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Rihanna: Chris Brown beat me 'like he had nothing to lose'

adriennj — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:10:24 -0500

A couple of hours before "20/20" broadcast the interview of singer Rihanna by Diane Sawyer, I was involved in a three-way, sometimes loud, discussion about the Rihanna/Chris Brown incident.

The guy in the conversation, who is a good guy, basically said that it was odd that Chris Brown beat Rihanna for no reason, thus suggesting that somehow Rihanna was at fault somehow, and then said that he thought it unfair that Chris Brown was still a pariah. He feels that we (society) shouldn't hold celebrities to a higher standard, and, I guess, in real life Chris wouldn't be having it so hard.

Again, this is a good guy. And I hope he watched Rihanna's interview because she addressed all his issues.

The interesting thing about the interview was that it was basically structured as a public service announcement; Rihanna got to talk about her specific case, but it perfectly framed her story as one of many, and put her in a position as a strong voice against domestic violence, particularly against young girls.

Sawyer used fan reaction and domestic violence stats to tell a bigger story. Rihanna, we learned, grew up with a father who abused her mother, a common trait for those who abuse and get abused. (Oddly, her father was making all kinds of comments after the incident.)

Rihanna talked about how fast she and Brown fell for each other and described their relationship as "obsession."

And she detailed what happened the night of the beating. She saw a text from Brown's old girlfriend, catching him in a lie. She wouldn't let in go and he, caught, got annoyed that she wouldn't drop it. Rihanna made clear it was a verbal argument and that she never hit him. She said, in fact, she wasn't interested in hurting him. She just wanted the beating to stop.

His eyes were blank and she thought he was beating her "like he has nothing to lose." That's a pretty powerful description of blind rage.

She said that he had never hit her before, but after Diane pointed out other reports saying he did, Rihanna admitted that she meant he never beat her like THAT before. (Chris Brown denies that there were other incidents. Did he mean other 'bad' incidents? Does he really not remember? Is he really that sick?)

Rihanna also revealed the complex emotions a victim of abuse experiences; the stuff that makes the rest of us not understand their actions. It seems that once the swelling fades, you forget a bit and start to thinking. She describes herself initially wondering what she could have said to cause this. She became lonely, not wanting to be pitied as the victim by others, and so, shutting down. And then, she felt she had to protect Brown because if she felt that bad how bad must he be feeling.

That confusion is what sent her to their Diddy-sponsored rendezvous in Miami. And, it seems, that when we saw Chris Brown on that jetski, it may not have been exuberance on his face, but relief that everything was going to be OK again.

But Rihanna says she began to resent him; everything he did annoyed her. Soon after Miami, she broke it off.

Rihanna says she wants to hear nothing from Brown; she wishes him a good life. She wants him to accept what he did as a man and not feel sorry for himself. She acknowledged that she still had lingering love for him, he was her first great love, but having those emotions annoys her. She thinks it's possible for him to change.

What Rihanna says helped motivate her was the e-mails, texts and YouTube videos from fans. "My selfish decision for love could get a young girl killed."

That, I think, sums up my friend's problem with celebrities being treated differently than others. The fact is celebrities ARE different from us. And in this case, Rihanna, sooo much more mature and articulate than Brown, may have been saved by that difference.

Perhaps without the burden of a million eyes watching, she would have gone back to Brown.

What to Watch on Saturday: Stay up late for your TV tonight

brookecain — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:30:00 -0500

The Wanda Sykes Show (11pm, Fox) - Tonight is the debut of Wanda Sykes' new talk show, the first late night network talk show hosted by a woman since the Joan Rivers disaster of '86. Don't expect this one to go down in flames, though. Wanda Sykes is hilarious and it's a smart move to go for Saturday nights. Wanda's show will have an open bar for her guests (which should make things really interesting), and will include sketches, a monologue, and panel discussions about current events. Using Chris Rock's old HBO show as a blueprint, Wanda says she wants her to show to be fun and wants viewers to feel like they're "hanging out at my spot with me and my friends.” Her first guests include Mary Lynn Rajskub, Daryl “Chill” Mitchell, and “Amazing Race” host Phil Keoghan. The show will air each Saturday night at 11pm on Fox.

Saturday Night Live (11:30pm, NBC) - SNL returns tonight after a couple of weeks off, and Taylor Swift is the host and musical guest. I'm expecting at least one Kanye West joke. Question is, who can play Kanye? Will they draw some crop circles on Fred Armisen's head and make him try that one too?

Lifetime's "Too Late to Say Goodbye": Think Michael Peterson

adriennj — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:33:57 -0500

Evil pretty people are extra scary, probably because we like to think that things that look good are good.

That's why Rob Lowe is well cast in "Ann Rule's Too Late to Say Goodbye" (Lifetime Movie Network, channel 47, 8 tonight).

Lowe uses his borderline feminine looks as Bart Corbin, a successful dentist whose wife Jenn, as the movie opens, appears to commit suicide. Her young son finds her with a gun in one hand and divorce papers in the other.

The chief investigator (Michelle Hurd) calls it a suicide and wants to leave it at that, but Jenn's sister Heather (Lauren Holly) doesn't believe it's suicide, yet she doesn't suspect her brother-in-law. At first.

That's because Jenn appears to have had some issues too; for one, she's been having an online affair. And also, the family thinks her cute husband is all good, instead of too good to be true.

The affair has a twist, and although the based-on-a-true-story case took place in Georgia, it has echoes of North Carolina's own Michael and Kathleen Peterson case in Durham. Except Bart Corbin is extra evil, and as played by Lowe, definitely a sociopath. (Not saying Peterson isn't, but he did show emotion.)

Lowe mostly acts by tightening that square jaw to show how tightly wound he is and smiling that pearly white smile when he's being charming. Holly (doesn't she look very different from how she looked on "Picket Fences"?) does fine as the won't-take-no-for-an-answer sister. Hurd basically does her old "Law & Order: SVU" role, down to the same pants.

It's not the best Lifetime movie ever, but it does the job.

Chevy Chase earns a solid "B" (not a "C") for his rock band debut

brookecain — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:33:34 -0500

For my money, the funniest moment in NBC's two-hour comedy block last night came during Pierce's (Chevy Chase) college rock band debut, playing keyboards and singing backup to Vaughn's woeful song of heartbreak (and moving on), "Gettin' Rid of Britta."

The lyrics are clever, and Vaughn is easy on the eyes in that sensitive musician kind of way. Rocker Vaughn won me over with lines like, "It isn't like I would ever hit her, but I would sell her to the highest bidder." But it's Chevy chiming in with "she's a no good B" and "she's a G D B" while jamming on the keyboards that had me cracking up -- and watching over and over and over again.

Check it out below.

Project Runway: A predictable final three - with lots of crying

sadialatifi — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:33:37 -0500

The second-to-last episode of a boring season has come and gone, and well, there were a lot of tears.

It'll be good to go back to New York City for the next season. L.A. never seemed like the right fit and most of the season's challenges were uninspired. This episode, however, did bring back some of our favorite things: an inspiration-in-a-museum challenge, sharp critiques from Nina and Tim, petty backbiting and, best of all, really awful clothes!

But first, the "drama: There's still some bad blood between Althea and Irina following last week's runway tattling. But these women prefer to keep the tension in the room thick without actually addressing it, so we don't see much. Everyone's just in agreement that Irina is mean.

In last night's final challenge, the gang of five were supposed to take inspiration in something at the Getty Center. Here's what they came up with:

Althea

She was inspired by the architecture of the building btu she wound up with what Heidi called, "a bit of a mess fest."

Judge Cynthia Rowley said the attempt was "a little ambitious." Heidi, agreed, adding, "You bit off so much more than you could chew.

Tim warned her before that her fabric choice was iffy. The whole skirt puckered, and you could see it down the runway. Althea's stiff gold number was genuinely awful and a real disappointment from what is usually a strong contender.

Carol Hannah

Carol Hannah's beautiful gown was inspired by an 18th century French bed. Can't you see the resemblance?

"You are playing it very safe," warns Nina. "It is a perfect dress but it is almost a safe perfection."

The dress fit perfectly on her model, but I don't see the Getty Center in there. Cindy Crawford, guest judge, didn't either.

Christopher

Christoper's algae-covered rock fountain dress did not go over well with the judges. The skirt was stiff, the top was nice and the random splashes of green (algae, get it?) were hideous.

Does Christopher understand what went wrong? "This piece speaks more about me than anything else I've done here," he cries. And cries. And cries. Oh, stop it. Even Heidi looks irritated at this point.

"Everyone else's inspiration was art. Mine was a rock with algae
on it. And not everyone would see the beauty in that. [sob sob sob]"

Christopher has been in the bottom for several weeks, and he should've been gone long ago (before Shirin, at least!)

Gordana

Taken from a Monet, Gordana made a beautiful dress that all the judges "got."

But did anyone else look at the front of this dress and see, erm, female genitalia? No? Okay, I'll stop.

Gordana was in love with this dress, and it made her think about her homeland, her family, her hard work. And so she also cried.

Cindy Crawford loved the dress, Nina loved the front, and Heidi said that Gordana hasn't taken any real risks.

Irina

"I love the color," Cindy Crawford says of Irina's dress. It was inspired by a painting but I saw Egyptian influence all over this outfit.

But it's too long and dowdy, Nina says. And they all agree the styling is awful. Heidi orders the model to take of her shoes, the bizarre cap.

"The length is very old lady," Nina agrees. This dress is so blah but at this stage, Irina is too good of a designer that it doesn't matter what she puts out.

In the end, Christopher and Gordana must leave and Althea, Carol Hannah and Irina are going to Fashion Week. (My predictions were right, but it was pretty easy to guess.)

And here's a bone I have to pick.

"I don't know who Gordana is as a designer. To not know at this point is a problem," Nina says. You haven't been around the whole season, Nina! Also, I thought it was unexcusable for Michael Kors not to be there at the final judging competition before Fashion Week. They made a mundane season worse by not being around.

A lackluster season is coming to a close, at least. Next week, we're finally at Fashion Week.

The Office: Michael catches, releases Pam's mom

LJPerez — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:39:06 -0500

Lamest episode of 'The Office' ever? It hasn't been put to a vote before the Happiness ... blog's high tribunal, but consider yourselves on notice, Office writers.

Your once great show has devolved into the weak link in NBC's Thursday night comedy lineup, fourth behind an inconsistent 'Community' show that would have you believe community colleges have dorms on campus for international students.

But enough of the belly aching.

Thursday night's episode wraps up Michael's ill-fated relationship with Pam's mom with an uncomfortable double-date with Pam and Jim that ends with Michael dumping her on her birthday.

Apparently, it never occurred to Michael before the birthday lunch that he was dating someone old enough to be a grandmother, which Helene will be as soon as Pam delivers. Maybe he thought Helene was a child bride when she had Pam, but Michael turns a sickly shade of green as he attempts to calculate her age when Pam jokes that Helene's celebrating her 49th birthday for the ninth year in a row.

"You're 54?" Michael blurts out. Actually, that's 58, Michael. Another triumph for the American educational system.

In 0.2 seconds, Michael goes from giddy in love to creeped out by the lunchtime debate over whether Helene will go by "Nana" or "Grandma" when Pam and Jim's baby is born. As he points out in the only funny line of the night, the only time you have to be worried about a woman's age is if she's too young for you.

"I'm not robbing the cradle," Michael says. "If anything, I'm robbing the grave."

Cut back to the double-date lunch at the same restaurant that Pam remembers fondly from her childhood trips there with her parents before their recent divorce. Michael squirms uncomfortably in his seat as Helene coos as she unwraps the scrap book that Michael had put together that same morning when he was still in love.

You know it was still love before lunch because Michael plagiarized a Shel Silverstein poem, and it wasn't "The Giving Tree." At this point, though, Michael no longer sees Helene as a sexy, slightly older woman. All he sees in the harsh light of the double-date lunch is a battered old tree stump with no more apples to share, to put it in Shel's terms.

So, just as he was beginning to win Pam over as a suitable, sensitive boyfriend for her mom, Michael kills the mood by declaring that he must break up with Helene, who he now believes is too far along in her dotage to have anything in common with him.

"Who is Kafkaesque? I don't know that person," Michael says, complaining about Helene's dated pop-culture references. (Victory No. 2 this episode for the American educational system.)

Somewhere in the buffoonery is a well-reasoned argument for Michael to call it off with Pam's mom, something about Michael's desire to visit Italy, start a family and do all the things that Helene has already done and has no interest in doing again. But it's all just a set-up for Michael agreeing to allow an angry Pam to punch him after work for dumping her mom on her birthday.

OK, we'll grant The Office one other good scene from Thursday night: Michael staring in horror from his office as sad sack Toby offers Pam some expertise from an H.R. director's perspective on the proper punching technique to inflict maximum pain, albeit off company property.

The whole office gathers in the parking lot to watch Pam punch Michael, who keeps flinching until Pam decides it's not worth it. At least until Michael can't stop himself from blurting out that it was her mom's fault because she had come on to him at the wedding. Pam whips around and brings the pain, slapping Michael across the face.

She admits to Jim it didn't make her feel any better, but the slap does send Michael limping off with Dwight, who offers to ease the swelling by pressing some raw chicken on Michael's face.

