service. Why did you have so much trouble keeping up with the pace?

Shayna: I was never slow with service. It was prep work that I was a little slower at. And I just was brought up in a different kind of restaurant environment. I've always worked for small businesses, either directly under or with the owner themselves. It's always been a very relaxed environment. You do a little work. You sit down and have a cup of coffee. I'm a happy hippy. At the end of the day, when I have a catering job for my business, I know how much time it's going to take me to get things done and I plan accordingly.

MSN: So I assume you watched last night's episode. Some of your fellow contestants criticized you for your salsa. What do you think of their comments?

Shayna: The fact is the salsa that I made saved the Red Team by allowing them to have even one dish on the menu for the party. It was the one highlight of the fish dish, of really all the dishes that we made that was mentioned by the mother and the daughter. The fact is I was not only making my salsa but I was also making a salsa that the Blue Team had created. When you have that much volume and that many ingredients that need to be cut into small pieces, it just takes a while.

MSN: What would you have changed about your time in "Hell's Kitchen" if you could?

Shayna: Honestly, I don't think I would have changed much. There was a lot of pressure to be underhanded and conniving, and that's not not who I am. I wouldn't have really done much differently as far as what I did there. I went there, I kept my nose to the grindstone, I did my work, I did my work well. Chef Ramsay basically never yelled at me. He never leveled a personal assault at me. I have to say the same can't be said for most of the other contestants.

MSN: What was the biggest lesson you came away with from being on "Hell's Kitchen"?

Shayna: The biggest lesson was I can do anything that I set my mind to. I can go at it alone without my husband's support, without my family's support, without my friends' support. And when I say support, I mean without them being there with me. I can go at it alone and I can do it well and I can stay true to myself.

MSN: Who do you think are the toughest competitors on the show?

Shayna: I think Jen is a great competitor, but she needs to keep her mouth in check. I think Christine is a great competitor. But at the end of the day, Bobby's from my hometown and I want him to kick everyone else's butt.

MSN: Which hometown is that?

Shayna: I'm from Buffalo and he's from Niagara Falls, which is literally a 10-minute drive.

MSN: Who would you say is the worst chef there?

Shayna: I don't know. It's very difficult to tell because these are not normal circumstances that everyone is cooking in. As far as I can tell, the one who seems to be getting the most criticism from everybody is Matt, and I know he's repeatedly sent food to the window that was undercooked and repeatedly gotten it sent back. So based on that alone, Matt. But the truth is I'm not on the guys' side so I don't know what's going on over there.

MSN: What's next on your agenda? What are you going to be up to?

Shayna: May 20 I'm opening up my cafe. I've been running my catering business since 2003 out of my home and I'm going to have an actual cafe that's open for brunch, lunch and dinner and I can run the catering out of there as well.

MSN: Best of luck with that. Anything else you'd like to add?

Shayna: I think that was a fantastic experience. It didn't end quite like I imagined it would, but I do believe things happen for a reason.

MSN: Oh, actually one other question before you go. Corey took a jab at your weight and I was wanting to know if you had any reaction or comments about that.

Shayna: Other than people who can afford daily sessions with trainers and nutritionists, I don't know how many women are in prime physical condition after having a baby. So I don't really take offense to that. But what I would like to say to Corey is that if a chef is too thin, can you really trust their cooking? Why aren't they eating their own food?

- posted by Raoul

Thu, 08 May 2008 18:39:27 GMT

Who's the touchiest person at a wedding? Is it the bride? The mother of the bride? Estranged Uncle Stanley? Nope. Apparently, it's the chef. Specifically? Dale. I couldn't believe how many hissy fits he threw in the space of two days! He yelled and slammed his fist into the lockers when his team lost the cooking skills relay, he got testy with Nikki over ragu sauce, and then he threw a tantrum during judging that made Mark's "Tom doesn't like me" schtick from last week seem like nothing.

Honestly, though, it's a good thing Dale did act up - this episode would have been boooo-ring otherwise. Wedding food is basically uninteresting, and neither team made any attempt at being creative with this challeng. Tortelloni? Brisket? We're changing the word here!

Anyway, Richard, Stephanie, Andrew, and Antonia made a meat and potatoes menu for the bride and Dale, Lisa, Nikki, and Spike did an Italian menu for the groom. I was impressed with Stephanie's cake. I've seen enough "Ace of Cakes" to know how hard it is to bake and assemble a five layer wedding cake. Lisa's cake was just about the ugliest dessert I've ever seen, but Tom Colicchio said it tasted good.

