If you had told me at the beginning of the season of Amazing Race: All Stars that the final three would be Dustin and Kandice, Eric and Danielle and Charla and Mirna, I probably would have laughed in your face. But after last night's episode, here we are!

Last week's episode was pure insanity, with Oswald and Danny basically selling their yield to Dustin and Kandice because they had no money, then having a horrible rest of the leg (instant karma's gonna getcha?). I actually don't think yielding should lead to bad things since it's a part of the game, not a dirty trick, but maybe Danny and Oswald psyched themselves out so badly after making the deal with Dustin and Kandice. I was happy for them that it was nonelimination, but after last night, it didn't make much of a difference.

I missed the first quarter of the episode due to some user error with the ole Tivo, but suddenly, the teams were in Guam taking part in a variety of military-related tasks. It seemed like all the teams all finished pretty close to one another despite many issues with the GPS roadblock and the lengthiness of the air-drop detour that Charla and Mirna did. Though Danny and Oswald weren't the last to complete their tasks, they finished last and got eliminated. (Like them, I spent a lot of this episode lost and confused.)

They surely were sweet to each other in their exit interview. I highly recommend checking out the full video at CBS.com (unless you don't want to watch them saying not-exactly-nice things about the remaining teams besides Charla and Mirna). It might have been a long road and a rough couple of episodes for them, but the best friends finished strongly.

So how about that? Towson cousins Charla and Mirna have a chance at the million buck prize this Sunday. I'll be keeping an eye on that finale for sure.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 7:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Maryland reality contestants, The Amazing Race
        

Tonight on American Idol, it's "Idol Gives Back," which will be raising money for poverty relief and also, eventually revealing who is getting sent home.

Host Ryan Seacrest messes up the intro and redoes it because hey, live TV, you can do what you want. He calls it the "most shocking result in our history," which immediately has me worried for Fort Meade's LaKisha Jones. He also adds that more than 70 million votes were cast last night. They are also raising money all night tonight (see americanidol.com if you want to donate).

Ryan passes it over to Ellen DeGeneres, who introduces Earth, Wind and Fire.

The next segment revisits the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Randy Jackson goes all over New Orleans to talk to people there. He goes to a "FEMA Park," what was supposed to be a temporary housing shelter after Katrina, but people are still living there, and also visits a battered community center where Save the Children holds programs for the kids.

Ryan introduces "Time to Care," a new track from producer Quincy Jones. Ryan also says this and other live performances from this evening will be available for purchase tomorrow. The Top Six came out to sing the song. They actually blend pretty well and all sing strongly.

In case you were wondering what the celebrities were going to be doing, Eric McCormack implores people to give, saying that if everyone who ever voted for Sanjaya gave $1, "we could do so much good."

After the break, Ben Stiller does a bit about bad satellite connections and implores people to vote and sings badly.

Next, it's more footage from Ryan and Simon's trip to Kenya. They talk to a 12-year-old boy whose parents passed away and who lives alone in a room with his 7-year-old sister, taking care of both of them. It's heart-breaking.

Back to Ben, still singing badly, and he even does a little Blake Lewis impression.

Teri Hatcher says: Give.

Forest Whitaker visits Uganda and says thanks to those who are donating.

Ryan goes to the six contestants and starts the process of culling. He starts with Melinda Doolittle. She is safe.

Next, Paula goes to L.A.'s Boys and Girls Club and talks to some kids there, including a little girl who starts crying when talking about how hard her mother works.

Back to Ellen, who introduces Il Divo to sing.

Dr. Phil says: Give.

Jack Black comes out and sings "Kiss From a Rose" to Kyle Gass in the audience. Then he gets judged, and Simon tells him he was better than Sanjaya (who laughs it up in the audience, showing more animation and emotion than he ever did on stage). He says if Seal was there, he would say how great it was. Hey, Seal is there! And he says it was great.

Back to the contestants. Blake Lewis is safe.

Next is a video of Carrie Underwood singing in Africa.

Back to Ellen, who says she talked to Sanjaya, and he said No. 1, deep condition, and No. 2, donate. Then she introduces Rascal Flatts.

Hey, it's Tom, everyone's friend on MySpace, which has partnered with the Idol Gives Back movement.

Next, there is a segment on poverty in Eastern Kentucky and how in need they are of literacy programs.

Then there's the usual Ford commercial with the contestants, followed by stars singing "Stayin Alive." In case you were wondering what Helen Mirren was going to do on the show, now you know. Also spotted: Mickey Dolenz, Marc Anthony, Kevin Bacon, Keira Knightley, the Madden Bros., Rob Lowe, Jason Biggs, Hugh Grant, Helena Bonham Carter, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and more. It;s pretty funny and will be downloadable on iTunes, with the money going to the charity.

Phil Stacey is safe.

Next is another segment of Simon and Ryan's trip to Africa. Fourteen people, including 10 AIDS orphans, live in a room the size of a tent. Then, they visit some people who are suffering from AIDS, including a woman who is in such bad shape that they take her to the hospital immediately, but she died two days later. It's rough.

Back to Ellen, who says she is donating $100,000 and challenges other stars to do the same. Josh Groban then sings "You Raise Me Up" backed by the African Children's Choir.

Next is a segment about the fight against malaria in Africa.

Then Ellen introduces Kelly Clarkson, who comes out to sing.

The Ben Stiller segment continues. Then the Simpsons judge the judges.

LaKisha Jones is safe.

Next is a segment about arts and crafts kits for kids in the U.S.

Then "American Idol 1968," with Celine and ... Elvis? OK, it's a duet thanks to special effects.

Next, Madonna visits Malawi and implores people to give.

Ryan says nearly $30 million has been raised thus far.

Back to Ellen, who introduces Annie Lennox to sing.

Chris Richardson and Jordin Sparks are in the hot seat. Chris is safe, and so is Jordin.

So ... there it is: No one is going home.

This week's votes will be added to next week's and they will send home the bottom two.

Lastly, the finalists are all singing "American Prayer," and Bono walks in. He talks to them not about singing, but about ending poverty. They sing the song live to close the show.

And there you have it.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: American Idol, Maryland reality contestants
        

Here's a quick recap of last night's Dancing With the Stars. The contestants will all take on a Latin dance, as well as a group swing dance.

Joey and Kym are up first, after getting some tips from Springer, including to take off his shirt. They attempt a manly samba. I don't know if it was manly, but it was fun. Len Goodman says he's "a big swashbuckling guy ... a great performance." Bruno says he went for it like "a randy fighting ..." something. I have no clue what he said, and I'm hurrying. Carrie Ann says it was one of his best performances so far, though the footwork was a little off at time. She also says he's insane. Score: 27/30.

Heather and Jonathan are next. They practice the paso doble on the airplane to England. They dance to "Don't Cry for Me Argentina." Bruno says it was very dramatic, and "you know a thing or two about drama, and you worked it." Carrie Ann says to work a little more on her shoulders and hands. Len says he loved the opening and that they had great passion and fire, and that she needs to work on her upper body a little, but overall, "well done." Score: 23/30.

John and Edyta are next with the mambo. George Wendt (NOORRRRRMMMMM) is in the audience, and he looks like he's happy he's not out there. As they're dancing, I say to my husband that John's like a weirdly intense and witty teddy bear. Carrie Ann first thing compares him to a teddy bear, too. Len says the first week he didn't think John was into it at all, but he things he has the joy back, but that the routine was awful. He calls him a "ruptured duck." Bruno says he appreciates the effort, but there were technical issues. Score: 19/30.

Laila and Maks are up with the cha cha. They want 10s, and she wants to add some "funk" to the whole thing. Len says it was "pure gold," even though he didn't love the part she choreographed. Bruno says she is "turning into a magnificent obsession" and that he loved it. Carrie Ann says it was fantastic. Her one note is: "Eyes up." Score: 28/30.

(It's hilarious to watch this after the fact on the Web site and see the contestants gesticulating toward their phone numbers ... graphics that have been removed for the reairing.)

Billy Ray and Karina are going to do the jive. She choreographs a dance that is as fun as possible, but says it won't get points for technique. No, no it won't. Bruno says the crazy bear has been let loose at a cheerleading convention. Carrie Ann says it was filled with moves she's never seen, but his focus is good. Len says it wasn't his best step, but he was doing jive steps in all of that. He says it's always entertaining. Score:  21/30.

Apolo and Julianne prepare for the rumba, and Julianne can't talk because she is sick. Carrie Ann says sometimes it's hard to come back after a 30, and they didn't psych themselves out. Len says he would have liked more dancing without the chair. Bruno says it was a choreographed poem to him. Len and Bruno go on about whether it's ballroom or theatrical or what. Anyway ... Score: 28/30.

Ian and Cheryl do the paso doble. Len says he's a little disappointed, that it lacked drama and he didn't like his posture. Bruno says he needs to disengage your safety net. Carrie Ann says he has moments of brilliance, that he has what it takes, that he should pay attention to Billy Ray to get his sense of heart and joy when he dances. Score: 24/30.

