The new season of Project Runway finished taping last fall, with the finalists being sent home, as usual to work on their collections.

For those of you who don't know, it may never actually be seen on TV, due to a court order banning Lifetime from running it. Yes, NBC/Bravo are still crying infringement, suing the Weinstein Company from taking the show to a new network.

Anyway, plans for the show's finale are still in effect, and Project Runway is confirmed to have booked three hours in the main tent in Bryant Park on the last day of Fashion Week, Feb. 20.

In the past, Project Runway traditionally featured three finalists, however, in order to keep the finalists a secret, have allowed former contestants to also show their designs as decoys. This time around, instead of having the contestants introduce their respective clothing lines, the show will be keeping who's designs are who's a secret, to preserve some surprise when (and if) the show airs.



And what a shame it will be if we don't get to see it ... according to Tim Gunn, the show's fashion mentor, who recently spoke to New York magazine, "It's an incredible season. It really is, and I just want people to see it. And I want the designers on the show to get the exposure."

According to the New York Post, Lifetime' deal for P. Runway began to unravel last April when NBC/Bravo sued The Weinstein Company, claiming they had not been offered a contractually mandated chance to match Lifetime's offer to buy the show.

Since then the pending case included a copyright infringement claim by Lifetime against NBC/Bravo and an injunction that prevents Lifetime from marketing, selling advertising or airing the show.

No trial date has been set.

Well Lostees -- this is it! The night we've all been waiting for ... at least since last May! Tonight LOST returns. And if you missed the re-airing of last season's finale last week (and again on Sci-Fi Channel Monday night), lucky for you there's a clip-show recap at 8 p.m. on ABC.

But the real "fun" begins at 9! Two whole hours, promising us some answers, to be replaced, I'm sure, but a whole lot more questions!! Why do we put ourselves thru this trauma?

Anyway, tonight's episode titled "Because You Left" deals with the aftermath of the departure of the Oceanic 6 from the island, which itself departed to parts unknown ... and don't be late (9 pm sharp!) because I'm told the first scene is a real shocker!

This season will deal with quantum physics and some of those characters who are dead or left for dead will be turning up once again -- in flashbacks? We'll have to wait and see.

Tonight, Jack shaves (seriously, the beard did nothing for him), and he and Ben try furiously to reunite the Oceanic 6 for a trip back to the Island, a necessity, not a request! Most will have to be dragged kicking and screaming. I've also heard rumor that Locke's not really dead (you don't say), while those left behind will be dealing with the rigors of living on a time-travelling island!

But one thing's guaranteed -- Sawyer spends the whole two hours shirtless!! Yummy!! Here's a sneak peak for all the ladies!


That's all I could muster, except for talk of Ana Lucia returning ... even my fave Lost spoiler site www.lostpedia.com doesn't have anything to offer except episode titles.

Get ready for heated discussion tomorrow!

For more info on LOST visit http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/index?pn=index



Also on tonight (like anything else matters) is On the Set fave Top Chef (Bravo, 10pm). Tonight's episode is the fan fave Restaurant Wars challenge, where cheftestants are divided up into two teams, given an empty room, a kitchen and a budget and tasked with creating their own restaurant. Things should get heated (as they have in the past) when some chefs are taken out of their kitchen comfort zones and challenged to manage, serve, host, etc.

And if that wasn't enough -- it looks like things are getting cozy between Hosea and Leah, who says on the promo that she's never before cheated on her ..... oooh "Watch What Happens!"

Top Chef recap tomorrow! For more on Top Chef New York visit http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef/season/5/index.php

Another audition episode of American Idol debuts at 8 on Fox. I don't know about you, but I thought last night's ep was a big yawn!! I'm still waiting for Eddie Idol to chime in ...



And lastly, tomorrow 8:30 am sharp, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announces the nominees for the Academy Awards!!! I'll be posting as soon as I can get them!
For more info visit www.oscar.com

As last night's epsiode of Top Chef opened last night I was pleasantly surprised to see something I could get the Elfman for Valentine's Day -- that "I 'heart' Padma" T-shirt that Stefan was wearing!!

