TV with MeeVee

TV Critics Love "Pushing Daisies," Hate "Cavemen"

(Begin pointless personal digression.) I have a soft spot for the semi-annual TV Week Critics Poll. (Read the story here and results here.) Back when the magazine was called Electronic Media, I used to be in the poll all the time, and I started talking to the people over there - we were all in Chicago at the time - and I ended up getting hired as assistant managing editor. While I worked there I ran the poll a couple of times, too, which gave me lots of time to talk to my critic friends who I only got to see on press tour otherwise. So this poll is like an old pal. (End pointless personal digression.)

But seriously, "Pushing Daisies" is better than "Mad Men"??? I don't think so. Better than "House" or "The Office"?? Really? Uh, no.

Ten Best Series
1. Pushing Daisies
2. Mad Men
3. Dexter
4. 30 Rock
5. Friday Night Lights
6. Damages
7. House
8. The Office (tie)
8. Ugly Betty (tie)
10. Californication

Worst after the jump...

"The Bachelor" Gets Battered

This year, "The Bachelor" didn't have any fairy-tale wedding planned at all, as season 11 bachelor Brad Womack rejected both the final candidates and decided to stay single. It was probably a good move, because the counterpoint to that is the season 6 couple, Mary Delgado and Byron Velvick. Engaged for three years, the couple appeared on an "After The Final Rose" special to coo at each other about their love and their sexy monogamous commitment. But just after midnight on Wednesday, Mary was arrested for clocking her man in the face. That's her booking photo on the left.

Sure, Thanksgiving is a strain on any couple, but that's no reason to punch a reality TV star.

At least, not in the face. Their moderately attractive faces are their only assets!

MeeVeeVideo Top 5: Adios Network Writers--Kid Nation, LA Ink, I Love New York 2, and more

As you all know, Hollywood's writers are on strike.  For the avid television watcher this is probably more stressful than a MLB fan during a baseball lockout.  But just think of it this way people.  It's like having summer in November (except for the fact that in most places T-shirts and shorts are out and you'll freeze your ass off at the beach!).  Now you catch all your favorite reruns, just like in the summer.  Stay strong and remember, writers are a neurotic and finicky bunch. They need the money way more than the TV execs do meaning the writers will only strike for so long.

This week Video Top 5 is saying forget the writers!! We'll just give praise to the shows where the hardworking, writing-less, reality shows create all the revenue. On Kid Nation, you can watch the little whiny bastards battle for the gold stars on the two-minute drill. Look at the many sides of Pixie on LA Ink.  She makes us want to get a tramp stamp right now!  Watch as a blood oath goes sour on I Love New York 2.  You'll just have to check it out to find out what it's all about.  View "Sneek Peeks" and "Diaries of the Departed" on The Bachelor.  Such a nice euphemism, but we like to call these ladies the losers!  Also, we have the Project Runway Memory Match game.

For our YouTube Clip of the Week, see which presidential hopeful is pulling a campaign "move" that's almost as reckless as Howard Dean's infamous "whoohoo"!!  Doesn't he have campaign advisers so stuff like this doesn't happen on the campaign trail?!

MeeVee Video Top 5: Beauties - ANTM, Big Bang Theory, The Bachelor, and more

TV shows are always saturated with beauty. Sex sells and we all know it. This week, Video Top 5 is looking at the shows where the girls are supposed to be hot. Not just shows like where "female doctors who just happen to be strikingly beautiful". And while we're on the subject matter of attractive doctors, how come we've never seen an attractive doctor down at the ER? In reality, it's usually an old Indian man who has the hands of someone who has been soaking his hands in ice water for the past several weeks. We digress.....

