**** SPOILERS ****

Do not read any further if you haven't watched the latest episode of Lost yet! Go, right now to http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/index?pn=index and watch.

I'm not going to write an entire recap, because the folks over at Lostpedia do a much more thorough job. So if you can't watch online, visit here http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Jughead and read the synopsis!

So last, night ABC re-aired last week's final hour of Lost with pop-up windows, giving extra info for viewers.

Note to self: Must remember to watch re-run, I only watched the last five minutes last night and there was some useful info given!

For instance, the hooded lady at the end was identified as Eloise Hawking, and she was the woman I remembered from Season 3 that wouldn't sell Desmond a wedding ring in her curio shop!

Anyway, other revelations last night included:

Daniel's in love with Charlotte.

The Others speak Latin.

The Island and its inhabitants were experiencing the year 1954.

Penny and Desmond have a son and he's named *tear* Charlie.

Charles Widmore funded Daniel's career.

Richard visited Locke when he was a child, because Locke told him to.

Widmore told Desmond that Daniel's mother is in Los Angeles .... could she be the

mysterious Eloise afterall?

But the biggest revelation was saved for last, of course --- Charles Widmore, himself, was an Other, living on the Island in 1954.

He and Locke came face to face after Locke surrendered himself before Richard at the Others camp. Locke escaped harm by telling Richard that Jacob sent him and explained that he and Richard meet in the future ...

Lost yet? Join the club!

OK, I got the chance to watch the season premiere of LOST again last night. And, I just don't know where to start!



I mean, I totally loved it. It was thrilling, gripping, gut-wrenching and, most of all, confusing -- but that's what we Lostees have come to expect. And the writers didn't disappoint.



If you haven't seen it yet, stop reading and go to http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/index?pn=index and watch now. Start with the clip show to catch you up on what's going on. Trust me, there's always something you forgot!



Season 5 started out minutes from where Season 4 left off, but in it's usual style the opening scene featured characters we've never seen before. A man and woman waking up to a crying baby. We later see that they are apparently members of the Dharma Initiative and on the island. So we're back in time already -- and here's my theory -- that baby was Charlotte, one of the stranded scientists on the island from the freighter.



So here's my take on what's happening. Let's start with the island shall we?



Time Manipulation: The island and its occupants are hopping thru time every couple of hours with no rhyme or reason (at least that we know of yet). Daniel, who shows up back in time with the Dharma Intiative, is there because he supposedly understands all this. And at least we all know now that Dharma was only really interested in time travel.



Charlotte's nose is bleeding ... and how was she ever born on the island anyway, when all babies and their mothers never make it to the second trimester?



Locke, who we last saw on the island becoming leader of The Others, is suddenly left with no one after The Others disappear in time ... at least he's better off there, in the real world, he's still lying in a coffin ...



Day turns to Night, Night turns to Day -- my head's spinning, but hurts so good!



Locke sees Mr. Ecko's brother's plane crash and gets shot by Ethan (who's is also dead, but we're back in time, remember), then just as Ethan's about to kill him -- swoosh -- time travels forward and Ethan's gone (dead).

Locke's left stranded with a bullet in his leg, and someone's coming. Fortunately for him it's Richard (the mysterious Other, who never seems to age -- could that be because he's always jumping thru time?) and tells Locke that he has to bring the Oceanic 6 back to the island. When Locke asks "how", Richard replies, you're gonna have to die.

*goosebumps*

Island continues to skip thru time ...

Shirtless Sawyer, Juliet and the rest are running around the island looking for supplies when they come across the hatch ... somewhere in time. Daniel reaches out to Desmond in the hatch and tells him that he's not part of all this and "the rules don't apply to you," urging Desmond to go and find Daniel's mother in Oxford, England, in the future. Des doesn't understand, of couse not, he thinks he's nuts!

Desmond wakes up in the future on a boat with Penny and tells her he has to go to Oxford ...

Damn, at 10:04 Sawyer put a shirt on ...

Sawyer, Juliet and the gang are trying to make camp back on the beach when some guy we've never seen before, Neil, starts bitching about their situation. Quicker than you can say Oceanic 6, Neil's shot with a flaming arrow. Really, who uses flaming arrows anymore?

The castaways are under fire from hostiles we don't know of yet and Sawyer and Juliet get attacked in the jungle. Just as the hostiles are about to cut Juliet's hand off, they are shot by ... Locke.

On to the Oceanic 6:

Men in black show up at Kate's door and want blood samples from her and Aaron to determine their relationship. We already know that Kate's lying about being Aaron's mother. Claire, who's still trapped somewhere on the island with her dead father, is Aaron's real mom. Kate gets rid of them and flees with Aaron.

Jack and Ben steal Locke's body after Jack agrees to help Ben get the Oceanic 6 together for a return to he island. He confesses that Locke told him that everyone on the island would die if he didn't go back. Ben flushes Jack's pills.