Hey, did you know there was going to be a group swing? Just wondering, since they only mentioned it 546 times. Speaking of which, it's chaotic and fun and goofy.

On to this evening: They reprise the group swing, which I literally watched five minutes ago. I still don't get the end. But that's OK.

Apolo and Julianne are safe. So are Laila and Maks.

Then some other stuff happens. And then Joey and Kym find out they are safe. John and Edyta are in the bottom two. Ian and Cheryl are safe. Billy Ray and Karina are safe. Heather and Jonathan, then, are in the bottom two, too.

Heather and Jonathan are going home. Heather has a speech. She thanks everyone, except Carrie Ann, who gave them a 7.

So ... that's that.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dancing With the Stars
        

Guess what, y'all? No Sanjaya performance on tonight's American Idol. But don't forget, it's Idol Gives Back night, in which people's votes translate into money for charity. Don't understand it? Don't worry! I'm sure they will go over it a few more times.

And tonight's mentor is, I kid you not, Bono. OK, you probably knew that. I probably knew that at some point. But anyway: That should be interesting. (Turns out he will be on the show tomorrow, not this evening, so it's not the usual mentorship.)

First, Ryan Seacrest introduces footage of his and Simon's trip to Africa. It is, not surprisingly, quite wrenching.

The theme this evening is "inspirational songs," which is fitting considering the other theme of the evening.

Chris Richardson is up first, and he will be singing "Change the World" by Eric Clapton. No mentor footage, he just launches right into it. I could be wrong, but it sure seems like he's making an effort to not sing through his nose, so maybe he learned something. Randy says he showed he's in it to win it. Paula says he did "fantastic" and "well done" and then discusses how exciting his "journey" has been. Simon says, "It kind of feels like the competition starts properly tonight." He said it had more soul in it and was a sexy performance, and he did "really well."

How random. Ivanka Trump is in the audience. There is always someone who makes you go "Wha?" in the audience.

Next, Ryan shows some footage from some needy areas in the United States. Randy visits Louisiana. And others visited rural Kentucky, Arizona, parts of Atlanta, and Paula and Ryan stopped by a mobile medical unit, but they don't say where.

Melinda Doolittle is going to sing "There Will Come a Day" by Faith Hill. Miss Consistent gives another excellent performance. Randy says she has arrived, and he doesn't even know what to say anymore. Paula says it must feel good to get such praise every week, and calls her magical. Simon says it wasn't a copycat performance, and she absolutely made him believe she had recorded the song herself, and that it was "a vocal master class." Ryan ribs Simon about his open shirt (you can practically see his ribs), asking if anyone has seen his button.

Blake Lewis gets a viewer question about the hardest thing about the competition. He says being apart from his friends and family. He's going to sing "Imagine." He sings technically pretty well, but emotionally it feels kind of hollow to me, like he is kind of separate from the presentation of the meaning of the song, if that makes sense. Randy says it's a great choice of song, but that performance was "just kind of a'ight for me ... didn't really move me." Paula says she was feeling that at the beginning, but that once she started thinking about how emotional the song is, she decided it was his most sensitive performance yet. Huh? Simon says it's a tricky on because he chose "one of THE big songs of all time." He said it sounded sincere but didn't go anywhere, but the most important part was that he sang it with sincerity.

Ryan introduces more footage of a feeding center at a village in Africa.

LaKisha Jones is going to sing "I Believe" by Fantasia. It starts out kind of too low for her, but not for long. She's in her element belting pretty quickly. Randy says it was a great song choice, that she had a couple of pitch problems, that it wasn't her best performance, but he still liked it. Paula says she is a powerhouse of a vocalist and took on a monster of a song, and basically compares Fantasia to Mariah, Whitney and Chaka. That because her voice is so unique, it's hard to hear anyone but her singing that song. Hmmm, OK, I guess I can follow that logic, but that it doesn't take away from her vocals. Simon says, "I kind of think I know what Paula was trying to say, which is that she preferred Fantasia's version. ... Again, I'm having an issue LaKisha, with the shouting." He doesn't get to finish her thought because the audience overwhelms him with boos.

Phil Stacey takes a viewer question, what he misses most about home. He says his little daughters, who are with their grandparents this week. He's going to sing "The Change" by Garth Brooks. Is it just me, or is he stepping up yet again? He does have a few weird little notes, but there are so many big notes in the song that it's pretty easy to focus elsewhere. Randy says he is happy because he is back again with another really nice vocal on a really great song. Paula says he really "found your comfort." (An aside: I always feel like Paula isn't quite using the part of speech she means to, often using adjectives when she wants adverbs -- "You sang fantastic!" -- and here, it just seems like she didn't finish the sentence. I'm the last person who should be talking about public speaking, but I had to mention it.) She says it's his best. Simon says he really likes him, and he's back with a spring in his step and a good song choice, but that last week, he had more of a country tone to his voice, and that really suits him more. And hey, if he goes country, he can wear cowboy hats to cover up his dome.

Ryan introduces a segment about feeding centers in the U.S., called Second Harvest. Simon visits a center in L.A.

Jordin Sparks is going to sing "You'll Never Walk Alone." It starts a little rough, but it's weird. You just kind of forget she has this giant voice, and when she busts out with it, it's kind of a surprise every time. Randy says that it was one of the best vocals of any contestant on the show ever, and she's only 17. Paula says she did a great job with a hard song and calls her "glorious." Simon says she was fantastic, and that she could have a hit record with that song even though it's 60 years old.

I think Blake, LaKisha and Chris might be in trouble. When did Phil get kind of good? This is freaky. I don't think I can deal.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: American Idol, Maryland reality contestants
        

I wasn't home, and the Tivo decided Heroes was more important than Dancing With the Stars. Which, you know, but for this blog, it is. I will catch up with DWtS tomorrow and give you my take, in case anyone is waiting with bated breath. And that totally bananas episode of The Amazing Race, too. Paying for the Yield! Bad karma! Nearly obscene noodle-making! That episode had everything. Anyway, sorry for the delay. (But huzzah, I am glad Heroes is back!)

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 11:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: American Idol, Dancing With the Stars
        

Holy wow. I missed Survivor Thursday, but I finally had a chance to watch it yesterday. Things got so crazy, my heart was actually pounding during tribal council. (Yes, I realize how sad that is.) Let's see if I can get all of this straight.

• Alex, Edgardo and Mookie were aligned, also depending on Dreamz despite his ties to Cassandra, and thinking they could keep Stacy on their side.
• Also aligned were Earl, Yau-Man and Cassandra, and early on in the episode, Boo pledged that he would join with them.
• Yau-Man and Mookie were both in possession of the once-hidden immunity idols. Yau-Man's alliance knew about his, and the "Four Horsemen" (blech) knew about Mookie's.
• The reward challenge was of those "everyone tell painful truths about everyone else and then reveal where everyone stands when crushing structures that represent the other players." (Stacy did not fare well in that, by the way.) Cassandra won handily, answering every question right, and Dreamz came in second, probably because everyone was hoping to keep him in their own alliance.
• Cassandra got a ride on a yacht, and she brought Dreamz, Yau-Man and Boo with her, trying to solidify things with Boo and Dreamz (this was outrightly stated) and leaving Earl behind to run interference so nothing crazy happened with those left behind (this was not). She also sent Mookie to Exile Island, and he was pissed.
• After the immunity challenge (won by Yau-Man), things got out of control with all the strategizing.
• Alex, Edgardo, Mookie and Dreamz decided to go after Earl, and Alex was confident he could bring Stacy over.
• Earl, Cassandra, Yau-Man and Boo decided to target Alex. Dreamz was somewhat involved in this conversation, and he told Alex et al of this plan. Alex asked Mookie for the immunity idol so he will be protected, and Mookie finally relented.
• At some point, Earl talked to Stacy and said she was welcome to join them after she said she was nervous because no one was talking to her about what was going on. So for all of Alex's talk about being confident about being able to bring Stacy over, he never actually talked to her. Whoops.
• So Dreamz told Earl et al that Mookie had given the idol to Alex, so the Earl alliance decided to vote for Mookie instead.
• Meanwhile, the Alex alliance decided to vote for Cassandra so that if Earl had the other idol, they wouldn't be blindsided. Also, this made Mookie feel good since he was so angry about Exile Island.
• Then Stacy of all people had the wherewithal to not totally trust Dreamz and pitched the idea of voting for Edgardo and throwing them off.
• At tribal council, the Alex alliance looked so smug, especially when Alex played the immunity idol before the votes were read.
• So it was awesome when Jeff started reading the votes, and after three for Cassandra, one for Mookie came up, and they looked perplex. When the Edgardo votes appeared, they looked like Christmas got canceled. And when Jeff announced that Edgardo was out? Priceless.
• Edgardo got up, tapped Dreamz on the head and left. In his not-exactly-classy-but-hilarious final words, he said he was mad at Dreamz, but he hoped to see Cassandra out next because he doesn't really like her.
• OK, I just watched the full version of his final words on CBS.com, and he actually said there were some people who do deserve the million dollars, including Earl and Boo (but not Alex or Mookie, interesting), and then he says that Yau-Man and Cassandra will hopefully go next because he doesn't like them very much. Interesting.
• Next week, it appears that Alex and Mookie go through Yau-Man's stuff and find the other immunity idol. (And I forgot to mention that after this totally useless play of the other idol, Jeff mentioned that the idol will be re-hidden, with clues again left at Exile Island. Intriguing.)