The judges seemed torn between cutting slacker Spike and fish out of water Nikki. In the end they went with Nikki, probably because she refused to take charge of her team even though Italian food is her specialty. I think they probably should have cut both of them and given Dale two Midols and a stern warning.

- Posted by Kate

Thu, 08 May 2008 17:10:09 GMT

Later today, I should be speaking to this week's "America's Next Top Model" reject, Dominique. (And if you have questions you'd like to have me ask her, add them to the comments of this post or drop an e-mail).

But her booting leaves us with three potential winners. So to look at the chances of each:

Anya: If this were truly a competition about modeling, I think she would win hands down. She's won a whole bunch of challenges. She's consistently taken great photos. She's typically been in the top half of the girls being called. She was first four times. I'm pretty sure she's not been in the bottom two when it was arranged on the strength of their performances. The judges may try to knock her through the "no personality" tag. Or in last night's episode we saw the beginning of another line of criticism: the "unfocused energy" criticism. Hopefully she will do her best to avoid having either of those sink her. I'd say she has a 45 percent chance of winning.

Whitney: Watching last night's episode, I said to myself, "If Whitney makes it past this, she's going to win the whole thing." Because her pictures involved exactly the same thing she'd been criticized for in the past couple weeks: seeming overly fake and not getting in a role. That plus her being in the bottom two the previous two weeks should have resulted in her being booted. But I suspect that Tyra has been jonesing to name a plus-sized model as the winner of the competition so badly that she may concoct a way to do so. Which, in a way is fine. I mean, I could rail about how the competition should have more integrity than that but, let's be honest. When Tyra can't pass a lie-detector test question about whether every "ANTM" winner in her view deserved it, it's past the point where we can be guaranteed integrity. I just think that judging from what's been on screen and the reaction of some of the model's I've interviewed that it'd be a shame if Whitney broke the plus-sized barrier, given her apparently awful personality. Usually, it seems to me, Tyra doesn't want really bitchy girls to be her standard-bearer (Eva was an exception), but perhaps her interest in saying "Big girls have a chance to win" will trump that. If she makes it to the final two, I think it would be really weird to have a show with all these rail-thin models and one plus-sized one. I would say she has a 40 percent chance of winning.

Fatima: She is really beautiful and takes great photos. But besides Nigel, I don't think the judges like her very much. She's far too pushy and arrogant for them. And maybe I shouldn't go there, but I don't see Tyra picking three minority winners in a row. She already got a lot of slack cut for her in being allowed to continue to compete even though she missed a photo shoot. I would put her chances of winning at 15 percent.

- posted by Raoul

Thu, 08 May 2008 16:21:40 GMT

So I hope you all caught "Farmer Wants a Wife" last night. I'm as exhausted by reality TV as the average person. But last night's "Farmer" involved delusion and bizarre behavior on such a grand scale, it was nothing short of compelling.

Josie is one of a bunch of girls trying to capture the heart of Farmer Matt, but her levels of crazy, brashness and self-entitlement were off the charts.

She kept talking about how Christians and Catholics and Jews had to form an alliance to save civilization.

She wore a bikini that was, shall we say, unable to keep all of her contained.

She refused to give even a good-faith effort to the farm-related challenges that the contestants were supposed to go through to show how interested they were in Matt.

And she basically asked Matt if he wanted to take his potential brides for a test drive before getting married. She also asked others in Matt's Missouri town how you can tell the rich farmers from everyone else and talked about how she only wanted to sit next to people at a bingo game if they supported President Bush.

When Matt eliminated her, she refused to go gently in the night. She criticized Matt to his face about how cheap he was and demanded a parting gift from him. To try to get her out of his face, Matt said he'd mail something. But then she refused for hours to leave the house where they were staying. And when she finally gave up, she called Matt a "cheap bastard."

It was a nice contrast to all the lovey-dovey "I think I'm falling for Matt" stuff. Seriously? After maybe a week of real-time experience with him?

Kudos to the show for not keeping her around for amusement value. I do think the ratings will plummet if the viewing public is anything like me, because most of the rest of the girls at this point seem pretty cookie-cutter. I'll give it at least one post-Josie chance, though.

- posted by Raoul

Thu, 08 May 2008 16:05:48 GMT

Tonight is the season finale of "Scrubs." It's also the last time "Scrubs" will air on NBC, but it's widely, widely rumored that the show will make the move to ABC starting next fall.

Tonight's episode is a fairy tale along the lines of The Princess Bride. Zach Braff directed it himself, and wants you to watch it so much that he did this little shout out (to himself?). Some people find Zach Braff charming and delightful and some people find him...not charming and delightful. Want to guess which camp I'm in? I like "Scrubs," though.

