When I saw the first previews for Paula Abdul's new reality show Hey, Paula, I thought it was going to be damage control for that series of interviews she did in January promoting American Idol, in which she appeared to have no idea what was going on.

Turns out the series started filming shortly before that incident. The first two episodes aired last night and followed Abdul through her insane schedule. In the course of the shows, she attended the Grammys, flew to Philadelphia immediately thereafter, appeared on QVC to sell her jewelry line in the middle of the night, flew back home, went to New York to receive a fashion award and then to do the interviews.

There is definitely some damage control going on, even if it's not exactly in the form I originally thought it would be. The show carefully sets up the circumstances that led up to Paula's interviews. She already suffers from insomnia, and this schedule didn't really allow for her to get much more than a couple of hours of sleep each night, so by the time she went to do the interviews, well ... she was totally loopy. That, plus audio problems and not being able to see who she was talking to added to the confusion.

So all the hubbub about whether she's on drugs or drunk? I think she's just dippy all the time, doesn't think well on her feet, and when you add in a lack of sleep, she seems altered. Throughout the show, she seemed totally incognizant of what was going on around her and how she was being perceived.

In one of the first scenes last night, she was preparing for the Grammys and had all this borrowed jewelry to decide from laid out on her bed. Her four dogs were also romping on the bed, getting tangled up in the million-dollar necklaces. And at one point, she realized one of the dogs was chewing on a ring and trying to swallow it. Paula thought it was hilarious. Her stylist looked vaguely horrified.

She just comes across as a 12-year-old kid with no self-awareness but an inflated sense of self-importance a lot of the time. So, I don't think this show is doing a lot for her image.

The best moment so far, though, is definitely from the previews: She's talking to her hairstylist, upset about something, and he says, "They're beating you down." She replies, while having her updo hairsprayed into place: "They're beating me down. But I'm a warrior!" She's an AquaNet Warrior!

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Tonight's So You Think You Can Dance results show opens with a Tyce DiOrio routine to the music of The Lion King on Broadway. It's very cool but I spent the first few minutes trying to figure out why my TV looked so weird. It seemed like I was getting the high-def feed on regular TV or something -- it was all stretched out vertically. But it looks better now.

Host Cat Deeley says that 5 million votes were cast last night.

Lauren Gottlieb and Neil Haskell and Kameron Bink and Lacey Schwimmer are the first two couples called to the stage. Kameron and Lacey are safe, and Lauren and Neil are in the bottom three couples.

Next, Jaimie Goodwin and Hok Konishi are told that they are safe. Sabra Johnson and Dominic Sandoval and Sara VonGillern and Jesus Solorio are still in the hot seat. Sara and Jesus are in the bottom three couples, and Sabra and Dominic are safe. I'm wondering if maybe the audience didn't "get" krumping enough to feel inspired to vote for Sara and Dominic, because they surely gave a good performance last night.

Then it's finally time to deal with the elephant in the room: What happened to Jessi Peralta? Is she OK? If her partner Pasha Kovolev got enough votes to be safe, what happens to the other couples? The answer at last: Jessi has been cleared by her doctors to dance and will be "dancing for her life." No answer on Pasha yet, but first, they get to perform their cha-cha together. And again, nothing against Melanie, but these two are great partners, and it is a blast. Cat asks Jessi about her condition. She says she got very dehydrated and her EKG was off, and then thanks everyone for their support. So I guess she will be OK. Cat says Jessi knows that she will be "dancing for her life," and Jessi says: "I will be killing it." I hope so! And, Pasha is safe. So since Pasha is safe, it sounds like there will be three couples in the bottom three, plus Jessi. Interesting.

Cedric Gardner and Shauna Noland and Anya Garnis and Danny Tidwell come out to find out their fate. Cedric has to be going home, right? It just seems cruel to keep him in, but sympathy votes can do strange things. Which of course means that Shauna and Cedric are safe and Danny and Anya are in the bottom three. The judges are shocked. Nigel: "What an interesting night this has turned out to be." He says a lot more, and for the first half of it, Danny is laughing in hysterical nervousness. But he finally stops.

Solo time.

Lauren loses me forever when she comes out to dance to Kevin Federline's single "Papozao." I mean, seriously. At least the clip ends before the words start. Also, her solo is kind of boring.

Neil does a solo with a lot of acrobatics and crazy jumps and kicks.

Sara comes out to do a b-girl routine for her solo, but I don't love it.

Jesus's solo also has a ton of turns and jumps and such.

Next is Jessi with a hip-hop solo that to me seems more organized and dynamic than some of the others, which have felt kind of overly improvised. She, of course, has the most ground to make up from having missed last night's show.

Danny works an almost totally open shirt and dances to "A Song for You" by Elliott Yamin. He has so much extension and I guess so much height that when he jumps or spins, it seems like he's on the whole stage at once.

Anya dances kind of minimally dressed in this bizarre costume -- like a full body suit, long sleeves and tights included, with blue tassels covering the indecent parts.

The judges leave to deliberate, and Fergie and Ludacris come out to perform. Hey, and at least for most of the song, she's actually singing.

The judges return and start with the women. Nigel tells the women that none of the solos were good enough. Then he drops the news that Jessi is out, mentioning that it was a split vote. Seriously? I thought she was better than the other three. Cat says she is stunned, Jessi agrees, and so do I. I think they must have just thought that it wasn't fair to keep her because she couldn't perform last night.

For the men, Nigel says it's unanimous, but they didn't want to make this decision. He says Danny and Neil were both outstanding tonight, and because of that, even though he's been amazing in every way except the boring solo, Jesus is out. He says he wanted to make other people realize their dreams and he got a call last night that in his hometown, that is already happening. The mike cuts out for a bit, so we don't get all the details, but he is gracious.

Yuck, I'm not happy about these results at all. But that's the way it goes sometimes. Also, it appears there won't be a show next week because of the July 4 holiday, so don't freak if your DVR doesn't record anything again until July 11.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

I'm still looking for a press release from CBS, but Variety reports some news on Big Brother 8, which starts next Thursday at 8 p.m. They have photos of the cast and some details, including that the theme will be "Alice in Wonderland," that "America's Player" will have to carry out some surreptitious tasks for extra cash, and that some of the contestants will be people who have "beefs" with one another. Oooh, tricky.

And for local readers, contestant Jameka is 28 and from Waldorf, Md. Anyone know her?

Here is a preview from today's Early Show.

Regarding Jameka, in the video above, she says that she is from Temple Hills, Md. She also says that she has been exclusively around black people for about "99 percent" of her life, so she thinks it will be interesting to be on the show. A week from today, y'all. Oh, how I hate how much I get addicted to this show.

P.S. Thanks to my friend Erika for the links!

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Big Brother, Maryland reality contestants
        

The more I think about how the illness of Jessi Peralta (pictured above, photo by Joe Viles/Fox) was handled on last night's So You Think You Can Dance, the more weirded out I am. Supposedly, she is in the hospital undergoing tests on her heart, and judge and executive producer Nigel Lythgoe was speaking in this strange, unsympathetic tone. He almost had an admonishing sound to his voice. Unless she had a pre-existing condition she didn't tell them about, I can't imagine why their approach to her situation would be so odd.

I suppose they will let us know what's going on on tonight's results show. But I'm hoping for the best for Jessi. She's really talented, and I've enjoyed watching her perform on the show thus far.

But if they say "dance for her life" one more time during a situation when she might have a life-threatening health problem? I might lose it.  

UPDATE: An astute viewer (thanks, Dree!) points out that Melanie, the "assistant" who filled in for Jessi on last night's So You Think You Can Dance, was on What Not to Wear a couple of years ago. I checked the schedule, and a repeat viewing of that episode airs tomorrow (June 29) at noon on TLC. Also, it seems that Melanie LaPatin and Tony Meredith are dance partners and co-owners of this studio. So she is hardly his assistant.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 8:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

OK, so after spending an hour working on a recap of the first three dances on tonight's So You Think You Can Dance, I had some kind of technical problem (OK, fine, it was probably user error) and lost everything. (And almost had a hysterical breakdown. But that's for the mental-health blog ... which doesn't exist -- at least not yet.) Anyway, here is my best recollection of the first 49 minutes of the show or so and then a straight-up recap after that.

Debbie Allen is the evening's guest judge, and she is charming and funny when discussing how much she loves the show.

First up are Sara VonGillern and Jesus Solorio with a krump routine from choreographer Lil'C. There is much discussion of how this is Sara's strength and Jesus knows nothing of krump. But when the performance rolls around, I find myself watching Jesus only and inadvertently ignoring Sara. He really gives it his all. Debbie is impressed, Mary also mentions that she couldn't take her eyes off Jesus, and Nigel says he likes this krumping because it's fun and entertaining.