We won't even get into the tedious subplot that involves Dwight and Andy spending the whole day trying to out-nice each other, something that starts with Dwight bringing bagels to the office with the expectation that everyone will owe him a favor then and will have to back him in his attempt to unseat Jim as co-manager.

So attention, Office writers: as Michael would say, "Conference room, 10 minutes." And don't come out until you can do better than another "Michael's in love" storyline.

What to Watch on Friday: A mad man on "Law & Order"

brookecain — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:30:00 -0500

Medium (9pm, CBS) - Allison rents an SUV with a satellite radio which picks up peoples' conversations. People who have committed murder, no doubt.

Law & Order (8pm, NBC) - Two new back-to-back episodes tonight. The first one is about the murder of a rich young woman with a connection to a drug cartel. The second one is about a suspicious drunk driving death and stars Rich Sommer, right (Harry Crane from "Mad Men."). This episode seems to be loosely ripped from the Diane Schuler case in Long Island which happened this past summer.

Monk (9pm, USA) - Monk on a camping trip should be something to behold. I'm immediately reminded of the classic "I hate nature" episode when Monk was a protected witness and forced to stay in a secluded cabin in the woods. If he has to sleep in a tent in this one, God help them all.

White Collar (10pm, USA) - John Ventimiglia (whiney chef Artie Bucco from "The Sopranos") finally gets to play a real mobster. His characters asks the FBI to help him track down a Bible which was stolen from him.

"Biggest Loser" villain Tracey has no regrets

adriennj — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:48:49 -0500

The last time Happiness spoke with "The Biggest Loser's" Tracey Yukich, a Raleigh native, the show had not begun airing yet, and she sounded upbeat, strong and confident.

So as we got ready for this chat it occurred to us that, back then, she may not have known how she was going to come across on TV. And we were right.

"I had no idea," says Tracey. "When I was sitting with my kids watching the show, I didn't know what was coming."

What came was a the role of villain. Indeed if you watched or hit the Internet, folks were calling Tracey called "dumb," "crazy," and most often "crazy eyes."

Of course, that's not how Tracey sees herself. "I came across like I didn't care, but I have a love for life and others," she says. "If you remember, I never talked bad about anybody. It was a stressful situation. I always tried to be positive. That was the hardest thing to do."

Tracey became the villian during the show's "would you rather" day, when the contestants had a choice of a two-pound advantage or working with their trainers. While everyone chose the trainers, Tracey took the pounds. Next, when there was the opportunity to get control of the game by eating the most cupcakes, Tracey outdid Dudley's Antoine Dove by eating 4.

But the greatest anger toward her came after the temptation challenge when Tracey spun the wheel and won the chance to assign the members of the blue and black team and choose their trainers. Liz was especially angry, vowing to show Tracey a nice face even as she steadfastly worked to oust her from the show.

Seeing Liz's comments actually weren't a surprise; Liz, Tracey says, told Tracey about the comments before they aired. They've since made up. "I talk a couple times a day to Liz and Mo."

"What you didn't see was the conversation I had with Liz. I took her by the shoulders and said 'You came here alone. I want you by my side, you can do this. You have to stop depending on Danny."

She's gotten some validation for her decisions. Recently, Tracey says, Danny's wife told her she was glad that Tracey split up Danny and Liz because it pushed Danny to another level. "Danny realized the same thing," Tracey says.

Coincidentally, the last major villain on "The Biggest Loser" was also from Raleigh: Heba Salama. Tracey says she watched that cycle. "I didn't judge her at all. She came to play the game and she was taking care of her husband. I said, 'go for it girl.' "

In the end, Tracey says that during the show she did something that as a wife and mother of 4 she hadn't done in a long time: Take care of herself.

"I got a bracelet from a fan that I wear everyday. It says 'live the life you love.' That's what I try to do. I put one foot in front of the other and I fought to stay [at the ranch]. I truly said and did everything to stay as long as I could.

"At the end, during my exit interview, Alison asked if I had any regrets and I said I did, and at the time I did have regrets. But later I thought 'Tracey, why? I had the opportunity of a lifetime, why would I have regrets?'"

As for the future and her chance at the $100,000 for losing the most percentage weight, Tracey says the money isn't her focus. She's on a healthy path to losing weight.

"I have a goal weight and I will not stop until I get there, whether I reach it by the show's end or not. I'm gunning for it."

NY Yankees on "Late Show with David Letterman" tonight

brookecain — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:41:06 -0500

New York Yankees Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte and Hideki Matsui will appear tonight on "The Late Show with David Letterman."

The Yankees won their 27th World Series last night in game 6 against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The World Series was a ratings giant for Fox this year. Last night's game dominated with 22.3 million viewers, and had numbers higher than any single World Series game since the 2004 series. This year's series between New York and Philadelphia had overall ratings 40% higher than last year's series between Philadelphia and Tampa Bay.

"The Late Show with David Letterman" airs at 11:35pm tonight on CBS.

Rihanna talks about domestic violence on "GMA"

adriennj — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:39:57 -0500

Well, Rihanna has a new album coming out.

So it's time to talk about her relationship with Chris Brown and the night that he beat her.

And while it feels a bit like she's exploiting her own pain for a hit, this clip shows she's got some important things to say. Unlike Chris Brown's chat with Larry King, she speaks quite powerfully. (Mr. Brown apparently gives it another shot in the new revamped Vibe magazine. He's got an album coming too.)

Sterling Mifflin on a Sugar high: If Mad Men met The Office

brookecain — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:00:00 -0500

The BuzzSugar blog sussed out an interesting premise this week: What if the high stakes 1960s world of New York advertising collided with the general buffoonery of a Scranton paper company?

The blog broke it down character-by-character (for example Kelly = Joan, Meredith = Duck, etc.), and discovers that the workplaces are eerily similar.

Don't buy it? Take a look for yourself.

"The Office" airs on Thursday nights at 9pm on NBC; the "Mad Men" third season finale is this Sunday night at 10pm on AMC.

What to Watch on Thursday: Strong guest stars on NBC sitcoms

brookecain — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:30:00 -0500

Parks & Recreation (8:30pm, NBC) - Megan Mullally guest stars as Ron's ex-wife Tammy, who runs the local library and wants to take over Leslie's lot (formerly known as "Leslie's pit").

The Office (9pm, NBC) - Jim and Pam are forced to double-date with Michael and his new girlfriend, who just happens to be Pam's mom. I guess this is what Michael meant when he said a few weeks ago that he planned to "date her even harder."

30 Rock (9:30pm, NBC) - I hate to dwell on NBC, but really, how often do we get a chance to do that? Brian Williams has a guest cameo tonight, and that dude is flat-out funny. Okay, I'm stopping with this and promise not to promote "whatever" is in the NBC 10pm slot.

The Last One (10pm, UNC-TV) - This is a treat. It's local filmmaker Neal Hutcheson's Emmy-winning documentary on Popcorn Sutton, an Appalachian moonshiner who went into the mountains to make one last batch of liquor and let Neal come along to film. If you haven't seen this yet, you should definitely tune in. Sadly, Popcorn passed away earlier this year.

Real Housewives of Orange County (10pm, Bravo) - It kills me to write this, but Adrienne watched the first episode and said it's pretty good. Apparently these women actually address the "controversies" going on since the end of last season (such as losing homes and husbands) instead of denying and fighting about it (yes, Atlanta, we're looking at you).

Friday Night Lights: After the Fall

sadialatifi — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:18:04 -0500

Note: DirecTV is airing episodes of Friday Night Lights ahead of NBC. Recaps of each week's episode will be posted after the jump.

What's Buddy Garrity saying?

SPOILERS: Don't keep reading unless you want to read about season four.

Coach Taylor must face the aftermath of last week's forfeiture. His lawn is covered by white flags that say "Quitter," and the team stops showing up to practice. They're upset and embarrassed he didn't let them finish the game. Even complacent, agreeable Landry says he's done.

Coach has never looked more discouraged or hopeless than at this moment. Without a team, he'll be out of a job. But more than that, when have football players looked down on Coach, let alone not show up for practice? Buddy Garrity shows up to cheer him up. They drive to an empty lot, the registered address of newcomer Luke Cafferty, Dillon's star running back. Luke's real address? In Kilroy, sectioned off for East Dillon. "He's supposed to be yours," Buddy says.

Telling Luke he must transfer over to East Dillon earns Tami some very loud boos at the pep rally. Despite some initial tears of disappointment, Luke seems like a good kid who just wants to play some football.

But the boosters won't let him go that easily. Joe McCoy and Coach Aikman bribe and blackmail Tami in the school's parking lot. They accuse her of favoring her husband and insinuate that Coach Taylor knew about the mailbox and empty lot the whole time he was coach. "I think you're going to get lynched," Joe tells Tami. If someone did some digging, state titles could be revoked, rings taken away. Tami's face falls.

Meanwhile, Julie attends her first day at East Dillon - she volunteers to go, and it quiets some of the personal attacks made by redistricted parents on the Taylors. She's there with Landry, who is having a hard time adjusting to the urban (read: less white) environment. But after running over her bike (sounds complicated but it wasn't), he meets another newcomer, Jess Merriweather. She's upset because she worked hard for that bike but Landry promises to pay for a new one. He later stalks her at the diner she works at and, in typical form, embarrasses himself in front of Jess and her father. I smell future interracial, interclass dating tension here.

The most perplexing story arc is Matt's. Matt's art teacher at Dillon Tech decides to hook him up with an internship with local artist Richard Sherman. This comes after she told him he wasn't an artist last week. But, "you have what every important artist needs - pluck," she says. Sherman is an antisocial metalworker, who prefers to work in his underwear. He uses Matt for manual labor, which eventually causes Matt to snap and question Sherman on what he's doing here/what he's learning about art. Sherman offers a little nugget of abstract advice. I don't know where this plot is going, and I'm not sure I like it. It's the most disjointed from the rest of the story, but I suppose that'll set up for Matt's departure in a few episodes.

Riggins, now homeless, is sleeping in his pickup truck and finding solace on a barstool. He reconnects with the one-night-stand bartender from last week who offers him the trailer in her backyard. She's not interested in pursuing anything else, though, which works for Riggins, who is fundamentally a simple man. Riggins must deal with Becky Sproles, however - the bartender's daughter who bizarrely asks for rides to school and says stuff like "Hey, Tim Riggins, who used to be a Panther." Becky is my least favorite of the new cast members so far, and I sincerely hope Tim doesn't hook up with her down the line.

For now, though, he seems uninterested and visits Coach to offer his assistance to the barely-there team. Coach graciously accepts.

This episode marks the return to the show's classic spousal arguments where Tami asks a question, Coach raises his voice, Tami says "Don't raise your voice at me," and then Coach denies raising his voice. Both parties then storm out. After her run-in with the good ol' boys of the Dillon Panthers boosters club, Tami had to confront her husband and ask if he knew about the mailbox in the empty lot. Coach denies it but it's not altogether believable.

Desperate for a team, Coach Taylor visits Vince's drug-addicted mother to see if she can help him connect with her son. She asks for $20. He obliges.
Coach eventually finds Vince at a basketball court but is ignored. Vince comes to Coach's desk a few days later and hands him back the $20. "You're not my father. I support my family. She had no business taking it from you. You shouldn't have gave it to her."

About to walk away, Coach hurries with his pitch: "This team is broken all to hell. I could use somebody to help me put those pieces back together." Talk to 'em, bring 'em to a special Saturday night practice, Coach pleads.

After a few nail-biting seconds, the team does show up to the field with Vince leading the way. Luke's already there.
Coach offers a mea culpa: "I apologize for not giving you the chance to finish your fight...Let's finish it."

He lights a bonfire and starts burning the team's tattered uniforms. The rest of the team joins him. Luke burns his Panthers t-shirt.

They showed up; it's a start.

"I just gotta find a way to get us some new uniforms," Coach muses.

Win the "Glee" soundtrack!!

adriennj — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:30:53 -0500

Boo to the Yankees and the Phillies for taking away our much-need dose of "Glee" again this week.

Because we at Happiness never want you to feel TV-deprived, we're giving up our "Glee: The Music Volume 1" soundtrack.

All you have to do to get it is tell us the perfect mash-up duet for Will Schuester and Sue Sylvester. That's it.

Post your ideas by midnight tonight, we'll pick the best one and you just might get to wail along to "Don't Stop Believin'," "Sweet Caroline," and oh yes, CAN ANYBODY FIND ME....."Somebody to Love."

(Employees of the News & Observer are not eligible!)

A rally at NCSU for North Carolina's own CNN Hero

brookecain — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:21:42 -0500

CNN is hosting a celebratory rally in Raleigh tomorrow at noon for Doc Hendley, who has been named one of the network's Top 10 Heroes of the year. (Read N&O profile of Hendley here).

The 30-year-old Blowing Rock bartender, who works to bring clean drinking water to people in need, was chosen from over 9,000 entries by a panel which included notables such as Gen. Colin Powell, Sir Elton John, and Ted Turner.

Hendley is eligible to win the #1 "Hero of the Year" spot through voting going on now. Hendley has already been awarded $25,000 and could win $100,000 if he's chosen as "Hero of the Year." You can vote until November 18. The winner will be announced on November 26.

The rally will take place Thursday at noon in the Brickyard on NC State's campus (just behind DH Hill Library on Hillsborough Street).