If you have a fetish of hot girls climbing rocks, then you've come to the right place. Watch the full episodes of the potential ANTMs as they dig their French Manicures into the rock climb. Also check out full episodes of "Big Bang Theory." Look at diaries of the departed women from the new "Bachelor." Hear these women verbal diarrhea for why they didn't get picked. Jennylee from "Beauty and the Geek" answers your questions. See if her answers are more coherent than Miss South Carolina's.  Watch as dumb models are exposed on America's Most Smartest Models. Some of these answers are truly upsetting!

Finally, we have our YouTube Clip of the Week that uses Barney and Friends to spoof Soulja Boy's hit song.

"The Bachelor's" Pad Is All About The Binge-Drinking

Oh, he's cute, he's well-dressed, and he's an entrepreneur. Cue sighs and eyelash fluttering: the ladies over at iVillage are agog over Brad Womack, this year's "The Bachelor" prince charming.

He may be an entrepreneur, but it doesn't take genius or creativity to open a bar in a college town. And this is not the kind of bar the marriage-minded individual patronizes. This bar is called the Chuggin' Monkey.

I've been to Austin and I've seen this bar and the people who drink there. As iVillage notes, it's in the cool part of Austin, which is 6th Street. That's where all the bars in town are, pretty much. But it's not one of the cool bars. It's wall-to-wall frat boys with lame tribal tattoos, and blonde girls flashing fake gang signs, fake tans, and push-up bras. I'm not kidding: look at the party pics.  I mean, just walking past gave me a kind of creepy, date-rapey vibe.

Seriously, I wouldn't date anyone who drank at that bar, much less go on a TV show to compete to marry man who owned it.

Fall TV Night-By-Night: Monday

A big night for all the networks, with a couple of tough head-to-head matchups.

ABC will find out if "Dancing With The Stars" remains strong. The new "Samantha Who?" got much buzz for Christina Applegate (left) as an amnesiac trying to change her screwed-up life, with Jean Smart and Kevin Dunn as her parents and Barry Watson as her boyfriend. It's not clear if repeated title changes and an Oct. 15 premiere date reflect backstage problems or just the usual Hollywood mishigas. "dancing" and "The Bachelor" bow on Sept. 24.

CBS has a lot riding on the success of its Monday-night comedies, notably the growing popularity of "How I Met Your Mother." But "Big Bang Theory" looks like a loser, with two nerds getting all hot and bothered over their new neighbor Kaley Cuoco, in a lame Internet-era version of leering "Three's Company" comedy. And no one understands why the underwhelming "Rules of Engagement" is back while "New Adventures of Old Christine" waits in the wings. Still, with "Two And A Half Men" and "CSI: Miami," CBS will likely continue to rule Mondays. All its shows roll out Sept. 24.

CW, Fox, NBC and a schedule after the jump.

OK, This Is The Right "Bachelor" Brother

I'm still not sure I had the right one of the Womack brothers in yesterday's item about ABC's "The Bachelor." But here are a couple of official ABC pix of Brad Womack, the 34-year-old bar owner and would-be entrepreneur who'll be up for grabs on the new season of the show, beginning Sept. 24. Still, no beefcake pose can change the fact that the dude and his brothers own a bar called The Chuggin' Monkey.

ABC's New "Bachelor" Is A Businessman-Barkeep

Brad Womack, 34, is the titular figure in the latest installment of ABC's "The Bachelor," bowing Sept. 24. Georgia native Brad, currently of Austin, Tx., co-owns four bars with his brothers and they're developing a hotel. But ABC says he's good looking enough to be called "McSteamy." You can be the judge, courtesy of this snap from the MySpace page of one of the lads' drinking establishments, called The Chuggin' Monkey. Classy, no? We think that's him, anyway - the brothers look a lot alike. (Tip o' the mouse to Walt for the link.)

Tonight's Picks: Monday, May 21

24 -- Day 6 - 4:00 AM to 6:00 AM
The sixth season concludes with a big two-hour episode. Cut off from Josh, Bauer fights to thwart a Russian attack on a U.S. base in central Asia. As long as the bomb doesn't go off during a commercial break, everything should be alright.

