So, is he or isn’t he?

Although we didn’t receive definitive proof that Baltar isn’t a Cylon, his imaginary Caprica said that he wasn’t (at the very end). But that still leaves it as a possibility while allowing the creators to move on with the storyline. Pretty crafty, I must say.

But I stand by my prediction that he’s not one of the final five.

The dynamic between Baltar and Gaeta is pretty interesting, and I’d like to know what the doctor knows about Gaeta’s actions on New Caprica. That line – “if you’re friends only knew the truth” – leaves lots of doors open. I don’t know why he felt so betrayed by his former assistant’s actions in the cell. His situation hasn’t really changed any since he discovered the camera, which wasn’t very well hidden, was it?

Lee’s actions were pretty frustrating throughout the episode. I’d venture to say that Dee is the best catch in the entire fleet and he just about pissed his marriage away. I think it was Chief’s dismissal of thoughts of Boomer that finally turned the tide for Lee. That scene in the hallway was pretty ugly, and I’m still not sure how he found his ring.

Anyway, he needs to steer clear of Starbuck. He was right on when he said that Dee was good for him. Starbuck? Not so much. It’s clear that her marriage is heading for disaster.

And I like the episode title. It’s a line from the “Cheers” theme song. Pretty funny, considering how big of a role the ship’s bar played this week.

I was wondering about last week’s long, drawn out shot of the slaves in Octavian’s caravan, but that turned out to be Lucius’ children, who are actually alive. They weren’t on screen much prior to that, which is why I didn’t recognize them. Lucius is floundering right now, but expect that news to get him back on track. It’s tough to see his friendship with Titus in such bad shape, but he’s just lashing out at everyone who loves him, and at this point, Titus is the only person that falls into that category.

Duro – the slave boy trying to assassinate Atia – turned out to be working for Servilia. On that subject, what’s with all the man rape? This week we saw Duro and his boss, heard about some child prostitution and saw another rape that starts a gang war. I can only take so much of that.

Cicero sure got the last (cowardly) laugh on Mark Antony, though I wonder if that’s where the saying, “don’t shoot the messenger” comes from. The series jumped forward three months and Antony has fled the city (with Lucius). Now, he prepares for a war with Octavian, but my guess is that neither man’s blood will be shed.

Speaking of Antony, he had a couple of great lines when he met Atia in the bathroom. When he arrived, he said, “Uh-oh, wine in the bath. This can’t be good.” When she questioned his tardiness, he quipped, “Revise your expectations and I will always be early.”

I’m going to try that line on my wife next time I’m late getting home!

I submit to you the coolest closing theme ever – the end tune for “WKRP In Cincinnati.” They don’t write ‘em like that anymore.

Hey kids, remember the groovy ’80s Saturday morning show “Pryor’s Place” starring Richard Pryor? No? Well, here’s your chance to discover the opening theme supplied by Ray Parker Jr. How can you miss with a show starring Pats Morita and McCormick? You can’t! I used to watch this every week. I couldn’t tell you why all these years later.

Kids sure do grow up fast.

Recognize this vixen?

That’s right, from 1994-2000, Lacey Chabert played little Claudia Salinger (bottom right) in “Party of Five,” which also starred Jennifer Love Hewitt (not pictured), Matthew Fox, Neve Campbell and Scott Wolf:

That’s just disturbing.

New York City. The Big Apple. The Heart of Culture.

You’d think the largest city in our nation would produce more good singers, right? When it comes to “American Idol” auditions, the answer is a resounding “no.” New York City had just as many duds as every other city on last night’s show, and just as many freaks. Let’s go to the videotape….

As usual, we’ll pluck out some of the talented contestants. Sarah Burgess, who made the trek from Ohio to audition, was extremely emotional after passing her audition….mainly because she lied to her dad and told him she was staying over a friend’s house for three days because he would never let her audition. But did you see her bawling as she called her dad to tell him the good news? If I was that dude, I’d be fearing the worst…like, “Dad, I’m pregnant and I’m in jail.”

There was the cute Barbie-doll looking friends, Amanda and Antonella, who sang awful as a duo but separately had monster voices. Some of the other standouts were Jory Steinberg, the chick who sang “Chains”…I have a funny feeling about her, like she could be top 12. Then there was Porcelana, who they showed training every day for a year (ala Rocky) just to get in shape for this audition. But as the judges reminded her, it was important that she could sing as well. Lucky for this ball of spunk, she was good enough.

Rachel, an 18 year old with opera training, tried to sing Jeff Buckley, then also gave the judges (which by the way included hit songwriter Carol Bayer Sager) a taste of her opera….all equally impressive, and as she pointed out, she can do it all, giving her the potential to go far in the competition.

