Charm School Girls

Ok, I'm gonna try to keep it short and sweet today, wish me luck.Last night, I caught up on VH1's latest skankfest Rock of Love Charm School (originally aired Sunday at 9 pm, but will undoubtedly repeat all week). This show is a carbon copy of last year's Flava of Love Charm School, changing out Monique as hostess, for Sharon Osbourne.
And instead of the "ladies" from Flava of Love, this one features the "ladies" of Brett Michael's Rock of Love. Fourteen of the worst of the worst from Rock's two seasons gathered at some mansion in Los Angeles to battle it out charm school-style for a chance at winning $100,000 (yeah, that's about $60,00 after taxes - it's not gonna go as far as they're hoping). Of course, one can't deny that the publicity one gets from this show won't help (hurt) a career ...
In either case, it's up to Sharon to turn these sorry subjects into "ladies." Good Luck!
All the faves are back: Raven, Jessica, Kristy Jo, Destiny, Rodeo, superdrunk Courtney (she passed out the first day on Rock of Love and did it again last night), Brandi C., Brandi M., Angelique, Megan, Dallas and yes, season one runner-up Heather (who "loved" Brett so much she actually got his name tattooed on the back of her neck).
I've already written too much regarding this mess. But, just to let you know, at the end of every excruciating episode, one contestant will be expelled from Charm School and last night it was the aforementioned drunk Courtney. Hey, at least Sharon arranged for her to go to rehab!
Don't waste your time. It was really bad ...But just in case you don't want to heed my warning, you can check it out at http://blog.vh1.com/2008-09-08/the-charm-school-rock-of-love-girls-cast-the-first-season-ladies/

Over on ABC at 10 pm, Denny Crane continued his hilarious shenanigans on Boston Legal. Who'd ever thought that William Shatner could be so funny and entertaining! He totally makes the show, along with James Spader.
Spader, who started out his career playing the worst teen villians in John Hughes' movies, is the last person I would've thought I would like. But, hey, if I'm ever accused of a crime, I totally want his Alan Shore to defend me!
Don't miss the opportunity to catch this fine show while it enjoys its last season. For info visit http://www.abc.go.com/primetime/bostonlegal/index?pn=index

Shatner as the wacky Crane

So, moving on to tonight: It's the return of Fox's superhit Fringe! I found myself really missing this show last week (it wasn't on due to the debate). Tonight's episode finds dangerous and deadly occurrences following a man who has the ability to harness electricity. Dr. Bishop (the superb John Noble) enlists homing pigeons to help him break the case. Fringe starts at 9 pm. For info or to watch previous eps visit
http://www.fox.com/fringe/

Over on CBS at the same time, Aussie hunk Simon Baker stars in the second ep of the new hit The Mentalist - When a high school girl's body washes up on the beach, CBI investigator Patrick Jane (Baker) sets a trap to get a group of surfers to turn on one another and reveal what really happened.
I haven't checked out this one yet, but coworkers enjoyed last week's show. For info visit
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/the_mentalist/


The "Real" Housewives

At 9 pm Bravo will bring the rich biches back - I mean, The Real Housewives of Atlanta - for their second episode. I have to admit, this is my kind of reality TV. You just have to marvel at the way these broads can spend money! And, of course, money doesn't buy happiness, as is well illustrated on this show! Check it out http://www.bravotv.com/Real_Housewives_Of_Atlanta/season/1/index.php

Following at 10 pm is the season finale of The Rachel Zoe Project. This show just caught my attention about two weeks on the recommendation of a coworker and I love it! It's ending way too soon for me. Rachel Zoe is a "celebrity stylist" and spends most of her time running all over the world (she's based in LA), finding the "hero" dress that some big star needs to wear to some awards show, or even for a whole press tour.
Tonight it looks like Rachel may have to fire one of her assistants! Will is be mean girl Taylor or nice guy Brad? My vote's for Taylor, she's really been making things difficult for Brad lately, and he's always stepped up to the challenge. Of course, probably no one will get fired, it was just a ploy to make us all watch!
For info visit http://www.bravotv.com/The_Rachel_Zoe_Project/season/1//index.php
Mean Girl Taylor


For those of you who asked yesterday, CMT will be rebroadcasting last weekend's episode of My Big Fat Redneck Wedding tonight at 10:30 pm. Enjoy the wacky redneck nuptials of Jeanne and Phil (refer to yesterday's post for more info). Just prior from 9-10:30 CMT is airing the first two episodes of Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders: Making the Team. A fine show that both guys and girls can enjoy - for totally different reasons, you'll see what I mean.
Visit http://www.cmt.com/ for information on either show.
Jeanne & Phil tying the knot


And for the hopeless romantic (girls, you know who I mean), E! presents a favorite tonight at 8 pm. Sandra Bullock stars in Hope Floats, as a jilted wife who moves back home with her mother, and is courted by an old boyfriend ... and if you've seen this one, you know who I mean - Justin Matisse, played breathlessly by the gorgeous Harry Connick Jr.
If you haven't seen this one, drop everything and watch it - ladies, you won't be sorry. And if Justin's just not enough, tune in to Late Night with Conan O'Brien on NBC at 12:35 am, where Harry will be promoting his new Lifetime movie Living Proof, premiering Saturday night at 9 pm.
Dreamy Harry Connick Jr.


