I was half right about tonight's elimination. The half that I didn't predict was a surprise, but I think a good choice by the judges. But let's save that for the end.
The dancers led off with a very sharp military-inspired hip-hop dance set to the White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army," choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo, that was quite reminiscent of Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation" video. Speaking of which, after acknowledging his 60th birthday, judge Nigel Lythgoe broke the sad news that there would be no Michael Jackson tribute, as the powers-that-be wouldn't release the music. Ah well, maybe it's for the best: Even though a "So You Think You Can Dance," tribute would have been amazing, after this week's emotional memorial, perhaps it's good just to let it rest for a bit.
Cat brought out the couples to be sent to the bottom three. I predicted accurately last night that Caitlin Kinney and Jason Glover would be in trouble, plus, after their amazing tango and jazz routines, it was no surprise that Janette Manrara and Brandon Bryant were safe. Mary Murphy supposed that Caitlin and Jason's problem was that they could never surpass their original, popular Bollywood dance.
The audience was shocked when Jeanine Mason and Phillip Chbeeb were sent to the bottom three, but I think it would have been just as surprising if Randi Evans and Evan Kasprzak were put down there as well, since each couple performed a dance that the judges really liked and another that they were slightly lukewarm about, and each has a powerhouse girl and a popular but somewhat limited guy.
Before they went on with the first cuts, Nigel let everyone know that pretty much everybody on tonight's episode would be going on tour, since the show would need swing dancers, so that took a little bit of the drama out of the whole top 10 thing.
Finally, Melissa Sandvig and Ade Obayomi were sent to the bottom three, in lieu of Kayla Radomski and Kupono Aweau. It's possible that Kayla and Kupono's Mia Michaels dance saved them, but moreover I'm glad not to see them in the bottom three for once, just for the sake of some new scenery. I thought it was a little odd of Tyce Diorio to call Ade out for his energy level allegedly dropping last night: I didn't agree, and it seemed a little cruel to blame one half of a couple for being in the bottom three.
We got to the solos. Caitlin's was quite adorable and showed off her personality, but I wasn't sure if it was going to be enough to keep her in the competition (I assumed that either she or Melissa would be eliminated). Jason threw a ton of stuff into his solo once again, and I predicted, incorrectly, that the judges would call it "desperate" and say that he didn't connect with his audience. Jeanine's solo was, like last week's, both more technically proficient and serious than what you expect from someone who comes off so cute in her choreographed dances. Phillip was just fun to watch -- he makes boring things like elbows and wrists look cool. I felt like I was getting a workout watching Melissa's solo, as she performed in her toe shoes: She really is an amazing physical specimen of a human. And Ade received a standing ovation for his solo, which contained a lot of explosive moves and gymnastics that moved him all over the stage.
Before the eliminations, David Guetta and Kelly Rowland performed a song called "When Love Takes Over" that sounded like a mashup of Coldplay's "Speed of Sound" and Jordin Sparks' "No Air." For those of you keeping track at home, she did appear to sing live, for better or for worse.
Nigel kept the eliminations short and sweet, not giving Caitlin much of a reason why she was sent home instead of Melissa or Jeanine. Poor Caitlin seemed very shook up about the news. I was surprised that Phillip, and not Jason, was going home. However, looking back, there wasn't an episode where the judges didn't want more from Phillip, so I think it was a good choice, although we'll all miss him. Good news for those of you following the "So You Think You Can Dance" tour, though: Both will be appearing!
After tonight’s edition of “So You Think You Can Dance” only 5 couples will remain – and they’ll all be going on tour!
Which 10? You’ll have to tune in to watch Ade, Brandon, Caitlin, Evan, Janette, Jason, Jeanine, Kayla, Kupono, Melissa, Phillip, and Randi battle it out for the slots.
The 2009 "So You Think You Can Dance" nationwide tour kicks off Sept. 20 in Manchester, N.H. Tickets go on sale July 25.
If you never take the time to read the "Top Chef" post-game blogs, do. They're often enlightening in ways that a straightforward viewer recap can't be -- and, in James Oseland's case, too amusing.
This week, Oseland, the editor of serious foodie read Saveur magazine, dissected just the elimination challenge, which at the end of the night didn't seem to have a clear-cut winner, at least not one so apparent to this regular "Top Chef" watcher. (Oseland, however, did take a crack at John Besh's quickfire "snarling mess of a baked egg dish." What was he doing for those 30 minutes that he only managed to serve a single, unadorned egg? Half a star is a new "Top Chef Masters" low that I'm guessing won't soon be matched.)
The evening's bigger task? Tend to the carnivorous needs of Neil Patrick Harris, his guests and the magicians of Hollywood's Magic Castle. Each of the contestants -- Besh, Mark Peel, Anita Lo and Doug Rodriguez -- were to prepare a single entree inspired by one of four magical words: mystery, surprise, spectacle and illusion.