Finally there was Chris Richardson, who I think is this year’s Eliot Yamin (the Donnie Hathaway song gave that away), and Nicholas, who made the Hollywood round last year but flamed out when he forgot his lyrics. This dude is on a renewed mission, and he sounded awesome last night. Look for him to land in the top 12 of guys.

And now for the moment you’ve all been waiting for….the masters of suck….

The first contestant they showed, Ian Benardo, was this flaming dude who sang “Gloria.” Dude had such an obvious New Yawk accent, that mixed hilariously with his gay dialect: “Cawling Glawria….” But what made Ian worth the price of admission was his blasting of Simon Cowell, asking Cowell to see his working visa. What a loser.

There was Ashanti, who has a good name for pop music, but sang horribly. This was her third audition overall with the show, and she again showed why she just can’t advance to Hollywood. But to add insult, she kept whining to the judges and was such a drama queen that it was painful to watch.

With only (haha) two hours, the producers didn’t have time to show us everyone, so they gave us a few clips of other duds. There was a guy in a spacesuit, a dude with blue hair, and a dude who looked like a girl (isn’t there one of those every season?).

Nakia sang “Dancing in the Streets” and she was such a ball of energy that her enthusiasm overshadowed her vocals. When the judges asked her to sing a ballad, her flaws were exposed.

Sarah Goldberg admitted that she was tone deaf, but thought that the judges should give her the opportunity to go to Hollywood and teach her to become the next American Idol. Are you kidding me? Like I can show up at spring training for the Yankees and demand that they teach me how to be a shortstop.

Chris Henry sang a Kelly Clarkson tune and it was obvious that he would be better off with a dress and stilettos. My wife said it, and then Simon said it, as if on cue. Finally there was Isadora, whose real name starts with a “J” but one she would not disclose. Annoyingly, Ryan Seacrest kept calling her Julie. Oh, and did I mention she sucked?

Paula called Simon an ass. Yawn.

That’s all we’ve got this week, folks….next week brings the show to Birmingham, a city that has produced some “American Idol” winners and hopefuls like Taylor Hicks, Ruben Studdard, and Bo Bice. Surely this musical hotbed will put New York City’s auditions to shame. Well, one can only hope.
See you next week…

I’m not sure how I’m only just discovering the existence of this failed pilot now, but, in ‘91, Adam West had a shot at comedy immortality with a sitcom that was written and produced by Conan O’Brien and Robert Smigel. Foolishly, NBC took a pass on the series, but after you watch below, I dare say you’ll wonder why. It’s one of those concepts that, while you sense it might not have held up for more than a season, that one season would’ve been the stuff of legend…

According to the fine folks at TVSeriesFinale.com, there are reports that Disney has recently completed a presentation pilot for a new “Muppets” series.

Again.

You might have heard the rumors awhile back about a contemplated series called “America’s Next Muppet,” which would’ve put the Muppets in a reality-styled show; well, apparently, a pilot was completed for the series in 2004, but it came to naught. This time, the presentation pilot – about ten minutes – pitches the idea of a “Muppets” miniseries which would be spot in mockumentary style, a la “The Office,” and would follow Kermit as he travels around the country to find his old gang and put together a new “Muppet Show.” Details are sketchy about the current fates of the various characters, but I laughed out loud at the suggestion that Fozzie Bear is now a solo stand-up comedian…after having spent a year as a staff writer for “Moesha.”

Come on, people. We’ve never needed the Muppets more than we do now.

And, y’know, not that we’re rushing you, but how about giving us Season 2 of the original “Muppet Show,” huh? We’ve been waiting for-freaking-EVER…!

Looking to fall in love again, 48-year-old actor Alec Baldwin indicated in a recent interview with Glamour magazine that he is open to the idea of meeting women online.

Of course, he realizes that it may be difficult to maintain his anonymity while doing so, given that most dating sites require a photo. No word yet on how Baldwin plans to solve that problem, but inside sources tell us the screen names he’s considering using on match.com include “CoffeeIsForClosers,” “SNLSchwettyBalls,” and “NoMoreMrBasinger.”

“Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful. Hate me for ever cutting my hair.”

The former “Felicity” star and her fiancé, contractor Shane Deary, are expecting their first child this summer, People magazine reports. No word yet on a specific due date or on the child’s gender…but rest assured that, boy or girl, the newborn will emerge from the womb with blindingly beautiful hair, instantly winning the hearts of all who survey it.

However, following its first haircut, the child will be completely ignored.