Next are Cedric Gardner and Shauna Noland, doing a contemporary dance routine from Mia Michaels (and I think I sight Ben from last season -- and with less emo of a haircut -- as her helper, but I'm not 100 percent sure.). I watch it and think it's interesting but doesn't move me as some of her routines have and also that there is a whole part where Cedric sits on the ground and pretends to cry, which seems dicey when they have so little time to perform as it is. Debbie says Cedric was impressive and proved that people should study all forms and that he made that cool. Mary says Shauna did well with what she had to work with, and I originally think she's talking about the choreography, but it becomes clear she's talking about her partner. She says she got overruled last week in trying to get rid of Cedric, that she feared he would let his partner down and that she thinks he did let his partner down. Nigel says he agrees with both. Cedric talks a bunch during this critique, about how he was "put on the show by God" and that he wants to show that everyone who wants to dance should "get their butt to class" and study. Debbie says he would be a great student at her school, and the word scholarship even gets thrown around.

Lacey Schwimmer and Kameron Bink come out to do the quick-step. It's a way fun routine that has them all over the floor, and as usual, they burn it up (down?). Debbie approves and says they have shown growth every week. Mary says that this was outside of Lacey's typical style of Latin and swing, and that she did a great job and that contemporary Kameron did, too. Nigel notes that there were moments that got a little swing-y (but they were dancing to Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, so I feel like you can't fault them too much), but it was still fun. He adds that he would have liked a little more ground covered during the actual quick-stepping part of the dance, but overall, he was a fan.

Anya Garnis and Danny Tidwell draw hip-hop with Dan Karaty. Neither is a hip-hop dancer, so they are nervous. But, again, this is why I enjoy this show. To my non-dancer's eye, they do a great job and have a lot of fun with it. Anya maybe looks a tiny bit stiff at points, but I found it believable. What about the judges? Debbie says she thinks Anya and Danny are "the dream team. ... There is nothing that you can't do. I thought that you owned that." Mary says they are sensational together and it will be interesting when they have to change partners down the road. She says a few things could be hit a little harder, but overall, she loved it. Nigel says of everything they have done, he thought this could be their downfall and that they didn't seem entirely comfortable. But he adds because they have been so good that when he says it could have been better, his is talking to them on a higher level with higher expectations than he might have for other couples.

Rumba is the dance for Sabra Johnson and Dominic Sandoval with choreographer Jean-Marc Genereaux. They are both super nervous about the dance, which has some tough moves, including a counterbalancing thing where Dominic has to hold Sabra's leg and she leans the other direction, but they pull it off -- and get a standing ovation, it looks like. Debbie says, "Call the fire department, honey, that was hot." She says that being a b-boy gives Dominic strength in his upper body, which helps him keep his frame. Mary says they have a great partnership, and that Sabra was "moving effortless." Why, why, why do the judges who sit in the middle never seem to use adverbs. She says Dominic was there for his partner, and her hat is off to them. She gives them "two tickets on the hot tamale train" and screams. Nigel asks if they are surprising themselves because they are surprising him every week. He calls Sabra a gorgeous pixie and says that he didn't know that in Dominic's case, the b in b-boy stands for ballroom.

Lauren Gottlieb and Neil Haskell draw tango. Choreographer Jean-Marc Genereaux compares it to a cat-and-mouse game. They have fun, but somehow I didn't love it. I don't think it was necessarily their fault, though. I think maybe I didn't connect with the choreography. Let's see what the judges thought. Debbie says this was a different style for them, but there were moments where it wasn't as smooth as she wanted, that was a little awkward, but they are beautiful together. Mary says she loved the beginning, but that she didn't feel the passion between them, and that they danced off the floor instead of into the floor. But it was "OK." Nigel says it was "pretty good," and that Neil overdanced it a little, but that he and they other guys on the show "dance like dudes." But he says that overall, they looked great together.

Jaimie Goodwin and Hok Konishi take on a jazz performance with Wade Robson. He says it's eclectic, more like ballet, and a "love story about a hummingbird and a flower." The performance is abstract and strange, but I will probably watch it again. Debbie says Wade took the best of both of them and that they were really stepping up. She says it reminded her of Cirque du Soliel. Mary says this "was a step up from last week." She says it was unusual and intriguing and it suited both of them. Nigel says their technique was impressive and that they can't even critique it because "this was your essence as dancers."

Pasha Kovolev and Jessi Peralta draw cha-cha with Tony Meredith. Pasha is familiar with the dance, but Jessi, not so much. After the run-through at rehearsal, Jessi got taken to the ER and was ordered to rest. Wow. I always wondered how they would handle something like that. Pasha will be dancing with Tony Meredith's assistant and he will be the only one getting voted on. Nothing against the assistant, but I think it would have been much better with Jessi, who he'd been practicing with and has chemistry with. But Pasha still rocked it. Debbie says the show must go on, and he "went on and on and on." She says he was great. Mary says he brought the house down and that he was fortunate that Melanie could step in, since she is a past U.S. champion. Nigel says Jessi is still in the hospital undergoing further tests and that there is something abnormal with her EKG. He says that if Pasha is in the bottom three couples, he will be "dancing for his life" and that Jessi will be "dancing for her life" no matter what (POOR CHOICE OF WORDS, NIGEL), "if she is available." If she isn't available, she will be cut. Ouch. But what other choice do they have?

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 11:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

A coworker informs me that on last night's America's Got Talent, a 14-year-old girl from Bel Air named Julienne Irwin performed to rave reviews. Anybody see? I'm also trying to find a video clip.

If you saw her, what did you think? 

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: America's Got Talent, Maryland reality contestants
        

Out of the competition on tonight's So You Think You Can Dance? Jimmy and Faina. I'm wiped out, so no recap right now, but there's the news of it.

Pasha and Jessi were in the bottom three couples, to everyone's surprise. I thought Faina was probably in danger, especially after the solos, when Shauna truly did, as Nigel said, "dance for her life." I also thought Cedric would be out since he has trouble with some of the styles, but after a long discussion of "uniqueness," the judges cut Jimmy instead.

I feel bad for Cedric because it is clear they find him to be one of the weakest dancers, so he probably feels guilty for surviving in the competition longer than Ricky and Jimmy, but he also probably feels responsible for his partner getting kicked off, since she did a fantastic job on her part of last night's fox trot.

Next week, it's eight couples, with Shauna and Cedric now paired together. Should be interesting!

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

It was an eventful episode of Pirate Master this evening.

During the challenge, the red crew discovered the treasure before the black crew did, meaning that sometimes-accented captain Azmyth was unseated. The winning red crew unanimously elected local contestant Louie Frase the new captain, but he wasn't that excited about it.

However, he did make it his mission to get rid of the first captain, Joe Don, who angered him with his unequal treatment and division of money. But there was a twist: a pardon that could be won in a secret auction and save the winner. Joe Don won it but didn't need it -- his right-hand woman Cheryl was "cut adrift" instead.

I think a lot of people like Louie but weren't charmed by his vendetta. If he loses his captain's hat, I don't think he'll be too upset about it, but if he upsets too many people, he could be at risk for getting sent home.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Maryland reality contestants, Pirate Master
        

Last week on Top Chef, a guy who didn't even finish the challenge was saved for a guy whose food was just not really that great. Then last night, the judges flipped it and sent home Sandee, whose poached lobster was deemed to not exactly be barbeque in what was supposed to be an upscale barbeque challenge. And they saved a couple of people (Howie -- also the one who didn't finish the challenge last week -- and Joe) whose food was was mediocre. So which way are they judging? The inconsistencies annoy me.

What did you think of the show?

I also have to say that I saw the commercial for Hey, Paula, which follows Paula Abdul and debuts next Thursday, about seven times last night, and the part where she gazes in the mirror and declares, "I'm a WARRIOR," as some stylist hairsprays her cracks me up endlessly. I hope the rest of it is that funny.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 6:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Top Chef
        

Here we are for more performances on tonight's So You Think You Can Dance. Last week, the finalists got off to a great start, with a number of routines being downright addictive. I'm hoping the same holds true this week.

The beginning part with the judges (or "jidges," as host Cat Deeley always says) is a big defensive maneuver regarding Ricky's ouster last week. Hey, he might be a stunning contemporary dancer, but he didn't give the best performance ever last week, and, as they point out again and again, it's about voting for "America's favorite dancer," so his somewhat odd personality might have been somewhat off-putting for people. That's my two cents. Can we get on with the show, now?

Contemporary jazz dancer Lauren and contemporary dancer Neil are first. They will be doing hip-hop with choreographer Dave Scott. Lauren has some hip-hop experience, but Neil has none. After the performance, judge Mia Michaels says it was "a hell of a lot of better than last week," when they were told they had no chemistry. She says that Neil tore it up and overshadowed Lauren. Mary Murphy says the chemistry is developing. Nigel says he loved all of it and that they have set the bar for the other couples working out of their usual style this evening.

Ballroom dancer Pasha and hip-hop dancer Jessi get jazz with Tyce DiOrio, who has a dance with an "African modern contemporary" feel to it. It's fun and quirky and sexy, and they don't seem uncomfortable with the style at all. Mia says they are her "favorite birds" (they are wearing feathers). Mary says it was terrific. Nigel loved it, too. Pasha especially gets props for doing so well outside of ballroom.