CNN Heroes recognizes Hendley for his work providing clean water to communities all over the world. According to CNN, Hendley's nonprofit Wine to Water has brought sustainable water systems to 25,000 people in five countries through funds raised at wine-tasting events.

Hendley came up with the idea while attending NCSU (and tending bar and playing music) in Raleigh back in 2003. He held his first fundraiser in January of 2004 and by August of the same year, he was in Darfur installing water systems for communities ravaged by government sponsored genocide. Wine to Water became an official non-profit in 2007. Hendley says he fights the water problem the best way he knows how: "by pouring wine and playing music."

The winner of CNN's Hero of the Year will be announced on Thanksgiving night (November 26) during the "CNN Heroes: All Star Tribute Show" from Kodak Theater in Hollywood, California.

Dancing with the Stars: More double trouble on the dance floor

brookecain — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:56:20 -0500

Once again, the Happiness bloggers elected (begged) my mom to be our Dancing with the Stars correspondent. After each show, she calls me with her report...

Last night was another dance-off and another double-elimination, which means the Dancing herd is thinning at a pretty quick rate right now. Maybe they better slow that down a little since the flu might have folks dropping like flies soon enough (Professional dancer Lacey missed Monday night's show with the flu, and Donny Osmond is under-the-weather. Marie Osmond, DWTS backstage correspondent for "Entertainment Tonight," also has the flu. I'm just sayin'...).

Here's my mom's recap of the show:

"Team Tango, which won the group dance the night before, danced again. They were just as good as the night before.

"They had guest singer Colbie Caillat, and she sang her new song while Alec and Edyta danced. That was okay. Then Mark and Derek's band played. That's not my kind of music, but I guess some people liked it. I like them, but not their music.

"Then Rod Stewart sang 'It's the Same Old Song.' He was great! I love Rod Stewart.

"The first couple in bottom three was Mark Dacascos & Lacey. Second, Michael Irvin & Anna. The third, Aaron Carter & Karina.

"They eliminated the bottom dancers and that meant Michael & Anna. So then there was a a dance-off between Mark & Lacey and Aaron & Karina. Mark & Lacey did the Cha Cha, and Aaron & Karina did the Jive. Of course, the Jive was right up Aaron's alley. It was very fast and energetic and good. Mark & Lacey did well too, but Aaron was the best, and the judges eliminated Mark & Lacey.

"So, I was right. The two I predicted to be eliminated were the two who are gone!"

So You Think You Can Dance: A shaky return for Sanford dancer

adriennj — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:13:27 -0500

Guest blogger Lenni G is back, helping us with SYTYCD coverage. And today, she is not happy:

Time to vent about this season.

Judges-only voting should stop after the top 20 dancers have been named - the audience should be voting from that point forward. The judge's critiques have become so technical that we ordinary hoofers have no idea what they're talking about - it's depressing to really love a couple's dance and then have the "experts" tell us it was awful.

Finally, the daggone new stage is just a hot mess. It is way too big and all the bells, whistles and flashing lights really detract from the dancers' performances - what happened to the "less is more" staging concept of previous seasons?

OK, ending venting, on to the summary of last night.

Noelle Marsh (who's from Sanford) and Russell started with a Jamal Sims Hip Hop dance which was supposed to be a "death match, tennis style." Judges pretty much didn't feel like the couple did very well and I thought the choreography was strange, strange, strange. And, I also thought Noelle looked less than 100% physically - she was clearly unsteady a number of times and appeared to be favoring the knee that kept her out of last week's competition.

Ashleigh and Jakob were next doing a Tony and Melanie Waltz. Adam, in what has to be a first, called out the choreographers, proclaiming there were too many lifts in the routine - WHAT? Then he said, "You guys can do no wrong, brilliant." So, if I understand correctly, the dancers did a superior job with a poorly scripted dance - WHAT? Mary and Nigel were unanimous in their praise for the couple.

Bianca and Victor followed, doing a Tyce Diorio routine danced to the music from the church scene in the movie, "The Color Purple." I thought they were fabulous, particularly Bianca, and then the judges' comments brought me down to earth. What they wanted was a more frenzied, fall out on the floor, foam-at-the-mouth interpretation. This assessment was, in my opinion, way off base. Tyce Diorio is one of the best choreographers around and I'm sure if he had wanted Bianca and Victor to "lose it" as Adam said, or "go crazy" as Mary said, he would have told Bianca and Victor just that. Oops, I'm back to venting!

Mollee and Nathan were next, doing a terrific Bollywood routine from Nakul. Judges loved the whole thing and so did I. This is a great pairing that should get better and better.

Channing and Phillip did a Samba from Tony and Melanie. Adam didn't rag on T and M for this routine but he did pan the cancers mercilessly, as did Mary and Nigel. I loved Nigel's comment that Channing looked nervous going into the lifts. Sure she did, Nigel, she knew from the rehearsals that Phillip, with very little upper body strength, could drop her at any time. And Nigel, calling Channing a "Beautiful sack of potatoes" is so not PC. And your comment about the color of her dress being good was the height of judgespeak.

Lifting up the competition once more were Karen and Kevin doing an all time great Hip Hop from my favs, NappyTabs. This is Kevin's style so I expected good from him, but Karen, a Latin dancer, was phenomenal. Have to agree with Mary that Karen has the "It Factor" and that she sure has been fun to watch so far. And yes, the Hot Tamale Train arrived with Karen and Kevin on board.

Kathryn and Legacy followed with a Stacey Tookee Contemporary number. This routine about a woman struggling with fear, personified by Legacy, was really, really NICE! And the judges AGREED with me - that's even better than nice. Legacy got huge props for dancing so brilliantly so far out of his usual style of Hip Hop. And Kathryn was a vision. As Nigel said, she had been under the radar but no longer for sure.

Pauline and Peter, unfortunately, got a Wade Robson number that was just plain weird (Adam called it a controversial piece). Nigel thought that Wade made a statement having the couple dance as humans in Van Gogh's "Starry Night." To me, that statement would be, Van Gogh didn't put humans in his painting cuz that would be wrong. The twosome did their best with what they got and that's about all I can say other than hot mess choreography.

Finally, it was Ellenore and Ryan doing a Miriam and Leonardo Argentine Tango. This was totally hot without the mess. And, Ellenore completely ignored the fact that her heel was caught in her dress almost half the time they were dancing. Now that's concentration. This is one great couple that should go very, very far.

It was now time for the danger zone with Noelle and Russell, Channing and Phillip, and Bianca and Victor making the trip this week. The judges then selected Noelle, Phillip, Bianca and Victor for the dance-for-your life solos. Here again, it appeared that Noelle was at less than full strength physically and that Bianca's tap routine was much more energetic. Judge's disagreed and put Noelle through to next week. Sorry judges and Noelle, Bianca was better and should have stayed. As for the men, Phillip punched his ticket, and rightfully so, for the Bye Bye Train.

So, think I heard Nigel say at the end of the show that the audience starts to have input next week. It's about time!

The Biggest Loser: Ding, dong, Tracey's gone.

brookecain — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:03:05 -0500

The internets are all abuzz today, with strains of "Ding, Dong, the Witch is Dead" practically wafting up out of my computer's ethernet cable as I type this.

Raleigh native Tracey Yukich, who quickly became "Biggest Loser" season 8's requisite villain, finally got her comeuppance last night, and fans all over the country are celebrating her reality show demise.

After spending a week with the whole gang in our nation's capital, Tracey found herself below the yellow line at weigh-in and in a showdown with her "Biggest Loser" nemesis, Liz. (Sorry if this is a spoiler for you, but this is Raleigh so Tracey is news to our readers).

Is all the beating up on Tracey deserved or unfair? You can decide amongst yourselves.

All we know is that she made some craaazy decisions in the game that often either sabotaged or sold out her teammates. Tracey always claimed her moves were strategic and designed to help her win the game, but "Biggest Loser" isn't "Survivor," and Tracey's strategic (or if you prefer, "cutthroat") moves are what sent her home last night.

Tracey made enemies on the show, plain and simple, and those folks were just waiting for the chance to serve up a little chilled revenge (with light dressing on the side, of course).

Tracey is originally from Raleigh and still has family here, but currently lives in with her husband and four children in Texas.

And by the way, Tracey looked fantastic in her Transformation Video.

What to Watch on Wednesday: Bill Cosby receives Mark Twain Prize

brookecain — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:30:00 -0500

Bill Cosby: The Mark Twain Prize 2009 (9pm, PBS) - Bill Cosby receives the 2009 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in a ceremony that features clips from his classic shows and tributes from Phylicia Rashad, Carl Reiner, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, and many others.

New Adventures of Old Christine (8pm, CBS) - Geeky little Ritchie, played by Trevor Gagnon, gets invited to a dance by the most popular girl in school. Ritchie's social boost makes Christine's popularity skyrocket too, and being the great mother that she is, Christine explains to him that being popular is the most important thing in the world.

Mercy (8pm, NBC) - Elisabeth Moss (Peggy from "Mad Men") guest stars tonight as a cancer patient who wants Veronica to let her die. You know Moss is going to act the fool out of that.

Modern Family (9pm, ABC) - Manny displays a talent for fencing, and Jay's fatherly pride stirs up some painful memories for Mitchell. Stick around for "Cougar Town" at 9:30.

Flowers Uncut (10pm, TLC) - A new series that takes you into the intriguing world of flower arranging. Acclaimed designer Jeff Leatham returns from Paris to set up business in New York. And to film a reality show, of course. Back-to-back episodes tonight.

Man v. Food (10pm, Travel) - Adam Richman v. 190-pound burger in Detroit.

Baldwin and Martin to host the Oscars

adriennj — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:07:56 -0500

It sort of sounds like a huh? but the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced that next year's Academy Awards will be co-hosted by Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin.

“We think the team of Steve and Alec are the perfect pair of hosts for the Oscars,” said producers Adam Shankman and Bill Mechanic. “Steve will bring the experience
of having hosted the show in the past and Alec will be a completely fresh personality for this event.”

Martin and Baldwin commented too.

“I am happy to co-host the Oscars with my enemy Alec Baldwin,” said Martin.

“I don’t play the banjo but I’m thrilled to be hosting the Oscars – it’s the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Baldwin.

Martin hosted the 73rd and 75th Academy Awards shows, earning an Emmy nomination for the first stint.

Baldwin was nominated for an Academy Award in 2003 for his supporting role in “The Cooler.” He has two Emmys for his role on "30 Rock."

Supposedly, the show had been turned down by Hugh Jackman, who hosted this year's show, and another duo, Robert Downey, Jr. and Ben Stiller.

You know, this might be pretty good.

And you've got to applaud the Academy for at least trying to keep the show fresh.

The show airs on Sunday, March 7th.

'Conchords' may be grounded for good

sadialatifi — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:51:37 -0500

Potentially sad TV news. Jemaine Clement (that's him on the left), one half of the dynamic acting-and-singing duo Flight of the Conchords, told Reuters today that their HBO show might not come back for a third season.

"We've got to write the series, but we've also got to write the songs, and just dividing your time into those two writing tasks is really tricky," he says. Meanwhile, HBO execs say the door is open for the group whenever they're ready to return.

Here's one of my favorite songs from an old episode:

Dancing with the Stars: Cloris Leachman advises Mya?

brookecain — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:19:49 -0500

Once again, the WarmTV bloggers elected (begged) my mom to be our Dancing with the Stars correspondent. After each show, she calls me with her report...

There were some interesting twists to last night's show. There was a special dance by the pros (which usually only happens on elimination night), Cloris Leachman returned to give crazy advice to the show's best dancer, and Aaron Carter designed his own terrible outfit.

Here's the full report.

"Some of the pro dancers danced to a couple of songs. That was pretty good. Normally on the night that the stars dance, the pros don't usually dance. They usually just dance on elimination night, but it was good.

"The contestants designed their own costumes this week. Some were good, some were bad. Some were really good, some were really bad. Michael Irvin's was good. It was actually really pretty. Aaron Carter's was not. I don't even remember what it was, but I remember another weird jacket. Kelly Osbourne's was awful. Just over-the-top. She had Louis in these pants that had all these frills and fringe. Ugly.

"Michael and Anna did the Fox Trot. He did a good job. The judges liked it and he got a 23. He's doing a lot better than when he started out, and he's trying really hard. Anna is new to the show but she's doing better with choreography now too.

"Donny and Kym did the Quick Step. He thought he was coming down with the flu so he didn't feel great, but he worked really hard. And I thought he was good. He had some mistakes but it was still a good performance. He got a 24.

"Mark and Lacey were supposed to dance but Lacey had the flu so Anna filled in for her. It was really tough for Mark this week because he was in NY working. Tony was also in NY so Tony went by to help him rehearse a little bit. Then when Mark got back to California, Anna showed up to rehearse the dance. They did the Samba. He only had 48 hrs with his new partner to learn the dance. And it was a weird Samba. It was almost hip hop music and a hip hop style Samba. He got a 19, which was not very good. The judges were not crazy about it.

"Mya and Dmetris did the Fox Trot. Cloris Leachman came in to 'help' them at rehearsal. She was trying to give Mya pointers. I don't know that she took them, or that I would have. She would tell her stuff about looking him in the eye in a certain way, and then she'd cross her eyes and say 'don't do that.' Just silly mess. But their dance was great. Although, Len said it had too many gimmicks. He is always on her about the gimmicks, I don't know why. Bruno and Carrie Ann said they were great. They got a 25, because of Len. I think it was two 9s and a 7.