Hurley and Sayid are on the run because Sayid killed the guy stalking Hurley at the mental hospital. Hurley's still seeing dead people, i.e. Ana Lucia, who tells him you've got a lot of work to do," and "Libby says hi."

Sun gets detained at the airport by none-other-than Charles Widmore, who wants to talk to her about their "common interest" -- killing Benjamin Linus.

Kate receives a mystery call from someone who turns out to be Sun. At her hotel, Sun tells Kate that she doesn't blame her for what happened to Jin (he died on the freighter when it exploded). Kate cries.

In a flashback, we see the Oceanic 6 on Penny's boat agreeing to lie about everything to keep those left behind safe. Hurley's reluctant and we realize that's what's been eating him ...

Back in the present, Ben tells Jack that Jack's never coming back and takes Locke's body to some deli. Anyone recognize the lady in the deli? I can't remember her at all, but she's obviously in on everything and agrees to keep Locke safe.

Sayid's passed out from some sedative delivered by an assassin that he took out. Hurley goes home and his dad (Cheech) takes Sayid to Jack for help. Jack tells Ben he has Sayid, while Hurley spills the truth to his mom. She says she believes him even though she doesn't understand him.

Ben shows up for Hurley, telling him he has to go back to the island. Hurley's so distraught at the mere thought he tells Ben "Never Dude" and runs out of the house straight into the undercover cops who are waiting outside, confessing to the murder (altho he didn't do it). He is immediately taken into custody, thereby foiling Ben's plan ... for now.

Are y'all still with me?

The whole thing ended with Ben visiting a mysterious, cloaked, white-haired lady in some kind of shrine. She warns Ben he only has 70 hours to get everyone back. To which he replies, "What happens if I can't get them all to come back?"

"Then God help us."

OK, I'm pretty sure this the same woman who showed up in a Desmond time-travel/flashback, where he was in England and ran into Charlie on the street. Talked to her on a bench and she was also in a curio shop. Someone else pointed out to me that her photo was also on the desk of the head monk at the Monastery where Desmond spent some time...

Anyway, could she possibly be Daniel's mom that he had asked Desmond to look up?

I remember her as the creepy woman from the Nicole Kidman thriller "The Others."

And I definitely think Locke's going to be resurrected -- somehow, probably on the island. We all know, as Locke said in last season's finale -- "It's a place where miracles happen."

OK, let's hear it -- what did you think? Anyone else have any theories. I love me some Lost queries!

Next Week: Looks like the smoke monster returns. Yay! We missed ya smokey!

Tonight's a sad night for me. As I've mentioned before someone is leaving one of my favorite shows.



Tonight at 9 p.m. on CBS, it's a very special CSI ... Gil Grissom (William Petersen), the leader of the pack, is leaving :(

Not for any particular reason, just the fact that the actor thinks its time to move on. At least he won't be ceremoniously killed off like Warrick was last September in a very teary-eyed episode. Or simply cast aside like Sarah last season. Grissom's exact reason for deparure is still a close-guarded mystery.

CSI debuted on CBS on Oct. 6, 2000, in the same time slot it still holds and quickly became the most-watched show on TV, stampeding past former ratings top spot holder ER. The show's title, which stands for Crime Scene Investigation and pounding theme (The Who's Who Are You?), quickly became staples in households across the country.

The show went on to inspire two very successful spin-offs: CSI: Miami and CSI: New York. Both are still on the CBS schedule, but neither has achieved the status of the original.

A typical episode centers around corpses and the various scientific techniques the CSI teams uses to determine the culprit and fashion of the slaying. But it was the characters that the audience really embraced. And at the top of the list was the bug-loving investigator Gil Grissom. I'm getting more bummed by the minute writing this, so I won't go on much more, only to say, that I think after tonight, I won't be watching anymore -- :(

Grissom's replacement, critically-acclaimed actor Laurence Fishburne will do a fine job, I'm sure, but to me, Grissom was the true heart of the show and without him (much like when David Duchovny left the X-Files) what's the point in continuing ...



Thank you William Petersen -- you made my Thursday nights intriguing!

For more info on CSI, visit http://www.cbs.com/primetime/csi/



And while we're saying good-bye to one beloved character, here comes another new one -- Patrick Swayze makes his Prime Time debut tonight over on A&E with his new cop drama The Beast. According to TV Guide, he stars as an unconventional FBI agent (is there any other kind on TV?) paired with a rookie partner -- who may have a hidden agenda (you don't say ...).

The Beast airs at 10 p.m., for more info visit http://www.aetv.com/the-beast/

Elsewhere on TV Tonight:

Those wacky, sexually uninhibited docs over at Seattle Grace are back with another new episode of Grey's Anatomy on ABC at 9. This week, Emmy-award winner Tyne Daly shows up as McDreamy's mom and has some words with gloomy Meredith. And there's a continuation of the serial killer/death row inmate storyline -- looks like he's going to donate an organ to that dying kid. And I'm totally getting the sh*ts of the whole Denny-Izzy-Karev triangle. Now, don't get me wrong, I love seeing Jeffrey Dean Morgan in any incarnation, but really -- this is just ridiculous!!
For more info visit http://abc.go.com/primetime/greysanatomy/index?pn=index


Jeffrey Dean Morgan, why do we love this guy?

