TV with MeeVee

Monday, Monday Links

• Finally, some inside dope on season three of "Heroes." (Buddy TV)
• Gossip columnists noted that last week's "Law & Order: SVU" suspect of the week seemed to be a thinly disguised version of Tom Brady as a closeted gay man. (Boston Herald)
• Judah Friedlander (right) talks about his "30 Rock" trucker caps. (NY Observer)
• Rebecca Romijn's role downsized and more news from "Ugly Betty." (Televisionista)
• Talking "Lost" ratings. (SyFy Portal)
• Interview with a geek from "Greek." (TV Addict)
• I link not to praise "Big Brother,"  but to bury it. (TV Squad)
• "Brothers & Sisters" and "Ugly Betty" once again score at the GLAAD awards. (AP)
• Paula Marshall, show killer? (TV Squad)

Morning reading

• Kristen bell sez she's got the "sickest" storyline evah on "Heroes." We're in. (TV Guide)
• Ahahahahaha. Reviewer likes HBO's "John Adams," except that Paul Giamatti is wrong for the title role. In costume, she says, he "looks like Shrek." (NYT)
• Rub a dub dub. Snoop hits a soap. "One Life To Live" for his 'hood. (AP)
• Les Moonves of CBS wants "American Idol" dead. Funny, I feel that way about "Big Brother," and I don't even have a network. (Hollywood Reporter)

Morning Reads: Saturn Awards Find "Lost"

• "Lost" leads the TV nominations for the Saturn Awards from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy And Horror Films. Best Network Series nominees are: "Heroes," "Journeyman," "Lost," "Pushing Daisies," "Supernatural" and "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles." "Journeyman"? Really? (TV Addict)
• Lorne Michaels knows that "Saturday Night Live" is in a tough place as it returns to the air this week. (NY Times)
• Fox now has the highest average network rating for the season. Yikes. (AP)
• I guess "K-Ville" really isn't coming back. Anthony Anderson is going to replacing Jesse L. Martin on "Law & Order." (Hollywood Reporter)
• "Jericho" and "Big Brother" both had really bad weeks for CBS. (tvbythenumbers.com)

Morning Reading: "Jericho," "Dancing With The Stars" And More

• Martha Stewart chows down on Emeril's company. (Reuters)
• Mocking the new cast of celebs on "Dancing With The Stars." A prediction from here: Don't count out Penn Jillette. (GMMR)
• Appreciating what makes "Jericho" different: "Think for a moment about how often you have heard the name Manolo Blahnik on television, and then consider the last time you heard a reference to Wrangler. A large part of the show’s appeal comes simply from its refusal to play games of coastal narcissism." (NY Times)
• "American Idol" and Apple make a love connection, which will make it easier for all fans to download performances to their iPods. (TV Squad)
• Deep thinking about CBS' Sunday ratings problems. In context, "Dexter" did OK. (TVByTheNumbers.com)
• Expect "Knight Rider" to return, even though it sucks without Will Arnett as the car. (Hollywood Reporter)
• Autism group complains about insensitive comment on "Big Brother." Apparently they've neevr seen the show. (AP)

"Big Brother" Is Watching You Watch Reality TV

The WGA strike means that "Big Brother" is coming back sooner than usual, and that means it's casting time!

If you're hot, stupid, and unstable and you live near major cities in Massachusetts, Colorado, Florida, or Ohio, you're not too late to sign up.

CBS Announces Winter (Strike) Schedule

"Jericho" returns to the air Feb. 12 for its fan-inspired, seven-episode, make-or-break mini-season. The execrable "Big Brother" will have - oh joy - its first-ever winter edition. And "Power of 10," "Survivor" and "New Adventures of Old Christine" are among the returning shows with airdates announced by CBS. There's even a new scripted series about the residents of a fabled Hollywood apartment building, called "The Captain," and starring Fran Kranz ("The TV Set"), Chris Klein ("American Pie"), Jeffrey Tambor ("Arrested Development") and Raquel Welch. It airs Mondays after "How I Met Your Mother," beginning Jan. 28, although I'm not sure how many scripts are in the can. The complete press release is after the jump...