The perfect gift!! No one I know 'hearts' Padma more ... And it's conveniently available at http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef/season/5/index.php

On to the Quick Fire Challenge: The Return of Hung!! Just what I was waiting for. Hung was the winner of Top Chef Season 3 and, as Padma said, "The fastest chef in Top Chef history."

Hung was on hand to help Padma judge the challenge which gave the cheftestants 15 minutes (in honor of Hung's being so fast) to make something delicious from ordinary cupboard staples. Ordinary meaning Spam, garbanzo beans, canned chili, and other ingredients that our "chefs" aren't used to cooking with. You know, the crap we cook with everyday!

Our chefs buzzed around the Top Chef kitchen and here's what they came up with:

Jamie - bruschetta with garbanzo beans and smoked fish
Stefan - Baked bean soup with Spam
Hosea - Sweet pea soup with pork rinds (Hung was excited about the pork rinds!) and Spam
Fabio - Mac & cheese with roast artichokes and chili pepper
Arianne - Open-faced turkey Spam sandwich (eewww!)
Carla - Asian salmon cakes w/mayo (homemade, of course)
Rhadika - Red bean dip w/bread
Leah - Waffles, strawberries and sausage
Jeff - Baby conch (remember Hung is big on fish) w/coconut sauce

After tasting the bottom three were determinied: Leah, Rhadika and Jaime
Top 3: Hosea (pork rinds), Stefan and Jeff (conch).

Hung picked Stefan as the winner, which ticked off Hosea, because he had shared his Spam with him. Stefan got immunity.

For the Elimination Challenge the cheftestants were tasked to go Back to Basics and create a seasonal meal, family-style lunch including dessert. They drew knives dividing the teams into Pig (Jeff, Fabio, Rhadika), Chicken (Stefan, Jaime, Carla) and Lamb (Arianne, Leah, Hosea).

Back at the apartment, the teams rallied together to come up with their menus. A heated exchange erupted between Jaime and Stefan with Jaime leaving telling Stefan to do "whatever you want." This only endeared her to Stefan more, "She's so cute when she's pissed." Hey Stefan, she likes her own gender, give up already!

The following morning they packed up and headed for the Whole Foods Store, or so they thought. Actually they were taken to the country to a place called Blue Hill at Stone Barns, owned by chef Dan Barber (yeah, I know, never heard of him either). The farm specializes in growing local produce and raising their own meats, hence Pig, Chicken and Lamb. The chefs would be cooking for the farmers.

Pork team decided to roast pork loin, with sausage ravioli and a basil pesto sauce, roasted vegetables, with creme brulee for dessert.

The Chicken team made roast chicken and chicken cutlets w/tomato salad, chicken consumme and a nectarine/strawberry tart.

Team Lamb went with a duo of lamb, heirloom tomato salad, rosemary garlic potatoes, and a berry trifle.

In the kitchen, Fabio became frustrated when it took Rhadika almost an hour to peel and cook corn -- "what?" he stated. Arianne was having a hard time tying up the lamb, so Leah stepped in to do it. And the Pork team was worried about meat getting done on time.

As time was running out, Arianne declared the lamb "perfect."

At the tasting: Team Chicken's consumme came into question - why serve soup on an 85-degree day? The chicken entrees went over well and the tart was considered good.

Judges declared the lamb a "mess," saying it was sliced wrong, with the grain. They also didn't like the aggressive pesto, and found the trifle "unappealing." Uh-o.

Team Pork's dishes were overshadowed by the "overwhelming pesto", while the tomatoes were well received. Unfortunately the creme brulee was deemed too sweet.

Team Pork were the first called to Judges Table and declared the winners of the challenge. All three actually won, and were promptly sent back to retrieve the rest of the cheftestants, who weren't so lucky.

Team Pork: Jeff admitted to taking off the pig fat, which the judges didn't like because it ruined the flavor. Fabio was criticized for his overwhelming pesto. And Rhadika was asked if making the salad and dessert was enough?

Team Lamb: Judges immediately asked who made the lamb, to which Arianne owned up and admitted not knowing how to tie it up properly. So why was she the only one working on the lamb, judges asked? Head judge Tom Colicchio said her "butchering was a big problem." Hosea, who said he roasted the potatoes, admitted he could've broken down the meat. Colicchio replied he should have said something ...