Raging chef Gordon Ramsay is back with an all new episode of his hit show Kitchen Nightmares on Fox at 9 as well. You know I'm a big fan of Ramsay, but this is just not a good time slot for me. I've been lax in keeping up with this show. Lucky for me it repeats over on BBC America.
For info visit http://www.fox.com/kitchennightmares/

Golden Globe Winner for Best Comedy Show, 30 Rock also offers up a new ep at 9:30 on NBC. I like this show a lot, but I'm finding it harder to keep up with because of the time slot.
For info visit http://www.nbc.com/30_Rock/


Sam & Dean

Although I'm still wallowing in Grissom's departure, I'm equally excited that my Winchester Boys are back tonight!! Yes, Sam and Dean continue to chase down demons for the CW's Supernatural. Again, another show airing in the 9-10 time slot, I always make time for this one! Partly for the supernatural storyline and partly because the Winchester bros are HOT!!
For more info visit http://www.cwtv.com/shows/supernatural

And wrapping up tonight's highlights VH1 offers up Celebrity Rehab presents Sober House at 10. Recovering addicts from Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, who obviously needed more help, spent three months in a sober house to hone sobriety skills. Hmmm wonder how that went. Tune in if you're the least bit curious ...
For more info visit http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/sober_house/series.jhtml

So I watched AI last night and while, again, not enough craptastic singers for me, I must admit I see an early leader -- Anoop! Oh yeah, me likey this Middle Eastern-American kid and can't wait to see what he offers up!
Reminds me a little of a former fave Sanjaya (I can hear Eddie Idol groaning now!) -- yeah I liked Sanjaya, mostly because everyone else didn't. It was most fun teasing Eddie every week that Sanjaya squeaked thru! And, being the stylista I am, I looked forward to the hairdos and don'ts!!
What did you think? Please hit the comments and let me know.
Also Kudos to Eddie Idol on his first posting ... looking forward to more! And Ray, you'd better get on it ... I'm looking forward to hearing from you to!!

Anybody watch the Lost season finale last night? I couldn't hang around for the whole thing, what with Idol and Top Chef, I could only surf during commercials. But I did happen to see the preview for next week's premiere and, hey, it looks like Desmond and Penny didn't waste any time reuniting and already have a baby!! Oh my, what will Ben think of that?
Of course, watching the show reminded me how curious I am over Richard. I mean, really, what's his story?? I'm dying to know ...


What's the story Richard?

Tomorrow -- Galactica is Backtica!

Yes, American Idol returned with great anticipation last night on Fox. And for those of you who are hooked, there's another two hours tonight beginning at 8! Last night's show was conducted from Phoenix, Arizona, while tonight it moves to Kansas City.


I must admit I was a little disappointed because there weren't too many trainwrecks last night. Yeah, that's why I watch baby! I love to see those people making asses out of themselves -- that's great television!!


Nothing tickles my funnybone like seenig judge Randy Jackson sitting at the table with a piece of paper in front of his face because he's cracking up over some baaaad singer!


OK, highlights: Let's start with the kid with the REALLY DEEEEEEEEP Voice!! James Earl Jones called -- he wants his voice back. I felt a little bad for this kid, because he was sweet, I'm sure he takes a beating with that voice, and the judges weren't too kind.


The crying rocker had to go though -- really man, get a band .... or hop on over to VH1, because Brett Michaels says this is his absolute last season of Rock of Love!


And let's not forget bikini girl -- like you guys could! I don't think I've ever seen Simon Cowell so excited! But girlfriend got her groove on and even sassed new judge Kara DioGuardi with this exchange:


Kara, "Honestly, you don't have the chops to sing that song, sweetie."


Bikini Girl, "But your demonstration wasn't any better."


Oh Snap!!



For those of you who enjoy rehashing Idol each week, I'm hoping to put together something interesting here. Like the Elfman, I have a couple of friends who are Die-Hard Idol watchers and each season I get emails from them that seriously critique and sarcastically comment on each episode. I've invited them to join me here. Should be informative and hilarious! Keep your fingers crossed ...


For more info on American Idol visit http://www.americanidol.com/


What else is on tonight? Glad you asked ...




Over on ABC they're re-airing last season's Lost finale -- you know the one that shows exactly how the Oceanic 6 got off the island. It was an edge-of-your-seat finish and if you missed it or ever wanted to join in the Lost discussions at work, here's your chance to get your feet wet before next week's season premiere.
The broadcast boasts a few never-before-scenes as well as pop-up commentary to get you up to speed. For more info on Lost visit http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/index?pn=index




On Bravo at 10 p.m. Top Chef Season 3 Champion Hung returns to judge the cheftestants. Can't wait. Hung was the most dangerous player they ever had on the show, and he never copped to any of it. Remember the Breakfast Quick-Fire Challenge in the apartment. "Hung you just broke the truffle oil on the floor."
Hung -- "No I didn't," as he flung himself across the room. Hung was always running behind everyone else, with knife in hand. He was also one of the most interesting players. Looking forward to seeing him.