MeeVee Video Top 5: Returning Champs--Simpsons, Daily Show, Survivor, and more

Some shows are like old friends with familiar faces.  Granted they'll never you give the honest friend's advice such as, "you in THAT bikini....I don't think so" or "you should dump Karen, she's definitely cheating on you".  Now that we think about, maybe our friends aren't that great after all.  In any case, many of us have grown old with these shows.  They've given us laughter, excitement, and sometimes, for some reason, tears.  We're calling these shows returning champs.  They may not be the longest running shows out there, they're just considered champs in their own respect.

This week Video Top 5 has trivia games for ER and The Simpsons.  Test your knowledge so that maybe you will score high enough to brag on your MySpace page. We also have full episodes and weekly clips from the show that somehow helped make voyeurism cool, Big Brother:  Check out past clips from Jon Stewart and gang on The Daily Show and catch some exclusive clips of Survivor: China.  Finally, we have our YouTube Clip of the Week.  If you haven't seen that obnoxious kid from University of Florida get tasered, you just haven't experienced life.

Morning Links!

The Times says "Kid Nation" is like "The Real World" only with younger stars. They are neither vehemently negative nor really interested in watching more.

Slate covers blogs by TV characters, like the "Big Love" character Margene, and also posts a  review of "Gossip Girl" which is not as harsh as we've been on the show, as well as a backstage note about TV show budgets getting out of hand.

Televisionary has an interview with that dude from "Chuck."

Variety says that AMC's "Mad Men" is going to get renewed.

Ducky has a bit about "ANTM," and FourFour notes that they'll have their carefully-crafted nastiness posted every Monday.

And here's a video clip of Dick and Daniele from "Big Brother 8:"

"Big Brother" Exit Interviews: Amber Wishes She'd Been More Selfish

CBS has a whole bunch of exit interviews, including one with Amber, where she says she wishes she'd played more for herself (say WHAT?) and that she feels she's taught America it's OK to cry.

No, Amber, you showed us why America hates people who cry. If you're a great example of why it's OK to cry, you're a great example of why it's OK to be a total wackjob who also, just confidentially between you me and the television-watching public, hates the Jews. You're the worst thing that ever happened to people who cry.

You know crying is bad for your face, right?

Your Minimum Daily Requirement Of Morning Links

• Who won "Big Brother 8?" Who cares! Well, actually, Give Me My Remote Does. Let's just say the choice was hilariously appropriate. (GMMR)
• Pictures and spoilers from the season premiere of "Friday Night Lights." (Televisionista)
• "The Office" spoilers and pix. (GMMR)
• Are "Heroes" co-stars Milo Ventimiglia and Hayden Panettiere dating? She just turned 18 and he's what? (Televisionista)
• "Gilmore Girls" star Lauren Graham inks a big development deal with NBC. (TV Squad)
• Molly Shannon signs for a multi-ep stint on "Pushing Daisies" as the owner of a saltwater taffy shop across the street from the Pie Hole. (Ausiello)

Monday Reads

I now interrupt this long weekend of doing nothing to point you to these TV stories... Sick sick sick: CMT's "I want To Look Like A Cheerleader Again." ... My support for "Kid Nation" has begun to waver as the LA Times reports parents have spoken to two showbiz child welfare groups. The bad part for me is, they're revealing some dubious production practices. ... Devotion To Journalism Award: "While it's hard to think of positives to come out a severe brain injury, here's one: it just helped ABC News' Bob Woodruff score a scoop." ... "Private Practice" star Kate Walsh got married this weekend. ... Pix of the various "Heroes" roadtrips are here and here, although the funniest take is here.  ... Recap of the "Entourage" season finale here. ... Bloggers complain about denial of access to the "Big Brother 8" cast - I'd think of it as a favor.