"Aaron and Karina did the Jive. The Jive is a very fast and wild dance. Aaron Carter is wild when he dances anyway, to the point that he's almost spastic. So his feet were moving. She had taken him to some kind of trainer that helps football players run through tires, and stuff like that. So in the dance, he was really moving those feet. It had a lot of energy. It was good, but it was crazy. He got 29, so the judges liked it.

"Kelly Osbourne and Louis did the Salsa. Louis had decided it was time to crack down on Kelly, that she needed to bring it up a notch and try harder. So he was not as sweet as he has been before in rehearsal, and she was crying and whining. She did not like his new approach. And when I was looking at her dancing I was thinking, 'this is a mess,' but the judges liked it. They went on and on about how confident she looked. They gave her a 24 but I didn't think it was all that good.

"Joanna and Derek did the Rumba. They did a good job with it, and of course the choreography was very good. And Derek knows what the judges like, which is the really sexy and provacative stuff, so that's the way he went. And the judges liked it, so they got a 27.

"Then they had a second dance and it was 'Team Tango' and 'Team Pasa Doble.' On Team Pasa there was Mark & Anna, Aaron & Karina, Mya & Dmetris, and Michael & Anna. They had a lot of professional women and it was not going very well bcause everyone wanted to be in charge. Sometimes women don't work well together, so Michael kinda stepped in as team captain and made everyone work together and get on with it. In the end, it was very well-done. They had to dance as a team and then of course everyone has something they do apart, briefly. The judges judged the team as a whole. They got 24, which was added to their regular score and ended up giving Aaron 53 total, Mark 43, Mya 49, and Michael 47.

"Then, Team Tango had Kelly & Louis, Donny & Kym, and Joanna & Derek. It was great. All the judges agreed that they were great. They came out on top and they all got 28 added to their score. Which made Donny 52, Joanna 55, Kelly 52.

"So tonight Mark Ballas and Derek Hough, who have a band, will perform and Rod Stewart will also be there. And it will be double-elimination again, with a Dance Off. I'm assuming they'll do it like last week with the bottom one eliminated and then the next two will have the Dance Off and the judges will decide.

"I've gotta think that Mark [Dacascos] and Michael [Irvin] will be going home tonight."

"Tabatha's Salon Takeover": Making the world a better place

adriennj — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:34:57 -0500

We put up with so much, don't we?

In this case I'm speaking of how we put up with establishments that give so-so service but we keep going because it's the closest place or it's cheapest place or we really like somebody who works there.

But don't you just wish they would get it together?

That's why I love Bravo's Tabatha's Salon Takeover.

The show (tonight at 10) features Tabatha Coffey, a master hair stylist, who comes in and fixes broken hair salons with a dose of tough love. She basically asks the owners to raise their standards or in some cases, to get some standards so their businesses can succeed.

This season the first two episodes I saw deal with people who are on the brink of going out of business, mostly because of their incompetence. Tonight's episode features a Chicago salon owner who seems to have given up. His bathrooms are atrocious. His basement is overrun with unused product. Next week, the Miami owner is only 21 and gets pushed around by the staff.

Tabatha, clad in black with an Australian accent and a no-nonsense demeanor, gets called the b word. A lot. The truth, of course, is that she forces people to be respectful -- of their work, their customers, of their customers' time. She's an advocate for her profession and she wants everybody to do good work. There's nothing bitchy about that.

Watch Tabatha tonight and you might want to write her and ask her to come to your salon. Or your office. Or your house. Because we shouldn't have to settle!

How I Met Your Mother recap: Bagpipes etiquette

LJPerez — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:04:54 -0500

Faithful viewers of "How I Met Your Mother" know that Barney Stinson loves the word "awesome" and everything it represents. Neil Patrick Harris' suave man about town craves nothing more than to be awesome at whatever he pursues, whether it's laser tag, suiting up for a one-night stand or whatever the heck he does for Goliath National Bank in his corner office.

So it's no surprise that he thinks he's awesome now at relationships, boasting that he and Robin have supplanted Marshall and Lily as the best couple. This leads to the introduction of another indispensable term in the How I Met Your Mother glossary: New Relationship Smugness.

Credit Ted with coming up with the term to describe the way Barney insists on flaunting his and Robin's bliss, or whatever word you want to use to describe a new couple who've "done it" in 83.5 beds, counting the 19th-century ottoman in that antique shop. Ted has had a lot of chaste time to stew over couples flaunting their love, thanks to the new neighbors upstairs who are constantly having sex.

Or, in How I Met Your Mother terms, "playing the bagpipes."

It's gotten so bad in Ted and Robin's apartment, what with all the tantric bagpiping going on upstairs, that the glass of water in Robin's room is vibrating like that scene in Jurassic Park.

"She keeps yelling at him to bagpipe her harder, but it sounds like he's bagpiping her pretty hard," Robin complains about the new neighbors, who turn out to be an elderly couple no one wants to visualize bagpiping.

So Ted's in no mood to hear Barney gloat about how he and Robin are so much in sync and so much the better couple than Marshall and Lily. Thus, his diagnosis of the New Relationship Smugness afflicting Barney, which causes Barney to believe every other couple pales in comparison to him and Robin.

At first, Marshall is amused by Barney's honeymooner's bravado, offering him a condescending smile and a reminder that Marshall's been the relationship king so long, he was in a relationship "back when you still had a ponytail and were playing Dave Matthews Band songs on your mom's Casio." (That sounds like a looong time ago.)

But Barney manages to insert a kernel of doubt in Marshall after witnessing how easily he bends to Lily's request that he immediately wash his plate in the sink. Barney naturally jumps to the conclusion that they're headed toward divorce and can't understand why Marshall doesn't tell Lily to wash the plate herself.

Just like that, Marshall is taking relationship advice from Barney, the same guy whose strategy for avoiding fights with Robin is to walk out of the room without a word whenever she questions him about a bunch of panties stored in a box marked "April 2008" or the spy camera installed in his headboard.

The way Barney tells it, he should offer Lily a seat on his lap and tell her that if the dirty dish in the sink bothers her so much, she should clean it herself. This leads to the fantasy scene of an aroused Lily offering Barney a strip tease after he tells her that instead of cleaning the dishes he'd rather save whatever energy he has left after a long day at work to shower her with some love (Or bagpiping. Not sure how much love we're talking about).

That strategy has never worked in my house, and it doesn't work for Marshall, who inexplicably boils Barney's smooth talk to, "I make more money than you," and "dance for me."

After a long drawn-out fight that touches on everything from Marshall's refusal to turn on the light or look where he's aiming during his middle-of-the-night bathroom breaks to Lily's creepy, crooked finger impression of The Shining, Marshall ends up requesting couch space at Ted's apartment.

This would be the time for Marshall to stop listening to Barney's advice, but Barney is still bragging that he and Robin are setting a new gold standard for relationships with all the fights they never have. Ted urges Marshall not to listen anymore to Barney, whose way leads only deeper into "a quagmire with no exit strategy."

Ted's quagmire comment is either How I Met Your Mother's first foray into political commentary on the U.S. foreign policy in Afghanistan or a cogent deconstruction of that awful "Battlefield" song by Jordin Sparks. (Seriously, kids, if you want someone to explain the battlefield of love metaphorically, turn to Pat Benatar and not some American Idol-bot.)

Lily keeps up a chilly front in her cold war on Marshall until Ted reveals — with the help of Barney's neighbor — that Barney and Robin fight. All the time. Sheepishly, Barney and Robin head to Marshall and Lily's apartment to confess and seek advice on their imperfect relationship.

Lily blah-blahs something about setting your ego aside and valuing your love for your partner over winning an argument. Barney and Robin choose instead to do it in the elevator, and Marshall and Lily get to revel in their regained status as the perfect, happy couple.

It's enough to make you wonder if poor Ted is ever going to get to play the bagpipes again.

"By the People": HBO's look at the Obama campaign

adriennj — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:41:18 -0500

Tomorrow will be a year to the day that Barack Obama was elected president of these United States.

With all that has happened since then, it's getting harder to remember the headiness of that time -- whether Democratic or Republican or Independent, you can't dispute the historic nature of the 2008 election.

HBO's "By the People: The Election of Barack Obama" (9 tonight) reminds us not just of election day, but President Obama's journey to his victory. And even if the memories and the emotions linger, you'll still learn something.

That's because the film focuses mostly on the people, mostly young, who worked on the Obama campaign. Sure David Axelrod is there, as is North Carolina State University grad Robert Gibbs.

But you mostly see staffers like Ronnie Cho and Michael Blake, young and passionate, who were the door knockers, organizers, all-nighters -- the folks who experienced the ups and downs and felt them as much as the candidate.

The film starts with the Iowa caucus and gives an inside look at exactly how that process works. (There's a great scene of a 9-year-old working the phones and his frustration at the listener's ignorance of Obama.) While there are glimpses of other candidates; we see Hilary Clinton's famous breakdown and Sarah Palin's nomination, the focus is squarely on the Obama campaign.

One of the most poignant scenes near the end involves Obama's stop in Charlotte, the day before the election and the day his grandmother died. Obama begins his speech mentioning her, then segues into his typical stump rhetoric. But as he speaks, a single tear comes down his face. It pretty much says all about what he was feeling and thinking.

If a campaign is reflective of the candidate, then the dignified, measured Obama we see is the real deal because that's what you get behind the scenes. Unlike "The War Room," the film that featured the architects of Bill Clinton's campaign, there's no cussing here (maybe these filmmakers didn't get the same access?), no real fighting. The Obama folk seemed to have had a vision and stuck to it, even through the bumps like Rev. Wright. Guess that's why he won.

I'd like to have seen more about Jon Favreau, the speechwriter, just because speeches were such a hallmark of the campaign. It's pretty tough to document the writing process in an interesting way but I would love to know how he developed some of the themes of the campaign speeches.

"By The People" is a worthy document of a transformative time in our nation's history. We don't know how the America/Obama journey ends, but in its beginnings there was much promise and we should remember that too.

What to Watch on Tuesday: Visitors arrive to destroy mankind

brookecain — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:30:00 -0500

V (8pm, ABC) - ABC "re-imagines" NBC's 80s sci-fi drama about carnivorous reptilian aliens known as "The Visitors" who invade Earth. The Visitors claim to be friendly, but their mission is to exterminate the human race. I'm not normally a big fan of sci-fi, but this show is very well-done. Starring Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet from "Lost"), Scott Wolf, and Morris Chestnut.

Biggest Loser (8pm, NBC) - The contestants are now competing individually. In tonight's episode, they all travel to Washington DC for a public workout at the Washington Monument, for a salad at the White House, and then a weigh-in on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Couldn't NBC have used some of this travel budget to film another episode of "Trauma?"

So You Think You Can Dance (8pm, Fox) - One local dancer (Noelle) remains on the show but she was hobbling around on a bad leg last week, so who knows...

Kathy Griffin: Balls of Steel (9pm, Bravo) - In her latest stand-up show filmed at the San Diego Civic Center, Kathy Griffin dishes on Barbara Walters, the Gosselins, Levi Johnston, and Miley Cyrus.

Tabatha's Salon Takeover (10pm, Bravo) - Season two gets underway tonight, with Tabatha Coffey taking over a struggling salon in Chicago.

UNC-TV's new Explorer Channel offers food, travel, adventure

brookecain — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:30:10 -0500

UNC-TV debuted a new channel over the weekend.

UNC-EX is their new Explorer Channel, which features outdoor adventure, science, nature, history, and culture programming. The channel debuted on Sunday.

An example of the programs which will air include the cooking show "Lidia's Italy" (Lidia Bastianich is shown at left), the adventure show "Globe Trekker," and science programs like "Nova" and "Nature."

The channel will also air UNC-TV original programming such as "Exploring North Carolina" and "North Carolina Weekend," as well as special documentaries like Ken Burns' "National Parks" series.

The channel is offered free of charge to over-the-air viewers as well as to subscribers to digital cable.

Also on Sunday, the UNC-ED channel (available only to digital subscribers) was renamed UNC-MX. The "MX" signifies a "mix" of programming for adults, from public affairs shows to how-to and more.

UNC-EX airs locally on channel 4.3 or if you have cable, channel 203.

Duke student's "Simpsons" skills wins $10K on "Food Network Challenge"

brookecain — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:00:00 -0500

Duke Law student Andrew Blumberg showed off his "Simpsons" expertise on last night's "Food Network Challenge," and helped cake decorator BethAnn Goldberg earn the $10,000 grand prize.

Andrew, who was introduced on the show as being from Arlington, Texas (no Duke shout out!), was one of four Simpsons Super Fans chosen to compete along with serious cake decorators to craft the ultimate "Simpsons Mystery Cake."

Andrew and BethAnn were assigned a Bart Simpson cake, with instructions to play off the classic Simpsons episode, "Last Tap Dance in Springfield."

The cake masters and super fans were surprised by special judge Yeardley Smith, the voice of Lisa Simpson. Smith asked each team a trivia question based on their assigned episode, and they were required to incorporate the answer to that question into the theme of their cake.