Stop back tomorrow for the Top Chef Recap.

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


And on MTV, The Real World serves up another episode at 10 from Brooklyn, NY. Last week, the guests arrived to meet & greet and fight with each other. Trust me, you didn't miss anything, except MTV's first ever post-op tranny! However, I'm sure we'll be in for the usual shenanigans soon. For more info on season 17 visit http://www.mtv.com/ontv/dyn/realworld-season17/series.jhtml


Later on, if your curious, fresh from his Golden Globe for Best Actor Drama, Mickey Rourke stops by to chat with Jimmy Kimmel at 12:05 on ABC.


In Other News:


Last night's episode of Nip/Tuck barely kept me awake. Looks like the writers are happy about their Christian-Breast Cancer storyline as most of the ep centered on that. Julia showed up briefly, as did Kimber, if only to mock Christian's circumstances, calling it "karma, I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner."

Sean hooked up with the med student, but promptly blew that opportunity. Liz did sleep with Christian, but he only did it to prove he still could, which severely ticked the lesbian off! I think the best part was the androgenous couple that was staying at their practice for surgery, with the "wife" showing the 17-yr-old Indian whiz kid med student her appreciation in an x-rated way. Although "she" wasn't quite what she seemed ...




I erroneously reported Monday that Patrick Swayze would be hitting Jay Leno's Tonight Show to promote his new series on A&E, The Beast. Seems Mr. Swayze has been in the hospital since his interview with Barbara Walters aired, being treated for pneumonia. His camp says the actor is doing fine and recovering well. Best wishes to you Patrick!


And while all the glitz and glamour returned to the Golden Globe Awards Sunday night, not all the audience did. Ratings for the gala show were estimated to be 14.6 million, which was way better than the 6 million that tuned in for last year's star-deprived awards announcement, but was also down from the 15.7 million people who tuned in for the 2007 broadcast.




Fox reports that this will be the last season for Prison Break. Thanks! I loved this show's first season and was still intrigued during the second. The first season was brilliant, but ended with the prisoners escaping (thus, no more "prison break"). They spent the second season on the run and most ended up in a Panamanian prison for the third season -- forging another "break."

This season, however, they've been hired by someone (the gov't, maybe, who the hell knows), to recover a device called Scylla that has all "the company's" info on it. I lost interest after four episodes, but might tune in to see how it all ends.

The final episodes will air on Friday (Friday?) nights, beginning April 17. Well, if it wasn't already dead, putting it on Friday night was the final nail in the coffin.

For info on Prison Break or to catch up visit http://www.fox.com/prisonbreak/



ONLY 7 MORE DAYS TO LOST!!



Up tomorrow, Top Chef Recap, The Beast teaser and saying Goodbye to Gill Grissom

Yeah, it's back!! As has become the norm for January, Fox unleashes its ratings bohemuth American Idol! America's best/worst will be showcased for two hours tonight and tomorrow night in what has become a household ritual for me. I just LOVE th auditions!! There isn't anything funnier on TV. From the horrible contestants (who have to have some inkling how BAD they are), to the judges' expressions, as well as the comments, and Paula's mindless gazing, the audition process is just one huge laugh-fest for me!

Anyway, for my buddy Crazy Eddie (who hangs on every musical moment), the fun starts tonight at 8 and continues Wednesday, same time, same place!
http://www.americanidol.com/

And, as if anything else on TV tonight matters, here's the rest:

On CBS at 9 it's another new episode of their fledgling hit The Mentalist. Check in to see sexy Simon Baker work his mental magic to solve another case.
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/the_mentalist/

NBC presents episode two of the Biggest Loser: Couples from 8-10.
http://www.nbc.com/The_Biggest_Loser/

90210 continues to assault mindless brains on the CW at 8 p.m.
http://www.cwtv.com/shows/90210

Over on Bravo, the Real Housewives of Ocean County will mix it up when bitchy Vicki goes to visit family.
http://www.bravotv.com/Real_Housewives/season/3/

And for me, it's back under the knife at 10 on FX for Nip/Tuck. Only seven more episodes and then we get the final season -- in 2011!! Why, oh why, such a long wait -- who do they think they are, HBO?
http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/niptuck/

ONLY 8 MORE DAYS TO LOST!!

OK, continuing with the new January TV season, here's a few highlights of what's on:



Fox continues to assault us with another two hours of Bauer Power tonight beginning at 8 p.m. I'm reserving my thoughts on the new season of 24 until after tonight's episode. I will say up front that 24's one of my all-time fave shows and I couldn't wait for Jack to come back last night! For those of you who missed it you can watch it online or read up on their comprehensive episode guide here http://www.fox.com/24/recaps/season7/index.htm

As stated in the previous post, E! dishes up the Golden Globes tonight at 10 p.m. on Fashion Police. I'll be tuning in to see Miss Jay and Christian Siriano's opinions on who wore what last night.