Jaimie and Hok are assigned the samba with Jean-Marc Genereaux, who is crazy and awesome. Like the choreographer, the dance is also kind of crazy and awesome. Mia says she must have drunk "love juice because I am loving everything tonight." Mary says she wasn't drinking out of the same cup. She says that there were good moments, but it "doesn't cut the mustard" because it wasn't "high-level." Nigel says they did "a great performance," but that he wholeheartedly agrees with Mary. He says something about how when they hear samba, he likes to see something more like what they do on Dancing With the Stars (yes, he actually name-checks the competition). This raises my eyebrow, but Jean-Marc has me beat on that front.

B-boy Dominic and contemporary dancer Sabra draw contemporary from the hat. They work with choreographer Mandy Moore (not that one). In the dance, he will be a creature, and she is a bird. I'm really impressed with their performance, especially considering Dominic's complete lack of contemporary training and that Sabra's only been dancing for four years. But what do the pros think? Mia asks Dom what he's feeling. He says he is scared, but that since Vegas, he wanted to try this style to prove himself. Mia says she's glad he has dropped his bad-boy act that he had in the semifinals. She says he is "truly what this competition is about." She says he was beautiful and that Sabra was good, too. Mary says Mandy came up with a great routine, that Sabra is "a heavenly little creature" and that Dominic is "a force to be reckoned with in this competition," getting all verklempt at the end. Nigel says she is outstanding on the stage and he hopes Sabra won't slip through the net.

Ballroom dancer Faina and hip-hopper Cedric will be doing the foxtrot with choreographer Hunter Johnson. I was really worried about Cedric, but he did pretty well. Mia says they "got through it, ... It kind of felt like Ginger Rogers and an insecure Michael Jackson." ROWR! She says he is her second favorite, and she wanted him to "stylize it" a little more. Mary says she agrees, that Cedric was not excellent in this style. Nigel also agrees and that they will probably end up in the bottom three again, but nothing having to do with Faina.

Swing dancer Lacey and contemporary dancer Kameron will be taking on Broadway with Tyce DiOrio. In the interview portion, Lacey talks about how she isn't sure she can deliver the sex appeal that's needed. Oh, please. Is this like last week when she didn't think she could do contemporary and then tore it up? Don't play this like Melinda Doolittle, my dear. Anyway, it's fun and busy and fast and great. Mia says they are "the sexiest couple," but that she missed the pizazz. Mary says she just loved it. Nigel says last week showed the anxiety and this week showed the pizazz.

Ballroom dancer Anya and contemporary dancer Danny get assigned the Viennese waltz with Hunter Johnson. They do a simply lovely job. Mia says Anya is the lady of the competition and Danny is the man of the competition, and that Danny has "spectacular hands." Mary says they stepped out of a dream. And she gives her patented Mary Murphy scream and then tells them they are her favorite couple. Nigel says everything has been said, but that even people who know nothing about dancing will see that and say, "How beautiful!"

Contemporary dancers Shauna and Jimmy draw hip-hop with Dave Scott. He says there will be some stepping involved with the routine. Jimmy has a hard time learning it at first, and Shauna picks it up fast. Mia says Jimmy always looks like he is jumping out of his skin (in a good way), and she adds that Shauna did better but still has a bit of "dancing school syndrome." Mary says they "stepped it up" (hardy-har-har). Nigel say she didn't see the "dance school thing." He says he is going to "use the f-word: That was so much fun!"

Last are b-girl Sara and lyrical dancer Jesus, who are assigned paso doble with Jean-Marc. They dance to a remix of "We Will Rock You," which is just insane and unexpected, but still very fun. Mia says it was a little awkward for her (Nigel even boos her). She says for her the music didn't support the choreography, that it was fighting it, but that of course had nothing to do with the dancers. She says Jesus' carriage was amazing but that Sara was all over the place. Then she asks if she has any formal training, and she says no, and Mia says, "Well, in that case you are fabulous." So all the dancing she has been doing since she was 4 years old, none of it counts as formal training? This show confuses me. Mary says the routine was great and that Sara did an amazing job getting through it. Then: "Jesus. Amazing. ... You have it. It's REAL!" Nigel says it was the most stylized routine of the evening and that they coped well with the performance.

My favorites of the night are Jessi and Pasha, Sabra and Dominic and Anya and Danny. How about you?

We'll see at 9 p.m. Thursday on Fox. 

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 11:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

(Photo courtesy Ticketmaster)

I don't want to like Kathy Griffin, but I do. On her show My Life on the D-List, she comes across as sometimes abrasive and sometimes patently offensive (and always foul-mouthed), but I still think she's funny. Her "reality" show is surely stilted, filled with such stunts as going on a date with Nick Carter specifically to try to get tabloid coverage and "auditioning" handymen. But despite her need for attention that is the conceit of the whole show, she's still engaging and amusing.

On last night's episode, Kathy learned of the death of her father while she was traveling, and the show took a more serious turn. Her (absolutely hilarious) parents appear on the show regularly, and her father was always a warm presence on screen. To see her going through such a visceral, awful experience on a typically pretty fluffy show was almost unexpectedly moving. Undoubtedly the cameras were there when she got the news, but the show handled the moment well, skipping over any of that footage for clips of her talking about it in an interview. Cameras followed her as she put the finishing touches on a photographic tribute to her dad at his memorial, but did not invade the service itself. And the episode managed to combine the tragic and the comic by the end, with Kathy performing a scheduled show a couple of days later, being straight-up with the audience about what was going on in her life, and paying tribute to her father with some anecdotes.

All in all, I was touched and actually impressed with the episode's careful handling of the death, while still conveying the emotional heft of the situation.

(Speaking of Kathy Griffin, she's at the Lyric Opera House June 27.

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I also saw part of an episode of On the Lot, and it remains pretty boring. Only a handful of filmmakers are left, and they each created a short film. I didn't see all of them, but I was less than impressed with the ones I did see, including the one that got raves from judges Garry Marshall, Carrie Fisher and Wes Craven. All the kind comments surprised me. "You can really write dialogue!" He can? "That was a masterful piece of storytelling!" It was? I agreed with them on the condemnation of a short that was supposed to be a horror film from a tree's perspective. Why was it boring? Nothing ever happened. I wanted to give the show another shot since it's been reformatted since last I'd seen it, but I don't think I will be back.

I neglected to check out America's Got Talent, yet again. Did I miss anything good?

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I'm looking forward to tonight's episode of Top Chef, the second episode of the third season. The first episode saw the departure of Clay, a Mississippi chef who failed on the quickfire challenge when he didn't know what an amuse bouche was (which he would have known had he watched the previous seasons) and then on the main challenge by misusing the exotic meats and fish they were working with.

There was also a tale of redemption (already!). Chef Tre was in the bottom three in the quickfire, but came back to win first prize in the main challenge.

So tonight should be interesting, and I will be watching.

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First off tonight, though, I will be watching So You Think You Can Dance, my personal favorite. I was sad to see earlier this week that Fox had all the clips from the show removed from YouTube. I had rewatched Lacey and Kameron's take on a contemporary routine by Mia Michaels about 15 times and wanted to see it again, but it was gone. Couldn't find any clips on the Fox site, either. I know they have to be concerned with copyright issues, but in this case, I think if anything, people stumbling across the performances would only be more likely to watch the show in the future. Oh well. I can just hope that Fox will make the clips viewable on its own site soon, or else that I didn't delete it from the DVR.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance, Top Chef
        

For you, my dear readers, I have taken a bullet and watched Age of Love (the "cougars" vs. "kittens" dating show), so you don't have to.

In it, tennis star Mark Philippoussis, 30, goes on a dating show a la The Bachelor, thinking he's going to be cozying up with a bunch of girls who fit his previous dating past, which is to say hot and, almost always, younger than him.

So when he starts meeting the women and realizes they are in their 40s (except for one 39-year-old), he looks gobsmacked. But over the course of the episode, he starts to get more comfortable with the concept and gets to know some of the women. He has to eliminate one, and he goes for the woman with the 8-year-old son (rather than either of the two with sons in their 20s, which seems like it would be more uncomfortable, but whatever).

Meanwhile, a limo-full of 20-somethings (although there are a couple I suspect are lying about this) moves in, fully aware of what they are walking into, while the older women are still in the dark -- and Mark only has had the twist revealed to him in the last scene.

We haven't seen much of either group yet, but the 20s all seem really bratty. While the 40s definitely have a few moments of trying too hard and some plastic surgery procedures among them, they at least have some life experience to talk about beyond their own relative hotness. Frankly, if I stick with the show, I'm rooting for the older women. But if it gets too catty, I'm out!

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 11:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Age of Love
        

Dear Mark Burnett,

I'm a fan of Survivor, and yes, it's true, you have a very successful formula with that show: part adventure, part social experiment, part game show. Against all odds, it's still working even though it seems like it should have gotten boring a long, long time ago.