There were no out-right disasters (on the order of Ludo's time-consuming quesadilla) to pass snap judgments on, so Oseland provided a more discerning eye.
About Peel, of L.A.'s famed Campanile, who prepared a snapper en papillote that seemed to bowl everyone over, Oseland explains his surprisingly low score:
I think it was Mark Peel who embraced most clearly the connotations of his assigned word — mystery [...] It looked great, like a little present we all couldn’t wait to tear open. But it sat around, and it suffered for that: it lost the gorgeous immediacy and whoosh of steam it would have had had it been served and sliced open right away. (The leeks and the fish, especially, seemed overcooked; hence the lukewarm score from yours truly.)
Ah, reality-TV editing. To hear Gael Greene tell it, it was darn-near perfect. Little did viewers know that Peel had guessed right: As he waited that extra minute to serve the fish, it overcooked in its wrapping. That didn't seem to bother Greene or guest judge Gail Simmons -- but Oseland discerned that it was not as perfect as producers would have led us to believe. Tricky.
With the top six couples performing two dances apiece, we had a LOT of show tonight, so let's get right to what happened on the dance floor. Melissa Sandvig and Ade Obayomi kicked the evening off with a Doriana Sanchez disco. Ade was worried about looking "wack" if they didn't have the proper amount of disco "swagger," but he had nothing to worry about. I thought he looked great handling the genre. Melissa, I thought, could have given herself in a little bit more to the snap and crackle of disco, but the judges were very forgiving, because she's a ballet dancer and disco is way outside her comfort zone.
Next, Kayla Radomski and Kupono Aweau danced a Mia Michaels-arranged contemporary number about addiction -- Kupono playing the poison, Kayla the addict. Was there any doubt it would be a memorable dance? Kupono controlled Kayla, she tried to escape him, he threw her around. I really liked Kayla's acting in the performance (although Nigel claimed it was hard to see her face) but my favorite detail of the dance was how Kayla began it all by running to Kupono. Finally, I feel like I am on board with how much the judges (who adored the performance) worship Kayla.
Caitlin Kinney and Jason Glover performed a Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin foxtrot, one that was choreographed so as to have a little more female strength and sexiness in it than usual. It was a very cool, suave dance, with Jason and Caitlin looking like they were performing in some 1930s nightclub. I wish their performance had, to steal Ade's word, a tiny bit more swagger in it, but I enjoyed it. The judges were impressed by how easy Jason and Caitlin made it look, although guest judge Tyce Diorio wanted a bit more out of Caitlin's eyes (she looked lovely, incidentally).
I was laughing at the happy head-bopping Jeanine Mason and Phillip Chbeeb did before the commercial in their traditional Russian costumes. And, before their Youri Nelzine and Lilia Babenko-choreographed Russian folk dance, I did get excited for it, per Jeanine's instructions. I must be a sucker for the power of suggestion because while their dance, as Nigel said, was very "folky," I enjoyed it and thought it was fun and different, but the judges seemed to hate the dance (even though they liked the dancers). I felt bad for Phillip and Jeanine: It seemed like there wasn't anything they could have done to make the judges like the performance, so it was confusing why the dance was included as one of the genres.
Next, Randi Evans and Evan Kasprzak danced a hip-hop routine designed by Napoleon and Tabitha D'umo wherein they portrayed a young couple that just discovered a baby was on the way. I rolled my eyes a little bit at the beginning of the performance, as Evan hid a prop engagement ring (sometimes Nappy-Tabs' dances are a little too literal for me), but it was a good performance, especially because, as Nigel pointed out, neither Randi or Evan tried to BE hip-hop, they just danced it. Randi especially did an excellent job emoting terrified elation, and I liked her dancing through Evan's arms. Nigel declared them one of his favorite couples, and Mary was pleased and gave a mini-whoop, even though she admitted she had been expecting a trainwreck.
I discovered a small theme with tonight's episode, and that for me involved the less-high-profile member of a few couples becoming the standout star. That happened with Janette Manrara and Brandon Bryant, who danced Miriam Larici and Leonardo Barrionuevo's Argentinian tango. I couldn't take my eyes off Janette the entire time: she was sexy, she emoted a perfect tango attitude, and her legs were on fire. I knew that Brandon was doing a good job as well because he was there for her every step of the way, but for me Janette just stole the show. After the performance, Nigel was silent for a few tense moments before he stood to give the dancers an ovation and the other judges joined in. Tyce expressed his appreciation by unrolling some complicated metaphor about fresh-squeezed orange juice, and I pondered my new theory that Tyce is related to Jeff Goldblum.
Before we got to the second round of dances, Cat Deeley announced that next week the partners would be broken up, so the dancers discussed what they'd miss most about their partners. It was touching to see Melissa cry when she talked about what she'd miss about Ade. They danced a Ron Montez traditional waltz, which was lovely, pretty without being fusty: I especially loved Ade's turns toward the end. In some ways it gave me the same feeling as their pas des deux from last week. The judges liked it a lot, although Tyce thought that Melissa can work harder at dances like that since she's such a natural, she makes it look a little easy. I wonder how Melissa will fare next week without Ade: I think he really brings out the best in her and she might be a little boring without him.