After sending the chefs back to await their fate, there was some interesting discussion around Judges Table. As pointed out by the Elfman, new judge Toby Young had quite a few conflicting views with Colicchio -- all valid points. However, Colicchio stood firm saying Arianne "really did a disservice to the lamb." Padma stuck up for her, while Young said she can't cook. Padma replied that actually before he came in, she did some really great cooking. To which Young replied, that he thought they were supposed to be juding on what was done in that particular challenge! Colicchio concurred!

In the end, Team Pork was deemed safe, because Jeff recycled the green tomatoes he found on the ground, and that was a big part of what the farmers stood for.

On Team Lamb, Leah was chided for not doing enough, and Arianne was sent to pack her knives and go, calling Hosea a "wimp."


Luv this gif of Carla!

Sorry to see her go, thought she'd definitely outlast Carla (not my fave). And for Jan vs Jan, who asked, Fabio is my fave this season. I think a final 3 showdown between Fabio, Stefan and Hosea would make my Top Chef!! Also, I like the new judge. Toby Young definitely has some interesting insight, and I also like the way he debated Tom last night!

Next week it looks like the Hosea/Leah hook-up might be happening, but more importantly it's -- THE RESTAURANT WARS CHALLENGE!!!

If this is your first season, don't miss next week. The Restaurant Wars Challenge is legendary Top Chef stuff. It can literally make or break a cheftestant. Back in Season 3, Hung's only real competition, Trey, was sent packing after his disastrous turn running the restaurant.

It works like this -- the chefs are divided up into two teams, each tasked with opening their own restaurant. They are usually given an empty room and kitchen and they have to come up with a theme, menu, layout and decorations, all on a certain monetary budget. Each team must also elect a restaurant manager (Trey's downfall), head chef, server and hostess, taking some of the chefs out of their element. It's usually the most interesting episode of the season, don't miss it!!

For more on Top Chef visit http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef/season/5/index.php

Elfman's Favorite TV Shows of 2008

5) The Mentalist
Okay its not Masterpiece Theater, but I really like this show.The Mentalist is pure entertainment. It's mindless TV, but it's good Mindless TV.
Forget the dark sub plot and comparisons to USA's Psyched . The Mentalist delivers an hour of neatly wrapped crime solving suspense, but with a bit of a twist. Simon Baker (The Guardian) plays Patrick Jane, a former phony psychic who now works for the CBI (California Bureau of Investigation) now using only his observational skills to assist the team in solving murder cases. The show goes a long way on the charisma of Baker and a stellar cast including Robin Tunney (Prison Break). An hour of polished crime drama. Deep but not too Deep.



4) Mad Men
No other television show in recent memory has been so critically acclaimed (if viewer hungry), then Mad Men. And it has the Emmy and Golden Globe Awards to back this up. Madmen explores the deceptive and twisted world of power advertising in the 1960's. It follows the high pressure life of Don Draper, the best rep at Sterling Cooper, and certainly one of the best on Madison Avenue. Don, among others has some dark secrets in his past however. The show is a slow moving character study of successful but misguided troubled people and it sucks you into their lives on a weekly basis. Jon Hamm, Elizabeth Moss, John Slattery, and January Jones head up a cast that defines excellence. It is also interesting to see how many things have changed for the better since the 60's when you see all the inequality for women, blacks and gays of the period. Another sign of the times is the amount of drinking on the job, constant smoking by everyone in the cast and even littering.



3) Brothers and Sisters
Want to feel better about your own screwed up dysfunctional extended family for at least one hour a week? Then you must tune in to ABC Sunday Nights at 10 for the very entertaining Brothers and Sisters. The prime time sudser follows the lives of The Walker Clan, led by intrusive, but loving matriarch Nora Walker (Oscar and Emmy Winner Sally Field). The death of William Walker leaves the family to deal with the matter of running the family winery and the discoveries of all his extramarital affairs and indiscretions. Seems there is always a new Walker sibling showing up at the door step.
The plots are well written and finely polished for a soap covering the gambit of soap storylines including politics, addiction, gay marriage, and forbidden love..This show should be sponsored by Pepsid AC because I don't know how any of them get through a family dinner without sever indigestion.
Besides Field the cast includes seasoned professionals Rob Lowe, Colista Flockhart and Rachel Griffiths.