But the formula is not fool-proof. Take a look at your new show, Pirate Master. On the surface, it looks very much like Survivor. People live in tough, bizarre surroundings; they compete in complicated challenges that must require a boat-load of set designers; there's scheming and backstabbing. Sheesh, even the credits and the interview segments are put together the same.

But Pirate Master is not Survivor. It's missing a few important components, the most important being a sense of humor. Survivor host Jeff Probst seems very haughty and self-important, but the more I see Pirate host Cameron Daddo, the more I realize that Probst is actually looking at everything with a kind of winking acknowledgment of the absurdities being perpetrated. 

Daddo acts as if he's actually walking among modern-day pirates. He is walking among a group of adults who are PLAYING A GAME OF MAKE-BELIEVE. However fake and formulated the surroundings are on Survivor, it turns out the contestants really are trying to survive, to some extent. The Pirate contestants are playing pretend, and they are all being dead serious about it.

And let's be frank: The captain's hat and the officers' jackets just amp up the the make-believe factor. (Not to mention the fact that the hat seemed to give new captain Azmyth a mysterious and inconsistent semi-British accent last night, but that's a whole other post.)

So Mr. Burnett, here is hoping that you will realize that a couple of tweaks on the formula won't give you the same result.

And by the way, I'm very upset you've put me in a position of defending twerpy Jeff Probst, but this is what it's come to.

Sincerely,

Sarah 

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Maryland reality contestants, Pirate Master
        

Tonight on So You Think You Can Dance, the first two competitors will be going home.

The show starts with a totally freaky and fun dance to Busta Rhymes' "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See." The group dances are so much more fun and entertaining than the group sings on results day on American Idol. Host Cat Deeley comes out and reveals it was choreographed by Wade Robson. She also says last night, people voted "in the millions." Oooh, nice and vague.

Jaimie and Hok are safe.

Anya and Danny are safe.

Sabra and Dominic are in the bottom three.

Lacey and Kameron are safe.

Ashlee and Ricky are in the bottom three.

Sara and Jesus are safe.

Pasha and Jessi are safe.

Neil and Lauren are safe.

Cedric and Faina are in the bottom three.

Jimmy and Shawna are safe.

So six will be DANCING FOR THEIR LIVES.

But first, last year's winner Benji Schwimmer performs. He says he's grateful for the show, and that he has been all over the world. He adds that he is in a Christina Aguilera video. He dances, and he wears red gloves. (Those really were the most remarkable things that happened.)

The bottom three couples dance their solos, and the judges leave to deliberate. Then Lloyd comes out to sing and perform.

Sabra is called forward -- Nigel says her solo was the best they have ever seen her dance. She is safe.

Faina is next -- Nigel says he would love to see that dance (her solo) with a partner, but she is safe.

That means Ashlee is going home. Nigel says in her solo, she "relied on emotion instead of showing her whole vocabulary." She thanks them for the opportunity and that it's given her a lot of confidence.

Ricky is called forward -- Nigel says he has the potential to be one of the best dancers this year, but that he didn't give them his full potential this evening. He is told to step back.

Cedric is next -- Nigel says he didn't let his partner down, which they had been worried about, and that he did an amazing solo. He is safe.

Dominic is all that's left -- Nigel says he brings another side to the competition, but they are worried that he will always do the same, albeit fabulous, tricks. However, tonight, he showed his personality, too, so he is safe.

So Ricky is out. They kind of collapse on each other, and Dominic leaves the stage.

And that shows the drama of the competition -- by the luck (or unluck) of the draw, two contemporary dancers get stuck doing Argentine tango, and it doesn't quite work for them. But if the competition steps up to whatever challenge they are facing, that means you're cut. So that's the end for somewhat-creepy Ricky and barely-any-screen-time Ashlee.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

Last night, I spent my TV time on So You Think You Can Dance (as you can see from the previous entry). And I have Top Chef saved on the DVR for later. (Three straight nights of tae kwon do workouts left me too fried to spend three hours blogging, sadly.)

But, thanks to a weird confluence in scheduling, this means I missed, last night alone:

• Last Comic Standing
• American Inventor
• The Next Best Thing: Who is the Greatest Celebrity Impersonator?
• The Real World Reunited

Real World I know I can catch in a rerun, and I think the same is true of Last Comic Standing. Did anybody catch any of these? Were they good, bad, indifferent, notable?

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Tonight on So You Think You Can Dance, the 20 finalists pair up and take on some new dances. I love this part. Also, we'll start to get to know some of the finalists who, up until now, have gotten zero screen time, which always seems so unfair to me. But here we go.

On my cable (Comcast in Howard), they were running commercials and forgot to cut to the show when it started, so it cut in in the middle of the introduction of the dancers. This is not helpful when I am trying to learn how to spell everyone's names!

Judges tonight are hip-hop choreographer Dan Karaty, ballroom expert Mary Murphy and exec producer Nigel Lythgoe. Host remains Cat Deeley.

They start with a montage of the finalists in the audition and Vegas week process.

Then, the dances ...

• The first couple is Jaimie and Hok. Jaimie is 18 and says she has been training in a lot of forms for years and years, but that hip-hop and ballroom make her nervous. She says her mom was her biggest supporter in dance, but she died from breast cancer two years ago. Hok is on his third audition -- the first year, he didn't get through; the second, he didn't have his work visa; this year, he's all in the clear. They are assigned a hip-hop routine with Shane Sparks. They are, to my eye, amazing in the performance. Jaimie might not be trained in hip-hop, but I wouldn't have guessed it. And Hok is Hok. Dan, on the other hand, says he appreciated the effort, but that it didn't really work at parts. Mary says she thought at the end of the day it could be forgettable, but good start. Nigel says they are expecting Hok to be brilliant, and he wanted more of him in the work (and kind of insults the choreography in the process, which makes Shane, in the audience, lose it laughing). He adds that he thinks Jaimie did keep up with Hok. So, maybe I'm just excited for this part of the show, but I guess I liked it more than the judges.
• Anya (ballroom dancer) and Danny (classical ballet and adopted brother of last year's runner-up Travis Wall) are partners for the jive with choreographer Tony Meredith. Anya is amazing, and Danny doesn't do too bad himself. Dan says they made it look effortless and that Danny is lucky Anya's his partner. Mary says they took her breath away and that she is proud of Danny. Nigel says they looked fantastic and that Anya shows everyone how to be a technician and a performer. He adds they will be a couple to be reckoned with.
• Lacey (swing and Latin ballroom) is partners with Kameron (contemporary and hip-hop). He has red stars in his hair. They will be dancing a contemporary routine from Mia Michaels. Lacey looks to be having trouble with the choreography in the interview, but not during the performance. Dan says she got Mia's vision and that she did a phenomenal job and that Kameron was a prop for Lacey's performance. Mary says he was a lot more than a prop and that they "brought the hair right up off my arm." She adds that Lacey was a total surprise. Nigel says that Lacey was the star of the performance with the jumps and the leaps and that Kameron was there for her every time.
• Next are Sabra (contemporary) and Dominic (breakdancer), who will be doing Doriana Sanchez's disco routine. Because it's 1977. But they fling each other all over the place and have a great time. Dan says: "It was good. I didn't think it was great. ... It was OK." Mary says Dominic had some great lines for a bboy. She calls Sabra Little Miss Sunshine. Nigel points out that Dominic has never worked with a partner and that they did a great job. He also says Dominic looks like John Leguizamo in Summer of Sam.
• Ashlee (contemporary/modern) paired with Ricky (who compares his dance to mathematics, but it's contemporary) for the Argentine tango with Alex da Silva. It's a pretty sexy performance and no one got kicked in the groin. Dan disagrees: "It wasn't that sexy." He says they didn't connect at all. Mary agrees, saying that they look sizzling but that the dancing wasn't sizzling. Nigel says that Ashlee looks so much bigger (she is tall), which might be part of why their chemistry seemed off.
• Sara (b-girl but she's studied other styles as well) is partnered with Jesus/Chuy (lyrical) for pop/jazz with Wade Robson's "vagabond cabaret" routine. It's complicated and weird, but they seem to pull it off. Dan says the piece from Wade is an "automatic standout" because they haven't ever seen anything like that. He says there were a couple of moments when they weren't as together as they should have been, but that they went for it and he loved it. Mary says: "It was twisted, demented and SPECTACULAR!" Nigel says he's so excited they have a b-girl who is coping with all these other styles.
• Jessi (hip-hop) is partnered with Pasha (ballroom) for the smooth waltz with Tony Meredith. It's lovely, smooth and, uh, waltz-y. Dan says they look like the prom king and queen. He adds that the style usually bores him, but that they floated around the stage and it was beautiful to watch. Mary says it was classy and elegant, and that both of them really pulled it off. Nigel says Jessi's movement has a great quality to it, even in hip-hop and that it was great.
• Faina (ballroom and sister of last year's finalist Stanislav) is partners with Cedric (who calls his style "improv" but had trouble with partnering in Vegas). They'll be doing hip-hop with Shane Sparks. Faina has trouble during the practice and does OK with it during the performance, but her movements to me almost seem too small for the routine. Dan says they didn't really feed off each other's energy. He adds that Faina didn't seem to be totally committed to the performance. Mary says Faina hung in there and that Cedric is just crazy. Nigel says Cedric has a wonderful fluidity, but it's hard to ask someone who has not even done hip-hop before to try to match up is not that fair.
• Lauren (hip-hop, was an assistant on the last season of the show) is partners with Neil (contemporary) for an Alex da Silva salsa routine. I can't speak to how they do technically, but they sell the heck out of it. Dan says they danced the routine very well, but Neil, "look at the girl next to you, she's hot. ... It didn't feel that way. It was too hokey, cheesy." Mary says she agrees, that for Neil it was a little like a cheerleader doing the dance. Nigel says his carriage was too high, and that Lauren reminds him of Alison from last season, but they need to work together.
• Shawna (contemporary and others) is partners with Jimmy (contemporary lyrical) for Broadway with Tyce DiOrio. In rehearsal, they are having a great time; same deal during the performance. Dan says Jimmy shocks him -- that he outperformed Shawna, and that they had a BLAST. (For once, I'm on the same page with the judges!) Mary says it was a great performance, and they are wonderful together. Nigel says he thought Shawna looked frumpy in her outfit and that he didn't like her performance, which surprised him. He gets booed.