Fresh off their adored Mia Michaels routine, Kupono and Kayla danced a Joey Dowling Broadway number, striving to capture the love at first sight feel from "West Side Story." This was one of those dances where everything LOOKED fine, but I wasn't feeling a certain magic, but I couldn't tell if maybe it was just me. It wasn't: Nigel said that the dance lacked the danger of those from "West Side Story" and that Kupono and Kayla didn't get into character enough. "I could say you danced it well, but I need more now," he said, which summed it up perfectly.
I am worried for Caitlin and Jason after tonight. I feel like this was the episode where they really needed to grab the judges and audience by the ears and make them pay attention, but they didn't quite get there. Their bodies looked beautiful together in Mandy Moore's lyrical jazz dance but, as Mary said, it wasn't magical, and Nigel worried about their chemistry. I don't have anything bad to say about Caitlin and Jason, but they haven't given me goosebumps.
Again, while I think Phillip was the audience darling of his couple, Jeanine has emerged as the true star of the duet. They danced a jive as choreographed by Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin Nigel pointed out that Phillip was a little nervous and slipped during his dance but otherwise lauded him for doing well outside his genre. Jeanine however was, as the judges pointed out, the star of the performance, adding a little Broadway drama to her sexy jive. She looked a little like a living Vargas girl to me, and the judges guaranteed that she'd be back next week.
Randi and Evan didn't fare quite as well with their ballroom routine, a sexy samba choreographed by Anya Garnis and Pasha Kovalev of season three of the show. As she tends to do, Randi expressed trepidation over whether she could portray a sexy beast, and of course she totally nailed it. Evan, on the other hand, looked a little scared during the performance, and he looked like he was working a little too hard during the lifts. The judges loved Randi's heat but didn't think Evan (who, again, I used to consider the audience favorite of the two) was dynamic enough. It will be odd when this petite pair is broken up.
The best (or one of the best) was saved for last in this long night of dancing, as Janette and Brandon danced a Wade Robson jazz routine. They played jewel thieves, Janette impulsive, Brandon thoughtful. I loved their mod costumes with the white sunglasses--they reminded me of Johnny Depp's getup in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." It was a highly stylized routine and this was just one of those dances where the performers hit their moves hard and were snappy where they needed to be. As Mary said, with every move the pair painted clear pictures.
Like I wrote above, I predict Caitlin and Jason will be in trouble tomorrow night, although who knows who else will make up the bottom three with them.
Can time pass by any slower? There are still two more months until the Sept. 16 fall premiere of Ryan Murphy's musical comedy "Glee."
But take solace, "Glee" fans. On Wednesday, Fox held a cloak-and-dagger screening of two more episodes for what the network and studio have termed "Friends of Glee" (otherwise known as TV writers who can't get enough), and I've got the details.
Without giving too much away -- nothing that the video clip above doesn't -- here's a hint of what viewers can expect:
Just as Michael Jackson set records during his lifetime, so he continues after death. Tuesday’s memorial service was one of the most-watched and most-discussed live news events in recent history, with some analysts even calling it a milestone for media integration as fans gathered around TV sets, computers and smartphones and traded information on Facebook and other social-media services.
An average of 31.1 million TV viewers watched the memorial service, according to the Nielsen Company. The ceremony, which featured performances and tributes from Stevie Wonder, Brooke Shields and other celebrities, was carried live from approximately 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on 19 networks, including the major broadcast and cable-news outlets.
While nothing close to the 100 million or so that annually tune in to the Super Bowl, these figures make Jackson’s one of the most-watched live televised farewells for any major public figure in recent times. The 1997 funeral for Princess Diana, which started airing before 6 a.m. in much of the U.S., drew a slightly higher total (33.2 million). Former President Ronald Reagan’s 2004 burial, which aired during prime time, was seen by 35.1 million, yet his funeral earlier that day was watched by a more modest 20.8 million.
In Jackson’s case, however, the TV numbers reveal only part of the picture. The pop star’s memorial spiked huge waves of online traffic as many viewers turned to their computers to watch the ceremony. MSNBC.com set a new record Tuesday for total online video streams (19 million), while the results for CNN (10.5 million) and Fox News (3.4 million) were exceeded only on Inauguration Day last January. At its peak, CNN.com logged 781,000 concurrent live streams; FoxNews.com peaked during the memorial with 677,000.
Nielsen said that Jackson’s death and its aftermath had drawn the most online buzz in Internet history. The reports of his death June 25 accounted for 8% of all online conversation, breaking daily records, the company said. On Twitter, Jackson-related search terms, even misspelled ones (“Micheal Jackson”), dominated the top trends Tuesday.