Blumberg's team was asked for the name of Lisa's dance teacher in the "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" episode. BethAnn looked like a deer in headlights, but Andrew saved the day.

"Little Vicki," he answered cooly. When Yeardley said yes, but it was actually Miss Vicki, Andrew recited dialogue from the episode in which the dance teacher was called both "Miss" and "Little" Vicki.

Yeardley cracked up, clearly impressed with Andrew's recall.

"I'm finally getting to use my only marketable skill," the second-year law student said, "which is Simpsons knowledge."

For the Little/Miss Vicki angle, Andrew and BethAnn decide to include Lisa's tap shoes on the Bart cake.

BethAnn noted that Andrew displayed "mad skills" at making the lollipops and candy for the cake. But one early issue for the team seemed to be that Bart's head was a little out of proportion. Yeardley pointed out to the other judges before the cake was even finished that his forehead was not quite high enough.

But the finished product looked awesome. BethAnn said she thought it was the absolute best she could have done that day, and Andrew was equally pleased.

"If you took a picture of our cake and sent it back in time to me a week ago and said do you think there's any way you could have a hand in making something like this, I would have laughed in your face."

And Andrew certainly had more fun than the contestant from New York who said he felt like he was in the middle of "Mommie Dearest" a few times with no nonsense decorator Julie Durkee.

In the end, none of the cakes were perfect, but all of the cakes were extraordinary.

The judges noted that Bart's head was a bit "lumpy and bumpy," and Yeardley told them that since Bart is the most marketed of the Simpson's characters, he had to be exactly right. Then she hit them with the forehead news. It was "a bit short," she said, but added that there was "tremendous detail" on the cake.

In declaring Andrew and BethAnn the winners, Yeardley acknowledged that while the scale of Bart's head was a bit off, BethAnn got the colors right and the feel of the show right, and captured the spirit of the characters.

"As a Simpsons Super Fan, this was such an amazing experience," Andrew said on the show. "To get to use 20 years worth of Simpsons knowledge to actually do something. The fact that I was able to do help produce something that turned out as great as our cake did is just amazing to me."

Andrew told us later that while technically, BethAnn was the winner of the $10,000, she was kind enough to share a portion with him, and that the cake tasted like a Butterfinger candy bar. "I thought that was a very nice touch by BethAnn," he said.

What to Watch on Monday: Too late to right a "Trauma" wrong?

brookecain — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:30:00 -0500

How I Met Your Mother (8pm, CBS) - Overly confident in his role as Robin's boyfriend, Barney starts giving relationship advice to Marshall, which ends in disaster.

Trauma (9pm, NBC) - A show so much better than its sister show "Mercy," "Trauma" was unfairly canceled last week by NBC, a network which seems to be giving up on dramas. (Maybe "Trauma" can move to cable like NBC's inexplicably canceled "Southland.") While "Trauma" isn't perfect, there's something great here every single week -- at least one moment in each show that stops you dead in your tracks. What will it be tonight? Nancy and Glenn (right) discover what it's like to be on the receiving end of emergency help, while Rabbit gets a big surprise on the job.

For the Love of Ray J 2 (9pm, VH1) - Hip hop singer Ray J gets a second season to try to find true love. Apparently the contestant he impregnated during the first season wasn't "the one."

Big Bang Theory (9:30pm, CBS) - Sheldon tries to teach Leonard the fundamentals of football, and Raj and Howard have a kite fight.

Castle (10pm, ABC) - A dead rock star is discovered staged in a scene from her own music video, and lyrics from one of her songs finally breaks the case open.

The Amazing Race: For whom the bell tolls

adriennj — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:00:00 -0500

Add "upper body strength" to the list of things you might need to win the Race.

We're down to six teams. First, let's take a step back and marvel at the wonder that is Dubai. The pit stop is a resort, a man-made island shaped like a palm tree that is eight football fields big. On the one hand, it's ridiculously over the top. On the other hand, I yearn to go there.

Meghan & Cheyne were first again, so they are the first to leave and the clue sends them to Amsterdam. As it turns out, the earliest flight is atmidnight, and since it's mid-afternoon, all the teams will be on the same flight.

The gay brothers, Sam and Dan, tells us the difference between them. Sam is book smart and Dan is street smart. Or is it the other way around? And does it matter?

Perceptive diva Miss America notices that she just might be a nag; she's been yelling a lot. Like a 12-stepper, she says she hopes that the first step in beating her disease is acknowledging it.

The teams are having a nice relaxed time at the airport, so the gay brothers decide it's a nice moment to tell everyone that they are the 'token gay team.' Mr. America comments that now the matching swimsuits make sense. The gay brothers blame that on their mom. Pink hair father makes a nice joke; he wonders aloud whether this is a good time to tell his son that he's adopted.

In Amsterdam, Mr. & Miss America's day begins its descent. They can't work the luxury car. Mr. America is vocally miffed, though not out of control. Still it freaks Miss America out. "You dictate my mood!" Which is kinda like saying, "If you weren't such an idiot, I wouldn't be yelling at you!"

Globetrotter Flight Time notes that if he knows anyone's name on the race it's Mr. America because he wife is always yelling "BRIAN!!" That's almost immediately followed by a clip of Miss America squawking "BRIAN!!" Hey, they can only edit what you give them.

Time for the roadblock: The teams have to go up the staircase of a bell tower and count the bells in the tower. When they get the right number -- 62 -- they get the clue.

Meghan & Cheyne and the gay brothers arrive first; Meghan and a gay brother decide to work together on the counting.

Pink-hair son Matt goes it alone and gets it right on the first go, and he and dad move into first place. They quickly lose it trying to get to the next clue.

Meghan and the gay brother get it right next; on the way down, the gay brother gives the answer to the nice non-Asian poker girl.

The next clue sends the teams to a windmill.

Miss & Mr. America get to the bell tower and Miss America is to do the task. Strong legs and keen eyes? This seems like a bad idea.

And I'm right. Miss America counts and she counts 43 bells, not 62. So along with not doing heat, cold, and water, Miss America doesn't do simple arithmetic. "Brian should have done this," she says bitterly.

Meanwhile at the windmill, the clue offers a detour. Both require traditional garb and riding bikes. For farmer's game, teams must strip down to their Dutch drawers and swim across a creek to a field and play 3 holes of a golf-like game. They must get the ball in the hole in 8 strokes or they have to start over.

Farmer's dance involves first hitting a hammer bell (one of those carnival strong men games), then learn a traditional dance and eat salted herring and onions.

Miss America counts again and gets 56. She tries again and gets 57.

Although the golf game seems pretty hard, the gay brothers and Meghan & Cheyne choose it. Meghan says she's not good at golf so she goes reluctantly.

Miss America breaks down. The bell counting is just too much. She comes to Mr. America and he tells her to take a five-minute break before trying again.

Despite strong wind, the gay brothers finish the golf game pretty quickly. They are in the lead and head to the pit stop.

Meghan is struggling with the golf and she makes sure that Cheyne knows it. But despite the whining she eventually gets the hang of it.

Pink hair Matt and his dad are at the dance site, but Matt says he doesn't like fish, so when the herring thing comes up, they bail on the task.

The poker players are at the hammer bell. They swing the hammer like girls, girls who sit around lifting nothing heavier than playing cards for a living. It is not a girl power moment.

Miss America gives herself a pep talk. It works. She gets the 62.

The gay brothers get to the pit stop first and win a sand buggy.

The poker players are still trying to ring the bell. They've tried 30 times without success. They switch to the golf.

Mr. and Miss America continue their bad day by not reading the clue, and heading to the detour, on foot, instead of by bike. This leads to a lot of complaining by Miss America about her feet hurting in the wooden shoes. Mr. America is not allowed to complain.

The Globetrotters have decided to dance. Once they get the steps they say it's "Soul Train," which means suddenly the traditional Dutch dance looks a bit like the Electric slide. The fish, however, does not become fried catfish. It's especially painful for Flight Time who won't even talk about it afterward.

The poker players can't do the golf. They go back to the dance.

After walking in the wooden shoes too long, Miss America notes that something must be wrong. Mr. America reads the clue; they discover they've bypassed the bikes. He's in trouble now; she's really mad. She doesn't do hurt feet. And no, Mr. America, your pain does not compare to hers. She had to walk up those steps several times when she was miscounting those bells. So Mr. America, do not complain about your feet. "The least you could do is be compassionate," she says. And, no, she will not give you credit for YOUR hurt feet. Let's focus on her pain, please.

The poker players are back at the bell. It's attempt number 70. Ok. Back to the golf.

Mr. & Miss America do the dance. It's fun. Miss America falls back in love with her husband. They borrow bikes to get to the pit stop.

Miss America says it's not her finest hour, and the hour might get longer. Because they didn't take the bikes to the detour they incur a 30-minute penalty.

But it's pretty clear that the poker players are falling apart. Back on the golf course, they are cold and wet, and almost too tired to swing those clubs. Their white Dutch drawers serve as surrender flags. Phil comes to retrieve them.

For the second time, a team doesn't finish a task and leaves the game. The Race is a cruel mistress.

"Glee" cast sings National Anthem at World Series

brookecain — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:06:02 -0500

The cast of Fox's new hit show "Glee" sang the National Anthem before Game 3 of the World Series Saturday night in Philadelphia.

Amber Riley, who plays Mercedes Jones on the show, sang lead vocals while the rest of New Directions group sang backup. No mash-ups, no dancing.

"Glee" is pre-empted for a while due to World Series games on Fox, and will return November 11.

Watch a video of the performance below.

TV One's 'Unsung' premieres tonight with Lady T

adriennj — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:58:37 -0500

Tonight at 8, TV One launches its latest round of 'Unsung,' the series that looks at the lives of artists deemed under-recognized or under-appreciated.

It's a terrific series; past highlights have included nicely told pieces on Phyllis Hyman, Melba Moore, DeBarge, and Donny Hathaway.

If you like your music funky, this month of Sundays might be for you. It begins with a look at Teena Marie, the Vanilla Child who was a Rick James protege (and lover, for a while) and who with the Brockert Initiative (her birth name is Mary Christine Brockert), legally changed the relationship between musicians and record labels.

On Nov. 8, the series takes a look at Bootsy Collins; he of the star-shaped sunglasses who is a good enough bassist to have played with James Brown and George Clinton. Those associations alone should guarantee some interesting tales.

Klymaxx's story is told on Nov. 15. You might remember them from their hits "Meeting in the Ladies Room" and "The Men All Pause." They're an all-female group who told women's stories; I saw them on a VH1 show and the six women split bitterly, so this might get ugly.

Nov. 22 brings Zapp and Roger, the kings of that vicoder sound waaay before you, Mr. T Pain. (You can hear/see Roger on the Tupac/Dr. Dre song "California Love.") Zapp was a brother group -- the Troutman brothers, and there's a tragic element to this story; Roger Troutman was shot to death by his brother Larry in 1999, who then killed himself.

The episodes all repeat at 11 on the same night; and typically, the next week before that newest episode airs. Take a look.

Raleigh author's spooky Duke thriller on UNC-TV today

brookecain — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0500

Raleigh author Alexandra Sokoloff will discuss her new thriller "The Unseen" this afternoon on "NC Bookwatch" on UNC-TV

The heroine of Sokoloff's book is a Duke University psych professor who is shaken by a precognitive dream and becomes obsessed with files from the famous Rhine parapsychology experiments, which took place at Duke and attempted to prove the legitimacy of ESP. Along with another Duke professor and a pair of Duke students, the protagonist moves into an abandoned mansion to replicate the investigation, unaware that the last group of scientists to do so ended up either insane or dead.

Sokoloff, whose first novel "The Harrowing" was nominated for both a Bram Stoker award and an Anthony Award for Best First Novel, has written original thriller and horror scripts for numerous Hollywood studios. She splits her time between Raleigh and Los Angeles, and is currently at work on her fourth supernatural thriller for St. Martin's Press.

"NC Bookwatch" airs today at 5 PM on UNC-TV.

Duke student accepts "Simpsons" challenge on Food Network

brookecain — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 08:30:00 -0500

Second-year Duke Law student Andrew Blumberg will appear on the "Simpsons Mystery Cakes" episode of "Food Network Challenge" tonight at 8pm.

Blumberg earned a spot as one of the show's four Simpsons Superfans, and was paired with a professional cake designer to create a cake in the likeness of one of the show's main characters: Homer, Marge, Bart, or Lisa Simpson.

Blumberg told the Duke Law News that to qualify, he showed how he had incorporated "The Simpsons" into his everyday life. He says he is currently working on a project at Duke with Professor Barak Richman creating a dvd which explains contract law using clips from "The Simpsons" tv show.

This episode of "Food Network Challenge" commemorates the 20th Anniversary of "The Simpsons" tv show, but the network held a similar cake competition for the release of "The Simpsons" movie in 2007. The winner of that competition won $10,000 and a trip to the movie premiere in Hollywood.

The winner of tonight's challenge also wins $10,000 and also a gold medal. Yeardly Smith, the actress who lends voice to Lisa Simpson, is one of the judges.

Blumberg his hosting a viewing party (with cake!) tonight at the Law School's Star Commons.

"Food Network Challenge" airs at 8pm tonight on the Food Network.