Cat asks the judges who is in most danger. Nigel says Benji Schwimmer (last season's winner) because they are all so good. Mary says Anya and Danny are definitely safe. Dan says Ashlee and Ricky might be in danger.

I'm not voting (as per usual), but here's what I rewatched on the DVR: Hok and Jaimie, Lacey and Kameron and Sara and Jesus. What did you think about the start of the competition?

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 11:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

(Photo by Zach Cordner / MTV)

Frankie Abernathy, who was on The Real World: San Diego in 2004, died on Saturday. She had cystic fibrosis, but it has not yet been reported what the cause of death was. She was 25.

From a story in the Kansas City Star:

Abbie [Hunter, Frankie's mother] and her husband, Perry, Frankie’s stepfather, always thought Frankie should take better care of herself — she didn’t give up smoking until she was on “The Real World,” for instance.

“But I don’t think she had any regrets as far as the things she did do,” her mom said. “She had a lot more stories at 25 than I have at 47. She lived pretty good. She had a lot to cram in.”

Abernathy’s health had deteriorated in the last year. She couldn’t walk very far, and she was in the hospital more frequently.

Read more here and here.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 5:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: The Real World
        

I just read that Don Herbert, also known as "Mr. Wizard," died yesterday. I'm so sad to hear that. I watched the 1980s version of his show, Mr. Wizard's World after school on Nickelodeon all the time. I already loved science class, but the show made me even more excited about the potential fun we could have in lab. I would watch and want to do the experiments myself, but thankfully, outside of class, I don't think I was ever inspired to do more than pretend experiments involving my mom's hair and beauty products and maybe some food coloring.

What are your favorite Mr. Wizard memories?

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 8:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

I have to confess a serious weakness for Big Brother. I don't know what the deal is, but I get sucked into the show every season. So imagine my mixed emotions to learn that there will be even more ways to watch the show this season. CBS announced more details about the the season yesterday. Here they are:

• The show kicks of July 5 and will air on Tuesday, Thursday and Sundays.
• Big Brother: After Dark, a "a live look inside the BIG BROTHER house during the late-night hours," will air on Showtime partner ShoToo from midnight to 3 a.m. every night during the show.
• Full episodes and highlight clips will be available online for "fans to watch the programs online and incorporate clips into their blogs, wikis, widgets and community pages."
• Streaming live video will also be available this season, as it has from the beginning of the show.
• Mobile updates and video content, which started last season, will be available this season as well.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 11:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Big Brother
        

MyNetworkTV (or MNT as you will also see it called) recently announced its fall schedule, and there isn't a lot of scripted drama showing up here. But I'm sure the network is hoping there will be other kinds of drama. Among the new shows this fall are, according to a release from the network:

“IFL Battleground” follows the athletes, coaches and personalities of the International Fight League, the world’s first professional mixed martial arts organization to compete in a team format. Twelve five man teams (10 based in the United States, one based in Toronto, Ontario and one in Tokyo, Japan) each with a world champion coach, will vie over a nine month, 11 event season for the first-ever IFL Championship. IFL cameras will cover the stories of each of the athletes both in and out of the ring, bringing fans all of the event and behind the scenes action. Segments will take viewers up close during the competition and also into the locker rooms, training routines, and home lives of this diverse set of athletes who are a part of the world’s fastest growing professional and recreational sport.

Produced by Scott Sternberg, FOX Reality original “The Academy” shows you who the real heroes are, what type of person devotes their lives to law enforcement and what it takes to realize that dream. “The Academy” follows the rigorous 18-week course at Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Training Academy as cameras capture every moment of the mental and physical training process which raises stress levels – sometimes beyond endurance. Not all the recruits have what it takes to become a Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff, but all will have their lives changed by the experience.

John Langley, the creator and producer of “COPS,” now takes us behind bars with “Jail.” Shot on-location in cities across the U.S., “Jail” follows prison inmates from their initial booking through their first moments in the slammer. Each episode captures the harsh and sometimes humorous reality of what happens to criminals once the sheriff throws away the key.

From Stage 29 Productions’ executive producer Jay McGraw comes “Divorce Wars,” an intense real-life look at couples struggling to hold on to their relationships. Husbands and wives tackling issues ranging from financial hardships to infidelity enter the “Divorce Wars” house for five days, submitting themselves to 24-hour surveillance and counseling, to try one last time to find happily ever after.

No parent thinks anyone is good enough for their daughter. From acclaimed reality TV producer Bruce Nash comes "Meet My Folks," a relationship show where parents get to decide who dates their children. Potential love interests are put to the ultimate test through a series of revealing secret interviews, fun tasks and the all-knowing lie detector. When parents play matchmaker dating gets a lot more interesting.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 7:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

One-hundred ninety dancers made it to Vegas, and last night, it was cut to 50. Tonight, the 50 get trimmed to 20.

Each dancer gets one last solo and no feedback. After everyone dances -- and some deliberations -- the cuts begin.

Last up is ballroom dancer Faina Savage. Later, she collapses, and she's told by the medics it's dehydration. Whew! She does provide a nice, dramatic shot for the cameras, though.

Surprise! Nigel calls a bunch of dancers forward, and they call get cut at once. This includes Olivia, who has gotten a LOT of camera time of late. She interviews that she would have rather gotten cut at the beginning. Glad she learned from the experience of working with all these amazing choreographers!

The 17 guys and 17 girls who are left are called to the stage and told that the top 20 will be chosen from among them, but they need to deliberate more. So the contestants sit backstage and fret.

• Kevin Hunt has to go out first. He's cut.
• Two more go home, but don't get their names revealed on screen.
• Danny Tidwell, "adopted brother" of last year's runner-up Travis Wall. Nigel tells him ego needs to go out the door, but he is in. Shane Sparks says he thinks it's going to be a mistake.
• Ashlee Langers is next. Mia Michaels tells her she needs to be careful of approaching "everything with the same energy" -- she means Ashley's bubbly smile -- but she is in.
• Dominic Sandoval is told he is great at what he does, but it stops there. But, Shane Sparks continues, he needs to "represent" because he is in.
• Cedric Gardner is next. In Vegas, he had trouble with choreographed routines, but amazed with his solos. Nigel is concerned he will mess up other dancers, but he is overruled. When he comes on stage, Shane Sparks tells him he needs to learn other styles of dance. Mary Murphy screeches that he will get the chance because he is in.
• Two more women make it, but don't have their names revealed.
• Janet Bombard, who has a prosthetic arm, is next. Nigel tells her she made him cry when she talked about her accident and what it means to "hit rock bottom" and move on. Nigel says that after reviewing all her tapes, they are sad to say she is not one of the top 20.
• Ricky Palomino sits backstage and says he wishes Cat Deeley, the host, was with him. Nigel says he finds him a little strange, but his dancing is superb. He says he doesn't know how people will vote, since personality is part of it. He is in!
• Next are ballroom dancers Anya and Pasha. Anya is first, and she is in. Pasha is told that he is only really good at ballroom, but he gets into the top 20 anyway.
• Faina Savage (sister of Stanislav from last season) isn't hopeful after so many other ballroom dancers are through. But so is she.
• Lauren Gottlieb, who was an assistant last season, is now old enough to compete and is very nervous. Nigel tells her they have been fighting the idea that they would be showing favoritism. And they totally act like she isn't going to make it, but she does.
• B-girl Sara von Gillam (hey, Fox, captions would be reallllly helpful so I could not have to make up all these spellings! Kthxbye) hopes she is through. She gets the run-around, but she is in. They tell her to practice her Viennese waltz.
• A guy named Kameron is in.
• So's another guy whose name they don't go over.
• Someone named Shauna is, too.
• And another dude.
• And "Chuy."
• Heather Shore is wearing a bikini top. She is also getting cut, but they all tell her to come back next year.
• Jessi Peralta gets really confused and thinks she's out, but she's in. She starts crying. And awesomely, she says she would have quit after this because she thinks she's getting too old. They ask how old, and when she says 25, the judges all groan and laugh at her.
• Another montage of cuts with no names.
• Caitlin Cucchiara, I believe the youngest auditioner, is next. They tell her she just needs a little more experience, and she gets cut.
• Twitch and Hok are the last two guys. They are friends and talk to Cat about how it's going to be sad either way. Twitch is cut, and Hok is making it through. Hok is upset, but the judges cheer him up.
• Lacey Schwimmer and Kristen Stein are the last two women. Lacey is wearing the most deranged outfit I have ever seen -- sparkly T with fake suspenders and tie, a weird skirt/tutu and more. Lacey is in (and she exclaims, "Shut the front door!" Oh, dear), and Kristen, who was already bawling, is out. The judges tell Lacey she "scraped" in.