2) Raising the Bar
I accidentally caught this show while channel surfing on Monday night and am extremely glad I did. From Emmy winning producer Steven Bochco(NYPD Blue), Raising the Bar follows a group of young public defenders in their daily lives and courtroom battles for the underdog with the powerful DA. Each week offers a gripping hard hitting drama but with a lot of heart there too. It stars Mark-Paul Gosselear (NYPD Blue, Saved by The Bell) as Jerry Kellerman, one of the most idealistic of these young attorneys who leaves no stone unturned for the rights of his clients. He has become one of the finest young actors on television today. His hair, however will remain a moot point. The superb cast is rounded out by Gloria Reuben (ER), Jane Kaczencrek (Malcom in the Middle) and Teddy Sears (One Life to Live).



1) Bravo Network
There's a new melting pot in America and it's right here on Bravo TV. No other network has ever assembled such an eclectic group of diverse interesting characters. How can you not be intrigued by the rich and powerful, sometimes back-stabbing women of the Real Housewives series, notably Nene (Atlanta) and Vicki (Orange County)? And how about Jeff Lewis of Flipping Out, who has raised OCD to an art form?
Bravo didn't invent reality TV, but they sure perfected it with shows like Millionaire Matchmaker and Top Design. But nowhere is this more evident then in the Network's two most successful shows, Project Runway and Top Chef. These shows take you behind the scenes of the competitive worlds of chefs and upcoming designers and their claw to the top. The judges are smart, tough and funny with Chef Tom Colicchio on Chef and Michael Cors doing the honors on Runway. They've got eye candy too with Top Chef's food-tasting temptress Padma and Runway's Heidi Klum, the queen of Victoria's Secret. There's also father figure and style mentor Tim Gunn, who has become a superstar in his own right from the designing show.
And how can you forget some of the contestants. There was the constant back-stabbing between Betty and Marcel on Top Chef season Two. Some of the chefs even went as far as to try to scalp Marcel during a night of drinking. And how about the knife wielding road runner Hung, from season 3?
Runway has its favorites too. There was season 4 winner Christian, who showed superstar designing talent and coined the phrase "That's Fierce". And the constant whining and underhandedness of style princess Kenley from last season. Bravo for me is Must Watch TV.

My Top 5
I don't know why I've been agonizing over this, maybe because it seems so final ... here it is ... My Top 5 TV Shows of 2008:



5. Sons of Anarchy (F/X)
This is the only "new" show to make my list, and for good reason. When I first read about it in TV Guide, it was heavily compared to the Sopranos. As a fan of the latter, I had to check SOA out. And I wasn't disappointed! Starring Brit export Charlie Hunnam (another reason I wanted to watch), Ron Perlman and Katey Sagal (in a stunning, career-reviving performance), the show centers around the lives of a close-knit motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town in the San Joaquin Valley in Northern California. The club specializes in running guns and ammo around the country and look-out if you decide to get in their way! Well-written and even more well-acted, this show easily fills the void left by my favorite Jersey gangsters. I only wish it were on HBO or another pay channel where it could get real nasty. Who knew Peg Bundy could be so tough?



4. nip/tuck (F/X)
It was early this past year when we last saw Drs. Sean McNamara and Christian Troy, but they'll always be close to my heart (and I'm sooo looking forward to the eight new episodes starting in January!). The show, originally set in Miami, moved last season to Hollywood and the already over-the-top shenanigans got even higher. Dylan Walsh's McNamara became a consultant on Hearts and Scalpels, a show loosely based on his own practice; dated a starlet with an eating disorder (doesn't everybody in H'wood?) and was stalked by his murderous agent (Sharon Gless, was that Cagney or Lacey?). While the hottest Doc on TV (McDreamy and McSteamy can't compare), with the biggest libido, Julian McMahon's Troy continued to bed everybody - oh and unintentionally (??) threw one of his problematic conquests off a roof to her death. Bye-Bye Gina! Nip/tuck is cheese at its best, I absolutely love it! Who knows ... maybe the Carver will return next season ... now that would make my New Year!