So yeah, crazy episode! But in the best of ways.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 3:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Survivor
        

It's cut night once again on American Idol. Once again, host Ryan Seacrest starts by asking if your favorite is going home, staring at Sanjaya Malakar as he does so. (I think Sanjaya says to him, "Why are you doing this to me?" after that.)

Of course, the next thing they're going to talk about is the confusion about "the look." He explains that he didn't hear Chris discuss Virginia Tech and he was in the middle of talking to Paula about the "singing through the nose" thing. He goes on: "I may not be the nicest person in the world, but I would never, ever, ever disrespect those families or those victims, and I felt it was important to set the record straight." Everyone cheers. (Hey, Bucky Covington is in the audience.) Then, just to prove it some more, they show the camera on Simon the whole time, and it's PATENTLY OBVIOUS that he was having a whole conversation with Paula the whole time Chris was talking. They show him saying, "I didn't get that, he said that as if he hasn't sung like that every week," etc. etc. So, are we all on the same page here now?

Back to the show! Or at least the filler. Did you watch last night? Then you don't need the recap. Except let's revisit Chris Richardson's great moment: "Nasally is a form of singing; I don't know if you knew that." That, my friends, is the moment when Chris lost me.

Ryan talks to people on the street in Hollywood. Including, randomly, BJ of the winning team from The Amazing Race 9. Then, it's the group sing, of "I'm All Right." In which, it's worth noting, Jordin and Melinda sound awesome.

Then there is a clip of all the contestants talking about their favorite music. Melinda says Fred Hammond and Kirk Franklin because she has "to get my Jesus on during the day ... because you come here and it's a hot mess with these people." Sanjaya says he's been downloading country and blues this week. Blake says Incubus. Jordin name-checks Fergie's "Glamorous." Chris says Maroon 5 and Jason Mraz. Phil says Willie Nelson. Chris again says his favorite thing in his CD player right now is Peter Noone. LaKisha says Yolanda Adams.

And hey, it's Fergie. And then the car commercial they have to do every week. And the "Idol Gives Back" segment. There will be a ton of performers next Wednesday.

Ryan's going to divide the contestants into two groups, one with the highest number of votes, one with the lowest. The groups are:

Sanjaya, LaKisha, Blake is one group.

Phil, Jordin, Chris is another group.

Ryan takes Melinda forward and tells her what the judges said about everyone. He finally tells her she is safe. Now, mind game, he wants her to pick the group she thinks is also safe. SO MEAN. She sits down in the middle of the floor. Go, girl! He tells her to slide to her left. Phil, Jordin and Chris are also safe.

Sanjaya's in the bottom three, y'all! Hope? But uh-oh, so's LaKisha. (And Blake.)

The kids go to DreamWorks to talk about Shrek. And Antonia Banderas is there. I want to see who's going home.

Martina McBride sings. She's good. Her daughter comes on stage and is adorable. After the break, the audience hopes Blake is safe, and he is.

With more than 38 million votes cast, per Ryan, SANJAYA IS GOING HOME. Aww, he cries after the montage. (By the way, Melinda is embracing LaKisha off to the side.) Ha! He changes the lyrics and sings, "Let's give em something to talk about ... other than hairrrrrrr." Yay, he has kept his sense of humor. He is going to need it after all this.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: American Idol, Maryland reality contestants
        

Apparently (at least according to Drudge Report and a radio station I heard on the way in to work) there is some controversy about whether American Idol judge Simon Cowell was rolling his eyes at Chris Richardson's mention of Virginia Tech on last night's show. (Here's video.) I didn't address it because I was typing my entry and not looking at the screen, so I missed it. Anyway, Richardson said his words about Virginia Tech like half a second after claiming that "nasally is a form of singing," and I have no doubt that Cowell was reacting to that ludicrous statement. Cowell himself said some nice words about the shooting at the end of the show, so let's not make a mountain out of a molehill.

Edited to add: A response from the producers has been posted at americanidol.com.

Edited again to add: Simon himself has responded and said he was talking to Paula about Chris having said he sang nasally on purpose and that he was not disrespecting Virginia Tech.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: American Idol
        

Host Ryan Seacrest starts the show with a shout out to those affected by the Virginia Tech tragedy, but it's kind of undermined when followed up by the usual "... This is American Idol."

The theme this evening is country, with an assist from mentor Martina McBride.

Phil Stacey is going to sing Keith Urban's "Where the Blacktop Ends." Martina says the first part sounded stiff and overly precise but toward the end got really soulful (that sounds familiar). She tells him to get the end tone into the beginning of the song. Here's hoping. And actually, he gets a stronger start than I think he has the whole season and stays there through the whole song. Randy says Phil could have a career in country music and he sounds really surprised about it. Phil says that's what he wants. Randy: "Now I know Phil Stacey." Paula says he sounded good right from the start. Simon: "Well, it's only taken 10 weeks." He says the personality, the music, everything worked for him finally. Phil goes: "Woo!" Oh, don't do that.

Jordin Sparks will sing "Broken Wing," and she says she was so nervous to sing it in front of Martina, but Martina says she did a great job. She goes a little sharp on a couple of the big notes, but not the last one, which is endless and awesome. She starts crying a little when she's done. Randy says it's a difficult song to sing, but that it was the bomb. Paula says she did a fantastic job. Simon says it's the first time that he believes Jordin could win American Idol.

Sanjaya Malakar takes a viewer question: What judge would you make sing a song, and what song? He says he would have Simon sing "Shiny Happy People." He's going to sing "Something to Talk About." He says he chose the song because he has been giving people something to talk about, so he wanted to just say it. Heh, nice. Good thing he has a sense of humor about this madness. He says he wants to do Bonnie Raitt proud. It's pretty bad, actually. Randy says, keeping it "most real," it was "just like karaoke ... very bland and boring." Paula says they are watching "someone who loves adversity." She says he's a lovable guy. Simon says it was "utterly horrendous." Ryan stirs the pot, Simon gets mad and says, "I know this has been funny for a while, but based on the fact that we are supposed to be finding an American Idol, it was hideous." YES. It was.

LaKisha Jones is going to sing "Jesus Take the Wheel," which Martina says is a good choice because she relates to the story of the song. She actually makes Martina tear up and get "verklempt." She starts a little quietly but gets to show off her big voice starting about a third of the way through. Randy says there were some pitch problems in the beginning and that she could have done a little more with it and that it wasn't his favorite. Paula says she agrees with Randy and that it was a little shouty at points, but she's still brilliant. Simon says, "It's like eating a hamburger for breakfast; it doesn't go together. And I don't think you and that song went well together at all. ... It was almost like halfway through you thought, 'I'm going to give the song the LaKisha treatment,' and the song couldn't hold that, so it actually ended up that you were shouting at us. ... You absolutely blew us away eight or nine weeks ago" and that she needs to pick the right songs.

Chris Richardson is going to sing "Mayberry" by Rascal Flatts. Martina said she questioned the song choice until she heard him sing it. He has a little feedback problem at the beginning, but it doesn't throw him off, and he does seem comfortable with the song, and it works well with his voice. Randy says he sang it OK, but he didn't feel any sense of connection, so it didn't really hit him. Paula says the joy and love he has on stage didn't come through. Simon says sometimes the audience and he seem to be hearing completely different things and that he heard a "nondescript, nasally, tinny vocal." Well, OK, but he's been singing with that same quality in his voice since the beginning of the competition, and sometimes they seem to like it, so ... And the audience disagrees. Then Chris kind of fouls things up by back talking: "Nasally is a form of singing, I don't know if you knew that." Simon (and me): "Oh, so it's intentional. OK." Then Chris (a Virginian) throws in a quick shout to everyone at Virginia Tech.

Melinda Doolittle has to take a viewer question: "Have you ever ran into any crazy fans on the street?" She says a woman said, "Oh, my God" and ran at her, and she ran away thinking there was a problem. Whoops! She's going to sing "Trouble is a Woman" by Julie Reeves. Martina says she hadn't heard the song before, but she couldn't take her eyes off her. And she nails it from start to finish. Again. Personality, fun, etc. Randy says it's "another solid performance from our resident pro." Paula says she picked the right song and performed her heart out. Simon: "Melinda, I'm about to compliment you, and I'm going to ask you to lose the surprise. ... It was fantastic. It was a great choice of song, you look better than last week, I saw a little Tina Turner thing going on there." And she takes the compliment without the shock. Huzzah!