What to Watch on Sunday: Windmills, sex rehab, and Oliver Platt

brookecain — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 07:30:00 -0500

Amazing Race 15 (8pm, CBS) - The teams fly to the Netherlands to race amongst clogs, windmills, and tulips.

Desperate Housewives (9pm, ABC) - Bree is starting to really fall for Susan's slick ex-husband Karl, while Gaby gets her daughter Juanita expelled from school.

Bored to Death (9:30pm, HBO) - "Bored to Death" has become a top destination for cool guest cameos. So far they've had Kristin Wiig, Jim Jarmusch, Parker Posey, and Patton Oswalt. The wonderful Oliver Platt (right) shows up again tonight as GQ magazine editor and nemesis of George (Ted Danson). John Hodgman is great as a book reviewer who trashed Jonathan's first novel, and Bebe Neuwirth appears again as Jonathan's book editor. (Look for NPR's Sarah Vowell next week.) Meanwhile, Ray (Zach Galifianakis, who continues to steal all his scenes) is alarmed when a lesbian couple (Samantha Bee shows up in this story line tonight too) to whom he has been donating sperm disappears.

Mad Men (10pm, AMC) - After tonight, we're sadly only one episode away from the finale. Will tonight's episode (or even the finale) top last week's, in which Don was forced to come clean to Betty about his secret past? We do know that tonight Peggy has more proof that her taste in men is flat-out atrocious, and Pete has to make a major decision about his career.

Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew (10pm, VH1) - The series premiere of a new show in which Dr. Drew treats eight patients for sex addiction.

What to Watch on Saturday: Halloween programming goes retro

brookecain — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 08:30:00 -0400

The Addams Family (3pm, WGN America) - WGN America (channel 23 on Time Warner Cable) has a marathon of "The Addams Family" from 3pm to 11pm. Did you know this 1964 TV classic was based on a series of New Yorker cartoons by Charles Addams? Carve out some time today to spend with Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, and Lurch.

The Night of the Living Dead (6pm, AMC) - AMC is showing scary movies all day, but starting at 6pm, they have a marathon of the digitally remastered George Romero 1968 horror classic, "Night of the Living Dead." AMC also has a great Guide to Haunted Real Estate you should check out. The house from "Amityville Horror" still gives me the creeps.

The Locator (9pm, WeTV) - Abruptly transitioning from scary to sweet... In the third season finale, a woman looks for her biological father with the help of her stepfather. If you haven't already, check out our recent interview with Troy Dunn.

Scranton's new singing sensation

sadialatifi — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:32:32 -0400

Don't start your weekend without watching Kelly Kapoor and Erin Hannon star in their first music video, "Male Prima Donna."

The Office characters have started their own female musical duo, Subtle Sexuality, with the help of Nard-Dog (Andy) and Mr. Understood (Ryan). The first song, clearly about a certain office temp with a skinny tie, is catchy and Auto-tuned enough to be a bona fide top 40 hit.

The group's website has a link to the video, the Mindy Kaling-directed webisodes behind the group and the complete lyrics.

So, get on board. "You're a male prima donna / But I can't help but want 'cha / I'm an independent diva /But I still kinda need ya..." is the new "If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it..."

Community: If you were a donut, would you eat yourself?

sadialatifi — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:39:29 -0400

It's Halloween at Glendale Community College, and everyone's excited. We're just seven episodes into this show's strong first season, but we know by now that mass excitement can only lead to disaster. And hilarity.

Annie decides to host a "Dia de los Muertos" party so she'll get extra credit in Spanish class - but mostly so she can throw her first successful party in the school's library. It's all part of her sad but endearing pursuit to be cool.

Meanwhile, Jeff finally sets his sights on a new woman (the unsatisfying Jeff/Britta will-they-or-wont-they plot was beginning to drag) - his statistics professor. Unlike Britta, Professor Short Skirt says she's interested but won't date students, even if they're older than she is. Hints of Britta's jealousy are subtle, thankfully, which plays out much more naturally. Shirley, meanwhile, is more visibly upset about the Jeff's flirtation - but she's just projecting anger because her ex-husband visited and asked for her wedding ring back earlier. Ouch.

Annie guilts Jeff into coming to the party. It's important he comes because he's cool and if he comes, everyone else will, she explains. He begrudgingly agrees. (As awesome as Joel McHale is, I'm kind of over how cool Jeff may be.)

The party starts and everyone but Jeff is in costume. Pierce wears a Beastmaster costume after downing some old-person pills. (Abed's warning to Pierce about his own grandfather: "One time he started hallucinating and ran down the street with no pants on, which in the Gaza Strip is considered a real party foul.") Abed, the show's scene-stealer, is dressed up as Batman with the goofy Christian Bale voice to match. It's eerily spot-on and worth watching several times.

Senor Chang informs Jeff that Hot Statistics Professor is at a faculty Halloween party across campus. Jeff convinces Senor Chang to take him. But that means he's left Annie's party and the rest of the crowd will soon follow ("I don't want to miss the news," Starburns worries). Annie freaks out, Pierce trades his drugs for illegal ones and Annie freaks out some more. Pierce has a majorly bad trip (Troy: "It's like Grumpy Old Men but not hilarious.") that leads to a hallucination where Annie seductively asks Pierce about Woodstock and Sputnik. Britta, ostensibly concerned, crashes the faculty party with most of the gang to mess up Jeff's game.

It eventually works, and Jeff, now donned in an irresistible cowboy costume, comes back to the library to save the day. "You are too old to be tripping," he tells Pierce, who by then has built a dangerous fort of tables and chairs and is threatening suicide. When the desk fort topples over, Batman (Abed) rescues Pierce and Jeff and closes out the episode by launching into a monologue worthy of the Dark Knight. (I still think Community makes pop culture references in the best way.)

I leave you with the hilarious episode tag between Troy and Abed, who are both still in Christian Bale-Batman voices:

Troy: "That's one of my biggest fears."

Abed: "What is?"

Troy: "If I ever, like, wake up as a donut..."

Abed: "You would eat yourself?

Troy: "I wouldn't even question it."

(If that's not funny to you, this show might not be for you.)

Watch Thursday night's episode for free on Hulu here.

Regis & Kelly take on Real (profane) Housewives of NJ

brookecain — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:23:24 -0400

Regis hates it and calls it his "Week of Halloween Horror," while many see it as the yearly excuse for the Gelman and Art Moore to dress up in drag. Nonetheless, this morning's Halloween show on "Live with Regis and Kelly" (with a "Reality Bites" theme) had some genuinely funny moments.

Sure, most of the people they take on have already been spoofed within an inch of their lives, but you haven't lived till you've seen Regis (and Art) in a leotard and orthopedic granny flats trying to dance backup to Beyonce's "Single Ladies" (Kelly was a good Beyonce, but Regis is the reason to watch this one).

But the spot that had me mesmerized was their take on the table-flipping scene from "The Real Housewives of New Jersey." Both Regis and Kelly really seemed to get into their roles. It's pretty unbelievable. Click below to watch.

They also did a spoof on the Jason-Melissa breakup on "The Bachelor" and Kelly re-enacted Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video (there was also a great spoof on "The Rachel Zoe Project").

The Office recap: Michael realizes he's a loser. Again.

LJPerez — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:15:10 -0400

Pity the costumed children of the Scranton Industrial Park Community who had to settle for a Halloween tour of what Michael Scott tried to convince them was the spookiest warehouse in the world.

Little did they know that Michael's "[Junk] in a Box" homage to Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake's classic Saturday Night Live video would be the highlight of Thursday's tepid episode of The Office. At least the kids got off easy with a ride on Darryl the Gangsta Pumpkin's pallet truck of doom.

Maybe they were scarred for life by Michael, giftwrapped box affixed to his crotch, swinging from a noose and reminding them that suicide is never the answer. But at least they got to go home. The rest of us were stuck enduring the rest of an episode that plunged into Yawnville after a promising opening.

If you want to get all existential, you could argue that Michael pretending to hang himself was a foreshadowing of his own despair, which he unwisely shares with his employees, following some unwise advice by Jim. But before we get to that, let's acknowledge there were some laughs mined out of the costumes the Scranton branch employees chose for the kids' warehouse tour.

Creed went old-school with a Bela Lugosi-style vampire look, earning him the scorn of too-hip-for-this-world Ryan, who went instead for the trendy, sensitive vampire look of the Twilight set. At least I think that's what he was trying to get across with the trench coat, poofy hair and wan look on his face, but I'm not sure.

I haven't read the books or seen the movie, so I can only go by what I've seen on the 27 consecutive Entertainment Weekly covers devoted to the Twilight series.

Of course Kelly would pick orange-haired Leeloo from the forgettable Bruce Willis movie "The Fifth Element" for her costume, and no surprise that Dwight's chose to dress as Jigsaw from the "Saw" torture porn movie series.

But you had to laugh at Darryl's confused descriptions to the kids of some of the other costumes. Meredith dressed up as a hobo, so she didn't appreciate Darryl calling her "that old crone from 'Drag Me to Hell'." And Jim thought he was being precious writing "Book" across his face — Get it? Facebook? — but he wasn't counting on Darryl calling him "Bookface".

"Label yourselves, or take what you can get," Darryl tells them when they whine about him getting their costumes wrong.

And that wraps up the amusing portion of Thursday's episode, which revolves around Michael's embarrasment about falling into a koi pond during a sales call with Jim, and Andy revealing a disturbing comfort with kissing and cooing at Pam's pregnant belly during their joint sales pitches.

Jim is disgruntled by Michael's attempts to "micro-comanage" him by shadowing him on a visit to a Dunder Mifflin client. Naturally, Michael makes a fool of himself, falling into a pond at the client's office and getting billed the $300 replacement cost of the koi fish he stepped on and killed trying to fish himself out.

Michael returns to the office soaking wet and needs to borrow a suit from Jim to finish the day. Shorter Michael looks silly in taller Jim's clothes, and the rest of the staff can't help but start cracking jokes about Michael's koi pond disaster. Ever faithful Dwight can't stand Kevin and Oscar's puns at his office sensei's expense.

"Michael, they're mocking you with wordplay!" Dwight cautions him.

This triggers a sensitivity training meeting in the conference room where Michael, king of humiliating his employees with insensitive jokes at their expense, announces the creation of a "Do Not Mock" list.

"You can't make fun of somebody for something they regret," Michael declares.

So for Michael, that means no more Koi pond jokes. For Dwight, no jokes about his tiny nose. For Meredith, no cracks about her having sex with a terrorist. (That joke goes nowhere.)

Kevin asks that people stop making cracks about his weight, but Michael immediately says that's "too broad" a subject. As a compromise, Michael decides that jokes about Kevin's "huge gut" are now off limits.

It's clear that no one is taking the Do Not Mock list seriously, though, so Jim later suggests that Michael defuse the situation by making jokes about himself to let everyone know that the Koi pond incident wasn't such a big deal. Sounds like good advice, until Michael, like a puppy rolling over on its back to win the alpha dog's approval, starts sharing all the humiliating incidents in his life.

Sharing stories of how the girls' volleyball team used to throw you in the frozen pond in high school? Sort of funny. Acknowledging that you don't have enough friends in your life to designate five people on your cell phone's friends and family plan? Just depressing.

We're headed to another downward spiral of existential gloom until Meredith scores a copy of the Koi pond security tape from her roommate's friend the night janitor. (Is he the terrorist? What the heck was that about?)

The grainy tape shows that Jim clearly had the opportunity to grab Michael and stop him from falling in, but Jim leaned away and watched Michael splash down. A shamefaced Jim had to acknowledge his own "A Separate Peace" moment.

(Apologies for the gratuitous high school English class reference. Do they even teach that novel in school anymore?)

Jim acknowledges to Michael that he had been upset that Michael didn't trust him enough to visit a client on his own, even if he isn't as good a salesman as Michael.

Michael takes this to mean that Jim, effortlessly cool Jim with tons of friends and a lovely knocked-up bride, is jealous of him, so he recovers from his angst.

Speaking of Jim's bride, Pam is stuck making cold calls with lonely Andy, their punishment for racking up the lowest sales numbers for the quarter. Their first appointment incorrectly assumes that they're a couple, and Andy gets his feelings hurt at how energetically Pam tries to set the record straight that they're definitely not together.

"Somebody's got a case of the 'definitelys'," Andy snipes in the car afterward.

Apparently in the Scranton metropolitan area, business people aren't accustomed to seeing a man and woman making sales calls together without assuming they're a couple, because every potential client they visit draws the same conclusion.

Andy kills one deal in his attempt to get back at Pam for her earlier protestations, telling one potential client that Pam is really a surrogate mom, carrying the baby for his "face" model girlfriend — "On a scale of 1 to Giselle, she's a 9," Andy brags about his imaginary Boo.

Eventually, Pam and Andy figure out they can use people's assumptions about their relationship to close sympathy deals. In playing along, though, Andy reveals that he knows way too much about who the best birth coaches are in Scranton. And Pam gets a little uncomfortable with all the kisses of her belly and Andy's crying jags of happiness.

Andy later confesses to her that he's tired of being single. He wants a relationship, bad. Will someone put Andy out of his misery and shove him out of the closet so that he can start dating Oscar, his office soulmate?

Before that happens, though, Andy still has a crush on Erin, Pam's mousy replacement as office receptionist. Feeling pity for him, Pam sets out trying to convince Erin what a cool guy Andy is.