"Big Brother," "Cavemen," and Lame Stereotypes

Every week, when someone gets kicked out of the "Big Brother" house, they get to talk to the press. Interviewers usually agree to ask only about things that the contestant was there for. This time, they've also been told not to ask about any anti-semitic ramblings the contestants might have heard. Namely, this gem from Amber:

CBS has announced that interviews will be restricted further than normal so as not to "influence the jury voters" -- but nobody's buying that line. The AP seems to think the whole thing stinks, since they've decided not to participate in any of the restricted interviews. It's certainly kicked up an awful lot of dust (and publicity for the show) in the form of a widely-circulated article on "Big Brother" prejudice and censorship.

Meanwhile, over at ABC, people have become more and more convinced that "Cavemen" is going to be exactly the idiotic piece of trash they expected. For example, Defamer pointed out a clip illustrating what happens if you replace "Cave" with "Black" in one of the promo spots. Sadly, it's now offline.

Morning Reads

We had the picture two weeks ago, but here it is again, because Cinematical has an excellent interview with Rainn Wilson, aka Dwight Schrute of "The Office," on the set of his new comedy, "The Rocker." ... And PS, here's some bad news for fans of "The Office," "Heroes" and other NBC shows who've used iTunes to catch eps they missed - NBC may not renew its iTunes pact in a dispute over pricing. ...  I hate them all with a passion, but Give Me My Remote has a "Big Brother 8" recap that will tell you everything you need to know about showmance and other festivities amongst the housemates. ... Peter Bart pens one of his open letters, this time to Judd Apatow, limning the differences between him and John Hughes. ... Did TV stop running old Ronald Reagan movies when he ran for prez? TNT says it's not dropping "Law & Order" reruns when Fred Thompson jumps into the fray next week.

"Big Brother 8" Recap

"Tonight we had old wounds reopened, a burgeoning romance on the rocks, naked ass all around, and some crying (um, take a guess from whom)." Give Me My Remote has the recap scoop.

Fun With Numbers: "Big Brother 8" on "Power Of 10"

DuckyDoesTV tells us all about the appearance of two "Big Brother 8" skanks, I mean housemates, on the Drew Carey-hosted "Power of 10" game show. Frankly I feel like they're bringing Drew down by associating him with that lunatic band, but it's summer TV, so anything can happen I guess. And even their lifeline turns out to be a surprise. But where's Evil Dick when you need him? Meanwhile we're getting all the lowdown on last night's "BB8" from GMMR.

Linkfest: "Damages" and "Big Brother"

"Big Brother:" Ducky's got a post making fun of everyone's favorite whackjob, Amber, while TV Squad has an item on the POV contest, and The TV Tattler has an interview with the latest evicted houseguest. I love that people call the houseguests "hamsters," to the point that one Big Brother blog is actually called Hamsterwatch.

"Damages:" A recap at TV Squad and and another one over at Televisionary. In particular, Televisionary has a good point: this show is getting stranger as it develops. It seems to me that it's left the usual legal drama conventions behind and veered into the land of unsettling psychological thrillers. Someplace where Glenn Close is at home...

Amber's Best Pal On Big Brother 8

She's making enemies left and right, on and off the show, but Amber does have one true friend in the "Big Brother" house: God. She talks to him all the time, telling him how she was proud of how good a person she was before the show, and is thrilled that he's making her into a better person by putting her through the trials of Job on the show. And then she says "God bless you." To God.

Amber, where do I begin? God help you, because you're certainly beyond any human help.

Amber From "Big Brother" Is Not "Smarter Than A 5th Grader"

I'd love to see Amber from "Big Brother 8" show up on "Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?"

Because she's not.

Reality Is So Unreal

There's a bizarre correction in Radar this week about "The Hills": Heidi and Spencer said they weren't engaged, and that they weren't getting engaged, especially not on "Lauren's show." Then, of course, the show aired, and they most certainly are engaged, and very much so on "Lauren's show." If it were a fictional drama, it would make sense to deny things or refuse to comment on things, but it makes no sense to lie about it, especially in the context of a show that purports to show something resembling reality.

