Viacom pulled their channels from DirecTV early this morning, after a long  dispute over how much the satellite company would pay for Viacom programming.

No Viacom means no MTV (Snooki!), no Comedy Central (Jon Stewart!), and no Nickelodeon (Spongebob!).

Other missing channels include BET, CMT, TV Land, Spike, and Logo. For now, Viacom has replaced the channels with channels offering similar content.

About 20 million households are affected by the blackout.

These feuds aren't unusual, but they are often worked out at the last minute. The New York Times story linked above says that Michael Nathanson, a media analyst for Nomura, has told investors that he and his colleagues wouldn't be surprised if the blackout lasted for one to four weeks. Yikes.

"Rock of Ages"
Grade: B+
Cast: Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Russell Brand, Alec Baldwin, Paul Giamatti, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mary J. Blige, Tom Cruise
Director: Adam Shankman
Length: 123 minutes
Rating: PG-13

"Rock of Ages" wastes no time setting a tone of deliriously over-the-top giddiness, establishing its musical bonafides in the very first scene. As Sherri Christian (played by real-life country singer Julianne Hough) chases her Hollywood dreams via bus, all the passengers break into song on Night Ranger's 1984 power ballad "Sister Christian." At the screening I attended, the "Motorin'/What's your price for flight" chorus induced the first of many guffaws in the audience.

That's a pretty good indicator of what you're in for here: cheese, glorious cheese baked up by the sort of people whose frontal lobes have never once been darkened by the thought, "You know, that's just too freakin' obvious." But if that sounds like criticism, it's not. "Rock of Ages" is as enjoyable as it is preposterous, so long as you're not expecting much beyond a fun romp through various signposts of the hair-metal era.

Based on the 2006 jukebox musical, "Rock of Ages" draws songs from Guns N' Roses, Foreigner, Def Leppard, Whitesnake, Scorpions and other metal giants from the time when MTV actually played music videos. The film is set in 1987, and it's staged, lit and choreographed like a video of that period.

What plot there is centers on Sherrie's romance with Drew (Diego Boneta), an aspiring rock singer. But that's by far the weakest part of the film. Too much of "Rock of Ages" consists of the romantic leads giving each other pep talks and telegraphing future plot developments.

The subplots, however, are delicious, thanks to sharp dialogue and a terrific supporting cast. Russell Brand puts in another great piece of character-actor non-acting as a debauched rocker working for seedy club owner Alec Baldwin (they also have a duet toward the end of the film that must be seen to be believed). Catherine Zeta-Jones plays an anti-rock crusader with a dirty secret she hints at by performing Pat Benatar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" just a little too zestfully. Mary J. Blige is a strip-joint madame with soul, and Paul Giamatti is perfect as the quintessential oily manager dude.

Improbably, however, the film's biggest show-stealer is Tom Cruise as burned-out rock star Stacee Jax. He certainly isn't the first name that comes to mind for a part like this, but his cross between Axl Rose and Jim Morrison as a bemused hard-rock shaman is spot on.

With Jones leading a Bible-thumping drive to shut down Baldwin's rock club, much of "Rock of Ages" plays like a heavy-metal "Footloose." There's something almost quaint about revisiting this long-abandoned cultural divide -- nowadays, similarly inclined culture warriors are more likely to be fulminating about birth certificates or gay marriage -- but "Rock of Ages" is very much a snapshot of an era.

And yet it's an era whose echoes will be familiar, because they're still playing out. "Rock of Ages" closes with an all-hands-on-deck version of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'," and darned if it doesn't sound more like Taylor Swift's arena-country than Poison's '80s-vintage arena-rock.

Rock of ages, for the ages.

Who Do You Think You Are (8pm, NBC) - With little knowledge about her mother's family, country singer Reba McEntire does research to see which of her ancestors was the first to set foot in America. Her search brings her to Raleigh, where she discovers an ancestor who was a prominent member in the community. According to NBC, Reba's discovery in Raleigh is connected to "one of the darkest periods in American history." As Reba continues her search, she learns of her ancestor's heartbreaking journey to America.