CBS gives us all new episodes of the Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men and Worst Week from 8 to 10 p.m.

Over on ABC, it's more from The Bachelor (I can't believe this show is still on) at 8, Samantha Who? at 9:30 and their new reality show True Beauty at 10. A colleague has recommended True Beauty to me and I just might have to take a peak. It features, here's a shocker, "beautiful" contestants living together in a mansion in LA, and, of course, there's always a catch. This one being that they think they're vying for some "most beautiful" title, when actually they're being judged on their "inner beauty." For more info visit http://abc.go.com/primetime/truebeauty/index?pn=index

The Superstars of Dance and Momma's Boys (sorry, I lost interest in this one) fill out the scheduled at NBC from 8 to 11.

I might have to take another look at MTV's Bromance tonight. After seeing a hilarious clip on E!'s The Soup this weekend, Brody and the boys seem to be quite entertaining, giving the term Bromantic true meaning ...

But I'll defniitely be making time for Lifetime's new reality show at 10 -- Dietribe. You couldn't miss the commercials this past weekend for this show that features five friends trying to lose weight before one's wedding. I think they're trying to lose something like 30 lbs. in 90 days -- and, of course, they have a superhot/stacked trainer helping them. Yes, the voyeur in me can't help but tune in.



Sci-Fi channel continues its LOST mini-thon tonight from 7 to 11. And, yes, there's only 9 more days till LOST returns!!! Yeah, I'm totally pumped for this!! Even more than I was for 24. And, according to TV Guide, Sawyer spends a full hour shirtless -- yay! In case you need a refresher, ABC is re-airing last season's finale from 8-11 this Wednesday.

In case you missed Patrick Swayze with Barbara Walters last week, he sits down with Jay Leno tonight.

And can I just mention that, after catching Top Chef again over the weekend, I just love Fabio. He and his comments totally make the show for me. I'm really hoping he makes it to the final!

Till tomorrow ...

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!

Blogging about Barbara Walters’ Most Fascinating People of 2008 special got me thinking … so here’s my 10 Most Fascinating People of 2009. Heads up – they’re all entertainment-related, because that’s where my main interests lie. So no politicians, sports figures, big thinkers, heck, some of them aren’t even real people – just great characters. Anyway, here’s who fascinated me this year!

10. The Elfman – If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’ve probably already figured out that I actually know the enigma known as The Elfman. And though I’ll NEVER reveal his secret identity, he never ceases to fascinate me. (I just realized both those sentences kinda read like Austin Powers’ "Allow myself to introduce myself." Pardon me.)
Whether it’s his passion for Blue Oyster Cult and really, really bad cinema, his love of reality TV and Sally Field, or his witty comments on this blog, I’ll always consider myself lucky to know him. Thanks Elfman!

Bruce Wayne

Tony Stark
9. A tie between The Dark Night/Bruce Wayne and Ironman/Tony Stark. Though I’ve only just met Tony this year, I’ve known Bruce most of my life. What’s not to love about these guys – I mean, they’re both handsome, very intelligent, rich, powerful, mysterious and in their spare time fight crime. And they’re both dark and brooding too. It’d be the perfect relationship for me – go ahead guys, save the world, I’ll just stay here at the mansion spending your money! Yeah baby!


8. James Lipton. The host of Bravo’s Inside the Actors Studio makes this list for his fascinating autobiography "Inside, Inside," where he divulges that early on in his life, while living as a young man in Paris he was a meck – which is French slang loosely translated as pimp. Yeah, you read that right – pimp! For one prostitute in particular, who was a good friend, he would help set her up on "dates." Say it ain’t so James!
He also reveals that in addition to schooling and interviewing talent, he can pirouette, fly airplanes, compose Broadway musicals, star in Guiding Light, and produce Bob Hope TV specials. Plus he’s run away with gypsies in Greece -- a truly fascinating person indeed!


7. Dan Radcliffe. The star of Harry Potter makes my list not because of his body-baring role on Broadway in Equus, but because of the intriguing interview he gave Details magazine this past fall. In it, the 19-year-old revealed losing his virginity at 16 to his then 23-year-old girlfriend!! Yeah, that completely blew my mind … think about that the next time you watch Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire!


6. Jeff Lewis. The obsessively compulsive star of Bravo’s Flipping Out, Lewis fascinates me to no end. I could and have literally watched him for hours, usually trying to figure out those surgically enhanced lips. Well, I don’t know for sure, but they have to be right?
Jeff’s rants and hissy fits are what makes reality TV great, whether he’s scolding his Nicaraguan maid Zoila, firing then rehiring his staff or explaining exactly how hot his Starbuck’s coffee must be (120 degrees, BTW). Can’t wait for next season.