All right -- the voting part starts next week. Should be fun.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

We're keeping close watch over Maryland Pirate Master contestant Louie Frase. Thus far, he seems to be the only one on the show with a sense of humor about the proceedings. Hello, other contestants: the phrase is "Jolly Roger"!

Joe Don the "captain" starts out the second episode being just as self-serious and arrogant as last time, assigning duties to everyone -- first Sean (the bartender) as cook and Jay as "chief mate." Jay's all excited about how he's playing both sides, but U.S. district attorney Cheryl has his number. I'm sure he'll talk in interviews a few more times about how much smarter he is than everyone else before he figures out the leaders don't trust him.

Fashion publicist Alexist whines about how awful the gruel that the crew has to eat is. Then she interviews: "I'm kind of a whiner." At least she's self-aware. Meanwhile, the captain gets eggs, bacon and rum for breakfast.

Louie interviews about all the work they have to do on the ship (however, even though he's complaining about it, he looks to be enjoying it), ending with "... if you're a crew member."

Joe Don thinks it's hilarious that he has so much food and the crew is starving. What a prize he is.

Louie: "The captain doesn't do any work, so when the time for expedition comes, the captain's bright and bushy-tailed. The rest of us will be tired, and it's hard."

Speaking of expedition time, here it is. Kendra unlocks the second compartment to the "CHEST OF ZANZIBAR!!!!1!!11!!" There are two maps, so again there will be two crews searching for treasure. This time, though, the captain and his two mates will lead the black crew, and the red crew will oppose them in the search for the gold. If the red crew wins, it will choose a new captain. Louie, by the way, is on the black crew.

The pirates have to swim to shore, hike to a possible sabotage point, run to a snake pit, where snakes guard the tools needed to find the treasure. The black crew is in the lead, mostly due to Kendra's slow swimming. Black hits the sabotage point first and leaves a thorny gate blocking the red crew's path. Then they start the uphill run.

Louie interviews that it's relentlessly uphill, and, "just when you thought it was getting OK and you could take it, it got a little steeper." But they get to the snake pit and try to figure out who's going in there to search for the tools. Nessa decides it's her, and Azmyth follows.

On the red crew, they're having issues. Christian (ex-linebacker) is strong but slow, and then Joy falls and bangs up her knee.

Azmyth finds the compass plate. Louie: "Azmyth was the man. ... That Azmyth is a rock n roll pirate. And the captain did nothing."

On the black crew, they read the clue, and find the "altar" they have to put the compass plate on. And "ex-military" Christa has swimsuit issues to the point that she is basically blurred every time she's on screen during the expedition. Oops. 

Red crew gets in view of black crew and sees they don't have the treasure. They jump in the snake put to look for the tools, but before they find that, black crew finds the treasure. Or rather, Azmyth does.

Sean interviews that they lost because of Joy, or because of Joy's injury.

The black crew counts the money, and this time it's $45,000. Joe Don gets $22,500. He's told he can keep his two officers or replace them with two new officers. He keeps them. Ben and Cheryl split $11,250.

Louie: "The captain had an opportunity to change his officers, which he won't do because those officers are true to him. So they're sitting in there thinking they're going to get fat for weeks. I'd like to cut all three of them adrift at once, and I want them to see the inside of a shark's belly."

The rest of the crew gets $2,250 each.

Cheryl interviews that her strategy is to go with the flow.

Joe Don attempts to make a peace offering by giving some of the crew and additional $200 each. They're not exactly overwhelmed with gratitude. Then he gives "chief mate" Jay $2,000 behind closed doors. Jay says, "He says it wasn't a bribe; it's a bribe."

Time for Pirate Court nominations. (It's like Night Court! Or Divorce Court! Or something!) Kendra, Christian and Joy get "black spots." They aren't happy. And Kendra thinks it's because the captain doesn't like her, but the officers claim it was all about who was weak.

Louie walks around telling everyone that he's ready for mutiny. The he reveals he has an alliance of sorts with Christian.

At court, Joe Don says Kendra revealed she wasn't strong in the water during the challenge, that Christian's size worked against him in the challenge, and that Joy injured herself. Kendra says she had a hiccup in the water, but that "once I hit land, I didn't stop." Joy says her knee is doing better, that she was even able to raise the anchor that morning. Christian says the captain needs to make the crew happy, and that if he is chosen as captain, he won't take 50, 40 or 30 percent. Joe Don says Christian is digging his own hole.

Joe Don says the crew knows how they feel about him and "how I roll," and that he thinks they are happy, and he's good with that. Louie says before the court that they aren't getting paid enough or getting enough food. He says he has about $4,400 in his pockets, but Joe Don has about $40,000. Joe Don says it's less than that because "I've shared money with my [unintelligble]." Based on the look on Jay's face and the rest of the crew, I'm going with "first mate." Jay says Joe Don gave him $1,000, which is half-true. Alexis says she would have preferred not to get the $200 because, "I found it a little offensive coming out of a pocket with 40 grand in it."

It's overwrought ballot time! Stare meaningfully at the captain! Smash those cards over the dagger!

Despite all the staring, no one voted for Joe Don. I'm so confused by these people! Anyway, Joy is safe, as is Kendra. And Christian is out, which upsets Louie greatly.

Joe Don cuts Christian adrift. And we're stuck with arrogant Joe Don another week. But if people don't mutiny, I don't feel that bad for them.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Maryland reality contestants, Pirate Master
        

I had though that Top Chef started its third season tonight, but it turns out it's an all-star face off. It's four from Season 1 and four from Season 2, competing for $20,000 to go to charity.

Season 1's group is: Harold, Dave, Tiffani and Stephen, and Season 2 is Ilan, Marcel, Sam and Elia. Well, this could get interesting, since there was some bad blood among some of these folks in their seasons.

I was literally rubbing my hands together in anticipation of this reunion, and the first cut is to host Padma rubbing her hands together and saying, "This is going to be good!" I sure hope so.

Season 1 winner Harold reports that his new restaurant will be opening in spring 2007. Hey, that's now. Intriguing. Padma reports that Lee Anne Wong, fourth runner-up, won't be joining them because she is now Top Chef's culinary producer. Yay! As I mentioned during her season, a friend of mine had her as an instructor and said she is truly as funny and genuine (and talented) as she appeared on the show. I like it when nice things happen to nice people.

Season 2 winner Ilan says he's been getting all kinds of offers but that his first restaurant needs to be "tiny." There are some funny hairdos going on -- you might recall that Elia and Ilan shaved their heads during an ill-advised night of drinking on their season. His hair is vaguely faux-hawked with designs shaved on the sides, and Elia's is dyed white or silver or pale blonde. By the way, Ilan and Marcel say they have "buried the hatchet" and are fine with each other. Good for real life, not so good for the drama quotient, but Stephen from Season 1 has enough arrogance to make up for that.

First, they have to do a quickfire challenge. Each contestant has two eggs. Stephen interviews that as far as cooking goes, if you can cook eggs, you can cook, and if you can't, "you're better off not being in the competition." (Someone needs to tell this to the Hell's Kitchen folks, so they stop castigating Julia!) They have to make something "perfect, delicious and impressive." Then Padma tells them they will have to cook these perfect eggs with one hand tied behind their backs. One hand has to stay in a giant mitt behind their back the whole time. The overall winning team gets a "meaningful advantage" in the main challenge.

Dave's eggs of fire are a little overcooked, he says.

Tiffani's Herb and Cream Poached Eggs aren't quite set, she says. ("Egg soup," judge Tom Collichio says.)

Stephen's omlette is perfect, he says.

Harold's Parmesan Shirred Eggs don't get much of a comment from him.