Shark Tank (8pm, ABC) - A guy with a clothing item he describes as "revolutionary" calls Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak for advice. Also, a follow-up on a South Carolina woman's homemade Daisy Cakes (from Season 2).

The Break (8pm, MTV) - Three young people who are homeless are followed as they work to rebuild their lives with help from homeless advocate Anne Mahlum, founder and CEO of the Back on My Feet nonprofit organization.

A Gifted Man (9pm, CBS) - In the Season 1 finale, Michael discovers a patient at the clinic has a special link to Anna. Meanwhile, Michael gets reacquainted with an old friend who has been diagnosed with a rare illness.

Portlandia (10pm, IFC) - Carrie and Fred try to get the mayor to ban the Olympics.

Blue Bloods (10pm, CBS) - A high-profile reporter and close friend of Frank (but not the former girlfriend from Season 1) is assaulted while she's out with him, and Danny and Jackie search for the would-be attacker. Meanwhile, Jamie's undercover case reaches a critical stage.

MTV will hold an open casting call in Raleigh next week for the 27th season of "The Real World."

Casting directors from Bunim/Murray Productions, the creators of the show, will be at the Downtown Sports Bar on Glenwood South on Saturday, October 22, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

According to their press release, executive producers are looking for "characters from real life; people with strong personalities who are unafraid to speak their minds."

The show is typically cast with people from diverse backgrounds, but producers stress that personality is key. Also, obviously, a willingness to share your life with millions of people on television.

If you plan to audition, you need to bring along a recent photograph of yourself (which will not be returned) and a photo ID. You must be 20 years or older. There's no upper age limit, but the release says you should look between the ages of 20 and 24.

For more information check out the Bunim/Murray website.

Downtown Sports Bar is located at 410 Glenwood Ave in Raleigh.

"Jersey Shore" returns for its fourth season tomorrow night on MTV (10pm). This season, the gang brings shame to the state of New Jersey while at the same time inflicting great pain on the nation of Italy.

Here's the MTV trailer that'll give you an idea of what to expect from Snooki, The Situation, Ronnie, and the other well-gelled Jersey role models.

Army Wives (9pm, Lifetime) - Emmalin and Michael's disagreement about their futures puts Claudia Joy in the middle.

MTV Movie Awards (9pm, MTV) - SNL's Jason Sudeikis (right) hosts the 20th annual film awards show from Los Angeles. Honorees include Reese Witherspoon, who will receive the MTV Generation Award. Performances from Foo Fighters, Lupe Fiasco, and Trey Songz. Presenters include Ryan Reynolds, Steve Carrell, Cameron Diaz, Jesse Eisenberg, Selena Gomez, Jason Segal, and Aziz Ansari.

The Glades (10pm, A&E) - Oh great, that show I hate is back! Oops. I meant to say, 'Oh great, this very popular quirky cop drama from A&E returns for its second season!' In tonight's opener, the daughter of a Cuban mobster is murdered, and Jim must solve the case to prevent a war between rival mob families.

The Killing (10pm, AMC) - Three episodes left to find out who killed Rosie Larsen. The investigation takes an interesting turn when Sarah and Holder learn more about Rosie's whereabouts on the night of her murder, but everything must be put on hold when Sarah's son goes missing and the detectives go searching for him.

In Plain Sight (10pm, USA) - Mary reluctantly teams up with a remorseless con artist to go after an even bigger criminal. Guest star: D.W. Moffett.

Why Not? With Shania Twain (10pm, OWN) - Shania goes to New York for a photo shoot and meets with music producer David Foster about her single, "Today," and must summon up the courage to sing for him. Later, she relaxes with friends Bo Derek and John Corbett in Santa Barbara, California.

Teen Wolf (11pm, MTV) - The series premiere a new show about an unpopular teen (Tyler Posey) who is bitten by creature in the woods and the next day, starts to notice strange changes in his body. Loosely based on the popular 1985 movie starring Michael J. Fox.

MTV may not sound like a place you'd find teen country heartthrob Scotty McCreery, but that's exactly where he'll be this afternoon.