Blake Lewis is going to close the show with "When the Stars Go Blue," a song by Ryan Adams and also popularized by Tim McGraw. Martina says she is friends with Tim, and he said he hoped someone would do this song. Blake sounds like he might be fighting a cold in his interviews. That would not be fun. Martina says she hopes she loosens up during his performance. He takes her advice to go into a softer falsetto in the high parts, and it definitely works for him. Randy says he loves the song choice and the arrangement (and his style). Paula says he has the whole package. Simon says it wasn't a jumping out of his chair performance. And he adds in the middle a comment about Virginia Tech, saying it was "a tricky week for you guys [the performers]." Then he closes with, regarding Blake: "It was OK." The sentiment was good, but the placement was a little odd.

I think the best of the night were Melinda, Jordin, Blake and (I can't believe I'm saying this) Phil. How about you?

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
Categories: American Idol, Maryland reality contestants
        

OK, let's see who gets kicked off tonight's Dancing With the Stars, shall we? They sure are dramatizing Heather's fall, which seemed like a bobble last night. I mean, she hit the floor, but it was at the end of the dance, and she recovered quickly. I'm not sure she'd be really excited about how much of a big deal is being made of it.

I will admit that I usually skip through the reprised dance, but I rewatch Apolo and Julianne's dance. They really did an amazing job. Speaking of which, the group swing is great fun, too.

Laila and Maks are safe.

John and Edyta are also safe, which is definitely more of a surprise.

The rest have to wait it out through Lisa Rinna's performance as Roxie Hart. She will be in Chicago on Broadway starting in June, I think.  Also through Macy Gray's performance (which she dedicates to the victims and families at Virginia Tech). Also through a segment on the makeup artists.

Apolo and Julianne are safe.

Joey and Kym are also safe.

Then the contestants dish on the judges. (It's stressful. They prefer constructive comments. Yadda yadda woo.)

Clyde and Elena are in the bottom two (despite my grandfather's votes for him -- Yes, Grandpa Jim, your wife told on you).

Ian and Cheryl are safe.

Billy Ray and Karina are safe.

Heather and Jonathan are in the bottom two.

Going home will be ... Clyde and Elena.

Clyde gets a standing ovation from the crowd. He says it's been a great experience, thanking his partner, his fans and the judges. He really is a sweetheart, but since they start with two dances next week, I think he's out just in time.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dancing With the Stars
        

Tonight the couples must take on the rumba or the samba on Dancing With the Stars, which is why the stars are wearing so few clothes. They started out with a technical issue when the stars were coming out on stage, so host Tom Bergeron shows the numbers one more time.

Ian and Cheryl are up first. Ian is having trouble with shimmying, but he gets over it and learns the samba. They dance to "Hips Don't Lie," and it's hot, if you can get past Ian's super-high-waisted pants. (No, really, it's still good, but the outfits, eesh.) Len Goodman says he wants them to get past just giving "competent" performances, but he should work on performance. Bruno Tonioli says he went for it "like a power tool" (ha!). Carrie Ann says the shimmy worked for him, but that he is underestimating himself and should believe in himself. Scores: 24/30.

Next are Clyde and Elena. Clyde had to go to China in the middle of the week, which complicated things, but Elena went, too, and they practiced as much as they could. They dance rumba to "What's Goin' On." Elena is wearing this pseudo-see-through outfit that is on the verge of obscene until you realize it's not actually transparent. Clyde is still stepping where he is supposed to and standing where he is supposed to, but not really performing at all. Bruno says this was so polite, it was antiseptic. Carrie Ann: "I'm going to be very frank. You're the worst dancer in the competition, and tonight was very bad." She mentions his charm, but says there was not anything to it. Plus, they did a lift that broke the rules. Len says it wasn't that bad, that his footwork wasn't correct, but he thinks he tried. Elena says there was just supposed to be a pose, not a lift, but do to the length of his legs, it was accidentally a lift. Scores: 13/30.

Heather and Jonathan are next. Heather says she felt like she got off lightly last week as far as judging goes. She also mentions she's looking forward to doing Latin style again. Poor Jonathan had to get his chest waxed, and it looked wildly unpleasant. They dance the samba. It's a little goofy, but they're clearly having fun with it. At the very, very end, after they finish, she falls down after losing her balance from her prosthetic leg. Carrie Ann says she's so free-spirited and that she dances like no one is watching, but she should take some ballet. Len says he wouldn't take a point off even for the fall. Bruno says she was in disco diva mode, but that she needs to polish the top half. Scores: 21/30.

Joey and Kym will be doing the rumba, and as Joey points out, this will be their first slow song. Alfonso and Lance come by to keep him on point. They dance, and it's lovely and expressive. Len says Joey always comes out and has "a go." But he says Joey was a little feminine this performance. Bruno says it's totally wrong, that this was his woman, no doubt about it. Carrie Ann says: a little bit feminine, because he attacked some of the moves a little too much. Scores: 25/30

John and Edyta had a rough go last week. This week, they will be doing the samba to "Love Is in the Air." And, really, it's better than I expected. Bruno said he tapped into his inner child, "wrecking the nursery," and that it was great fun, but that he messed up some of the footwork, making it "one of the best worst sambas I've ever seen." Carrie Ann says he won't last that long, but gives him a standing O. Len says he captured the character of the dance. Scores: 18/30.

Laila and Maks have to practice the dance of love in front of her fiance. He basically pulls a "make room for Jesus" move for the cameras (without those words), making them dance farther apart, but it's just for show. As far as the dance goes: sexy, sexy, sexy. Carrie Ann says she's the comeback kid. Len says this was her best performance so far. Bruno: "That was luscious Laila." Scores: 28/30 (with a 10 from Len).

Apolo and Julianne will be taking on the samba. She tries to get him to let go of the skating poker face and be sexy. I think they pull it off pretty well and predict at least one of the 10s they were going for. Len takes a second to congratulate the band. He says the music, the choreography and the performance all came together. Bruno calls them bewitching devils. Carrie Ann: "Perfection." Scores: 30/30. They are thrilled.

Billy Ray and Karina are closing the evening. Billy Ray is freaking out because he's filming Hannah Montana, recording his new album and more. And ... he tried, and Karina tried to dance enough for both of them as usual. Bruno says he was like a pillar of salt. Carrie Ann says his arms looked nice and that she could tell he was trying to do the toe leads correctly. Len says it lacked romance, but that he tried. Score: 17/30.

Who do you think deserves to be out? Who do you think will be out? I think a guy will finally be out, perhaps Clyde, Billy Ray or John.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 11:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dancing With the Stars
        

Sad to say, but I haven't seen The Apprentice the past two weeks because I watched Entourage instead. Or rather, I saw the second half of last week's, but I was so confused (especially by the firings of Heidi and Kristine, who I had pegged as the final two) that I couldn't figure out what was going on. Sounds like no one got fired last night, so I guess I will catch up next week.

And speaking of not watching things, I completely forgot to watch the Dancing With the Stars results show on Tuesday (but House sure was good). I caught up with it on ABC.com this weekend and saw that Leeza Gibbons was voted out and that John Ratzenberger was in the bottom two with her. I'm not shocked by either of those developments -- though I really did think that Clyde Drexler would probably be at the bottom, too.

I am all caught up with The Amazing Race, at least. That show is down to the final four teams -- adorable Oswald and Danny, contentious but competent Dustin and Kandice, always-fighting Eric and Danielle, and Charla and Mirna, the Towson cousins who think this is a morality game. (Note to them: The Yield is a part of the game, not a grand double-cross. Yes, it can be bad karma, but it's not against the rules. So dial down the outrage, mmmkay?) I still can't believe how much of the airtime of the past four episodes has been spent in airports and how many airport difficulties people have had, especially when Eric and Danielle and Joe and Bill got more than an entire leg behind.

I also watched part of the second episode of The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman this weekend, and all I have to say is: That guy is creepy. On the surface, he seems like a "catch," but whenever he talks (especially about how attractive all the women are), he seems to lack a filter, and it's very off-putting. I think I'm done with that one.

And (the rain lent itself to a weekend by the TV and computer, OK?) I saw Shear Genius' premiere episode. It's just like Project Runway, Top Chef and Top Design, but with hairdressers, in case you haven't heard of it. Like those shows (except maybe Design), it was great fun, although I was surprised who got voted out and also couldn't figure out why Jaclyn Smith was there. I guess because she has great hair? I do hope the contestants will be able to cut real people's hair soon. Watching them cut mannequins' coifs and create "hair art" was interesting for the first episode but won't hold my interest for an entire season. (But I do have to share this. My friend Erika and I were discussing the show, and I told her that Theodore, who won the first challenge, reminded me of the guy from Greatest American Hero, and she responded with: "Believe it or not, he's working on hair ..." Maybe you had to be there, but to me, that is genius!)