5. Stephenie Meyer. The 36-year-old Mormon mother of two who had a dream one night about a boy and girl in a meadow discussing how much he wanted to kill her, and decided to write it down. Fortunately for us, as her dream became the hugely successful vampire saga abou love and angst Twilight. Though I only discovered the books last August, they quickly consumed most of my time. Not since Harry Potter have I devoured books so fast, and I've turned many friends and coworkers on to the series. They all have the same reaction -- "I just couldn't put it down." "I told you," I reply.
Thanks Stephenie – now get back to writing the next one, Midnight Sun!


4. Capt. Jack Harkness. Who, you say? Early this year I was lucky enough to discover what was the No. 1 show on BBC America, a sci-fi thriller called Torchwood. Capt. Harkness, as played by the extremely handsome and talented John Barrowman, is the leader of this secret agency that polices aliens that come thru the rift in time in Cardiff, England. I’d liken it to Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets the X-Files. Did I mention that Torchwood’s a spin-off of another hugely successful British sci-fi series – Dr. Who?
Dr. Who just narrowly missed making this list. Both series come with the appropriate amount of cheesiness, but Torchwood’s darker and more adult-oriented. If sci-fi’s your thing, check it out.


3. The cast of LOST. This is a no-brainer right? I mean, who on television has been more intriguing this year? I can’t remember another show that had me thinking so much … and not just me, I’ve had huge, in depth discussions with complete strangers over LOST theories. What other show can you think of that would pull out all the stops and make an entire island disappear. Who’s Jacob? How did Locke die? Did everyone on the ship really die? Why is Claire with Christian in that cabin -- is she dead? And what’s the deal with Richard? What do the polar bears have to do with anything? Will Ben kill Penelope? Will the Oceanic 6 go back? And where the hell’s the island? Hopefully, we’ll all get some answers on Jan. 21 when it returns to ABC.


2. Robert Pattinson. C’mon, you all had to know he’d make my list. Not since Leonardo DiCaprio went down with the Titanic have I been so captivated by a handsome, young actor. And boy is he young … only 22. Being cast as the lead in the movie adaptation of Twilight literally turned him into a overnight star. A brief mall tour of Hot Topic stores turned 14-year-old girls ravenous, showing up by the thousands. And most of their mothers were there too.
But it's not just about Twilight, he's quite the musician as well, playing piano and guitar; possesses smooth vocals; writes songs and scripts, and, of course, there's that irresistable British accent. It's no wonder most of us have no problem with his hobo-style of dress and messy, unwashed hair. I think we'd even be forgiving if we found out he really was a vampire ...
Most of the time, I'm a closet fan (those around me aren't aware of my problem), and luckily I’ve stumbled upon a wonderful support group online of other similarly-aged women who’ve become just as taken with the British wonder. Fortunately for him, we’re all content to keep it amongst ourselves and not turn stalker. It’s all led to a fun cyber-friendship with these great ladies from around the world! Thanks Rob.

So, if I think he’s so wonderful, why isn’t he No. 1 you might ask? Well, that space is reserved for the only "person" I found even more fascinating than Pattinson this year …

1. Edward Cullen. Of course, Pattinson is to Edward what Dan Radcliffe is to Harry Potter. Edward Cullen arrives on page 22 of Twilight and that's exactly when you'll forget about whatever else you were going to do that day ... that week ... that month, or however long it takes you to finish all four books!

What girl could resist a guy whose old-school gentleman, graceful, wealthy, hangs on every word she says, is totally devoted to her forever (and I do mean forever) and is described quite often as being unbearably beautiful? Yes, there's always a down-side and his is that he happens to be a 108-year-old vampire trapped in a 17-year-old's body. Or is it?
Yes, it seems that vampires and their lifestyle prove to be incredibly sexy. You know, the ultimate bad-boy, who just might slip and kill you in the heat of passion. One who could offer you eternal life as well. There is an upside to being immortal. Afterall, he's super-strong, incredibly fast, very intelligent (has had a LOT of time to study), doesn't need to eat, doesn't sleep, won't ever age, doesn't even need to use the bathroom, and to top it off, he glitters in the sunlight!
Did I mention the unbearably beautiful part? Sorry, I'm just spacing out over here ... hmmmm
To put it bluntly -- Fascinating!

Well, this post is getting waaaay too long, so wrapping-up here's a few who almost made my Top 10:
The aforementioned Dr. Who (David Tennant). Yes, I was a fan of the original, but I really enjoy the updated version. I'd love to climb in the Tardis and travel the universe with the handsome Doctor!
Big Bang Theory's Sheldon. Every now and then, I gotta get my Geek on and OCD Sheldon is my fix!
Heath Ledger's Joker. Another great bad boy, he's the fan favorite villain to Batman, and the late Ledger brought him justice. Never thought anyone would outdo Jack Nicholson in Tim Burton's Batman, but he managed to.
The girls of Sex & the City. Loved the show, loved the movie. Samantha, Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte will always be dear friends of mine.
The Cloverfield Monster. Fascinating because after all this time (the flick came out in January) I still haven't been able to find a decent picture of it! Enough already, WTH is it???