Marcel presents "Ode to a Spanish Breakfast with Saffron Foam." Of course, FOAM! It's his thing.

Ilan's egg white omelette with Bernaise sauce made from the yolks is small, so he had to season it blindly, he says.

Elia is nervous about her panko fried eggs, but only because of the competition.

Sam offers fried eggs over pickled cranberries and more and says it's not great that Tom called it "interesting."

Tom says everyone fell back into their roles, and it was great watching them cook again. Stephen wins for his team, so he is the captain, and the team's charity is the Susan G. Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer Research.

Tom says for Season 2, Ilan would have won, but he oversalted. So Marcel wins, calling it "the biggest smackdown of all time" for beating Ilan with foam. A little overstatement, but after the stuff they put him through, he deserves to gloat. Season 2's charity is Share Our Strength.

The overall quickfire winner is Season 1.

For the main challenge, each team will prepare a four-course meal: first, scallops; second, lobster; third, duck; fourth, Kobe beef. Twenty plates for each dish -- that's a lot. Because of the win, Season 1 gets $300 to shop with, while Season 2 gets only $200. They get 10 minutes to discuss, half an hour to shop and two hours to cook the next day. On the Season 2 team, they assign a course to each person. On Season 1, Stephen starts freaking out about region and cuisine. They agree on Mediterranean.

On Season 2, Ilan doesn't even know how he is going to cook the duck, and it seems like everyone is doing whatever they want with no cohesion.

Marcel raps in an interview, and I die a little inside.

The next morning, it's crunch time. At this point, you have to just kind of sit back and watch all the chaos.

Stephen spent his team's extra money on wine. He's a sommalier, in case you managed to forget, and Tom makes him realize how dumb this was because both teams' dishes will be served at the same time, so Season 1's wine will also be complementing the other team's food. Whoops!

Ilan dumps some of Marcel's already diced mango out of the fridge and onto the floor. He starts putting it all back in the bowl and talking about washing it. Ick. Wet fruit in the highest-traffic area in the kitchen (in front of the fridge)? I can't bear to think about that too much.

The diners are the judges (now including Ted Allen), and (hee!) the contestants from Season 3! The chefs aren't amused.

The first round (Elia vs. Dave) seems split between the two. The second round (Marcel vs. Stephen) seems to be going toward Stephen, but it, too, is split. Ilan changed up his duck recipe at the very end. He's up against Harold on the duck course. Harold seems to be taking that round, especially since some people are grossed out by the raw egg yolk over Ilan's rice, when they are dining outdoors in the heat. The Kobe beef round (Sam vs. Tiffani) is a success on both counts.

Shockingly, it's impossible to guess who might win.

Lastly, it's Judges' Table. Padma thanks them for a great meal.

Elia and Dave come forward to talk about first course. Dave says he layered flavors but not in his typical way. The judges say they liked it, but nitpick a couple of texture things. Elia says Marcel suggested she do a raw and a cooked scallop, and the judges say they wish she'd just done cooked. Except that Tom says he liked both.

Stephen and Marcel are next. The judges ask Marcel whether a foam and a gelee were smart in the heat and humidity. He says yes, and Padma says it was his "best foam." They criticize his knife-work on the mango, and he concurs without blaming Ilan, but Ilan cops to knocking over the mango.

Harold and Ilan come up. They're asked if they tried each other's dishes, but they both say no. Harold is told his dish felt "slightly incomplete." Tom asks Ilan if he liked his dish, and he says he didn't get to do what he wanted. The judges say there were some issues with the duck being overcooked and yet not all the fat on the skin being rendered.

Tiffani and Sam talk Kobe. Tom asks Tiffani for her recipe. Sam his told the flavors were overly strong.

Scallops, slight edge: Elia (Season 2).

Lobster, slight edge: Stephen (Season 1).

Duck, slight edge: Harold (Season 1).

Kobe beef, winner is Tiffani (Season 1).

So the originals take it, and get the $20K for Komen.

Marcel's advice to the contestants to use boatloads of saffron and "don't do duos." Heh.

They all pack their knives and go! See you next week for the real premiere.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Top Chef
        

Tonight, the semifinalists who made it to Vegas on So You Think You Can Dance try to show the judges they deserve to make the finals. Dancers will either be cut straight-out, definitely make the next round or, if the judges are split, have one last chance to "dance for their life" to prove they should be there.

By the end of the process, only 20 will remain.

The first challenge for the contestants is a hip-hop routine from judge Shane Sparks. It is, as is his style, intricate and powerful. After the dancers learn the routine, they perform it in groups of 10 for the judges.

After each round, the judges vote on whether people get through to the next.

Dance student and teacher Ashley and Katie both get cut first round.

Ex-football player Myles Johnson also gets cut.

Lindy-hopper Michael and Evita each get a split vote and have to dance for their lives in the competition. They get to do their style and make it.

Olivia (who danced for her mother, who was ill) makes the cut.

Sixty-two contestants get cut after the Shane Sparks round. Next, judge Mary Murphy teaches the remaining dancers the samba.

Russian ballroom dancer Pasha gets a unanimous vote.

Janet, who has a prosthetic arm, also makes it.

Olivia makes it, too.

A guy named Jay is out, and he's mad, pulling the "get that camera out of my face" move.

(Sun photo by Doug Kapustin)

Immediately thereafter, we get a very, very quick cut of local Maryland dancer Heather Zampier (pictured above left and profiled in today's paper) getting cut. Sadly, we don't even get to see her performance.

Next round, the dancers have to take on a lyricalcontemporary dance by Mia Michaels.

Lindy-hopper Michael is out.

Yesenia, the hip-hop dancer, gets cut, too.

Lindy-hopper EvaEvita gets a split vote, so she's got one last chance.

A bunch of b-boys and breakers will also have that one last dance opportunity.

Ricky Palomino (whom I don't think we've seen until now) impresses everyone.

The next morning, it's the solos for the contestants on the bubble.

"Twitch" is up first. He breaks it down to "Get Up Offa That Thing" -- he gets all yesses, including two from Nigel (but that was a joke).

Hok gets a unanimous vote, too.

Jamal, who surprised the judges and got through when he improvised a swing routine with another guy from his crew, decides his best option for the solo is tap. Which he doesn't really know. So he kicks off the shoes and does his usual thing. The gamble does not pay off, and he is out.

Eva/Evita finally gets the boot, with Nigel saying, "I can't keep putting you through on personality."

After all that, only 63 are left.

Cat surprises the remaining 63, telling them that they will be divided into 15 groups, and each group will choose a CD from the box she has, each of which has one of five songs. They then have until first thing in the morning to choreograph and learn a group dance.

The first group includes ballroom dance Faima, who is having trouble with the contemporary routine they are creating. They decide to stay up all night. Nigel asks who choreographed it, and Jamie (whoever that is) says a mix of people, but Nigel notes it was mostly her style. Michael from the group gets cut. The three women make it through.

Hana-Lee (who survived the collapse of a building in Israel a few years ago) is nursing a sprained ankle. The group has hip-hop dancers, modern dancer Olivia and a ballet dancer. The hip-hop dancers decide to both choreograph the routine and totally override each other again and again through the night. Olivia loses it. But they pull it off. Hana-Lee will be dancing for her life. The rest make it through.

One group includes Jessie Peralta, who appears to be missing from the routine, but then she climbs out of a suitcase in the middle of the floor during a chaotic and weird performance. The whole group is asked to dance for their lives.

Jessie Peralta makes it after her solo.

Hana-Lee goes out and does the best she can on her injured foot, making a prop in her performance. She only gets two votes, but at this point, that doesn't get her through.

At the end of this round, there are 50 dancers left.

Next, each of the remaining dancers performs a solo for the judges, with no feedback from them. After that, they find out whether they make the Top 20. But that's probably tomorrow's show, since there are only two minutes left. Yep.

See you then!

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

In today's Today section, you read about some Marylanders who have been on reality TV, as well as two current contestants, Louie Frase on Pirate Master and Heather Zampier on So You Think You Can Dance. We didn't have enough space for everyone, so here are some others who didn't make the paper:

• Jamile McGee came in third place on the first season of So You Think You Can Dance. McGee was told by doctors he would probably never walk again thanks to his juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, but he made a full, seemingly miraculous, recovery and became a fan favorite in this show's first season.
• Aaron Altscher was on The Apprentice: Los Angeles (the most recent season). His shining moment was when he became project manager after a string of losses and led his team to its first victory (allowing them to move into the house and out of the yard in this haves vs. have-nots season). Unfortunately, he was fired a couple of episodes later.
• Survivor: The Amazon featured two contestants from Ellicott City: rocket scientist Dave Johnson and Ryan Aiken, a Howard Community College student (at the time).
• Survivor: Pearl Islands featured Trish Dunn, an Annapolis sales executive and alumna of University of Maryland.
• The most recent season of The Biggest Loser featured a contestant from every state, some of whom were chosen to live in the house and compete. Amy from Baltimore made that cut and lasted four weeks in the competition.
• Sarah from America's Next Top Model 4 was from Baltimore.
• Baltimorean Renee was on The Bachelor: Rome.