3. The Shows of Bravo
The Elfman and I totally agree on this one! Thinking about my Top 5, I realized I watch a lot of Bravo! He put it better than I ever could, but here's my rundown starting with the show that put Bravo on the map - Inside the Actors Studio. Though not in any permanent time slot, I still look for it on a regular basis and not for the guests. I find host James Lipton fascinating! Remember he made my most fascinating list last month, and for good reason. If you can, check out his book - Inside, Inside - you'll see what I mean. If you're a regular reader of this blog you already know that I love Project Runway, Top Chef and all the Real Housewives. But I also make time for Million Dollar Listing (Chad, get a real hairdo dude!), Tabitha's Salon Takeover (someone's gonna kill that woman), Sheer Genius (Kim Vo - WTH?), The Rachel Zoe Show (Brad, grow a pair) and Flipping Out (Jeff Lewis, don't ever change man). Looking to 2009, I can't wait for these shows to return, with the exception of Project Runway, of course, who's move to Lifetime is still being held up in court. So I say Bravo to Bravo, my favorite Guilty Pleasure!



2. Torchwood
Torchwood is a British science fiction drama that deals with the machinations and activities of the Cardiff branch of the fictional Torchwood Institute. An anagram of Doctor Who, from which this show is spun, Torchwood delves into darker subject matter and is also sexier and adult oriented. Starring the dashing John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness, a man who can't die, the team deals mainly with incidents involving extraterrestrials and time- and universe-travel. A little cheesy, but that's how I like my Sci-Fi, Torchwood got even better in its second season. Although not currently airing on BBC America, the show can be found on DVD. Try Netflix.



1. LOST
Is anyone surprised that this made my No. 1? Ever since Oceanic Flight 815 crashed on a supposedly deserted island on September 22, 2004, my TV world has never been the same. After watching the first three episodes, I was, well, lost! And I haven't found my way back yet, although last season really pulled out all the stops. What other show could possibly end their season by moving - yes, moving - an entire island? Season 3 ended with us finding out that some castaways actually got off the island and went home, while Season 4 showed us everything that led up to that fateful day, leaving us wondering what happened to everybody else? Sun lost Jin, Claire found her dead father in Jacob's cabin (and he seemed alive), Desmond found Penny, Jack and Kate left Sawyer behind and we found out, after a year of speculating, who was in the coffin. Are you LOST reading this? If so, too bad. If you haven't been watching, it's too late now unless you go back on DVD and watch from the beginning. I can't remember a show that had me debating theories with complete strangers before. And I mean heated debates. Fans of this show are passionate and for good reason. Looking forward to its return on January 21!

Honorable Mentions: Since we limited it to 5, here's the rest I considered good TV, in no particular order. Survivor: Gabon, Big Bang Theory, Dexter, Entourage, Skins (another BBC show), Doctor Who, Californication and The Graham Norton Show.

Happy New Year Everyone - don't spend tonight watching TV - go out and enjoy!

Well there's no mistaking that tonight's all about The Phillies and Game 5 of the World Series. This could be it folks, so I'm not going to go into whatever else may be on TV, will any of you be watching anything else?

Hope you all had a great weekend, here's a few of my highlights:

I'm still catching up on things I taped last week, but my fave so far was Thursday's episode of Supernatural. The Winchester boys battled a ghost demon that had infected Dean and was threatening to scare him to death if they couldn't find a way to destroy it. Of course, they did and the bros will get to kill more demons in future episodes. However, what made this ep great was a short clip at the end of Jensen Ackles (Dean) lip-synching Survivor's Eye of the Tiger ... watch it here and enjoy http://www.movieweb.com/video/V08JQZ3x2ozAt5

On Friday night, AMC hosted a 30th Anniversary Special airing of John Carpenter's classic Halloween. Wow, where did the time go?Anyway, helping Michael Myers scare the bejesus out of you was original cast member PJ Soles (Linda), who gave up some trivia tidbits along with horror meister Rob Zombie. Zombie as you might remember, directed a "new" version of Halloween last year. Not as good as the original, but a gem nonetheless. It's available on DVD.


