2008-2009 TV Schedule: FOX

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES
9:00-10:00 PM PRISON BREAK

By January 2009
8:00-9:00 PM DOLLHOUSE
9:00-10:00 PM 24

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE
9:00-10:00 PM FRINGE

By January 2009
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL

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2008-2009 TV Schedule: CBS

* N=New, NT=New Time

MONDAY
8:00-8:30 PM THE BIG BANG THEORY
8:30-9:00 PM HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
9:00-9:30 PM TWO AND A HALF MEN
9:30-10:00 PM WORST WEEK (N)
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: MIAMI

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM NCIS
9:00-10:00 PM THE MENTALIST (N)
10:00-11:00 PM WITHOUT A TRACE (NT)

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2008-2009 TV Schedule: The CW

* Boldface fonts = new shows

MONDAY
8:00-9:00PM "Gossip Girl"
9:00-10:00PM "One Tree Hill"

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00PM "90210"
9:00-10:00PM "Surviving the Filthy Rich"

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00PM "America’s Next Top Model"
9:00-10:00PM "Stylista"

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2008-2009 TV Schedule: ABC

* Boldface fonts = new shows

MONDAY
8:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars”
9:30 p.m. “Samantha Who?”
10:00 p.m. “Boston Legal”

TUESDAY
8:00 p.m. “Opportunity Knocks”
9:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show”
10:00 p.m. “Eli Stone”

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2008-2009 TV Schedule: NBC

* CAPITALS = new shows

MONDAY
8-9 p.m. "Chuck"
9-10 p.m. "Heroes"
10-11 p.m. "MY OWN WORST ENEMY"
Winter
10-11 p.m. "THE PHILANTHROPIST"

TUESDAY
8- 9:30 p.m. "The Biggest Loser: Families"
9:30-10 p.m. "KATH & KIM"
10-11 p.m. "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"

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Buzzing on our TV Favorites — New Shows and Cancellations, Back To You, Moonlight, Jack Bauer, Late Night

- If you’d like to follow what shows are cancelled and what shows are going to be back next season, please head to my other TV blog for updates daily. 1 | 2

- I feel really bad for Kelsey Grammer. Back To You wasn’t an especially funny series, in fact, it needs some more improvement but I do wanna see more Kelsey on television.  Fans think so, too. There’s talks his show may be moving to CBS.

- Moonlight fans are lobbying as well and wishes the show moves to The CW.

- They’ve caught Jack Bauer! 

- Would you want Scrubs to last more than 8 seasons? With a rotating cast like ER?  

- The late night kings of the future chat.

Daddy Archuleta, You Broke Your Kid!

I don’t really pay that much attention to David Archuleta, this 17-year old "boy wonder" on American Idol because if you’ve been reading this blog, then you’d know who my choice is [Cooooookie!!!]. But I can’t help but read about him over the last couple of days.  His father’s banning from rehearsals over the weekend has been the biggest story among those who follow the show. One writer I follow even went as far as pointing out an interesting analysis as to why young David does not have what it takes to win this contest. 

He writes:

The news about David Archuleta’s dad, Jeff, being banned from Idol rehearsals was the nudge I needed to set down some thoughts I’ve been batting around in my head. (There’s lots of empty space up there, plenty of room to bat thoughts around.) The topic: Why it would be better for everyone concerned if David did not win the Idol crown. 

If I’m being honest (one of my favorite Simon qualifiers), much of that belief is founded upon my aversion to his style of music. Similarly to just about everyone, I was impressed early by David’s precociousness and bowled over by his rendition of Imagine, lyrically sanitized as it was. Since then, nearly everything he’s done has been a variation on this theme — ballad or ballad-like tempo, inspirational or impersonal message, runs around the melody line to show off his vocal skills, not seemingly to invest the song with greater significance. (He’s far from the only Idol in history to indulge in this practice, of course.) In other words (Frank Sinatra’s, actually, adapted liberally), it’s the song serving the singer, not — as Sinatra’s credo was — the singer serving the song.

So, yeah, part of my overall feeling is that musically David would make a poor Idol, likely coming up with a dreadfully saccharine, goop-laden album that — after Daughtry’s strides in getting Idols accepted in rock circles; Carrie, Kellie, Bucky, Josh and Phil’s country credibility; Fantasia and Ruben’s R&B achievements; and the relatively adventurous moves (for better or worse) of Kelly, Blake, Chris Sligh, Taylor and Bo — would set the Idol franchise back by years. But that’s not all.