Heroes -- How to Stop an Exploding Man
In the first-season finale, the heroes all converge in New York for the big bang. Peter and Sylar face off; which of them will explode? Who will survive? Will the cheerleader save the world?

The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman -- Finale
The season ends as Andy chooses his bride-to-be. But first, he takes Bevin and Tessa to meet his family in Pennsylvania, and then it's off to a Hawaiian paradise for their finale dates.

The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman -- Andy Jogs, Shaves Chest

The Hollywood Gossip is flashing some hot new pictures of Andy from The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman, jogging shirtless. By "hot," I mean hot if you like anorexic guys who shave their entire bodies and fake 'n' bake. And by "jogging," I mean standing still and playing with an iPod.

The Bachelor season finale is next week. Tune in to see who's the lucky, lucky winner!

Check out Andy's rippling six-pack at The Hollywood Gossip >>

Bachelor Season 3 Star Engaged to Model, Show Still Feigns Reality

As the field on The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman narrows to Amber, Bevin, Tessa, and Danielle, Bachelor Season Three star Andrew Firestone gets engaged. 

The 31-year-old, who proposed to contestant Jennifer Schefft on the season finale -- before they split a few months later -- is now betrothed to Serbian model Ivana Bozilovic.

Schefft went on to appear in The Bachelorette, rejecting the proposals of her final two suitors.

Jeez, no wonder she and Andrew didn't work out. There's just no pleasing women. Er... some women.

Read more about Andrew's engagement at BuddyTV >>

The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman -- Interview with "Steph Kansas"

Stephanie Wilhite, the non-Asian half of The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman's latest crop of castoffs, recently sat down for a conference call interview in which she sounded pretty darn articulate for a 23-year-old blonde from Kansas.

The perky project manager played her cards pretty close to her chest in the face of Andy's cheesy needling. Would she be equally tight-lipped with the press? Will she have some insight into Andy's shaved chest, speech impediment, or propensity for embarrassing one-liners?

Tell us, Steph, what are your dreams?

The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman -- Amber's Boss Gets Demoted

The principal of the school where The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman contestant Amber Alchalabi taught fourth grade has been demoted for allowing Amber to appear on the show.

Amber is one of the final four women remaining on the show. Her principal, Tammie Carpenter, "will be reassigned to another campus and demoted" to assistant principal, the Houston Chronicle reports. Amber will not be disciplined.

That "decision has angered many parents who support Principal Tammie Carpenter, saying she did nothing wrong in allowing Amber Alchalabi to miss 22 class days to tape the show. School officials said 10 of the missed days were unpaid."

Read the rest of the story at RealityBlurred >>

The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman -- Tina and Steph Kansas Get Out-Cheesed

If last week's episode of The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman proved that the way to win a guy over was not to regale him with tales of competitive girl drama, this week's episode proved that when a man is courting you, you can't let him sound more feminine than you.

Doctor, naval officer, chest shaver, and through-teeth talker Andy has been delivering classically cheesy one-liners throughout the series, like some bastard offspring of Vince Vaughn and the Dalai Lama. Last night's episode was no exception. A few examples:

"This tastes beautiful… just like you."

"Tell me about your dreams."

"My heart is full when I'm with you."

Casting Call: Calling Single Women

All right, girls -- ready for A Wedding Story? If you're looking for the perfect guy, maybe it's time to turn to the hit reality show The Bachelor to find Mr. Right. Stop kissing frogs and find yourself a real prince.

The Bachelor will soon be taping its eleventh season! Read on for instructions on how to be a part of the fairy tale. Please visit The Bachelor casting site to familiarize yourself with the contestant rules and to apply.

Cheese-Off: Andy from The Bachelor vs. The Wedding Crashers

Whether he's consoling Bevin (whose name is actually Australian slang for "white trash," go figure) or taking his hairless chest hot-tubbing, Andy from The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman is never far from a cheesy one-liner: "I really feel a connection with you." He's like a real-life (sorta) version of Owen Wilson or Vince Vaughn from Wedding Crashers.