- Posted by Kate

Thu, 08 May 2008 13:30:07 GMT

TV jargon isn't so bad. I don't mind "pilot," or "procedural" or even the somewhat odd "laffer." I draw the line at "love interest," though. Why do TV execs and journalists bow to that lame-o phrase? To my mind, "love interest" almost always means "someone who comes in and messes up the plot." And that's fine, but couldn't we say it another way? Potential girlfriend/boyfriend? Hot girl/guy? Heartbreaker? Eye candy?

Anyway, this is just my long-winded way of letting you guys know that David Sutcliffe will be back on "Private Practice" next season. He's playing Officer Kevin Nelson, a guy who Addison likes. Yes, indeed, her "love interest." (See, it just doesn't sound the least bit natural.)

- Posted by Kate

Thu, 08 May 2008 02:36:56 GMT

When it boils down to it, "America's Next Top Model" only rarely seems to eliminate people because of their actual work. It tends, instead, to use one of the following rationales: The model has "plateaued." The model doesn't want it badly enough. The model has lost faith in herself/given up. The model has too much personality/attitude. The model doesn't have enough personality.

The last reason led to Katarzyna getting the boot last week. Here's what she had to say for herself in a conference call:

On her favorite Rome experience:

I enjoyed doing the Cover Girl commercial because it was so strange to speak Italian. None of us spoke Italian. We had to read the Italian cue cards and do the commercial, so it was definitely something I hadn't done before. None of us really had any idea what the hell we were saying. But it was a lot of fun and definitely something (different) from the regular photo shoot. Also, it was a lot of fun to watch the girls and myself do it afterwards. When we saw the finished commercials in panel, it was hilarious. It was so funny.

On what made her think she could be America's Next Top Model:

Of the girls on the show, obviously they are all tall, have good bodies and are pretty, meaning pretty in many different ways, not just one look. There are so many diverse looks. But I think I have an Eastern European look, which is what the high-fashion industry is right now, it's a lot of those very pale, very European-looking girls. I felt like I could definitely have a shot. ... And I also love doing runway. I love it. Every time I was on the catwalk, I loved it.

On the best advice she received:

[Paulina] went around telling each one of us what was wrong with us, and she said I had a squishy face, which kind of made me realize I should open my mouth in pictures more just to make my face a little longer, which is what she did when she was modeling. I feel it helped me. It was definitely something I could use in my photographs. Her advice was definitely very helpful.

On the advice she would give future contestants:

I think that the thing with panel, every single time you go in, you don't know what will happen. One time you'll go in and they'll tell you, and the next time you do that and it doesn't work for that photo shoot, you know what I mean? With eyes or the way you do your body. For every single photo shoot, you have to think about what you're trying to portray instead of just trying to take the panel's advice. You have to take it in consideration but also try to work with the theme, connect with the photographer and definitely believe in yourself. Tyra accepts all kinds of beauty. She thinks everyone's beautiful. So you just have to believe in yourself and believe you can do it and you will.

On being told she was "coasting" through the competition:

I don't think so. They said that maybe because I look like what you would expect of a girl trying to be a model. But I don't think that had anything to do with me trying hard or not. I definitely tried to be my best every single photo shoot, every time I went out there. I think that was just a misconception they had about me.

About her alleged lack of personality:

I have two things. First of all, for example, in Cycle Nine, Victoria, who was in Yale, so she's an Ivy League girl, and I guess that's the profile I came in as, the Ivy League girl. Panel always gives criticisms and Victoria actually said something back. That actually got her eliminated. I was OK, so I guess I should be courtesy. Everyone should represent themselves, and that's the way that I am. But I didn't really respond to the comments too much, because I knew from past experience they thought that girls who come from that kind of background are prickly or snobbish. I kind of didn't want to represent that. I wanted to show them I could take criticism and I was better than, I was above any criticism. So I said, "Thank you." And they thought that lacked personality. I don't know. But also, when you're at panel, you're basically there and they're just firing at you every little thing they see. It's like, "Your left toe looks bad. It should be more to the left." Just little things. It just makes you so vulnerable. What are you supposed to say when there are people in front of you except "Thank you" to show them that you appreciate the help?

On sidestepping the drama:

We had to do so many things all the time that I didn't want to get involved with the drama. I didn't want to lose my energy. I'd be fighting with people who want to fight just to fight. ...

I loved Marvita, Avis. I love the fact that Claire loves nature and thinks we're one with nature. Lauren's a great girl. I like Dominique. I like Anya. I definitely did bond with some of the girls.