Jon Hamm/Don Draper
I watched Saturday Night Live this weekend, mostly because the handsome Jon Hamm was the guest host. Hamm was there to promote the season finale of AMC's Mad Men, which aired last night (taped it, didn't watch it yet, but I heard it was awesome!).
Anyway, the show actually had some pretty funny moments, which, of course, included a send-up of Mad Men. Stopping by to help out were the real Peggy Olson (Elizabeth Moss) and Roger Sterling (John Slattery). I especially appreciated Don Draper's Guide to Picking Up Women. Both can be seen here http://www.hulu.com/watch/40973/saturday-night-live-a-holes-pitch-meeting

I saw Saw V this weekend too. As usual, it had me squirming in my seat (oh the torture scenes)! I can definitely recommend this flick to any fans of the Jigsaw franchise. While not as good as the first (none of them are), it was just as gripping as the other sequels, with more insight into our favorite puzzling killer (actually Jigsaw doesn't really "kill" anybody, they always have a choice). However, if you haven't seen any of the others, don't bother, it would be too confusing.
And in case you were wondering, Saw VI is definitely in the works. Over on VH1, there's another horrible reality show called Scream Queens and the prize has something to do with a part in Saw VI.

Last night on the Amazing Race, the contestants raced from New Zealand to Cambodia without too much fanfare. Bro/Sis Nick & Starr came in first at the Pit Stop and long distance dating couple Aja & Ty were the unlucky last place finishers. The only real interesting thing that happened was that Terence & Sarah were pulled over for speeding to the airport. Terence got a ticket, and we were told by Phil at the end of the show that it will cost them a 30-minute penalty at the start of the next leg.

Bye-Bye Aja & Ty
Next week's show, however, looks pretty good. Starr and Dallas get close, while Ken finally loses it on Tina! For info or to watch visit http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/

Over on HBO the vampires of Bon Temps were back to business as usual. When we last left True Blood, town vigilantes burned down the home of some of Bill's vampire pals, and Sookie assumed Bill was with them. Turns out Bill was just sleeping in the dirt and emerged in the middle of the night, naked, to re-connect with Sookie again ... Sookie's crazy bro Jason is hooked up with some mystery chick who indulges in his passion for V (vampire blood, which provides some kind of halucinogenic effect on humans).

Vamp Sheriff Eric
Luckily for me, the episode ended up at Fangtasia with Eric, who Bill tells us is the Sheriff of the vampire ward, using Sookie's mind-reading powers to help find who's been stealing from the vamps. Can't wait till next week.
http://www.hbo.com/trueblood/

And on Wisteria Lane, the Desperate Housewives gave us a little insight into what has been going on for the past five years (this season jumped ahead five years for the viewers). The best one, I have to say, is Gabby's story! It was hilarious, I love the way she shoves Carlos around. We didn't really find out too much, I guess it's way to early in the season for that!For info or to watch visit http://abc.go.com/primetime/desperate/index?pn=index

TV News: The NY Post today confirms that Bravo is indeed working on its own Project Runway copycat. Speculation started last week after an ad popped up on craigslist looking for fashion designer contestants. The show is tentatively titled Fashion House and is still in the working stages.
In the meantime, www.nypost.com also reports that the original Project Runway just wrapped preliminary competition in Los Angeles. The finalists have been sent home to create their collections to be filmed during Fashion Week at Bryant Park in February.
However, there have been some changes ... apparently show judges Michael Kors and Nina Garcia are hardly in the show. More time has been devoted to guest judges as Rebecca Romijn, Eva Longoria and Lindsay Lohan. Also, fabric store Mood has been replaced. It seems that the LA store was too far from the shooting sites, so producers put a fake Mood storefront on another fabric store and shot there instead.
Before you get all bent out of shape, keep this in mind, with the current court order stopping the sale of Project Runway to Lifetime, who knows if we'll ever see this season?