In this trivia game, we'll give you the cheeseball quote; you tell us whether it came from Andy, from Owen or Vince, or from both. We'll give you the answers at the end of the quiz.

The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman -- Interview with Aircraft Carrier Reject Peyton

The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman's latest dumpee, Peyton Wright, Marketing Coordinator for Tri-Delta sorority ("Delta Delta Delta, can I help ya help ya help ya?"), seemed awfully gracious for a chick who just got the Heisman (knee up, hand to the face) on national television. And on an aircraft carrier, no less.

We wanted to know whether Peyton's still feeling so charitable, or if she's planning to join a sore-ority. Because let's face it: Nothing stings like rejection. Except maybe a bad pun.

Check out MeeVee's exclusive interview with the perky Peyton...

The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman -- Interview with Booted Beauty Alexis

Alexis Young, an attorney from Southlake, Texas, made no apologies about her conservative good girl ways this week on The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman. But is she really all sweetness and light, or does she resent the way she was portrayed?

MeeVee got the straight dish on Alexis's motivations, and her true feelings about this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman -- Here Come the Divas

The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman
Title: "Three More Eliminations"
First Aired: 4/9/07
Last week, the latest ABC Bachelor, Andy Baldwin, chose his top 15 girls from a bevy of 25 beauties. In the mix are Tina, the "Star-Spangled Banner" crooner; Stephanie, the bloodthirsty freak (and recipient of the first rose); and Peyton, a sorority recruiter.  There are worse things, I suppose, and the handsome Naval officer seemed quite pleased with the lot.

This week, however, the competitors' true colors started poking through the proper exteriors. For three women, that meant a harsh dismissal. Susan, Alexis, and Tiffany are no more. 

Tonight's Picks: Monday, April 9

The Riches -- The Big Floss
While Wayne must deal with legal arcana in an eminent domain case (it's more interesting than it sounds, we promise), Dahlia gets a job for which she's equally unqualified: a dental hygienist. Also, Ginny finds the Malloys, which means that Dale is probably not far behind.

Thank God You're Here -- Season Premiere
Spiff up your funny bone; this is one sketch comedy show worth staying home for. David Alan Grier hosts this improv competition in which various comedic performers act in scenes without a script. The first brave souls to hit the stage are Wayne Knight, Jennifer Coolidge, Joel McHale and Bryan Cranston.

Dancing with the Stars -- Fourth Round
The nine remaining stars bust out their latest moves, dancing fox trots and flashing their best fancy footwork.

The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman -- Interview With Ousted Bachelorette Blakeney Rowe

If you missed the season premiere of The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman, you missed a delicious display of desperation, outbursts, and drunken nosedives, as the field of 25 beauties was shaved to 15.

MeeVee had the supreme honor of chatting with one of the more memorable dismissed ladies. Blakeney Rowe, a charming wild child from Alabama, became most noted for her intoxicated antics. In edition to busting out a beat-box jive for her would-be prince, Blakeney also found herself diving off her barstool in a drunken face plant. Following her brush with grace, she also had a verbal showdown with rage-monger Lindsay, another girl who didn’t make the cut.

What was the deal regarding her war with Lindsay? And is she really a woman scorned? Blakeney tells all.

The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman -- The Best Way to Spend Your 30th Birthday

The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman
Title: "Season Premiere"
First Aired: 4/2/07
This year’s Bachelor, Andy Baldwin, appears to be a massive upgrade from last year’s vanilla, ho-hum prince. Andy is a Naval officer, a doctor, and a sweet-as-cane-sugar gentleman who happens to be easy on the eyes. Plus, he’s on a sincere quest to find a lady love, and doesn’t smack of a playboy out to have a fun, televised romp.  Refreshing!