Speaking of Bravo series, it is so sad watching Work Out right now, as the staff learns more about trainer Doug being ill. We already know that he passed away several months ago, so many of the interviews with him and particularly about him have proved extra poignant. I haven't seen every episode of that show, but the ones that I have seen, Doug always stood out as a legitimately nice and caring person.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 2:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Bachelor/Bachelorette, Dancing With the Stars, The Amazing Race, The Apprentice
        

Oh, Survivor, how I love thee. No show does mind games like this show. (The endless, dragged out results shows for American Idol and Dancing With the Stars aren't even in the same league.)

Both tribes get treemail telling them to pack up their belongings (but none of the luxury stuff) and head to Exile Island. (It's worth noting that the Have camp, Moto, immediately talks about cooking up the rice and boiling the water and bringing it with them, while the Have-Nots at Ravu discuss who each tribe member will work on on the other side to try to flip them.) At Exile, they learn that the merge is upon them, and they're instructed to return to Moto camp. Everyone is so psyched to get there, with the bed and the couch and the food and the shower and everything else ... but when they get there, all the accoutrements are gone. Vanished. Vamoosed. Awesome.

They do have fishing gear, some pots, a machete and a flint, so it's not like they're going to starve. They're instructed to pick a new name, paint the flag and "start anew." They choose "Bula Bula" based on the word for "hello" on Fiji.

Michelle and Stacy work on the flag and let the guys start posturing. Boo goes for the "good little helper" role while some of the men go fishing. Dreamz and Mookie talk to Cassandra and Yau Man about what's been going on, and immediately, they all talk about targeting Boo and Stacy. Yau Man rightly notes in an interview that you can't trust anyone.

Stacy, meanwhile, bonds with Alex and solidifies her alliance with him and Edgardo, but Alex says in interview that he's still with the "four horsemen." Oh, please don't name your alliance -- and don't name it that as it brings back bad Big Brother connotations.

But it does seem like everyone wants to get of Boo, which seems way too easy at 25 minutes into the episode, so either more angst will creep up (like Dreamz finding out about Mookie's immunity idol and realizing they didn't trust him enough to tell him) or Boo winning the immunity challenge. Or Edgardo will get really mad about Mookie talking about the idol. Or Mookie won't like the idea of bringing Stacy into the alliance because it's not in his interests.

Cassandra says she is allied with Earl and Yau Man and Michelle, and that she is hoping Dreamz will come back to her side.

This is going to get interesting!

Mookie tells Dreamz about the Stacy plan, which gives Alex and Edgardo a majority. And it makes Dreamz mad because Stacy was so horrible to him when they were on the same tribe. (As it should. Remember the whole thing where she wouldn't show him how to use the coffee press?)

At the immunity challenge, everyone draws a stone. Orange goes to the orange mat and green goes to the green mat. They all think they have been unmerged, but it's just for the challenge. Mindgames! And more: The winning team gets immunity and won't go to tribal. And they'll get to feast. The green team is Mookie, Alex, Stacy, Michelle and Dreamz. Orange is Earl, Cassandra, Edgardo, Yau Man and Boo.

The teams have to memorize the order of some symbols on a mask, row out to get puzzle pieces and assemble them and put them together with the symbols in the same order as on the mask at the other end of the water. The green team isn't able to figure out how to retrieve their puzzle pieces for a while, giving orange a nice lead. Orange's Earl and Yau Man get to work on the puzzle and have some time before green gets there. But green catches up and seems to be figuring out the puzzle faster, but it's too late. Orange wins.

Green gets a note from Jeff: You will not be going back to camp, there will be no time to strategize. They're heading right to tribal.

Back at camp, Boo says he knows the challenge saved him and that the food brought his spirits back up. The rest of orange talks about who they think is going home, and they seem to think Stacy and Michelle are in trouble.

At tribal council, Jeff asks everyone for a reason to get rid of everyone else (e.g., "Michelle, give me a good reason to get rid of Alex"). Everyone answers, and then when it's Alex's turn, he says he doesn't have a reason to get rid of: Stacy, Dreamz or Mookie. But asked about Michelle, he says he doesn't know her as well as he knows anyone else. Jeff realizes he's kind of been played and asks Dreamz if they are all speaking to one another through their answers to his questions. Well, duh! And Dreamz says basically that, adding that Alex just told him with his answers whose name he will be writing down.

Mookie votes for Stacy, Alex for Michelle. Which way does Dreamz go? Let's see the votes: Stacy, Michelle, Stacy, Michelle and Michelle, so Michelle is going home. Doh! I guess Dreamz forgot about when Stacy was mean to him, too.

Looks like fireworks next week! Woo!

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Survivor
        

The folks behind The Real World have a new plan for filling the reality TV hours quota on MTV: They're reuniting the cast of The Real World: Las Vegas. The cast is even going to live it up at the Palms again. One can only hope they've grown in the past five years, but given how much time they've all spent on other reality shows since then (see link), I'm guessing not.

I'm very unenthused about this development. As far as I'm concerned, Vegas was the season when the show began to take its turn toward all partying, all the time. Lately, on the Denver season, all anyone does is fight, cry, make out or hook up or fight or cry about who was making out or hooking up. It's monotonous, immature and boring, and the show started down this path with Vegas.

But hey, people can change, so maybe we'll see the growth we used to see on the show five years after the show. On the other hand, we are talking about Trishelle, so maybe not.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 5:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: The Real World
        

All right, let's see who is out on tonight's American Idol. Some people are even predicting LaKisha. But I don't think so. Ryan closes his "Who is going home?" monologue with a long stare at mustachioed Sanjaya. So I think he's safe. Sigh.

Ryan asks Randy to score the evening, but he of course doesn't. Paula is asked if she saw a new side to the contestants. She doesn't answer. Ryan asks Simon how he feels about his compliment to Sanjaya. He says he slept fine.

And it's time for the group sing. They sing "Bailamos." It's cheesy.

Oh, man, I just realized it's an hourlong show tonight. More filler than usual. Like this man on the street interview segment.

And Akon is back, this time singing "Don't Matter." Which it doesn't.

Then we get the obligatory car commercial featuring the contestants, this one ripping off MJ's "Black and White" video from 945 years ago and offering the mind-searing sight of Jordin Sparks morphing into Phil Stacey and Sanjaya morphing into Melinda Doolittle as everyone sings "Happy Together." Actually, all those transitions were frightening.

In the "Idol Gives Back" segment, Simon goes to Africa to show some kids a "school in a box." They draw pictures of Simon, one of which seems to be sporting a pair of ... let's say pecs. Ryan ribs him about it back in the studio, and Simon actually gets embarrassed.

Back in Fillerville, Ryan basically says, hey, Simon, the editors got bored and made this clip that makes it look like you are saying horrible things to Tony Bennett. Oh, OK, that was funny. But really, I just want to know who's going home!

Random: Eva Longoria is in the audience. Then, clips from last night's performances. Including Haley backstage saying, "I guess I'm gonna go put a robe on," after Simon's harsh criticism. Back to the live show, Ryan asks Haley if she was offended by Simon's comments. She says she wasn't offended, but it hurt a little, and she's not going to wear anything inappropriate. (It's worth noting that she is currently wearing a long-sleeve shirt -- albeit off-the-shoulder -- and long pants.) Here we go:

Phil Stacey is in the bottom three.

LaKisha Jones is "surprisingly" safe. OK, Ryan.

Jordin Sparks is safe.

Sanjaya Malakar is asked to stand, then sit. Jerk move!

Melinda Doolittle is safe.

Haley Scarnato is in the bottom three.

Sanjaya is again asked to stand, then sit.

Blake Lewis is safe.

Chris Richardson and Sanjaya stand up. Sanjaya is safe, and Chris is in the bottom three.

That means I called the bottom three right last night! Woo. 

Chris is safe. Whew. Phil just keeps saying they're blessed to be here, so that's how he's dealing. But Haley and Phil have to wait longer while we get a closer look at their time with Jennifer Lopez. Speaking of whom, now she's going to perform.

Ryan asks Jennifer what she thought about the judges' feedback. She says she didn't agree with all of it, and that she comes from the "Paula school of criticism," because rightness leads to more rightness or something like that. It's the power of positive thinking! Or at least not making someone feel like she was dressed like a streetwalker, Simon!

And going home, after more than 35 million votes were cast, Phil is safe and Haley is going home.

She cries. And she sings, walking through the audience. Did I see Sharon Osbourne?  Interesting.

Bye, Haley.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: American Idol, Maryland reality contestants
        

It's time for the Top 8 to perform on American Idol tonight, under the mentorship of songbird Jennifer Lopez. Wow, really? It's Latin night. Will this yield us "Sanjaya From the Block"? Phil Stacey crooning "Conga"? Let's just watch and get this over with.

Jennifer tells them they need to be so proud of themselves and that for the audience, it's all about who gives them goose bumps.

