OK, it's Wednesday ... you know what that means ... LOST and Top Chef, two of my current favorite shows! And they're not on at the same time, BONUS!



Anyway, just a quick preview for any who are interested.

Tonight on ABC at 9 pm Lost continues with their 5th season, after coming back last week. Tonight's episode will center on Desmond's search for Daniel's mother (who I think is the same lady who's running the show for Ben, seen at the end of last week's episode). Oh no, I hope that doesn't lead Penny right to Ben, who vowed to her father, the evil Charles Widmore, that he will kill her.


Yeah, Desmond

Anyway, any episode featuring Desmond is just fine with me! I totally love him. And don't forget, last week Daniel, during a blast into the past on the island told Desmond that he's different from everyone else and the time travel "rules don't apply" to him.... hmmmm what the hell does that mean? Unfortunately, we still have two more seasons till we get "all" the answers ...

Last week's final hour of Lost repeats at 8 pm, just before the new episode.

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



After Lost, I'll be clicking on over to Bravo for another rousing episode of their culinary giant Top Chef New York (10 pm). Tonight hijinx will feature former contestants playing against this season's hopefuls, including fan faves Spike and "I've got a culinary boner" Andrew. Yes, Top Chef's original Bromance will be hand to shake things up. Should prove to be very interesting, although I hope they're not just there for the QuickFire Challenge as has been the case with past contestants' cameos ...

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

Elsewhere: Hoping to capitalize on Lost's good ratings, ABC is bringing back its new series Life On Mars at 10 pm, right after its Wednesday night behemoth ... Life follows the story of New York police detective Sam Tyler (Jason O'Mara), who gets hit by a car in 2008 and finds himself unexpectedly catapulted into the year 1973, where he's working for a less-PC NYPD. It's based on a popular BBC series and has gotten pretty good reviews.

For more on Life on Mars visit http://abc.go.com/primetime/lifeonmars/index?pn=index

The Biography Channel offers up some sweet beefcake tonight with back-to-back episodes of, what else, Biography, from 8-11.
Up first, it's this year's Academy Awards' host and Wolverine Hugh Jackman at 8, followed by Batman himself, Christian Bale, at 9, and the late Heath Ledger at 10.

Enjoy!



In other news: What the hell is going on on Nip/Tuck? This show is becoming a hot mess -- and I don't mean that in a good way. During last night's episode it sunk to new lows, with newly "reformed" breast cancer survivor Christian Troy insulting women during a cancer survivors support group. He basically told them that any woman who doesn't get reconstructive surgery after losing their breasts is a victim, not a survivor. Then he quickly picked up the hottest looking broad there (who didn't even have cancer), took her back to his place and, well you know Christian ...
Then, when he refused to remove her breasts -- both her mother and sister had died of the disease, so she feared it was only a matter of time -- she went to their practice and used some of electric saw to cut them off herself!!
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwww.
Then the lovely Portia de Rossi, who plays Julia's lover, got a face lift from Sean, but didn't tell him she was on antidepressants, and later died!! Oh, you can bet Julia's not happy with Sean.
Christian decided to try a relationship with lesbian Liz ... eewww.
And, if all that's not ridiculous enough -- Portia's TV daughter Eden, showed up to collect her mothers ashes from Julia, who didn't want to part with them, and decided that her mother belonged with Julia afterall, throwing the ashes all over Julia and Sean!! Major Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!

I told you we need The Carver back stat!!

What’s on tonight: In addition to Survivor: Gabon tonight at 8 p.m. on CBS, there’s a few other noteworthy shows to watch.

Welcome Lawrence
Following Survivor at 9 p.m. Lawrence Fishburne joins the cast of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Dr. Raymond Langston, a physician and criminology professor who we know will eventually be joing their twisted little group. For those of you who don’t know, Gil Grissom (aka William Petersen) is leaving the show as a full-time cast member. However, he will be back from time to time.

Over on ABC, it’ll be another confusing episode of Grey’s Anatomy. Where is this storyline going between Izzy and Denny (dead guy walking)? And Karev for that matter? We’ll just have to wait and see …

Keanu Reeves stars on the big screen this weekend in a remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still. If you’re interested in seeing the 1951 original, you’re in luck. AMC is broadcasting it at 8 p.m. tonight. The sci-fi classic centers around an alien who arrives on Earth to stop mankind’s atomic experimentation before it destroys the planet. Sound familiar?


Later tonight, Sen. John McCain pays another visit to David Letterman on The Late Show at 11:35 p.m. on CBS. It’s his first post-election appearance.

Nazi Cruise

And on The Tonight Show, Valkyrie star Tom Cruise chats up his latest with Jay Leno same time on NBC. He’ll follow that with a visit to the Today Show on Monday. This will be Cruise’s first sit down with Matt Lauer since his famous “glib” comment a few years ago …

The Golden Globe nominations were announced early this morning in Hollywood. While I don’t have enough time to list them here, you can see the entire list at www.goldenglobes.org
Multiple nominees included The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Revoluntionary Road and Slumdog Millionaire (this year’s sleeper his with critics). As well as actresses Meryl Streep and Kate Winslet, who got two nominations each.
And in the television categories, big noms were True Blood, Dexter, Mad Men, House, Entourage, 30 Rock, Californication and The Office.
HBO’s John Adams is expected to easily clean-up in it’s nominations for Best Mini-Series, and star Paul Giamatti (way to go Pig Vomit!).
It’s all good for HBO at the Globes anyway, with 22 overall nominations, the cable channel will easily clean up again this year!