For the football crowd, get your fix on FX at 7:30 pm with Invincible, the gridiron saga of Vince Papale (Mark Wahlberg), a 30-year-old sandlot player who earned a spot on the 1976 Philadelphia Eagles. I've seen it, and I recommend it. Enjoy.

Of course, you can always go out and rent/buy Memorial Day Weekend 2008 blockbuster Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, out today! I know a lot of people have issues with this one (not to mention what the creators of South Park did last week), but I enjoyed it. It's always nice to see Indy in action again ...

I know I said short and sweet, but just a little news ... Terrence Howard is officially out for the Iron Man sequel. He's already been replaced by Don Cheadle as Jim Rhodes, Tony Stark's best friend and future armor-clad hero War Machine.
According to RopeofSilicon.com, sources close to the deal with Howard say negotiations fell through over financial differences. Careful Terrence, you may be sorry ...
Handsome Howard


And last, Marcia, Marcia, Marcia, what were you thinking? I'm talking about the tell-all book coming out today by former Brady Bunch star Maureen McCormick. As usual, with "celebrity bios," something scandalous must always be revealed - I mean, why would we want to read it if there wasn't something juicy being offered (remember Barbara Walters scandalous affair with a gentleman of color?).

Anyway, McCormick apparently describes a teen life of debauchery that includes romancing her TV brother Barry "Greg" Williams (who also admits to dating TV mom Florence Henderson for God's sakes), dates with Michael Jackson and Steve Martin (Steve, who knew?), hitting wild Hollywood parties at the Playboy mansion and the home of Sammy Davis Jr., cocaine binges, trading sexual favors for drugs that lead to unwanted pregnancies, and blowing an interview with Steven Spielberg because she was high. Need I go on?
Not enough to get me to read it, but just in case you're interested, "Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice" hits bookstores today.

Short and sweet, I'll keep trying ...

So last night the second episode of Fox's Fringe aired. And it did not disappoint. If you haven't yet, you need to start watching this show. It's full of intrigue, conspiracy, horror and humor.
You can actually catch up on their offical website http://www.fox.com/fringe/ You can either watch the episodes or read a detailed episode recap if you don't have the time to watch.
Last night's episode had Agent Olivia Dunham and father/son Walter and Peter Bishop investigating strange phenomena involving a baby grown to term in minutes, only to die four hours later from old age.
Somehow, it's all part of The Pattern, which is how Olivia's boss, Agent Phillip Broyles, describes the strange events the Fringe team will be investigating. John Noble as "mad" scientist Walter Bishop once again stole the show with his insane musings -- he likes the seat warmer in the car -- "it warms my ass." (Take that Jack M.)
And somehow, I'm sure if the show stays on long enough, we'll find out that the erie corporation Massive Dynamic was somehow responsible for the crash of Oceanic 815!
Check it out for yourselves ...

Taped 90210, didn't watch it yet. My enthusiasm is seriously waning for this show.

Tonight brings us another exciting episode of Bravo's Project Runway at 9 p.m. The contestants design window displays inspired by the show's creations. Guest judge is designer Cynthia Rowley. The episode will also feature guest appearances by former contestants Daniel Franco, Santino Rice, Sweet P, Andrae Gonzalo and Season 3 winner Jeffrey Sebelia.
As blogged about here on Monday, you can see the Bryant Park runway shows of the remaining contestants at http://bloggingprojectrunway.blogspot.com/

Over on Fox tonight at 8 p.m., Dog Whisperer star and canine guru Cesar Millan guests on Bones. The episode centers on the discovery of the mutilated body of a veterinarian leading to an investigation that uncovered the deceased's gamblingaddictionand possible ties to an illegal dogfighting enterprise. By the way, National Geographic's Dog Whisperer will celebrate its 100th episode Friday at 9 p.m.


But what I'm most interested in seeing is on F/X at 10 p.m., the third episode of their new hit Sons of Anarchy. The series, if you haven't read this blog before, centers on a gun-running motorcycle club the Sons of Anarchy. Starring British actor Charlie Hunnam (looking pretty sweet), it also stars Ron Perlman as the current gang leader and Katey Sagal as Hunnam's hard-talking, over-bearing mom. Sagal shines in this part, like it was made for her. Peg Bundy would be so proud!

The show draws strong comparisons to The Sopranos, which is never a bad thing. For more info in this brilliant check out their website http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/soa/#Nav/Homepage

In other news, Britain's former Prime Minister Tony Blair will mix it up tomorrow night with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show. I don't know about you, but I find Blair extremely entertaining. I love his quick-witted, dry sense of humor.


Believe it or not: The Jerry Springer Show begins its 18th, yes 18th, season Monday! Shamelessly (shameless, Spring? who would've thought?) plugging for a Daytime Emmy on his website, www.jerryspringertv.com, fans can vote by clicking on "Why Jerry Deserves an Emmy."