Melinda Doolittle is going to sing "Sway." Jennifer says she showed this flash of sultriness, then tells Melinda she needs to deliver that for the entire song. Melinda: "Oh, shoot." She ends the interview with, "I'm so not sexy!" I predict Paula is going to contradict that because she gives her usual amazing performance, I think even with more confidence than she's shown before. Randy says he was waiting to see what she would do with this genre and that she gave another solid performance, though he's not sure it was her best. Paula calls it "very sultry, very smooth." She says it was subtle, sexy (!) and beautiful. Paula: "It had to happen, Melinda. I didn't like it." He says the song is all about personality, and that she appeared much older than she is and that it was very cabaret. He says she needs to put on a "wow factor" performance every week. (He probably wanted to say "It Factor," but that's OK.) Melinda to Ryan: "I think he really wanted to say something bad, and he finally got the chance."

LaKisha Jones comes up next. She has a viewer question forced upon her: "What made you try out for American Idol?" She says she wanted to provide a better life for herself and her daughter, and that she wanted to share her talent with the world. She is going to sing "Conga," which I hope will be amazing. Jennifer helps her figure out how to move during the performance. She is rocking this black and red dress and starts out on the platform behind the judges, working her way back to the stage. That is a tough song because of the speed, but she pulled it off. Randy says she came out and had a great time, and that she (IDOL KEYWORD ALERT) "made it her own." Paula says she thought it was a safe performance. Simon asks if she agrees with Paula, and LaKisha says she went outside her comfort zone and "moved a little bit." Simon says he does agree with Paula because it's "not a singer song, it's a fun performance song. You were having fun, I'm not sure how much fun everyone at home would he having." Randy says she dancing and moving, and Simon says the dancing wasn't very good. Someone gasps high-pitchedly. At first, I thought it was Paula, but I'm pretty sure it was LaKisha.

Chris Richardson is going to sing "Smooth," and as soon I hear that, I think, "Oh, of course." She helps him with his pronunciation of "munequita" (sorry I can't do the tilde over the n) and also suggests he move it up a half-step in pitch. When it starts, it feels a little too low for him. He's surrounded on stage by a guitarist and a drummer, which along with the rest of the band is kind of overwhelming his vocals. My experience trying to sing that song in my car (oh, shush!) reminds me that the song is in two completely different ranges. Rob Thomas somehow pulls it off, but I don't really think Chris did. The second part, the higher part, was pretty good, but that first section was kind of uncomfortably low. Randy says he was wondering how he would do the song and that "found himself" at the end and added the runs and that it was very cool. Paula, on the other hand, things it was a "hot, hot performance ... what am I going to say?" Simon says it wasn't the best vocal, but he preferred it to the first two because it felt more contemporary. So this is me and the judges on two totally different pages!

Haley Scarnato is next up with Jennifer. She's going to sing "Turn the Beat Around." Jennifer instructs her on how to deliver the lyrics in kind of a staccato way. Haley says she needs a beat (since they are practicing just with the piano). Jennifer suggests they get Blake (leading me to believe he might be one of the "favorites" she wouldn't reveal at the beginning of the show. So ... Haley sings and she dances and she tries. But this song is fast, y'all, and she doesn't quite get the rhythm of the fastest lyrics -- she seems kind of out of breath in the middle of it. And ... I don't know. Her voice just has such a sweet quality to it that it doesn't really ever have that contemporary sound that Simon is always going on about. But let's toss it to the judges. Randy says it was really karaoke for him, and it could have been "any bar anywhere." Paula says she had fun up there. Simon says she has a great tactic: "Wear as least amount of clothes as possible [sic] because, look, ... you can't do well in this competition based on your voice because there are much better singers, so all you can do is have fun." Did he just call her a skank?

Phil Stacey is going to sing "Maria, Maria" from Santana. He keeps getting distracted by the fact that he is singing to Jennifer Lopez, and she makes him sing it again, getting into it right from the start. If she can get him to start a song strongly, I will believe that she is a miracle worker. He actually does have a better start than usual, but he doesn't get into his glory notes (his strongest suit) until the very end. But overall, better than he's been, in my opinion. Randy says he didn't really connect with the passion of the song, and the he found a lot of it boring. He said his upper range is still great, but it didn't all come together. Paula says except for the cracks at the end (I forgot to mention those), he had a great vocal. Simon says he's a nice guy and chose a good song, but that he found "no originality in the performance ... so there's nothing I can get particularly excited about." Phil interrupts Ryan's question about endurance through the competition to tell everyone about how his daughter has a stuffed animal she calls "Simon Cow." I really think he should have told Ryan that during commercial.

Jordin Sparks takes a viewer question: "If you were in charge of choosing next week's theme, what would it be?" She says '80s music. She's going to sing "The Rhythm is Going to Get You." Jennifer says she quality of her voice in this song reminded her of Michael Jackson (in a good way), and also gives her tips on how to move. The performance is a little vibrato-y at times to me, but she can sing. (Regarding the outfit, though, I have to say, it took me way too long to realize she was wearing a long black shirt under a cropped top -- I thought she had on super high-waisted pants, of the era whose much she had just praised. Much relived to discover that mistake. Whew.) Randy says, "You got it cuz you got it; that was the 'yo factor' on blast." Well OK, then. Paula says she's so authentic and so herself. Simon says there is nothing stunning, and that he hasn't seen a progression -- from anyone -- tonight.

Blake Lewis sings "I Need to Know," by Jennifer Lopez's husband's Marc Anthony. She tells him to get into the passion of the song. I think he actually listened because there is way more depth in his performance than the first round with Jennifer. I think Simon just got his progression. Randy: "Best song choice of the night." Paula says it was a "very smart performance" and that "it captured the essence of who you are." Simon says it was the best song choice of the night and best performance so far. He really did bring it up a notch -- he's had this kind of semi-hollow sound to his voice at times, and I didn't hear it at all this time.

We're closing with Sanjaya Malakar. Jennifer says he really impressed her. She tells him to take his time and that he made a really good choice. He sings "Besame Mucho." Lest there be any doubt, he did cut his hair last week, and he's growing out his facial hair. It's actually not a particularly bad performance, except for the creepy making-of-eyes at the camera. Pretty pleasant, actually. Randy says, "That was actually really good." Paula says it was "smooth" and "very, very nice." Simon says he couldn't understand a word of it, "you sang like a 14 year old, and I'm going to hate myself for this, it wasn't horrible."

In danger? I'd say Haley, Phil and Chris. Yes, I know I'm a broken record on the first two, but I'm going to keep saying it until it happens.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: American Idol, Maryland reality contestants
        

Tonight's Dancing With the Stars starts with a lecture from judge Len Goodman about how last season, the couples averaged 19 hours a week of practice and that so far these couples are averaging 13. He says they all need some polish. We'll see if that comes through in tonight's waltzes and paso dobles.

Laila and Maksim are up first and won't be breaking any rules this time. (Laila even says she didn't know they were breaking the rules, and Maks takes responsibility.) They are going to do the paso, and she says since she's a fighter, she has "no excuse" this week. After seeing the performances, I would say: No excuses needed. It was good (though I didn't love the music). Len says he didn't see fire and aggression and attack, but it was a nice flamenco. Bruno says it's the week of tough love -- that it started as a blockbuster, but it felt "like reruns." Carrie Ann says she should use her strength more. Score: 21/30

Apolo and Julianne are going to be waltzing, and they feel like they have something to prove after being called sloppy. Apolo also says he's not sure they have the maturity for the waltz, but they are going to fake. They didn't look like they were faking it to me -- I think they pulled it off. Let's go to the judges: Bruno calls them the dream team; "this is what it's all about ... you're in it." Carrie Ann gives Apolo a high 10 and praises his technique. Len says learning the routine is part of it, but polishing is important, too, and it was riddled with problems. That was some mixed messages. Score: 26/30

Leeza and Tony will take on the paso doble, which they prepare for by beating each other up with help from some mixed martial artists. I'm afraid to say this, but Leeza just looks awkward through much of the dance, like she doesn't quite know what to do with herself. Carrie Ann says she looked more awkward and unsteady on her heels. Len: "Dull, dull, dull." Bruno calls it a diet version of the paso. Well, at least it wasn't just me! Score: 16/30

Ian and Cheryl will be waltzing, but they have problems at first because Ian keeps goofing off. I hope that Cheryl's hair extensions don't come out or hit Ian in the eyeballs. And it's quite lovely and not silly at all. Len says, "That was a really, really good waltz." Bruno: "You started like Mr. McDreamy, but some time you went into Mr. McStiffy." The crowd titters, and Bruno has no idea why. Carrie Ann says "breath" is missing from his performance -- that is what makes him stiffen up or lose his balance at times. I'm sure during the commercial, someone will explain why Bruno should avoid that turn of phrase in the future. Score: 24/30

John and Edyta work on their technique in the paso. Sweetly, his 91-year-old mother comes out to watch him and celebrate his 60th birthday. The material that was supposed to cover one side of Edyta's body appears to be hanging from her other arm. It is very capelike, though. John's still got rhythm, but he's a little stompy on the floor tonight. (That is my version of Randy Jackson's "pitchy.") Bruno says the magic backfired, and that he was lost at times. Carrie Ann says she couldn't tell if he was being funny or just trying really hard and so she couldn't focus and was confused. Len says he was "stomping about" and the dance didn't suit him. Score: 16/30