What are your thoughts? Hit the comments and let me know your most fascinating person of 2008. Gotta go, Survivor's coming on ...

This is the week I lose my mind ... yes, that's right, tonight is the official beginning of TV's New Fall Season. I have so much to watch this week that I had to make a list night-by-night so I wouldn't forget anything. It's this way every year, returning faves and trying to decide which "new" shows are worth investing the time.

This week's tough, but if I can survive it will get better. Especially since a lot of the "new" shows get cancelled only a few weeks in.

But before getting into all that, I can't let last night's Emmy Awards broadcast pass without a few comments. The Emmys, or as I like to call it -- one of the most BORING awards shows on TV -- always kicks off the new TV season -- with a snore. And last night's 3-hour show was no different, in fact, it was the worst in years.

Thank God for British comedian Ricky Gervais! At least he was entertaining! He went off the monitor and did a funny schtick with Steve Carrell over Gervais' Emmy win last year. He wasn't in attendance to accept, so presenter John Stewart gave the award to Carrell, who apparently didn't give it back. So Gervais went into the audience to get it from him in one of the funnier moments of the evening.

The only other highlight for me was Josh Groban's medley of TV theme songs, from The Love Boat to South Park, The Jeffersons to Baywatch, Gilligan's Island to The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and more. He was great! Both moments can be seen in this 3-minute Emmy highlight reel available on youtube. Click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O94JwhNAO8s

And in case you were curious, AMC's Mad Men made history becoming basic cable's first show to win a best drama award. Too bad season 2 is such a stinker so far...

NBC's 30 Rock scored four trophies, including its second consecutive nod for best comedy series. HBO's Entourage picked up a third consecutive win for Jeremy Piven's Ari Gold for supporting comedy actor. And, as expected, HBO's mini-series John Adams picked up a healthy five trophies.

And, although the five nominees for the first-ever Reality Series Host Emmy stunk at hosting the show, it was great to see Survivor's Jeff Probst win. I mean, afterall, wasn't Survivor the show that started network reality programming. (Yes, I know that MTV's Real World was before Survivor, but I said "Network"!) Congrats Jeff!! By the way, Survivor: Gabon starts this Thursday with a 2-hour premiere beginning at 8p.m. on CBS! YAY!!

Of course, I'm equally happy to see CBS' Amazing Race win its sixth consecutive Emmy for Reality-Competition Program. (AR starts its new season Sunday night at 9 p.m.)
Personally, I'm a little bummed that AR's host Phil Keogan didn't receive a nomination -- he's my favorite!


And, in the most bizarre Emmy nod, given out at the technical Emmys two weeks ago, Pirate Master: Episode 102 won for Original Main Title Theme Music. Who knew? I mean, I'll admit I watched this ridiculous ship-bound reality competition (until it was yanked from the schedule mid-way thru), but I didn't think anybody else did!


On TV tonight: Well, I'll probably be starting out the evening watching the Sci-Fi's four-episode LOST marathon as it continues beginning at 7 p.m. And I'll probably get all caught up in it again, so I'll be running tape on all the other programming. Tonight's line-up of episodes 5-8 include: White Rabbit, House of the Rising Sun, The Moth and Confidence Man.

Over on CBS, the sitcom lineup begins with my new favorite The Big Bang Theory. Leonard and Penny will deal with the aftermath of their first date. If you haven't watched this yet, do! It's very funny!


NBC will be running an entire night of Heroes. Sorry, I couldn't get into this show, which is strange since I like sci-fi. Anyway, from 8-9 there will be a catch-up and behind the scenes of season's past, followed by the 2-hr. premiere at 9 p.m.


Fox continues it's Prison Break at 9 p.m. MTV presents another vapid ep of The Hills at 10 p.m. (Why am I still watching this?) And over on E! you can check out the best and worst dressed at the Emmys on Fashion Police at 8 and 9 p.m. (I guess they think it'll be so good they had to air it back-to-back.) Actually it might be quite entertaining, guest commentator will be Project Runway's favorite pixie Christian Siriano!

And, finally, what kind of TV watcher would I be without mentioning the big premiere of Dancing with the Stars over on ABC at 8 p.m.? Yes, they're back! Bruno Tonioli, Len Goodman and Kari Ann Inaba will be critiquing every step for 2 hours tonight, tomorrow night and another hour on Wednesday night!

Kari Ann, Len and Bruno
Well, I can tell you now that I don't have all that time to put into this show. I love watching the dancing, but the filler drags on forever! Here's my little secret to making this more enjoyable. Tape it!! or DVR!! whichever. I find that I can get thru the entire 2-hr. broadcast in just about 20 minutes just watching the dancing and judges' reviews. It's pretty bad when I'm looking forward more to seeing the professionals than the actual "stars."
For more on the contestants and professional dancers visit the official web site at
http://abc.go.com/primetime/dancingwiththestars/index?pn=index&cid=rm+Fall08+google+Dancing_With_The_Stars

That's all for now, gotta go, lots to watch tonight!

