'American Idol': Exhaustion sets in

This is where the race should start to get truly interesting as those who are not dying to win to the core of their souls start to make terrible mistakes and fall away.

So far, front-runner Melinda Doolittle has not made a single misstep this entire season. Can that last?

That question aside, the shape of the race is clear enough shape that I am prepared to pick the winners. Despite the fact that a month ago I said with certainty that it was a Melinda-versus-LaKisha race, I can now say with absolute certainty the final three will be:

No. 1: Melinda Doolittle

No. 2: Blake Lewis

No. 3: Jordin Sparks

And this prediction will absolutely hold up. Unless something changes and it doesn't.

'House': Seeing too much of this 'House'

Hugh Laurie is a fine and versatile actor and there are many things I would like to see him do — Shakespeare, say, or Alan Ayckbourn. Dance with the Stars. What I really truly don't want to see him do is sit on the can and give himself a catheter. And yet that is an image that, thanks to last night's "House," I and several million other Americans now share.

Oh, to have been a fly on the wall during that writer's meeting. Or when the pages first went out to the cast. The state of House's health, or addiction, or psychosis, is generally the secondary plot of most episodes, so the fact that he was in a terrible shape because he could not relieve himself seemed, at first, to be just one more subtle warning against Vicodin abuse: Kids, don't try this at home or you won't be able to pee.

'Dancing With the Stars': Déjà vu episode casts a cruel light

Ah, the bloated, soulless, unnecessary results show. What better way is there to exploit the good will your hit reality TV series has built up?

Of course we are referring to the “Dancing With the Stars” recap and results show on ABC on Tuesday, which very cruelly stole two hours from the lives of many Americans who probably could have used them better.

Better like how? Oh, like maybe watching another certain reality television show that’s broadcast on another network at the same time. But by showing a recap, the producers of “DWTS” ensured that few of its viewers would be tuning in to “American Idol”, instead refreshing them with vital information as to what was shown just last week, and the previous night as well. Even the show itself seemed to be aware of its own lack of reason for existence, scrolling hopeful messages like “Live results show in four minutes!” along the bottom.

'Dancing With the Stars': Good personalities make up for what dancing lacks

While it’s still unclear why exactly viewers of “Dancing with the Stars” were treated to an extra bonus week without any elimination, it’s kind of nice to have every star pigeonholed before they all get voted off. It’s sort of like seeded teams in the NCAA tournament: While we all expect certain players to do well, we’ve picked our underdog favorites who might come from behind and stun us.

There isn’t much controversy right now about the skill levels of the dancers, so for those in the lower rankings, this is the time to show off their sparkling personae and the winning chemistry they have with their dance partners. It just so happens however that the best dancers also have a lock on the best personalities and seemingly best relationships with their professional partners.

'American Idol': A Sanjaya reverie

Tuesday night’s “American Idol” raises so many issues, it is hard to know where to begin, so let’s tackle them from largest to smallest.

To begin, the grinning, rolling on the floor elephant in the arena — the Sanjaya problem — threatens to tear “Idol” nation asunder. There have been joke contestants who live unnaturally long life spans before (Kevin Covais, Scott Savol) but never have they been so openly contemptuous of the show as Sanjaya Malakar. Watching live from the Idoldome, one can see Sanjaya has clearly morphed from establishing a passive aggressive juvenile distance from the competition to the point where he seems to be giving the whole thing the finger.

'Battlestar Galactica': This 'Battlestar' is just crawling with Cylons

Starbuck is alive. She could be a Cylon. But wait, there's more! Four other Cylons have awakened aboard "Battlestar Galactica," and the humans look stunned in more ways than one.

Among the now-aware robots, a mechanical race that appears human but is actually set on destroying the species, are presidential aide Tory (Rekha Sharma) and Galactica's second-in-command, Saul Tigh (Michael Hogan). Then again, the four could be the key to peace between the toasters and the humans.

The possibilities are endless. But something tells me the writers for the most part know where the show is heading, a rare reward for followers of any serialized drama.

'The Real World': Tyrie is leading man in 'Real World' ratings ploy

Between the tantrums, the brawls and the tidal waves of mascara spawned by uncontrolled sobbing, MTV's "The Real World" has rarely been a program that showcases the complexity of humanity. However, the last two episodes — during the show's 18th iteration, this time taking place in Denver — did address the shades of gray in a volatile relationship: What's the line between a couple having a big-time "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" tussle and an outburst that's actually domestic violence?

Here's how it unfolded: In last week's episode, viewers found out that Tyrie, in quick succession, had hooked up with two lovely gals from the local bar, Ashley and Jazalle. A 23-year-old from Omaha, Tyrie is a classic "Real World" stereotype — a reformed gangbanger. Trouble was clearly heading his way.

Toward the end of the episode, Jazalle became profoundly upset upon finding out that Tyrie slept with the other woman. Shouting and crying, she barricaded herself in the bathroom — and Tyrie, screaming, followed her in. Viewers got a glimpse of Jazalle opening the door and trying to leave — and of Tyrie, quite roughly, grabbing her by the arm and yanking her back in the bathroom.

'Dancing With the Stars': Bigger names, and good, clean ‘Dancing’ glamour

In terms of cultural relevance and advancements in entertainment, "Dancing With the Stars" is sort of like the reality TV show for people who find "American Idol" too edgy. It's a throwback kind of show, back to the days when sequins, glamour and network stars performed in circuses but managed to keep their clothes on. And as of Monday night, it was back for a fourth season on ABC.

Aside from its corniness and lack of depth, "Dancing" is an utterly charming show. Live music! Flashy costumes! Dancing! Even the judges, who follow the two-guys-and-a girl format of "American Idol," are comparatively toothless, graduates of the Paula Abdul "You look great and you have a beautiful soul" school. This is a show so clean and happy that it's honestly trying to convince us that Heather Mills (formerly H.M. McCartney) is a "charity activist," and not a former print porn poseur in the midst of an extremely bitter divorce with a Beatle. (Oh, but wouldn't it be great if she did a pasodoble to "Yesterday"?)

'24': We've been here before

Is it possible you can save the world in a single day only so many times before they all start to seem the same?

Jack Bauer might be able to find ways to stay creatively engaged in his job, but for the at-home viewer, this season of "24" is beginning to suffer from déjà vu.

Once again the United States faces a domestic nuclear threat, and on Monday night it was once again revealed that a traitor was working inside the Counter Terrorist Unit's ranks. After going toe-to-toe with an exploding podium, President Palmer's prognosis is looking bleaker with each passing episode, which could make him the show's fourth sitting or former president to be assassinated (assuming former President Logan did indeed die after last week's stabbing episode). Jack somehow has to keep the United States from launching a potentially disastrous attack on a foreign country, something he halted once already in Season 2. Even CTU chief Bill Buchanan (James Morrison) must have been feeling some fatigue as he wearily reminded Jack of his fourth season diplomatic problem with the Chinese when Jack got into a similar situation at the Russian consulate.

'Lost': A few secrets unlocker

There it is: Locke wants to stay lost.

At least he’s got good reason. Wednesday’s episode of “Lost,” flashed back to perhaps his biggest screwing-over yet. When a nearly bald Locke threatens to expose his father as a con to his latest target, Daddie Dearest pushes him out the window of an eight-story building.

What’s more, he and the island have been sort of serious about each other since Day One, when he discovered he had the use of his previously inanimate legs. Unlike recent episodes devoted to Claire and Hurley, this latest hour not only resolved the question of how Locke came to be a wheelchair user but also coughed up relevant information about Ben, the Other-in-chief, and the island.