Don’t fall for it though……I have been pimping Kris Allen all along because to me he’s the more genuine artist and has more universal appeal, and he’s a great natural singer. But if you listened to the judges on tonight’s “American Idol” showdown on FOX, they all but handed Adam Lambert the title, again. It was close, mind you, but I still think Kris deserved to win. (and you can still vote by the way (up until around midnight central time), and the best way is by texting the word “VOTE” to 5702 for Kris, 5701 for Adam. Now, on to the recap…
Kris won the coin toss that gave him the right to choose whether he wanted to go first or second, and he smartly chose to let Adam go first, robbing him of yet another pimp spot. Each finalist would sing their own favorite of the past season, a song chosen for them by show creator Simon Fuller, and then the obligatory schmaltz-fest that is the closing Idol song, this year a song co-written by rookie judge Kara DioGuardi.
It’s 2-for-1 day with the upfronts, with NBC following ABC in announcing their fall schedule. The National Broadcasting Company was already in a crap ratings position even before they decided to try the radical maneuver of giving Jay Leno the 10 PM timeslot, so they really can’t lose very much by trying such an experiment. It still sucks for fans of scripted television, though. Fortunately, the people at the Peacock have still found it in their heart to offer up a few new series, and they’re also trying the shared-timeslot concept in earnest, as you’ll see below.
Monday
8:00 PM – Heroes
9:00 PM – Trauma
From executive producer Peter Berg comes the first high-octane medical drama series to live exclusively in the field where the real action is. Like an adrenaline shot to the heart, the show is an intense, action-packed look at one of the most dangerous medical professions in the world: first responder paramedics. When emergencies occur, the trauma team from San Francisco General is first on the scene, traveling by land, by sea or by air to reach their victims in time. From the heights of the city’s Transamerica Pyramid to the depths of the San Francisco Bay, these heroes must face the most extreme conditions to save lives — and give meaning to their own existence in the process. Starring are Derek Luke, Cliff Curtis, Anastasia Griffith, Aimee Garcia, Kevin Rankin, and Jamey Sheridan.
10:00 PM – The Jay Leno Show
Tuesday
8:00 PM – The Biggest Loser 10:00 PM – The Jay Leno Show
Wednesday
8:00 PM – Parenthood
From the executive producers of the box-office hit “Parenthood,” Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, and writer/executive producer Jason Katims, this contemporary re-imagining of the blockbuster film depicts the colorful and imperfect Braverman family – four grown siblings sharing the headaches, heartaches, and joy of being parents. The star-studded cast includes Peter Krause, Maura Tierney, Craig T. Nelson, Dax Shepard, Bonnie Bedelia, Monica Potter, Erika Christensen and Mae Whitman. When Sarah Braverman (Tierney), a financially strapped single mother, returns home to her parents and siblings in Berkeley, Calif., after packing up her Fresno apartment and uprooting her two inconvenienced kids, Amber (Whitman) and Drew (Miles Heizer), she is greeted by her opinionated father, Zeek (Nelson), and strong mother, Camille (Bedelia), who are privately dealing with their own marital issues. As Sarah is reunited with her siblings — sister, Julia (Christensen), and brothers Crosby (Shepard) and Adam (Krause) — all struggling with issues of their own, it’s clear that the Braverman reunion is just what they need to face the everyday challenges of modern family life.
Fox has officially announced its schedule for the fall, but let’s lead with a bit of bad news: “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” is not on it. The network officially canceled the series, and while I’m still dumbfounded by that decision, you know they’ll double-back and find a way to get it back onto the schedule if “Terminator: Salvation” is a hit. Or maybe they’ll release a straight-to-DVD movie which picks up where the series ends. Either way, I just cannot imagine that this will be the complete and total end of Sarah Connor’s TV adventures.
Okay, onto what is on the schedule, along with a few editorial comments…
MONDAY
8:00 PM – House 9:00 PM – LIE TO ME
Looks like another year of having to watch “House” and “Lie To Me” as full-season sets when they come out on DVD, because I’m still going to be watching “The Big Bang Theory,” “How I Met Your Mother,” and “Heroes.”
TUESDAY
8:00 PM – So You Think You Can Dance
WEDNESDAY
8:00 PM – So You Think You Can Dance Results Show
9:00 PM – Glee
The distinctive new comedy from Ryan Murphy (“Nip/Tuck”) starring Jane Lynch (“The 40 Year Old Virgin”) and newcomers Matthew Morrison (Broadway’s “Hairspray”), Lea Michele (“Spring Awakening”) and Cory Monteith (“Kyle XY”). Combining biting humor with a soundtrack of hit music from past to present, the inventive series follows an optimistic high school teacher who – against all odds – attempts to restore McKinley High’s fading Glee Club to its former glory, while helping a group of underdogs realize their true star potential.
THURSDAY
8:00 PM – Bones 9:00 PM – Fringe
When my wife finds out that “Fringe” is going to be competing against her beloved “Office,” she’s gonna be so pissed…
FRIDAY
8:00 PM – Brothers
A new half-hour comedy about a former big-city NFL hot shot who returns home to his family – and his mother’s house – to get his life back on track. Starring Michael Strahan (“FOX NFL Sunday”) and Daryl “Chill” Mitchell (“Ed,” “Veronica’s Closet”).
8:30 PM – ‘Til Death
9:00 PM – Dollhouse
Really? They canceled “Sarah Connor” for this? And do they really think this coupling is going to help the “Dollhouse” numbers?
SATURDAY
8:00 PM – Cops
8:30 PM – Cops
9:00 PM – America’s Most Wanted
11:00 PM – The Wanda Sykes Show – The irreverent Saturday late-night series will feature Sykes’ outspoken comedic perspective on current events along with topical, high-energy roundtable discussions.