On working with Tyra on a photo shoot:

Tyra's the person you want to impress the most because she's the main judge at panel. So it's so intimidating to shoot with her because you know she's judging you on every single thing that you do. So I think my nerves got the best of me.

On whether she's dull:

On the show, I did get the "boring" edit. But I think I'm fun. I have a personality, definitely. That's the edit I got. Models, they don't speak too often. ... Models should have a special something, and I think I do have that.

On her makeover:

I miss my old long hair. It's ok, but since I was a little girl, I've had always long hair. I'll have to get used to it.

On what she's been up to since the show:

I didn't go back to my old job, because after being on the show and seeing everything I did, I couldn't go back to just being at a desk, you know, 24/7? After the show, I actually went to Paris for a little bit. My boyfriend is from Paris, so I went to be with him for a little bit because I hadn't seen him for four months and I couldn't really speak to him while I was on the show. So I went to Paris, and then I was doing a little bit of a PA job and then I waited until I was off the show to pursue a career.

On the modeling she hopes to do:

Pretty much every model who starts out wants to do high fashion. I'm no difference I want to do high fashion. I love the creativity that designers come up with and I would love to be given a shot at that.

On the girls she didn't like:

I guess my least favorites would have to be Whitney and Fatima. I think our personalities didn't really match. I think they were a little ignorant of other people and very closed, to be honest.

On whether she would do "ANTM" a second time:

I would do it again. But when you finish the experience, you're like, "Oh My God, I don't know if I could do that again." But every single day we're there, you don't know what's going to happen the next day. You don't know what you're in for. We don't really know anything in advance. But if I didn't know anything, if I had to start out with a blank slate, I would of course. Amazing photographers. You meet amazing people. It's a lifetime experience.

On whether she would change anything:

I don't know. I was trying to be myself, but with the cameras watching every single day, 24/7, when you're in bed, when you're sleeping, when you wake up, there's a camera in your face, I felt I wasn't really comfortable with that. I couldn't tune out the cameras like some people did.

On the casting process and what it says about her personality:

I feel like we go through so much casting. They knew what my personality was like and they chose to cast me. Every single person that they had the show before, even if they got the "no personality" edit, they had to have a huge personality to be on the show.

On who she's rooting for:

I would like to see Anya win the competition. I think she's people's favorite right now. I'm pretty sure. She has this natural talent, and she's a very sweet girl, so I really want her to win.

On whether she has any regrets:

I made friends. I have a personality. You just don't really get to see it because [it was eclipsed] by Whitney and Fatima. I don't think I would do anything differently. I tried my hardest, and that's the best I could do.

On winning the Cover Girl of the Week:

Even though you didn't get to see a lot of me on the show, I was still voted Cover Girl of the Week two times, and I want to thank people for their support. It's so sweet. I appreciate that people got to see me even though I wasn't on the screen too often.

On Kat's assessment of her own personality:

It's kind of hard to describe yourself in three words, but I think I'm a lot of fun. Some people tell me I'm funny. I think I'm a very hard worker. I think I definitely play, but when I have responsibilities to take care of, I take care of them. I also really care about the people that are close to me. I'm definitely very compassionate.

On her favorite and least favorite photo shoots:

My favorite, there were two. There was the lingerie we did with Elle MacPherson because she's Elle MacPherson and she was amazing. The second one was the music photo shoot. I thought it was really cool. I'm more a girly-girl day to day in the way that I dress. And to get dressed up in the emo gear and get into character, that was a lot of fun. The least favorite would have to be the meat photo shoot because the meet was frozen and it was starting to melt, and there was blood dripping down. It wasn't that fun.

- posted by Raoul

Wed, 07 May 2008 19:45:28 GMT

Good news, guys! Kristin Dos Santos of E! is reporting that "Gossip Girl" will have a supersized 24 episode second season. There's bad news, too, or at least I think it's bad news: Michelle Trachtenberg is likely to be added as a regular cast member. Nothing against Michelle - in fact, I think she's a fabulous actress - but I'm still not loving Ms. Georgina Unsparks.

- Posted by Kate

Wed, 07 May 2008 18:29:05 GMT

Break out your chemistry sets! AMC just renewed "Breaking Bad" for another season. Walter White will be back to cook up meth another day and, well, presumably he'll die at some point. (Always a problem if the show wants to go three or four seasons. You can't just save him with a Cylon blood infusion.)

- Posted by Kate

Wed, 07 May 2008 15:57:11 GMT

Last night on "American Idol" Jason Castro screwed up the lyrics to Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man." That's pretty ridiculous. I mean, Shatner can do it! Jason's not the first contestant this season to forget the words. In fact, it's happening a lot. (Remember Brooke choking during "You Must Love Me"? Again, not a hard song.)