This should be an easy matchmaking assignment, since Erin tells Pam that she thinks Andy is "the coolest person I've ever met." An a capella singer who drones on about Dartmouth is the coolest person she's ever met? We'll let that one slide for now. But come on ... the guy who wears a navy blazer and khaki pants to work every day is the coolest person she's ever met?

If your standard for cooldom is Marlon Wayans, I guess anything's possible.

But if you use the Wayons Brothers' scale of comedy, this episode would definitely rank on the lower, Marlon Wayans end of the humor scale.

Project Runway: One day you're cute, the next day you're out

sadialatifi — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:23:12 -0400

Everybody's stealing on Project Runway! Finally, some real drama!

In this week's challenge, the final six must create an outfit that complements an outfit they've already made. "Complementing" usually means using the same color palette, fabric, or copying the exact same style as someone else, as it were.

Tensions in the workroom starting to run high and cute boy Logan has finally worn out his welcome. Althea accuses him of stealing her zipper collar idea (if it sounds stupid, that's because it is) and later, Irina irrationally accuses Althea of stealing her oversized sweater concept - only this time she saves the venom for the runway. Because Irina is a huge, talented b----. (Logan said they call her "Meana Irina," which is a lamer, but more appropriate nickname, I suppose.)

Let's look at the outfits with some comments from the judges (and me!):

Click the designer's name to see his or her outfit from this challenge.

Althea

Heidi Klum: "I want it. I think there's genius in those pants."

My take: Can we get a bra in here somewhere?

Carol Hannah

Actress Kerry Washington, guest judge: "The simplicity makes the dress kind of delicious."

Season 2 contestant Nick Verreos, guest judge: "She reminds you of Ava Gardner."

My take: Dresses with pockets are always winners! (Can you tell I'm an expert on fashion?)

Christopher

Nina Garcia: "In terms of the proportion, this didn't work at all. It's so bottom-heavy, it almost looks like she's a carnival float."

Kerry: "The bottom was heavy. There are like, children, hiding underneath."

My take: At least Christopher didn't cry this time. Time to try something new.

Irina

Heidi: "Everything she designs, I can actually see people wearing."

Nina: "She always is thinking about making it look luxe."

My take: It's pretty outstanding, and it pains me to admit it.

Gordana

Heidi: "I don't think it's fun, fashionable, beautiful at all...It's sad, drab and dated."

Nick: "It looks like an office worker in Warsaw, Poland."

My take: This reminds me of Kramer v. Kramer for some reason. We're coming to the point where the show's youth (or, ageism) is getting the best of Jordana.

Logan

Nina: It's like an indulgent fashion student project."

Heidi: "A bunch of zippers exploded on your dress."

Nick: "Looks 80s to me. It does scream Judy Jetson."

My take: We're going back...to the future!

In the end, Althea won the challenge, despite Irina's tongue lashing. Christopher, Gordana and Logan were all in the bottom and rightfully so. Logan was eventually out.

The judgments haven't always been fair this season. The constant rotation of guest judges (seriously, Nina and Michael, why are you guys never together anymore?) makes it hard for the designers to show growth to anyone but Heidi. Also, Kerry Washington as a guest judge? I thought actually famous people loved this show!

My prediction is that Althea, Irina and Carol Hannah will end up in the final three. While Irina is probably the best designer, the show doesn't generally award cruelty (I'm looking at you, Kenley, Wendy, Santino), so I'm going to call it for Carol Hannah.

Next week: I think we're going to see more catfights and more tears from Christopher. Oh, brother.

Best exit line: "I'm not a designer for Middle America...or 90 percent of the population." Thanks, Logan. See you around.

What to Watch on Friday: Zombies attack on "Medium"

brookecain — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:30:00 -0400

Ghost Whisperer (8pm, CBS) - On the night before Halloween, there is no ghostier place to be than CBS. First up, the headless horseman from Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" comes to life and haunts Melinda. She later fears for Aiden when the book shows up at his school. (Relax Melinda, it's called a "library.")

Medium (9pm, CBS) - The cast is inserted into clips of the 1968 horror classic "Night of the Living Dead," which plays out in Allison's dreams. The dream sequences give her clues that help solve the murder of a funeral home director. Aida Turturro guest stars.

Numb3rs (10pm, CBS) - CBS keeps the spooky going with "Numb3rs," in which paranormal activity is suspected after a dead body shows up at a decommissioned air base.

Monk (9pm, USA) - Almost equally scary, Mr. Monk takes in a dog while he searches for its owner who has vanished. Don't forget "White Collar" at 10pm after "Monk."

Friday Night Lights: Dillon, divided

sadialatifi — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:51:59 -0400

Note: DirecTV is airing episodes of Friday Night Lights ahead of NBC. Recaps of each week's episode will be posted after the jump.

We left Dillon, Texas at the cusp of some serious change. After losing another season, Coach Eric Taylor does not get his contract renewed because of the shady dealings of (child-abuser) Joe McCoy. Instead, he's shipped off to the beat-up East Dillon High School, a move that'll soon divide the pigskin-crazy town. To make matters worse, he's been replaced by his overly ambitious offensive coordinator, Wade Aikman. The spiritual leader of Dillon deserves better.

SPOILER: Don't keep reading unless you want to know about this season:

The fourth season premiere picks up at the start of the school year. Coach Taylor is trying to get used to his new (and by new, I mean, really old) digs while his wife, Principal Tami Taylor, returns to (West?) Dillon High with mixed feelings.

Instead of seeing her husband every day, she has to deal with furious parents who are upset because redistricting means their kids have to attend the inferior East Dillon. Why isn't offspring Julie Taylor at East Dillon, if the schools are so equal? (As a schools reporter, the arguments sound painfully familiar.)

The hardest part may be having to support a football team led by smug men who drove her husband out. The one exception is Buddy Garrity, who looked awfully sad the whole episode. Is he missing Lyla, who's now away at college? Or missing his bromance with Coach Taylor?

Back at East Dillon, the new recruits in red are all over the place: many of them are overweight, all want to play quarterback and one won't take his bling off for a weigh-in. Landry's there, though! The sad sap was sent to East Dillon (and so was his lesbian girlfriend-turned-friend). As the show's resident "guy you take advantage of," it's possible this new setting will give him room to shine. I'm doubtful, though.

After a god-awful 18 minutes of practice, Coach sends the kids home for the day. Looking awfully discouraged, he gets a gift from the cops: Vince Howard, a skinny, fast teenager with a penchant for crime. (And yes, I just checked: this is the same guy who played Wallace on The Wire.) A possible running back and obviously the team's future savior.

In frustrating news, Tim Riggins is at college, and he's bored. So he quits, throwing his books out the window of his pickup truck. He drives back to hang with his brother Billy and his pregnant wife, Mindy. Tim assumes it'll be cool for him to just crash at their place but this isn't the case. After a fight that involves painting a nursery the color of "puke," Billy listens to his wife and asks Tim to leave. Tim obliges and quickly finds a MILF-y bartender to spend the night with.

And this is why I am a member of Team Saracen. Also, I don't really like long hair on dudes.

Speaking of Matt Saracen, the sweet, adorable pseudo-jock got a scholarship to the Art Institute of Chicago but chooses to stay home and take care of his grandmother and stay together with Julie. Maybe this was a sweet gesture but seeing a pan of Matt in a pizza delivery uniform is heartbreaking. It's worse when you have to watch him deliver pizzas to JD McCoy, the new star of the football team.

Side note on JD: Something must've happened over summer break because he is one over-confident jerk. While he used to be the sympathetic pawn of his father, this episode he taunts Matt and flirts endlessly with Julie. There's no way this will end without a fistfight between boys, which is, of course, what happens when Matt makes the mistake of attending a high school party. ("Aren't you supposed to turn the other cheek, in your typical Matt Saracen kinda way?" Landry asks. Shut up, Landry. And same goes to that terrible art teacher at Dillon Tech who criticizes Matt's "drawing." Matt is perfect - just the way he is. Did anyone else die a little when he used the word "acquiesce?" TEAM SARACEN!)

The focus moves back to the pathetic East Dillon Lions, who have a game this week against South King. Coach Taylor finds an overly eager assistant coach and some guy from his old staff (does anyone recognize him?) to help out, but it's clear that winning isn't the first objective. The guy with the bling and the attitude problem picks a fight with Landry and walks out of the team - and many others follow.

At the actual game, Coach Taylor gives many inspiring talks (I didn't cry but it's bound to happen a few times - yes, I have a crush on Coach Taylor, too, for anyone keeping track), but it's not enough. The team stinks.

It's mystifying to watch. Somehow, creator Peter Berg (who directed this episode) has created a new underdog to root for and old allegiances to Panther Blue are no more. Even when they lost, the Panthers had it all, didn't they?

At halftime, the score is 48-0. Coach looks at his team, bruised and battered, and does something he's never done before: he forfeits the game.

Flipping Out: A reunion and a relationship down in flames

brookecain — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:06:44 -0400

If you've been watching Bravo's "Flipping Out" this season, you know there has been a lot of turnover in Jeff Lewis' design business and also in his life.

Around the middle of the season, Jeff believed he had discovered that his longtime best friend and business partner Ryan Brown had been stealing business from him. Jeff eventually confronted Ryan (he denied any wrongdoing) and the two ended their professional relationship.

Tuesday night's reunion show was our chance to see if any of those fences had been mended since the taping of the season finale (which showed Jeff attending -- and paying for -- a birthday party for Ryan's daughter).

Sadly, fences were not only unmended, they were essentially trampled and set afire Tuesday night.

I've made no secret of the fact that I'm on Team Jeff all the way, but I was still open to whatever Ryan had to say in his defense. But his defense seemed to consist primarily of: "You're crazy" and "You have no proof." (Which, by the way, is something I hear guilty perps say on "Law & Order" all the time.) The other thing that drove me crazy about his on-camera argument with Jeff was that Ryan kept saying, "I wish you had come to me and talked about this before." Or something to that effect.

Hello! Jeff did talk to Ryan about his suspicions several times, and all Jeff could get out of Ryan was some version of Ryan's favorite comeback: "You're crazy." It drove me batty that Jeff didn't point out that he had tried to discuss it with Ryan (on at least three episodes I can remember).

Okay, Jeff can be a little "crazy" at times, and he certainly overreacts over plenty of really minor things. But as host Andy Cohen pointed out to Ryan during the reunion, Jeff did seem to proceed with his suspicions very cautiously, doing research and consulting others before confronting Ryan.

The clincher for me was Jeff's assistant and friend Jenni. Jenni has no problem calling Jeff on his bullshit, so when the Ryan stuff was going down this season and Jenni made comments about how Ryan's behavior was troubling, it lent credibility to Jeff's rantings.

The show pretty much ended with Jeff telling Ryan that he had "wrecked him" and that he would probably never see him again unless Ryan apologized. Which isn't going to happen because Ryan denies any wrongdoing. Jeff broke down and left the room, and Ryan left Jeff's house. Even though I have never cared much for Ryan, he was Jeff's best friend ("like family" they each said) and it's sad to see that relationship destroyed. And for what? Clients? Money?

The reunion show wasn't all darkness and drama. There were some hilarious moments between Jeff and Andy (like when Jeff explained how employees can earn "rollover minutes" in the bathroom to use when they have to go #2, which he generally discourages), between Jeff and Jenni, and also with Jeff's beleagured housekeeper Zoila, who got off some great lines herself.

So where do you come down on all Jeff-Ryan drama? Is Ryan a sneaky backstabber making money off Jeff's fame from the show? Or is Jeff "crazy" as Ryan suggests?

What to Watch on Thursday: Betty White appears on "30 Rock"

brookecain — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:30:00 -0400

Community (8pm, NBC) - Annie hosts a Day of the Dead Party, which conflicts with Jeff's plans to court his statistics professor. Pierce (Chevy Chase) gets a little carried away as he confronts getting older.

30 Rock (9:30pm, NBC) - Jack and Liz visit Kenneth's hometown looking for fresh talent (expect lots of over-the-top Southern stereotypes) and Tracy is afraid his will be the third death after two other celebrities die. Betty White and Jeff Dunham appear in guest roles.

Real Housewives of Atlanta (10pm, Bravo) - It's part one of two reunion shows featuring the feuding brats of Atlanta. The ridiculous fighting between NeNe and Kim is pretty unbearable at this point, so the only compelling reason to watch this is Kandi, who will talk about how she's dealing with the sudden tragic death of her former fiance, AJ (left).

Ace of Cakes (10pm, Food) - In the seventh season finale, the
gang goes to New York to prepare a cake for the premiere of "Harry
Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," and also a cake honoring an upcoming
"ghostgirl" novel.

NC dancer is out, but not down

adriennj — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:29:09 -0400

Don't feel sorry for Ariana Debose.

The 18-year-old contemporary dancer from New Bern (but now living in Wake Forest), isn't crying about her elimination last night from "So You Think You Can Dance."

In fact, she seems to have the whole thing in proper prospective.

"It's one TV show, it's not the be all, end all," she says in a phone chat. "I'm confident in my dancing."

Ariana was eliminated after performing a hip-hop number that Happiness loved but the judges didn't. She then had to do a solo performance.

"I was proud of my solo," she says. "I think I did my best 'fight for my life,' " she says. "But I can't change what the judges decided."