12:00 AM – Animation Domination encores
SUNDAY
7:00 PM – The OT (NFL Post-Game Show)
8:00 PM – The Simpsons
8:30 PM – The Cleveland Show – Everyone’s favorite soft-spoken FAMILY GUY neighbor, Cleveland Brown, moves with his son back to his hometown in Virginia and settles down with his high school sweetheart and her unruly kids.
9:00 PM – Family Guy
9:30 PM – American Dad
MIDSEASON
MONDAY
8:00 PM – House 9:00 PM – 24
TUESDAY
8:00 PM – American Idol
9:00 PM – Past Life
A fast-paced emotional thriller inspired by the book “The Reincarnationist.” The series stars Kelli Giddish (“All My Children”) as a gifted psychologist and Nicholas Bishop (“Home and Away”) as a former NYPD detective who work together to explore and unravel mysteries that must be solved in both the past and the present.
Wow, that doesn’t sound at all like “Life on Mars.”
WEDNESDAY
8:00 PM – American Idol Results Show
9:00 PM – Human Target
A full-throttle, action-packed thrill ride from executive producers McG (“Terminator Salvation”) and Simon West (“Con Air,” “Tomb Raider”). Based on the popular DC Comics graphic novel and starring Mark Valley (FRINGE), Chi McBride (“Pushing Daisies”) and Academy Award nominee Jackie Earle Haley (“Watchmen”), the series follows CHRISTOPHER CHANCE (Valley), a unique private contractor who will stop at nothing – even if it means becoming a human target – to keep his clients alive.
Anyone else noting the irony that the director of the new “Terminator” movie is getting a show just as the “Terminator” TV series is getting canceled?
THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-10:00 PM FRINGE
FRIDAY
8:00-8:30 PM BROTHERS
8:30-9:00 PM ‘TIL DEATH
9:00-10:00 PM DOLLHOUSE
SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA’S MOST WANTED
11:00 PM-Midnight THE WANDA SYKES SHOW (working title)
Midnight-12:30 AM ANIMATION DOMINATION ENCORES
SUNDAY
7:00 PM – Animation Domination encores
7:30 PM – American Dad
8:00 PM – The Simpsons
8:30 PM – Sons of Tucson
From three-time Emmy Award winner Todd Holland (“Malcolm in the Middle”), the non-traditional family comedy stars Tyler Labine (“Reaper”) as a charming but wayward schemer hired by three young brothers whose father is in prison.
It seems like nobody expected Helen Phillips to be crowned “The Biggest Loser” on the NBC hit reality series that concluded its season this past Tuesday night. But Helen endured several obstacles–her age, for one, of 48, and a near-elimination a few weeks prior in which fierce competitor Kristin was sent home instead. Helen also joined this season with her daughter, Shannon, and while many viewers are still angry that Shannon was sent home early in the season instead of Helen, Helen proved to everyone that she had what it takes to win.
We had the chance to participate in a conference call with Helen on Wednesday, and learned a bit about how she trained at home and lost 32 pounds there, her plans for the future, and on how she flew just barely under everyone’s radar to stay in contention and then take home the $250K grand prize.
“I kept my mouth shut and flew low under the radar I guess,” said Helen. “I don’t know….maybe they just looked at me and said oh you know what, she’s 48, she’s not going to make it. And they never considered me a threat.”
That allowed Helen to quietly train like crazy, which she did for six hours a day back home in Lansing, Michigan with trainers at her son’s high school, and to beat the other two finalists–Tara, 24 and Mike, 18–both of whom are half her age or more.
“I was actually working them (trainers) out at the end,” added Helen. “My trainers couldn’t keep up with me. These are big football coaches, it was hilarious. And I was laughing and I’m like, I’d look at them as we were working out together and I’m like, ‘I’m going to win this thing.'”
This, even though Tara had never fallen below the yellow line, and had won a record twelve challenges on the ranch.
“I knew when I got home that I was working so hard and that I was so dedicated and so driven that I just – like something inside of me clicked,” she said. “And I thought to myself, there was a reason why I didn’t win anything else because I was meant to win the big one.”
Now, after relaxing a bit and not having to work out six hours a day, Helen plans to spend some quality time with her husband, and of course, with Shannon, who also factor’s into Helen’s career plans. “(I’m going to do some) motivational speaking and I’m hoping that my daughter and I can open up a spin/wellness center – spin cycle/wellness center in Michigan,” she said.
So 48-year-old Helen is the Biggest Loser, and 64-year-old Jerry won the $100K prize for losing the most weight at home. Congratulations to them both, as well as to everyone who took part in this season’s “Biggest Loser: Couples.” We’ll report more information about the next season of the show when we have it. Thanks for reading!
Last night was the season finale of “Hell’s Kitchen” on FOX, and one of the stiffest competitions yet on the show between two low-key but talented Floridians, Danny and Paula. At the end of last week’s episode, they had just chosen their teams for their big dinner service, and Danny chose first since he won the challenge back at the Borgata in Atlantic City. His team was Ben, Giovanni and Carol; Paula had Andrea, L.A., and Lacey. Giovanni didn’t want to be there, and Carol admitted she had been pulling for Paula. But the biggest issue was that Paula got stuck with Lacey. Danny knew he had a decided edge already.
During prep, Lacey was at it already, just being Lacey…as she ruined an entire batch of creme brulee. Then Gordon Ramsay wanted to see the design of each restaurant. Paula went first, with her brightly themed “Sunergy” very impressive to the boss. Then Danny, who couldn’t resist hanging fish on the wall and calling his restaurant “Velvet Hammer,” a reference to his sexual prowess in high school. I can’t believe he actually went through with that name!