“While events like the Jackson memorial or the Obama inauguration are unique, the way consumers are multitasking between media is quickly becoming the norm,” Charles Buchwalter, a senior vice president at Nielsen Online, said in a company report. “Even as recently as five years ago, the only choice for community was to gather around the TV screen with co-workers or friends for major events. Now there are three screens to choose from and, as our research shows, online activity actually reinforces TV viewing.”
Because of Jackson's international celebrity, the memorial scored well overseas too. In Britain, more than 6.5 million viewers tuned in; the memorial was live on BBC2, the independent commercial channel 5 and Sky, according to a BBC report. The ceremony was shown in specially cleared prime time slots on BBC2 and Channel 5. The memorial also aired in Germany, France, Brazil and many other countries.
Fans of Joss Whedon's world of intrigue, dolls/actives, mysterious government organizations and Zen-like settings will have to wait an extra week to see the new season of his and Eliza Dushku's Fox show "Dollhouse."
The premiere episode, written and directed by Whedon, will air Friday, Sept. 25, instead of the previously announced Sept. 18. No exact word yet on whether the night's other debuting shows, "Brothers" and "Til Death," are being pushed back.
The show will also have a presentation at Comic-Con International with Whedon and Dushku attending, and will screen the fabled 13th episode.
Tuesday's Michael Jackson memorial was viewed by an average of 30.9 million people in the U.S., according to figures from Nielsen Media Research.
A total of 19 networks carried the proceedings live from about 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., including the major English- and Spanish-language broadcasters and cable news outlets, as well as MTV, VH1 and others.
While Jackson's celebrity spurred worldwide interest in his death, the ratings for his memorial did not quite match those for the 1997 funeral of Princess Diana, which, despite airing during the early morning hours in the U.S., drew an average of 33.2 million viewers. President Reagan's burial in 2004, which happened during prime-time in much of the country, was watched by 35.1 million.
These Jackson figures, however, do not include viewers who watched live by streaming online, which likely accounted for at least several million more users.
Who is it going to be, Taylor: Sebastian or Cole? It was the burning question on the sophomore's mind last night on "NYC Prep."
If we thought Sebastian was going to be the one breaking hearts on this show, we may have thought wrong. Even he admits to really liking Taylor and considers their relationship "different" from his others. Is he ready to give up other high school hook-ups to be with her? Probably not, but he definitely seems slightly more smitten and self-conscious when she's around.
Cole, on the other hand, is the kind of guy that prefers to lay it all on the table. He knows what he can offer (support, cool friends, the willingness to compromise) and he isn't afraid of his prep school competition. There's no doubt he's the needy one in the relationship, but Taylor also doesn't need to question his feelings for her. If he were sweeter and less demanding, he'd be a shoo-in.
Now what makes Taylor such a heartbreaker? She's got a cute smile, seems pretty smart and has interesting hobbies, but ultimately her ambivalence is what drives the boys wild. To Sebastian and Cole, Taylor poses a challenge. She gives them equal attention, but they always walk out of their dates not knowing where she stands. It also helps that she staunchly claims to not be a "relationship person" (cynicism is sexy in New York, even at age 15).
Taylor doesn't mean to be a player; she is truly on the fence about these guys. Sebastian feeds her social climbing aspirations ("I wanna marry rich," she admits) while Cole is the safe, comfortable guy who will always be there. Neither has all the qualities she really wants, so I understand her indecision. Next week's preview shows her chastising Sebastian, so she may either go back to the reliable ex or emerge empty-handed.
Meanwhile, PC and Jessie continue to examine their close friendship. Jessie acts as both a possessive girlfriend and a worried mother towards PC, so it's not too far fetched for her friend Kim to presume she's secretly in love with him. I believe deep down Jessie is waiting for the day when PC professes his love for her, but in the meantime, she'll deny they're anything more than best friends. With his increasing fussiness and snobbery, it's becoming difficult to find anything redeeming about PC, so if I were Jessie I'd keep him as a friend and only that.
Who should Taylor choose? Do you think Jessie is secretly in love with PC?
The Michael Jackson memorial earlier today already looks like it gathered big, if not exactly record-breaking, crowds.
CNN reports that its website generated 81 million page views with 11.8 million unique visitors from midnight to 5 p.m. Eastern time, according to Omniture. That is well above CNN.com's daily average of roughly 35 million page views. In addition, a total of 9.7 million live video streams were logged, with a peak usage of 781,000 concurrent live streams.
However, those numbers pale beside the figures for Election Day last November and President Obama's inauguration. CNN hit a record of 1.3 million concurrent live streams on Inauguration Day, with a total for the entire day of nearly 27 million. And on Election Day, CNN.com recorded 276 million page views.
Television ratings will start rolling in Wednesday morning. Stay tuned to Show Tracker for further updates.