She knew it would be a competitive experience; some have said this group of dancers is the strongest the show has had thus far. "I remember in Vegas they had to cut so many great dancesr to get to 20," Ariana says. "And I made it."

Still, Ariana spoke carefully about her time on the show, giving the sense that along with the up sides there were some down sides.

"I learned how the TV world works. It's not what you think it is. There are lots of different aspects and a lot of it is out of your control. The only thing you can control is your dancing."

Ariana didn't have any more news about Sanford's Noelle Marsh, who has sustained an injury. "I just heard that she got an MRI and will get the results soon. But she's in a good mood and thought she would be fine and I hope she is."

Next for Ariana is taking some time to regroup and then heading to New York for a bit to meet with friends and her agent. Her dream is to work on Broadway and use her singing and acting talents along with those dancing skills.

The Biggest Loser: Martyrs continue to guide the game

brookecain — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:09:27 -0400

Our Biggest Loser correspondent, The N&O's Michelle Aldrich, gives us her recap of last night's show.

Week 7 -- we are halfway through the season!

The show opens in the aftermath of Dina's departure last week. Liz doesn't buy the black team's emoting for one second. The alliance of Amanda/Abby/Shay/Daniel is too apparent.

Alison announces that this is "face-off week" and whoever wins the pop challenge will choose the pairings. The challenge had the teams tapping and ducking relay style (words can't describe). The blue team won, thanks to a strong finish by Rebecca. Shay's pissed and frustrated that they've yet to win a challenge and that they find themselves once again in the elimination room. Daniel (from Willow Spring) is whiny ... dude, enough with the crying and masterminding and schmoozing. Lose some weight!

So this is how the blue team ordered the weigh-in:
Rebecca vs. Amanda
Tracey vs. Abby
Allen vs. Danny
Rudy vs. Shay
Liz vs. Daniel

Whoever loses more weight, earns a point for their team. The team with the least points will send someone home. Daniel seems surprised that he wasn't paired with one of the big guys. Uh dude, you're not a threat! Liz -- who's old enough to be your mama and maybe even your Meema -- could lose more weight than you!

Bob leads the blue team workout in the pool. FINALLY! Swimming is excellent exercise for these contestants but we've never seen 'em in the pool. But really, Producers. Two-piece swimsuits for the ladies? That seems unnecessary!

Jillian's working out her underdog black team in the gym. She's trying to break down Amanda's "attachment to failure." As Amanda weeps on the treadmill, Jillian's hammering home that she doesn't have to remain the fat girl in the background. She can step up! Compete! Amanda flees the gym sobbing and Jillian's frustration is palpable, "Why are the contestants so freakin' difficult this season!?"

For the week's big challenge, they're taken to a ball park and suited up in snazzy baseball uniforms that bear the number of pounds lost on the back. (More talk from Danny about feeling like a champion again. Nice.) On the field are larger-than-life size photos of the contestants at their starting weights. And thousands of baseballs are scattered about. New York Yankee Derek Jeter pops up on the Jumbotron to plug a 24-Hour Fitness chain, and to call out the black team for never winning a challenge. He cites Daniel as a two-season inspiration (huh?) and then explain the rules of the challenge: they have to gather the 2,535 baseballs (the number of hits Jeter has in his first 13 seasons in the majors) and throw them at the other contestants' photos. When a photo has been hit 316 times (.316 is Jeter's batting average), that person is out. The team with the most players remaining wins lunch with Chef Curtis Stone AND a two pound advantage at the weigh-in.

The black team focused on knocking out the strongest competitors first (Rudy, Allen, etc.) and won the challenge. Chef Curtis showed them how to grill tasty Jennie-O Turkey burgers.

Next we see Abby crying in the gym and she's bringing Jillian to near-tears. "I'm gonna live and not just exist," she says. Abby has survived the loss of her husband and two children. For her, "The Biggest Loser" has been about committing not only to her health, but allowing herself to connect emotionally with others. Heavy stuff. (No pun intended. Really!)

And Amanda is STILL crying and fighting with Jillian. At this point, she's one of the smaller, fitter contestants left on the ranch and the pressure to lead the pack is getting to her. The last three seasons' champions have been women on the pink team who all trained with Jillian.

C'mon Amanda! It's not that you have to win the whole thing, but you need to tune out the cameras and claim your life. Bid adieu to the fat girl you've always been and change for yourself.

And in case there hasn't been enough crying in the gym this week, Jillian's after Shay AGAIN. I'll summarize: it's not Shay's fault that her herion-addict-mother died. It's not her fault that others failed to give her the love she so desparately needed. Whew. Let's get to the scale!

The black team won a two pound advantage which they could give to one person on the team or split it between two people. Their decision? Both pounds went to Amanda, so her match-up went first:

Rebecca vs. Amanda = winner Rebecca!
Amanda lost 4, with the advantage she "lost 6" but Rebecca beat her
handily with nine pounds. The black team "spent" that advantage on the wrong person.

Here's how the rest of it went:
Tracey (5) vs. Abby (3) = winner Raleigh native Tracey
Allen (8) vs. Danny (12) = winner Danny
Liz (7) vs. Daniel (5) = winner Liz! YEAH!
Rudy (14) vs. Shay (9) = winner Rudy, who set a new record for weight loss on campus: more than 100 lbs in 7 weeks! (A surprise cameo from last season's contestant Dane, who held the record previously.)

Liz is properly stoked that she beat Daniel, and is thrilled that Danny earned immunity from elimination. She looks forward to seeing how the black team will break up their alliance.

So what happens? Mucho sobbing and Abby insisting that her teammates send her home. WHAT is with this season and contestants doing this week after week, repeatedly allowing Shay and Daniel to stay? (Especially Daniel.) Daniel savvily tells the camera that "he made a promise to Abby that if she ever asked to go home, that I comply with her wishes." Oh please. Shay shares that Abby's been the nurturing, motherly figure she always longed for. Oh boy.

So that's what they did. They sent Abby home.

I finally cry at the sight of a healthier, happier Abby reuniting with her family and community. (Her limo had some type of police escort. Jeez!) And then she's giving a motivational speech to a high school assembly. Yeah.

I hope that we'll see more FIGHT in the remaining contestants for the 2nd half of the season!

So You Think You Can Dance: NC contestants' bad night

adriennj — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:33:21 -0400

Our guest blogger Lenni G. is back, reporting on the dance and the drama:

If last night is any indication, this is going to be a weird season.

First, we found out yesterday morning that Billy Bell, one of the best dancers, is out - we don't find out what's wrong with him, just that, "His doctor won't allow him to continue."

So the show brings in hip hop guy, Brandon to replace contemporary Billy - not exactly an even, or really fair, replacement.

Next, shortly after the show starts we see Noelle Marsh (our Sanford girl) with a huge brace on her knee - Nigel announces that they are not sure whether she will be able to continue but they are giving her a week to find out.

This injury creates the very first "cougar pairing" when the choreographer, the fabulous Melanie of Tony and Melanie, dances with the obviously less old Russell. With all of that out of the way, the competition begins with judges, Nigel, Mary and Adam watching carefully.

Channing (contemporary) and Phillip (tap) started the evening with a Jive from Jason Gilkison. The judges were lukewarm though Adam did say he thought it was a "classy pairing."

Ashleigh (Latin) and Jakob (contemporary) were next doing a Tyce Diorio "sultry" Broadway number. Totally agreed with Nigel when he said that Jakob is one of the most gifted dancers and that Ashleigh has really proven herself since her rocky start at the tryouts.

Ariana (contemporary and New Bern born) and Peter (tap) did a NappyTabs hip-hop number which I loved. The judges - not so much. Adam thought they were not dancing together????, Mary liked the beginning and the end but though the middle was sloppy???? and Nigel just didn't like it and said he was disappointed???? A little harsh if you ask me, particularly since it's the first week.

Russell (hip hop) and Melanie (Latin dance choreographer supreme) did a cougar, whoops, fox trot. Russell got mad props for doing so well in a style so different from his own. Though Melanie was cool, I'm really looking forward to seeing Russell with Noelle if she heals in time.

Bianca (tap) and Victor (contemporary) got a contemporary number from former contestant, Travis Wall. This was clearly the first really outstanding pairing of the night. As Mary said, "Holy smokes, Bianca and Victor, you took it to another level." Nigel called them the "most connected partners" and felt they really cared for each other. And, maybe it's just me, but Bianca reminds me a lot of Fantasia of American Idol fame.

Karen (Latin) and Kevin (hip hop) blazed through a cha cha from Tony and Melanie. As Adam said, this was Karen's world and Kevin was just visiting. Nigel and Mary agreed that Karen was fabulous and that Kevin did really well for being so far out of his style.

Ellenore (jazz) and Ryan (Latin) did one of Sonya's unreal contemporary jazz numbers. Mary said their chemistry was "crazy" (it was!). I'm thinking Ryan is going to go a long way this season and the eye candy he brings to the party doesn't hurt either.

Pauline (jazz) and replacement Brandon (hip hop) had to do a Jason Gilkison waltz that Brandon had a day and a half to work on. Loved the "judge-speak" comments from Adam - "Good for a sub", and Mary - "You two are the cutest." Nigel could not bring himself to the judge speak level and told it like he saw it - "Love you both BUT, you are not strong enough". Hello show producers - you brought in a hip hop dancer at the last minute to do a waltz????

Kathryn (contemporary) and Legacy (hip hop) amazingly got a Dave Scott HIP-HOP number. What, no waltz, no pasa doble? The reviews from the judges were hugely positive - what a surprise. And yes, I agree that it was good and that they play well together but I want to see Legacy do something way outside his comfort zone before I give him huge props. How's about a Russian folk dance for next week?

Mollee (jazz) and Nathan (contemporary) danced last to another phenomenal Disco from Doriana Sanchez. I agree with Mary that the choreography was great, the charisma was obvious and that these two are a dream team. But, Mary, can they waltz?

Judges put Ariana, Brandon, Pauline and Russell in the danger zone, with Ariana and Brandon hitting the Bye Bye Train.

Many questions remain for next week - Will Noelle be able to go on with Russell and, if not, who will Russell get for a new partner? Who will Pauline dance with now that sub Brandon is gone? Who will pair with Peter since Ariana has been invited out? Have all the dancers and judges had their H1N1 shots?

The mysteries continue.

Dancing with the Stars: Elimination night twofer

brookecain — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:37:09 -0400

Once again, the WarmTV bloggers elected (begged) my mom to be our Dancing with the Stars correspondent. After each show, she calls me with her report...

It was a double-elimination night on "Dancing with the Stars" last night, which can be considered both good and bad. The bad is that fewer dancers means fewer episodes (I would presume), but the good part is putting strike power in the hands of the judges once in awhile. That helps keep the show more focused on the dancing and less about who is more popular or who has the largest fan base furiously dialing in votes from home.

Here's the report from my mom:

"They did the usual recap of the dances from the night before. They had two guests last night. One was Taylor Swift, who sang a couple of songs. I didn't pay attention to the first song but the last one was her new hit, 'Love Story.' And then they had a group from Havana. I don't know who they were. They had their own dancers. It was very fast music and they were good.

"The fans eliminated Melissa Joan Hart and Mark. (Awww!) Then they had the dance off between Michael Irvin & Anna, doing the Samba, and Louis Vitio & Chelsie. I don't tremember what they said that dance was, but from the looks of it, I think it was the Jive. And that elimination was up to the judges. Bruno voted to keep Louis and Chelsie and Carrie Ann and Len voted to keep Michael.

"So Louis and Chelsea went home. It was time.

"Michael will probably go next week. I don't know ... there are still some other ones who could go. It's getting more serious now. I think Mya is doing the best, but that's my opinion. I don't know how much of a following she has, and it might not be enough for her to win. A lot of people might not know who she is. I had never heard of her. I don't know if Donny Osmond has enough of a following to keep him, but there are a lot of people who still love Donny Osmond.

"It's double-elimination again next week. Personally, I like the dance-off because it allows the judges to eliminate the bad dancer instead of going by the popular vote all the time."

Friday Night Lights returns tonight...with an asterisk

brookecain — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:00:00 -0400

Season four of "Friday Night Lights" begins tonight, but unfortunately for most of us, only for DirecTV subscribers.

As with the cost-sharing agreement for season three, season four of "Friday Night Lights" will air first in its entirety on DirecTV and then on NBC in late spring or early summer of 2010. The critically-acclaimed drama about a football-obsessed small town in Texas stars Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton (left).

NBC hasn't done right by the show, but this DirecTV deal is better than cancelling it altogether. Kyle Chandler summed it up nicely in a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times: “The first year we were up against ‘American Idol.’ The second year was the writers strike. The third year we get cut down to 13 episodes. I just assumed that while we had a solid base, the numbers wouldn’t go out the roof."

Not only that, when the show did begin on NBC last season, the network hardly advertised it at all. Then they complained about low ratings.

But enough whining from here. NBC signed a two-year deal with DirecTV and fans are grateful to get at least two more seasons (13 episodes each) of Coach Taylor and the Dillon Panthers -- actually, I guess now we're rooting for the East Dillon Tigers.

The fourth season will introduce a few new characters, and say goodbye to some favorites. Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford) will leave around the middle of the season.

"Friday Night Lights" will air on DirecTV (101 network) Wednesday nights at 9pm.