Less impressive was the bevy of beauties Andy faced on Monday night’s soirée, which coincided with Andy’s 30th birthday. There are a few diamonds for sure, but how on earth did a nut-job like Lindsay make it past the final selection? Ah, the quest for ratings will stop at nothing. At least Andy didn’t take the bait. He eliminated 10 women, leaving 15 to continue the journey. Some seem down to earth and elegant, others reek of immaturity. In other words, it’s going to be a good time for all.

Tonight's Picks: Monday, April 2

Prison Break -- Season Finale
The end is near and the clock is ticking.  Michael races to rescue Linc and beat Mahone at his own game.  Speaking of saving, Sucre is risking it all to rescue Maricruz, while T-Bag and Bellick find themselves in deep doo-doo on a river in Panama.

The Bachelor: An Officer and a Gentleman -- Season Premiere
Doctor, Navy officer, and complete hottie Andy Baldwin is the latest Bachelor to hunt down his woman on national TV.  Tune in to see the lucky ladies and their boy wonder meet for the first time, as Andy celebrates his 30th birthday.

Dancing with the Stars -- Third Round
Ten stars remain, and the newly Paulina-free pack puts on their dancing shoes to cut a rug once again.  Look for Billy Ray Cyrus to lead the losers, and Joey Fatone to make his boy band proud.

Casting Call: Searching for the Next Eligible Bachelor

You’re a sexy, intelligent, successful, and single male -- in other words, a bona fide dream Bachelor. If you’re sick of the standard dating scene, the producers of Beauty and the Geek would love to chat with you.  They’re creating the next hunt for a hunky bachelor, and one lucky guy will win the chance to choose from a bevy of beauties.

MeeVee Exclusive! An Interview with Dr. Andy Baldwin, ABC’s New Bachelor!

The Bachelor: An Officer and a Gentleman
Season premiere: Monday, April 2 on ABC
The Bachelor has featured all manner of sexy heartthrobs.  From actors to delicious doctors to last year’s dreamy, bona fide prince, the show’s been no stranger to immensely eligible men.  How does one follow such a lusty lineup of brainy hunks?  With the whole enchilada.  And by enchilada, I mean a Naval officer.  Who’s a doctor.  Who wants a wife and kids.  And is drop dead gorgeous.  What more do you want, America?

Dr. Andy Baldwin, man-wonder, sat down to dish with MeeVee about what is what it's like to take on the biggest challenge of his life.  Move over, Persian Gulf; you ain’t got nothin’ on a gaggle of “Marry Me Now!” women.

MeeVee Exclusive! Interview with The Bachelor: Rome's Happy Couple

This season’s The Bachelor: Rome was a hopeless romantic’s television dream come true.  At long last, the dashing Italian prince, Lorenzo Borghese, presented his final rose.  Jennifer Wilson -- the gorgeous, sweet-as-cane-sugar schoolteacher from Miami -- is the chosen one. As Lorenzo and Jen reunited, the happy couple was kind enough to take time out from canoodling to talk with MeeVee about life, love, and the pursuit of Reality TV.

Casting Call: From the Producers of The Bachelor: Rome -- Dream On, America

A trip to Vietnam, a new surfboard, housekeeping for a year, a toilet-trained-allergen-free kitty, a personal chauffer, a job that doesn't suck, parents who don't nag, base-jumping lessons, a Bush-free nation...

From the Producers of The Bachelor: Rome, comes Dream On, America A NEW WISH FULFILLMENT SHOW!

Make your dreams come true! Have a BIG personality? Can you sell your dream story in front of an audience? Make your dream, whatever it is... a reality! New primetime show seeks contestants, some story examples to follow!

The Bachelor: Rome -- The Prince Picks a Wife

This season’s hyper-romantic The Bachelor: Rome has a happy ending -- the Prince has met his match. In a two-hour finale, Lorenzo's preference is revealed: Jen, the schoolteacher from Miami, is the chosen one.