Then again, what's real anyway? What kind of reality would involve daddy sitting next to the tub while his daughter takes a bubble bath wearing a bathing suit and shaves her entire body, including her arms?

Big Brother 8 Recap

Personally I feel this show is like herpes for your television, annoying and embarrassing and hard to get rid of and primarily below the waist. But Give Me My Remote continues to recap "Big Brother 8" faithfully, so if you must keep up with the exploits of Evil Dick and the rest, whomp there it is.

MeeVee Video Top 5: Flash Gordon, Californication, Big Brother 8, and more

This week's Video Top 5 menu includes a wide array of tastes and flavors from around the TV world. For starters we have Flash Gordon clips. This new show on Sci-Fi is attempting to piggy-bank off the success of Smallville's triumphs. Will this new show take off or plummet into obscurity faster than Mr. Flash himself?

Our entree includes full episodes of Kidnapped. See if this new thriller/drama satisfies your craving for lies, deception, and mystery. If that doesn't fill you up, then perhaps David Duchovney's new Showtime original will. DD plays a man whose life is spiralling out of control and you can join him for the wild ride. Where's Scully when you need her?!

Side dishes of Hogan Knows Best and Big Brother 8 will give you all the protein you need.  Finally, for dessert we have a delicious treat for you: our YouTube Clip of the Week. It's the second coming of Super Soakers only this time, they return with a twist. Find out how.

Just remember, after you've had your fill, wait 30 minutes before gettting into the pool. We don't want anyone to cramp up!

"Big Brother 8" Gets Prejudiced

Check out this video of "Big Brother" house guest Amber insulting the Jews. The audio is a little faint for the first few seconds, but then she starts whispering a little more loudly about how selfish and greedy the Jews are, and how Dustin is selfish because he's Jewish. Jameka just nods and tries to avoid a fight, only once gently warning Amber that she should be careful about sounding just a little bit anti-semitic. Gee, you think?

This conversation, of course, happens right after she's been on tape asking Dustin about his ethnic background. Way to keep it classy, Amber.

"Big Brother 8" Recap: Drink Up

No, not the contestants - the poor bloggers who have to watch this stuff. Kathie from Give Me My Remote is totally stressed after watching last night's episode, but she bravely delivers us another excellent "Big Brother 8" recap. I don't recall her using the phrase "ape shit" before, but then, this is Evil Dick we're talking about. (Bonus: In the comments, someone uses the phrase "dirty pirate hooker" to describe Danielle.)

Monday Morning Reads

Our friend The TV Addict has done an awesome thing for those of you who wish you were at ComicCon but weren't. He's collected links to videos of all the panels like "Heroes," "The Simpsons" and "Lost." ...... Kathie at Give Me My Remote apologizes for being remiss in recapping the "Chuck" panel at ComicCon (featuring Zach Levi, right) and links to a video by way of amends. ... Televisionista has some excellent pix from the "Heroes" beach location, as Hayden Panettiere films a smooch with her new TV boyfriend, Nick D'Agosto, then hits the waves with her real boyfriend, Stephen Coletti. ... TV Squad reports on some "Big Brother 8" foolishness and makes an excellent point: "How pathetic do you have to be to go through the trouble of hiring a biplane to try and influence the results of a reality show?" ... Variety sez New York magazine is calling out Bravo over conditions for contestants on shows like "Top Chef" and "Project Runway." ... Variety also sez CW's "Gossip Girl" is coming out a week early. ...

"Big Brother" - Still Hell On Earth

I've been remiss in linking to the excellent "Big Brother 8" recap over at Give Me My Remote because I just hate that show and all the people on it. But really, any piece of prose including the phrases "conniving little wench" and "fake bird crap" has got to be worth reading, right? Right?

Drama? On "Big Brother?" Never!

Oh, now it's on! In this video, Daniele asks Jen why she's so rude all the time, and Dick decides to intervene by pouring tea on Jen's head. Great idea!