Just for fun, I couldn't resist sharing this popular youtube video with you. It's from last Friday, somewhere in Texas where news junkie Geraldo Rivera was covering Hurricane Ike. Although he's off camera when the wave hits, watch him role thru the shot, a total wipe out!! Enjoy!

Well last night I took my own advice and decided around 7:30 p.m. to click on over to the Sci-Fi Channel and check out the pilot episode of Lost. Within minutes I was totally absorbed in one of my favorite shows and, since Sci-Fi was airing four episodes back-to-back until 11 p.m., I got totally lost in Lost and missed everything else on TV last night.

It looks like regular Monday evening programming may be off my schedule until further notice ... I mean, I even missed The Hills (horror of horrors!). It never even crossed my mind until this morning. Good thing MTV will continue to air the episode only about 1,000 more times this week. (Of course, I'm kidding, The Hills has really been going down hill, pardon the pun, this season, I'm sure I didn't miss a thing.)
I did manage to pry myself off the couch close to 9 p.m. to make sure I taped Prison Break on Fox. This is one of those shows that I used to love, but like many relationships, has been going on too long. If I didn't like the characters so much, I wouldn't still watch.

Prison Break had a great premise in the first season. Like it's name, the whole show centered around Michael Scofield getting himself sentenced to the same high security prison where his brother, Lincoln Burrows, was serving on death row, awaiting his final sentence for "murdering" the vice president's brother. I write "murdering" because the guy was alive all along.

Once inside, Michael hatched an elaborate scheme to break his brother out, over the course of the season. Along the way we met various shady characters, none more ominous than Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell, who could hold his own with Hannibal Lecter any day.

Season One ended with the big break-out. Season Two followed the escapees as they ran from the feds. Season Three had most of them imprisoned in a sleazy fortress in Panama, and guess what, they broke out in the finale. So far, Season Four has the group of escapees forced back together by the government to find "Scylla" some kind of electronic black book that details the inner functions of "The Company." Oh, and Sarah (who was beheaded last season) is back, alive and well. Like I said, this show has gone on long enough, give these guys a happy ending already.

TV on DVD Tuesday: Hurray, Torchwood Season 2 comes out on DVD today. If you haven't seen Torchwood, you don't know what you're missing. I LOVE this show!! Torchwood, which I discovered on BBC America (America's fastest growing new network), is a spin-off of another popular BBC show Doctor Who. In fact, the word Torchwood is an anagram of Doctor Who (go ahead, figure it out). The show centers on Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), who heads up the super secret government agency that finds and controls aliens coming thru a rift in time in Cardiff, UK. Darker and not nearly as whacky as Doctor Who, I always describe Torchwood as sort of X-Files meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer. For more information check out their BBC America website at http://www.bbcamerica.com/content/262/index.jsp

And speaking of Doctor Who, Dark Horizons says that British actor David Tennant held out for a Doctor Who movie deal when signing for a 5th season of the popular show. Can't wait for that! Also, I'm glad to see Tennant coming back as the Time Lord, when previous reports had The Doctor "changing" again with Robert Carlisle taking the lead.

House is back for its fifth season tonight at 8 p.m. on Fox, followed at 9 by Fringe, JJ Abrams new thriller about disastrous happenings in our world. I highly recommend this show. If you're a fan of Lost, Heroes or even Alias, you might want to check it out.

Big Brother 10 crowns a winner tonight at 9 p.m. on CBS -- as if anyone still cares. This was definitely the dumbest season with the dumbest contestants yet. What can I say, it's impossible to top last summer's scheming Evil Dick, his slutty daughter Danielle, and masochistic Jen.

DVR Alert: Tomorrow Ellen Degeneres gets a rare sitdown with Twilight Saga author Stephenie Meyer. They'll be discussing her latest book and final in the Twilight series "Breaking Dawn." Also, on her website, Ellen promises to try her best to get Stephenie to finish writing "Midnight Sun", the anticipated retelling of "Twilight" from Edward's point of view (all the books are written from Bella's POV). An unfinished manuscript of the book was leaked on the Internet a few weeks ago, and a devastated Stephenie has put the book on hold indefniitely. Also, hopefully, they might show a clip from the upcoming "Twilight" movie.

And for all you Nip/Tuck fans, the doctors are in. Julian McMahon and Dylan Walsh returned to the set yesterday to begin filming Season 9 of the popular F/X series. Nineteen episodes have been ordered for 2010/2011.But don't fret, there are still 8 or more unaired episodes from Season 8 that will debut sometime in January. Bad-boy Dr. Christian Troy, hey that rhymes, is one of my all-time hotties -- till we meet again ...