I and others have already discussed David’s level of inarticulacy, notable even for a 17-year-old. And it’s obviously speculative, but every time I (and other observers) look at him when he’s not singing, I see a kid overcome by nerves and possibly fear of the consequences of saying the wrong thing, someone who appears repressed and is most clearly not having fun but instead is being thrust into a showbiz storm that could snap him like a twig.

Again, it’s speculative, but it’s not difficult to imagine David’s apparently domineering and thoroughly obnoxious father (here’s the key line in the tmz.com story, unverified as it is: "He has badgered producers, the band, vocal coaches and even other contestants." If true, that last part is WAY over the line) creating a climate in which David is rendered tongue-tied for fear of saying the wrong thing or messing up the careful plan to turn him into a marketable showbiz commodity. It sure appears that way on TV, and obviously we’re not seeing more than a fraction of what’s going on.

I worry that when it all becomes too much — and given the spotlight trained on the Idol champ in particular, that’s more of a "when" than an "if" — David could have a meltdown that would not only severely embarrass Idol but, more important, might scar him for life.

His father may have been grooming him all his young life for something like this, but from all indications, David’s just not ready for it. Finishing second or third won’t keep the spotlight off him, but it will at least reduce the glare. I think he — and yes, we — will be much better off that way.

Pity, huh? Does David even want to do what he’s doing? Or is it more because this is his father’s dream?

And now Simon Cowell is broaching the idea of lowering the age requirement next year to allow 14 year old contestants. And what? Have a dozen Daddy Archuletas to deal with, Simon? 

Photo credit/tipster: cherry 

How long does ‘living the life’ last on Extreme Home Makeover?

Apparently, not that long.

The before and after transformations are really impressive that I sometimes wonder when I could get that lucky. Free home makeovers? With everything you need and want from a dream house? It looks even better than what those lucky people have probably dreamed of.  

Or is it?

The reason why these people are rewarded with home makeovers is because they’re not able to financially do this themselves.  They don’t have the means, they can’t even afford a loan. So, everything that we see inside their brand new houses? It’s all sponsored. Except, it’s not a sponsorship for life. And the brand new house’s upkeep doesn’t come cheap. With the jacuzzi in the backyard? A complete working kitchen with all those cool appliances (which I so long to have, by the way!)? 60′ Plasma TV? It’s definitely not cheap.

After the television crews left town and the attention died down, Victor Marrero and his five sons were left with more than a dream home.

Their five-bedroom house, built by an army of volunteers from the hit TV show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, also came with some hefty bills. Living on a small pension and staggering under the weight of old debts and new taxes, Marrero said he panicked this week and briefly listed the house for sale. "I gave up. I gave up out of desperation. I didn’t want to lose the house to the taxes," Marrero said. "I felt like there was a lion coming after me."

(snipped) The Marreros were not the first to win a new house on television only to find they couldn’t afford the place. A Texas family who won a house in a Home and Garden Television sweepstakes were hit with a massive tax bill in 2005. In Kansas City, a family featured on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition had to raise money to keep their house.

(snipped) "I appreciate everything - this house and everyone who helped me," Marrero said. "But it’s too much house."

Which is why I appreciate our 12 year old little house so much more…broken plumbing, fading paint jobs, loose wires and all that.

CSI - Two and A Half Laughs

Well, I couldn’t say I enjoyed the other cross-over between CSI and Two and A Half Men. It had its funny moments.  Chuck Lorre and company proved they were better writers than this group. But, sadly… not good enough to keep me interested because you know what? I was trying to fight sleep! It made me doze off. Though I’m giving credit to Katey Sagal who played the TV star bitch. She was perfect.

Like the first cross-over, I hope they won’t attempt to do this again.

I had a better time watching this video below, than the actual programs:

Scrubs: The End of An Era

Scrubs bows out of NBC this week, with a very special episode paying homage to the fantastic 80’s movie, The Princess Bride. Zach Braff directs the final episode of the series airing in America tonight, Thursday, May 8th.

Here’s a sneak peek:

But there is no reason to miss the show, yet. It is moving to ABC next year for its 8th and possibly final season.