Why can't our beloved Idols remember the lyrics to the songs they're singing? Is it really that hard? Even a terrible singer like me can manage to remember what I'm singing. I think we should send all of the eliminated contestants over to "Don't Forget the Lyrics" and see how much money they win. My guess? Not much.

Anyway, I think Jason has pretty much shot himself in the foot at this point. What do you guys think?

- Posted by Kate

Wed, 07 May 2008 13:20:52 GMT

Remember how awful the writers' strike was? Yeah, that could never happen again. Wrong! The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and the Screen Actors' Guild (SAG) have been in contract negotiations for weeks...and the talks have now broken off.

What are they fighting over? Well, maybe you'll laugh when I tell you. New media rights: streaming video, DVD residuals, etc. Sound familiar?

And now to the burning question: will there be another strike? Let's hope not, but things are not looking good.

- Posted by Kate

Wed, 07 May 2008 06:14:50 GMT

"Ugly Betty" is looking to relocate production from L.A. to New York, where the show is set. I think it'd be good for realism. Also, if "Ugly Betty" can make it there, she can make it anywhere.

Marvel is going to have, among other new animated features, "Marvel Super Hero Squad," featuring a host of the comic company's characters like Hulk, Iron Man and Thor. It's going to be aimed at the 6-8 set, though.

The CW is going to have its very own TV court reality show. Because there just aren't enough TV court reality shows.

Sci Fi has cast its leads in "Warehouse 13," one of a couple "X-Filish" series coming next year. It's also cast Esai Morales and Trixie from "Deadwood" as the leads in "Caprica."

Spike is developing a bunch of macho reality series, including "USA vs. the World" and "Human Predators."

It's interesting to speculate if the New York Times story about conflicts of interests involving all the military commentators TV news station will get any traction after this request to the FCC to investigate the subject.

- posted by Raoul

Wed, 07 May 2008 05:43:08 GMT

We're down to three couples on "Beauty and the Geek," which makes now as good a time as any to rate their chances for success. (And can I just say a "Hell yeah!" to Joe and Tara being kicked off? Nothing against Tara, but Joe's spitting incident was really repulsive. As Joe was in general.)

The trouble is that we don't know what measuring stick the show will be using this year. In the past, it's had the booted housemates select the winner and America vote the winner. Who can say what wrinkle they might try to put in this time around?

In any event, here are some thoughts on the remaining duos:

Cara & Chris -- I think as a team, I like them best, if only because Cara seems comes from the "friendly, ditzy" mode of Beauty rather than the "entitled, stuck-up, competitive" one. Chris also seems cooler post-makeover, even though he still has a big ol' goofy looking head.

Leiticia & Matt -- They fail the "would you like to hang with these people in real life?" test, I think. Matt seems like he hasn't changed that much, and Leiticia seems like she's all about the money rather than any desire to change her personality or learn anything. I would be really surprised if they win.

Tommy & Amanda -- Personally, I think Tommy was never a true Geek to start with. Sure, he has his extensive collection of sweater vests, which is kind of dorky. But other than that and his general shyness around women and his virginity, I don't know what qualifies him as a geek. His behavior isn't too odd. He doesn't have, at least as expressed, any particularly geeky interests like LARPing, miniatures, high-tech or whatever. So I feel like they should be disqualified on that basis.

Got any favorites?

- posted by Raoul

Tue, 06 May 2008 23:37:41 GMT

Kate mentioned that there's a "Veronica Mars" cruise coming up for fans of that show.

Now comes word that "Top Chef" is looking to offer a cruise for fans come 2009. It's part of a whole lineup of tie-ins the Bravo folks have been talking about for, including the highly plugged "Top Chef" cookbook and a possible "Work Out" DVD with Jackie.

The "TC" cruise, no doubt, will have better food than the "VM" one, but I'm guessing it will also be much, much longer and much, much more expensive.

Plus, I don't know about you, but I would rather have a chance of seeing any of the "VM" stars than, say, Marcel, Ilan, Harold or just about any of the "TC" former contestants.

I would be afraid to meet Padma, because I hear drool is unbecoming.

- posted by Raoul

Fri, 09 May 2008 18:21:52 GMT

October 18

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Sun, 09 Mar 2008 08:14:58 GMT

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Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:51:07 GMT

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Tue, 09 Oct 2007 04:42:08 GMT

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Mon, 24 Sep 2007 12:19:18 GMT

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Fri, 31 Aug 2007 01:37:31 GMT

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Wed, 25 Jul 2007 03:26:04 GMT

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