Tonight, Jackie worked the night shift. Though she gets to do the schedule, so she made sure she was working with all her favorites. Plus Mrs. Akalitus hangs out to check on any fraternizing. Then the doctors are all on 24-hour shifts. And what the heck, Eddie’s working too. These actors are getting paid, so they'd better be showing up every day.
Jackie explains the difference in the night shift. “Stab wounds. More drunks. Less nut jobs. Less children.” Then we get a stroke, a woman who wants a pregnancy test and a woman with lupus with her 10-year-old daughter/caretaker. Come on. Can’t we get just one stab wound? The gun shot last week was off screen. We don’t get to see any of the fun.
But before Jackie headed out for her action-packed shift, she had dinner with her family. Jackie and her husband continue to deal with their oldest, Grace’s, general anxiety and "sunless drawing" disorder. Her latest signs are throwing a container she couldn’t get opened and running out the room after her sister stuck a French fry up her nose. Doesn’t really seem that bad. Then at the end of the episode Jackie finds out that Grace had a meltdown because her pencil kept breaking. Now that goes in the same column as “if she doesn’t walk around her desk three times, airplanes fall out of the sky.” This girl has Issues. Capital “I.” Though her drawings are really good. Maybe she’s just a depressed artist.
The young girl Nurse Jackie seems most interested in is Stephanie, who came in with her mother. Jackie must see herself in the girl. Partially because she takes care of her mother’s lupus but probably more so because she knows how to work the system. Stephanie claims her grandmother is coming from Jersey. That’s a good way to keep a call to social services at bay. Jackie looks after Stephanie, gives her free medication and scolds Dr. Cooper for offering her a sticker (but seriously, who doesn’t like a sticker? I’d take one).
Jackie has only one other focus for her night shift, trying to get a little alone time with Eddie. Unfortunately, Coop kidnaps Eddie off to get food. You’d think Eddie would fight a little harder to get away from Dr. Cooper so he could get some lights-out fun with his girlfriend, but then Coop suggested Quiznos, and I, for one, thought that sounded delicious. Eddie must have thought so too.
Speaking of strange lunch-fellows, Dr. O’Hara and Zoey went out to grab a bite. And by “grab a bite,” I mean reservations at a five-star restaurant. Zoey sticks out like a sore thumb. At first I thought, “Jackie doesn’t stick out this much, and she’s in scrubs too.” Then I realized that Jackie’s clothes don’t have little bunnies all over them.
Akalitus spent the evening spoiling everyone’s fun. By the time she’d separated Stephanie from her mom and tried to get on Jackie and Mo-Mo’s case for smoking, I was prepped for something bad to happen to her. So when she noticed the taser lying oh, so perfectly on the tile, I knew it was coming. Anna Deavere Smith (Akalitus) has done some really great physical humor on the show so far. It’s just strange how much it sticks out from the rest of the show’s tone.
Jackie returns home as the sun is rising. She hears her husband describe Grace’s meltdown, responding simply with “OK.” Before she heads up to bed, Stephanie calls, asking for more advice in caring for her mother. Jackie perks up and walks her through cutting a percocet (while doing the same for herself). Again, Jackie proves to be much more adept and interested in solving other people’s problems than in taking care of her own.
Going to Van Nuys. I wonder if that’s going to catch on as a phrase. I’m sure our friends north of the Ventura Freeway would rather not be associated with a “hoovering,” as Andy put it.
Nancy finally gets tired of having to take a translator to her obstetrician and decides to go see Alanis Morrisette instead. Dr. Alanis Morrisette. Well, You Oughta Know that while Nancy was Head Over Feet for Esteban, this pregnancy was kind of Uninvited. You Learn that Nancy is considering having this baby Under Rug Swept, possibly killing the one thing keeping her alive. It’s a little Ironic, don’t you think?
Nancy leaves with her pregnancy to consider and a desire to plant herbs. Not the herbs that you’d think on "Weeds." More the herbs that can help mask the smells of living with four men from Nancy’s pregnancy-enhanced nose.
No, the only people who seem to still be interested in those kind of herbs are Silas and Doug. Last week they signed a lease on their compassionate care medical marijuana dispensary. This week, they realized they didn’t have an inventory, so they went to see the Wizard. Not the guy behind the curtain who gives you a clock when you wanted a real heart, and not Fred Savage’s little brother who’s really good at Super Mario 3. This Wizard was a pot agent played by James Urbaniak. You might recognize him as Dwight Schrute’s best friend on "The Office," or if you’re super-nerdy like me, you’ll know him as the voice of Doctor Venture.
Silas and Doug’s partnership reaches the boiling point of a punch, a hug, and an awkward walk away. The hat trick of male conflict resolution. Now that that’s all worked out, I hope they can go back to the Wizard and work things out. It would be nice to see more of Urbaniak, and if he keeps an Asian man with a sword as a bodyguard, think what he might have behind the other doors in his office.