Clyde and Elena will be taking on the waltz, which will hopefully take advantage of his "glide." His partner seems frustrated that he isn't working hard enough or taking it seriously enough. It does seem like he has taken the judges' advice to an extent, as he seems to be making larger movements and using the whole dance floor, but overall it kind of reminds me of a wedding dance (which is to say, an amateur), as much as it pains me to say it. Carrie Ann says he did glide, but all his dances look the same, that he hasn't been changing styles at all. Len says he can't forgive it if he isn't trying, and that he is just walking through the dance. Bruno says, "There is more romance between Donald Trump and Rosie O'Donnell." Well, I guess we aren't pulling punches today. Score: 15/30

Billy Ray and Karina will be doing a "Southern-fried paso," and Karina gets so frustrated that she goes to cry in the bathroom. After which, they work and work. During the performance, Karina tries to dance enough for the both of them, and while Billy Ray has moments in which he is trying so hard, even I noticed a couple of big biffs, where he is reaching for her arm or hand at the wrong time. But it's still better than the past couple of weeks, with less "just walking." Len says, "This bear is turning into a lion," mentioning that they did the most practicing of all the couples. He adds that he can see improvement and he's trying. Bruno says they appreciate what he is putting into it. Carrie Ann says, "That was oddly awkward and sexy and hot and strange all at once, but I loved it." Score: 21/30

Heather and Jonathan take on the waltz. In training, it looks like the slow dance is even harder, and she seems worried she'll burst out laughing when it's time to "act the dance." It's quite lovely, with no laughing (and side note: I really like her dress). Bruno says he continues to be amazed by her, and that even her hands and posture have gotten better. Carrie Ann says she could see in her body language that it was difficult. Len says she is lucky Jonathan is her partner because he created some thoughtful choreography for them. Score: 23/30

Joey and Kym will be doing the paso. He talks about doing his steps as precisely as possible and gets a visit from his daughter, who tries to keep him focused, in the most adorable way. And here is the power and the ferocity that we were told to expect from this dance. Lance Bass of N'Sync and Carlton (Alfonso Ribiero) love it! Carrie Ann says he was on fire. Len says they captured the flavor of the dance and that it was the best paso of the night by a mile. Bruno says he got the fire going. Scores: 28/30 (including the first 10 of the season, from Carrie Ann)

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 11:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Dancing With the Stars
        

Tears are banned on Idol now, and it's no surprise after Gina's exit performance was preceded by sobs and accompanied by the bawling of her fellow contestants. Wait, sorry ... Tears are still fine on American Idol, but the Chinese version of the show is going a different direction, according to the Associated Press.

Check out this gem: "Happy Boys Voice should include only 'healthy and ethically inspiring' songs and avoid scenes of screaming fans or losing contestants in tears," the regulator was quoted as saying."

Guess the kids on Happy Boys Voice won't be singing "I Wanna Be Sedated." Even "Mack the Knife" would probably be too much.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: American Idol
        

Last week on Survivor, Rocky's new teammates turned on him after his obnoxiousness became too much to bear. (Note: If you want to stick around in this game, don't taunt people when they are feeling sick after eating too much. As if most people needed a reminder.)

And this week, there's supposed to be dancing. That could be entertaining!

But first, Edgardo and Alex share the information Lisi gave them about where the immunity idol could be found with Mookie and searched for it while Lisi and Dreamz slept. Cold! And they find it. Technically, Mookie does and he keeps it in his pocket for the time being. Lisi gets even more bad press when she wakes up to find Mookie smoothing the ground near where the clues said the idol might be, asks if he's digging for the idol, and then interviews about how you have to get up real early in the morning to put something past her. Whoops!

The treemail comes with island natives, who will be teaching the contestants a local dance. Nice, the reward is a dance-off! Who doesn't love a dance-off? Earl says he's got it, and he's going to lead. Meanwhile, Lisi says she doesn't take challenges seriously, which is such a fabu attitude.

At the challenge, the contestants will be judged on appearance, authenticity and spirit. The judges (three, of course, a la Randy, Paula and Simon) will decide who wins. They dance, and it's pretty clear that Moto is better -- and the judges agree. Lisi is sent back to Exile Island again, and Moto heads to the feast. They eat and dance with some Fijians and have a fantastic time.

Lisi, instead, is on Exile Island in a storm, after which she interviews about not wanting to be there and wanting to quit.

At Moto, we learn that Earl and Michelle meet every morning and assess the strategy. They are targeting Stacy and Boo, with Michelle especially going after Stacy because, as she says, "We're carbon copies of each other as far as function, and I don't think there's room for both of us."

At Ravu, Edgardo and Alex talks about his concerns that Dreamz would flip if there's a merge.

The immunity challenge involves three weapons: blowdarts, spears and a bow and arrow. Each person gets a shot at each weapon, and whichever team gets the most points wins. Moto wins one point in the blowdart round. In spears, almost everyone completely misses. Yau Man hits the second circle from the bullseye, which gets two points for Moto, since the target-missing continues. In the bow and arrow, Yau Man again hits a good mark, leaving it up to Edgardo, who had been bragging about his archery skills. He misses it completely, and Moto wins immunity.

I predict Lisi is out.

Immediately, she begins talking about everyone else being losers. Then she tells Alex she wants to go home. Guess I might be right. I'm sure the lecture from Jeff will be fun. Wait, then she has second thoughts about staying, which means Dreamz might be look really bad since he said he wasn't bringing his bag. Lisi seems to be realizing that if she leaves, her alliance is in a bad place because Dreamz will flip to Cassandra at the merge, but she brings this up 10 minutes before they leave for tribal council.

At tribal, Lisi starts wavering again, and when she fails to answer whether she wants to stay in the game, Dreamz calls her on it, telling her to answer yes or no. She doesn't, babbling about being honest and "needing to think." I hope she's out. And she is!

It could be really interesting if the tribes do merge next week. Dreamz plans to flip over to Cassandra's side. Stacy and Boo might flip back over to Alex and Edgardo. If the four original Moto persuaded Dreamz and Cassandra back to their side, they would have a majority over Earl, Yau Man, Michelle. It wouldn't really matter which side Mookie went with. Who knows what will happen?

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Survivor
        

I'm wildly trying to catch up with American Idol. So far, LaKisha Jones, Melinda Doolittle, Jordin Sparks, Sanjaya Malakar, Chris Richardson and Blake Lewis are safe, making the bottom three Gina Glocksen, Phil Stacey and Haley Scarnato.

But of course, they have to wait for a while. Including through another inane trivia question ("Who was referred to as 'Chicken Little,' Kevin Covais, Bucky Covington or Taylor Hicks?"). Unfortunately, Tony Bennett has the flu, so Michale Buble stops by to sing a standard instead. After he performs, Buble asks if he is "wasting his votes still voting for Antonella Barba." Ryan says he does the same thing. Suuuuure.

And Phil is safe. Gina and Haley are already bawling. Randy isn't and then is surprised about the bottom two. Paula doesn't answer the question. Simon says he isn't surprised.

With about 33 million votes cast, Haley is safe, and Gina is out. Wow. That is really wrong. She bawls and bawls some more. If she has to try to sing "Smile," it's going to be rough. But, surprising me, she pulls it together, mostly. Chris gives her a giant hug as she starts to cry again after the song. I guess I shouldn't be shocked by any ousters anymore, but I am.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: American Idol, Maryland reality contestants
        

In a desperate attempt to catch up with Dancing With the Stars after missing it last night, I'll be speed-recapping it. Here we go:

Shandi and Brian are up first. They will be dancing the jive to "Crocodile Rock." He continues to annoy me for reasons I can't put into words, but when it comes to their performance, it's a million times better than last week. The judges say it's better, but she needs to watch her free arm. 21/30.

John and Edyta take on the tango. They sell it, as usual, and then he drags Edyta across the floor to the judging station. Len says his hold wasn't great, but the character was. Carrie Ann wanted more theatrics, and Bruno thought it was mafioso. I think he should get a new acting job, because John is more engaging on stage than I anticipated. 20/30.

Clyde and Elena will be dancing the jive, and he is hoping for better scores. Clyde's mom stops by and says his dancing is "coming along." I think he's still holding his steps in a little. Carrie Ann says he's endearing, and that he's dancing "so little." Guess I'm not alone. Bruno says it was like a jive in a dense fog. Len says he moved backward. 16/30.

Laila and Maksim will be taking on the tango to "Goldfinger." For all the talk about not having time to prepare, it's another strong performance. Bruno doesn't like the split in the choreography in the middle. Len agrees. Carrie Ann says yes, they broke a rule, but that she is the strongest woman in the competition. 21/30.

Apolo and Julianne train for jive while Apolo is also training for the Olympics. They're dressed to evoke Pulp Fiction and dance like mad. Carrie Ann says it was all a little sloppy. Bruno says Apolo is "so much fun, you should be a ride in Disneyland." Len says he is a dancer, contrary to what Apolo said in the interview. 23/30.