Evil Dick Acts Evil On "Big Brother"

It's almost surprising to see a mainstream news site cover a TV show this well, but seeing as how it's a CBS property, I shouldn't be surprised to see that CBS News has a great recap of the latest Big Brother gossip, mostly about "Evil Dick" being his evil self.

In summary: Danielle is ever-so-slowly reconciling with her father, who makes a concerted effort to act like a decent parent to her. He's still horrible to the rest of the contestants. When they won them in a food challenge, most of the contestants thought sweetbreads were candy, not organ meat. America's Player has both of his nipples pierced. Ultimately, Kail won a last-minute reprieve, so Mike got the boot.

"Big Brother 8" Gets Wikified

"Big Brother" has joined the Web 2.0 revolution: there is now a Big Brother Wiki, which means you and anyone else can join in and gab about the folks trapped in a house, making each other's lives miserable. Right now, it's Dick in the spotlight. Hate him or love him? Weigh in!

Better Big Brother Twists

This year on "Big Brother," just like every year, there's a twist. This time, the theme is "unfinished business." For example, Joe and Dustin were dating, and Dustin gave Joe the clap, so Joe spent a lot of time being mean to Dustin over it. Now they're sharing a house. Will they make amends or erupt in pissy drama? Will I care? No! I can have ex-related drama in my life without watching television.

I want something cool to happen on that show. Like, what if one of the houseguests had been bitten by a zombie and didn't want the others to know? That would be awesome.

Or how about having one of the people in the house be in the witness protection program, and mob types kept trying to break in and kill everyone in the house? That would make a great thriller. Even better, you could just put in a psychotic ex-con who thinks he's a cop, like in "Meadowlands." That's always great for laughs.

But instead of mobsters and zombies, CBS just gives us the regular drama of sexually transmitted diseases, scantily-clad hotties in hot-tubs, and estranged family members thrown together in close quarters. What kind of boring reality is that? I know you could do way better, so post your improved "Big Brother" twist ideas in the comments.

"Big Brother 8" Premieres Tonight

"Big Brother" returns to US screens tonight on CBS, and our pals over at Give Me My Remote can't wait. This season, we've got two major twists: First, many of the contestants already know each other, and aren't exactly friends. Second, one contestant gets secret instructions voted on by viewers. But the best part could be the "after dark" angle: in addition to the regular broadcasts, Showtime will be airing live, unedited camera feeds from the house each evening.

Exploitative? Risky? Of course. We're talking about a show that, in its Australian incarnation, refused to inform a resident that her father had died. I doubt that this season of the American show will get that bad, but I have to admit I'm sort of hoping it will.

Casting Call: Big Brother Casting Heads South

If your idea of a good time is being sequestered in a televised house with loads of strangers, Big Brother is ready for you.  Vie for your shot at starring in the equivalent of  Survivor for couch potatoes. Big Brother's producers are holding a casting call this week in Jackson, Mississippi -- keep reading to find out how to get in on the action!

Big Brother: All Stars - A Moment of Silence, Please

Sometimes reality TV gets a little too real.  When the guy who claims the cash and the glory rides the coattails of the best player of all time, and uses his fellow top-tier showmance until the bitter end, it’s a little hard to stomach.  Mike Bookie is the Big Brother 7: All-Stars winner.  I can’t believe I just had to write those words.

It all came down to a matter of self-meditated, conniving game play over an obvious dose of blind luck. Erika, Boogie’s used and abused fake girlfriend, got played from all sides, and managed to rise to the top simply by being so very mediocre, and thus flying under the proverbial radar.  It turns out that, in All-Stars-speak, this is not a respectable strategy.  Boogie, on the other hand, wouldn’t have a toothpick to stand on without the mastermind of his best friend, the evil Dr. Will.

GMMR: Give Me My Remote & DuckyxDale Podcast 1.01

Give it up for Give Me My Remote! GMMR and Ducky are podcasting their exclusive content, interviews, witty banter, bitchy demeanors, catcalls, insults, hugs, kisses, backstabbings, and all the gossip from your favorite shows.