While Silas and Doug work to become more legit, Shane sinks lower into the world of crime. After getting ripped off by his English teacher for nearly four grand worth of his brother’s pot, Shane came home for some nice, therapeutic bottle-smashing. With a little goading from Ignacio, Nancy’s current bodyguard, Shane goes to take back what’s his and a little extra.
But everyone was busy in this episode. Andy went on his date as Judah. He takes his imaginative and possibly deranged bank clerk out for fondue dressed like they’re in a John Hughes movie. She wants to relive her teenage date with Judah, up to the moment where she should have lost her virginity under a bridge. Must have been more romantic then. With the ambiance of homeless men doing homeless men things, I don’t think any amount of imagination could get Andy in the mood.
And Celia’s hiding out in the garage. So desperate for companionship she strikes up conversations with the men who come to remove Sucio’s body from the freezer. Poor Sucio. His first shower ever and he ends up in the ice box. At least we know he didn’t wander off naked.
Though among all this light-hearted insanity, it happened. What everyone (at least me) has been waiting for. Someone finally called Nancy out. After her plants died and she found out that Shane is getting an F in English and Celia told her she’ll be staying as long as she wants, Nancy asks Andy and the universe why Armageddon keeps raining down on her. Without any twinge of his normally constant humor, Andy tells her: “You do it. You do know that. You have to know that it’s all you.”
About time someone said that. Nancy’s reaction was perfect. Her momentary breakdown.
I don’t know about her actions after that. Going to live with Esteban. I’m not sure if I was a fan of her going to Van Nuys, but this doesn’t seem much better.
Karla on her week with Vitolio: It was really hard, because after [former partner ] Jonathan [Platero] got eliminated I was really emotional, because we got attached and then all of a sudden I got paired up with a brand-new partner. I had to find an emotional connection in very little time, plus had an added layer of the hardest dance style to work with, so it was a challenge, but we're both professionals and we both had that motivation to show America that we could attack this kiss of death. That's what brought us together, and that made it easier.
On the quickstep being known as the "kiss of death" on "SYTYCD": I think I was already practicing my solo when I opened that card that told us we'd be doing that dance, especially when everyone else around us had a genre in their comfort zone. I felt almost defeated, but there was motivation to attack the dance's hard style. The blessing was having Jean-Marc [Généreux] as a choreographer. He was very involved and invested in us, and he knew it would be a difficult task and that it's a hard dance to learn: Your feet have to work very fast, and you have to work intimately with your partner, and that was an additional challenge. I think Jean-Marc guided us a lot with the analogies he used to help us with frame and finding that connection physically. He gave us a great routine choreographically to make it easier because there were other things to focus on, like the story and acting, so we weren't too focused on doing the quickstep perfectly.
What's next: Relaxing and spending time with family. I got a few offers the day after the elimination episode to teach and to perform and to do the Radio City Rockettes show and maybe get into acting. Vitolio on how dancing saved his life: I saw a Michael Jackson video in early age and that inspired me: Once I got out of an orphanage [in Haiti] I used dance as a way to survive and make money in the street and take care of myself and my grandma.
How it felt to be in the bottom three the third time: I was a little surprised because, from the judges' critiques the night before, we thought we had done an awesome quickstep. I knew we were somehow going to be in there because America had its favorites and wasn't going to put its favorites aside to vote for us, but I was hoping for a miracle still.
What's next: I'm back in Miami and I'm looking for an agent in L.A., so I'm planning on moving to L.A. and keep on dancing and choreographing and getting into acting and modeling, and maybe writing a book about my life story.
The thrills of the "Real Housewives" series on Bravo have little to do with geography. Women of arriviste position and little self-regard are capable of internecine warfare regardless of whether they live in New York, Atlanta or Orange County. Outburst-inclined women: Move freely! Peers and cameras await you wherever you may roam.
Except, perhaps, in Louisville, Ky., where tongues are bitten and hostility sublimated into unhealthy romances. At least, so it is on "Southern Belles: Louisville" (Soapnet, 10 p.m. Thursday), a soft-focus show in the "Real Housewives" mold that nevertheless treats its stars -- Shea, Emily, Julie, Kellie and Hadley -- more like the fetish objects of "The Hills" than the demolition-derby vehicles of the "Real Housewives" series.
In Louisville, putting on airs is exercise, though in the case of "Southern Belles," it might not matter: Whatever drama there is among the show's five women is minor and therefore feels genuine, not contrived. Little quibbles get swallowed whole, hidden behind broad smiles.
Dame Agatha Christie remains the gold standard of mystery writers not only for her productivity -- the woman wrote 80 detective novels -- but also for her permanence. One could argue that Sherlock Holmes is the most universally famous detective, but Arthur Conan Doyle had but one iconic offspring while Christie had two -- Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. (Four if you count the wonderful Tommy and Tuppence; five if you add, and I do, Mr. Satterthwaite of the Harley Quin stories.)