The late Heath Ledger was also honored with a nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as The Joker in The Dark Knight. As much as it is deserved, I can’t help shake the sad feelings surrounding this. I was just watching The Dark Knight last night and marveling at what a spectacular film it really is. Ledger’s turn as the twisted villain is superb to say the least and leaves you feeling sad wondering what would have come of his career if things hadn’t turned out the way they did last January …
What a waste, accidental as it was, it’s still such a waste.
Hopefully, Ledger and The Dark Knight will go on to Oscar nominations as well.

What do you think?

OK, two nights of Holiday parties in a row didn’t leave me much time to watch TV this week. I was planning on watching The Dark Knight last night (came out on DVD yesterday, for those of you who didn’t know), but got home a little too late.
I can, however, highly recommend it. I saw it in the theater and, judging it’s enormous box office take, most of you probably did too.

And speaking of The Dark Knight, the late Heath Ledger received a posthumous award over the weekend from his homeland’s Australian Film Institute for his role as The Joker. Ledger’s family was on hand to accept and paid a teary tribute to their loved one. “It’s been without a dbout the most difficult year, losing such a loved family member,” said sister Kate Ledger.
Ledger’s performance in the Batman blockbuster is regarded as having a solid chance for a posthumous Academy Award for best supporting actor.


For those of you wanting to catch up, Lost: Season 4 (last season) hit the shelves on DVD yesterday.


On TV Tonight: Don’t forget, it’s another fast-paced episode of Top Chef on Bravo at 10 p.m. Tonight the cheftestants are being pimped out to cook for judge Gail Simmon’s Bridal Shower. Should be interesting …

On Fox at 8 p.m. is the second episode of Secret Millionaire. I missed the first episode, but have since caught up and believe me, watch it with a stack of tissues. If you don’t produce tears watching this show, you’d better get to your cardiologist because your heart’s obviously turned to stone.
Along the same path as ABC’s Extreme Makeover, Secret Millionaire features a different millionaire each week, spending a week living in poverty with regular folks that have fallen on hard times – i.e. Hurricane Katrina survivors. After having their life-changing moment, the millionaires choose some lucky person at the end to award $100,000 out of their own pockets to help better their situation. Sounds cheesy, but it’s truly tear-jerking. You can watch last week’s episode and get more info here http://www.fox.com/programming/shows/new/secret_millionaire.htm

On Bravo last night, on the Real Housewives of Orange County (Bravo’s original Real Housewives show), Lauri decided to stop participating in the hit show. Lauri’s son, who has been battling drug addiction for the past two seasons, was sentence to 8 months in prison and Lauri decided to take time to concentrate on her family. Good luck Lauri.
Don’t fret, Bravo has already replaced her and a new “housewife” will make her debut next week.

Lauri's on far right

In other news: The stage has been set at ABC for Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve and this year’s show will feature co-host Ryan Seacrest with performances by Taylor Swift, Lionel Richie, Natasha Bedingfield, Fall Out Boy, Jesse McCartney, Ne-Yo, Pussycat Dolls, Solange, Robin Thicke, and … hold on to yourselves …. THE JONAS BROTHERS!!!! (yeah, that was meant to be sarcastic)


Oprah’s back up to 200 pounds …


And Jay Leno, who will say good-bye to The Tonight Show this spring, will be back before you know it … at 10 p.m. with The Jay Leno Show – WTH? Poor luck Conan … he’s supposed to be taking the helm of Johnny Carson’s late night extravaganza after Leno exits. With Jay on at 10 p.m., doing basically the same format, why bother to stay up after the news to see Conan?
Of course, this is only good news for David Letterman … his show on CBS in the same 11:35 p.m. time slot will undoubtedly rocket to No. 1.
Anyway, Jay’s new show will air five nights a week, just like his old one. Looks like Law & Order’s numerous serials may be taking the hit.


And in movie news: Summit Entertainment has parted ways with Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke, thereby leaving the spot wide open to direct the already slated sequel New Moon.
(Yeah, just another excuse for me to blog about Twilight, and include a sweet photo or two.)

Anyway, no one’s saying who dumped who, but Hardwicke said, “I am sorry that due to timing I will not have the opportunity to direct ‘New Moon’.”
But those supposedly in the know seem to think that due to larger budget and increased special effects needed for the flick – this one has the werewolves, afterall, Summit might have wanted to get someone with more visual effects experience. And, if you’ve seen Twilight, you have to admit, the visual effects weren’t very good. Except for the glittering Edward in the meadow, which Summit actually ponied up the money to hire George Lucas’ special effects wizards at Industrial Light & Magic to handle.
No offense to Hardwicke, I personally think she did the best she could with the budget that was afforded her.
As of last night, director Chris Weitz had been rumored to be offered the coveted job. Weitz directed last year’s holiday flop The Golden Compass. Yeah, I saw it on DVD and wasn’t impressed by the film … however, the special effects, which featured a giant polar bear fight, were top notch.
I’m a little more worried that Summit has chosen Twilight screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg to write both New Moon and Eclipse. Personally, while the movie adaptation of Twilight did follow the book (there are always changes when adapting page-to-screen), I really don’t think it hit the same emotional mark. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see …

The good news is that both stars Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart are both signed to reprise their roles as vampire Edward Cullen and his human paramore Bella Swan.

Elfman Alert! Due to his vast TV knowledge and rather large fanbase, I’ve asked the Elfman to do a guest blog entry on his Top 5 TV shows of 2008, and he has graciously accepted. I’ll be offering that before the end of the year, along with my own picks. What have been your faves? or even your Worsts? Let me know along with a brief reason why, and you might see it here …

Also, the Elfman will be offering up his pick for Worst Christmas Movie ever – and believe me, it’s a real stinker – Chochem has spoken …