Scotty and "American Idol" runner-up Lauren Alaina will be guests on "MTV's The Seven" on Tuesday (May 31) at 5 p.m. 

"MTV's The Seven" is a half-hour show that presents seven important bits of pop culture news in each episode. It's hosted by Kevin Manno and is broadcast from the middle of Times Square in New York City in front of a live audience. It airs Monday through Friday at 5 p.m. (ET).

Scotty also appeared on "Live with Regis & Kelly" this morning.

Before I got a chance to screen episodes of "Skins" (MTV, 10 tonight) I got an email press release from the Parents Television Council proclaiming that based on the MTV's marketing of the show, "Skins may well be the most dangerous television show for children that we have ever seen."

Just the kind of endorsement to ensure your kids tune in.  

While I do think it's overstatement, I can see why the PTC is concerned. I'll acknowledge that there are teens that do drugs, drink heavily, have casual sex, and treat authority with disrespect. That doesn't make it any easier to watch, especially when, at least in the first episode, the show goes out of its way to throw those acts in your face. And makes the kids seem cool.

But I've had the benefit of watching four episodes of "Skins" and I can tell you that while you may not like the way these kids behave, the show gets more nuanced, giving context to the why they act the way they do, shows consequences for their acts, and delves nicely into the messy, confusing time that is the teen years.

The Perfect Teacher (8pm, Lifetime Movie) - David Charvet plays a teacher who is stalked by an amorous student (Megan Park) who is used to getting what she wants and refuses to accept his disinterest.

2010 MTV Video Music Awards (9pm, MTV) - The 27th annual VMA awards are hosted by Chelsea Handler and features performances by Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Florence and the Machine, Drake, and B.o.B.  Also look for the cast of "Jersey Shore," Katy Perry, the cast of "Glee," Cher, Ellen DeGeneres, Ke$ha, Nicki Minaj, Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Trey Songz, Selena Gomez, and Ne-Yo. This also airs on VH1.

Great Food Truck Race (9pm, Food) - The remaining teams go to Jonesboro, Tennessee, population 5000, where they must cook a five-course meal in the style of a pioneer-era chuck wagon. I'm already missing the shaggy Jimmy Fallon look-alike from Austin Daily Press.

True Blood (9pm, HBO) - In the third season finale, Eric's overwhelming thirst for revenge against Russell presents a moral dilemma (does that mean they both didn't fry and die in the previous episode?). Meanwhile, a frustrated Sookie gives serious consideration to a life without vampires, and Jason thinks about yet another new career.

My Boys (10pm, TBS) - Back-to-back new episodes end out the season. In the first, PJ and her crew consider finding a new bar when irritating college grads overrun their favorite one, and Mike's courtship with Marcia blossoms. In the finale episode, Mike plans a birthday party for Marcia and gets the gang to help, but PJ may miss party prep because of work. Also, London is calling for Stephanie and Brandon must make a game-changing decision. Rachel Harris guest stars in both episodes.

Mad Men (10pm, AMC) - Peggy and Joan are forced to deal with rambunctious office shenanigans.

Hung (10pm, HBO) - Also season finales tonight for the HBO series "Hung" and "Entourage" (10:30). On "Hung," Ray thinks he may have a shot at reconciling with Jessica, but Lenore isn't ready to give up her star employee. On "Entourage," Ari's emotional outburst threatens to undermine his wife's surprise birthday party, and the guys worry that Vince's behavior has reached the point of no return.

The teen years can be a treacherous time, and high school can be Ground Zero for all the pain, confusion, anger, joy, vice and struggle of those years.

That's why there's real value in "If You Really Knew Me," (MTV, 11 tonight), a compelling docu-series that visits high school as they go through the one-day Challenge Day program, and shows what happens when kids are challenged to open up and be themselves.

In the first episode, the Challenge Day program comes to Freedom High, a Northern California school that has been transformed in the last decade, growing from a mostly white 500-student body to a diverse school of 2,400. That's led to deep division at the school, and it's not just racial. Jocks and cheerleaders hang out on one side of the campus, the outcasts on another.