Of these, Poirot is probably the best known -- there are more than twice as many Poirot novels -- but Miss Marple is the best loved. Also the most influential. Poirot, like Holmes, was an actual detective, whereas Miss Marple was an aged spinster living in the seemingly tranquil village of St. Mary Mead. It is Miss Marple who introduced the notion that detecting is more about understanding human behavior than about analyzing evidence with the gray cells or knowing far too much about tobacco ash and the various soils of London. It is Miss Marple who introduced the revolutionary notion that people are essentially the same wherever one goes and that while it is sad to believe the worst of people it is also often the truth.
In other words, everybody lies.
Not surprisingly, both Poirot and Miss Marple have been portrayed countless times in film and television, their most recent PBS incarnation being on "Six by Agatha," which began in June on "Masterpiece Mystery!" with two Poirot mysteries. But while Poirot was once again played by the redoubtable David Suchet, it's a different Jane who kicks off the Marple run Sunday with "A Pocket Full of Rye."
Way to go, America and judges: Last night I couldn't figure out who on "So You Think You Can Dance" should go home, but I couldn't agree more with the decision.
Before we got to the unpleasantness, the dancers performed a group number to "A Brand New Day" from "The Wiz" as choreographed by Tyce Diorio, and it was a joyous Broadway number (and probably a mini Michael Jackson tribute).
As we got to the first part of eliminations, I was surprised to learn that Karla Garcia and Vitolio Jeune were in the bottom three instead of Randi Evans and Evan Kasprzak. The judges were lukewarm for Randi and Evan's frug, and I expected the fun factor of Vitolio and Karla's quickstep and the novelty of her quick-change dress would have had the calls rolling in.
The judges were shocked, next, to learn that Kayla Radomski and Kupono Aweau were in the bottom three, and I was surprised in that I thought their creepy vampire dance from last night went over well. But when they were up against Janette Manrara and Brandon Bryant and Melissa Sandvig and Ade Obayomi, somebody in that crowd had to be in the bottom three and it would be a shock no matter who it was.
Finally, Jeanine Mason and Phillip Chbeeb were the last couple sent to the bottom three: I was really glad that America dialed in and saved Caitlin Kinney and Jason Glover after their unusual alien dance. Moreover, I was glad that finally Phillip had to dance for his life, since his solos are probably the most fun to watch in the entire competition.
Continuing the routine of guest dance performances, Desmond Richardson and Patricia Hachey performed a pas de deux. Let's just forget the dance for a second: These two dancers' bodies and the things they did with them were just sick. And the dance, of course, was beautiful. But ogling Desmond's thighs and watching Patricia bring her thigh up to her ear, well, I was filled with awe.
We got to the solos and began with Karla. I enjoyed her dance, which I thought was much more quirky and interesting than she is on the show (which turned out to be good for her solo, but the fact that the rest of her time on the show was not quite memorable was bad for her overall). Vitolio danced next, and my reaction was, "I'm sick of seeing Vitolio do solos." As Nigel said, he brings a presence through the stage, but doesn't quite deliver beyond that. When Kayla danced, I wrote "I'm going to wait to see what the judges say about this. Meh," and actually was backed up by Nigel, who said her solo was "static." Kupono's solo was, well, annoying: Set to a well-known ukelele version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" he emoted more than he danced. Sure, he seemed overjoyed to be alive, but he didn't really dance. I thought for sure Kupono's time was up when he said, "Going home wouldn't be that bad." Finally, Jeanine showed off a much more classical, serious and technically skilled side than I expected from her in her solo, which I thought was a good move (it paid off: Nigel called it the best solo of the night) and Phillip did his amazing freestyle that was as fun as I expected -- half the entertainment in watching Phillip perform is the character her brings onstage, an ironic sort of goof.
Before we got to the actual eliminations, Kelly Clarkson sang "I Do Not Hook Up." I adore Kelly: She can actually sing, she makes it look easy and she seems like she is both a professional and yet has fun onstage. She made most of the prior musical guests this season look like chopped liver.
Finally, Nigel delivered the news: Jeanine and Phillip were both saved, and when pitted against Kayla, Karla had no chance. I thought she did a good job last night, but trying to come up with a memorable performance of hers, I blanked, so I think it made sense that she would go home next.
I'm not sure exactly why Vitolio got sent home instead of Kupono, except that maybe the judges were just, like me, slightly more sick of seeing Vitolio dance for his life than Kupono.
Aubrey O'Day has been hinting for months -- on Twitter and to MTV.com -- that she is about to embark on a new career path after being booted from Danity Kane. And that it will be chronicled by a reality show.
The project would be her joining the "Peepshow" cast in Las Vegas -- she would take the role originated by Mel B., a.k.a. Scary Spice -- and it looks as if it's close to being official. In addition to being a frequent target of bloggy meanness, O'Day performed on Broadway last summer in "Hairspray" as Amber Von Tussle.
And it is VH1 that would follow O'Day's life in Las Vegas in a docu-soap.
If, that is, the show gets picked up. Only a small percentage of VH1 pilots or presentations actually turn into series.