Check out for their first podcast GMMR|Ducky Podcast 1.01
- Dan and Kath introduce themselves, how they met, fell in love and became partners in television blogging crime
- Upcoming Show ideas and aspirations
- Summer Recaps: So You Think You Can Dance, Big Brother All Stars (including their picks to win)
- Fox Fall Thoughts: Prison Break, Vanished, House, Justice

Big Brother All Stars: Is There a Doctor In the House? Not Anymore!

These are sad, sad days – the most deserving, all-out competitor in Big Brother history, the genuine and fiercely competitive Janelle, has been evicted. Is there justice left in reality TV? What a travesty!

Before her illustrious exit, Janelle was finally able to execute a feat no one in two long years of playing this game could muster – she gave Dr. Will the boot...

Big Brother All Stars: Double Eviction Nights RULE!

Warning: this craziness is not for the faint of heart. The Big Brother All Stars house was nothing short of an absolute onslaught of action this week. Let’s see if I can do this madness justice!

Erika had the illustrious HoH honors. Since she’s being massively played and showmanced by the unbelievably unethical Mike Boogie, she’s putty in Chilltown’s hands. (This season, who isn’t?)

Big Brother All Stars: James Gets Played

Isn’t it fun to watch a player get played? Such was the week in the Big Brother All Stars house. Good times indeed!

The Season Six villain who joined forces with just about everyone, has lost his million dollar fight - James has been sent packin’. And look, say what you want about Janelle – sure, she flaunts her victories to no end, and yes, she can play the blonde card like nobody’s business, but the girl wins competitions. Again, and again, and again. She’s got the nerve to go all out and take no prisoners, and as such, she deserves her thrown.

Big Brother All Stars: Marcellas Flies the Coup

Marcellas, the smack talkin’ drama queen and self-professed “America’s black gay sweetheart,” has exited stage left. He’s the latest and greatest victim (unanimous, no less!) on the cutthroat Big Brother All Stars show.

For showtimes and details on Big Brother visit MeeVee.com

Big Brother All Stars: Oh How the Mighty Have Fallen

The inevitable has hit the Big Brother All Stars house with a vengeance....  Bye-bye Kaysar--there’s a new game in town.

The real crown of power this week goes to Janelle. She had a blazing target on her back, and thanks to some ultra-shrewd Power of Veto strategy, she pulled herself off the chopping block and bought another week of safety.  She’s still in all kinds of hot water, however, as no one else in the house has managed to tick-off more people, but her brains resurfaced and she out-played them all.

Big Brother 7: Janelle Gets Personal

Has everyone in the Big Brother All Stars house gone mad?

Yes, it seems the natives are losing it. Diane, this week’s selected victim, was clearly targeted and sent packing.

Big Brother 7: Jase Goes Out the Backdoor

What a whirlwind this week was in the Big Brother All Stars house! James had the power and used it wisely, placing Will and Chicken George on the chopping block. Chicken George shocked all of America, however, by winning the Power of Veto and removing himself out of harm’s way. Well played, Chicken Man... well played indeed.

Big Brother All Stars: No More Nakomis!

She’s the quirky girl with the multicolored locks; the one player no one knew quite what to make of, and this week, she got the boot. The eccentric but genuine Nakomis is gone from Big Brother All Stars. The frustrating part about this exit? It was truly undeserved. Kaysar, last week's Head of Household, was playing it annoyingly safe. He made a one-time alliance with the evil Chilltown duo, and as much as it might save him for a week or two, this will likely be his undoing. It pays to have a backbone in this house–to take a stand and take it hard–but Kaysar wussed out and put up a couple of so-called floaters on this week’s chopping block. Disappointing doesn’t even cover it.

Big Brother 7: Alison Gets Axed!

Poor Alison--she’s considered one of the most ruthless, back-stabbing, heartless players in Big Brother history.   It turns out there’s a price to pay for such nasty behavior--eviction, baby.  Give the girl her walking papers...