Joey and Kym are dancing to a Star Wars remix. Wait, what? They practice with help from R2D2. The costumes are hilarious (Joey even has a braid!), and the dance is complex and seems well done to me, though Joey looks a little hunched. Len says he was worried about the silly stuff at the beginning, but: "It was good." He does mention that he needs to cover his butt up more. Carrie Ann loved it, as does Bruno. Bruno also mentions his posture. 24/30.

Ian and Cheryl are going to do the jive. She makes him to see some Chippendale-ish dancers to figure out his hip action. Looks pretty good to me, until the camera starts pointing at the ceiling and misses the end of the dance. Bruno says he's a hot rod. Len says it was a 9, but he messed up right at the end right by the judges. Carrie Ann agrees. 24/30.

Leeza and Tony will be doing the tango. Leeza says she feels more like a dancer now and less like an impostor. She doesn't have to shimmy this time, and it's ... better. Before the comments, she tells the judges that last week they told her to find her inner tramp, and she did: She pulls down her dress to reveal a (temporary) tattoo that says "Tramp" on her chest. Carrie Ann says it was "basic but fantastic." Len says it was simple but good, her best so far. Bruno said she delivered. 24/30. Really? OK.

Next are Heather and Jonathan, who are doing the jive. They are having an issue because she can't bounce on her foot, so she gets a new prosthetic foot with more flexibility. Bruno says she did a great job and totally sold it. Carrie Ann says she adds difficulty when she doesn't need it, but it's good. Len says her musicality is awesome, and that they did a great job. 24/30.

Billy Ray and Karina are going to tango to the Clash. Billy Ray says he likes the tango, and if he could do it, he would like it even more. It's a marked improvement, but ... you know. Carrie Ann said there were moments of brilliance, and he's most improved. Len said you can really tell he is trying. Bruno says they recognize effort. 21/30. 

===

On to the results show ... Shandi and Brian are in the bottom two again. There seem to be some technical difficulties, as few of the couples seem to be able to hear whether they are safe. Speaking of which, Clyde and Elena are safe and Leeza and Tony are in the bottom two.

Going home are Shandi and Brian. I blame him. But I'm shocked that Clyde overcame the 16/30 to stay in. His fan base is probably a little bigger than Shandi's, though.

===

So ... caught up with this, and I'll try to do the same with Survivor, The Amazing Race and The Apprentice soon. But not right now.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Dancing With the Stars
        

Tonight on American Idol, it's American classics with Tony Bennett as mentor.

Blake Lewis is the first contestant, singing "Mack the Knife." Tony says he is singing it well, but he really needs to think about and deliver the meaning of the song. This swinging song is a good match for his personality. Randy says it was a good way to start off the evening, despite a couple of pitch problems. He says he always looks forward to seeing what Blake's going to do. "I liked it, dude." Paula say he "personified pizazz; you're a hip cat ... you're just cool." Simon says, "Good choice of song, you performed it well. I give you 7/10, I give the band 8/10. " Ryan asks him if it's hard to go first, but Blake says it's fun to get it out of the way. Ryan then alludes to him having trouble with the lyrics during rehearsal. Nice!

Phil Stacey says he has been looking forward to this week because Tony Bennett is his hero. Tony tells him he needs to put a little beat behind it and that he is one of the best singers he's ever heard. Yes, seriously. Phil's singing "Night and Day." He starts out weirdly, as per usual, and warms up in the middle, but then he starts to sound like he's trying to copycat Tony Bennett. Strong final note, though, which gets him a standing ovation. Randy says the big notes were good, but he didn't feel any passion, that it was disconnected. Paula says he's reminiscent of a young Frank Sinatra, but that he needs to have more joy and warm the vocals up not only in the chorus. Simon questions Paula about the Sinatra thing, then says it "had all the joy of somebody singing in a funeral parlor." Questioned by Ryan, he says he appreciates everything Randy says, but that he was trying to focus on his wife. Which is kind of awkward, since the comments were about his lack of passion and darkness and disconnectedness from the song. Really, the best comment was from Paula about needing to really hit the notes right beyond just the chorus (except she couched it in terms of "warmth," which wasn't exactly direct).

Melinda Doolittle is shocked, just SHOCKED, when Tony tells her she was the best singer all day. Girl needs to learn to accept a compliment, because they are going to keep coming, and this whole "WHAT? Little old me?" thing is starting to not be that believable. (Though it is sweet when she tears up talking about his comments.) Anyway, she sings "I've Got Rhythm." Seriously? Flawless. Randy says every week she gives everyone a lesson in singing; "this is how you do it." Paula says she's a master class: "You've got rhythm, you've got CDs, you've got No. 1s, you've got concert halls. You're it." Simon says he didn't like the first part of the song because it was too cabaret, but the second half was good, with personality. He adds, "I don't think we're ever going to be able to criticize you. This is a problem!" Ryan asks why. He says, "Because we like being mean to people occasionally." You heard it here first!

Chris Richardson takes a viewer question about how he chooses a song. He says you pick what you're comfortable, then what the audience will like, then the panel. He's going to sing "Don't Get Around Much Anymore." Tony is a little concerned because he hadn't learned the lyrics yet. I haven't been a huge Chris fan, but he does right by this song, in my opinion. Randy says he came out with a vengeance and that this was one of his best performances, and that he injected his own style in. Paula says made it hip and cool and that it was his best performance, bar none. Simon says it was very good and "very believable," and that he made it kind of hip and worked it out very well, and "probably one of the strongest tonight." (After only four, though.)

Jordin Sparks is (of course) really, really excited to sing "On a Clear Day." Tony likes her because she sings in tune, "which is rare these days." He also likes the improvisation she did, changing some of the notes here and there. It is in tune and rather adorable with a killer final note. Randy says there is some heat and some fire in this competition. He says she's like a pro even though she's only 17. The microphones do some unfortunate squealing (ahhh, live TV), and Randy adds, "It's the heat, man, it's the heat!" Heh.) Paula says she is a "magnet of joy," and Simon is just giggling at her over his shoulder. She says she is proud of her. Simon says, "Well, Magnet of Joy ..." He says he sang well, but unlike Chris, did not make the song current, and did not enjoy it quite as much as "Squiddley and Diddley over there."

Gina Glocksen is going to sing "Smile." Tony says the song "gives you hope in your darkest moment," and that when he sings it, "he thinks of 9/11 and soldiers in Iraq and praying that they come home." He cries. (OK, so do I. Thinking of you, little brother!) So, back to Gina. She sings it very well, but for a little bobble of the rhythm toward the beginning. Not uber-current, but still strong. Randy says it was a "nice, controlled performance from the rocker girl." Paula says it was nice, understated and sentimental. Simon says he can't "rave about the vocals" because two girls before her outsang her.

Sanjaya Malakar meets Tony, who says he's interesting and "a big fan." He says his goal is to show America that he really can sing. He (with slicked back hair that looks to have been cut, just for the coif record) sings "Cheek to Cheek." He dances with Paula in the middle of the song. It's not that his voice is really that bad, it's just that he isn't a strong performer. He's been worse, though. Randy says he can't even comment on the vocals anymore, but that he is an entertainer. Paula says he's charming, and that the vocals are a little off, but she gets why people like him. In talking about the dancing, she says she's not sure if it was Dancing With the Stars or American Idol, but at the exact moment she says that, my Tivo interrupted to say it was time to change the channel to DWtS. Not yet! Simon says he's going to try a different tactic: "Incredible!" Sanjaya says: "Thank you! Welcome to the universe of Sanjaya!" Ryan tells him he does a good job staying under the radar.

Haley Scarnato takes a viewer question about whether she's more nervous singing before the crowd or waiting to hear from the judges. She says both are hard, but waiting for Simon is worse. She sings "Ain't Misbehavin'" and takes a hit when she sings the line, "I'm savin' all my love for you ... and you ... and you" as if it's directed at several people. He tells her she's ruining the story of the song. Ow. She definitely takes that into account in her performance, which is pretty strong. I still think she's kind of boring, but the singing is still good. Randy says he thought this might be a good week for her, but defers to Paula, who says that green is a good color for her, and they pass it to Simon. Simon says they are rude and should tell her what they think of the performance. Paula: "She wants to know what you think." Oooh, the nice judges are mad now! Simon says she has great legs. He says it was a good style of music for her, if a little pageanty. That whole thing was a little odd.

LaKisha Jones is closing the show with "Stormy Weather." Tony tells her to hit the big note at the end and ignore the little "tag." She sings it big and strong, but does ignore Tony's advice. Randy says it started roughly, but the middle and end were the bomb. Paula says she looks gorgeous and that she did a great job. Simon says: "Back on form, LaKisha, that was a sassy, great performance." They are running out of time and rushing. So much so that I don't see the recap.

My take: I predict Sanjaya, Phil and Haley in the bottom three, with Phil out.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: American Idol, Maryland reality contestants