MTV.com quoted O'Day last week saying she hoped the show would come out in October, but a source at VH1 said, "Nothing has been green-lit yet."
O'Day did not respond to an e-mail requesting comment.
Neil Patrick Harris has no Emmys on his mantle, but it looks as if he'll be hosting the telecast come September.
Harris, who has been twice nominated as the lovable heel Barney Stinson on CBS' comedy "How I Met Your Mother" and was formerly the child lead of "Doogie Howser, M.D.," is reportedly close to a deal to emcee the 61st annual prime-time Emmy ceremony Sept. 20. Variety broke the story.
However, CBS, which is airing the Emmys, declined comment on the reports. A spokeswoman for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences referred a call to the network.
Harris won plaudits last month for his hosting gig at the Tony Awards, which included a rushed gag tune that Harris gamely sang over the closing credits.
Last year's Emmy telecast, which featured five reality-show emcees as hosts, was savaged by critics.
This has been the episode of "So You Think You Can Dance" that I've been waiting for all season. While I liked some performances more than others, I really enjoyed parts of every dance, which means I'm growing closer to the contestants, which means eliminations will be more difficult, which means the dancers are going to have to step it up more and the show can only get better. Thank goodness.
I knew it would be a good episode with Mia Michaels sitting on the judges' panel. Cat Deeley (wearing a fun, flirty fuchsia dress with a black studded belt) asked Mia if she had anything to say since the last time she was on the show, and Mia rubbed her hands in anticipation and said, "Without naming names, my opinion has changed for the better." She was obviously talking about Brandon Bryant, who she took to task last time she was on the show for his "attitude," but Nigel Lythgoe egged her on by saying, "Would this be for a small male dancer? Were the initials Brandon?"
So Brandon and his partner Janette Manrara got to show off for Mia with a cha cha cha choreographed by Jean-Marc Généreux. I feel like in his auditions Brandon portrayed a strong, dignified contemporary dancer, but he can really show off fast and fun dances like this and disco. And I really like Janette: There's something about her (probably her hair) that just reminds me of another era, and I like that about her. Their chemistry is really coming together on stage as well. All the judges were effusive in their praise of the dancers, with Mary (who was actually rather subdued this evening compared to others) screaming at the top of her longs. Mia also took the moment to tell Brandon that she's hard on him because she knows how good he can be. So the evening was off to a great start.
The news that Hilary Duff is joining "Gossip Girl" for a multi-episode arc next season has me super excited for the "Gossip" gang's freshman year of college. Duff will play Olivia, a former child-star who enrolls at NYU and happens to get placed as Vanessa's roommate. Her main purpose, however, is to serve as a love interest for Dan, who's obviously got a thing for blonds. Duff makes her debut on the Oct. 5 episode.
Nate is also getting a new love in former "Privileged" star Joanna Garcia, who signed on to play Southern belle Bree Buckley for four episodes. Aside from Vanessa, Nate has yet to date a good girl, so I won't be surprised if Bree has a mean streak. She'll first appear on the season premiere on Sept. 14.
Other things to look forward to in September: Georgina and Blair as roommates, Chuck and Blair as an official couple, Chuck's immersion into the world of Bass Industries and Dan's first keg stand. OK, I made the last one up, but the writers would be silly not to include some embarrassing frat party high jinks.
How do you envision the "Gossip Girl" gang's freshman year? Are you excited to see Hilary Duff and Joanna Garcia on the show?
On June 19, Jonathan McIntosh vanquished “Twilight’s” undead heartthrob Edward with the help of one Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
It was something that needed to be done, McIntosh said in an interview, calling Edward “a creepy stalker guy.” After the vampire’s obsessive pursuit of his teenage love Bella in last year’s “Twilight,” McIntosh was driven to act.
“Bella is not weirded out by his behavior at all, which made me think, ‘What would Buffy do to this guy if he was into her? What would she do if he snuck into her room at night watching her sleep without her knowing?’” McIntosh said.
As realized by McIntosh, he’d get rebuffed, mocked and, ultimately, a stake through the heart.
Bravo will not air a new episode of "Top Chef Masters" this week, replacing it instead instead with a new episode of "The Fashion Show" at 10 p.m.
Bummer, right?
Focus on the fun to be had next week, when L.A.'s own Mark Peel goes to battle. Here's the synopsis -- there are minor spoilers regarding the nature of the challenges -- from Bravo's official website:
MAGIC CHEFS
“Top Chef Masters” brings together distinguished chefs Anita Lo (Annisa), Douglas Rodriguez (Alma de Cuba), John Besh (Restaurant August) and Mark Peel (Campanile). The Masters find their hands tied in the quickfire challenge as they must cook an egg with one hand tied behind their back (All Stars Challenge, season three of "Top Chef"), and then must create culinary magic to awe their high-profile guests which include Neil Patrick Harris. One chef moves on to the Champions Round.