Tonight's Picks: Nov. 27

How I Met Your Mother - Single Stamina
Barney's black, gay brother, James (Wayne Brady), visits and Robin, the only one in the group who's never met him, is surprised. But James has a surprise for Barney that he finds hard to accept. Concerned Guy: Jamison Yang.

The Bachelor: Rome
Lorenzo has one rose left to bestow in the season finale, but first he has intimate dates with finalists Sadie and Jennifer, and he asks permission from both of their fathers if he may marry their daughters.

Heroes - Six Months Ago
The past is revisited as the clock turns back six months to when Mohinder's father, Chandra Suresh (Erick Avari), arrived in New York to search for individuals with extraordinary powers. At the same time, Peter graduates from nursing school.

The Bachelor: Rome -- Get Out Your Claws

Hell hath no fury like a whole room full of women scorned.  Especially when the room includes a snobbish socialite, a fiery Italian, and a stone-cold crazy Utah girl.  It’s a minor miracle that no one on The Bachelor: Rome required medical attention.  This week marked the always-frenzied Tell-All, reuniting the most colorful of characters, less the two remaining bachelorettes.  The prince even had the guts to make a showing, and although his stay was brief, he came out swinging too.  Human nature at its finest?  Not exactly, but it makes for damn good TV.

MeeVee Exclusive! Interview with The Bachelor: Rome's Prince Lorenzo Borghese

He’s an Italian prince who doesn’t speak Italian, but he clearly knows the language of love.  Lorenzo Borghese, the dreamy-eyed megaprize on The Bachelor: Rome, is poised to make his monumental decision next week.  The field of 27 woo-worthy women has been narrowed to just two gems: Sadie, the marketing manager/virgin from San Diego, and Jen, the quiet but magnetic teacher from Miami.  Lorenzo recently revealed a little backstage rivalry from this cult show, and while he wouldn’t hint at who has won his love, he did have dirt to dish.

Nov. 20: Michael Richards's Racist Tirade, Chris Daughtry Releases Album, Lauren Conrad Is Bad At Dating

*Fox News takes on The Daily Show [TVGasm]
*Leona Lewis has The X Factor [GMMR]
*American Idol runner-up has album coming out [Reality Blogs]
*The Hill's Lauren Conrad is bad at dating [The Hollywood Gossip]
*Tim Gunn hasn't signed on for fourth Project Runway [Reality Blurred]
*Let's see Michael Richards Yada Yada Yada his way out of this one [TMZ]

 

MeeVee Exclusive! Interview with Lisa from The Bachelor

We caught up with Lisa, Prince Lorenzo’s most recent castoff from The Bachelor: Rome, on a teleconference call. We were pretty shocked when we discovered, that despite her wedding dress stunt and her strict five-year plan, Lisa seems, well, normal. Here’s what the sunny marketing executive from Portland had to say about her experiences both on and off the show.

The Bachelor: Rome -- Love Just Isn't Scientific

It doesn’t matter how hard you study for the test -- failing is always an option. Just ask bubbly, obsessive, hardcore competitor Lisa, the latest castoff from The Bachelor: Rome. She studied past seasons with an eagle eye, worked her buns off to say all the right things, and lied and schemed her way through every episode. The hometown date, however, revealed her true agenda -- wedding dress and all. No amount of eyelash-batting or sweet talk could save the shortsighted princess wannabe. 

The Bachelor: Rome -- The Prince Hits the Hot Seat

After weeks of canoodling with loads of luscious women, the illustrious Prince Borghese was forced to vacate his Roman turf and visit the families of four anxious bachelorettes.  This week’s  The Bachelor: Rome featured all kinds of high-class drama and family-style threats, capped by a tearful and sappy goodbye.  But what on earth is the shunned princess Erica still doing on this damn show?

MeeVee Exclusive: Interview with The Bachelor's Erica Rose