Fox has suspended filming of Season 7 of 24 for a couple of weeks -- don't freak out yet. Sources say its because they've decided to retool the last six episodesand filming should begin again in two weeks. This will not cause any delay in Season 7's air-time schedule.

The same network has also halted production on Joss Whedon's new series, Dollhouse, for the time being. Apparently execs are not sure if the characters are "likeable" enough, and that the plot may be too confusing for viewers.

Dollhouse, starring Buffy alum Eliza Dushku, revolves around a group of people who've had their personalities erased and replaced with new personas.
Shooting is scheduled to resume next week.


And the ratings are in: HBO's True Blood, which didn't get stellar ratings in its debut, only went up a small percentage this week. Last Sunday's second episode came in at 1.8 million (not what I'd call good for an HBO original), while the premiere ep only garnered 1.4 million. In comparison, other recent HBO series' premieres scored much better -- Big Love with 4.5 million, Rome with 3.8 and Deadwood with 5.6.

TV Guide reports this week that Fringe (which I found is the best new show so far), opened last week with 9.13 million viewers, which put it behind America's Got Talent (11.61 million), in its time slot. So people, please, start watching this show!

In more disturbing news: Guess which pretty, vapid reality star just signed a 3-book deal with publishing giant HarperCollins? -- MTV's own Lauren Conrad, that's who. How does this happen? The Hill's star will be writing young adult fiction -- gag!


On that note, I'm done for today ...

Ok, so as promised, last night I caught up on Fringe, J.J. Abrams latest attempt to drive us all crazy. And, I have to say, that after just one episode, I'm hooked.
The show features a flesh-eating disease, FBI agents looking for a cure, and, references to disasters happening around the world (classic Abrams), including plane crashes (sound familiar Lostees?). Not only that, but one of the main characters is portrayed by Lance Reddick, the same actor who played prominently as Matthew Abaddon in the last 3 episodes of LOST last season .... hmmmm, could there be a possible crossover episode in the future (maybe somehow connecting the Fringe storyline to the crash of Oceanic 815)? It's enough to keep me tuned in.
Also, it's nice to see actor John Noble portraying a "mad" scientist, instead of the insufferable Lord Denathor, steward of Gondor (LOTR/ROTK, look it up).
So, if you're a fan of LOST, Alias or even Heroes, you'll definitely want to check this show out. Fortunately, Fox will be broadcasting an encore presentation of the pilot episode Sunday night at 8 p.m. And you can also watch the episode and get more information on the show at
http://www.fox.com/fringe/
And here's another reason to tune in to Fox Sunday night -- how about a preview of the new 24 season prequel "Redemption"? According to www.nypost.com, although the new season of the popular Keifer Sutherland series won't be debuting until January, there will be a 2-hour prequel that will air in November. It's a roughly three-minute preview, so tune in early.
Also debuting will be a an extended scene from the movie remake of "The Day The Earth Stood Still," scheduled for release in December.

Moving on to what was actually on TV Wednesday night: The Sons of Anarchy's second episode on FX didn't disappoint. I actually think the already good show got even better. In case you missed it, you can watch the episode and get any news about the show on FX's website
http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/soa/#Nav/Homepage Of course, I'm sure FX will be re-airing the episode over the weekend, but you'll have to watch the pilot on the Net.
Anyway, the show, compared to The Sopranos, about a gun-running motorcycle gang is really shaping up. Featuring British actor Charlie Hunnam in the lead role as Jax, son of the former, now deceased, gang leader, and Ron Perlman as Clay, the gang's current leader, it's Katey Sagal who is really starting to shine. Sagal plays Gemma, Jax's mom and girlfriend to Clay, who is trying to keep her family together as well as ensure her son's ascent as rightful leader of the gang. She's a stronger version of Carmella Soprano, if you can imagine. So much for Peg Bundy.

And it wouldn't be Thursday without bringing up who was asked to leave the Runway last night. I absolutely love Project Runway. I was late getting to the party, only picking up this show after friends begged me to half way thru the third season. We're now well into Season 5, and as I said yesterday, the finale is being filmed tomorrow at Fashion Week in Bryant Park, NYC.
This show continues to enthrall me, mostly because these people can take fabric and turn it into something beautiful (most of the time) in a matter of hours! Something I couldn't do in a matter of months, or even years!
Anyway, last night we said "Auf Wiedersehen" to two contestants this week -- Terry and our fave "holla atchaboy" Blaine. At least we still have Suede. In case you missed it, you can watch the replay this weekend on Bravo or at http://www.bravotv.com/Project_Runway/season/5/index.php

On TV tonight: The History channel presents "102 Minutes That Changed America" in honor of the 7th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon by reconstructing the events in chronological order using footage from more than 100 sources, amateur and professional.

And in poor comparison to that one, I'll be tuning in to one of my guilty pleasures -- Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares at 9 p.m. on Fox. I find the show interesting in a way that makes me NEVER want to eat out at a restaurant again!