(Barbara Haddock Taylor // Sun Photographer 2004)


• Keith Kormanik (above), an assistant football coach at Gilman, was on The Bachelorette in 2004.

So, between this list and the people in today's paper (LaKisha Jones, Evangelin Pesci, Stacy Keibler and Charla Baklayan Faddoul and Mirna Hindoyan), we've got a pretty big list for such a little state. But who'd we miss?

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 5:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Maryland reality contestants
        

I'll admit it: I've never watched Hell's Kitchen on Fox, the reality show in which foodies try to deal with volcanic Gordon Ramsay and win the chance to run a restaurant. But the promo with the one guy who couldn't stop crying got my attention, so here we are.

It's the third season, and the serious-voiced announcer discusses how different it's going to be this season. In the intro, it looks more like The Apprentice than Top Chef. Teams get rewards a la Trump if they win and possibly sent home if they don't.

The contestants are in fancy vans headed toward Ramsay and the competition.

Jean-Philippe, the maitre d, introduces himself, but shortly, Ramsay starts yelling at them to go into the kitchen and cook their signature dish. After an indeterminate amount of time (to us), they are told to stop, and the contestants present their dishes.

Ramsay immediately yells at Vinnie, who has crusted salmon. Joanna says she is going to flirt to get what she needs to get out of Chef Ramsay. Raise your hand if you think he won't see right through that. Her dish is parmesan-crusted chicken, whole-wheat pasta and a raspberry bellini. Rock presents pan-seared scallops with potato gnocchi. Ramsay says he's excited he had time to use gnocchi, and Rock says it was frozen. Ramsay is peeved.

Josh comes forward to present his dish, but first he's shown saying that "food is sex." Original! His dish of foie gras is called raw, but he says it's not. Bonnie presents her contemporary cheese course. He says she's pretty new at this, and she says yes. Eddie, who is 28 but had a kidney disease that stunted his growth, leaving him 5-foot-2 and looking much younger than 28, is called forward to present his dish. He calls himself a "bulldog in a chihuahua's body." His dish is parmesan-crusted sea scallops. Ramsay insists that someone else try it, Brad, who also made scallops. He says they were cooked right, but Ramsay says they were raw. Eddie tries Brad's and he says it was good, but the vanilla ruins it for him. Ramsay says that's the most sensible thing he's heard thus far. 

The next person whose dish is pointed out, Jen, loses her breath and almost passes out. She gets it together to present her vanilla crepe with caramelized peaches. He says it tastes only of alcohol. Melissa says she always gets judged in the kitchen because of her looks. (Have you ever noticed that the people who go on and on about getting judged by their looks are not always the unstoppably hot stuff they think they are? Anyway ...) Her dish is steak and asparagus. "Finally, I taste something delicious." He opens a dish by short order cook Julia -- chicken-fried chicken penne. Tiffany says the dish was really peppery. Ramsay says the chicken was great but undone by the pepper. Tiffany's dish is a seafood tostada. Julia says it was good and she would order it in a restaurant. Ramsay agrees. The last chef is Aaron, a retirement home chef wearing a cowboy hat for no reason. He says his dish is finger food. Ramsay says the first part is good, but the other two items made it too much.

Ramsay says he's disappointed with everyone and they need to up their game. He tells them their teams are men (blue) and women (red). They're sent to their living space, where they talk strategy a bit and hit the hay.

The teams each have to prepare a menu of 15 items requiring more than 300 ingredients. Brad takes the lead on the men's team. No one will talk to Julia on the women's team. Aaron messes up his ice cream, and the guys try to help him. On the women's team, Joanna starts giving everyone orders.

Ramsay asks how things are going, and Julia says their communication is a mess. No one agrees. He asks how the men's team is doing, and Aaron starts bawling.

Customers start arriving for tables at Hell's Kitchen.

The women's team gets the first order but it's totally chaotic.

Vinnie gets the men's first order together, but it tastes like paste, according to Ramsay. Vinnie starts snickering because Ramsay uses "a word like 'rubbish.'" He says he needs to use a word he understands. Seriously? Bonnie biffs the eggs, and no one will let Julia help, so she just sits back and whines.

An hour in, neither team has served one dish. Ramsay kicks Vinnie off the appetizers and puts Brad on. Julia still doesn't get to help and starts crying.

Ramsay pulls Tiffany off appetizers, puts Melissa on that station and allows Julia to take a swing at the quail's eggs. They still haven't served a thing, but the guys have served 29 of 50 appetizers. But Aaron burns some chicken, so things get complicated again.

On the women's team, Melissa is doing well, and holy smokes, turns out Julia is rocking the eggs. But the host says Melissa is pushing everyone's buttons. Aaron takes a five-minute break, which you don't really do, and he gets in trouble.

The men have no chicken because it's all overcooked. People start leaving the restaurant because of the wait. Not a good first night.

The women's team keeps arguing.

Ramsay shuts down the first night since there were so many problems. He tells the women their bickering was ridiculous. He yells at Vinnie for the hour without appetizers. Vinnie says he didn't know what Ramsay wanted and Ramsay didn't want to tell him, "so what did you want me to do?" Back-talking isn't going to get you anywhere with this guy, I don't think. Ramsay calls him lazy. Rock says, "All I could think was, 'Please shut up.'" I agree!

Ramsay says there are no winners, but the losing team is the red team. He names Melissa the best of the worst and to nominate two teammates for elimination. Melissa says she thinks Julia was a team player, but that going from the Waffle House to a Gordon Ramsay restaurant is a big jump. Melissa talks to everyone about how things went to get some information.

Melissa nominates Joanna because she thinks they didn't work well together. She also nominates Tiffany, after telling her she's not going home, blaming how long it took the appetizers to get out.

Tiffany says she can do better. Joanna says she was bringing food out, and Tiffany wasn't.

Ramsay sends home Tiffany, who interviews she can't believe how intense it was. She also says if he chose people based on heart, he made the right decision. Joanna interviews that it doesn't matter who she has to [bleep] over to make herself look better. Nice! Aaron interviews that he hopes his body holds up. Bonnie says she thinks she's lucky to still be there.

Hey, the first winner of the sweepstakes (text who you think is going home) is someone named Jeni Mowery from Baltimore. Nice going, random local person.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Finally, I am back with the promised recap of Thursday night's So You Think You Can Dance. Here are some of the highlights:

Teacher Chris Crabb is obsessed with N Sync and has a shrine to Justin Timberlake in his bedroom. His audition is a mix of free-styling and pilates and calisthenics and dorkiness. I hope he teaches people who don't watch TV.

Breakdancer Tony Velez gets through after going to the choreography round.

The show sends so many people through to the choreography round that I start getting the song "Choreography" from White Christmas stuck in my head. Then, the show reads my mind and puts together a montage to that very song.

Clogger Brandon Norris looks like he's going to be one of the humiliated people, but in his audition, his insane mix of clogging and rump-shaking get him to choreography, where he makes the cut to Vegas.

Bryan Gaynor is a 20-year-old student. Oh, and he also has an extreme case of scoliosis, but he wants to try out to prove that he can do anything. He is very small and has limited mobility in his arms, but he uses everything he has and gives a cheeky performance of the robot. The judges are in awe. Shane Sparks is crying and calls him a magician. They send him through to choreography. He doesn't make it to Vegas, but Shane says he is working on a movie about dance right now and that he is going to do everything he can to get Bryan a featured role. I love Shane Sparks.

Former jock Myles Johnson broke his dad's heart when he gave up football for dancing. He's only been dancing for eight months, and the judges send him through to choreography for the experience, but warn him he probably won't make it to Vegas. But he does!

A blonde named Ashley Simpson (no, not that one) makes it to Vegas.

A very large woman named Kipperie does hip-hop dance, kind of. She is barely moving, causing Mary to note, "She's sucking the life force out of me." The judges tell her she's not good, but she says she knows she is because someone at a dance workshop she paid $1,400 to attend told her so. The judges tell her she's been conned.

Rhinestone cowboy Matthew Krabbe performs and is a crowd-pleaser, but he doesn't get through because he has no technique.

Those are the highlights, and this week, it's the semifinals in Vegas. Woo!

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 7:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

For now, check this out. I was perplexed by "Gold Inferno," who claimed to be the "American Jump Style champion," followed by the revelation that it was a self-proclaimed title. Here, you can revisit it here:

Gold Inferno has a few videos himself at YouTube, including this one.

He also links to a few that inspired him, such as this one from "Twisty666":

So I guess what he was doing during his audition was "jump style," but I don't really get it. And obviously, leaping around maniacally isn't going to translate into great ballroom technique or hip-hop ability or whatever else is needed to actually shine in this competition.

If anyone has any other links to "real" jump style or can give us the lowdown on what it truly is, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 8:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance