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Happiness is a warm TV

"Drop Dead Diva" is the new "Ugly Betty"

I never thought I'd see the day when Lifetime would become a regular part of my TV rotation. Sure I've checked out the movies on a lazy weekend.

But now with the channel getting 'Project Runway' and after watching "Drop Dead Diva," I think I'm all the way in.

Premiering Sunday at 9 p.m., "Drop Dead Diva" begins with Deb (Brooke D'Orsay) and Jane (Brooke Elliott). Deb is a model, sweet enough to be beloved by a lawyer boyfriend, but so shallow that when she gets to the pearly gates, there is no log of either good deeds or bad deeds. She's declared a 'self-centered' zero.

Keyshawn Johnson: Just give him the design control!

My husband wasn't around when I watched two episodes of "Keyshawn Johnson: Tackling Design."
But I'm sure I could get him to watch it when it premieres on A&E at noon on Sunday.

Yep, it's a design show for guys, even for those whose idea of design might be a lounge chair with a built-in beverage cozy.

So You Think You Can Dance: results show

Guest blogger Lenni G.:

Loved the opening "NappyTabs"
routine. These contestants are really, really athletic - throw in
great costumes and camera angles and they look positively professional.

Speaking on his 60th birthday, Nigel spoke to the public's request for a "Michael Jackson" night. He indicated all the choreographers, dancers and show folks were certainly on board.

What to Watch on Friday: Cable Guy's smarts are tested and Eureka returns

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader (8pm, Fox) - There's a serious danger of folksy redneck overload tonight, when Larry the Cable Guy is a guest on this Jeff Foxworthy game show.

Eureka (9pm, Syfy) - Tonight's the premiere of the second half of the third season (got that?!) of this hit SyFy (formerly SciFi) show. The mid-season cliffhanger of whether or not Sheriff Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson) is actually fired will be answered tonight.

The Soup (10pm, E!) - If last week was any indication, Joel McHale will likely be making fun of over-the-top Michael Jackson coverage. Remember fans, he's mocking the talking heads, not the King of Pop.

"Big Brother": Charlotte, Matthews, what's the dif?


It's a new season of "Big Brother" and the Chen-Bot is back with baby in utero.

Although, you'd barely notice when you first see our host Julie Chen, from the front, clad in all black. It's not just that she's hasn't picked up a lot of weight. It's that you probably were distracted by her dress, which is asymmetrical, shoulder-bearing, ruffled, dolman-sleeved, tiered, and has crystal buttons down the side. All at the same time.

So You Think You Can Dance: The recap

Guest blogger Lenni G spills the 't' on last night's show:

Huge props to Janette and Brandon for last night's performances or, as guest judge, Tyce Diorio, would say (and did) "FanFrigginTastic." Dancing last in the first group of six couples, they did an Angentine Tango that left Nigel speechless. All he could do was stand and applaud as did the rest of the panel and the audience. Mary Murphy found her "temperature rising" and Tyce did the whole analogy thingie about "getting all the juice out" and then said, "You did the whole damn thing." I agree with Nigel that it was a ballroom routine that was as close to perfection as any ballroom routine ever on the show.

Raleigh woman gets a call from Regis Philbin

Arden McFarlane of Raleigh got an early call this morning from Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa, who offered her a chance to win a free trip to Turtle Bay Resort in Hawaii. All she had to do was tell them Rainn Wilson's character's name on "The Office."

Even though I yelled "Dwight! Dwight!" at the TV, McFarlane tossed out a last second guess of "Ed." Unfortunately, she didn't get the trip, but she did get a $500 gift certificate to Crabtree & Evelyn instead. "I'm okay with that," McFarlane told Happiness is a Warm TV this morning. 

On the passing of Oscar Meyer and classic TV jingles

Oscar Meyer, the man who taught my generation how to spell "bologna"
better than "Sesame Street" could have ever dreamed, died on Monday at the age of 95. (I still replay the jingle in my head sometimes when writing b-o-l-o-g-n-a, and often wish Meyer had made commercials about "harassment" and "Australia.")

Time magazine TV critic James Poniewozik has an excellent blog piece looking at Meyer's TV legacy through his unforgettable TV commercials. Poniewozik has videos of two classic Oscar Meyer commercials embedded in his piece, but we couldn't resist posting this one, too. Relive the magic after the jump.

What to Watch on Thursday: A tar heel on "Big Brother 11"

Big Brother 11 (8pm, CBS) - The 11th season premiere of "Big Brother" will introduce us to the 12 contestants, including a 22-year-old woman from Matthews, N.C. Jordan Lloyd doesn't seem nearly sneaky or conniving enough to get very far here, but we'll be pulling for her.

Samantha Who? (8pm, ABC) - More new episodes from this cancelled-too-soon sitcom. Samantha is  hired to lead Winston Funk's charitable foundation and hires Andrea as her legal counsel. Which is a bad move since all Andrea does is work on her wedding plans to the gay basketball star. In a second episode airing at 8:30, Sam and Todd go on a "first date" and Andrea goes on a reality tv show about celebrity weddings. 

The Real Housewives of New Jersey: The Lost Footage (9pm, Bravo) - That's pretty self-explanatory. Expect more footage of The Crazy One (right) complaining about how she has been victimized by The Blonde One (not pictured).

Also, new episodes of Burn Notice (9pm) and Royal Pains (10pm) on USA.

NC woman on CBS's "Big Brother" show

Jordan Lloyd from Matthews, NC, will be on the new season of "Big Brother 11," which premieres tomorrow night at 8pm on CBS.

Matthews, 22, told CBS2 correspondent and former BB contestant Diane Henry, that if she wins the top prize, she'll help her mom get a new place and pay off some bills. And she isn't too worried about life in Big Brother
House, as long as she doesn't have to hear anyone getting intimate. (Watch the full video of her interview below, in which she discusses strategy with Henry.)

Jordan is cute and seems really sweet in her interview with Henry, so she's sure to be a quick fan favorite.

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About this blog

We have DVRs. We have cable. We have armchairs. That makes us highly qualified to talk about television. Join us as we explore what's good, what's bad, what's too bad to miss, and anything else TV has to offer. Contributors are Brooke Cain, Matt Ehlers, Adrienne Johnson Martin, Lorenzo Perez, Jessaca Giglio and Luciana Chavez.

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